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TOLY 5T, 1937
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OS' GEORGIA
SEVEN
Essay Awarded First Prize
in Annual Atlanta Contest
The essay on St. Francis of Ass tsi by Miss Dorothy Baumstark of
Scored Heart School, Atlanta, which won the contest of the Atlanta
Catholic Club of Business and Pro tessional Women, as announced in
the previous issue of The Bulletin, follows:
N. CAROLINA RURAL
CHURCH AT CONCORD
NEARLY 70 YEARS OLD
NEW NORTH CAROLINA
PRIESTS ASSIGNED
Father Brown Assistant at
Cathedral—Father Sullivan
(By DOROTHY BAUMSTARK)
St. Francis of Assisi has been pre
sented to us under numerous and
various aspects. He has been styled
bearer of the Stigmata, founder of
the Franciscan Order, zealous build
er of churches, earnest preacher,
sincere follower of Lady Poverty,
and finally, the hermit in love with
solitude. It seems impossible that one
person could be endowed with so
many, and such wonderful gifts. Yet,
no doubt, it was because of these
attributes that St. Francis entered
into glory even in his lifetime, and
that he is the one saint all succeed
ing generations have agreed in can
onizing.
St. Francis was born in Assisi,
Italy, in 1182. To fit him for the mer
chant business, his father had him
study French, particularly, and
thence came the name Francis, his
real name being John. This- lack of
early training had its consequences
later. St. Francis’ young manhood
showed a very worldly disposition.
Handsome, gay, but courteous and
gallant, prime leader in all civil
revels, he was often designated
"king of frolic.” Nevertheless, it can
not be denied that throughout these
days of fun and pleasure there oc
curred many incidents in which he
showed an instinctive sympathy with
the poor.
It took two severe and tedious ill
nesses to occasion his first serious
introspection. A complete change be
ing brought about, his heart yearned
for a spiritual life, and after a brief
period of uncertainty, he sought in
prayer and solitude, the answer to
his call. Upon realizing it, he im
mediately gave himself up to charity
to the poor. This brought the ire of
his father upon St. Francis and sub
sequently bitter persecution, which,
at length, drove him to renounce his
birthright and inheritance, publicly,
before the Bishop of Assisi. Having
officially declared that he had enter
ed the service of God, he surrender
ed all worldly goods, honors and
privileges.
His belief that he had been special
ly called by the Spirit was confirm
ed upon hearing the words of the
Gospel: "Do not possess gold nor
silver, nor money in your purses,
nor scrip for your journey, nor two
coats, nor shows nor a staff.’’ (Math.
Ch.X 9-10). Donning a coarse woolen
tunic, tied at the waist by a knotted
rope, from that day on, he went
forth exhorting all to penance, bro
therly love, and peace.
The power of St. Francis seems out
of proportion to his education. It
must have been by its supernatural
source, coupled with a heart filled
with love for its Divine Master, that
he was able to capture the imagina
tion, charm the mind, and conquer
the heart of millions of men, then
and now.
One by one they listened and suc
cumbed to the magical words that
fell from his lips, until, when the
number of his followers had increas
ed to eleven, he drew up a written
rule for them. Together, the band
set out for Rome to secure the ap
proval of Innocent III. Granting
them their wish, the Pope bade them
depart and preach repentance to all-
Returning to Assisi, the Friars
Minor established a permanent foot
hold at St. Mary of the Angels
Church at Porziuncola. Adjoining,
the first Franciscan Convent was
formed. To this, the cradle of the
Franciscan Order, more and more
have flocked.
A still greater happiness came to
St. Francis when a rich young heir
ess with a few followers made
known to him her desire to consecr
ate her life to God. As others fol
lowed her example, St. Francis drew
up a written rule for them called
the “Rule of the Poor Sisters.”
It is impossible, because of the
limited dimensions of this paper, to
tell of all the wonderful deeds of
St. Francis, and of the thousands
who were attracted by his example
and holiness. However, we do know
that in Italy, his work of the salva
tion of souls was unceasing and end
less, and we do know that not con
tent with his labors among the Chris
tians of Europe, he followed the
Crusaders into the land of the Sara
cens, hoping that where the Sword
had failed the Gospel might be
victorious.
His wonderful work there was
suddenly ended, when he was called
home to straighten out affairs of his
Order, which had fallen into dif
ficult “circumstances during his ab
sence. When he returned, he drew
up a new rule which was supposed
to be based on the vows of poverty,
chastity and obedience.
Upon his reception of the Stigmata,
three years later, St. Francis suffer
ed terribly because of his frail body.
Broken by eighteen years of morti
fication. his health was fast failing
and, at the time, he was almost com
pletely blind. With the exception of
one interruption, an unsuccessful
operation for his eyes, he spent the
rest of his days in peace and quiet
in a hermitage, dwelling more and
more on the Crucifixion of Christ,
until it was said of him that no other
man knew more of the passion.
Knowing that the end was drawing
near, St. Francis begged to be ear
ned to Porziuncola so that he might
spend his last days where his voca
tion had first been revealed to him.
Thus he died at the early age of
forty-five, as easily and happily as
he had lived, while listening to the
Passion according to St. John.
In the heart of St. Francis, the
whole world has found refuge, the
poor, the sick and the weak, in that
very heart where dwelt humility,
poverty, and charity and all the vir
tues which made his life so glorious.
As the salvation of souls was the
burden of his prayers, Honorious in
has granted an indulgence on Au
gust 2 for all those confessing their
sins in the chapel at Porziuncola on
that day. Assisi is fast becoming the
goal of a new race of pilgrims, and
the world is still rightfully ring
ing with the glory of St. Francis of
Assisi.
CHARLESTON bTsHOP
CONVENTION SPEAKER
Atlantic City Session of
Ladies’ Catholic Benevolent
Association Addressed by
Bishop Walsh
(By N. C. W .C. News Service)
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J.—Miss Kate
Mahoney, of Troy, New York, was
unanimously re-elected president of
the Ladies’ Catholic Benevolent As
sociation at its quadriennial conven
tion here.
The convention was opened July
13, with a Solemn Pontifical Mass in
St. Nicholas’ Church, with the Most
Rev. Emmet M. Walsh, Bishop of
Charleston, as celebrant.
Bishop Walsh also delivered the ser
mon, explaining how the forces of
Communism are working to destroy
all belief in God and religion ,and
urging the members of the association
to become missionaries in sreading
the truth of the Catholic Faith, and
to study conditions and the social
teachings of the Church to be better
able to oppose those who are seeking
to drive God out of the hearts of
men. Bishop Walsh also addressed
the opening sessions of the conven
tion.
Bishop Walsh’s Address
"In Russia and Mexico” the Bisop
said, "Atheistic Communism has
striven by every possible means to
destroy Christian civilization and the
Christian religion by banishing every
remembrance of them from the hearts
of men. In those countries Commun
ists have added countless names to the
roll of Christian martyrs and instill
ed the hatred of God and the Church
into the very souls of millions. In
Spain, as far as they have found it
possible, they have destroyed every
monastery and every church. They
have eradicated every vestige of the
Christian religious by the thousands.
They are slaying laymen wholesale in
almost daily mass murders because
“these are good Christians or at least,
opposed to Atheistic Communism’.
The Holy Father retails all of this
and warns, “That which is happening
today in Spain may perhaps be re
peated tomorrow in other civilized
countries’.
“Are we of today witnessing the
climax of the world’s great hatred for
Christ and His Church? That hatred
which Christ recognized when, the
night before He died on the Cross, He
prayed for His Disciples, ‘Father, I
pray not for the ■world, but for them
whom Thou hast given me . . . the
world hath hated them, because they
are not of the world’.
“in every age the world has hated
the Church. It has always penalized
those that believe in the Church’s
teachings and persecuted them with
varying intensity of hatred. Even in
our beloved country, America, where
the Church has had freedom probably
greater than in any other land since
the Lord walked on the earth as the
Son of Man, Catholics have suffered
for their Fath. They have suffered
from social discrimination against
them. They have been denied econo
mic opportunities by subtle methods
used to keep them in the humbler po
sitions of life. They have often been
denied political opportunity and skill
fully cheated of political equality.
They have been made the victims of
machinations of secret societies and
of outbursts of organized bigotry. Al
ways ‘the world hath hated them, be
cause they are not of the world’. But
never before have Catholics known
the frenzied hatred of Atheistic Com
munism.
“These frightful atrocities are not
a mere transitory phenomenon of
social revolution, the usual excesses
following the overthrow of organized
government by revolutionaries, they
are the natural fruit, the logical con
sequence of a system that deliberately
destroys the restraint of conscience
and tears the very idea of God from
the hearts of man. As the Holy
Father points out we are witnessing
for the first time in history a cold
blooded struggle deliberatley plan
ned in every detail—a struggle be
tween man and ‘all that is called God’.
“If America is saved from Com
munism it will be saved only by a
Catholic people aroused to a renewal
of their own spiritual life and en
rolled in a crusade to bear witness
to Christ and His teachings to our
fellow citizens in America”.
Cardinal- Gibbons Dedicated
It in 1869—Father Cowan
First Resident Pastor
The Concord, N. C., Daily Observer,
recently published a history of St.
James Church, of which the Rev-
James A. Cowan, is the first resident
pastor. The history of the parish,
through which move figures like Car
dinal Gibbons and other famed fig
ures in the , Catholic history of the
South, follows:
St. James Catholic Church was ded
icated August 1, 1869, by Right Rev.
James Gibbons, D. D. V. Ap., of
North Carolina, who was assisted by
The Very Rev. L. P. O’Connell, V. G-
The church was built with funds
collected in New York, New York.
Mr. G. C. Goodman aided Father
O’Connell to a great extent in super
intending and managing the work. He
expended a considerable amount of
labor, horse power and pecuniary aid
in its direction. The church lot was
donated by Mr. Goodman, and titles
are recorded at Concord in the Bish
op’s name and possession.
This mission was first attended by
Rev- C. Gifford in 1842. He attended
occasionally till the Rev. Dr. J. J.
O’Connell of Columbia, South Caro
lina, took charge in 1849. Dr. O’Con
nell and his brother, Rev. L. P.
O’Connell, V- G., paid occasional, al
though very irregular, visits to this
section until 1854. At this time Rev. A.
J. McNeal of Sumter, South Carolina,
was appointed to the Charlotte mis
sions which embraced this section, and
made a few visits to Concord. The
Rev. Joseph P. O’Connell, D. D., dis
charged the duties of this place up to
1865-
In 1876 the Rev. Dr. Herman, O. S.
B., took charge and during his term
he had at one time, a lady employed
to teach and conduct Christian Doc
trine classes which proved to be a
very successful venture.
In the Fall of 1880, Most Rev. John
J. Keane, D. D., lately consecrated for
the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia,
and acting as Administrator of the
diocese of North Carolina, visited St.
James and administered Confirma
tion.
In 1883 Bishop Keane appointed Fa
ther Julian, O. S. B„ of the College
of Mary Help of Christians to come
here monthly. Father Julian collected
among his friends in Richmond, Vir
ginia, sufficient funds to paint the
church; up to this time the church
had not been painted- An altar was
purchased and erected, and vest
ments received from an Altar Socie
ty in Washington, D. C. Father Julian
was very much pleased at this time
with conditions here and every
month some twenty-five approached
the Sacraments. Due to his connection
with the college he was relieved of
this-mission in 1884. The Rev. Walter
Teaby, O- S. B„ was appointed to
come for one year and he donated the
Stations of the Cross.
In August, 1887, Rev. J. Hill of
Charleston, took the mission into his
hands and was accompanied here by
the newly consecrated Vicar Apos
tolic and Abbot of Mary Help Abbey,
Tlie Right Rev. Leo Haid, D. D., O. S-
B. The Bishop contributed at this time
to have the chapel repaired. ,
In 1900 Father Bernard came here
several times from Greensboro, and
in late years from Salisbury, North
Carolina. On August 8, 1903, High
Mass was sung for the first time by
Rev. Albert assisted by Father Chilian
and Stephen and Edmund. In the af
ternoon at 2 o’clock, Benediction of
the Most Blessed Sacrament was wit
nessed for the first time since the ex
istence of the church. In 1904 Father
Charles gave a week’s mission which
was well attended and the congrega
tion purchased a new stove for the
church.
Father William came in 1906 and
had the front porch pillars repaired
and new sills and a porch put on the
front of the church. An organ was
purchased at this time. Father Greg
ory succeeded Father William, com
ing from Salisbury once a month.
In 1910 Father Leo attended Con
cord until 1918 when Father Celes-
tine of Kansas took charge and re
mained here until 1921.
In 1929 the Most Rev. Bishop Haid,
D. D., decided to have service on the
first Sunday of each month and ap
pointed the Rev. Herman Grones, O-
S. B., to take charge. Father Herman
remained here until 1934, and during
these years established church service
every Sunday.
In 1929 the Most Rev. Bishop Will
iam J. Hafey, D. D., was consecrated
Bishop of Raleigh, North Carolina,
and on July 1, 1934, established St.
James as a regular parish, and ap
pointed the Rev. James A. Cowan as
pastor, with residence at Albermarle,
North Carolina.
On December 13, 1936, the Most
Rev. William J. Hafey, D. D., admin
istered Confirmation to forty chil
dren, and the entire congregation as
sembled in the Hotel Concord, at
Concord, N. C-, by Bishop Hafey. and
a grand reunion of the parish follow
ed.
St. Genevieve’s Chaplain
FATHER SULLIVAN
1
o o
(Special to The Bulletin
RALEIGH, N. C.—Two recently or
dained priests for the Raleigh Dio
cese have been given appointments
by the Most Rev. William J. Hafey,
D. D., Bishop of Raleigh, the Rev.
John A. Brown is assistant rector at
the Sacred Heart Cathedral, succeed
ing the Rev. Millar F. Neale, who
held the same post for three years
and who has been made chaplain to
the Sisters of Charity, at St. Leo's
Hospital, Greensboro.
Tlie Rev. Stephen A. Sullivan is
now chaplain at St. Genevieve's Jun
ior College, Asheville. The Rev. Her
bert Harkins, formerly chaplain at
St. Genevieve's, now holds a similar
position with the Sisters of Notre
Dame, Southern Pines.
Father Brown is a native of Hazel-
ton, Pa. After graduating from St.
Gabriel’s High School in that city, he
entered St. Charles’ College in Mary
land and later pursued theological
studies at St. Charles College, Co
lumbus. Ohio, and St.eMary’s Semi
nary, Emmitsburg. He was ordained
to the priesthood by the Most Rev.
Bernard J. Mahoney, Bishop of Sioux
Falls, at the Scranton Cathedral May
22, and celebrated his First Solemn
Mass the next day at St. Gabriel’s
Church, Hazelton.
Rev. Stephen A. Sullivan is fron
Staten Island, N. Y. He attendee
Manhattan College and completed hi
seminary course at St. Mary's, Balti
more. His ordination took place at S1
Patrick's Cathedral, New York, Ma-
22.
FUNERAL IN ROME OF
MRS. ELLEN O’L. ARP
(Special to The Bulletin)
ROME, Ga. — Mrs. Ellen O’Leary
Arp, 72, member of one of Rome’s
most prominent families, died on July
22 at her residence after a short ill
ness.
Born in Floyd County, Mrs. Arp
spent the greater part of her life in
Rome. She was the daughter of the
late Mr. and Mrs. James O'Leary.
Her father served Floyd County as
sheriff for a number of years. Her
husband, J. D. Arp, a well known
citizen of Rome, died several years
ago.
Funeral services were held from St.
Mary's Church, of which parish she
was a member, with the Rev. James
Grady officiating.
Surviving are a son, John Aro, of
Rome; a daughter, Mrs. W. A. Mays,
of Athens; a granddaughter. P: 1 ti
Ruth Arp, ct Rome, and a sister, f uss
Mary Jane O’Leary, of Rome.
FATHER BROWN
GATHOLIGS ADDRESS
GHAPEL HILL MEET
Father Greeley, of Augusta,
Among Speakers at In-
stitute of Homan Relations
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.—The second
Southern area Institute of Human Re
lations was held this year at the Uni
versity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,
N. C., from June 29 to July 1, The In
stitute is conducted under the auspices
of the National Conference of Jews
and Christians, established in 1927 to
promote justice, amity, understanding
and cooperation among Catholics, Jews
and Protestants.
In the evening session on Tuesday,
June 29, Dr. Guy E. Snavely, presi
dent of Birmingham Southern College,
and secretary of the Association of
American College, read a paper on
"The Church as an Educational Insti
tution”. The Rev. James A. Greeley,
S. J., dean of Loyola University in New
Orleans for the past six years and for
merly associate editor of America in
New York, publicly thanked Dr.
Snavely in the name of the Catholi.
Colleges of the South for his umir . ’
help, support and encouragement l ;
Catholic Institutions in their relation,
with the “Southern Association of Col
leges and Secondary Schools”. Father
Greeley, who is at present located at
the Sacred Heart Church, Augusta,
Georgia, in his address on the “Church
Educating for a New Revolution”,
pointed out that the revolutions of the
past one hundred and fifty years had
failed because each new revolution-
was merely a surface shifting, a re
adjustment of old, mouldy, dirty
pieces without anything new entering
into the game. Father Greeley said
that these revolutions had failed “not
because they were not conceived in
high principles and manned by brave
men, but because each one left at their
heart and core the bitter, poisonous
thing which is human hatred and
which the revolutionists did not even
pretend to remove.”
‘‘No revolution can succeed,” said
Father Greeley, “that bases hope for
success on the hatred of a man for
any large group or any small group
of his fellows. The Catholic Church
taunts all other revolutionary groups
with the patent fact that they are not
revolutionary enough, because they
do not get down to the roots of things;
they do not probe to the depths of
the human heart and uproot such
things as human hatred, selfishness
and greed.” According to lather
Greeley the “world cries from the
depths of its bruised and tortured soul
for men and women with love for their
God and hence love for their fellow
men.”
“The Catholic Church answers this
cry, ’ be said, “by endeavoring to send
forth doctors who, with the same ten
der hands that were those of the Di
vine Physician, heal the wounds of
the world. She labors to give the
world lawyers who regard the law as
a strong shield which they hold brave
ly between the innocent and the ag
gressors who would despoil them. She
strives to develop women who have
learned to distinguish the unselfishness
of true love from the ugly selfishness
of sordid passion. She hopes to save
the world by inspiring statesmen to
serve from devotion to the people who
send them to office, business men who
regard themselves as dispensers of the
world’s material blessings, journalists
who honor truth more than sensation
alism, men and women who see them
selves the objects of a divine, eternal
love, and transmit that love through
their own souls to the hungry heart'
and souls of their fellow men.”
Rev. Franc's J. Morrisy, Newman
Club chaplain at the University of
North. Carolina, presented the Catholic
School curriculum for religious educa
tion as his contribution to a sympo
sium on The Church School—Curricu
lum Content and Human Relations”
In a symposium on ‘ College and Uni
versity LJfe as Related to Better Un
derstanding,” Rev. J. A. Greeley, S.J.,
pointed out some of the dangers in
herent in the person-centered ap
proach to education as propounded by
Dr. W. A. Harper, dean of the School
of Religion at Vanderbilt University.
Father Greeley took vigorous excep
tion to the statement of D\ Harper
that “indoctrination or imposition is
mere propaganda from whatever
source it may come, and is therefore
a violation of the growing person’s
inalienable freedom and initiative."
Better understanding was premoted in
a general discussion of this dictum; in
which Jews and Christians agreed that
religious education which does not re
ject Divine Revelation and the super
natural must of necessity involve in
doctrination or imposition”; further
more, it was commonly agreed that
the civil law no less than the moral
law involves “imposition”, that the
teaching of such subjects .as mathe
matics in the general school curricu
lum -must employ “indoctrination”,
and that “inalienable” freedom would
be non-existent without “indoctrina
tion or imposition”.
Mr. George V. Denny, Jr., director
of “The Town Hall’ and the “Town
Hall on the Air” <NBC). New York,
and the Hon. Carl Milliken, former
governor of Maine, representing the
Association of Motion Picture Produc
ers of America, illustrated the respec
tive parts which the radio and the
movies play in shaping public opi l-
ion.
Tlie Institute of Human Relr iions
will hold its next session at Williams-
V.vn, Mass., from August 29 to Sep
tember 3. The tb e ■ of this session
wiu be “£.i»bliq OpUison in a,
cracy,”