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TWO
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FEBRUARY 26, 1938
Many Heroic Acts in Quebec
Fire Which Took 45 Lives
Origin of Fire Mystery—In-
snrance Officials Say Pre
cautionary Measures Were
Considered Adequate
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
ST. HYACINTHE, Que.— The trag-
giv fire which snuffed out 45 lives at
Sacred Heart College here has but one
heartening note—the heroic actions of
certain of the religious members of
the laity who were on the scene short
ly after the outbreak occurred at 1:50
a. m., on January 18, a complete
check-up shows.
Had it not been for the calm reas
surance of several of the Brothers of
the Sacred Heart, it has been stated
by survivors that many more of the
110 sleeping in the college would have
lost their lives.
HEBREW ‘WHO’S WHO
PRAISES CARDINAL
Lauds Archbishop of Chi
cago’s Stand Against Nazis
While the death toll has been listed
officially as 45 this number includes
about 20 posted as "missing." Thexe
were also 22 taken to hospitals suffer
ing from fractures, caused by leaping
from the upper storys of the five-story
building; from burns suffered in the
escapes; and from severe frost bites
due to the fact that they made their
escape in night attire in a temperature
of 20 below zero. Some of the injured
are in a critical condition.
Messages of sympathy have poured
into the offices of the Sacred Heart
Brothers and Bishop’s Palace from all
over the United States and Canada
voicing condolence 'with the stricken
parents and the teaching community.
The list of dead and injured Religious
and students from the New England
States, and Ontario and Quebec. Mes
sages from the highest officials of
Church and State include those from
Prime Minister King, on behalf of the
people of Canada; Premier Maurice
Duplessis for the p: xple of the prov
ince of Quebec; and His Eminence
Rodrigue Cardinal Villeneuve, Arch
bishop of Quebec.
As to the cause it may ever remain a
mystery. The furnace loom was in the
left wing which seemed intact when
Brother Lucius was aroused by the
sound of an explosion.
Material loss in the fire will run to
about $600,000 which was covered to
the extent of $200,000 insurance.
Spokesmen for the Montreal firm
carrying the insurance said that all
properties of the Brothers of the
Sacred Heart had taken measures
which had been considered adequate
prevention of fire. Furnace rooms
were isolated by fire walls and build
ings were provided with fire escapes.
There were fire alarms and chemical
extinguishers on all floors and there
was a constant watch kept by special
men who had to punch clocks in their
rounds.
NEW YORK.—“Who’s Who Among
American Jews,” published by The
American Hebrew, a national week
ly journal of Hebrew affairs, lists His
Eminence George Cardinal Mund-
lein, Archbishop of Chicago, in its de
partment entitled “Who’s Who Among
Christians Notable in Mutual Endea
vor During the Year”.
“A number of the country’s out
standing clergymen made public vig
orous denunciations of anti-Semitism
and racial intolerance during the
year,” the article said. Chief among
them was the speech made by George
Cardinal Mundelein, of the Chicago
Archdiocese of the Catholic Church,
which was devoted to a blunt and de
tailed attack upon Nazi church pol
icy.”
The article also made mention of a
report on “The Church and the Jews”
issued by the Catholic Association for
International Peace. The article de
scribed the report as “a plea for
truth, justice and charity in the at
titudes of Christians generally and
Cathlics especially towards Jews.”
It also said of the report: “The racial
theories as propagated in Germanic
countries are emphatically repudiated
and Christians are called upon to
fight anti-Semitism as a matter of
duty.”
WHOLE FAMILY ENTERS CONVENT
These four daughters and- their widowed mother, of St. Mary’s par
ish, San Antdnio, were recently admitted as postulants into the
Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Convent there. Originally
from Minnesota, the four sisters were members of the “Texas Ranger-
ettes”, an all-girl - dance orchestra which has toured the United
States. Miss Willeen Gray, the only other member of the musical
group, has joined them in the convent. Pictured are: Mrs. Mary
Jones and the Misses Dorothy, Evelyn, Hazel and Gladys Jones.
ISHOP IN LIBERIA
RECORDS PROGRESS
Society of African Missions
Labors in African Republic
(By N.C.W.C. News Service)
WASHINGTON, D. C. — A quarter
of a century ago there were 150 Catho
lics in the Republic of Liberia. To
day there are 7,000. That progress has
been witness X and, in large measure*
accounted for by the Most Rev. John
Collins, Vicar Apostolic of Liberia,
who has just visited relatives in this
city.
There were four priests laboring in
Liberia when Bishop Collins began his
work there. Today he has 24 members
of the African Missionary Society, all
of them from Ireland. Last December
he erected the first convent, staffed by
six Franciscan Missionaries of Mary,
four of them from Ireland, one from
Canada, and another from England.
Bishop Collins, consecrated thiee years
ago, is a native of Cork. The Society
of African Missions labors in Georgia,
in Savannah. Atlanta, Augusta and
Macon.
At first, Bishop Collins said, only
priests taught in the schools of Liberia.
Now those whom they have educated
are engaging in school work, with the
result that there are today 80 schools
with native teachers. These teachers
also serve as catechists.
Bishop Collins will return to Ireland
from this country and thence back to
Liberia, expecting to arrive in his vi
cariate about Easter.
War Correspondents
Buried With Masses
Edward J. Neil, Jr.,
Bradish G. Johnson,
Were Killed in Spain
and
Jr.,
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW YORK. — Funeral services
were held in this city for Edward
J Neil, Jr., of The Associated Press,
and Bradish G. Johnson, Jr., of News
Week and Spur magazines. Ameri
can war correspondents killed by
a shell near Tereul, Spain, on Decem
ber 31. Both were Catholics.
A distinguished group of newspa
permen and other prominent per
sons attended a Requiem Mass for
Mr. Neil, at his parish Church
of the Guardian Angel here. The
Mass was celebrated by the Rev.
John J. O'Donnell, the pastor.
Many noted personages in the field
of sports, friends of Mr. Neil’s since
the days he was a sports writer, also
attended. Burial took place the fol
lowing day at Mr. Neil's birthplace,
Methuen, Mass. Mr. Neil was one
of the best known newspapermen in
the United States, having covered
many important events for the A. P.
A Requiem Mass for Mr. Johnson
•was celebrated here at the Church
of St. Paul the Apostle, by the Rev.
John E. Burke C. S. P., the pastor.
In attendance were many, magazine
and newspaper executives and other
friends of Mr. Johnson.
It was not knov/n until recently
that Mr. Johnson was a Catholic.
Descended from an old New York
family, he was born here 26 years
ago, a son of the socially-prominent
Bradish G. Johnsons. He was edu
cated at Downside, the Benedictine
School at Stratton-on-Fosse, Eng-
l«d, and at Harvard University. At
n®.- time he also was associated with
the Paris office of the Chicago Tri
bune.
Mr. Johnson's remains were in
terred in the Johnson Family mause-
oleum at Greenwood Cemetery,
Brooklyn. A Mass was offered for
him in England at Downside Abbey
School.
Among the floral offerings at each
service were wreathes sent by Gen
eral Franco. Mr. Neil and Mr. John
son were covering the Insurgent
Army operations at Tereul when
mortally wounded by a Loyalist
shell. 1
POPE IS ESTEEMED BY
ALL GHRISTIANS.SAYS
SPARTANBURG EDITOR
The Catholic Press
Benedict Elder in The Record, Louisville, Ky.
SPARTANBURG, S. C„— The ill
ness of His Holiness Pope Pius XI
brought editorial tribute to the Pontiff
as one who ‘ has won the esteem of
the people of all Christian nations” in
the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, secu
lar newspaper.
“Catholics and Protestants alike
were grieved to learn of the seriqus
illness of Pope Pus VI,” the editorial
said. “As head of the Catholic Church,
Pope Pius has won The esteem of
the people of the Christian nations.
H has been an outstanding advocate
of world peace. He has stood for
righteousness and was a great force
in directing the pubic attention to the
educatonal and entertainment values
of clean motion pictures. His influence
had much to do with driving from the
screen the many objectionable pic
tures that were produced even after
the speaking picture was invented.
“The war in Spain, the troubles of
his church in Germany and Russia,
are said to have caused the Pope sor
row and Uneasiness. He has taken the
attacks of the Soviet and German
Nazi governments to heart. The hard
est blow was civil war in Spain which
destroyed much property and arrayed
former communicants against one
another.”
Without the Catholic Press as aux
iliary to the Catholic pulpit, we are
one step back to the catacombs.
Look at Mexico, where there was no
Catholic press; look at Spain, where
there was no Catholic Press; look at
Holland, where there is a handful of
Catholics and a vigorous Catholic
Press, and the Church is not only
free, but has prestige. The answer
is plain: let down on the Catholic
Press and it is the first step back to
the catacombs, from which Catholics
again will have to fight out their way
as did the early Christians. In these
days many consider, and we believe,
that as applied to our country not
any particular isms is so much of a
threat to the Church as the general
mother of them all, which is secular
ism, whose gospel is spread far and
wide by the secular prass, against
which our Catholic pulpits alone are
ineffective. They must be supple
mented by the Catholic Press.
Hence, where theie is no support
of the Catholic Press, against all
evil suggesions and thoughts and
propaganda, passively and actively,
wittingly or unwittingly promoted by
the secular press, we take our first
step back to the catacombs. In the
light of history, in the light of ex
perience in such Catholic countires
as Mexico and Spain, which had no
Catholic Press, and in the light of
current events, we do not hesitate
to express our conviction to the faith
ful and to the pirests as well, that
unless they heed the words of the
Holy Father on the function of the
Catholic Press, mark the action of
the hierarchy of the Uinted States
on the need of the Catholic Press,
and quicken their interest in the
Catholic Press and increase their
support for it, both morally and ma
terially, we shall be taking a step
bac ktoward the catacombs.
Again, we quote a Supreme Pon
tiff, this time the saintly Pius XI, the
first moral leader of the world to
challenge the evils of Modernism,
the first to bring us into more inti
mate relations with our Lord Pres
ent in the Holy Sacrament of the
Altar, Who said: “In vain will you
build churches and schools and mis
sions, unless you have the support of
a vigorous Catholic Press.”
The answer lies with the faithful,
depends upon their interest and their
support. But the Catholic Press can
not reach the faithful, unless by
commercial tactics, which already is
a half surrender to secularism, ex
cept through the pupils, except
through our priests crying aloud for
support of the Catholic Press.
ROUND TABLE GROUPS
LED BY PRESIDENT
He Is Honorary Chairman oi
Movement for Better Under*
standing Among: Citizens
Franciscan Fathers
Lauded by President
They Preserve Spirit of St.
Francis of Assisi, He Says
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
CHICAGO. — President Roosevelt
has congratulated the Franciscan
Fathers on the occasion of the 80th
anniversary of their work in the Mis
sissippi Valley States. The letter
appears in the Silver Jubilee issue
of the Franciscan Herald, official or
gan of the Third Order and the Fran
ciscan Missionary Union of Sacred
Heart Province.
The text of President Roosevelt’s
letter is as follows:
“It seems to me that the glory of
the Franciscan Order through all the
centuries since its institution by St.
Francis of Assisi has been in its
ability to keep close to the hearts
and souls of those whom it has
sought to serve. In poverty and in
ioy in reliigon do we find the key
note of the true Franciscan spirit.
For he who enjoined his followers to
carry neither gold nor silver and to
have no patrimony but begging also
made it a percept of his rule that his
brethren should always ‘rejoice in
the Lord.’
“I have learned with much interest
of plans of the Franciscan Fathers to
celebrate the 80th anniversary of
tehir work in the Mississippi Valley
States. It gives me .therefore, great
pleasure through the medium of the
Silver Anniversary number of the
Franciscan Herald to send all of the
Fathers my hearty felicitations and
warmest personal greetings. I trust
as the decades come and go that both
the Franciscan Herald and the Fran
ciscan Fathers will ever exemplify
the highest ideals of the ‘Poverello
Assisi.’ ”
The Church in Spain
Editorial in the Augusta, Ga., Chronicle
The pastoral letter signed by two
Spanish Cardinals and forty-six other
prelates of Insurgent Spain declaring
the revolt of General Francisco
Franco to be a “legitimate” one has
been received sympathetically by the
Holy See.
While no official declaration has
come from the Vatican, high prelates
in the Catholic Church pointed out
that there is nothing in the pastoral
letter that is in contradiction with
the Vatican views.
The five principal points made in
the letter are:
1. The Church did not want the
civil war in Spain, although thou
sands of her sons have taken arms
on their personal responsibility to
save the principles of religion and
Christian justice.
2. Since 1931 fwhen the Spanish
Republic was proclaimed the legis
lative and executive power in Spain
had changed Spanish history in a
sense contrary to the needs of the
national spirit.
3. The elections of February 3. 1936
(which placed the Leftist coalition
in power) were unjust Although the
Rightist-Center parties received more
than 509,000 votes more than the Left-
gists, they got 118 fewer Deputies be
cause of the arbitrary annulment of
Votes in all provinces.
4. The Communist International had
armed a “revolutionary Spanish
militia”, with the result that at the
outbreak of the civil war on July
18. 1936, 150.000 Spanish Assault
Guards and 100,000 “maneuver militia
men” were under arms.
5. The civil war is legitimate be
cause five years of continued out
rages of Spanish subjects in the reli
gious and social fields had endangered
the very existence of public welfare
and had produced enormous spiritual
and because when legal means were
exhausted the idea entered the na
tional conscience that there was no
other recourse except to force to
maintain order and peace.
“Also because interests opposed to
legitimate authority had decided to
overthrow the constituted order and
established Communism through vio
lence.
“Finally, because, through the fatal
logic of facts, Spain had only this
alternative: either to perish under
the precipiate assault of destructive
Communism already prepared and
decreed, as has happened in the area
where the Nationalist government has
not triumphed, or to attempt with
titanic force to get rid of this fright
ful enemy and save the fundamental
principles of its social life and char
acteristics.
The pastoral letter concludes:
“The Church could not remain in
different in the fight in which, on
one side, God was renounced, while
on the other side, notwithstanding
human defects, the fight was for the
preservation of the Old Spanish and
Christian spirit”-
The letter details Leftist crimes
against the church, and points out
that 6.000 of the secular clergy were
killed.
The position taken by the Catholic
prelates appears thoroughly sound
if reports of Leftist atrocities coming
out of Spain are all true. The
butchering of churchmen and the
wholesale destruction of churches and
church property are practices which
are to be expected from a people in
filtrated with the spirit of Com
munism. God and the church are
the Communist's principal enemies,
and all of their symbols are marked
. for destruction by all people who
unrest among the ” Spanish people; live under the Red regime.
(N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW Y O R K.—With President
Franklin D. Roosevelt acting as hon
orary chairman, a campaign to in
crease the number of local round
table conference to help achieve
mutual understanding and coopera
tion between Catholics, Protestant*
and Jews, was launched by the Na
tional Conference of Jews and Chris
tians.
The campaign, which continued
until Washington's Birthday, was
directed by the Tenth Anniversary
Celebration Committee of the Con
ference.
In a letter to Dr. Everett Ross
Clinchy, director of the Conference,
President Roosevelt wrote:
“I have much pleasure in accept
ing the Honorary Chairmanship of
the National Committee which you
are setting up to organize round table
conference of Catholics. Jews and
Protestants. I wish the National
Conference of Jews and Christians
continued - success in its efforts to
promote good will and better under
standing.”
Newton D. Baker, shortly before
his death, said a primary purpose
of the round tables is to “analyze,
moderate and finally eliminate inter
group prejudices which disfigure and
distort religious, business, social and
political relations.”
Round table conferences between
Protestants, Jews and Catholics have
been organized successfully in Bos
ton, Portland. Ore-; Baltimore. Rich
mond, Raleigh, Greensboro. N. C.;
Chicago. Lansing. Mich.; Madison,
Wis.; Milwaukee, St. Lours, Jeffer
son City, Mo.; Kansas City, Tulsa,
Houston. Denver. Aubuquerque, Tuc
son. Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Berkeley, Seattle and Spokane.
J accbite Archbishop
Enters the Church
He Follows Example of Two
Other Prelates in India
ERNAKULAM, India. — This
Christmas season the Catholic world
has opportunity to rejoice over still
another Jacobite Archbishop. Mar.
Joseph Severios, Metropolitan of
Neranam, becoming reunited with
the Catholic Church. Moi-eover. it
is particularly significant that this
prelate is very widely noted as a
scholar and leader, and ruled over
the oldest Jacobite diocese in Mala
bar.
This is a fruit of the policy follow
ed by the Oriental Congregation at
Vatican City, of broad understand
ing of the position of the Oriental
Churches and of great sympathy with
them. The present conversion fol
lows the earlier reuniting with 1he
Church of a distinguished Jacobite
Archbishop and Bishop.
It will be remembered that on July
4, 1930, the Sacred Oriental Congre
gation decreed that two Malabar
Jacobite prelates. Archbishop Mar
Ivamios and Bishop Mar Theophi-
los, could be received into the Cath
olic Church, keeping their Rite and
status. On September 20, 1930, these
two Bishops were received into the
communion of the Catholic Church
by Bishop Aloysius Benziger, a*
Sub-Delegate of His Excellency
Archbishop Edward Mooney, Apo*»
tolic Delegate to the East Indies, :
Archbishop of Detroit.