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MARCH 23, 1940
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
ELEVEN
i
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ATLANTA
Nun s Letter to N. Y. Times
Refutes Libel on Convents
Book Reviewed in Times
Also Draws Criticism of
Commonweal’s Editor
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
SYRACUSE — Writing as “a nun
happily within convent walls,'’ Sis
ter Mary Claire, O. S. F., of St. An
thony Convent and Motherhouse here
has set down truths to refute the dis
torted and untrue picture of convent
life as given in a book entitled “The
Convent,” which has made its ap
pearance in this country. “The Con
vent” was written by Alyse Simpson
and was published originally in Eng
land.
In a letter to The New York Times,
whose review of Miss Simpson's book
inspired her to write, Sister Mary
Claire states that she has never heard
of a convent called “The Mystical
R*ose,” which Miss Simpson profess
es to have entered. However, Sister
Mary Claire continues, assuming that
the convent in question was one ap
proved by the Catholic Church, it is
evident from the outset “that Miss
Simpson as an aspirant sadly lacked
the rudiments’ of the spiritual life,
because she “suppressed at the time
of her entrance 'into religion (as we
term it) the fact of her having as
her motive primarily pique at the
defection of a lover.”
Sister Mary Claire charges the book
contains “glaring falsehoods about
religious and conventual life as it is
lived by approximately 100,000 nuns
in this country alone.”
She attacks two points in particular.
One she says is “the idea presented
of a nun who ‘escaped through the
connivance of a forthright woman
doctor, and the other the assertion
that the author was “appalled at the
lack of intellectual stimulus any
where in the convent, by the lack of
books, time for meditation’. . (where)
♦here was nothing to satisfy those
who were restless, tortured, intelli
gent, nothing but wild superstitions
and blind childlike faith. . . ”
Sister Mary Claire asks if Miss
Simpson did not learn “in her ap
parently brief stay,” “that the Canon
Law of the Church, applicable to all
in conventual life, makes emergence
from religious life ridiculously easy
for those who have the tragic expe
rience of losing their relish for the
higher gifts of God?”
One. is bewildered betimes by
contradictory accusations”, the Sister
continues. '“We poor nuns are at
times told by the unfriendly modern
mind that we escape into the convent,
and now we are told that there is
such a thing as escape from it. The
simple fact of the matter is that a
nun dissatisfied in her conventual
lfe has only to make application to
her Superiors for a dispensation from
her vows and in due course of time —
a very brief period— she is authori
tatively released from her obligations
and permitted without restraint to
take up her life again in the world ”
“The charge of lack of intellectual
stimulus within cloistered life is too
ridiculous to ponder,” says Sister
Mary Claire. “I know of no more
prodigal provision for higher learn
ing and research in the field of re
ligion, the arts, and the sciences than
those afforded by convents and the
superiors in conventual life. As for
the author’s charge that no time is
afforded for meditation, that, too, is
too silly for comment. A life in the
religious state is a lifelong medita
tion, and there has never been a re
ligious Order founded that received
the approbation of the Holy See of
! Rome that did not make specific as
signment of time for daily medita
tion.” *
'Die Sister accuses the reviewer of
being willing “to believe the worst
of conventual life,’ and of “swallow
ing with the most gullible appetite
the sensational and the sentimental.”
MICHAEL WILLIAMS WONDERS
HOW’ IT COULD BE PUBLISHED
NEW YORK — How reputable pub
lishers can be found who will bring
out books of the type of “The Con
vent” by Alyse Simpson is a question
put by Michael Williiams, reviewing
this work for The Commonweal.
“What really makes it remarkable,”
says Mr. Williams, “is the question
it gives rise to in the minds of its
readers who may happen to have any
first-hand knowledge of Catholic
convents as to why, in the name of
common sense and all truth and de
cency, reputable publishers are still
to be found both in England and the
United States to issue such a palpable
travesty on the subject so open to
honest investigation.”
“How or by what most extraordi
nary privilege it is not explained,”
Mr. Williams continues, “but in this
Swiss convent we are asked to be
lieve that Benediction was granted
every day, the favorite hymn being
Tantum ero pretiosis,’ whatever that
may he. And for those who die under
the unhuman strain. Extreme Unction
is administered with incense. But
Alyse Simpson escaped the consump
tion and the dangers of diseased
meat and the rest of it simply by
walking out of the place and going
home. She married, then and paid
a visit to the convent twenty years
later and now comes the book.”
"Today particularly, convent life
and the life in general of all religious
Orders and Congregations of men and
women are completely open to obser
vation and study, at least in countries
where religion itself is not persecut
ed— England and the United States,
especially,” Mr. Williams pointed out.
Soap Firm Denies
Birth Control Link
Proctor and Gamble Com
pany States Dr. Clarence
Gamble Not Associated
With Firm
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
CINCINNATI — Denial that Dr.
Clarence J. Gamble, reported finan
cial sponsor of birth control clinics,
has ever been associated with the
business in any capacity, is contained
in a statement made on behalf of the
Proctor and Gamble Company, soap
manufacturers, here.
Recently a news story drew atten
tion to a premium campaign sponsor
ed by the Proctor and Gamble Com
pany, with a special appeal to church
groups. It also said that “the heir
to the soap fortune of the P. and G.
Company, Dr. Clarence J. Gamble,
has long been interested in birth con
trol and financed an experimental
program on the island of Boca
Grande off the Florida Everglades.”
It quoted a publication as saying Dr.
Gamble also financed birth control
clinics in North Carolina.
The statement made here in behalf
of the Proctor and Gamble Company
said:
“We are informed that Dr. Gamble
is a nephew of the late James N.
Gamble, whose father Jas. Gamble
was co-founder of th.- firm of Proc
tor Sz Gamble in 1837. He is not now,
and never has been, associated with
the business in any capacity, so you
can readily see that our company
should not be held responsible for
his beliefs or actions.”
EDUCATIONAL UN*!T
MEETS IN ATLANTA
Third Annual Meeting of
Southern Regional Unit,
National Catholic Educa
tional
12-13
Association, April
DEATH IN C0RDELE OF
OLDEST PARISHIONER
CORDELE, Ga. — Charles Bradley,
the oldest member of the parish of
the Church of the Little Flower, who
died at the age of 95, was buried at
Vienna following funeral services at
which the Rev. James E. Doherty of
ficiated. Mr. Bradley is survived bv
his wife, Mrs. Clara Freeman Brad
ley.
TIFTON CHILD IS
FATALLY BURNED
TIFTON, Ga. — Barbara Alice Bail
ey, five-#ear-old daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. J. Murray Bailey, died as a re
sult of severe burns sustained when
a kerosene stove exploded. Funeral
services were held from the home, the
Rev. Thomas A. Brennan, pastor of
St. Theresa's Church, Albany, offici
ating.
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATLANTA, Ga. — His Excellency
the Most Reverend Gerald P. O'Hara,
D.D., J.U.D., Bishop of Savannah-At-
lanta, will be celebrant of the Mass
at the Cathedral of Christ the King,
in connection with the third annual
meeting of the Southern Regional
Catholic Educational A s s o c i a t i < n
which will be held here April 12 and
13. Bishop O'Hara will also deliver
an address at the morning session cn
the second day.
This meeting wall follow the Con
vention of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Secondary Schools,
and will be held at the Atlanta-Bilt-
more Hotel.
Brother Alexis, S.C.. of St. Stani
slaus, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, will
preside, and the opening invocation
will be by the Rev. Joseph C. Mul-
hern, S. J., of Jesuit High School, New
Orleans.
Among the speakers listed on the
program for the session are: Hon Paul
D. Williams, Secretary Southern Con
ference on Catholic Activities, of
Richmond, Va.; the Right Rev. Mon
signor T. James McNamara, V.F., Rec
tor, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist,
Savannah; and Brother Peter, S.C.,
President of St. Stanislaus, Bay St.
Louis, Miss.
There will also be a panel discus
sion of "Progressive Education'’ par
ticipated in by Sister M. Francis, Sis
ter M. Veronica, Sister M. Anthehna,
and Sister Julia Marie, of the Sisters
of St. Joseph of the New Orleans
Province.
Officers of the Southern Regional
Unit, besides Brother Alexis, are ,he
Rev. S. E. Wiley, of Father Ryan
High School. Nashville, vice-chairman;
Sister M. Polycarp, C.C.V.L., Incar
nate Word Academy, San Antonio,
secretary; and the Rev. Joseph C.
Mulhern, Si, delegate to the Exec
utive Committee. The general chair
man of the Regional Unit is Rev.
Brother Eugene A. Paulin, S. M., In
spector of Schools, Brothers of Mary,
Kirkwood, Missouri.
Cancer Home Guild
Plans for Barbecue
For Benefit of Our Lady of
Perpetual Help Cancer
Home, Atlanta
MRS. CYNTHIA FOX
DIES IN TIFTON
TIFTON. Ga. —funeral services for
Mrs. Cynthia Ophelia Fox, widow of
Thomas L. Fox, were conducted by
the Rev. Thomas A. Brennan, of Al
bany, with interment in Waycross.
For many years priests cn the mis
sions in southwest Georgia offered
Mass at the home of Mrs. Fox. She
is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Matt
Lindsey, of Tifton: three sons, Thom
as A. Fox, of Tifton, John J. Fox.
of Chula, and William Fox, of Or
lando.
Oblate Fathers Conduct
Mission in Atlanta
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATLANTA. Ga. — Priests of the
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immacu
late the Rev. Gerald Kenealy, O. id.
I., and the Rev. Frederick Gilbert.
O. M. I., concluded a week's mission
at the Cathedral of Christ the King
on March 17.
The mission services, which were
open to Catholics and non-Catholics,
were well attended.
“And yet a viciously false book can
still appear and be welcomed by se
rious newspapers and critics. It is a
sorry portent.
“The poison of the books,” says
America, “derives from the suggested
generalizations. Nunneries beget tu
berculosis, hysteria, neurasthenia,
and insanity; nunneries are unsani
tary and serve bad and ill-balanced
rations; are not happy places; have
a deadening routine; produce early
deaths. These are the ideas that the
bigots of the reviewing columns of
the newspapers and magazines seize
upon. These are the charges that the
anti-nunnery crusaders delight to ex
pound. These are the lies that all
nnti-Catholics, and many non-Catho-
lics. gulp down like a puppy bolting
his chopped meat. The poor Alyse
who suffered so,much has our pity,
but she did a nasty job because she
has a nasty grudge, nursed for twen
ty years.
“The antidote to the poison is an
honest inquiry into the. 10.649 con
vents and nunneries scattered
throughout the United States; a heart
to heart talk with 98 per cent of the
165.210 nuns and Sisters in the Unit
ed States, or anywhere else in the
world. Nunneries are spots of earth
ly paradise, with dark days of course,
as in all thing human. And nuns,
with very rare exceptions, are the
happiest beings in this vale of tears.”
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATLANTA, Ga. — Preliminary ar
rangements are being made for a bar
becue and dance which will be given
May 25 for the benefit of Our Lady
of Perpetual Help Cancer Home, un
der the auspices of the Sewing Guild
of the Home.
A display of the Guild’s work will
be on exhibit at the convention of
the National Council of Catholic Wo
men. which will be held in Atlanta
April 6 and 7. and the exhibition
should prove of interest to those at
tending.
The Guild meets every Tuesday
morning for the purpose of sewing
for the Home, in rooms which have
been furnished at the rectory. At
the regular business session for
March, in the absence of Mrs. W. B.
Green, who is president of the Guild,
Mrs. Michael Kelashian presided.
REV. RAYMOND A. LANE. M. M.,
Prefecture of Apostolic of Fushun,
Manchuria, has been named Vicariate
Apostolic. Bishop-designate Lane is
the third Maryknoller to be elevated
to the episcopate in seven months. A
native of Lawrence, Mass., he was ,.s-
signed to the China Mission field in
1923.
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