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FOUR—A
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
MARCH 23, 1940
POPE BLESSES CATHOLIC HOUR AUDIENCE
Jh^papal blessing was bestowed upon a vast radio audience March 3, during the tenth anniversary
ceiebration of the Catholic Hour, broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company and produced by the
ri?M Un< T^u f ,^ th °!i‘ C Men '. Pictured in the NBC studios, in New York, ^on that occasio/are,
A Kenedy ‘ president of the N. C. C. M.; Most Rev. John F. O’Hara, C. S. C„ Auxil*
lary Bishop of the Army and Navy Diocese; Lenox R. Lohr, president of the NBC - Archbishop
i., SP T?n man ’f f f 6W Y0rk: David A ' Sarnoff ’ P fesident of RCA; Mrnsignor Fulton Sheen o"
h Catholic University, former Governor Alfred E. Smith, of New York, and Bishop Emmett Walsh 01
Charleston. (N.C.W.C.)'
“CATHOLIC HOUR’S”
GROWTH IS NOTED
After Ten Years Has Be
come Largest Religious
Broadcast in the World
Notables Attend Anniversary
Broadcast of ‘Catholic Hour’
Papal Blessing Bestowed on
Radio Audience — Mon
signor Sheen Principal
“Catholic Hour” Program
Leads to a Conversion
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW YORIC—-The tenth anniversary
program of the Catholic Hour, which
was heard over the Red Network of
the National Broadcasting Company,
recalled the inauguration of the pro
gram under the sponsorship of the
National Council of Catholic Men.
The directors of the N- C. C. M.
conceived the idea of the use of
the radio to spread a knowledge of
the teachings of the Catholic Church
after the wave of anti-Catholicism
that spread over the country in 1928-
At first, the program was carried by
22 stations in 17 States and the Dis
trict of Columbia. Today 94 stations
carry the program, making the Ca
tholic Hour the largest religious
broadcast in the world. For six
years! the extension of the program
over short wave (WGEO, Schenecta
dy) has brought it to South
America, Australia, South Africa and
Turkey.
The mail received weekly during
recent months has been on the
average of 30,000 pieces. More than
20 percent of this is received from
non-Catholics, who express their ap
preciation for information on Catholic
ism. Less than one-half of one per
cent of the letters contain adverse
criticism.
The Catholic Hour program has
been broadcast each Sunday evening
at six o’clock with but one exception
since its inception on March 2, 1930.
That exception was made voluntarily
for an address by President Hoover.
The initial program of the Catholic
Hour ten years ago had as speakers
His Eminence, the late Cardinal
Hayes, the Most Rev. Archbishop
Jos. Schrembs, Bishop of Cleveland;
and Merlin Aylesworth, then presi
dent of the National Broadcasting
Company.
In addition to the Catholic Hour,
the N. C. C. M. sponsors other fea
tures, including the annual Good
Friday Broadcast by Monsignor Ful
ton J. Sheen. ' In 1938 and 1939, a
dramatization of the Passion, Death
and Resurrection of Our Lord was
presented over a period of five-days
of Holy Week.
The Catholic Hour is supported by
voluntary contributions.' Time for
the program is furnished free by the
National Broadcasting Company.
Charleston Diocesan
N. C. C. M. to Meet
CHARLESTON, S. C.—The annual
convention of the Diocesan Council of
Catholic Men will be held in Charles
ton. Saturday and Sunday, April 20
and 21, according to an announcement
made at a meeting of P. N- Lynch
Council, Knights of Columbus.
Announcement was also made that
the annual Communion and breakfast
of P- N. Lynch Council would be held
on March SI-
MISS MOSIMANN HEADS
CATHOLIC WOMEN’S CLUBS
CHARLESTON, S. C.-Miss Made
line Mosinann was elected president of
the Catholic Women’s Club at the an
nual breakfast meeting of the group
at the Francis Marion.Hotel, Other of
ficers elected included: Miss May C.
Devineau, vice-president; Miss Alice
Moran, recording secretary; Mrs- L.
Frank, Thompson, corresponding sec
retary; and Mrs. Walter F. Murphy,
treasurer.
Miss Emily Riley, retiring president,
presided. She was given a corsage by
the members of the club.
HEYVVOOD BROUN loved and
fought for religious freedom, demo
cracy and international peace, the Rt.
Rev. Msgr. John A. Ryan, Director of
the Department of Social Action, Na
tional Catholic Welfare Conference
declared in a pamphlet of apprecia
tion of the late newspaper columnist
just issued.
Speaker
(By N. C. W. C. News Service.)
NEW’ YORK — The Apostolic Bene
diction of His Holiness Pope Pius XII
was conferred upon a vast radio au
dience by the Most Rev. Francis J.
Spellman. Archbishop of New York,
as the feature of the tenth anniversary
celebration of the Catholic Hour,
broadcast over the facilities of the
National Broadcasting Company and
produced by the National Council of
Catholic Men.
Emanating from Station WEAF and
heard over 95 stations, the anniversary
broadcast was attended by a studio au
dience of more than 1,400 persons, in
cluding many prominent in religious,
educational, literary and civic af
fairs.
The current Catholic Hour preach
er, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen
of the Catholic University of Ameri
ca, was the guest speaker during .he
broadcasts. He reviewed the history of
the Catholic Hour.
Speaking on the subject of “Memo
ries", Mcnsignor Sheen, who has ap
peared on the Catholic Hour more
times than any other preacher, told of
the changes he had noticed on what
he described as "the religious front
iers of America” during the last dec
ade. These changes, he explained,
were revealed in hundreds of thou
sands of letters he received in this
period from persons in different sta
tions in life and of different religious
beliefs.
Decrease in Bigotry
“The first change I note is a de
crease in bigotry, but an Increase in
hate,” he declared. “There is a dif
ference between the two. Bigotry is
directed against a belief; hate is di
rected against a person. Bigotry if
intellectual; hate is emotional. Big
otry is anti-creed; hate is anti-God.
“The decline in bigotry is probably
due to increased enlightenment con*
cerning religion through the Catholic
Hour and other N.B.C. religious
broadcasts, but also to a growing : n-
difference on the part of a minority
to religion. The increase of hate is
due partly to the clenched-fist philo
sophy of Communism, partly to an in
ner sense of guilt which persecutes
goodness because it is self-accusing,
and partly to a want of Jews, Prot
estants and Catholics willing to live
up to their religion. Though these
hateful letters constitute only a very
small portion of the total mail, they
reveal nevertheless a national symp
tom. I have always made it a rule
that the more hateful the letter, .'he
more kindly the answer, for these
souls may be like Saul, who hated
ignorantly. I tell them that if I had
their education and background and
had been told all the lies about .he
Church that they had been told, I
might hate the Church ten times more
than they do.
“The second change in the spiritual
attitude of this country, and here I
speak of the majority, is a re-awak
ened interest in the spiritual. Amer
ica was never more ripe for a genuine
spiritual re-birth than now. It has
given up secularized religion, but not
religion; it no longer wants a message
that flatters the way it lives and ig
nores its sin; it wants one that chal
lenges its worldliiess with the vision
of the Cross. People today do rot
want an argument. They want de
liverance. They do not want to be
told they are wrong, they want to
learn how - to be good. The Catho
lic Hour has satisfied this need in
the hearts of millions; it has never
dabbled in politics: never once at
tacked any religion; never stirred up
hatred against any person but with
scrupulous precision has had and will
have one purpose: the salvation of
souls. Because of the renewed in
terest in the spiritual on the part of
Jews, Protestants and Catholics, I de
cided to give small prayerbooks to
those who asked for them. The fact
that today over 200,000 have written
for them proves the reality of hunger
for the spiritual. Next year I have
in mind to give away another littl
CINCINNATI.—A striking story of a
recent conversion which is attributed,
next to God's grace, to the “Catholic
Hour”, ■nation-wide radio program
produced by the National Council of
Catholic Men, is reported in the Cath
olic Telegraph-Register here.
The pastor of. the only Catholic
Church in a small town near here was
called by telephone one night to at
tend a sick man. The man was not
a Catholic, but he explained to the
pastor he had been a regular listener
to the “Catholic Hour” each week for
two years, that he had become con
vinced of the truth of the Church’s
teachings and he wished to be bap-
tied.
The priest is reported to have ex
plained to the man that, according to
the doctor’s judgment, he was in no
danger of death and that he must be
instructed more before receiving the
Sacrament of Baptism. The man in
sisted, however, that he be baptized
at once. A quick prayer for guidance
—and the pastor complied.
The man died that night.
booklet on the subject of religion to
guide minds in their search for Truth.
‘Spiritual Harvest’
Monsignor Sheen then spoke of the
Catholic Hour’s “spiritual harvest”,
mentioning the cases of a number
of persons who have been helped by
its broadcasts. Among them he cited
the case of a Communist who was
led to enroll his children in a paro
chial school; an actress who broke
off a sinful life to enter a convent; an
embezzler who made restitution; a
book thief who returned what he
stole; an invalid who was converted
and now offers his sufferings in ex
piation of his sins; and an agnostic
who was led back to practicing his
Protestant faith.
In conclusion, Monsignor Sheen
listed three points to be remembered
about the Catholic Hour. These were,
he said, its impersonal character, the
fact that any success any one of its
speakers may have had "is due not
to himself but to a gift from God,”
and that each address he himself has
given has been dedicated to the Bless
ed Mother.
Referring to the impersonal charac
ter of the Catholic Hour, lie said its
popularity is not due to the speaker,
but to the message.”
Address by Archbishop
Archbishop Spellman, in his address,
said:
“Ten years ago yesterday, Cardinal
Hayes inaugurated the Catholic Hour.
On that occasion His Eminence ex
pressed the hope that the Catholic
Hour, with the charity of Christ,
might serve to make better known
our Faith.
“The prayerful hopcf of the Cardi
nal of Charity has been realized. The
Catholic Hour has explained Catholic
Faith and has exemplified Catholic
practice. It has taught Truth in
Charity—the truth that makes and
keeps men free, the charity that
makes men brothers, which brings
men peace. Truth, Charity, Freedom,
and Peace! These have been the sub
jects and the objectives of this hour.
For this answer to the prayer of Car
dinal Hayes, after God, I thank 'he
American people, Catholic and non-
Catholic. I thank the National Broad
casting Company, its affiliated stations
and personnel for giving us time and
service. I express gratitude to (he
National Council of Catholic Men for
its sponsorship of this activity and for
arranging the programs. I thank the
speakers for their apostolic endeavors
and successes. I thank the musicians
and the soloists, all of them.”
N. C .C. M. President Heard
Louis Kenedy, president of the Na
tional Council of Catholic Men, was
another speaker. The musical back
ground was arranged and directed by
the Rev. William J. Finn, C. S. P.,
who also participated in the first
Catholic Hour broadcast on March 2,
1930. -
Mendolssohn’s cantata, “Hear My
Prayer”, was sung during the broad
cast by Jessica Dragonette, noted ra-
Father Melchior Reibhert
Beloved Benedictine, Dies
Chaplain-Emeritus of Mercy
Hospital, Charlotte, Was
Among Founders of Bel
mont Abbey
CHARLOTTE, N. C. — At Mercy
Hospital, where through his minis
trations to the sick he had made
thousands of friends, the Rev. Mel
chior Reibhert, O. S. B., died on
February 26, following an illness of
a week’s duration. Father Melchoir
had been chaplain at Mercy Hospital
ior the past fifteen years, the last
eight cf which he had served from a
wheel-chair after breaking his hip
in a fall in 1933.
He was born in Baden, Germany,
April 17, 1852, and came to America
when he was tv. o years old. He en
tered the order of St. Benedict in
1871, and was ordained to the priest
hood in 1875.
Father Melchior was one of a group
of ten monks from St. Vincent’s Ab
bey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, who
came to North Carolina in 1891 to es
tablish Belmont Abbey, and he is
represented by one of the ten stars on
the grand seal of the Abbey. He
was a member of the original faculty
at Belmont College, where he taught
in the commercial department until
1925.
At Savannah, Ga., where for some
years he engaged in missionary work,
Father Melchior founded St. Bene
dict’s Church, Savannah’s first parish
for colored Catholics, and erected a
chapel on the Isle of Hope. He was
also the founder of St. Helen’s
Church, Spencer Mountain, N. C.
He was for some years pastor of
the Abbey Cathedral at Belmont,
where the Right Reverend Vincent
George Taylor, O. S. B., D.D., Abbot-
Ordinary of Belmont, officiated at a
pontifical requiem mass on the day
of burial in the Belmont Cemetery.
NON-CATHOLIC STUDENTS
VISIT MT. AIRY CHURCH
Pupils of Dobson, North Par-
olina, High School at Holy
Angels Church Service
MT. AIRY, N. C.—Non-Catholic
members of the Latin and French
department of the Dobson High
School, N. C. attended the impressive
Sunday services at Holy Angels
Church, Mt. Airy, N. C. Five pews
were reserved for the students of this
high school. On this occasion the
non-Catholics outnumbered the forty-
eight single Catholics out of a com
munity population of over 6,000 souls.
Dobson, the county seat, has not a
single Catholic. This was the second
visit .of the faculty and students. All
are int msely interested in the Latin
language. Father Harkins, the pres
ent pastor, spent one hour after Mass
explaining the use of Latin in the
Catholic services. Leaflets on Cath
olic teaching and belief were given
to the entire group.
dio star. This number opened the'
first Catholic Hour program ten years
ago.
The Catholic Hour’s anniversary
program did not go on the air until
its usual time of 6 p. m., but a pre
liminary program started at 5:30 p.
m. and was broadcast by short-wave
radio by the NBC.
The short-wave broadcast included
a short talk by Lenox R. Lohr, pres
ident of the National Broadcasting
Company, and a special musical pro
gram by the Paulist Choristers, assis
ted by the National Broadcasting
Company Symphony Orchestra. Mr.
Lohr congratulated the National
Council of Catholic Men and parti
cipants in the 520 Catholic Hour
broadcasts since 1930 for maintaining
the program on a consistently high
plane.
John McCarthy, N. B. C. announc
er who announced both programs,
opened the Catholic Hour’s tenth an
niversary broadcast by introducing
Mr. Kennedy. Before presenting
Archbishop Spellman to the studio
and radio audience Mr. Kennedy ex
pressed the thanks of the National
Council of Catholic Men to this whom
he said have made possible “This
decade of religious service to our
fellow Americans.”
Praise from Archbishop
After describing the great amount
of good-will the Catholic Hour had
created among non-Catholics, and the
interest it had aroused among both
Catholics and non-Catholics, Arch
bishop Spellman praised the National
Council of Catholic Men for its un
flagging zeal in sponsoring the broad
casts and for the extremely capable
manner in which it had conducted
them.
The following message from Cardinal
Maglione, Papal Secretary of State,
was read by Archbishop Spellman:
“On the auspicious occasion of the
tenth anniversary of the institution of
the Catholic Hour, His Holiness con
gratulates the National Council of
Catholic Men on their work in the
diffusion of Catholic thought and
most benignly imparts the Apostolic
Blessing and pledge of heavenly fa
vors and encouragement in work
being done in promoting God's glory
so efficaciously by radio.”* __ _ __
FATHER MELCHIOR
Calls St. Therese
Modern Catholics’
“Mutual Friend”
Career of “Little Flower”
Radio Topic of Mrs. Frances
Parkinson Keyes
(By N. C. W_fk- News Service)
NEW YORK. — St. Therese of
Lisieux was called the “mutual .
friend” of modern Catholics by Mrs,
Frances Parkinson Keyes, noted au
thor and convert and biographer of
the “Little Flower”, in the “Call to
Youth” program broadcast over the
Red Network of the National Broad
casting Company under the EDonsor-
ship of the Youth Committee of the
National Council of Catholic Women.
Declaring that the “Little Flower”
is not “a dim and shadowy figure of
the past,” but “a vivid personage of
the present,” Mrs. Keyes pointed out
that “there are many individuals still
living who remember her well; in
deed, if she had not died premature
ly, she would still be alive herseii.”
“I know these associates of hers.”
she went on, “and I have lived in
Lisieux at the same ancient Abbaye
where she went to school. She seems
very close to me, and I believe d can
make her seem close to you for two
reasons: First, because it is easier
for most of us to look upon a mod
ern saint as a friend than one who
has been dead a long time. Second,
because St. Therese is not separated
from us by her opportunities and her
accomplishments any more than she
is by the distance of the ages. There
is nothing spectacular about her,
nothing to deter the average girl from
saying, ‘Here is a saint whose exam
ple I should like to follow and which
I believe I can follow. I could not
lead armies, or sway statesmen, or
evolve doctrines. But there are many
little things 1 might do well and I
am going to try to do those! If I
succeed, I shall have a right to be
lieve that St. Therese is my friend,
and to turn toward her just as I do
towards other friends, but in a more
wonderful way.’ ”
Sketching the career of St. Therese,
Mrs. Keyes asid:
“We, who are average persons, can
pattern our lives after hers in pur
pose, in resourcefulness, in loving
kindness and in courage. The lessons ■
which she taught can be put to uni
versal use. Her basic principles are
applicable to every wauk in life. The
‘little way’ which she reveals to us,
is not a hard one; it is not beyond •
,our skill and our strength; it opens
up to human beings everywhere.
“I believe that with God’s help we
can follow it.”
Charleston Hibernians
Attend Annual Banquet
CHARLESTON, S. C.—At the 139th
annual St. Patrick's Day dinner of
the Hibernian Society the speakers
included Dr. J. Douglas Poteat, dean
of the Duke University school of law;
Federal Judge Alva M. Lumpkin, of
Columbia; and the Rev. Martin C.
Murphy, pastor of St, Peter s Church,
Columbia. Governor Burnet R. May- .
bank and Mayor Henry W. Lockwood
were among the guests.
At the annual business meeting
William A. O’Brien, president, and
all other officers were re-elected.
Life memberships were conferred . on
Frank R. Burns and Lawrence W.
Bicaise, veteran members of the so
ciety.
Columbia High School
Presents Passion Play
COLUMBIA, S. C.—Students of Ur-
suline High School presented the Pas
sion Play, “Mary Magdalene” on
March 7 and 8th in Columbia and on ■
March 9, in Rock Hill.
The cast included, Wydette Asmer,
Eleanor Bultman, Jeanne Smith,
Grace Sorio, Connie Cannerella. Mary
Rose berry, Anita Brunson, Bernice
Britt, Kathleen Hebert, Ann Rose
Tronco, and Catherine Partin. .
“The Story of the Cross” -was ren- :
dered by the High School Glee Club, *
with Miss Christine Jenkins, at the :
piano, as an overture-