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EIGHTEEN
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
APRIL 27. 1940
CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN
Dominican Fathers Conduct
Colored Mission in Columbia
Rev. Thomas L. Weiland, O. P., Pastor of Blessed Martin
de Porres Mission—Dominican Sisters in Charge of
Mission School
LIEUT. TIMOTHY FINNEGAN
Catholic Chaplain. United States
Army, Camp Jackson,
Columbia, S. C.
CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN
AT CAMP JACKSON
The Rev. T. P. Finnegan As
signed to U. S. Army Post
in Columbia
(Special to The Bulletin)
COLUMBIA, S. C—■Camp Jackson,
which was reopened in November,
1939. now has a resident Catholic
chaplain, the Rev. Terence P. Finne
gan.
Two Masses are celebrated at the
post each Sunday morning and Ben
ediction is given every Sunday eve-
ning.
Prominent in the activity of the
camp are the members of the Holy
Name Society and the Catholic Men s
Club.
Since Camp Jackson, where troops
were in training during the World
War, was reopened as a United States
Army training camps nearly ten
thousand soldiers have been put
through a course of intensive mili
tary training. It is estimated that well
over a thousand of the officers and
men in training at Camp Jackson
during the. past five months have
been Catholics.
(Special to The Bulletin)
COLUMBIA, S. C. — Property for
a colored mission' in Columbia, South
Carolina, was acquired, 1935, by the
Bishop of Charleston, the Most Rev
erend Emmet M. Walsh. In Septem
ber. the same year, the Dominican
Fathers of the Province of Saint Jo
seph, at the invitation of His Excel
lency, began the work of the Mission.
Less than a dozen adult colored
Catholics were found in the entire
city of Columbia. September, 1936, a
school was opened. This school was
made possible by the generous offer
of the Dominican nuns of Sinsinawa,
Wisconsin, to take charge. Contribu
tions of used -school material kept
the school during the first year. One
hundred and three children were en
rolled, Of these, nine had been bap
tized Catholics, and one of the nine
had a Catholic parent.
The progress of the Mission has
been constant and substantial from
its foundation to the present date,
thanks to friends scattered through
out the length and breadth of the
United States and even Canada.
While the mission plant is not ex
tensive, the activities of a complete
parish are in operation. There . re
church, school, priests and nuns.
Every foot of available space in the
Mission House is being utilized. The
urge to expand is being felt in every
department. This urge, however,
must be held in check until financial
help is found to make expansion pos
sible. The Mission House, shown in
the illustration, shelters the church,
the school and the priests' quarters
—the nuns live in quarters separate
from the Mission House.
The mission church, seating about
SO adults, was made possible by e-
moving connecting partitions from
three rooms. Odds and ends from
more fortunate churches furnish the
body of the mission church.
A generous lady from Baltimore.
Maryland, donated a very beautiful
liturgical altar. The sanctuary also
contains a statue of Blessed Martin
de Porres and a valuable painting »cf
the Rosary Group—both donations.
Navajo rugs, the gift of a friend,
adorn the sanctuary floor. As an en
semble, the. church is simple and de
votional, marked with an air to im
press favorably those for whose con
version the Mission is working. The
church is dedicated to Our Lady of
the Rosary.
Four rooms of the Mission Hquse
are devoted, to school work. Each _
room accommodates 30 pupils. Only
the first six grades are taught. It is
unfortunate that the children must be
released to the public schools for ;he
7th grade and those that follow.
The Mission workers .pray and hope
that facilities for adding higher
grades to the school may soon be pro-"
vidcd through generous donations
from persons interested in the color
ed race. Columbia is a center for
negro higher education. The Mission
of Blessed Martin de Porres is next
door neighbor to two of their higher
schools of learn^fg—Benedict College
and Allen University. The Mission is
practically surrounded by property
belonging to these institutions. Those
connected with the Mission of Bless
ed Martin are gratified by the prog
ress made during the four and one
half years of its existence. The bap
tisms. however, recorded * n the Mis
sion's Baptismal Register and the
four class rooms filled with children
receiving a Catholic training, give ihe
Fathers and Sisters every reason to
be encouraged. To its friends, scat
tered throughout the United States
and Canada, the Mission of Blessed
Martin de Porres will continue to
look with confidence for assistance
through prayer and alms. No prayer
will be too short to help; no alms,
too small.
Friends of the Mission of Blessed
Martin de Porres will be gratified to
learn that on the 10th of last month
a class of 24 converts received The
Sacrament of Confirmation.
Anti-Catholicism Apparently
Waning in National Politics
Columbia Colored Mission
Blessed Martin de Porres Mission which serves the colored Catholics of
South Carolina's Capital City.
Protestant Groups Warned Against
Injecting Religion Into Politics
Bulletin of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ
in America Issuing Warning in Regard to
Coming Presidential Campaign
Father O’Connor
Radio Speaker
(Special to The Bulletin)
WASHINGTON. D. C\— The Rev.
Patrick J. O’Connor, Professor of
Sacred Eloquence in the Preachers
Institute of the Catholic University
of America, will speak on a national
hook-up over the Columbis Broad
cast ng System on Sunday May 5. at
1 p. m. (Eastern Daylight Saving
Time).
The title of the address, which will
be heard on the ‘'Church of the Air’
program is “Our Land and Our
Lady.”
Father O’Connor has served as as
sistant pastor at St. Anthony’s
Church. Atlanta, and at St. Mary s-
on-the-Hill, Augusta. He has been
associated with the Preachers Insti
tute since it was founded eight years
ago by the noted Dominican preach
er. Doctor Ignatius Smith, the Dean
^ of the School of Philosophy at the
Catholic University.
Carolina Newman Club
Aids Catholic Students
COLUMBIA. S. C. — St. Thomas
Chanter, Newman Club of the Uni
versity of South Carolina, made up of
Catholic students attending the Uni
versity is an important group in the
Catholic life of Columbia.
Founded eleven years ago to assist
the Catholic students in their reli
gious. cultural, and social life, the
ch'b has made steady progress.
During the present scholastic year
meetings are held weekly on the Uni
versity Camnus- Religious Discussion
Clubs have been sucessfully conduct- i
ed as an important feature of the
club program.
The club has been honored by hav
ing two of its members elected to of
fice in the Southeastern Province of
the Newman Club Federation. Lee
Hanson, as secretary, and the Prv. i.
D. O’Shaughnessy. as chaplain.
Officers of the club are, Miles Mc
Cormick, president; Harvey Blouin,
vice-president; Lee Hanson, secretary;
Fred Suggs, treasurer: Mary Living
ston, historian; and the Rev. T. D.
O’Shaughnessy, chaplain.
THE COURT OF APPEALS of the
State of New York has unanimously
upheld Mayor LaGuardia and other
New York City officials in a suit by
a taxpayer who sought to prevent the
use of Station WNYC, municipal
broadcasting station of New York
City, for the broadcast of proceedings
at Communion breakfast of the Holy
Name Societies of city departments.
Archbishop Kiley
Solemnly Installed
Apostolic Delegate Officiates
at Solemn Installation in
Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE — The Most Rev.
Moses E. Kiley was solemnly install
ed as Archbishop of Milwaukee at
ceremonies held March 28 in the Ge-
su Church. His Excellency, the Most
Lev. Amleto Giovanni Cicognani,
Apostolic Delegate to the United
States, officiated.
Present in the sanctuary were eight
Archbishops and 34 Bishops. More
than 50 Monsignori and 600 Priests
occupied the pews in the center aisle.
Representatives of many religious Or
ders and more than 1,400 of the laity
were crowded into every available
space in the huge edifice.
Archbishop Cicognani. in his ser
mon. praised the outstanding work
done by Archbishop Kiley in the field
of charity and also lauded his career
as an educator and administrator.
Other members of the Hierarchy
who attended the installation were:
Archbishops Francis J. L. Beckman,
of Dubuque: John A. Floersh. of
Louisville; John T. McNicholas, O. P-,
of Cincinnati; Edward Mooney, of
Detroit; John G. Murray, of St. Paul;
Francis J. Spellman, of New York;
Samuel A. Stritch. of Chicago; Thom
as J. Walsh, of Newark.
Bishops William L. Adrian, of Nash
ville: Joseph H. Albers, of Lansing;
Karl J. Alter, of Toledo; Henry Alt-
hoff, of Belleville; Gerald T. Ber-
gan, of Des Moines': Constantine Bo-
hachevsky, Ukrainian Greek Rite;
Stanislaus V. Bona, of Grand Island;
William O. Brady, of Sioux Falls;
Jar'.es E. Cassidy, of Fall River;
Francis R. Cotton, of Owensboro;
Bartholomew J. Eustace, of Camden;
Edmond J. Fitzmaurice, of Wilming
ton; John Mark Gannon, of Erie;
James A. Griffin, of Springfield, in
Illinois'; Edward F. Hoban. of Rock
ford; Francis M. Kelly, of Winona;
Louis B. Kucera, of Lincoln; Thomas
H. McLaughlin, of Paterson; Aloisius
J. Muench, of Fargo; William F. Mur
phy, of Saginaw; Gerald P. O’Hara, of
Savannah-Atlanta; John H. Pescliges,
of Crookston: Theodore H. Reverman,
of Superior; Joseph E. Ritter, of In-
diannapolis; Henry P. Rohlman, of
Davenport; James H. Ryan, of Omaha;
Vincent J. Ryan, of Bismarck; Joseph
H. Schlarman, of Peoria; Thomas J.
Toolen, of Mobile; James E. Walsh,
Superior General of Maryknoll; Tho
mas A. Welch, of Duluth: Charles D.
White, of Spokane; William R. Grif
fin, Auxiliary of La Crosse; Ray
mond A. Kearney. Auxiliary of
Brooklyn; William D. O'Brien, Auxi
liary of Chicago; John F. O'Hara, C.
S. C„ Auxiliary of Army and Navy;
George J. Retiring. Auxiliary of Cin
cinnati; Stephen S. Woznicki, Auxi
liary of Detroit.
Abbots: Justus Wirth. O. S. B.. St.
Bede College. Peru, Ind.. and Ber
nard Penninas. O. Pream.. St. Nor-
bert Abbey. West De Pere, Wis.
Incident Involving President
and Postmaster-General
Farley Viewed As In
dication of Change
(By N. €. W. C. News Service) ..
NEW YORK.—Declaring that “God
is not a member of any political
party,” the Federal Council Bulletin,
organ of the Federal Council of the
Churches of Christ in America, is
sued a warning to its readers against
attempts to inject the religious issue
into the forthcoming presidential
campaign.'
“Religion.” an editorial says, “must
not be "used’ to discredit our oppon
ents. God is not a member of any
political party; indeed. He is not an
American. He is within issues, but
first within the issue of the brother
hood of all mankind.”
The editorial urges the churches
to “prepare to maintain good will
within their own fellowship and to
provide a community leadership in
the interest of reasonable discussion,
mutual respect and courtesy.”
The text of a codfe, the adoption
of which the Federal Council urges,
follows:
“The welfare of the total com
munity should be the criterion of
judgment for every question. Every
man should confess to himself those
elements of personal self-interest in
volved in his decisions, but should
not excuse himself from responsi
bility because of the general preval-'
ence of self-interest.
“Men of equal honor and sincerity
disagree in their judgments as to
what measures will best serve the
welfare of the community. This does
not mean that one measure may not
be better than another, but that dif
ferences of opinion should not lead to
condemnation of other men s mo
tives.
“Reading and thinking should be
directed to understanding the truth
rather than to justifying our opinions
and gathering data to strengthen our
arguments and refute our opponents.
“A church fellowship should be big
enough for differences, wise enough
for free. discussion. responsible
enough for every member to commit
himself according to his best light,
and charitable enough for any Chris
tian man of goodwill to feel at home
in it.”
Radio Tribute Paid
**Padre of Desert’*
“Death Valley” Program in
Memory of Monsignor John
J. Crowley
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
WASHINGTON. — The announce
ment by Postmaster General Farley
that he is a candidate for the presi
dential nomination has, among other
things, marked the change that has
taken place in the popular attitude
toward the perennial question
whether a Catholic can be elected
President of the United States.
Theoretically, of course, there can
be but one answer to the question.
The Constitution specifically bars po
litical discrimination on the ground
of race or religion. But politicians
are intensely practical when national
elections are in the offing. They are
interested not so much in upholding
the Constitution as in winning the
election.
In the present instance, the ques
tion was precipitated by a Washington
columnist, or commentator, who re
ported what was said to be the sub
stance of a conversation between
President Roosevelt and a Democratic
leader of the House. The President
was alleged to save said that the Post
master General could not be elected
because he is'a Catholic.
The President denied that he had
made such a statement.
This denial did not apply to the
President’s own attitude toward re
ligious discrimination. In that re
spect it was not necessary, because his
antipathy toward racial and religious
discriminations is too well known. No
Executive has taken a more aggres
sive stand against bias of this kind,
as he has shown on repeated occa
sions. What he denied was that he
had said that the Postmaster General
could not qualify as a presidential
candidate because of his religion—in
other words, that he could not be
elected, if he were nominated.
The alleged statement and denial
had to do only with the question
whether, because of the existence of
religious prejudice, a Catholic could
poH enough votes to win. Subse
quently the Postmaster General an
nounced his candidacy.
Prejudice May be on Wane
It has been said that the best way
of dealing with religious or racial
prejudice’ is to say nothing about itj
If that rule applies to the present
case, the conclusion may be drawn
that such prejudice is obviously on
the wane. In political quarters there
is not much apparent interest in the
question precipitated by the allega
tion or the denial. If it were not for
other purely political implications
and inferences involved .the episode
would not have excited much inter
est. There is little inclination even
to speculate on the political effects
of racial and religious bias. That
prejudice still exists, is not denied,
but as a factor in political contro
versy, from a practical viewpoint, it
is becoming less important.
Much water has gone under the
bridge since the defeat of former
i Governor Smith. World events have
(By N. C- W. C. News Service)
NEW YORK.—A posthumous trib
ute to the Very Rev- Msgr. John J.
Crowley, "Padre of Death Valley,"
was paid in words and story in the
“Death Valley Days” program of the
National Broadcasting Company.
The regular weekly national broad
cast was devoted to a radio drama en
titled "Sermons In Stones”, centering
upon Father Crowley's aspiration for
a memorial church in Death Valley
and a Portuguese stone mason com
missioned to erect it.
Preceding the drama, the 'Old
Ranger", narrator of the “Death Val
ley" tales in the broadcasts, paid a
touching tribute to Father Crowley
and related how the story had been
submitted to Father Crowley for ex
amination and was returned by the
priest with suggestions just a few
days before he was killed in an au
tomobile accident- "I will be listening
in somewhere," Father Crowley had
written to the “Old Ranger", and over
the radio, the latter commented: “And
I know tonight, Father Crowley is lis
tening in somewhere, although he has
passed beyond .
“I have left the story just as he
would have wanted,” the “Old Rang
er" said, "and I am giving it to you
tonight as my own humble tribute to
the memory of a man who was great
ly loved and who will be greatly miss
ed.”
Japanese Government
Aids Catholic Orphanage
JAPAN,— (N. C. W. C.)—The Im
perial Household Ministry has made a
sizable financial contribution to 28
charitable undertakings.
The only institution in Hokkaido
singled out for this benefaction was
the orphanage of the Franciscan Mis
sionaries of Mary in Hiroshima, near
here. To their agreeable surprise the
Sisters were called to the Hakkaido
Government Office in Sapporo and
presented with a considerable sum of
money. The gift was all the more
welcome because of the losses incur
red in a recent fire. •
The Hokkaido Government also
promised a contribution toward the
r rbuilding of the orphanage.
cemented the interests of the Church
and democracy. Both are under at
tack by Communsm and Nazism. The
forces which would undermine and
destroy government as it exists in
these United States, would undermine
and destroy religion, especially the
Catholic religion. There is no ques
tion about conflicting motives. Both
are fighting on the same side for the
protection of human rights. Commun
ism and Nazism have brought into
double disrepute both racial and re
ligious discrimination, and Washing
ton wants none of any of them.
RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY
SCORED BY SENATOR
America Must Remain
Citadel of Tolerance, De-
; dares Senator Taft
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
LOUISVILLE — Religious bigotry
was assailed by United States Sena
tor Robert A. Taft, of Ohio, in an
address delivered last night at a
rally of the Lincoln Club of Ken
tucky.
“The world today is torn apart by
the most violent conflicts between
nations and between races”, the Sena
tor said- “The Treaty of Versailles
put so much emphasis on nationalism
that national prejudices grew until
they destroyed the treaty itself.
“There never has been a time when
it was so essential that religious
prejudice be forgotten,and that every
prejudice be approached in an Easter
spirit of tolerance-
“In America many hostile people
have learned to respect each other's
beliefs and to contact a democratic
government without oppressing any
with different beliefs. But we do
see a tendency, perhaps reflected from
Eurone, to build up prejudice against
men because of their religion-
“It has been said that a man can
not be elected to office because Jie
is not one of the majority; and there
are those who deliberately try to
spread that kind of prejudice. It is
contrary to every principle of the
American Constitution. It can have
no purpose except to destroy the in
alienable rights guaranteed to every
American citizen. It looks to the
same kind of oppressions and perse
cution of minorities which we see
today in Germany and Russia. De
mocracy itself cannot long exist if
minority rights are destroyed.
“Frankly, I do not believe the
American people will have any such
prejudice, or will support any such
propaganda. We have seen waves of
prejudice before, but they have never
found any fertile soil in American
institutions, and after a brief pop
ularity have died away.
“Any man born in the United
Stats can be elected to any office,
whether he be Protestant, Catholic
or Jew, provided only that his politi
cal views meet the approval of a
majority of the electorate. The
United States of America has always
been, is, and must remain.the citadel
of religious freedom and religious
toleration”.
MOTHER ELIZABETH SETON.
whose Beatification Cause is now in
process, is the subject of a new vol
ume by Katherine Burton, just pub
lished by Longmans, Green and Com
pany.
Mrs. Burton is a convert and a pro
lific writer of books, articles, and
magazine fiction.