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JULY 27. 1940
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
THREE
Monsignor Arthur Freeman,
a Prothonotary Apostolic
Vicar General of Diocese of
Raleigh and Pastor of Holy
Trinity Church, Kinston, N.
C., Honored
RALEIGH, N. C.—The Most Rev
erend Eugene J. McGuinness, Bishop
of Raleigh, has announced that word
has been received from Vatican City
that His Holiness Pope Pius XIII has
named the Most Rev. Monsignor Ar
thur R. Freeman. Vicar General of
the Diocese of Raleigh, and pastor of
the Church of the Holy Trinity,
Kinston, N. C.. a Prothonotary Apos
tolic.
The distinction which Monsignor
Freeman has received is one rarely
conferred. Prothonotaries Apostolic
are members of the chief order of
prelates in the Papal Curia. They
have the privilege of celebrating
Pontifical Mass, a function of Bishops
at stated intervals, with the permis
sion of the Ordinary of the Diocese.
Monsignor Freeman is a native of
North Carolina, and just a few weeks
ago celebrated his Silver Jubilee as a
priest. He was bom in Goldsboro.
April 29. 1836. the son of Arthur B.
and Georgia Raine Freeman. He is
a member of pioneer North Carolina
families which have been prominent
in the state for generations. He was
educated in the schools at Goldboro,
and graduated from Mt. St. Mary’s
College. Emmitsburg. Maryland, in
1907. He attended Belmont Abbey
Seminary, where he was ordained in
1915.
His first appointment as a pastor
was in his native city of Goldsboro,
where he served at St. Mary's Church
for sixteen years, die*’ which time
the parish attained unprecedented
growth.
In 1931 Monsignor Freeman was
named Rector of the Cathedral of
the Sacred Heart and Chancellor of
the Diocese of Raleigh by Bishop
Hafey. In February of 1935 he was
appointed a domestic prelate with the
title of E'ight Reverend Monsignor.
During the previous year he had
been appointed Vicar General of the
Diocese of Raleigh. He has ~ been
pastor of the Holy Trinity Church,
at Kinston, for about two years.
Monsignor Freeman delivered the
baccalaureate sermon at Mount Saint
Mary's College in 1935. and on that
occasion was awarded the honorary
doctorate of laws by his alma mater.
Asheville Sanatorium
Now Designated as
St. Joseph’s Hospital
Sisters of Mercy Now
Operate St. Joseph’s as
Hospital Instead of Tuber
cular Sanatorium
ASHEVILLE, N. C. — St. Joseph's
Hospital, formerly operated as St.
Joseph’s Sanatorium, and which was
formerly devoted to the care of tu-
bercluar patients, is now restricted to
the care of medical, surgical, and ob
stetrical cases only.
The hospital, one of the most mo-
dernly equipped in North Carolina,
is conducted by the Sisters of Mercy,
the Fteverend Sister Mary Bride, be
ing the superintendent.
Accommodations are provided for
more than a hundred patients, with
an adequate and competent staff of
nursing sisters, trained nurses, and
resident and visiting physicians.
Bishop McGuinness
Confirms at Concord
Administers Sacrament to
Large Class at St. Jame’s
Church
CONCORD, N. C. — In the presence
of a congregation which filled St.
James’ Church, the most Rev. Eugene
J. McGuinness. Bishop of Raleigh,
administered the Sacrament of Con
firmation to a class of twenty-five
children and four adults, which in
cluded Virginia Ann Barnhardt, Da
vid Sylvester Goodman. Steven Eu
gene Casper. Rebecca Elizabeth Mil
ler, James Barnhardt, Marie Benfield,
Spencer Blackwelder. Elizabeth Ann
Boulus, Eugene Cress, Raymond
Goodman. Ann Litaker, Thomas Mil
ler, Robert Miller, Gene Wishon,
Charles Barnhardt. James Barnhardt,
Ben Barnhardt, Glenn Benfield. Mi
chael Benfield, Sara Boulus, Kather
ine Burton, Pauline Furr, Robert
Goodman. William Litaker, James
Moose, and Mary Ann Williams. The
sponsors were Bertha Joyner and
Hugh Sa f rit.
In the sanctuary were the Rev.
Maurice McDonnell, O. S. B.. of
Charlotte, the Rev. Patrick O'Dona
hue. O. S. B., of Belmont Abbey; the
K'ev. Thomas Williams, of Southern
Pines, and the Rev. Howard Lane, of
Hamlet. St. James Church is served
by the Rev. James A. Cowan, of Our
Lady of the Annunciation Church,
Albermarle.
The confirmation class was prepar
ed by Sister Jean and Sister Mary
Paul.' of the Sisters of Mercy, Sacred
Heart Convent, Belmont.
After the ceremony there was con
firmation breakfast at the Concord
Hotel.
RECEIVES HIGH HONOR
Right Reverend Monsignor
Arthur R. Freeman, P. A.
St. James Vacation
School, Concord,N.C.
Sisters of Mercy Conduct
Successful Summer School
at North Carolina Mission
(Special to The Bulletin)
CONCORD, N. C- - On Monday,
June 17, the second annual summer
school of St. James Church, opened
here with fifty children enrolled for
instruction. The children were assign
ed to groups according to their classes
in the public school and the pupils
enrolled ranged from the primary
grade through the high school.
Classes were held in the mornings
from 9:30 until 12 o'clock, and were
resumed at 1:30 p. m fob a two-hour
period devoted to choir practice and
classes in Catholic Action. In the eve
ning there was choir practice for the
young men and women who were em
ployed during the day.
The school was conducted by Sister
Jean and Sister Mary Paul, of the
Mother House of the Sisters of Mercy
of North Carolina, Belmont.
Each child who attended the school
received a thorough course in Cate
chism, which meant for some a prep
aration for first Confession and first
Holy Communion. Special instruction
in serving Mass was also given, and
the children were taught the mean
ing and purpose of the Mass, and
learned how to assist properly at
Mass, following the priest in “Missa
Recitata” by reading the parts of the
Mass in English as the priest advanc
ed through the sacred action. One of
the most striking achievements of the
summer school was the mastering of
the liturgical music and the Mass of
the Angels by both the boys and girls
of the school.
The school closed formally on June
23, with High Mass and Benediction,
and the children returned to their
homes with a deeper appreciation and
a greater love and affection of their
Holy Faith.
The school was under the direction
of the Rev. James A. Cowan, pastor
of Our Lady of the Annunciation
Church, Albemarle, who is also in
charge of St. James Church at Con
cord-
NORTH CAROLINA PRIEST
NAMED TO FACULTY OF
MT. ST. MARY’S_C0LLEGE
(Special to The Bulletin)
NEW BERN, N. C—The Rev. Fred
erick A. Nelan, who was appointed
assistant to the Right Rev. Monsignor
Michael A. Irwin, pastor of St. Paul’s
Church here, after having served as
chaplain at St. Genevieve’s-of-the-
Pines. Asheville, has been appointed
to the faculty of Mount St. Mary’s
College. Emmitsburg, Maryland, and
will assume that duty in September.
Father Nelan completed his theo
logical course at Mount St. Mary’s
Seminary last June, and was ordained
at St- Patrick's Cathedral, New York
City, by the Most Reverend Francis
J. Spellman, D. D„ Archbishop of
New York, for the Diocese of Ral
eigh- He is a native of New York and
attended Manhattan College Prepar
atory School and Manhattan College,
before entering the seminary- During
his college course he taught at St.
Augustine’s High School, conducted
by the Christian Brothers, in Brook
lyn.
Benedictine Educators
Gather at St. Leo’s
(Special to The Bulletin)
ST. LEO, Fla. — The 23rd annual
convention of the National Benedic
tine Educational Association was held
here June 24-25, with the Rt. Rev.
Lambert Burson, O. S. B.. of St. Mar
tin's Abbey, Lacey, Washington, pre
siding.
The Rev. Alexander Korte, O. S.
B., of Collegeville, Minn., addressed
the first general meeting of the con
vention on “The Criterion of The
ology in Catholic Education.”
NEW MONSIGNORI
Very Reverend Monsignor
Dennis A. Ljnch,
Raleigh, N. C.
Title of Monsignor Awarded
Two North Carolina Priests
Holy Father Names Rev. Michael A. Irwin a Domestic
Prelate—Rev. Dennis Lynch a Papal Chamberlain
Right Reverend Monsignor
Michael A. Irwin,
New Bern, N. C.
Belmont Abbey
Awards Diplomas
Abbot Vincent Presides
Closing Exercises
at
(Special to The Bulletin'
BELMONT, N. C — The Most Rev
erend Abbot-President of Belmont
Abbey College, Vincent G. Taylor, O.
S. B.. presided at the convocation ex
ercises held in the Haid Memorial
Gymnasium, at which the junior col
lege and preparatory school gradu
ates received their diplomas.
Honorable Juvenal Marchisio, Jus
tice of the Domestic Relations Court
in New York City, delivered an ad
dress to the graduates in which he
recounted the part that the Benedic
tines have taken in education during
the last fourteen centuries.
The Salutatory was delivered by
James Devenny, of McKeesport, Pa.,
while Gilbert J. Farley, of Philadel
phia, was the valedictorian.
Donald Winfrew and George Kemp
were presented with the Abbot Vin
cent Religion Award for 1940 in the
college and preparatory school re
spectively. Earl Hupp, of Wheeling,
West Virginia, was awarded the Haig
Trophy for athletics. and Joseph
Haverty, of Jacksonville, was pre
sented with the Ramblers Club tro
phy for the leading preparatory
school student.
Abbot Vincent presided at the clos
ing academic Mass in the Abbey
Cathedral, at which the Rev. Joseph
Schreiner, of Brooklyn, delivered the
baccalaureate sermon. The Rev.
Charles Kastner, O.S.B., the College
Chaplain was celebrant of the Mass,
with the Rev. Alcuin Bauderman, O.
SB., deacon, and the Rev. Gabriel
Stupasky, O.S.B., sub-deacon. The
combined choirs of Belmont Abbey
and Sacred Heart Colleges, under the
direction of John B. Houren, sang
the Mass.
Lawrence Cashin, Augusta
Baking Firm Sales Manager
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Lawrence F.
Cashin, a member of the parish of
St. Mary’s-on-the-Hill, has assumed
the post of Sales Manager with the
well-known firm of H. H. Claussen’s
Sons, which operates bakeries in Au
gusta, Charleston, Greenville, and
Columbia.
Mr. Cashin, who is a member of
the City Council of Augusta, is one
of Augusta’s outstanding business ex
ecutives, and for many years was
connected with the Georr»i»-Carolina
Dairies. He was educated at St. Pa
trick’s Commercial Institute, and the
Saced Heart College, in Augusta, and
at Spring Hill College-
(Special to The Bulletin)
RALEIGH, N. C.—Two North Caro
lina priests, the Rev. Michael A.
Irwin, pastor of St. Paul’s Church,
New Bern; and the Rev. Dennis A.
Lynch, of Raleigh, have been elevated
to higher rank by His Holiness Pope
Pius XII according to announcement
made by the Most Reverend Eugene
J. McGuinness, D. D., Bishop of
Raleigh.
Father Irwin has been named a
Domestic Prelate, with the title of
Right Reverend Monsignor, and
Father Lynch, who is chancellor of
the Diocese of Raleigh, becomes a
Papal Chamberlain, with the title of
Very Reverend Monsignor.
No announcement has as yet been
made as to the date upon which the
new Monsignori will be invested, but
it is probable that the investiture will
take place in the Sacred Heart Cathe
dral in Raleigh during September-
Monsignor Lynch, who was born in
County Cary, Ireland, in 1905. came
to America at the age of 18, and
after working for several years in
New York City, entered Belmont
Abbey, Belmont. N. C- Upon com
letion of his*^ theological course in
1931, he was ordained to the priest
hood at Wilmington, N- C.. by His
Excellency the Most Reverend Wil
liam J. Hafey. who at that . time
was Bishop of Raleigh.
His first appointment was at St.
Peter’s Church, Greenville, N. C.
Later he was granted a leave of ab
sence to take a post-graduate course
of study at the Catholic University
of America, where he received his
Master of Arts Degree in 1936.
Returning to the Diocese, he taught
Psychology at Saint Genevieve’s-of-
the-Pines, in Asheville, and in 1937
he was appointed Chancellor of the
Diocese by Bishop McGuinness.
Monsignor Irwin’s Story
Michal Alphonsus Irwin was born
August 31. 1866. in Portsmouth, Vir
ginia. His father was Cornelius
Irwin, a native of Limerick, Ireland,
his mother was Cecilia Elizabeth
Hosty Irwin, a native of Galway, Ire
land. Both parents, who came from
sound Catholic Irish stock that had
already given sons and daughters
to the religious life, came to this
country in early youth. His father,
who was in the transportation busi
ness, was for many years an aider-
man of the City of Portsmouth and
an honorary magistrate. Dying at
the age of fifty, he had the largest
funeral for a private citizen in the
history of Portsmouth.
Michael’s education began with a
private school at the age of five.
He never attendeded a public school,
being a pupil of parochial schools in
Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Old Point
Comfort until he was fourteen. He
attended Belmont Abbey College for
some years.
After holding junior clerksh is with
railroad and steamboat in his nine
teenth year he went to Philadelphia
for a business course and afterwards
in a competitive test won the clerk
ship to a Member of Congress from
Pennsylvania.
Both at Belmont and under private
tutors he had been instructed in play
ing the violin and he and his sister
were in great demand for public con
certs. For ten years he was a mem
ber of the St. Cecilia Society of Nor
folk, which had an orchestra of
thirty and a chorus of three hundred.
He sang in the choir at Belmont and
was a master of plain chant.
Held Position with Railroads
For ten or more years in the busi
ness world, Michael Alphonsus was
connected with the railroad world, in
the executive offices of the Norfolk
Southern, Norfolk and Western, Sea
board, and Chesapeake and Ohio
railroads.
Around the age of twenty-five he
met during some of his violin recitals
the accomplished Gail Wemple of
Portsmouth. Miss Wemple was also
in demand as an incomparable reader.
She was very young with a pure
beauty that reminded one of Fra
Angelico’s subjects. An old Episco
palian lady used to cry out when she
saw Gail pass—‘‘My Lord—Gail
Wemple reminds me of the Virgin
Mary’’. It was true objectively—
Michael and Gail became companions
and even from the beginning of their
relationship, Michael’s future priestly
soul became interested in Gail’s con
version, as she was a Protestant. An
engagement followed in due course
She received instructions in the
Faith. Her health began to decline
immediately- God chose her as a
sacrifice to save Michael’s vocation
and at last she was on her death
bed at Southern Pines, N. C-, where
on March 31, 1894, she was received
into the Church and married to her
devoted friend—who for six more
weeks guarded her in a Protestant
household when she received the
Sacraments and where on May 10.
1894 in her nineteenth year she diea
in her maiden innocence and went to
follow the Lamb withersoever He
goeth.
Monsignor Irwin who is soon to
wear the purple of a Domestic Pre
late, says that in relating this happen
ing of his twenty-eighth year, that
his cheeks are more purple than the
sacred robes he wi’ soon wear, but
that he cannot in justice to the dear
departed hush up or diminish the
honor of Gail, wno was an instru
mental cause of his priesthood, while
he, in his old age is being honored
by men. He thinks it would be
towardly and he takes this oppor
tunity humbly to sing the mercies
of the Lord who Y ited His Divine
hook and caught the two of them
at one cast, Gail to enter His church,
to die with all the consolations of
religion and to sing eternally the
new canticle of love, and Michael,
drawn by the cross of Adam to be
His priest forever.
Ordained in 1900
After two years spent in joyful
mourning, study of Latin, wide read
ing, the care of and setlement of his
younger brothers. Michael Alphonsus
entered Belmont Seminary in 1896
and was ordained by Bishop Haid
June 10, iOOO. During these years he
had one long, desperate illness (and
he could say later that he had re
ceived all the seven sacraments). Upon
his complete recovery and ordination
at the age of about thirty-three,
Father Irwin was sent to Nazareth
to assist Father Price in the establish
ment and building up of the orphan
age and apostolate—His dear friend
now Monsignor O’Brien of Durham,
came a year later. During Father
Irwin’s stay at Nazareth of nearly
four years he assisted Father Price
not only at Nazareth but in establish
ing a parish at Durham and in build
ing eight mission chapels around the
country in which a continual round
of missions to non-Catholics was
given.
Father Irwin spent nearly seven
years as a missionary and a missionary
pastor in developing the Durham
parish, until September. 1907. when
Monsignor O’Brien was made the
first resident pastor.
In January, 1904 he was sent to
Newton Grove to re-establish that
mission as a resident pastor, while
still being attached to Durham for
three more years—at Newton Grove
he established schools for both races
under circumstances of extreme
difficulty. He provided a dormito#^
for the boys and one for the girls
and brought the children from the
country around who came to Mass
on Sundays remaining until Friday
afternoon. The school was looked
on as an impossible undertaking, yet
the impossible thing succeeded for
twenty-five years- Besides building
up the parish at its center. Father
Irwin built the churches at Dunn and
Clinton, N. C-, which are now grow
ing parishes, and furthermore built
seven smaller churches or chapels
around the country in order to solidi
fy the faith of the converts and to
draw others-
Brought Nuns to New Grove
In 1907 Father Irwin brought to
New Grove the Sisters of St. Dominick
from New York who heroically
labored there in much suffering for
fifteen years. As a reward for their
valiant pioneer labor, they have now
the Catholic school in Raleigh, the
parish schools of Elizabeth City and
Durham.
In 1927 Father Irwin at the age of
61. feeling that his heavy labors were
graually enfeebling his health re
quested Bishop Hafey to establish a
Religious order there and to give
him a town parish. The Redempto-
rists came and accepted the mission
which is now flourishing under their
devoted and apostolic care.
In January, 1928, Bishop Hafey sent
Fater Irwin to the venerable parish
of St. Paul in New Bern, where he
within a year and a half established a
parochial school of nine grades under
^the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, which is now happily func
tioning and producing the fruit of a
fine Catholic culture- Mother Pauline
the superior and choir mistress. Miss
Swert; the organist, and Father Irwin
being experienced musicians, the high
masses of St. Paul are all of a high
order of musical merit.
COLORED MISSIONARY
WORK INAUGURATED AT
ELIZABETH CITY, N. C.
Rev. Wm. J. Lepage of the
Fathers of St. Edmund Es
tablishes New Mission
(Special to The Bulletin)
ELIZABETH CITY, N. C- — Th«
Rev. William J- Lepage, S. S. E., wha
was for several years attached to St.
Elizabeth Mission for the Colored,
conducted by the Society of St. Ed
mund. at Selma, Alabama, has been
appointed by the Rev- Francis M. Ca
sey. Superior of the Southern Missions
of the Society of St. Edmund to estab.
lish a mission here.
It is planned to locate a suitable
place, conveniently located, and in the
near future build a Mission Chapel
and rectory, and later another priest
will be assigned to assist in the
work.
In the short time that Father Le
page has been in Elizabeth City h«
has discovered two colored Catholic!
and expects to be able to find a few
more. Effort is now being made to se
cure a place where Mass can be sail
until a chapel can be built, the tem
porary quarters also to serve as a
place for catechetical instruction.
For the present Father Lepage is
making his residence with the Rev-
Michael A. Carey, pastor of St. Eliza
beth's Church-