Newspaper Page Text
SIXTEEN
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC L AYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA AUGUST 24. 1940
Bishop O’Hara in Pastoral Letter
Urges Protests on Drafting of
Clergy, Religious, Seminarians
SAVANNAH CHURCH
SUFFERS DAMAGE
Storm Tears Part of Roof of
St. Patrick’s—-Villa Marie
Also Hit by Wind and Rain
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.— Historic oid St.
Patricks’ Church, which was erected
here nearly sixty years ago, was in
the path of the hurricane which re
cently swept the Georgia and Caro
lina coast, and approximately one-
half of the roof of the church was
torn away b ythe force of the wind,
which blasted its way through »the
city.
The torrential rains which came
with the wind, drenched the interior
of the stately old edifice, and the
Rev. Thomas I. Sheehan, administra
tor of the parish, was obliged to sus
pend services because of the damage
from the rain and because of the haz
ardous condition of the remaining
portion of the roof.
The summer vacation camp at Villa
Marie was hard hit by the wind also,
the number of fallen trees bearing
witness to the fury of the gaie. One
large pine tree crashed upon tire Sis
ters' cottage, damaging a portion of
the roof, but the Sisters escaped
harm and none of the children at
tending were injured.
COURSE IN RELIGION
FOR SAVANNAH CHILDREN
SAVANNAH, Ga. — A two-week
course in Christian Doctrine, con
ducted by the parishes in Savannah
for the benefit of children who at
tended public schools last year, which
began on August 5, has been com
pleted.
SEMINARIAN RECEIVES
MINOR ORDERS
SAVANNAH, Ga. Mr. John
Dowling, who is studying for the
priesthood for the Diocese of Savan
nah-Atlanta, received ■ the tonsure
and the first two Minor Orders, Por
ter and Lector from His Excellency,
the Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D. D.,
J. U. D., at Camp Villa Marie, on
the Feast of the Assumption.
LAYMEN'S RETREAT -
AT VILLA MARIE
Second Retreat for Men of
Diocese of Savannah-At-
lanta Will Be Held Sep
tember 13-15
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.—The fifth annual
Laymen’s Retreat for the southern
section of the Diocese of Savannah-
Atlanta will “open Friday night, Sep
tember 13, and continue through Sun
day afternoon, September 15, it has
been announced by M. C. McCarthy,
chairman of the committee in charge
of the arrangements.
The first retreat for the southern
section of the Diocese was held at
Savannah Beach, and the movement
has grown in popularity each year
among the Catholic men of this sec
tion of Georgia. The well-appointed
Catholic vacation camp, Villa Marie,
at Grimballs Point, has again been
secured for the retreat.
Under the new arrangement this
year, the retreat will begin on Fri
day night, and business men will miss
but a half-day from their usual work.
This plan was inaugurated for the
first time at the annual retreat held
in Washington, for the'men of the
northern section of the Drocese, this
year, and proved most successful.
While a large attendance is ex
pected, the committee in.charge wish
es to urge every Catholic man in
the Diocese, who can possibly do so,
to make the retreat. Reservations
may be made through the local chair
man. M. C. McCarthy, or through the
office of the Catholic Laymen's As
sociation, in Augusta.
COLUMBUS DAY PLANS
MADE IN SAVANNAH
(Special To The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH. Ga. — Preliminary
plans for the Columbus Day banquet,
v/hich will be held October 12, were
discussed at the August meeting of
Savannah Council, Knights of Co-,
lumbus.
The Council adopted a resolution
urging that the compulsory military
training bill be amended so that all
religions may be exempt from its
provisions.
M. C. McCarthy, chairman of the
Catholic Laymens Retreat move
ment for Savannah, made a short
talk on the Retreat which will be
held at Villa Marie September 13, 14,
15. Grand Knight J. M. McDonough
responded * on behalf of the Council,
and assured Mr. McCarthy that full
cooperation would be given the Re
treat movement. It is estimated that
about 150 men will make the retreat
next month.
FATHER MAUREAU
VISITS AUGUSTA
AUGUSTA, Ga.—The Rev. A. L.
Maureau. S. J., of St. Mary Star of
the Sea Church, Key West, Florida,
visited here recently and was warm
ly welcomed by friends he had made
when he was a member of the fac
ulty of the Sacred Heart College
about thirty vears ago.
While in Augusta Father Maureau
had the misfortune to sustain pain
ful, though not serious injury, when
he slipped and fell.
In a Pastoral Letter, read in the
churches of the Diocese of Savannah-
Atlanta on Sunday. August 11, the
Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D. D.,
J. U. D., urged the clergy and laity
of his Diocese to write to their
representatives in Conrgess in pro
test against the failure to include
in the compulsory military service
bill, as approved by the Senate Com
mittee of Military Affairs, a provi
sion for the exemption of priests,
seminarians and religious. The letter,
in greater part, is as follows:
“Reverend and dear Father: As
a part of the National Defense pro
gram, a bill providing for the con
scription of men for compulsory mili
tary training and for other defense
purposes will shortly be presented to
Congress. This bill will affect men
between the ages of eighteen and
sixty-four, particularly those between
the ages of twenty-one and thirty-
one, who will be obliged to undergo
active military training.
“On August 5th, this bill passed
the Senate Military Committee. There
is no provision in it for the exemp
tion of the clergy, non-ordained reli
gious and seminarians from compul
sory military training. The bill says:
‘the President shall defer training
and service in the land and naval
forces of the United States of America
of regular or duly ordained ministers
of religion engaged in the regular
discharge of their ministerial duties”,
but there is nothing in the bill to
show that the President is obliged to
exempt ministers of religion. There
is abolutely* nothing in the Bill
exempting seminarians and non-
ordained religious; for example,
Marist Brothers.
“This is directly contrary to our
national traditions- During the last
World War, as we know, priests, reli
gious and seminarians were exempted
from the draft law-
“If the bill as it now stands, with
out an exemptive clause in favor of
priests, religious, and seminarians,
becomes law. the work of the church
(Special To The Bulletin!
SAVANNAH, Ga— Dr. J. Reid
Broderick, President of the Catho
lic Laymen’s Association of Geor
gia, has announced the appointment
of the various committees which will
handle the details of the Silver Jubi
lee convention of the Association,
which will be held in Savannah on
the last Sunday in October.
His Excellency the Most Reverend
Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Aposto
lic Delegate to the United States, has
accepted an invitation extended by
the Most Reverend Gerald P. O’Hara.
Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta, and will
celebrate the convention Mass and
also address the delegates at the an*
nual meeting of the Association.
Every effort is being made to make
this, the twenty-fifth annual con
vention of the Catholic Laymen’s As
sociation of Georgia the greatest con
vention in its history.
Dr. Broderick has addressed letters
to each of the local branch presi
dents throughout the state asking
that they see that delegates are
named in each city to represent the
parishes and Catholic organizations.
^Each parish is entitled to represen
tation by two delegates, a man and
a woman, and” to ah additional dele
gate from every parish organization.
Local Catholic organizations are al
so entitled to representation by a
delegate. The local branch presi
dents have been asked to arrange for
such representation and also to have
as many individual members of the
Association as possible attend the
convention in Savannah.
The list of committee appointments,
announced by Doctor Broderick, is
as follows:
Historical Committee: Stephens
Mitchell, chairman; Mrs. Marmaduke
H. Floyd.
Reception Committee: The .Honora
ble James P. Houlihan, chairman;
lie Honorable John Rourke, Peter
Roe- Nugent. P. J. McNamara,. John
J. Bouhan, A. J. Ryan, John . Clan
cy, John W. Gleason, Thomas F.
Walsh, Joseph E. Mendel, Fred G.
Doyle.
Transportation Committee: William
J. Kehoe. chairman; Francis Dooley,
Anthony Harty, Thomas J. Canty,
George F. Hoffman, James P. Houli
han, Jr.
Financial Committee: Walter B.
Murphy, chairman; W. H. Sexton.
Hugh Grady. Cletus Bergen, Daniel
J. Sheehan, R. F. Downing, John J.
Bouhan. James P. Houlihan, E.
George Butler. Fred G. Doyle, Wal
ter J. Smith, M. J. McCarthy, Dan
iel J. O’Connor, Charles F. Powers.
Public Reception Committee:
Thomas F. Walsh, chairman; Dr. M.
J. Egan, Fred G. Doyle, Dr. Wm. B.
Crawford, C. A. McCarthy, Martin
Doyle. Charles Hogan, Wm. J. Brem
er. James P. Houlihan, Judge John
Rourke, Peter Roe Nugent, P. J. Mc
Namara, John J. Bouhan. A, J, Ryan,
John W. Gleason, Dr. John P. Jones,
Dr. J. E. O’NeiH. Dr. Lawrence B.
will be seriously crippled for an in
definite period of time. As for
seminarians, if they are not exempted,
the future outlook for the priest
hood is dark indeed.- Doubtless some
seminaries will have to close their
doors and many vocations will be
lost.
“Therefore, you yrill, yourself,
please write or telegraph at once
to our state representatives in Wash
ington, both senators and congress-
men ; urging them to exert every in
fluence to the end that the pro
posed bill be amended so as to
exempt priests, religious and semi
narians from compulsory military
training. There is not a moment to
be lost. Immediate action is im
perative.
“Furthermore* at all the masses next
Sunday, please explain the gravity of
the situation to your parishioners
and point out to them that the pro
posed bill as it now stands con
stitutes a most serious menace to
the church’s wprk for the present
and for the future- Here in Georgia,
where priests are few and where so
many of them are well within the
draft age, the situation will be acute
if they are not exempted from com
pulsory military service. It is diffi
cult as it is to give proper religious
care to our people, especially in
the rural districts. If the number of
our priests is to be reduced, it will
certainly be necessary to close most
of our missions, and even leave some
of our rural parishes without priests.
“Accordingly, you will exhort your
people, each of them, to write in
dividually to their senators and con
gressmen in Washington, urging them
to preserve an American tradition
and to prevent the church being
handicapped in her work of main
taining the morale of the people as
She has always done in peace and in
war. Moreover, have all parish or
interparochial societies register a pro
test against the failure of the bill to
exempt priests, religious and semi
narians.”
Dunn, Joseph Cafiero, Colonel Sheft-
all Coleman, Mrs. C. Gannon, Dr.
James Heagerty, Dr. E. J. Whelan,
Robert Ryan, J. J. O’Neill. Henry M.
Dunn. Mrs. John Howkins, Mrs.
Joseph E. Kelly, Mrs. Charles F.
Powers, Mrs. Walter C. Hartridge,
Elizabeth Leacy, Mrs. John Lyons,
Nellie Lyons. Mrs. Harry T. Wilson,
Mrs. Julian Wingo, E. F. O’Connor,
Dr. Richard Dooley, Dr. John J.
O'Connor, Joseph McDonough,
Joseph B. Maddock. John J. Magee,
John J. Clancy, Joseph O. Maggioni,
Harold Mulherin, John D. Robinson.
Dr. Daniel J. McCarthy, Leonard
Beecher. Julian Hartridge, Joseph
Logan. Arthur Funk, Elton Wright,
Mrs. Lee Howard.
Decoration Committee: Chris Her
nandez, chairman; Harold Monson.
Luncheon Committee: Joseph Mc
Donough, chairman: A. J. Graven-
berg. Joseph W. McAvoy, J. Reid
Joyce, Jr., Helen Roe Nugent, Mrs.
Arthur Pierce, Harry Palmer, Wil
liam Walsh.
Program Committee: Chris Mur
phy. chairman; John Brennan, Julian
Corish, Arthur Pierce, Lawrence
Burns.
Publicity Committee: Jane Judge,
chairman: Frank Rossiter, Eugene
Wright. Kate Latham, Mrs. Joseph E.
Kelly, Mrs. Irene Grogan, John Rob
ertson.
Warren Richardson
Is Marist Brother
Young Savannah Man Re
ceives Habit of the Broth
ers of Mary
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Warren Rich
ardson, son of Mrs. L. A. Richard
son, of Savannah, has entered the
Brothers of Mary at a ceremony held
at St. Anne's Hermitage, the Marist
Provincial House at Poughkeepsie,
N. Y. The new Marist Brother has
taken the name of Brother Anthony
Joseph.
Brother Anthony, who is seventeen
years of age, graduated from the
Marist School here in 1936 and stood
third in his class. During his studies,
at Poughkeepsie he Iras majored in
practically every subject taught
there, and now holds a college certi
ficate. This fall he is to resume study,
completing his college course.
The Mass at the ceremony was cel
ebrated by the Rt. Rev. Monaignor
Charles Dubois Wood, P. A., of Mid
dletown, N. Y,, formerly of Charles
ton.
Brother Anthony’s mother attend
ed the ceremony, at which Brother
Humbert Damian, also of Savannah,
pronounced his fieat vows.
Father Scherrer
Dies in France
Was First Pastor of
Onr Lady of Lourdes
Church in Atlanta
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATLANTA. Ga. — News has reach
ed here of the death in France on
May 27, 1940 of the Rev. Michael
Scherrer, S. M. A., who was the first
pastor, of Our Lady of Lourdes
Church in this city.
Father Scherrer was placed in
charge of the Colored Mission in At
lanta in 1912, when it was founded
by the Very Rev. Ignatiuk Lissner,
S. M. A., and remained in charge un
til 1923 when ill health obliged him
to cease his missionary work.
A natiye of Strasbourg, Father
Scherrer was 81 years old at the time
of his death. He was ordained to the
priesthood in 1892 after completing
his theological course at the Seminary
of the African Missions, at Lyons,
France. He first served in the Vi
cariate Apostollic of Western Nigeria
in British West Africa, and had been
on other missions in Georgia before
coming to Atlanta.
For a while after he had returned
to France, he was chaplain at the or
phanage at Colman, in Alsace, but
was obliged to retire last year on
account of his age and his physical
condition. He died at the Seminary
of St. Augustine, at St. Pierre.
WILLIAM J. HANNON
FUNERAL IN ATLANTA
ATLANTA, Ga.—Funeral services
for William J. Hannon were held
from St. Anthony’s Church, August
17, the Rev. Charles A. McBennett,
O. M. I., of St. Paul's Church, Doug
las, officiating.
deathInTavannar
OF W. A. SEMMES
Funeral of Prominent Busi
ness Executive Held From
Blessed Sacrament Church
SAVANNAH. Ga. — Funeral ser-
vices for William A. Semmes, presi
dent of the Semmes Hardware Com
pany, and member of a prominent
Southerp family, whose death took
place August 8, following a brief ill
ness, were held from the Blessed
Sacrament Church, the Rev. Michael
Doona officiating.
Mr. Semmes was born in Mississip
pi on July 30, 1884. He was a mem
ber of the family from which came
the illustridus Admiral Raphael
Semmes, of the Confederate navy. He
held an M. A. degree from St. Leo’s
Abbey, St. Leo, Florida, and did post
graduate work at the University of
Michigan. He took his LL.B., degree
at the University of Georgia, where
he studied law.
In 1922 he began his connection
with the hardware company, a con
nection that lasted until his death.
He was a director of the Liberty Na
tional Bank and Trust Company.
Mr. Semmes’ wife, who was the
former Miss Myrtice Brown, died on
the day following the death of Mr.
Semmes.
He is survived by two daughters,
Miss Myrtice Brown Semmes and
Miss Elizabeth Kirk Semmes; one
son, William Raphael Semmes; four
sisters, Mrs. Hafford Jones, Miss Do
lores Semmes, Miss Sadie Semmes,
all of Tampa, and Sister Catherine,
of the Sisters of the Holy Name, Key
West; one brother, Francis C.
Semmes, of Jacksonville, and several
nieces and nephews, one of whom,
Hafford Jones, Jr., lives in Savan^
nan.
Under the will of Mr. Semmes,
which has been admitted to probate,
the Church of the Blessed Sacra
ment in Savannah is remembered
with a bequest of $500, and there was
$100 left to the pastor of St. Anthony
of Padua Church, San Antonio,
Florida, for Masses.
DANIEL J. SPELLMAN
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
S AVAN AH, Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for Daniel J. Spellman, a native
of Savannah, who died in New York
City, were held here.
Mr. Spellman is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Mary Spellman, of New
York; two daughters, Miss Patricia
Spellman, of Savannah, and Miss
Joan Spellman, of New York; his
mother, Mrs. Katherine Spellman, of
Savannah; two brothers, M. A. Spell
man ,of Savannah; Thomas Spell
man, of Charleston; five sisters, Mrs.
J. P. Thrasher, of Chicago; Mrs.
Katherine Gugel, of Savannah; Mrs.
R. G. Dupell, of Johnson City, Tenn.;
Mrs. G. P. Pollard, of Miami, and
Mr$. James Dicks, of Columbus.
HUGH E. COLEMAN
DIES IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Funeral services
for Hugh E. Coleman, who died Aug
ust 11, were held from the Sacred
Heart Church.
WILLIAM H. O’HAYER
DIES IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH. Ga: — Funeral ser
vices for William H. O’Hayer, em
ploye of the Columbia Naval Stores
Company, who died August 6, were
held from the Cathedral of St. John
the Baptist.
Surviving are four sons, William
H. O’Hayer, and Edward O’Hayer;
four daughters, Mrs. M. J. Powers,
Mrs. Charles J. Schroder. Miss Mary
O’Hayer. Miss Gloria OHayer. and
nine grandchildren.
LAWRENCE A. DOWNS
DIES IN CHICAGO
Former President of Central
of Georgia Railway; On#
of America’s Leaing Cath
olic Laymen
CHICAGO, III. — Lawrence A.
Downs, who rose from the humble
job of a rodman to the important
executive position of chairman of
the board of the Illinois Central
railroad system, died here August 10,
In 1920, Mr. Downs was named vice-
president and general manager of the
Central of Georgia Railway, and in
1924 was made president, which posi
tion -he held until 1926, when he was
elected president of the great Illinois
Central Railroad.
After serving twelve years as presi
dent of the Illinois Central System,
Mr- Downs became chairman of its
board of directors. Under his ad
ministration a progressive policy was
pursued. Streamlined trains were
placed in operation and new records
for operating efficiency were estab
lished.
Mr- Downs was born May 8, 1872, in.
Greencastle. Indiana, the son of James
and Mary McCarthy Downs- In 1901'
he married Miss Ida May Mulligan*
of Pembroke, Ontario, who died early;
this year. He leaves a daughter, Mrs.
J. F. Oakley, of New Orleans.
Mr. Downs began his career after
his graduation from Purdue Univer
sity, from which institution he re
ceived the degree of Doctor of Engi
neering in 1929. Centenary College
conferred an LL. D„ degree upon
him in 1931. He was a Knight of
Malta.
News of the death of Mr. Downs
brings distinct sorrow to Georgia*
where, with headquarters in Savan
nah, he was connected with the Cen
tral of Georgia Railway, as vice-presi-*
dent and president. He was a leader
in the progressive affairs of the slate
and was highly admired by all with
whom he came in contact.
Ari enthusiastic member of the
Catholic Laymen’s Association of
Georgia, Mr. Downs on two occasions
addressed annual conventions of t he
association. He was invited to be
one of the speakers at the convention
held in Atlanta last October, but was
not able to accept the invitation on
account of his health-
Funeral services were held from
Holy Name Cathedral, in Chicago^
with interment in New Orleans
Miss Helen Byrnes,
Savannah, Becomes
Sister of Mercy
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Miss Helen.
Byrnes, of Savannah, was professed,
as a member of the Sisters of Mercy
of the Union at Mount St. Agnes
Consent, Baltimore, on the Feast of
the Assumption.
Among those who attended the
ceremony were her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph -M. Byrnes, Miss Agnes
Halligan, Miss Katherine Peters, Mistt
Margaret Cronin, Miss Bernadette
McDonald, Miss Mary Gildea, Roy
Burns, Richard C. McNamara, and
Alderman and Mrs. P. J. McNamara
HOLY NAME SOCIETY
ADOPTS RESOLUTIONS
SAVANNAH, Ga. — At a special
meeting held August 13, the Union oi*
Holy Name Societies adopted a reso
lution favoring the exemption of
clergy and religious from compul
sory military training.
Hugh H. Grady, president of the
union, presided at the session. Rep
resentatives from the four Savan
nah parish groups signed the resolu
tion, which was later Sent to the
Georgia senators and representative*
in Washington.
The resolution stated that the work
of the Catholic Church in Georgia
would be greatly hampered shoukE
the clergy and religious be subject
to conscription under the compul
sory military training act, and that
the moral welfare and morale of the
people of the state would be serious
ly affected.
DR. AMELIA SHEFTALL
NAMED WELFARE AIDE
AUGUSTA, Ga.—Dr. Amelia B.
Sheftall, a native of Augusta,
been appointed head of the child
ren's division of the Department of
Public Welfare of the State of Geor
gia, according to announcement made
in Atlanta by Director Braswell
Dean.
Dr. Sheftall, one of the first women,
graduates of the Medical College of
the University of Georgia, was for
merly resident pediatrician at the
University Hospital here.
In June of last year Dr. Sheftall
was married to Dr.- Lawrence
Geesling, of Kansas, and they are
now located in Atlanta, after having;
been residents of Brunswick for sev
eral months. /
MRS. STEPHENS MITCHELL
RECEIVES APPOINTMENT
ATLANTA, Ga.—Mrs. Stephens
Mitchell has accepted the appoint
ment as organizing state president *a
Georgia of the National Society**
Children of the American. Colonists^!,
by Miss Edith Louise Wire, of Saltc j
Lake City, who is national president,
Mrs. Mitchell will appoint state of
ficers for her advisory council from
members of the Georgia Society*
Daughters of American Colonists, of
which Mrs. Lucius McConnell is
regent.
Silver Jubilee Convention
Committees Are Appointed
Dr. J. Reid Broderick, President of the Catholic Lay
men’s Association of Georgia, Announces Personnel
of , Committees Arranging for Convention
in Savannah