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EIGHT
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
AUGUST 24, 1940
THE BULLETIN
The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia
" HUGH KINCHLEY. Editor
216-217 Southern Finance Building Augusta. Georgia
Subscription Price 52.00 Per Year
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1939-1940
DR. J. REID BRODERICK, Savannah President
BERNARD J. KANE, ntlanta 1st Vice-President
*• B McCALLUM Atlanta Secretary
THOMAS F WALSH. K. S. G., Savannah .... Treasurer
HUGH KINCHLEY. Augusta Executive Secretary
MISS CECILE FERRY. Augusta. Asst. Exec. Secretary
A, M McAULIFFE. Augusta Auditor
Vol. XXI August 24. 1940 No. ~8
Entered as second class matter June 15, 1921, at the Post
Office at Augusta. Ga_ under act of March, 1879. Ac
cepted for mailing at special rate of postage provided
for in Section 1103. Act of October 3. 1917. authorized
September 1 1921
Member of N. C. W. C. News Service the Catholic Press
Association of the United States, the Georgia Press
Ascncjat-on and the National Editorial Association.
Published monthly by the Publicity Department with
the Approbation of the Most Reverend Bishops of
Haleigh, Charleston, and Savannah-Atlanta, and of the
Right Reverend Abbot Ordinary of ’’rlmont
*! Catholic School Days
f A UGUST is with us. Soon September will be here,
bringing an end of the summer vacation, and
school days again.
For Catholic children and young people there should
be Catholic school days.
With inspired wisdom, strengthened by the experience
gathered through century after century, the Catholic
Church directs that Catholic parents send their chil
dren to Catholic schools.
Americans are in increasing numbers coming to see
the logic of the Catholic position and that education
■without religion has been proven a mistaken idea.
Catholics have long ago learned that there is danger to
faith and morals in schools and higher institutions of
learning in which God is ignored.
It hardly seems necessary to remind Catholic parents
of their duty in respect to the education. We are not
unaware that sacrifices are required of Catholic parents
■who contribute to the support of tax-supported schools
and then have the additional burden of supporting other
schools in order that their children might have the
benefit of a Catholic education.
But the sacrifices of Catholic parents will bring them
satisfaction. Not only will they have the satisfaction
of knowing that they are giving their children ade
quate education that will fit them for their life in this
world, but the satisfaction that they are doing their
part toward giving their children an education that
will fit them to gain a better life in the world to come.
BISHOP BARRY
I N THESE columns just a few months more than eigh
teen years ago, The Bulletin joyfully heralded the
news of the consecration of the Most Reverend Patrick
Barry, D. D., as Bishop of St. Augustine. In this issue
it is our melancholy duty to bring to our readers the
sad news of Bishop Barry’s death.
The Bulletin holds Bishop Barry in grateful memory.
He was an ardent advocate of 'the Catholic Press, and
shortly after his consecration selected this paper as
the newspaper for his Diocese, an honor which we held
until a few months ago, when The Florida Catholic, of
Miami, entered the field of Catholic journalism.
We cherish in our files Bishop Barry’s letter of ap
probation in which he declared that The Bulletin was
a welcome visitor to his table, and that it gave him
pleasure to recommend it to the clergy and people of
Florida.
In the passing of Bishop Barry there is for The Bul
letin not only the mourning of the death of a disting
uished prelate, the spiritual leader of a neighboring
Diocese, but the intense sadness that comes with v’ne
loss of a friend who was held in highest esteem.
As priest and Bishop, he served in the Diocese of the
ancient See City of St. Augustine, the cradle of our
faith in this country, for nearly fifty years. Through
out his priestly and episcopal career he displayed an
inexhaustible energy, an administrative ability, and an
apostolic zeal for the spiritual welfare of his people,
that placed him as a leader among the leaders of the
Church in our country.
r*>
The Catholics of Georgia extend to their Florida bre
thren their deepest sympathy, and join with them m
their prayers that the God whom Bishop Barry served
so well, will grant him eternal rest.
Since the editorial upon tire subject of the Burke-
Wadsworth Act, appearing in the adjacent column, was
written, latest news is that the committee from the
House of Representatives, which considered the bill, has
written into the measure as reported by the Seriate
Committee, an examption for clergymen, students in
theological schools, and conscientious objectors, with a
deferred status for college students in their senior year.
This does not seem to cover, specifically, members
of religious orders who are teachers. While an inter
pretation of the Act may give Brothers the status of
ministers of religion, which in a sense they certainly are,
it would be well to have some provision made for their
[exemption before the Act is put to the vote of Congress.
Uphold a National Tradition
R EADERS of The Bulletin will agree that in the past
there has never been evident in the policy of
this publication any tendency toward hysteria or an
agitated state of alarm.
No such tendency exists today, but there is a real
ization that in the face of the tragic fate that has be
fallen other nations, there is at this hour an impera
tive need to arouse our people to a sense of the danger,
perhaps imminent danger, that confronts the United
States.
And it does appear that as speedily as possible the
armed forces of the United States should be increased,
trained, and equipped sufficiently to be able to with
stand successfully' any attack.
It appears that the means through which a great
number of our citizens will be diverted from the arts
of peace to arts of war will be selective compulsory-
military training and service.
To provide such a plan of national defense with leg
islative authority the Burke-Wadsworth compulsory
military training bill has been Introduced in the United
States Senate, and has been approved by the Senate
Committee on Military affairs.
In the light of the rapid succession of events in Eu
rope, there can be no doubt that delay in putting this
nation in a state of preparedness against war is dan
gerous.
With this idea in mind any action that might un
necessarily impede the rapid progress of any defense
measure ought to be avoided. Nevertheless, passage of
the Burke-Wadsworth Bill should be held up until cer
tain important changes can be made in it.
Before it is submitted to a vote, the bill should be
amended to provide for specific exemption from mili
tary service, not only of priests and regularly ordained
ministers of religion, but students in seminaries and
members of religious orders as well.
In this connection telegrams were sent on behalf of
the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia to Sena
tor Walter F. George and to Senator Richard B. Russell,
and to Hon. Paul Brpwn, Member of Congress from
the Tenth District, in which the office of the Laymen’s
Association is located.
Replying, Senator George advised that our sugges
tions would have his best attention. Senator Russell
stated in reply that he was glad to have the views of
the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia and would
give them careful consideration when the bill came
before the Senate. Congressman Brown advised tliat
Dixie Musings
With this issue there comes to The
Bulletin the sad duty of publishing
notice of the death of Mr. Lawrence
A. Downs, who, during the years that
he made his home in Georgia, was
an active and devoted member of the
Catholic Laymen’s Association. And
his interest in the work of the As
sociation did not cease when he left
Georgia to become the head of the
great Illinois Central Railroad.
Thousands of his friends through-'
out the country, for he was widely
known and everywhere esteemed,
will mourn his loss, none more deep
ly than the Catholics of Georgia, who
were privileged to have him as one
of their number for several years.
Personally, and on behalf of the
Laymen’s Association, sincere sym
pathy is extended to his daughter.
Among those who visited the of
fice of The Bulletin recently was the
Rev. J. J. McCarthy, S. J., Pastor
of St. Joseph's Church, in Mobile.
Father McCarthy was in Augusta
for the purpose of conducting a re
treat for the Sisters of St. Joseph.
The Chaplains’ Aid Association,
with headquarters at 401 West Fifty-
ninth Street, in New York City, which
affiliated with the National Council
of Catholic Women, advises that it
is receiving daily requests for prayer
books, rosary beads, and medals, as
well as for Mass outfits, vestments,
and altar linens due to the increase
in the personnel of the armed forces
of the United States.
Organized for the purpose of aiding
the Catholic chaplains with the Army,
Navy, Marine Corps, and C. C. C.
Camps the Association is seeking
memberships at one dollar a year.
His Excellency, the Archbishop of
New York is Honorary President of
the Association, and the Most Rev.
John F. O Hara, D. D., Auxiliary Bi
shop of the Army-Nevy Diocese, is
Honorary Vice-President.
The Savannah Evening Press, in
its issue of July 26, 1940, paid editor
ial tribute to the Honorable John
Rourke, Jr.. Judge of the Superior
Court of the Eastern Judicial Cir
cuit, upon his continuance in office
for a four-year term without opposi
tion.
always been taught to call it “The
War of the Rebellion”.
The letter of protest was published
with the comment: “Try calling it
that in Charleston, S. C.-”
The Associated Press dispatch
which announced that Edward J-
Flynn, of New York, had been named
to succeed James A. Farley as na
tional chairman of the democratic
Party, described him as ‘‘this quiet,
unassuming, reserved, Irish-Catholic,”
and went on to say that his principal
hobby was the “House of Calvary”,
Cancer Hospital in the Bronx, to
which he had contributed generously.
According to The Queen’s Work,
the daily sessions of the Summer
School of Catholic Action held in San
Antonio, Texas, were opened with a
dialogue Mass to promote lay par
ticipation in the Holy Sacrifice, in
harmony with the wishes of the last
three Popes that the faithful actively
participate in the Sacrifice of the
Mass.
During these Masses, the Rev. Ger
ald Ellard. S. J., professor of Litur
gical Theology at St. Mary’s College,
St. Mary.s, Kansas, occupied the pul
pit and led the congregation in the
responses that ordinarily are made
by the acolytes. This method of
getting the lay congregation accus
tomed to the dialogue Mass has
proven effective.
It is rather refreshing to read in
The Union and Echo, our esteemed
Buffalo, N. Y., contemporary jour
nal, that Stepin Fetchit, the colored
motion picture actor, while appearing
in person at the Century Theatre,
in Buffalo, attended Mass every
morning at St. Joseph's Old Cathe
dral.
In the current issue of The Mis
sionary, the Rev. Thomas A. Fox. C.
S. P., has an article entitled "The
Lazy Dynamo,” in which he says
"Most people, even critics themselves,
have the idea that Stepin Fetchit
does not have to strive for effect on
stage or screen, but that he actually
is what he appears to be — the ab
solute absence of activity, unalloyed
indolence, the irreducible minimum
of life, the human pulse at its van
ishing point — in a word, the laziest
man in the world.”
he had conveyed the expression of the Laymen’s As
sociation to Senator Sheppard, of Texas, Chairman of
the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, and forward
ed an acknowledgment in which Senator Sheppard wrote
that he had noted the request for certain exemptions
very carefully.
Since this was done the Most Reverend Gerald P.
O'Hara, Bishop of Savannah-Aflanta, has issued a Pas
toral Letter which urges that the clergy and laity of
his Diocese make immediate protest to their Senators
and Congressmen against the compulsory military ser
vice bill which as it now stands “constitutes a most
serious menace to the Church's work for the present
and for the future.”
There is reason to believe that there has been through
out the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta a prompt and
widespread response to Bishop O’Hara's suggestion, and
it is hoped that the protest from Geolgia, with that
from other Dioceses throughout the United States, will
result in the inclusion of a provision for the exemption
of priests, seminarians, and members of religious orders
from compulsory military service in the Burke-Wads-
worth bill before it is given final approval by Congress.
When reports in the daily press revealed the failure
of the bill as presented to provide for these exemptions,
telegrams were sent on behalf of the Catholic Laymen's
Association of Georgia by its Executive Secretary to
Senator Walter F. George, Senator Richard B. Russell,
and to Honorable Paul Brown, Member of Congress
from the Tenth District of Georgia, in which the Lay
man's Association maintains its headquarters.
These telegrams were followed up by a letter from
Doctor J. Reid Broderick, President of the Catholic
Laymen's Association of Georgia, addressed to Senator
George and Senator Russell, and to the Georgia Repre
sentatives: Paul Brown, W. Ben Gibbs, Malcolm C. Tar
ver, Carl Vinson, Robert Ramspeck, Frank Welchel,
Hugh Peterson, A. Sidney Camp, Stephen Pace, and E.
E. Cox.
Doctor Broderick’s letter read as follows:
“Honorable Sir: As president of the Catholic Lay
men’s Association of Georgia, numbering about 23,000
individuals, I beg to call to your attention the necessity
of exempting priests, seminarians, religious teachers, and
hospital brotherhoods of all faiths from .compulsory
military training.
“These individuals will best serve their country by
continuing their duties and responsing in an official
capacity to the needs of the country when necessary.
I urge that you give this important matter your full
attention and support.
“Thanking you very much, I am,
“J. REID BRODERICK, M. D„ President,
“Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia.”
In his reply to the letter from Dr. Broderick, Senator
Walter F. George stated that he would support an
amendment to exempt priests? religious and seminarians,
and that he was satisfied that the amendment would be
approved.
Your Senators and Congressmen desire to have your
opinions on national affairs. If you have not yet ad
vised them of your position in regard to the failure of
the Burke-Wadsworth bill to provide for the exemp
tions of which we speak, do so before it is too late.
Judge Rourke has served on the
bench of the Superior Court of Chat
ham County since 1933.
The other recognition of Judge
Rourke’s judicial calibre which was
the occasion of the newspaper's com
ment was his being selected to sit
as a member of the Supreme Court
of the State of Georgia in a case in
in which a justice of that court was
disqualified.
“Judge Rourke,” says the editorial,
“has maintained the high tradition of
the court and there could be no
greater recognition of the capable
manner in which he has discharged
his important duties than the fact
that the citizens, the bar and the lay
men will continue him without op
position in this vitally important ju
dicial office.”
The National Antiquarian Society,
which sponsors Columbia Museum
and the National Catholic Museum
Movement in Dubuque, la., has an
nounced its newly organized National
Board of Advisors under the chair
manship of the Most Rev. J. L. Beck
man, Archbishop of Dubuque. Dis
tinguished men and women from
nearly every state are on the board.
-Included in the list of those named
to the newly organized advisory
board are Dr. J. Reid Broderick. Sa
vannah; Mrs. J. Carroll Magarahan,
Greenville, and Miss Mary Williams,
Charlotte.
The Columbia Museum, the only
one of its kind in America under
Catholic auspices, has a collection of
some 175.000 exhibits valued at near
ly 52,000,000. Its purpose is to spread
Christianity through culture.
THE REV. JOHN POWERS, S. J..
Assistant Pastor of Sacred Heart
Church of Tampa, has died of a sud
den heart attack. He was born in
Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland, in 1878
and entered the Society of Jesus at
Macon, Ga., in 1900.
Once more, this time through the
efforts of Mr. Robert Lamotte, for
merly of Savannah, Charleston is
represented by a baseball team in
the South Atlantic League.
For a number of years the editor
of The Bulletin, as a sports writer
covered the baseball games played
in Augusta, and in that capacity
made the acquaintance of many of
the visiting players. Through a num
ber of years he met no finer gentle
man than Jack Coffey, who man
aged a team from Charleston in the
old South Atlantic League.
Mr. Coffey has since rendered an
excellent account of himself as di
rector of athletics at Fordham Uni
versity.
Baseball fans in Augusta are de
lighted that in selecting a nickname
for the Charleston Team, it was de- v
cided to give that aggregation the
name of the Charleston “Rebels”.
Which in Augusta is understood to be
a compliment to Art Rebel, outfielder
with Augusta Club, “Up the ‘Rebels’.”
Which reminds me that at the time
that the motion picture marathon
“Gone With the Wind” was having
its premier in Atlanta, some corre
spondent from the other Side of the
Mason-Dixon Line, wrote to Time,
we believe it was, protesting against
referring to the war which the pic
ture made famous as "The War Be
tween the States”, saying that he had
But that delightful familiar lazy
drawl, and the Stepin Fetchit of ihe
screen, must be a demonstration of
his histrionic talent, because there is
nothing lazy about one who works
late at night and then rises for an
early Mass the next morning.
Stepin Fetchit can edify us as well
as entertain us.
Soon a law of the very highest im
portance in its field and affecting
more than 3.500,000 foreign - born
residents of this country goes into
effect.
Registration and finger-printing of
all non-citizens is provided in the
Smith Bill, signed by President
RooseVelt in June, and the Alien Reg
istration Act becomes effective on
Tuesday, August 27. On that day will
begin the registration and finger
printing of every non-citizen resident
in the United States ,and all regis
trations must be completed by De
cember 26.
It should be understood that this
registration is made compulsory by
Act of Congress and that there are
severe penalties provided for those
who wilfully fail to register or who
knowingly make false statements in
doing so.
The above observations are based
on a statement written by Bruce M.
Mohler, Director of the Bureau of Im
migration of the National Catholic
Welfare Conference, for the N. C. W.
C. News Service.
Because of the significance of this
law, and its possible application to a
number of our readers, it is thought
that it would be well for The Bul
letin to direct attention to its require
ments.
His Excellency the Most Rev. John
F. Noll, Bishop of Fort Wayne, who
delivered the benediction at the con
clusion of the exercises at which
Wendell Willkie was notified of his
nomination as the candidate of the
Republican Party for the President
of the United States, made an appeal
to men to match their prayers for
peace with good conduct.
rMembers of the Cor Jcsu Club of
.ugusta are receiving congratula
tions upon the first issue of their
monthly publication, “Vision” which
recently came off the press.
The staff of the Catholic Youth Or
ganization paper includes Esther
Yeung, editor; John Toomey, assist
ant editor; Jancie Casella, feature
editor; Eileen Stull), assistant feature
editor; Clara Cotter, sports editor;
Marian Arthur, assistant sports edi
tor; Agnes Reese, scandal editor; Bill
Van Sant, guest editor: Bob Mahoney,
Obnsiness manager; Martha Maher,
advertising manager; and Bill Kelly,
circulation manager.
Some weeks ago the editor of The
ulletin was invited to speak at the
Communion breakfast of Bishop Eng
land Council, Knights of Columbus,
in Columbia, South Carolina.
Columbia is one of those towns
where they have installed nickle-in-
the-slot parking meters, and as a re
sult the editor used up every nickle
he had to keep from being tagged
by the vigilant police force of the
Carolina city. So, wfflen he went to
church, his supply of five-cent pieces
being exhausted, he had to put a
DIME in the collection basket!
Down with parking meters!—H. K.