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ETCOT THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
SEPTEMBER 28, 1940
THE BULLETIN
The Official Organ of the Catholic LaymenV
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
J 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.September 28, 1940 No. 9
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
Ascpeiaf'on and the National Editorial Association.
Published monthly by the Publicity Department with
the Approbation of the Most Reverend Bishops of
Raleigh. Charleston, and Savannah-Atlanta. and of the
Right Reverend Abbot Ordinary of p elmont.
1540-1940
F UR HUNDRED years ago, Hernando de Soto and
his band of six hundred men were making their
hazardous way from Florida through Georgia on that
expedition that led to its leader's grave in the waters
. of the Mississippi.
The explorers came northward through Georgia, ar
riving at what is now Silver Bluff, a few miles below
the present site of Augusta.
Here priests with the expedition offered the Sacrifice
of the Mass, and that first recorded celebration of Mass
near Augusta is now being fittingly commemorated by
the Catholics of Augusta.
Four hundred years ago, when Martin Luther was still
alive, and Henry VIII ruled England, a party of Spanish
Catholic explorers gathered on the bank of the Savan
nah River, near Augusta, to assist at the Sacrifice of
the Mass, offered by one of the twelve priests who ac
companied the expedition.
Too long perhaps have the people of Georgia been con
tent to date their history from the coming of Oglethorpe
and neglect the story of the Spanish occupation and mis
sionary effort that began two hundred years before.
Abundant space was given in Georgia’s history to the
doings of the English colonists, but until recent years
scarcely any mention was made of the Spanish settlers
in Georgia,
California remembered the “parades" better, due to
the fact thqt Spanish civilization there did not suffer
the unfortunate fate which befell the Spanish settle
ments along the Atlantic coast.
Research is now revealing that the Spanish settlements
and missions, in this section, as well as in the West,
have a primary and most influential share in the eco
nomic and cultural aspects of our present American civi_
lization.
Planted in the soil of Georgia the Spaniards have left
a record. The peach, of which Georgia is so proud,
figs, and the great orchards of citrus fruits, which are
the fame of Florida, are a part of our inheritance from
the Spaniards. Beneath the fertile soil of Georgia they
planted our sugar-cane. The permanency of the Span
ish influence is made clear when we find ourselves con
sidering as “native" agricultural products that were
brought here by the Spaniards.
It was the mission that was the source of instruction,
not only in Faith, but in the knowledge of how to gain
from nature more plentiful and more varied harvests.
In the cattle industry', in horticulture, in the Southern
economy where cotton was so long king, in the tribal
and inter-tribal economy of the Indians, and in other
tmmentioned fields, the Spanish, Catholic, influence has
never been lost in this country.
While the Spanish settlers and missionary priests
Withdrew from this section with the coming of the Eng
lish. and the history of Catholicity in Augusta does not
go back in an unbroken line to the Mass offered in the
wilderness by a priest in the company of De Soto, the
Catholics of Augusta feel that it is fitting to recall and
commemorate that four hundred years ago members of
their Faith were uniting in worship here.
THE CONVENTION IN SAVANNAH
O N OCTOBER 27, the twenty-fifth "annual convention
of the Catholic Laymen's Association of Georgia
will be held in Savannah.
This convention will be honored with the presence of
His Excellency the Most Reverend Amleto Giovanni
Ciecgnani. Apostolic Delegate to the United States, w»ho
has accepted the invitation extended by our Most Rev
erend Bishop.
Every member of the Catholic Laymen's Association
of Georgia should now make a firm resolve to attend,
not only the convention Mass, and the business sessions,
which will be held on Sunday, October 27. but the re
ception which will be tendered the Apostolic Delegate
on the previous evening.
Every parish and every parish organization should
appoint delegates promptly, and those who are not rep
resentatives of any parish or organization should also
plan to attend this Silver Jubilee Convention, which will
undoubtedly inspire the laity of Georgia to render in
the future an even greater service to their Church and
State and Nation, than they have in the quarter of a
century of glorious achievement that had gone before.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AGAIN
A FTER some w'eeks in which it refrained from cast
ing any reflections upon Catholics or things Cath
olic, The Christian Index came forth in its issue of Sep
tember 12, 1940, with an editorial entitled “Pius XII, The
Great Straddler.”
The excuses *,4iich The Christian Index gives for this
recent blast jre reports which it claims indicate that
Pope Pius VII is first on one side and then on the other
in the wars which have been ravaging Europe and Afri
ca for the past three years; particularly reports that a
concordat is being written between the Petain govern
ment and the Vatican, and that, because they think
England will lose, Pope Pius XII and his Bishops in
Germany favor Hitler.
The writer of the editorial also bases his charge of
straddling on the very reliable source of “a story told
long ago by a Mississippi politician.”
It would hardly satisfy the editor of The Christian
Index to state that the Vatican City correspondent of the
National Catholic Welfare Conference News Service has
just issued a statement that reports that negotiations
are under way for a Concordat between the Holy See
and the French Government at Vichy are denied at the
Vatican, nor that reports that the German Bishops, at
Fulda meeting just held, adopted a “solemn pledge of
loyalty to Adolf Hitler” and gave expressions of “grati
tude to the German army are definitely tc be regarded as
spurious, and that these reports, given to the general
press from the official Nazi news agency have been
spread for obvious reasons-by interested parties. Or
further, that the correspondent of the NCWC in Geneva
declared that it had been learned reliably that the Holy
Father addressed to the meeting of the German Bishops
a letter the tenor of which precluded entirely any sitch
resolution as the story emanating from the DNB in
timated has been passed.
The Christian Index went on to state that in the social
upheavals for a thousand years, the Roman Church had
waited for the end and jumped on the largest piece. We
wonder if it did in nineteen hundred years.
Rome of the Caesars was great and mighty, but the
infant Church was not on the side of Imperial Rome.
Constantine came from the East—the Church did not
jump to Constantine, but Constantine jumped to the
Church, because it was beneath her Banner of the Cross
that he could conquer.
Down from the north swept the army of Attila, the
Hun. History tells that Pope Leo withstood him at the
gates of Rome, it does not tell that the Church was on
his side, powerful and mighty though it was. From the
South came the curved blade of Mohammed, tremendous
in its force, to over-run the continent of Europe. Was
the Church then on the side of the conquering Saracen.
Coming down the centuries we see to the west of
Rome, Napoleon in all his glory. And we see Pope Pitts
VII, not lending the spiritual power of the Church to the
military might of the Emperor, but, in the face of threats,
refusing to yield to Napoleon's demand that the Church
dissolve the marriage of Jerome Bonaparte and his
American Protestant wife.
A hundred years ago the Protestant Lord Macauley
wrote of the Catholic Church that she had seen the
commencements of all the governments, and of all the
ecclesiastical establishments that then existed in the
world, and that he felt no assurance that she was not
destined to see the end of them all.
Why w-ould the Church be concerned with being on
the side of this government or that, when time would
.see her still in undiminished vigor when earthly king
doms were but memories?
Also the editorial states that when Mussolini became
the most powerful man in Italy, the Hierarchy which
had been against him, was responsible for the Vatican's
signing the Lateran Treaty, in exchange for the good
will of II Duce.
If the editor of The Christian Index had given more
easeful study to the terms of the Lateran Treaty he
might have been given the idea that it was prompted
more from Mussolini's desire to gain the good will of
the Vatican that a wish on the part of the Vatican to
become established to the good graces of the Italian
dictator.
As the common father of all Christendom, and through
charity toward his children in nations on both sides
of the conflict now raging, the Holy Father has been,
striving to maintain an attitude of neutrality, while un
ceasingly striving for a just and charitable peace, which
would be the only peace that would endure, as the
world should now be learning.
And though he has endeavored to pursue a policy of
neutrality, Pope Pius XII did not refrain from a con
demnation of the Nazi invasion of Belgium, Holland, and
Luxembourg, nor from expressing to the Protestant ruler
of Holland a wish for ''the restoration of justice and
liberty.” "v
In an hour when our government considers Jt neces
sary to conscript the man-power, and if need be,the in
dustry of the nation, as a measure of defense, any effort
to arouse in any group of our people a suspicion of
other groups, or east reflections upon one to whom they
render spiritual allegiance, cannot but give comfort to
enemies of the United States, within and without her
borders.
In a day when the forces of irreligion are rampant in
the world, those who hold to any form of religion should
seek to weld a united front against a common foe, rath
er than look in unconfirmed press reports for reasons
to offend those who differ from them in belief.
We do not believe that the Baptist people of Georgia
find pleasure in seeking their organ giving comfort to
Communist and Nazi by following their example in
attacking the Catholic Gbupwb, m its visible bead.
Dixie Musings
On the day after the August issue
of The Bulletin went to press, its
editor, with Robert Parks, Editor of
The Augusta Chronicle, left for Ma
con where the Georgia Press Asso
ciation was holding the opening ses
sions of its 1940 convention.
It was the first convention of till
Georgia Press Association which the
present editor of The Bulletin had
attended, and it proved to be a most
delightfully profitable and enjoyable
occasion.
Attendance at the convention was
profitable, not only because it afford
ed opportunity to hear illuminating
talks by able speakers upon a variety
of topics of interest to those en
gaged in the work of editing and
publishing a newspaper, but because
it brought an opportunity to become
acquainted with so many of the
splendid people who represented the
daily and weekly newspapers of our
State.
The editor of The Bulletin was
most cordially greeted and warmly
welcomed, and on all sides heard ex
pressions which testified to the high
esteem in which our predecessor,
Richard Reid, had been held by the
members of the Georgia Press Asso
ciation.
In Macon the convention sessions
were held at Mercer University
where rooms in the Roberts Me
morial Dormitory were at the dis
posal of the editors, and where they
were guests of the University at
breakfast.
During the stay in Macoq. the edi
tors were entertained by the City
cf Macon and the Macon Chamber of
Commerce at a luncheon, and later
with a reception at the home of Mr.
W. T. Anderson, of The Macon Tele
graph, who also was host at a dinner
which featured those delicious Geor
gia “Banner Hams,” of which Mr.
.Anderson can well boast with pride.
Some of the most enjoyable hours
c. the convention were spent en
route from Macon to Savannah. The
entire convention party making the
trip on a special train of air-condi
tioned coaches, as the guests of the
Central of Georgia Railway. W. W.
Hackett, district passenger agent of
the Central, at Macon, went along,
and supervised the serving of lunch
and other refreshments.
Arriving at Savannah a fleet of au
tomobiles met the train, and their
owners, employes of the railroad, and
the Savannah newspapers, drove the
editors to the De Soto Hotel, conven
tion headquarters in Savannah.
On Friday evening Mr. Herschel
Jenkins publisher of The Savannah
Morning News and Savannah Even
ing Press, graciously welcomed the
representatives of the Fourth Es
tate with a sea-food dinner at the
De Soto Hotel.
As it was, as we said, Friday
evening, Editor Kirk Sutlive, of The
Bluckshear Times, and the editor
of The Bulletin, were very glad that
their genial and gracious host had
been thoughtful enough to provide a
bountiful repast which included no
flesh meat.
This affair also brought oppor
tunity to renew acquaintance with,
the Honorable Thomas Gamble, Sa
vannah's popular mayor.
Gharles G. Day, manager of the
De Soto Hotel had arranged for a
wonderful outing on Saturday after
noon and evening at the new DeSoto
Beach Club, at Savannah Beach. The
editors would have voted it a per
fect party, but for one thing, Mr.
Day. because of illness, could not be
on hand to greet his guests.
Already the editor of The Bulle
tin is looking forward to befng with
the newspapermen at the Press Insti
tute in Athens this winter, and un
til then will find pleasure in recall
ing the Georgia Press Association
Convention of 1940.
Worthy of imitation is the practice
of the Fort Pitt General Assembly,
Fourth Degree Knights of Colum
bus, of Pittsburgh, which for the past
twenty-three years has given a
ciborium as a memorial to each de
ceased member.
Up to the present 164 ciboria have
been placed, many of them with
missions, through the Catholic Church
Extension Society, and others in
parishes in nearly every one of the
United States, as well as in Puerto
Rico. Africa, the Philippines, and on
vesssl of the U. S. Navy.
Some weeks ago there appeared in
Collier’s an editorial which related
that three men in New York had
gothered at a bar one evening, and
after two rounds of beverages had
been served, the third member of the
group insisted that it was his duty
to buy a third round of drinks,
though none of the three desired
more liquid refreshment.
The bartender suggested: “If you
really don't want the drinks, why not
give them to the Red Cross”, which
gave the men an idea that each of
them would deny himself, .each day.
something that he did not need, and
that would cost a quarter, and set
aside that amount for relief work.
The original “Daily Bread” Club
has been expanded, and if all mem
bers live up to their pledges they
would be giving about $3,000 a year
to furnish food to some of the many
people on the earth who are facing
a winter of hunger and privation.
Maybe, they have something there.
In the column which was devoted
to The Society of the Propagation
of the Faith, in the July issue of The
Bulletin, was a story which told that
at the Jesuit College in Baghdad
it cost twenty-seven cents a day to
feed each of the American missionary
priests who served that mission.
Those who indulge in beverages
which cost in the neighborhood*of
that amount might find inspiration in
the action of the “Daily Bread” Club,
and by doing with one less Martini
or Zombie a day. could set aside a
sum that would feed devoted priests
in the foreign missionary service-
And they might at the same time
practice the virtue of temperance.
To the Diocese of St. Augustine, the
oldest parish in the United States,
and to the City of St. Augustir the
country’s oldest city, The Bulletin
extends congratulations upon the 375th
anniversary of their foundation, which
was observed earlier this month.
It wds with sincere regret that the
editor of The Bulletin declined an
invitation to attend the celebration,
which from all accounts was one of
the most brilliant and inspiring in
the history of the Church in this
country.
Ralph McGill, executive editor of
The Atlanta Constitution, in his
column “One Word More”, which is
a feature of the editorial page of The
Constitution, said recently: “The at
titude of the Catholic Church, in
opposing birth control, that the real
job should be to make it possible
for parents to have children and to
educate them, instead of preventing
them, has much merit.”
“Barbed Wire Entanglements”, a
r-ew book by Major General Paul B.
Malone. United States Army (retired)
has just been issued by Stackpole
Sons, its publishers.
General Malone is well-known in
Georgia, where he was at one time
in command of Fort Benning. While
stationed in Georgia, he became in
terested in the work of the Catholic
Laymen’s Association of Georgia, and
delivered an address at the 1928 con-
veniion, held in Augusta. He has
also spoken before groups of Catholic
laymen in Atlanta, Savannah and
Columbus. *
Unsuccessful efforts were made to
arrange for a radio broadcast of the
Pontifieial Mass which will be cele
brated at St. Patrick’s Church in Au-
guseta in commemoration of the 400th
anniversary of the first Mass said
near the city.
Paul D. Williams, executive secre
tary of the Catholic Conference of
the South, of Richmond, Virginia,
had consented to handle the broad
cast from the church.. Mr. Williams
was in charge of the broadcast of he
Mass at the N. C. C. W. conference
in Birmingham this year, and has
often acted in that capacity, giving
an explanation of the services that
adds greatly to the attractiveness of
the broadcast.
Ray Ringson, manager of Station
WRDW in Augusta was most coop
erative, as was the Rev. E. C. Sheri
dan, of the Curtis Baptist Churi'h,
whose Radio Bible Class has for ten
years been broadcast through the
Augusta station each Sunday, at the
hour set for the anniversary Mass.
Dr. Sheridan called a special meet
ing of the directors of the Bible Class
to consider the yielding of their time
which conflicted with the hour of
the Mass. But when it was dis
closed that the class had arranged a
special program for that Sunday,
which would feature an address by a
native Chinese minister, who was
coming from some distance for a
schedule address to the class, efforts
to arrange for the broadcast of the
Mass were abandoned.
The Catholic Virginian, for Sep
tember, pays editorial tribute to
Right Reverend Monsignor Michael A-
Irwin, a native Virginian, who was
formally invested as a Domestic Pre
late -by the Most Reverend Eugene
J- McGuinness, Bishop of Raleigh,
this week.
“Monsignor Irwin’s career in the
priesthood , says the editorial, “is an
integral and important part of the
history of the Church in his adopted
State. His youth of spirit, his quick
ness of mind, belie the long, arduous
years he has spent in the sacred
ministry as a missionary priest, but
the results of his labors would do
credit to a much longer term of en
deavor. He himself would ascribe—
and properly ascribe—his success first
to the help of God and second, under
God, to the good will, generosity and
self-sacrifice of his people. How
ever, it should be remembered that
all through the years of his ministry
he has exhibited precisely the qual
ity of zeal and charity and selfless
devotion to Christ’s cause which is
obst calculated to draw down God’s
blessing and to win men’s hands and
hearts.”
A press release issued by Paul
L. Byrley, Manager of the Social Se
curity Field Office in Augusta con
tains the story of an aged Negro who
approached the desk of a social se
curity field office in Georgia. He
gave his name as Henry Defirst
Johnson, or approximately that. He
had accumulated coverage under the
old-age benefit plan and wranted to
file a claim. He said he was 77 years
old.
As usual, the manager asked for
proof of his age. Of course, he had
no birth certificate, there was no
family Bible or church record. Henry
had none of the standard proofs, but
he said he knew how old he was, and
that his middle name proved it. He
was named Defirst because he was
bom on “de first” day after President
Lincoln had freed the slaves.
Henry Defirst’s claim was ap
proved. H. K.