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OCTOBER 26, 1940 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
THIRTEEN \
Greenville Parish
Launches Campaign
to Remodel Church
The members of St. Mary's Parish,
Greenville, S. C., have launched a
drive for funds for the remodeling
and finishing of their church. The
church was built by Monsignor A. K.
Gwynn 37 years ago. but was never
completed in detail, for he had other
building work that called for his at
tention during the ensuing years. He
Hi.ui under his care the upper part of
^South Carolina—a territory embrac
ing eleven counties—nearly as’.large
in area as the State of Connecticut.
He has built in Anderson and Spar
tanburg. In Greenwood, in Walhal-
la, and in Clemson. In Greenville,
since building St. Mary’s, above men
tioned. he has erected a school, con
vent, and rectory and was instrumen
tal in establishing St. Francis’ Hospi
tal, all of which has been his and his
Catholic people’s contribution to the
development and betterment of his
community. Now he comes back to
his “first love,” so to speak, St. Mary’s
and hopes to finish and beautify it
as he couldn’t in years past. He
remembers»: With gratitude that fel
low citizens, not members of St.
Mary’s have financially helped him—
and he takes this occasion again to
thank them. His efforts have received
help from the Catholics “up North”
and without this help from his friends
among the clergy and their flocks, this
equipment in the material aids to our
religion could hardly have lqpen ac-
complished.
It is interesting to note that the Sis
ters of the Poor of St. Francis have
had to make additions twice to their
hospital to meet the growing demands
for hospitalization in Greenville.
Without endowment they have built
and kept up their splendid work and
have been no expense or burden to
the city.
St. Mary's congregation is anxious
to do; all it can towards the finishing
and beautifying of its church building
along the lines of Father Gwynn’s
ideas, if for no other reason—as a
testimony of their appreciation of his
41 years of devoted service in this
Piedmont section of the South.
As stated above, the congregation
has started a drive in Greenville for
funds and hopes to raise a generous
part of the $23,000 that is required for
the work
(Contributed by “A Parishioner of
St. Mary’s.”)
s The Greenville News concluded a
“w‘rite up” thus: “The improvements
to be made on St. Mary’s Church are
those whieh he has visualized since
the dedication of the building which
replaced the small wooden church in
fe]903, Monsignor Gwynn said.”
Vichy Government
Inaugurates Reforms
Changes Effect of Religious
and Family Life in
France
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
VICHY, France — Whatever view
may be taken of the political policies
of the Petain Government in France,
there can be no question of the re
markable changes indicated for the
future in the religious and family life
of the country.
Most notable has been the rescind
ing of the laws of 1901 and 1904,
whereby Religious of both sexes were
forbidden to teach, and the restora
tion of the Grenoble Grand Char
treuse to the Carthusians.
Another law has suppressed secret
societies, striking at the anti-religious
Masonry of the Grand Orient.
A new charter of labor has been
published, whereby workers’ organi
zations will be under State super
vision, and wages are to be governed
by the size of families.
Alcoholism is declared to be among
the evils which destroy a nation and
rigid regulation has been set up.
The number of bistros and bars is
to be greatly reduced.
The securing of divorces, it is an
nounced, will be made more difficult.
The primary schools, officially the
State schools, heretofore were under
the control of committees which were
influenced by local politicians, many
of tliem under, the domination of the
Grand Orient, communism and athe
ism. Minister for Education Miraux
has suppressed these committees and
has declared that all politics will be
barred from the school system. The
free (Catholic) schools are to be on
the same footing with the official
schools and will draw the same sub
sidies.
Textbooks are being rewritten un-
“f r the personal supervision of
Marshal Petain. Some of those
previously in use had been de
nounced by the Catholic Hierarchy as
containing anti-religious propaganda.
In a pastoral letter dealing with
recent changes, His Eminence Pierre
Cardinal Gerlier. Archbishop of Lyon,
wrote: “To fight materialism, the
mischief of which has been confirmed
by recent events, spiritual forces are
needed—the forces of Christianity.
The Catholic Church has no wish for
privileges . or monopolies, but asks
equal justice and liberty for all. She
wishes to serve the country by pre
paring the best possible citizens for
France. The public school must have
respect for the soul of the child. The
free (Catholic) school should be put
at the disposal of Christian families.”
JOHN J. CRAIG, prominent Catho
lic layman of Tulsa, Okla., was award
ed the St- Francis Medal for Catholic
Action at St. Bonaventure’s College.
Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Shown above is a view of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Spartanburg,
South Carolina, after it liad been renovated and enlarged two years ago.
The Honorable T. W. Woolworth, Mayor of Spartanburg, and Mrs. Wood-
worth were prominent among the generous contributors to the fund which
made possible the remodeling of the church. Efforts are being made by
tlve Rev. Francis O. Ferri, the pastor, and the members of St. Paul’s parish to
liquidate a debt of about S12,00« which is outstanding.
Bishop Walsh Lauds Profound
Faith of Spanish Explorers
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
ST. AUGUSTINE. —Glowing tri
bute to the profound Catholic faith
and zeal for its propagation on the
part of Don Pedro Menendez,
founder of St. Augustine, was paid
by the Most Rev. Emmet M. iValsh,
Bishop of Charleston, in an address
at the celebration of 375 anniversary
of the first Catholic parish within
the present confines of continental
United States.
“This is not the place to recall
the tragic story of profound religi
ous animosities promoted and ex-
poited by leaders in their battles for
the control of nations and by sover
eigns and their ministers in their
struggles for imperial domination,”
Bishop Walsh said. “But before this
Altar of thanksgiving, it is titting
and proper that we should repudiate
the false judgments of partisan his
tory and to recognize the profound
devotion to Jesus Christ and His
Church, the fierce and burning zeal
to spread their Holy Catholic Faith
among the Indians, that animated
Don Pedro Menendez of Aviles and
his hardy followers. It is the place
and the occasion to recall that our
first city was founded out of a de
sire, not to exterminate Indians and
fake their lands for exploitation, but
to bring the light of the Gospel of
Our Lord Jesus Christ to them.
“Lowery in his book ‘The Spanish
Settlements in the United States'
speaks of the ‘brave, devoted, and
self-sacrificing warriers, whose wea
pons were the gospels of peace, and
whose greed was for the souls of
the conquered that they might be
stow upon them the only treasure of
which they were possessed the gift
of eternal salvation.’
“Lowery cites further the Pope’s
command to Ferdinand and Isabella
to send ‘virtuous and learned men
to all their lands and islands to in
struct the inhabitants in the Catho
lic Faith and good morals with all
possible diligence.' It was in rea
lization of the meaning of this com
mand that Don Pedro Menendez, in
offering himself to His Majesty, the
king, to explore the Florida coast
for ‘God’s service,’ reminded him
that His Majesty was ‘bound in con
science to plant the Gospel in that
land that had never seen the light
of Our Lord Jesus Christ.’
“The original list of conditions he
submitted to the king provided for
taking twelve friars, twelve cate
chists to assist the priests in teach
ing the Indians, and four Fathers of
the Society of Jesus. Because of
delays and misunderstandings in
the face of the need of haste to cir
cumvent the plans of the French in
truders. he seemed to have embark
ed with only seven priests.
“When Admiral Arciniega arrived
at St. Augustine on June 28, 1566,
with 17 ships, 1,500 men. besides
sailors and plentiful supplies, but
only four priests, due to misunder
standings and mistakes in Spain,
Don Menendez wrote to Father
Avellaneda, the Jesuit Provincial in
Andalusia: ‘On the one hand, I was
supremely 'comforted to see how the
King had succored us. and on the
other I was grieved and disappointed
that no Fathers of the Society and
no learned Religious had come; for,
keeping before me the many chiefs
who are my friends and the good
understanding and sound judgment
of the natives of these provinces, and
the great longing they have to be
Christians and to know the law of
Our Lord Jesus Christ, six learned
Religious will accomplish more in a
month than many thousands of men
will in many years; for we ourseives
are sadly in need of their instruc
tions. To think of establishing the
Holy Gospel in this country with
troops is only to waste time’.
INSTRUCTED NATIVES
“Yet such was his zeal for the
Faith, in spite of the lack of under
standing cooperation from home, that
he and the officers and soldiers he
selected instructed the natives as
well as they could and on every oc
casion. When Don Aviles embarked
for the North to establish a fort at
Santa Elena in what is now South
Carolina, he stopped at St. Cathe
rine’s Island in Georgia and made
friends with the Indians and pro
ceeded to instruct them in Christian
doctrine. He reconciled the chiefs
of that section with the Ca'cique of
the Carolina tribes who had long
been at war with them, telling them
of the Kingdom of Christ. After
building a fort at Santa Elena, with
the aid of his new-made Indian
friends, he left chosen soldiers with
the Indian chiefs to instruct their
people in the faith.
“Where in the annals of North
American explorations can one find
such a story as that of Captain Juan
Pardo? The founding Governor sent
him with 150 men to explore the in
terior and to follow the march to de
Soto—to open a line from St, Helena
to Zocatecas on the gulf and ‘to
spread the gospel among the
heathen.’ Up the Savannah River
and across to the Congaree and
along tire Upper Broad, he preach
ed earnestly the Kingdom of Christ
to great gatherings of fierce war
riors. And before the large crosses
he erected, he swore them to Chris
tian allegiance. At Yadkin on the
Wateree he left his chaplgin and four*
soldiers at the earnest request of 30
chieftains for Christian teachers, and
built for them the first chapel in
what is now North Carolina. After
a short interruption to return to
Santa Elena, he resumed his ex
plorations into Georgia and Tennes
see and back through the mountains
in North Carolina down to Santa
Elena. Everywhere by his exemp
lary conduct and earnest teaching,
he prepared the natives for the re
ception of Christianity, and he left
chosen soldiers to instruct them
further in the faith.
“One wishes that we had time .to
tell the full story of these beginnings
of the great founder’s persistent ef
forts to obtain ‘learned Religious’
from Spam to spread the gospel, as
, persistent as his efforts to obtain for
his. heroic struggle to extend the
power of his royal master; to tell of
his apostolic labor in the field, and
the employment of his great genius
to establish the Kingdom of God
among the Indians; to tell of the
vicissitudes of triumph and failure
until his recall to be made Gover
nor of Cuba and then Captain-Gen
eral of the Fleets, once more to save
Spanisn power on the seas, and to an
untimely death on the eve of this
great undertaking. In his last letter
he wrote these words: ‘After the
salvation of my soul, there is noth
ing I desire more than to be in Flor
ida and there end my days saving
souls.’
GLORIOUS MARTYRDOMS
“One v/ishes there was time to re
count the story of the sons of St.
Dominic, and the sons of St. Ig
natius, and the sons of St. Francis,
their glorious martyrdoms and their
fruitful labors; to tell of the found
ing and growth of 44 mission set
tlements of more than thirty thou
sand Christian Indians from Port
Royal to Pensecola, and from the
Florida Keys to Georgia’s red hills.
It is a story comparable to the most
glorious in the annuals of Chris
tianity.
“We must recall the tragic story
of the ruthless destruction wrought
by Governor Moore of South Caro
lina. who descended with savage
Indian allies to burn out and slaugh
ter the Christian Indians. He con
tinued his plunder and burning up
to the very guns of Fort San Marco.
Again two years later, in 1704, the
ruthless Moore completed the ruin
of helpless Indian missions. He kill
ed every one of the Franciscan
Fathers in 22 Appalachee missions
and burned every church and school.
His men burned at the stake every
one of the heroic bend of Indians
who fought until their scant supply
of ammunition gave out, and he
burned the Fathers who stood with
them to the end. And he carried off
600 Christian Indians to be sold in
Carolina slave markets.
“This city stands as an ancient
witness not only to the indomitable
courage and unique genius of her
founder and the great bravery and
astounding endurance of her first
settlers. But it remains to testify
to the profound Catholic faith and
heroic zeal for its propagation cn the
part of Don Pedro Menendez de
Aviles and his devoted companions
and their successors in great perils
and arduous labors. It is to millions
of Americans the guardian of their
most inspiring traditions, the cradle
of their faith in the land we love,
and the first shrine in our country of
the altar of God before which they
adore. ’ •
THREE OF THE SEVEN Victoria
Crosses so far awarded during this
war were won by Catholics, it is
known with the disclosure that Lead
ing Seaman Jack Mantle, who was
given the cross posthumously, was a
Catholic- " s
Papal Delegate
Urges Faithful to
Aid Confraternity
Archbishop Cicognani Says
Teacher of Christian Doc
trine Has Glorious Role
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
LOS ANGELES. — An exhortation
to Catholics, young or old, men or-
women,” to join in or intensify their
co-operation with the work of the
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
was delivered by His Excellency the
Most Rev. Almeto Giovanni Cico
gnani, Apostolic Delegate to the
United States, here October 14.
Addressing the Sixth National
Congress of the Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine, the Apostolic Del
egate said everywhere,, alas, there
are large numbers alienated from re
ligion and for whom Christian truth
and principles of conduct have be
come obscured.” “The consequences
of such a condition are quite disas
trous, and indeed fatal,” he added.
“Take away Christ from man, or
bring up a child or a youth without
the knowledge of the law of God and
of Christian truths and virtues and
you may be sure that something else
will fill that void in his soul in the
form of error, false principles or even
superstition,” Archbishop Cicognani
said.
ASKS CO-OPERATION
Calling upon priests, religious and
laywomen—“and all who have al
ready experienced or at least appre
ciated how rich and abundant is the"
harvest of the love of neighbor
through co-operating in the ministry
of the priesthood”—to examine the
tremendous problems habitually pres
ent in their sphere. Ar-hbi-t—><>
Cicognani urged that Catholics “de
votedly. therefore, and to the ''t.m-st
of your ability co-operate with the
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
K. of C. Head Urges
Day of Prayer for Peace ! *
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW HAVEN, Conn—Knights of
Columbus throughout the nation are
asked to join in observance of Armis
tice Day with Christian prayers for
peace by Supreme Knight Francis P.
Matthews in a communication to
chaplains, grand knights and state
deputies. A similar program was held
last year.
Mr. Matthews asks that Councils
arrange for a public prayer for Peace
in the form of Masses, Holy Hours,
Vespers, or Field Services.
W. D. WRIGHT MRS. FAY. W. CATES
President Vice-President
Wright-Scruggs Shoe Company
SHOES AND HOSIERY
SPARTANBURG, S. C.