The bulletin (Augusta, Ga.) 1920-1957, June 26, 1943, Image 10

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

TEN THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC L AYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA JUNE 26, 1943 THE BULLETIN The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, Incorporated. HUGH KINCHLEY. Editor 216-217 Southern Finance Building, Augusta, Ga ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOK 1942-1943 BERNARD J. KANE, Atlanta President MARTIN J. CALLAGHAN. Macon, 1st Vice-Pres. J. B. McCALLUM, Atlanta Secretary HUGH GRADY. Savannah Treasurer HUGH KINCHLEY, Augusta. Executive Secretary MISS CECILE FERRY, Augusta, Asst. Exec. Secty. A. M. McAULIFFE. Augusta Auditor Vol. XXIV June 26, 1943 No. 6 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 Sept. 1. 1921. Member of N. C W. C. News Service the Catholic Press Association of the United States, the Georgia Press Asso- ciation 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 Rev- erend Abbot Ordinary of Belmont. Worthy of Distinction I T IS difficulty to conceive of any honor to any Catholic of Georgia that would bring more uni versal pleasure than the distinction accorded Martin J. Callaghan, of Macon, upon whom His Holi ness Pope Pius XII has graciously bestowed the Papal Medal “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice.” Papal favors are not conferred lightly. Those whom the Sovereign Pontiff would single out for honors must be outstanding in their devotion to the Church. Their loyalty to Christ and His Church must be unquestioned. Their good tVorks must be an ex pression of their profound Catholic Faith and di rected toward the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Martin Joseph Callaghan’s fruitful devotion to the Church, has gone far beyond his own spiritu al needs. By word of example he has sought to bring many others, in the course of his life, to know and love the Church, of which he has been an obedient son. The piety of his personal life, the simplicity of his fervent faith, the intensity of his love for Christ and His Church, have won for Mr. Callaghan the highest respect and esteem of all who have known him. When the Catholic Church and Catholic doctrines and practices were being slandered and belittled in Georgia, a quarter of a century ago, Mr. Callaghan was one of the first to come to the defense of the Faith which he cherished more than life itself. He was one of that group of courageous laymen who met in Macon in 1916 to form the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia. He has ever held an active interest in the organization, accepting without com plaint financial losses that came to him because of bis outspoken championship of religious truth. Today, Mr. Callaghan holds the office of vice president of the Laymen’s Association, while also serving as president of the local branch of the As sociation in his home city. He has set an example of Catholic Action by the dissemination of Catholic literature. He has shown a Christlike love for the poor by a lifelong participa tion in the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He has been an active promoter of the laymen’s Retreat movement, and year after year has brought large contingents of men to the annual Retreats. He attended the first Retreat, held at St. Stanislaus Col lege in Macon in 1920, and has missed attending only one Retreat since that time. The cause of his ab sence on that occasion being the conflict of the dates of the Retreat with the day upon which one of his daughters was to make her solemn profession as a Dominican nun. Mr. Callaghan has given two daughters to Reli gion, the strongest proof of the intensely Catholic atmosphere of the household of which he was the head. He was an organizer, and a charter member, of Macon Council, Knights of Columbus, in 1904. Since that time he has been a faithful member, and has filled, among other offices, those of warden, treas urer, trustee and grand knight, which last office is now held by his son, Martin J. Callaghan, Jr. For many years he has been a- daily attendant at Mass, and a daily communicant. Those who know Mr. Callaghan best will agree, perhaps, that his greatest virtue is humility. His service to the Church has been wholly unselfish, he has always shunned prominence as an individual, and has ever subordinated his own interests to the welfare of the Church and the honor and glory of God. Mr. Callaghan’s reputation as a sterling Catholic layman is not confined to Macon alone, but has spread throughout all of Georgia, where he has become known and beloved by those with whom he had been associated in connection with activities of the Laymen’s Association and the Knights of Co lumbus. It is not surprising, therefore, that from one end Of the Diocese ol Savannah-Atlanta to the other, there is rejoicing that Martin Callaghan’s long life of constant fidelity to the Church, his daily aposto lic zeal on behalf of religion and charity, his singu larly exemplary life, the prestige that he has given to the Church in his home city, have been reward ed, deservedly, by the Holy Father, in the form of a Papal medal. May Martin Callaghan be spared for many years to wear, with distinction as he will, the decoration that is a testimonial to a fruitful Christian life. Catliolic Effort Against Anti-Semitism A N EDITORIAL, which appeared a few weeks ago in one of the leading newspapers of Geor gia, praised the Catholic Bishops in Germany for their protest against the brutal measures which the Nazis have adopted in the countries which they have conquered and within the Reich itself. The writer of- the editorial expressed hope that around men of decency and courage who still exist in Germany some nucleus of civilization may be restored, but concluded with these words: “The hope would be even higher if the bishops had con demned the persecution of the Poles and Jews and all persons cruelly and unjustly treated, regardless of religious faith or church affiliation.” Very graciously, the editor of the newspaper pub lished a letter from the executive secretary of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, which set forth that the failure of the German Bishops to include a general condemnation of the Nazi program of religious and racial persecution in their discus sion of a particular phase of that program should not lessen any hope that might be held for the restoration of some nucleus of civilization in Ger many, as the omission in this instance of any con demnation of the treatment accorded the Jews by the Nazi, was no indication that the German Bishops approved of such treatment. Because of its revelancy to the subject of the edi torial mentioned and so in line with the reply that was made to that editorial, it seems well to give the readers of The Bulletin the benefit of the report of the N. C. W. C. News Service on a speech which was delivered some days ago on the floor of the United States Senate by Senator James M. Mead, of New York, in which the Senator lauded the par ticipation of the Jews in this war and in every other war in the history of this nation, and called atten tion to the efforts of the Catholic Church to put down anti-Semitism and to wipe out Jewish perse cutions. * Dixie Musings His Excellency the Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, Bishop of Sa vannah-Atlanta, recently confirm ed a class, all of whom were adults, at the Sacred Heart Church in Milledgeville. The congregation at tending the ceremony was com posed largely of members of the WAVE, SPAR, and women of the U. S. Marine Corps who are in training at the Georgia State Col lege for Women in Milledgeville. Bishop O’Hara in his sermon be fore administering Confirmation, stated that on such occasions it was customary for the officiating Bishop to question the children composing a Confirmation class to determine whether or not they had been properly instructed in their religion in preparation for the reception of the sacrament. Since there were no children in the class to whom Bishop O’Hara might address his questions, he asked them instead of the young women present who represented the various branches of our coun try’s Naval forces, and later ex pressed his great gratification and satisfaction at the splendid know ledge of their Faith that the WAVEs, SPARs and women Ma rines demonstrated that they pos sessed. After recounting what steps had been taken by other religious organizations toward these objec tives, Senator Mead said: “The Roman Catholic Church in this country has likewise made countless utterances against the per- I returned to the church and upon secution of Christians and Jews by the Nazis. In entering noticed three soldiers in doing so it is following the fundamental teachings I the Baptistry. Greeting the service of the Catholic Church. The late Pope Pius XI men - Bishop, O’Hara was informed On the day^previous to his ad ministering the Sacrament of Con firmation in Milledgeville, Bishop O’Hara had confirmed a class at'St. Joseph’s Church in Macon. Later in the day, seeking a place where he could read his breviary without being distracted, His Excellency M ORGAN BLAKE, in The Atlanta Journal, dis cussing Ihe proposal that the Bible be taught in the public schools of Atlanta, declared that “Perhaps the best way would be for the larger Pro testant denominations to have their own grammar schools and high schools in which the Bible be taught, in addition to the Protestant colleges, where it is taught. But that would require a lot of money, which the denominations haven’t got.” Catholics, while paying taxes to support the public schools, continue to maintain their own grade and high schools, as well as colleges and universities, even if it does require a-lot of money. started in 1938: “ ‘Abraham was called our patriarch, our ancestor. Anti-Semitism is not compatible with the sublime reality of this text: it is a movement which we Christians cannot share—no, it is not possible for Christians to take part in anti-Semitism. Spiritually we are all Semites.’ “Let me repeat that last sentence of the Pope. ‘Spiritually, we are all Semites.’ To sanction anti- Semitism, my friends, is to destroy our spiritual selves. “The Roman Catholic - Hierarchy of the United States, in an important pronouncement made last November, stated: ‘We feel a deep sense of revul sion against the cruel indignities heaped upon the Jews in conquered countries and upon defenseless peoples not of our faith. “ ‘We raise our voices in protest against despotii tyrants who have lost all sense of humanity by con demning thousands of innocent persons to death in subjugated countries as acts of reprisal, by placing other thousands of innocent victims in concentration camps, and by permitting unnumbered persons to die of starvation’.” « Asserting that Christians and Jews are in the war together, Senator Mead continued: “In Hitler’s own country the Christian leaders are lined up against him. The great Archbishop of Munich, Cardinal Faulhaber, not only denounced the treatment of the Jews, but worked with the Chief Rabbi of Bavaria to save valuable objects from the Munich, synagogue when the Nazis tore it down in October of 1938. He stored these Holy Jewish objects in his own quarters to preserve them from Nazi violence. “When Nazi posters were displayed in Munich, saying ‘Away with Faulhaber, the friend of the Jews,’ what was the answer of Cardinal Faulhaber? “He said: ‘You can see in this town of Munich the destruction which blind racial hatred has caus ed. We Christians must love every race as Christian love and charity are fundamental commandments of Our Lord Jesus Christ.’ “Though his dwelling was attacked by Nazi mobs, ihe great Cardinal remained firm in his determi nation to uphold the God-given rights of all persons. “Conrad Count von Preysing, the Roman Catho lic Bishop of Berlin, is another German churchman who has dared to tell the Nazis that they commit wrong. In a pastoral letter last December, which I had the privilege of reading before this body, Bishop von Preysing condemned Nazi theories as being contrary to ‘the absolute sovereign power of God.’ “The Bishop of Munster, August Count von Galen, told his congregation in March that the German de feat at Stalingrad was a punishment for the Nazi persecution of peoples in occupied countries and especially of the Jew. “Here is what all the Catholic Bishops in Germany told the Nazis in a pastoral letter this spring: “ ‘Before the authorities we stand up for religious and clerical rights, but likewise for the human rights bestowed by God on mankind’.” Senator Mead related how His Eminence Pierre Cardinal Gerlier, Archbishop of Lyon, in France, told Catholics it was their duty not to surrender Jewish children, whom they were hiding, to the Nazi. He continued: “Only last February a high-ranking Nazi official summoned Cardinal Gerlier to him and demanded that the Fftmch clergy cease their opposition to Nazi anti-Jewish measures. Cardinal Gerlier told the German commandant that the French clergy was responsible not to the Germans but to the com mands of the Pope. Then the French Cardinal re minded this Nazi official: “ ‘Doubless Your Excellency knows that the Holy Father has condemned the anti-Jewish laws and measures against the Jews’.” Senator Mead recalled that in Belgium, although arrests and executions have resulted from-defiance of the Nazis, Belgians still are being instructed by their clergy to pray every day for the persecuted and tortured Jews. He also told of the efforts being waged by. the Catholic and Protestant Churches alike In Holland to aid the Jews. by one of them that he was show ing his friends where he had been baptized the week before, adding that he had expected to have been confirmed that day, but due to the absence of the Catholic chaplain of his outfit he had not been able to complete his preparatory instruc tion. The young soldier, whose home was in Virginia, expressed his dis appointment at not having been able to be confirmed as he had wished, and was delighted beyond measur^ when Bishop O’Hara made himself known and told the young man that he could receive the Sacrament of Confirmation within the next few minutes. Father Harold Gaudin, of the Society of Jesus, pastor of the church, was summoned from the rectory, necessary arrangements were quickly made, and Bishop O’Hara then proceeded to con firm the soldier of the United States as a soldier of Christ. Paul D. Williams, of Richmond, Virginia, was one of those who took the lead in the organization of the Catholic Committee of the South, and as its Executive Secretary, was largely responsible for the pro gress that the Committee made since it was formed at a meeting in Atlanta three years ago. At the recent annual meeting of the C. C. S., held in Biloxi, Mr. Williams found it necessary to re tire from the office which he held with distinction. Giving generously of his time and his ability, Paul Williams lias rendered splendid service to the Church and to the South, and his contribution toward furthering the program of the C. C. S., has earned him the grateful appreciation of all those who are interested in the attainment of the aims for which the C. C. S., was established. In selecting Father Thomas E. O’Connell, of Richmond, to be chairman of the Catholic Commit tee of the South, the meeting at Biloxi made a wise and splendid choice. The meeting in Richmond last year was one of the most out standing in the history of the C. C. S., and a great share of the credit for its success is due to Father O'Connell. As far as the editor of The Bul letin is concerned, one of the most pleasant recollections of the trip to Toledo to attend the convention of the Catholic Press Association was the stop-over in Dayton on the return journey, and the opportuni ty which it gave to visit the Uni versity of Dayton, and enjoy a de licious dinner as the guest of Brother Thomas Price, S. M.. a member of the faculty, and in the company of Father John P. Kenny, a young Dominican priest, also a teacher at the University. Brother Price, whose home was formerly in Augusta, where his brother, J. P. Price is the present grand knight 1 of Patrick Walsh Council, Knights of Columbus, per sonally conducted the editor of The Bulletin, and his Dayton relatives through the University, a tour of inspection in which one of the highlights was a visit to the Home Economics department which is a charge of Sister Raphael, of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, who was one of the nuns who attend the University of Geor gia several years ago for post graduate study. The two altar boys who assisted the Most Rev. Charles F. Buddy, Bishop of San Diego, at the Sol emn Military Memorial Mass of fered recently at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, San Diego, California, are the grandsons of one of Am erica’s outstanding Catholic naval heroes of World War I. The altar boys are Richard and Frederick Benson. They are the grandsons of the late Rear Admir al William S. Benson, who was chief of naval operations during World War I, and who was a for mer president of the National Council of Catholic Men. The boys’ father is Captain F. W. Ben son, U. S. Navy. Admiral Benson, long regarded as one of Georgia’s most distingu ished sons, was a native of Macon, and one of the leading Catholic laymen of the United States. Tak ing an active interest in the work of the Catholic Laymen’s Associa tion of Georgia, for a number of years prior to his death, he held the office of Honorary Vice-Presi dent. Survivors from the illuminated hospital ship “Centaur,” which was torpedoed by a Japanese subma rine off the Australian coast, in cluded Eleanor Savage, a Catho lic, sole survivor among 12 nurses who were in the party that drifted 36 hours offshore on a raft. While the raft drifted, the Cath olic nurse led the survivors in the recitation of the Rosary, and she also invoked the intercession of the Little Flower of Jesus and St. Christopher. When they were fin ally sighted by an airplane, all the survivors joined with the Catho lic nurse in the recitation of pray ers of thanksgiving. Several non- Catholics who were on the raft are now receiving instructions in the Catholic faith. Following the widely publicized recommendation of the Rev. Rob ert Brennan, O. S. B., of Savannah, made at the time of the annual convention of the Savannah-Atlan ta Diocesan Council of the Nation al Council of Catholic Women, held in Atlanta last month, that there should be a resident chaplain at Tattnall Prison in Reidsville. Georgia, there now comes the an nouncement from the State Board of Prisons of the appointment of the Rev. C. P. Watson, a Baptist minister of Blackshear, as a full time chaplain at the prison in Tattnall, while ministers of other religious groups would have access to the prison at all times. From Chaplain Harold Barr, “somewhere” in the Pacific war area, comes a V-Mail letter dated June 2, Father Barr writes that he had no idea when he was or dained to the priesthood in 1924 that he would spent the nineteenth anniversary of his ordination on the other side of the w*rld from Georgia. ___ . Friends of Patrick McCahill, a member of- the Sacred Heart par ish in Augusta, feel that he is de serving of a Carnegie Medal for the heroism, daring and presence of mind he displayed recently when effecting the rescue of a young girl and her foster-father who were struggling in the swift waters of the canal after falling through the floor of the Hawk’s Gully bridge on Broad Street in this city. Miss Mary Flannery O'Connor, who has just completed her fresh man year at the Georgia State College for Women, in Milledge ville, is fast making a name for herself as a cartoonist. The young artist, doesn’t remember when she wasn’t writing and illustrating hu morous verse. Seventeen years old, she is the daughter of Mrs. Regina Cline O'Connor, of Mil ledgeville, and the late Edward F. O'Connor, Jr., at one time state commander of the American Legion in Georgia. From what can be made out of the new Income Tax Act adopted by Congress, those who are not subject to the 20 percent withhold ing tax, will have to file a return on September 15, estimating their income for the calendar year, end ing December 31. It would seem that business men will now not only be obliged to hire certified public accountants and tax experts to assist them in preparing their income tax re turns, but. will also have to enlist the services of fortune tellers. H. K_