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SIXTEEN
l'HE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
JUNE 2G, 1943
Knights of Columbus in Macon
Pioneers in War Activity
(Special to The Bulletin) •
MACON, Ga.—Coincident with
the second anniversary of the
opening of the Catholic Club as
a recreational center for soldiers
stationed in the Macon area,
various organizations of St. Jos
eph's parish and other Catholic
groups prepared reports review
ing their activity in this field of
war activity.
One such report was submit
ted for Macon Council, No. 925,
Knights of Columbus/ by Fran
cis T. Cassidy, grand knight, and
that report, omitting recommen
dations is such a splendid record
that it is printed here.
When the national crisis carneon
1940 Macon Knights of Columbus
anticipated that again the Order
would have the privilege and re
sponsibility of caring for the recre
ational needs of service men. look
ed forward to an active participa
tion in caring for the soldiers at
nearby army camps. The parish of
St. Joseph's already had in uni
form and under arms three men in
the navy and twelve in the fedeial-
ized National Guard. We wc-re
aware that additional men and
women would be inducted, enlisted
or commissioned as time went on.
All were determined to keep spir
its and efforts at a level second to
none.
Charles LeHardy Adams, Sr-,
was our Grand Knight. Members
of the council wrote to the su
preme knight, supreme advocate
and supreme secretary, giving no
tice of our desire to serve as a
useful link of a mighty chain
binding our efforts and our pray
ers into a cohesive organization
for the common good.
•We were informed that the
Knights of Columbus would not
lead the way and the work as it had
in the soul-stirring days of 1917-
F918. It appeared that each coun
ted and each parish should be self-
integrated and have no responsibil
ity to any other. Assistance, finan
cial or otherwise was not to be
available from the Supreme
Council. We were assured that
our record of achievements in the
previous war, and the continued
presence in our midst of several
who had rendered valiant service
at the previous time, offered suf
ficient guarantee that the work of
Macon Council No. 925 would
again be outstanding and properly
appreciated.
Accordingly, the Knights cf Co
lumbus subordinated their corpo
rate identity to whatever organiza
tion might later be chosen to give
expression to the aims and aspira
tions of the congregation at large.
Our pastor and chaplain, the
Rev- Peter McDonnell, S. J.. called
a meeting of parish members at
the Catholic Club House for the
nigh: of Wednesday, February 12,
1941. A number of leading mem
bers of the parish accepted the
invitation. Wililam H. Mitchell, a
past state deputy of Georgia and
past grand knight of our council,
was chosen chairman of the meet
ing. A general discussion was had,
alt pledged cooperation to the ex
tent of ability, and consented to
serve in whatever capacity might
be assigned. The body voted to
conduct its activities under the
name "The Catholic Club.” Inclu
sive of the entire parish. Various
persons offered suggestions: Fast
Grand Knight John J. McCreary
proposed that each soldier visiting
the club be requested to register
and give the name and address of
the nearest of kin or closest friend,
to whom the club would send a
message of greeting, good cheer
and assurances of a welcome of the
soldier. This proposal was adopted
and made a part of the club's pro
gram.
The following Sunday, the first
draft of soldiers having arrived at
Camp Wheeler, the club was open
all day. Committees of men and
women were on duty to welcome
the visitors then and on success
ive weefeends- Of the 32 men and
44 women receiving and discharg
ing duty assignments on tile va
rious committees, 20 men were
knights and 29 women were wives,
mothers, sisters or daughters of
members of the Order. This pro
portion of workers has been main
tained until this date.
Early in the Spring (1941) w-e
participated in the city-wide pro
gram of carrying the soldiers on a
tour of the peach orchards then in
full bloom. Nine-tenths of the sol
diers were from New England,
some from the boundary of Can
ada; the pink peach blossoms en
tranced and enchanted them.
Dances were held on Saturday
nights at the Club House and open
house entertainment offered all
day Sunday and Sunday evening.
Letters from the “nearest rela
tives and closest friends” were be
ing received; experssions of appre-
j ciation. praise and commendation
came in encouraging and gratify
ing ntffnbers. Other recreational
groups, at first locally and later
nationally, adopted the Catholic
Club’s notification program.
It was soon realized that the
Catholic Club House was not
nearly spacious enough to accom
modate the crowds. Floor space
was not sufficient to enable a rea
sonable number to dance. St. Jos
eph's Hall, in the church basement,
would admirably serve our needs:
Father McDonnell applied to our
Most Reverend Bishop for permis
sion to use it for entertainments
and dances, and the desired per
mission was readily and theerlully
granted “for the duration, plus six
months.” To make the necessary
repairs mid install needed equip
ment, including the replacii^J of
the wooden floor with a durable
concrete foundation and cement
surface- Father McDonnell - re
quested and obtained authority to
expend 53,000 of church money.
All this was completed by about
April. 1941. and St. Joseph’s Halt
became the scene and center of the
Catholic Club's activities. . —
Meanwhile, the Council contin
ued to hold its semi-monthly meet
ings and welcomed the soldier-
knights who visited us. All these
visitors expxessed sincere appre
ciation of the cordiality of the re
ception accorded them by the peo
ple of our community. Quaint
ideas about Southern people, im
planted in childhood, began to un
dergo changes to our advantage.
Soldiers began to vie with one an
other in acquiring our pronuncia
tion and colloquialisms; “you all”
became part of many vocabularies.
The three degrees were confer
red July 13. 1941, upon a class of
candidates from the“ councils in
the Second Georgia District (At
lanta, Columbus and Macon) of
whom a majority were soldiers in
cluding four of this council's four
teen candidates, one being an army
chaplain.
During Christinas w'eek of 1941
the Council sponsored a bingo par
ty for soldiers and for civilian men
of the parish providing prizes for
players and refreshments for
members and guests-
Members of the Council have
adopted “pen-pals” among the sol
diers and are waiting letters to
them. Reply letters from soldiers
in distant camps, some from the
other side of the globe, are read at
council meetings.
We assisted the Rev. Cajetan R.
Sullivar. C. P.. chaplain at Camp
Wheeler, and Henry J. Laker, a
newly initiated soldier, in the
sponsoring of a mammoth Holy
Name demonstration on Sunday,
September 14, 1941, in which 700
officers'and men attended a pon
tifical low Mass, received Holy
Communion, made the first parade
of soldiers after the arrival of
troops at Camp Wheeler, and were
reviewed by Bishop O’Hara, Gen.
John H. Hester, commanding gen
eral at the camp, - and enjoyed a
communion breakfast at Hotel
Dempsey. We properly publicized
the event, awarded a distinguished
.service citation to Brother Laker,
and reported the facts to the Su
preme Office.
Priests from St. Joseph’s cared
for the spiritual needs of soldiers
at Cochran Flying Field, Herbert
Smart Airport and Warner Robins
Army Air Depot until military
chaplains of our faith were assign
ed to duty there- Members ot our
council brought to the attention of
the Military Ordinariate the need
for military chaplains and believe
that their influence was partially
responsible for the furnishing of
these needed chaplains.
Members of the council dissem
inate information to the soldiers
about local civic activities and co
operate with the several military
chaplains in their own activities.
Two Tield Classes have been of
fered at Camp Wheeler (the most
recent having been on Easter Sun
day. 1943) and one at Cochran
Field is being planned by the Rev.
John T. Higgins, chaplain there. In
all of these enterprises the Knights
afforded a full measure of cooper
ation.
Plans for corporate communions
and communion breakfasts exclu
sively for soldiers are now being
made, it being contemplated that
each of the camps and fields will
perhaps be extended separate in
vitations.
Exemption from payment of
dues and usual and ordinary per
capita taxes have been voted mem
bers of our council in military or
naval service. The number bene-
fitted, including a few not yet re
ported to Supreme Council, is po
tentially 19. An Honor Roll is in
preparation and a service flag will
Mount de Sales Academy
* •
< s
Mount de Sales Academy, Macon. Georgia, has been conducted
by the Sisters of Mercy, who first came to Macon in 1871. In addition
to conducting Mount de Sales Academy, the Sisters of Mercy also
teach at St. Joseph’s Parochial School, in Macon.
be mounted when the correct num
ber is determined.
Our Council’s War Activities
Historian is compiling the records,
.both personal and service, of the
115 or more members of St. Jos
eph's parish, prepared the Parish
Honor Roll, and- keeps it in cur
rent standing.
Since January, 1943. the Coun
cil promotes a series of Apprecia
tion Programs honoring active
members of the council- When the
subject of the eulogy is a soldier
not present at the meeting, phono
graph records of the tribute are
made and forwarded to the mem
ber’s family.
THE USO-NCCS
Let it not be assumed that
throughout this time these activi
ties were entirely without outside
financial aid even thougli the
Knights of Columbus was not priv
ileged to function in the same ca
pacity in which it served during
World War I. The Archbishops and
and Bishops of the Catholic
Church in the United States at
their 1940 General Meeting desig
nated the National Catholic Com
munity Service as the official
Catholic agency to meet the spir
itual and recreational needs grow
ing cut of the then rapidly expand
ing military and industrial mobili
zation foe national defense. Su
preme Knight Francis P. Mathews
became chairman of the NCCS Ex
ecutive Committee and Supreme
Advocate I.uke E. Hart was a com
mittee member. The knights loyal
ly followed the example of their
leaders.
The NCCS was affiliated with
the YMCA, YWCA. JWB, TA and
SA, alt composing the United Ser
vice Organizations. Effective as of
June 1, 1941. or threabouts, the ac
tivities and facilities of the Catho
lic Club were taken over by the
USO operated by the NCCS Club
of Macon. W. H. Mitchell was re
tained in charge as director, and
assistants later added were Mrs-
Edna Hutlmance Sheridan and
Frank L. McDonough, of this
council. Volunteer workers from
the parish, and indeed from the
city at large, continued to assist
the staff. Most, of the men giving
spare time to the cause were ac
tive and valued members of our
council, and many of the ladies as
sisting were the knights’ wives,
mothers, sisters and daughters.
The previous' wartime slogan of
“Everybody Welcome—Everything
Free 1 ’ was supplanted by “Your
Home Away From Home.”
Individuals may have honest dif
ferences of opinion as to the ex
tent of credit which the Knights of
Columbus may properly claim to
the results, to the friends who
have been made, to the homes
which have been cheered, to the
hearts wiiich have been lifted and
the bodies which have been nour
ished. Without solicitation on our
part, and strictly as a routine • re
port. as we understand it, an ac
knowledgment of the assistance of
the Knights of Columbus was
written by the staff of the USO
operated by the NCCS and fer-
w'arded to its headquarters on
April 24, 1943, from which we are
privileged to quote;
“Prior to operation of the club
by USO-NCCS the Knights of Co
lumbus of Mat-on. as a council,
were instrumental in organizing
the Catholic Club for service men.
with Rev. Peter McDonnell and
members of the clergy of St. Jos
eph’s Parish, the Knights of Co
lumbus jointly operated the club
under the direction of Mr. W. H-
Mitchell, the present director. The
Knights of Columbus, at all times,
has been fully cooperative- In ad
dition to actual events in which the
council has participated there has
been a comforting feeling in know
ing that, at any time, the Macon
Council stands ready beside USO
and NCCS in providing comfort,
relief and recreation for those in
the armed services and war
workers alike.
“The Council Grand Knight. F.
T. Cassidy, officers and members
are on record to this effect and
have substantiated this readiness
by action on all occasions.
“Grand Knight F. T. Cassidy has
acted as chairman of the, manage
ment committee.
“Every committee on club ac
tivities lias one or more members
of Macon Council 925.
“The Council rooms are avail
able at all times, when not used by
K. of C. for USO activities.
“Outstanding as events was a se
ries of open meeting held at the
club during the annual convention
of the Georgia Catholic Laymen’s
Association. Duri ffg the conven
tion. His Excellency, Bishop Gerald
P- O’Hara of Savannah-Atlanta
Diocese, addressed the largest as
sembly of service men and civil
ians at the club, in its history to
date.
“The club in joint sponsorship
with Knights of Columbus arrang
ed a series of radio broadcasts
over Macon radio stations and also
lectures before Lions, Civitan and
Kiwanis clubs, at open meetings. A
capacity audience of service men
and war workers were in attend
ance at another lecture in the club.
All of these broadcasts and lec
tures were made by Father Victor
J. Dossogne, S. J., Loyola Universi
ty of the South, a former chap
lain in the Belgian armed forces.
“Jointly sponsored. Macon
Council 925 K. of C., held an open
reception and entertainment for
all service men at the club.
“Each year, during Lenten pe
riod. Easter time. Christmas and
New year seasons. K. of C. coopera
tion in all activities has been
greatly appreciated-
“Numbers of the K. of C. have
joined with us continually in aid
ing Chaplains in their many spe
cial preparations for services in
Army chapels during periods of
special devotion.
“Knights of Columbus and their
families have assisted with us at
Field Masses for the armed forces.
“Relation of actual events dees
not fully portray the measure of
assistance rendered by the local
Knights of Columbus. The Council
and members are always on hand,
ready and useful, to further the
interests and benefits accomplish
ed by USO-NCCS action. They are
always accomplishing deeds signif
icant of the work in which wc are
engaged.
“William H. Mitchell, director of
this club, is Past Grand Knight of
Macon Council 925 and has been
honored by the council in every
.possible way. The Knights of Co
lumbus Chamber in Macon has
been officially designated in his
honor as Mitchell Hall.
STATION WMAZ, MACON,
BROADCASTING NOTED
SACRED HEART PROGRAM
MACON, Ga. — Radio Station
WMAZ in Macon is now broad
casting regularly, Friday through
Monday of each week, the noted
Sacred Heart Program, produced
under the direction of the Rev- Eu
gene P. Murphy, S. J„ by the Jes
uit Fathers at St. Louis University,
a program that is heard daily by
millions in all parts of the United
States and Canada. The program is
heard over WMAZ from 6:30 to
6:45 a. m.
Arrangements for the presenta
tion of the Sacred Heart Program
through- the facilities of Station
WMAZ were made by the Rev.
Harold Gaudin, S. J., pastor of St.
Joseph’s Church, with the assist
ance of Mrs. Edward Sheridan
Father Gaudin is writing letters
to the pastor of every Catholic
Church in Georgia, requesting
them to call the attention of their
parisioners to the (broadcast, and
asking that those who hear the pro
gram send a card to the station ex
pressing their appreciation. All of
the announcers at Station WMAZ,
no one of whom is a Catholic, are
giving their services without
charge.
Women 9 s Division of
USO-NCCS Formally
Launched in Macon
(Special to The Bulletin)
MACON, Ga. — Formal inaugur
ation of the newly organized wo
men’s division of the National
Catholic Community Service, a
member group of the United Ser
vice Organizations, was held in the
form of an open house on June 10
at the USO-NCCS Club here.
W ith Mrs. Jack Cutler, as di
rector, a wide range of new activi
ties for women will be sponsored
by the U. C. C. S. in Macon, under
the supervision of Miss Charlotte
Ford, of Atlanta, regional director.
Mrs. Cutler has prepared a pro
gram of activity that will embrace
both practical and recreational
interests of girls and women.
Quarters of the women’s division
are being set up at the USO-NCCS
Club on New Street, with possible
expansion later as the project
glows. Activities are to include re
creation, sewing,/pressing, cooking,
with equipment and instruction,
available for the last named three.
There will also be physical Titness
classes, hobby gioups' and a club
room for the use of either indivi
duals or groups, every day and
evening.
The purpose of the plan is to
till the lacks existing in new. en
vironments, to offer new interests
and possibility of new friendship,
and to keep the girls and women so
vitally affected by the war as hap
py and efficient as possible.
William H. Mitchell, local di
rector for the USO-NCCS, stated
that the^organization of a women's
division of the NCCS here will af
ford the club greater faciity to be
of service to women working in
war production, women employed
at local Army camps as stenogra
phers, clerks and nurses, women
relatives of soldiers and defense
workers, and members of the
WAACS. WAVES, SPARS and Wo
men’s Reserve of the Marine
Corps.
Foliowing the open house, a
variety show, featuring the camp
production. “Red. White and
Khadi.” was presented under the
direction of Capt. Wayne Scriven
er.
Thf club room, which will be
open every day and evening, is
most attractive with a southeast
exposure and a bay window. The
walls are tinted cream. Cream and
peach colored J'lowered chintz cov
ers a sofa and occasional chairs
are upholstered in blue. Two
desks, back to back, placed by a
window, and a piano, contribute to
the atmosphere of comfort and re
laxation.
At the tea, which formally open
ed the club. Miss Mona McGold-
rick and Miss Chlotilde Miller
poured tea and served punch,
while Miss Barbara Richardson and
Miss Peggy MeGoldrick were in
charge of legistrations-
Mrs. Cutler plans to have a vol
unteer hostess on duty at all times.
Those who have^already offered to
serve in this capacity are Mrs.
Lawrence Bernd. Mrs. Frederick
Williams. Mrs. Louis How, and
Miss Helen Stacy.
Augusta Deanery, NCCW,
Sponsors Essay Contest
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Commit
tee on Extension of Religious Edu
cation. of the Augusta Deanery of
the National Council of Catholic
Women, recently sponsored an
essay contest in which students at
tending Catholic schools in Augus
ta participated.
T he subject of the essay was the
motion picture. “Through the
Centuries”, which was exhibited at
each of the local Catholic schools,
white and colored. Contestants
were allowed forty-five minutes af
ter the -picture had been shown to
"rite their impressions of it.
Separate prizes of $5 in War
Savings Stamps were awarded
each of the winners from the high
school and grade school groups.
In the opinion of the judges,
Mary Van Sant, of Mount St.
Joseph’s Academy, submitted the
best essay in the high school class
ification. while Marie Bolder, al
so of Mount St. Joseph's, submit
ted the best essay from the gram
mar schools.
Helen Hammond, of the high
school, and Cleo Brown, of the
grammar school, were judged win
ners at the Immaculate Conception
School which serves the colored
Catholics of Augusta.
Arrangements for the contest
were made by Miss Anita Yar
borough. Deanery chairman of the
Committee on the Extension of
Religious Education, with Miss
May Mahoney. Miss Mary Sullivan,
Miss Jane Cosgrove, and Mrs. Ed
ward Schweers assisting in con
ducting the contest. The picture
was exhibited with Christopher
Baynes as the operator.
Judges of the contest were Mrs.
Cecile Durban Fielder. Alfred M.
Battey and Hugh Kinchley.