Newspaper Page Text
FEBRUARY 19, 1944
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
NINE-
\
Monsignor Gwynn Completes
Forty-Four Years as Pastor of
St. Mary’s Church, Greenville
(Special to The Bulletin)
GREENVILLE, S. C.-The Right
Rev. Monsignor A. K. Gwynn was
recently honored by members of
his parish and other friends on the
44th anniversary of his appoint
ment as pastor of St. Mary’s
Church.
The Right Rev. Monsignor Jos
eph L. O'Brien, rector of Bishop
England High School, and pastor
of St. Patrick’s Church, Charles
ton, dellivered the sermon and
Monsignor Gwynn’s anniversary
Mass, and was the principal speak
er at the breakfast which followed.
Merrelle Meek was toastmaster,
and among those who speoke Was
Sam J. Francis, USO-NCCS di
rector from Spartanburg. Cpl. Rob
ert Haggerty sang, with Corporal
Fingal as accompanist.
Monsignor Gwynn, a native of
Baltimore, has been a resident of
the Piedmont section of South
Carolina since boyhcod, having
been reared in Spartanburg. He
was educated at Wofford College,
All Hallows’ College, Dublin, Ire
land, and Mount St. Mary’s Semi
nary, Emmitsburg, Md. He was or
dained to the priesthood by the
late Bishop Henry P. Northrop.
July 29, 1895.
After a few months as assistant
at St. Joseph’s Church, Charelston,
he was made pastor in Aiken,
and on January 12, 1900, was ap
pointed pastor of St. Mary's
Church, Greenville, where he has
remained for forty-four years to
see the parish grow from a mere
mission church to one of the most
flourishing parished in the
Diocese of Charleston.
Since Monsignor Gwynn has
been in Greenville, St. Francis
Hospital has been erected, St.
Mary’s School has been built, and
St. Mary’s Church has been re
modeled and re-decorated to be
come one of the most beautiful
religious edifices in the South.
St. Andrew’s Church, Barnwell,
Dedicated as Memorial Shrine
(Special to The Bulletin)
BARNWELL, S. C.—With the
celebration of Mass on February
6, the Church of St. Andrew the
Apostle in Barnwell was reopened
after being closed for more than
twenty years, and dedicated by
the Most Rev. Emmet M. Walsh,
D. D., Bishop of Charleston, as a
Memorial Shrine to the Catholic
who were natives of Barnwell or
who have lived here.
The services held on February
6 marked the conclusion of the
work of restoration of the church
which has been going on for sev
eral weeks. The interior and ex
terior of the building have been
completely renovated and the
grounds are now in the process of
being landscaped.
The church will now become a
charge of the Redemptorist
Fathers, and will be served from
Orangeburg, where the Very Rev.
Edwin Shearer, C. SS. R., is pas
tor.
Among the clergy who assisted
in the ceremony of dedication
were the Right Rev. Msgr. A. K.
Gwynn, of Greenville; the Very
Rev. Cornelius P. Hoffman, C.
SS. R., Vice-Provincial of the Re-
demptorists, Richmond, Va.; the
Rev. Barnard Licking, C. SS. R.,
and the Rev. James Murphy. C.
SS. R., consultors to the Vice-
Provincial; and the Rev. George
Lewis Smith, of Aiken. The ser
mon was delivered by Father
Shearer.
Music for the Mass was render
ed by the choirs of Holiy Trinity
Church, Orangeburg, and Sacred
Heart Church, Blackvilie.
For the time being. Mass will
be offered in St. Andrew’s Church
only on the fifth Sunday of such
months as have five Sundays, due
to the fact that so many of the
Redemptorist Fathers are serving
as chaplains in the armed forces.
As soon as it is possible. Mass
will be celebrated more often in
Barnwell.
St. Andrew’s Church faces
Franklin Street, a little part from
Main Street, on land deeded more
than a century ago by Michael
Maher to “John England, Bishop
of Charleston, in trust to and for
the use and benefit of the Roman
Catholic Church of South Caro
lina, and more especially for the
use and benefit of the Roman
Catholics of the Barnwell Dis
trict.’’ The church was built in
1831.
In the 1920 decade of this cen
tury, due to the fact that scarcely
one Catholic family remained in
Barnwell, the church was closed,
and since 1930, when the Redemp
torist Fathers assumed charge of
the Orangeburg Missions, Mass
was only occasionally offered here,
in the homes of the few Catholics
remaining in the vicinity.
With Catholic churches in Black-
ville and Allendale, it was felt
that these churches could be
reached by the few Catholics re
maining in Barnwell. The dis
tance, over hard-surfaced roads,
being 10 miles to Blackvilie and 19
miles to Allendale.
His Excellency, Bishop Walsh,
sensed the historic value of St.
Andrew's. Since 1831 many de
vout souls have served their God
within its walls.
Their faith and loyalty have
been so outstanding in the records
of South Carolina, that in tribute
to their memory and their deeds,
Bishop Walsh decided to make St.
Andrew’s Church in Barnwell a
Memorial Shrine, and it stands to
day a testimonial to the many sons
and daughters of South Carolina,
who were born or lived in Barn
well.
The Barnwell community,
through its Mayor, the Honorable
Herman I. Mazursky, has gracious
ly donated the town help to assist
in clearing the ground of over
grown shrubbery and useless trees.
Barnwell, too, through its citizens,
lias donated a generous sum to
ward beautifying the church and
its grounds.
When Michael Maher donated
the land for the church in Barn
well ,the Diocese of Charleston
had been in existence only eleven
years. The western area of South
Carolina was designated as^ mis
sionary territory, and St. Andrew’s
is the oldest church still standing
in the mission district. It is one
of the few Catholic Churches in
the rural area with a cemetery in
the churchyard. The first one to
be buried in the cemetery at Barn
well was Margaret Catherine
Mahar, daughter of Michael
Maher. Father Barry was pastor
at that time, 1831.
Through the years we see a long
line of saintly souls who have liv
ed their faith here and served
their native land. Names famous
in the history of South Carolina
stand out prominently. The
Mahers, the Edmund Bellingers,
the Duncans, the Ryans, the
Quinns, the Farrells, one of whom
married John Joseph O’Gorman,
of Blackvilie, the Simms, the Aid-
riches, the Grahams, the Felders,
the Kellys, the Molonys, and many
others. Colonel James Aldrich,
who served as Speaker of the
House of Representatives, was ap
pointed a Justice of the Supreme
Court of South Carolina by Gov
ernor Hampton, and served with
distinction for many years. Colo
nel John Ryan represented Barn
well many years in the State Leg
islature and was the most popular
man in the county.
Bishop England preached many
times in St. Andrew’s, as did Fath
er Abram J. Ryan, the Poet-Priest
of the Confederacy.
Today, St. Andrew’s Church
stand as a Memorial to the stal
wart souls who have worshiped
beneath its roof.
MOUNT DE SALES SENIORS
HONORED AT BANQUET
MACON, Ga. —Members of the
senior class of Mount de Sales
Academy, who will graduate in
June, who were honored at a ban
quet in their honor on January 29
were Misses Mary Astumain. Mar
ion Davis, Zita Cegura, Elizabeth
Garner, Mary Griscom, Patricia
Donnelly, Barbara Richardson,
Ann Junkerman, Alice Cunning
ham, Peggy McGoldrick, Gilda
Best, Betty Willis and Nancy Sit-
ton.
MUSICAL HOUR AT
SAVANNAH USO-NCCS
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Miss Mar
garet Steeg was the pianist for the
assembly singing led by Norbert
Goebel at the USO-NCCS Club on
February 6. Miss Alma Murphy
was guest soloist, with Miss Janice
Rice as her accompanist.
Refreshments were served by
Mrs. John Thigpen, Mrs. William
Harris, Mrs. Louis Shoemaker,
Mrs. Jack McAleer, the Misses
Dorothy Palmer, Mary Cronk,
Josephine Cronk, Marguerite Dow
ling and Margie Schwartz.
Pastor in Greenville
MONSIGNOR GWYNN
The Right Reverend Monsignor
Andrew Keene Gwynn, who com
plete^! last month his forty-fourth
year as pastor of St. Mary’s
Church, Greenville, S. C. (
Notables Attend
Annual Red Mass
in Washington
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
WASHINGTON. — The Vice
President of the United States,
Cabinet officers, members of Con
gress. representatives of the dip
lomatic corps, jurists of the vari
ous courts and prominent mem
bers of the clergy were in the
throng of 1,500 persons who at
tended the annual Red Mass in ob
servance of the opening of Con
gress and the Courts, in the Na
tional Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception.
The Rt. Rev. Msgr. Francesco
G. Lardone, Director of Studies
for Ecclesiastical Schools of the
Catholic University of America,
was the celebrant of the Mass,
which was instituted in the Na
tion’s Capital seven years ago by
the law school of the Catholic Uni
versity. The sermon was preached
by the Rev. Dr. Wilfrid Parsons,
S. J., Professor of Political Science
at the University.
The list of distinguished guests
who attended the Mass included;
Vice-President and Mrs. Henry A.
Wallace; Postmaster General and
Mrs. Frank C. Walker and their
daughter, Miss Hattie Walker; As
sociate J ustices Frank Murphy and
Wiley Rutledge of the U. S. Su
preme Court, U. S. Senators John
A. Danaher and Francis Maloney
of Connecticut; Pat McCarran of
Nevada; David I. Walsh of Mass
achusetts, and James M. Mead of
New York, Representatives John
M. Costello of California, Edward
J. Hart, of New Jersey and Louis
C, Rabault of Michigan.
Other members of the judiciary
in attendance included Associate
Justice Harold M. Stephens of the
U. S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia; Justice Mat
thew McGuire of the U. S. District
Court for the District of Columbia;
Chief Justice George P. Barse,
and'Associate Justices Thomas D.
Quinn and Ellen K. Ready, of the
Municipal Court for the District
of Columbia, U. S. Solicitor Gen
eral Charles Fahy and U. S. Attor
ney Edward M. Curran also were
present. Other guests included
high ranking Army and Navy offi
cers and persons prominent in
national, municipal and social life
of the Nation’s Capital.
CHOIR WINDOWS. ST. MARY’S. GREENVILLE— As St. Mary’s
Church. Greenville. S. C., is named in honor of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, the panels in the window above the choir, in the rear of Itie
church, were selected as reminders of the love of Jesus for llis
Mother and of her importance in His plan of the world's redemption.
From Bethlehem to Calvary, Holy Scripture pictures them together,
and the four panels illustrate The Nativity, The Presentation, The Find
ing in The Temple, and The First Miracle, at the wedding in Cana,
when at His Mother's intercession, Christ performed His first miracle,
changing water into wine.
DR. McIIATTON ADDRESSES
SCHOOL IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga —Dr. T. H. Me
diation, head of the horticultural
department of the University of
Georgia, and one of the leading
Catholic laymen of Athens, led
the discussions at the nintli annual
Garden School held January 30,
at the Hotel DeSoto.
Mrs. Frunk Littlefield, chair
man of the Garden Club Council
of Chatham County, presented Dr.
McHalton, who presided, and ad
dressed both the morning and af
ternoon sessions.
CANCER HOME GUILD
MEETS IN ATLANTA
ATLANTA, Ga. — The regular
monthly meeting of the Sewing
Guild of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help Free Cancer Home was held
at the rectory of the Cathedral of
Christ the King on February 1,
Mrs. Sam Callaway, the president,
conducting the meeting.
Plans were perfected for the
benefit bridge party which was
held at the Modern Ice Company
on February 10, with Mrs. Fred
Fister and Mrs. W. B. Green as
chairmen of the committee in
charge.
ALL THOSE BUILDING in
Rome which enjoy extraterri
toriality property of the Holy See
are now being guarded by mem
bers of the Pontifical armed guard.
Auxiliaries of the Palatine Guard
have been assigned to the various
buildings.
Bishop O’Hara Says j
Bombing of Cassino
Abbey Necessary
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga. — An Associ
ated Press dispatch, released from
Savannah under date of February
15, quotes (lie Most Rev. Gerald 1*.
O’Hara, Bishop of Savannah-At-
lanta, as declaring "no words are
strong enough to deplore the fact
that the German are using the
Abbey of Monte Cassino as an ob
servation post.”
His Excellency is further quoted
as saying that the "outrageous act”
of the Germans had made it neces
sary for the Allies to bomb and
shell the ancient monastery.
Recalling a visit to -the monast
ery in 1922. Bishop O’Hara said
location of the Abbey atop a hill
completely dominated the road to
Rome and the fact that the Nazis
had put it to good use, “Made its
bombing and shelling inevitable.”
MORE THAN 1,000,000 Catho
lic men and women of Great Bri
tain are signing petitions to be
presented to the Members of Par
liament protesting against injus
tices to the Catholic school in the
Education Bill. If it should be
come law, as is probable, the great
majority of Catholic schools, at
present under Church control,
will be transferred to the control
of local State officials.
THE BENEDICTINE MONASTERY OF MONTE CASSINO—Founded in 543 by St. Benedict, the Cas
sino Monastery, “cradle of the Benedictine Order and primal seat of Western Monasticism,” which has
according to latest reports been blasted and bombed into ruins. American troops made every effort to spare
the abbey, despite the fact that it had been occupied by the Germans and was being used by them with
deadly effect as an observation post. The abbey coast of arms bears the emblem of the stump of an oak
pushing out new shoots, and the legend: “Succisa Virescit,” meaning “when cut down it grows again.”
Razed by the Lombards in 580, pillaged by the Saracens 160 years later, sacked by the Emperor Fred
erick II in 1239, and plundered by the French under Napoleon in 1799, Monte Cassino has remained
through the ages a monument to the indomitable spirit and resilience of the monks of St. Benedict, who,
once again, see the patient and quiet work of many years destroyed by the onslaught of war, which
has now devastated the building which dates from the 17th century. There will be a resurrection. “Sm-
cisa Virescit!**