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TWELVE
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LA YMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
MARCff 31, 1944
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 FOR 1943-1944
BERNARD S. FAHY, Rome President
MARTIN J. CALLAGHAN, Macon Vice-Pres.
J. B. McCALLUM, Atlanta Secretary
HUGH GRADY. Savannah Treasurer
HUGH KINCHLEY. Augusta Executive Secretary
MISS CEC1LE FERRY, Augusta Financial Secretary
A M McAULIFFE. Augusta Auditor
Vol. XXV MARCH 31. 1944 No. 3
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, Religious News
Service, Ilie Catholic Press Association of the United States,
the Georgia Press Association and the National Editorial
Association.
Published monthly by the Publicity Department with the
Anprohntion of (he Most Reverend Bishops of Raleigh,
Charleston, and Savannah-Atlanta, and of the Right Rev
erend Ahhot Ordinary of ilclmont.
The Trappists Come to Georgia
S EVERAL days ago, a new page was opened in
the history of the Catholic Church in Georgia,
when the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Ob
servance selected a farm tract of some fifteen hun
dred acres in Rockdale County as a site for a new
Trappist Monastery, a branch of the Abbey of Our
Lady of Gethsemani, established in Kentucky nearly
a hundred years ago.
While the rule of the Trappists is strict, as indi
cated by the title of the Order, and not all would
wish to follow the austere manner of life which
they have adopted, a rule somewhat sterner than
that which is go veined by the vows of poverty,
chastity and obedience common to many Religious
Orders, the Trappists see no hardship in their life,
and their house is a house of happiness and absolute
contentment, not a place of depression and gloom
as some people may imagine.
Prayer and work make up the life of a Trappist,
be he priest or brother. The world over, Trappists
are farmers. From the products of their fields come
their sole support. And everywhere, as did the
monks of old, they show the way to their neighbors.
In Canada the Trappists conduct one of the great
government experimental farms, and have evolved
with scientific precision new ideas in farming and
dairying. On the hard hills ot New England they
have shown how crops can be made to grow where
rocks and witchgrass once abounded. Herds of
thoroughbred milk cattle graze on their pastures,
their poultry yards yield eggs and fowls in abun
dance. The fame of the Oka cheese, manufactured
by the Trappists in Canada has spread around the
world. \nd it is on their truck farm in Canada
that the delicious Oka melon was developed. What
ever the Trappists do, they do well, and what they
have done in other places they plan to do in Georgia.
The Religious Order of the Cistercians of the
Strict Observance traces its origin through nine hun
dred years to the establishment at Citeaux, France,
in 1098, by St. Robert, who wished to restore as far
as possible the literal observance of the Rule of St.
Benedict, laid down fourteen hundred years ago
when he founded the great Monastery of Monte
Cassino, now a bombed and blasted battleground.
St. Robert, the son of the noble Thierry and Er-
mengarde of Champagne, was Abbot of Molesme, a
dependency of the famous Abbey of Cluny. With
the approval of the Legate of the Holy See, he se
lected certain of his fellow religious, among them
St. Stephen and St. Alberic, and retired to the
solitude of Citeaux, in a remote part of the Diocese
of Chalons-sur-Saone, and here in a place unknown
to men, and hitherto inhabited only by wild beasts,
St. Robert and his companions, placed the founda
tions of the Abbey of Citeaux and commenced the
literal observance of the Rule of St. Benedict. He
was succeeded as Abbot by St. Alberic, who gave
the monks -their white habit, instead of the black
habit worn by the Benedictines, and placed the
monastery under the protection of the Holy See.
Under St. Alberic's successor, St. Stephen, the com
munity was increased by the coming of St. Barnard
and his twenty-four companions, all young noble
man of Burgundy, and Citeaux sent out its first
colony, which in turn brought forth many other
monasteries.
At the death of St. Stephen, in 1134, alter thirty-
six years of existence, the Order could count seventy
monasteries. In 1152 there wore three hundred and
fifty.
Citeaux became a nursery of saints and illustrious
personages. Ropes and kings bestowed many honors
upon Citeaux, and its Abbot came to be known as
"the Abbot of Abbots.”
Not only persons of humble and low extraction,
but also eminent men, monks and Abbots of other
Orders, doctors in every science, and clerics hon
ored with high dignity, sought the admission to the
Order of Citeaux. The Holy See bestowed highest
praise upon the Order, and rewarded with special
privileges its service to the Church. It enjoyed the
favor and confidence of sovereigns, who like Frede
rick II entrusted important delegations to its mem
bers, and who, nearing death, wished to he clothed
in the Cistercian habit.
The Cistercians have benefited society by their
agricultural labors, as well as by (heir charity. By
means of their labor, their economy, and their pri
vations, they were able to instruct the ignorant, pro
mote the letters and arts, and give relief to the
needy. The Cistercian abbeys had a house for the
reception of the poor and an infirmary for the sick,
and in them all received a generous hospitality and
remedy for the ills of soul and body.
There was also place in the life of the Cister
cians for intellectual labor. St. Stephen left a work
on Ihe Bible which is superior to anything of its
kind produced by any contemporary monastery, and
this venerable manuscript is still preserved in the
Library of Dijon. The Cistercians cultivated the
arts of painting and engraving, and their genius in
building contributed to the development of the
Presenting — Religious News Service
W ITH this issue, in an effort to give the read
ers of The Bulletin the benefit of a wider
coverage of news in the realm of religion, the
Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, who pub
lish this paper, are pleased to announce that The
Bulletin is now a subscriber to Religious News Ser
vice.
Establish by the National Conference of Christians
and Jews in 1934, Religious News Service is the
only world wide news agency furnishing news of
all religious denominations to the church press, the
secular press, magazines and radio stations.
At first Religious News Service restricted its re
leases to reports of religious news of interfaith signi
ficance, but the response was so favorable that with
in a few months the service was expanded to cover
general news of interest to members of various re
ligious groups.
The Bulletin, in adding this news service to that
which it is already receiving through the news ser
vice of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, is
following the lead of other Catholic publications,
like The Michigan Catholic, that have found It help
ful since it furnished news items that do not come
from other sources.
Religious News Service reports have been found
to be fair to the Catholic Church, Father Francis
X. Talbot, S. J., the editor of AMERICA, the Jesuit
weekly, declaring that it has proven of great value
to that publication, and stating that he had found
the releases dealing with the Catholic Church to be
not only accurate but sympathetic.
It is hoped that our readers will appreciate The
Bulletin's efforts to make its pages more attractive
by including in its columns, with the approval of
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop of Sa-
vannah-Atlanta, news items which are released
through Religious News Service.
Two Appeals
I T HAPPENED this year on Laetare Sunday that
two separate appeals, both of which were most
worthy of support, were made to the congre
gations attending Masses in the churches of the
Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta.
One of these was the annual solicitations for sub
scriptions to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of
Savannah-Atlanta.
To contribute to the support of Religion and to the
works of Religion is a privilege as it is a duty.
By their generosity in the past the Catholic of
Georgia have given witness that they know what has
been accomplished for the Cljurch in Georgia
through Catholic Charities of the Diocese, and need •
not to be urged, but merely reminded, to send in
their pledge cards for this year if they have not
already done so.
The other appeal was on behalf of the Bishops’
War Emergency and Relief Committee, which was
set up several years ago to bring relief to the victims
of war, wherever relief could be brought to them.
Last year this fund amount to $1,293,000, most of
which was disbursed through the Holy See, since the
Holy Father through his world-wide, international
contacts has means of aiding the victims of war in
almost every country of the world, especially the
famished, stricken people of Greece, and other lands
which felt and are feeling the mighty of cruel con-
querers.
This also is an appeal to which the Catholics of
Georgia should respond with utmost generosity.
T HOUGH we approach the greatest feast of the
Christian calendar with much of the glopm of
Good Friday and not much of the joy of Easter
in our hearts, may our fervent prayers during Holy
Week bring nearer the day when a world at war will,
rejoice at the fulfilment of the blessing spoken by
the Risen Saviour oVi the first Easter Day—“Peace
be to you.”
Gothic and Romanesque architecture of the Middle
Ages.
The Order of Citreaux has produced a great
number of Saints and has given two popes to the
Church, Eugene III and Benedict XII, and any num
ber of Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops.
Cistercians have spread enlightenment by their
writings and teachings, and sanctity by their edify
ing lives.
The coming of the Cistercians to America is due
in a large measure to Dom Augustine de Lestrange,
whoSe father was an officer in the household of
Louis XV. Dom Augustin was master of novices at
the Abbey of La Trappe during the French Revolu
tion. When the Religious Orders were suppressed,
he sought refuge in other parts of Europe, at length
resolving to send a colony of Cistercian Trappists to
America. His initial effort was not successful, but
at his direction, Dom Urbain Guillet sailed from Hol
land in 1802, with some twenty religious and lay
brothers, and he and his companions were received
at St. Mary’s Seminary, in Baltimore, where one of
the professors was Benedict Joseph Flaget, who
later became Bishop of Bardstown, and then Bishop
of Louisville, and who in 1348 received into Ken
tucky the Cistercians who came to found the Abbey
of Gethsemani.
The first establishment of the Cistercians in this
country was about fifty miles from Baltimore on a
plantation which belonged to a friend of the Sulpi-
cians. This site, however, did not prove satisfactory,
and in 1805 Dom Urbain and his companions moved
to Kentucky, but this establishment and another in
Maryland were soon abandoned, for a place in
Louisiana, and from this Ihe Cistercians moved to
Illinois, later to Pennsylvania and New York, and
eventually, in 1848, the Abbey at Gethsemani in
Kentucky and the Abbey of Melleray in Iowa, were
established. In 1900, the Abbey of Our Lady of
the Valley was established in Rhode Island.
Now, in 1944, the Cistercians have established a
monastery in Georgia.
Contentment, peace, happiness in their love and
worship of their Creator and Saviour—such is the
life of the Trappists. It is not a life of gloom, or
sour asceticism, but a life of wonderful joy.
The Trappists are men of culture and refinement,
men who, in the world could occupy positions of
responsibility, but who willingly accept the most
menial tasks, living a life of Divine service, self-
denial, and total surrender of self to God.
Confidently may it be expected that the Trappists
will write a brilliant record into the history of the
Catholic Church in Georgia by the contribution
which they will surely make to the spiritual welfare
and the material prosperity of this Slate.
Dixie Musings
Bing Crosby, for the first time in
his screen career, plays the role
of a priest in the next motion pic
ture in the new cycle of films
dealing with Catholic life, Para
mount's “Going My Way.”
“Going My Way” deals with the
priesthood in somewhat the same
manner that "The Sullivans”
deals with the Catholic family.
Both films make a strong bid for
laughs and, without making any
concessions to principle, cater to
non-Catholic as well as Catholic
audiences.
During the 212th anniversary
celebrations of the birthday of
George Washington a tablet was
unveiled in the Cathdral of Dur
ham, England, now in Protestant
hands, commemorating the fact
that John Washington, a forebear
relative of George Washington, was
once Prior of the Cathedral.
The inscription reads: “Remem
ber in these cloisters, which were
finished in his day, John Washing
ton, of the county, Prior of this
Cathedral, 1416-1446, whose family
lias won an everlasting name in
lands to him unknown.”
The British Medical Journal
devotes one of its two leading ar
ticles to a review of the history of
the Abbey of Monte Cassino as
the Cradle of Western Medicine.
The first to convey to the West
the Arabic knowledge of medi
cine was one Constantine, says the
article. He was born about 1020,
perhaps of Jewish parents. Having
become a Christian he x'etired,
about 1080 as a monk to Monte
Cassino. There he spent iiis last
years translating Arabic medical
works into Latin.
COLLIER’S, the National Week
ly, in its issue of March 25, car
ried an article by Jim Marshall,
on the life of Mother Cabrini, un
der the title “The First American
Saint.”
In the March issue of St. An-
tliony'5 Catholic News, official
publication of St. Anthony’s Par
ish in Atlanta, Editor Thomas J.
O’Keefe devotes a lull column to
Felix J. Conimagere, recently
elected to succeed Estes Doremus
as president of the Atlanta Branch
of the Catholic Laymen’s As
sociation ot Georgia.
Editor O'Keefe’s commendation
of Mr. Conimagere was as follows:
Having known Mr. Conimagere
for nearly twenty years we i'eel
safe in stating that the Atlanta
Branch of the C.L.A. has made
a wise choice in electing him
president. That he will fulfill
Ihe obligations of his position
with ability and dignity goes with
out saying.
Many of the members of the
Association, are weli acquaint
ed with Mr. Conimagere, hut there
arc undoubtedly many who would
like to know about their presi
dent.
Mr. Commagere has been living
in Atlanta since 1925 and is there
fore, an Atlanlian. He is a na
tive of New Orleans and was edu-
aeted in that city, having attended
Jesuit College on Baronne Street,
lie received the degree of Bachelor
of Arts from the College of the
Immaculate Conception, now Loy
ola University of (he South, New
Orleans. While in New Orleans
he entered the electrical supply
business and his connections in
that industry was the occasion of
his coming to Atlanta. He is en
gaged in the distribution of elec
trical supplies arid heating and
ventilating equipment.
Mr. Commagere has three sons,
Harvey, who lives in Savannah;
Felix. Jr., in New Orleans; and
Gerald, in Jackson Mississippi.
Three daughters, Mary Louise,
who married Albert F. Adams.
Jr., who is an officer in the armed
forces and stationed in Hawaai;
Lydia, who lives in New Orleans;
and Gladys, who married David
E. White, Jr., who is private first
class in the armed forces. He also
has four grandsons and' one grand
daughter. He lives with his moth
er at 529 St. Charles Ave., N.E.
The new president of the At
lanta Branch has been active in
civic and church circles. Besides
having a membership in the Cath
olic Laymen’s Association he is a
member of Atlanta Council No.
660. Knights of Columbus; the
Holy Name Society; the Hiber
nian Benevolent Society, and the
Atlanta Historical Society.
The Atlanta Branch of the Cath
olic Laymen's Association ot Geor
gia is to be congratulated for their
wisdom in choosing Felix Comma-
gerc to be their president. They
will never regret it.
For the fourth consecutive year,
motion picture and radio stars
played an important part in pub
licizing the Bishops’ War Emer
gency and Relief Committee’s an
nual appeal, made this year on
Laetare Sunday, March 19.
The film stars were presented
in two nation-wide radio broad
casts, one on March 12, entitled
“The Good Samaritan,” over the
Mutual Broadcasting System, and
the other of March 19, entitled
“The Greatest ot These,”, over
the Blue Network.
Heading the list ot stars in (liesc
productions, originating in Holly
wood, were Pedro de Cordoba,
currently appearing in “The Song
of Bernadette,” and now working
on the screen version of “The
Keys to the Kingdom;” Jane
Wyatt, Ruth Hussey, J. Carol
Naish, Henry O’Neill, Dennis Day,
of the Jack Benny program, and
Anthony Hughes, recently of the
Army, and now co-starring with
Mr. de Cordoba in “The Keys of
the Kingdom.”
“Tony” Hughtjs, is a native of
Augusta, wtio attained prominence
in musical comedy and vaudeville
before entering the screen and
radio field. He portrayed the part
of the commanding officer of an
American warship in the radio
drama.
The Bulletin extends its sincere
congratulations to The Pittsburgh
Catholic, which on March 16 com
memorated the one hundredth an
niversary of its foundation on
March 16, 1844, by the Most Rev.
Michael O’Connor, first Bishop of
Pittsburgh.
Bishop O'Connor was the first
editor of the paper, and established
the editorial policy; militant and
lorward-looking, concerned lor the
moral welfare of the community,
loyal to constituted authority, and
devoted to the promotion of good
will among all citizens on the basis
of mutual understanding and .re
spect.
Lieutenant Christopher Kilmer,
son ol Sergeant Joyce Kilmer, the
famous poet, who was killed in
action in France during the first
World War, has been reported as
having been seriously wounded in
action in Italy.
The life of Father Leonard F.
White, formerly at St. James’
Church Stratford, Conn., who is
now a Navy chaplain serving with
the Marines, literally was suspend
ed by a thread in the mountain
ous wilds of Bougainville, a delay
ed dispatch from Technical Sgt.
Earle W. Johnson,, of North Little
Hock, Ark., a Marine Corps Com
bat Correspondent, revealed.
With his assistant. Corporal
Waller G. Page, of Eeorse, Mich.,
Father White started off through
the mountain region to celebrate
early Mass for an outfit some dis
tance from his base. Traveling on
fool, the two reached front line
positions in the mountain regions
before they discovered they were
on the wrong trail. The dispatch
reveals that as Father White stop
ped, his shirt barely touched a
thread-like, almost invisible wire
which stretched across the trail.
Investigation revealed that the
thread was attached to a hand
grenade strapped to a tree and the
slightest tug on the wire would
have exploded the grenade. It
would have meant certain death
for Father White and Corporal
Page had the thread been snapped.
Alter recovering from the shock
of this discovery, the pair received
a second shock when they learned
they had ventured well beyond the
front lines. They reached their
destination safely, but they could
say truthfully that their lives had
dangled on a thread.
The Michigan Catholic reports
that The Economist of London, a
leading secular periodical of Eng
land. makes this estimate of Vati
can statesmanship:
“The picture of Vatican policy
which emerges from the broadcasts
and initiatives and local action of
recent months is consistent. The
aim is peace, its basis, respect for
the rights of the nations, tlie co
operation of victors and vanquish
ed, and end lo totalitarian rule, and
the setting up in Europe of con
stitutional government.”
Religious News Service, the re
leases of which are now available
to The Bulletin, reports that a
warning against federal control of
education which “might diminish
any present religious influences
within the schools” was sounded at
Chicago in a report adopted at the
annual meeting of the Board of
Education of the Methodist
Church. —H. K.