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rvcm—a
MARCH 31, 1944
Order of Cistercians
Purchase Farm Property
Near Conyers, Georgia
(Continued from Page 1-A)
monastic centers in the United
Stales, they expect to open a
Retreat House as soon as they art
prepared to accommodate visitors.
Catholic men, or men of any other
religious affiliation will be wel
comed to the Abbey for these
week-end periods of prayer and
meditation No woman, of course,
is ever allowed within the mon
astery.
In the group which came to
Georgia there were ten priests,
three clerics, and seven lay broth
er.;. They were accompanied by
the Hieht Rev. Frede%: M. Dunne,
O ('. S. O.. Abbot of the Abbey
of Our Lady of -Gethsemani in
Kentucky, and the Rev. M. .Tames
For- O; C. S. O . who was Director
of Retreats at Gethsemani.
Abbot Frederic, who this year
celebrates his Golden Jubilee as
a Trappist, having entered the
Older in 1894, is a native of
Ohio, but was reared in Atlanta,
and later lived in Jacksonville
- and San Antonio. lie was
solemnly blessed as Abbot of Our
Lady of Gethsemani in May, 1935
Among the messages of congrat
ulation which he received on that
occasion was one from His Emin
ence Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli,
Papal Secretary of State, now His
Holiness Pope Pius XII.
Aflev spending a few days at
the new monastery in Georgia,
Abbot Frederic returned to Ken
tucky, leaving Father James as
Superior of the community near
Conyers.
Abbot James, who was an en
sign in the Navy during the first
World War, said that the decision
to establish the Georgia monastery
was prompted by recent "over
crowding” in Kentucky. “Since
the war began there has been an
increase in requests for member
ships”, he added.
The Rev. M. Joachim Tierney,
O. C. S. O., will be the sub-prior
of the Monastery of the Holy
Ghost- Brother M. Clement, O. C.
S. O., once a Kentucky farmer, is
procurator. Other monks will
take up special duty, such as
Brother M. Richard, Q. C. S. O,
for instance, who speaks seven
languages, and who is the cob
bler and tailor of the community.
The Order of the Cistercians of
the Strict Observance is the most
austere of all of the religious
Orders of the Church. Its mem
bers may enter only by applica
tion, and must stand the most
searching Investigation. On enter
ing the monastery they are placed
on probation for two years. If
they are willing to accept the
rigid burden imposed by the
rules of the Order—the fasting,
the prayer, the silence, the with
drawal from things of earth, the
long hours of meditation and
gruelling physical labor, they be
come admitted to the Order, and
if qualified may be ordained as
priests. Those who lack the basic
education to become priests, or
who prefer the status of lay
brothers, may take that place in
the monastic life. ,
The Trappists who are priests
wear white cassocks, with black
scapulars and cowls, and leather
cinctures- Their heads are shaven
in full tonsure. The brothers wear
brown habits instead of while.
The Order of Cistercians of the
Strict Observance is the re-organ
ized congregation of the ancient
Order of Citeaux, founded by St.
Robert, in accordance with the
Rule of St. Benedict, in March,
1098. Houses of the Order, out
side of France, are in Belgium,
England, Ireland, Syria, China,
Japan, Indo-China, Canada and
the United States.
In addition to the Abbey of
Our Lady of Gethsemani, in Ken
tucky, founded in 1848, the Tran-
pist also have in this country
the Abbey of Our Lady of the
Valley in Rhode Island, and the
Abbey, of Our Lady of Melleray,
in Iowa.
At La Trappe, in the Province
of Quebec, Canada, there is the
Abbey of Notre Dame du Lac,
one of the products of which is
the famous Oka cheese.
It is understood that among the
Trappist monks who were in the
group coming to Georgia is the
Rev. M- Francis Xavier Kavanagh,
O. C. S. O., a brother of the Rev.
Joseph W. Kavanagh, formerly at
tached to the Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist in Savannah.
Father Francis was ordained a
prKvst of the Cistercian Order two
years ago.
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA'
BARN , IN GEORGIA BECOMES TRAPPIST MONASTERY—In less that) twelve hours after arrival on
their newly acquired property near Conyers, Georgia, members of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict
Observance had set up a chapel, a dormitory and a reading room in the loft of this large barn. The ad
jacent grain house was converted into a kitchen and refectory.—(Photo Courtesy of The Atlanta Journal)
DORMITORY OF THE MONASTERY NEAR CONYERS—A part of the loft of the barn on the farm
property in Georgia purchased by the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, was partitioned into
individual stalls which will be the sleeping quarters of the Trappist monks and brothers. One of the
monks is pictured inspecting the stalls where members of the community will sleep on straw pallets on
wooden bunks.—(Photo—Courtesy of The Atlanta Journal).
St. Vincent Academy,
Savannah, Awarded “V”
for Wartime* Services
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga. — St. Vincent
Academy has been awarded the
“School V” for meritorious war
time service, an honor similar to
the Army and Navy “E” award
given to industry for efficiency
in production, Sister Mary Berna-
dine, principal of the school has
announced.
The award signifies that the
school has qualified for member
ship in the 1943-44 Georgia High
School Victory Corps by adopting
a program of activity contributing
directly to the war effort. Notifi
cation of the award came from Dr.
O. C. Aderholt, State Director of
the Victory Program, which is
sponsored by the State Department
of Education and the Wartime Ed
ucation Commission.
To earn membership in the Vic
tory Corps, the school’s program
must give emphasis to such sub
jects as physical 'fitness, wartime
citizenship, mathematics, preinduc
tion training, mechanical courses,
and community services. In addi
tion to these activities, students at
St. Vincent’s are working with the
Savannah Chapter of the Red
Cross, serving as nurses’ aides at
St. Joseph’s hospital, putting in
hours at the canteen, working at
the filter center and acting as jun
ior hostesses at the USO-NCCS
clubs.
JACKSON G. HATFIELD
ELECTED TAX RECEIVER
OF WILKINSON COUNTY
Father John Kirk
Offers Solemn High
Mass in Atlanta
ATLANTA, Ga. — The Rev.
John Kirk, who was ordained S
priest of the Diocese of Savunnah-
Atlanta by the Most Rev. Gerald
P. O’Hara, Bishop of Savannah-
Atlanta, at St. Joseph’s Church,
Athens, Ga., on February (>, cele
brated a Solemn High Mass on
February 20 at the Sacred Heart
Church in Atlanta, where he was
received into the Church some
years ago.
The Rev. James Gilbride, S. M.,
was deacon of the Mass; the Rev.
Gerald Hageman, S. M., subdeacon,
and the Rev. F. Marion Perry, S.
M., master of ceremonies. The ser
mon, a beautiful and inspiring
discourse on the dignity, the pow
ers, and the responsibility of the
priesthood, was delivered by the
Rev. Andrew Walls, S. M., who was
Father Kirk's first seminary pro
fessor.
Music for the Mass was sung by
the Sacred Heart choir, under the
direction of Vincent Hurley, and
the large congregation included a
number of employes of the Atlan
ta post office where Father Kirk
was employed before he began his
study for the priesthood.
Father Kirk is the thifd convert
from the Sacred Heart parish in
Atlanta to enter the priesthood,
the others being the Rev. Joseph
R. Smith, pastor of the Immaculate
Conception Church, Atlanta, and
the Rev. Richard Blackburn Wash
ington, of Hot Springs, Va., a de
scendant of the family of a bro
ther of George Washington. •
Seventeenth of March
Observed at Macon USO
(Special to The Bulletin)
MACON, Ga. — The’ Irish took
command around March 17 at the
USO Club operated here by the
National Catholic Community Ser
vice. A special St. Patrick’s Day
program was featured by Irish
songs by Misses Peggy McGold-
rick and Alice Cunningham. Mrs.
W. F. Murphy offered some Irish
dancing, and Miss Eileen Woods
delighted with Irish recitations.
Other vocal selections were ren
dered by Miss Theresa Murphy,
Miss Anne Elliott and Charles
Pritchard, with Mrs.^ S. A. Giglio
as accompanist.
There was also a formal dance,
and the hall was elaborately de
corated, with green as the color
motif, by Mrs. R. F. Wynne, Mrs.
J. R. Stine and Mrs. Gladys Don
nelly.
BOYS’ HIGH STUDENTS
PRESENT MINSTREL
Students of the Boys’ Catholic
High School in Augusta, scored a
success before a large audience at
the Municipal Auditorium on
March'17 with the presentation of
a minstrel show, staged under the
direction of Brother Benedict
Henry, F. S. M., principal of the
school.
CLARENCE IIAVERTY, of At
lanta, president of'the Ilaverty
Furniture Company, and promi
nent in the affairs of the Catholic
Laymen’s Association of Georgia,
has recently been named a mem
ber of the executive board of the
American Retail Federation.
McINTYRE, Ga., — Jackson G.
Hatfield, a member of St. An
thony's mission parish, Ivey, was
elected Tax Reveiver of Wilkinson
County in the Democratic primary
election held on March 22. He i-e-
ceived 1,110 votes to his opponent’s
874. Mr. Hatfield is a member of
the Catholic Laymen’s Association
of Georgia, and his well known as
a regular attendant at the annual
laymen’s Retreats. , i |
SCHEDULE FOR FORTY HOURS DEY0TI0H
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH-ATLANTA
April 16, 17, 18—St. Francis Xavier, Brunswick
April 23, 24, 25—St Mary’s Savannah v
April 30, May 1, 2—St. Anthony’s, Atlanta
St. Patrick’s Day
Observed in Savannah
Bishop O’Hara Celebra
Mass at Cathedral—Ra
McGill Addresses Hiber
Society
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga., —The patriot
ism and ti’ue love of country ex
emplified by St. Patrick were ex
tolled by the Rev. George Daly,
who delivered the sermon at the
Solemn Pontifical Mass celebrated
on March 17 at the Cathedral or
St. John the Baptist by the Most
Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, Bishop of
Savannah-Atlanta. Bishop O’Hara
also spoke briefly at the end of
the Mass, on the tenacious loyalty
of the Irish to their Church.*
Officers of the Mass, and assist
ing clergy included the Right Rev.
Msgr. T. James McNamara, rector
of the Cathedral; the Vei’y Rev.
Msgr. James J. Gi'ady, Chancellor
of the Diocese of Savannah-Atlan
ta; the Very Rev. Dan J. McCarthy,
Vicar General of the Diocese of
Savannah-Atlanta: the Very Rev.
Boniface Bauer, O. S. B., the Rev.
Guestave O’Brecht, S. M. A., the
Rev. Paul Milde, O. S. B., the Rev.
Terence Kernan, O. S. B., the Rev.
Adolph Gall, S. M. A., and the
Rev. Daniel J. Bourke.
The ROTC cadet battalion fiom
the Benedictine Military School,
attended the Mass in formation.
HIBERNIAN SOCIETY
HOLDS ANNUAL BANQUET
"A free Ireland, an independent
Ireland, is the solution of the Irish
problem,” Ralph McGill, editor of
The Atlanta Constitution declared
in an address delivered at the 32nd
annual St. Patrick’s Day banquet
of the Hibernion Society held at
the Hotel De Soto.
“It must not come about that, af-
»ler this war, Ireland is haled by
millions of Americans whose sons
might be lost because of Irish
laxity,’ he added. “It must come
about that Ireland survives the war
as an independent state.
“Ireland today is in a most intol
erable position,” the speaker point
ed out. “The Free State, won after
800 years of persecution, faces a
most difficult period. The people
of Irish descent in this country will
not want their sons endangered by
the fact that large staffs of Jap
anese and Germans are in Ireland.”
Sketching the life of St. Patrick,
Mr. McGill described how Ireland
had flourished following his mis
sion, and then outlined the years
that followed the pei’iod of culture,
when Ireland suffered oppression
for hundreds of years.
“I think it is well to recall that
the Celt was always willing to
sacrifice all he had, his property
and his life, for individual liberty
and the freedom of his native
land,” he went on. “We who have
that tradition must stand up for
it now, and must study and think
so that our influence may be felt
when it comes time to write the
peace.”
About one hundred Hibernians
attended the banquet, the few in
vited guests including John M.
Carmody, of the United States
Maritime Commission, and repre
sentatives of the St. Andrew's
Society.
Henry M. Dunn, retiring presi
dent, acted as toastmaster, and
John Sutlive, a member of the
society, and editor of The Savan
nah Evening Press, introduced Mr.
McGill. Congratulatoi-y messages
which had been received wei-e read
by John M. Brennan.
Jacobson’s orchestra was heard
in a program of Irish airs, with
Mrs. Edwin J. Deacy as vocal solo
ist.
PETER ROE NUGENT
HEADS HIBERNIANS
At the business meeting of the
Hibernian Society, held in the
morning, Peter Roe Nugent was
elected president, David F. Grif
fin was elected vice-president to
succeed Mr. Nugent, and John M.
Brennan, secretary, and John J.
Powers, treasurer, were re-elected.
Nicholas T. Stafford, a foi'mer
secretary, was elected assistant
secretary.
Thomas F. Walsh, a former
president of (he Hibernians, and
at present historian of the or
ganization, was elected an honor
ary member, a distinction which
has been conferred upon very few
in the more than a century of the
society’s existence.
The nominating committee was
composed of Col. John G. Butler,
Judge J. P. Houlihan, Richard M.
Charlton, Daniel J. Sheehan and
C. A. McCai’lhy. The business ses
sion was followed by a buffet
luncheon, prepared by the boar
of stewards, Joseph W. McAv(
Terence Grady, and David Gri