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APRIL 22, 1944
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FTVT5:
Belmont Abbey College
Was Established
Sixty-Six Years Ago
(Special to The Bulletin)
BELMONT, N. C. — In kindred
spirit with the educational pio
neering that best describes the cul
tural development of tlie United
States dining the late nineteenth
century, the Benedictine Monks,
who established Belmont Abbey
College (then St. Mary's College)
founded an institution that con
tinues to grow and prosper.
Indeed these men were pio
neers—the year was 1878 A small
band of monks, priests and broth
el's, left Saint Vincent Arch-
abey in -Latrobe, Pensylvania, to
found a school in the South “with
tlie view of ultimately establish
ing a monastery." Their efforts
were not to be denied. The col
lege even in its infancy to the
abbatial rank and the 111. Rev. Leo
Ilaid, O. S. B., was elected the
first Abbot.
History repeats itself through
the years and each year found St.
Mary’s making spiritual, material,
and above all, intellectual progress
Rector succeeded rector, each new
man going into his office with the
intention of furthering the inter
ests of the college. There were
many hardships. Here was a coun
try sparsely populated. Propagan
da ran riot against Catholicism.
However, St. Mary’s College wept
on until in 1924, when the present
Abbot-President, the Most Rev.
Vincent G Taylor, O. S. B„ I). 0.,
succeeded Bishop - Abbot Ilaid,
Belmont Abbey College had a very
definite and important position
among the educational institu
tions of the Southland.
Abbot Vincent, a' man of many
positions—he is Abbot of Belmont
Abbey, Ordinary of Belmont Ab
bey Nullius, president of Belmont
Abbey preparatory school — has
spared no effort in the develop
ment of his institutions. He is in
terested in all the activities of his
college; he knows every student
by first name. That his work as an
educator is recognized by ttie ed
ucational world is made manifest
by his elections to a membership
on the Executive Committee of the
National Catholic Historical Asso
ciation and to the vice-presidency
of the National Benedictine Edu
cational Association. The most
striking characteristic of his per
sonality is the Abbot's vision; de
spite many adversities, depression,
and prejudices, he has foreseen the
growth of Belmont Abbey College
unlit today it is where he would
always have it—among the. best of
the South’s educational centers-
Belmont Abbey College. con
ducted by Catholic priests, is a
Catholic school, probably over 50
per cent of the student body is
non-Catholic. While no measure of
its educational policy is compro
mised with any factor that may be
adverse to the well-defined tenets
of Catholic education, still the edu
cational policy of Belmont Abbey
College is founded on Christian
ethics—acceptable to any man.
in a report issued by the regis
liar’s office it was revealed that
Belmont Abbey College lias aided
the war effort in many ways and
began its program long before
Pearl Harbor. It was announced
that over 700 of its students and
alumni are in military service, and
are spread over the various arms
of defense. Although the army has
the largest number, due to selec
tive service, the Air Corps has a
large enrollment of Abbey stu
dents.
The Abbey began its first Na
tional defense program in 1940
when it was one of the first in
stitutions in the South to sponsor a
Civilian Pilots Training course.
Since then Belmont Abbey College
has put through! eight programs
with allotments of students total
ing 160.
Beginning in June, 1942, when
C. P. T. P. was taken over by the
Army and Navy, the Abbey ^has
sponsored three programs, turn
ing out 120; the total student pi
lots to date is 280 The students
who have completed this course are
now in every major combat zone
over the world, although a good
number have been retained as in
structors at various training fields.
In January, 1942. Ihe Abbey
college broke a 65-year tradition,
and the better to prepare its stu
dents for inevitable military life,
introduced a system of training
that virtually made the Abbey into
a military school. That it was a
wise move is evidenced by the fact
that Abbey students received full
credit for their military training
when inducted into the service.
The Rev. . Gregory Eiclienlaub,
O S. B„ who was appointed Dean
of Men at Belmont Abbey College,
at- the opening of the current scho
lastic year, is well kuowu iu edu-
Abbot-Ordinary of Belmont
RIGHT R1CV. VINCENT G. TAYLOR, O. S. B„ I). 0.
The present Abbot-Ordinary of Belmont, the Right Reverend
Vincent George Taylor, O. S. B., D. D., had distinguished himself
as a priest of the Order of Saint Benedict for twenty-three years when
lie was selected to be the successor of the late Right Rev. Leo Haul,
O. S. B., D. D., as Abbot of Belmont. Under Abbot Vincent’s .able,
scholarly, and deeply spiritual guidance, the Abbatio Nullius of Bel
mont has shown, in the twenty years since his installation, a progress
which demonstrates that no mistake was made in choosing Abbot
Vincent as the successor of Bishop Ilaid. Abbot Vincent, a native of
Norfolk, Va., was ordained to the priesthood in 1902, and confirmed as
Abbot-Ordinary in 1924, after having served 'with distinction as pastor
of St. Benedict's Church; Greensboro, N. C., for twenty-two years, lie
is a graduate of Belmont Abbey College, of which lie is now President.
Co-Author of “Men of Maryknoll,”
Father Keller, Pays Brief Visit to Atlanta
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATLANTA. Ga. — The. Rev.
James G. Keller, M. M, stopped in
Atlanta on Good Friday between
trains, and according to an inter
view which the Maryknoll Mis
sionary priest gave to Frank Dan
iel, of the stall’ of The Atlanta
Journal, Father Keller was less in
terested in being part author of a
bed seller than in repeating the
stories he and Meyer Berger, fam
ous New York Times writer,- tell in
“Men of Maryknoll.”
They are true stories, of the
Maryknoll missioners, who go out
to distant parts of the world to
serve mankind in regions where
any (kindliness is a strange, excit
ing experience. Many of these men
are in territory now occupied by
the Japanese. One of them runs a
leper colony for some 800 lepers in
faipine - stricken South China.
Wherever they go, their deeds,
their service, make them almost
legendary.
Father Keller lias told the sto
ries of the men of Maryknoll many
times. Charles Scribner, the pub
lisher heard him,, and suggested
that he write down these records
of selfless bravery and Christian
service. Father Keller protested
that he couldn’t write, and Mr.
Scribner happened to ask Moyer
Berger to recommend someone for
the job- Mr. Berger, attracted by
the dramas, undertook himself to
collaborate with Father Keller.
The result was extraordinarly suc
cessful.
There was abundant material for
a book, Mr. Berger (who, as it
happens, is Jewish) has a great
talent for story telling. “Men of
Maryknoll,” published without
much fuss, began selling and has
continued to sell. In recent weeks
cational circles in the South, hav
ing been associated with the Ben
edictine High School in Richmond
and Benedictine Military School in
Savannah, as well as with the'Ab
bey College.
Tlfe school faculty includes
members of the Benedictine Order
and lay professors.
Two years ago, the Rev. Bede
Lighlner, who had been a member
of the faculty of Belmont Abbey
College for seven years, was ap
pointed rector of the college. Fa
ther Bede, although one of the
younger members of the Abbey
community, having been ordained
in 1941, is well Qualified as an
educator and an administrator to
lilt successfully the important po
sition which has been entrusted to
him.
it has appeared on best seller lists.
Motion picture producers are plan
ning to convert the book into a
screen play. A radio company of
fered a 15-year contract. A dra
matic version is being written for
the Broadway stage. The Saturday
Evening Post, Reader’s Digest anil
various other magazines have
sought other stories like those Fa
ther Keller and Mr. Beger tell.
Telling the story of Maryknoll,
the training school for missionary
priests, is what Father Keller most
wants to do. Profits from the book
were to be devoted to advertising
it, he says, because he wishes the
achievements of the Men of Mary-
knoll. to be understood every
where'.
The record of the Men of Mary
knoll holds particular interest for
the Catholics of the South, espe
cially those of North Carolina, for
it was Father Thomas Frederick
Price, “The Tarheel Apostle.”
SAVANNAH OFFICER
MISSING IN ACTION
First Lieutenant John E.
Hennessy Fails to Return
From Bombing' Mission
Over the Reich
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.—First Lieu
tenant John E- Hennessy, bombar
dier with the U. S. Army Air
Forces in England, has been re
ported missing in action over Ger
many .according to a notice receiv
ed by his father, William F. Hen
nessy. Sr., from the War Depart
ment.
Lieutenant Hennessy, a graduate
of the Benedictine Military School,
in the class of 1939. entered the
Army as an enlisted man of the
118th Field Artillery He was sta
tioned at Fort Jackson for a year.
In May, 1942, when lie held the
rank of sergeant, he was accepted
as training for an aviation cadet.
After graduating from the Bombar
dier School in Midland, Texas, in
February of last year, he atended
the navigation school in San Mar
cos, Texas, and completed a course
at a gunnery school in Idaho, be
fore going overseas last November.
He was assigned as bombardier on
a Liberator of the Eighth Air
Force.
He. was advanced to his present
rank in January and was recently
awarded the air medal for excep-
tiionally meritorious achievement
while participating in combat mis
sions over Germany. Ilis brother,
Lieut. William F. Hennessy, Jr., is
in tlie field artillery at Camp Max-
ey, Texas.
First Abbot of
Belmont Abbey
Since Lieutenant Hennessy’s
father was advised by tlie War De
partment that he was missing in
action” over Germany, the young
officer’s parents have received a
cable from him with the news that
he is safe and well but is interned
in Switzerland. His cablegram
lead; “Interned. Everything fine.
Not injured- Don’t worry. Ad
dress Military Attache, American
Legation, Bern Switzerland.
An honor graduate of both the
Marist School and Benedictine
military School, Lieutenant Hen
nessy was employed with the Mer
chants.. and Miners Transportation
Company before entering the ser
vice.
BENEDICTINE SCHOOL
AUXILIARY MEETS
SAVANNAH. Ga. — Reports of
officers and committee chairmen
were made at the March meeting
of the Auxiliary of the Benedic
tine Military School, at which
Mrs. Arthur Kearney presided.
The Rev. Paul Mild?, O. S. B.,
principal of the school, spoke of
subjects of interest to the mem
bers, who were entertained after
the brief business session by reci
tations by Cadets Bill Lang, Frank
Rizza, Thomas Coleman, Robert
Boniface and Edward White.
RT. REV. LEO IIAID, O. S. B.
The Right Reverend Leo Haid,
O. S. B., D. D., the first Abbot of
Belmont Abbey, was blessed as
Abbot in 1885. In 1887, he was
confirmed as Vicar-Apostolic of
North Carolina, and in 1888 was
consecrated Titular Bishop of Mes-
sene- After serving his God as a
member of the Order of St. Bene
dict, for fifty-one years. Bishop
Ilaid died in 1924. For thirty-six
years he was the spiritual leader of
the Catholics of North Carolina
When Bishop Haid and his band of
Benedictine Fathers started, there
were but six priests and only about,
ten churches under his charge. At
his death, he left in North Caro-
linas as a monument to his zeal
and efforts forty-eight priests,
sixty-three churches and mis
sions, two orphan asylums, three
hospitals, twelve parochial schools,
two academies for young women, a
college and a seminary.
whose missionary effort and
priestly zeal were expended en
thusiastically in North Carolina,
who was one of the founders of
Maryknoll.
LIEUTENANT HOULIHAN
IN SAVANNAH ON LEAVE
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Lieut. James
P. Houlihan, Jr., United States
Coast Guard, has returned to Sa
vannah on leave after ten months
overseas, a large part of which
period was spent in action in the
Italian campaign.
Lieutenant Houlihan was com
mander of an LST boat which fer
ried vital supplies to American
beach-heads, first in Sicily and la
ter at Anzio, in Italy. These LST
boats ran tlie gauntlet of bombs
from enemy aircraft overhead and
spelling from long range guns of
Ihe Germans ashore in making
landings at Anzio-
Lieutenant Houlihan Is the son
of Judge and Mrs. James I*. Houli
han.
Belmont Abbey, Belmont, North Carolina
ilSl wtal
In the aerial photograph above are pictured some of the buildings of Belmont Abbey, Belmont
North Carolina, in the midst of which appears the stately Abbey Cathedral which was dedicated fifty
years ago this month.