Newspaper Page Text
Published by the
Catholic Lay
men’s Association
of Georgia
“To Bring About
a Friendlier
Feeling Among
Neighbors Irre
spective of Creed”
Vol. XXV. No. _ 9. TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES AUGUSTA, GEORIGA, SEPTEMBER 30, 1944 * * * ISSUED MONTHLV-42 00 » YEAR
. A FRIENDLY GREETING FROM THE LIBERATED ,
A friendly greeting is exchanged as a group of smiling nuns wave to American troops as their truck
enters the City of Mons in Belgium. Progress across Belgium has been swift as the Allied Forces run
out the Nazi oppressors. INP Photo. (N.C.W.C.)
General Chiang Kai-Shek Invites
U. S. Catholic Missioners to China
Bulletins
THE TWENTY-SECOND Na
tional Convention of the National
Council of Catholic Women will
be held in Toledo, Ohio, October
21-25, with its theme: “The Family
As the Basis of Post-War Civiliza
tion.” Individual sessions will l>e
devoted to the religious, educa
tional, and economic aspects of
family life.
“THE PARENT - EDUCATOR,"
Volume V in a new series on
Teaching Citizenship in the Home,
published by 'the Publicity De
partment of the Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine, and “Prepara
tions and Prayers for Children’s
Confessions,” by the Rev. Joseph
F. Mulvcy, are new pamphlets just
issued by St. Anthony Guild Press,
Paterson, N. .1.
FATHER AMBROSE BURKE,
president of St. Ambrose College,
Davenport, Iowa, wil be the speak
er on the “Catholic Hour” for the
month of October. Musical selec
tions on the program will he sup
plied by Dr. Conrad Bernier, or
ganist of the Catholic University
of America. Father Burke’s topic
will be announced later.
THREE MARYKNOLL MIS
SIONERS made a dramatic es
cape by bicycle from the besieged
city of Kweilin, China, as Japan
ese advance guards in plain clothes
were entering the city on their
work of sabotage. The missioners
remained to the last possible mo
ment to aid the refugees crowd
ing Kweilin. They were picked up
by plane and will continue their
mission work in the Kunming
area.
THE SIGHT of members of the
Frencli-Canadian squadron “AIou-
ettes” receiving Holy Communion
in a hangar just before leaving for
an air attack over Germany caus
ed Flight Lieut. James Goodwin, a
Rhodesian, to embrace the Catho
lic Faith.
BOB HUMPHREYS, of Georgia,
was elected treasurer at the an
nual executive meeting of the
Newman Club Federation held in
Chicago this month.
SEVENTY-SIX New non-Catho-
lic religious bodies, formed by
, splits from other previously-exist
ing bodies or as a result of new
efforts, were established in the
United States since 1900, accord-
: ing to Information Service, pub-
L lished by the research and educa
tion department of the Federal
Council of Churches.
Georgetown to Receive
Rare Collection of
Letters. Manuscripts
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
WASHINGTON. — Georgetown
University announced that it is to
receive a gift from Miss Mary A.
Benjamin, of New York City, a
f rare collection of Catholic Ameri-
■ cana, as well as holograph letters
and manuscripts of noted Catholic
churchmen and Saints.
Miss Benjamin, director of a
' firm dealing in autographs and
: original manuscripts, spent many
years assembling her personal
collection of Catholic papers. She
i has called her collection the “Tal
bot Collection” in honor of the
Rev. Francis X. Talbot, S. J., of
j New York, for 21 years a member
1 of the staff of America, and its
‘ Editor-in-Chief for eight years.
The collection contains a holo
graph letter of St. Ignatius Loy-
l ola, believed the only Loyola let-
“Ter in this'country. Among other
items are lettersof St. Robert Bel-
larmine, St. Charles Borromeo, St.
Paul of the Cross and |5t. Vincent
de Paul. v>A",0 . ■
) An unusual letter of Charles
1 Carroll, signer of < the Declara
tion of : Independence . and, ctfusin
of Archbishop John Carroll,
founder of Georgetown College, is
among the papers pertaining, to
Catholic Americana. In addition
there are some fine letters by Car
dinal Newman, Mother Rose Haw-
, thome, Father Tabb and Brother
Damien.
Claim Franciscan
First Chaplain of
United States Army
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
ST. BONA VENTURE, N. Y.—
Historians at the War Department
in Washington, D. C., are poring
over ancient documents and rec
ords to determine whether the
honor of being the first Chaplain
in the United States Army belongs
to a French-Canadian Franciscan
Friar, who served in the Continen
tal Army during the Revolutionary
War.
The investigation has resulted
from a claim made by the Rev.
Irenaeus Herscher, O. F. M., libra
rian at St. Bonaventure College
here, who has devoted many years
to historical research.
In the recent commemoration of
the founding of the Army Chap
lains’ Corps, Father Herscher not
ed a statement made in a War De
partment booklet, “The Chaplain
Serves,” that the chaplain first
was recognized by the Continental
Congress on July 29, 1775. But
Father Herscher also noted that
no mention was made of the first
chaplain officially appointed, al
though the statement was made
that “the Reverend John Hurt of
Virginia ... is usually consider
ed the first chaplain in the Army
of the United States.”
“A native of the Quebec Dio
cese,” Father Herscher declares,
as the result of his research, “Fa
ther Francois Louis Chartier de
Lotbiniere, a Franciscan Recollect,
has the honor of being the first
Chaplain in the history of the
Chaplains’ Corps of the United
Stales Army.
“He was appointed on January
26. 1776, by General Benedict Ar
nold, and served in the Continen
tal Regiment of Colonel James
Livingston. His appointment was
officially confirmed by Congress
on August 12 of the same year,
thus making him the first of a
noble line of chaplains. He saw
active service from early 1776 to
January 1,* 1781, when his regi
ment was disbanded. He died in
the autumn of 1786.
- “This French - Canadian Friar,
who received his commission so
early in the struggle for American
Independence, was born in the
Diocese of Quebec on August 15,
1715, and raised to the priesthood
on September 23. 1741. When en
thusiastic youth joined the Conti
nental Army, Father Lotbinere
became chaplain of the regiment
commanded - by Colonel - Living
ston.”" ’ ’ ' ' ■
At the Office of the Chief of
Army Chaplains in Washington,!).
C.,' it was.stated'that the conclu
sions arrived at as the result of
Father Herscher’s research had
been turned over to Army histo
rians* The office emphasized the
difficulty in checking back such
records because of inadequate and
incomplete registers handed down
from Continental Army times.
(Cable. N: C. W. C. News Service)
CHUNGKING, CHINA. — De
claring himself deeply gratified by
the part American Catholics have
played in helping China, General
issimo Chiang Kai-Shek in a spe
cial interview requested Bishop
James E. Walsh, Superior General
of the Maryknoll Fathers, to con
vey China’s appreciation and
greetings to Catholics in the Unit
ed States and to invite more Amer
ican Catholic missionaries to
China after the war.
Bishop Walsh, who is in China to
make a visitation of the missions
staffed by Maryknoll priests, vis
ited the Generalissimo at the lat
ter’s home. He was accompanied
by the Rev. Mark Tennien of
Pittsford, Vt., Chungking Director
for Maryknoll; the Rev. James
Smith of East Norwalk, Conn., and
Francis Yell, Catholic member of
the Legislative Yuan, who acted as
interpreter.
“I am deeply gratified,” said the
Generalissimo, “by the part Amer
ican Catholics have played in
helping my country. Please convey
my appreciation and greetings, and
also those of my country to Amer
ican Catholics.”
Gen. Chiang Kai-shek then ask
ed about Bishop Paul Yu Pin, a
member of the People’s Govern-
By RICHARD T. BAKER
(Religious News Service
Correspondent)
KWEILIN, CHINA.—A total of
325 refugee missionaries and their
families have been evacuated
through Kweilin, gateway to
southwest China, in the past three
and one-half months as the Jap
anese have moved down the Can-
ton-Hankow Railway and threat
ened to cut off their stations from
contact with the outside world.
Mission stations in the Prov
inces of Kiangsi, Chekiang, Fu
kien, and Kwantung—all east of
the railway — and in Hunan,
where the fighting has been cen
tered, are almost entirely deplet
ed of foreign personnel today. The
one notable exception to this evac
uation has been Catholic person
nel.
Because their missions are sit
uated in villages and places re
mote from traffic lanes, and be
cause their clergy are without
families, the Catholics have in
many cases chosen to stay at their
posts, and* retain their personnel,
although their work has been se
riously disrupted.
Said Monsignor John Roman-
iello, Kweilin, who does not ex
pect to withdraw: “We shall go
ment who is now in the United
States. Bishop Walsh told him
that Bishop Yu Pin had made a
fine impression in the United
State and that he had greatly help
ed China’s cause by his efforts in
behalf of China.
Bishop Walsh thanked the Gen
eralissimo for the liberal treat
ment given missioners of enemy
nationality now at work in China.
These missioners were not intern
ed. The Generalissimo said the
missioners were doing much to
help his people and that he whs
grateful for their work.
Bishop Walsh told Chiang Kai-
shek that America was preparing
many missioners for post war
work. He asked if China would
like to have these priests and Sis
ters after the war.
“China will be privileged and
pleased to have them,” replied the
Generalissimo, “ we will encour
age their work in every way pos
sible.”
Bishop Walsh is expected to
leave Chungking shortly to begin
his visitation. Recent Japanese
thrusts towards Kweilin will make
much of his traveling difficult.
The majority of the Maryknollers
are working in ICwangtung and
Krangsi provinces and all of
them are threatened by the pres
ent invasion.
out on bicycles if the area is in
vaded. If the Japanese come in the
north gate, we shall go out the
south gate. It is as simple as that.”
In Hunan Province, site of the
300-year-old Italian mission, one
of the largest and oldest Christian
missions in the Orient, the Christ-
tian Community has suffered in
the general ravages of war that
have visited the area. In Heng-
yang alone, now a pile of rubble
and devoid of life, there were 10,-
000 Catholics. These have emi
grated west and scattered into vil
lages. Catholic personnel in the
Province was largely Italian Fran
ciscan. and it is not clear whether
the religious have stayed to meet
the Japanese, or withdrawn. It is
probable that they withdrew
slightly west into upper Hunan,
where the Chinese are still in con
trol.
A number of Polish priests and
two Canadian missionaries are
still at work in the hilts of Che
kiang Province.
There are more than 30 Ameri
can Catholic missionaries working
in Kiangsi Province who remain.
The Sisters of Charity, who were
at Kanchow in South Kiangsi,
(Continued on Page . Twelve).
NCOS Will Participate
in National War Fund
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
WASHINGTON. — In a state
ment noting that the National War
Fund will this year launch its
campaign beginning October 9
and ending November 11, by
Frank E. Cane, Acting Executive
Director of the National Catholic
Community Service, reminded the
NCCS, as a member agency of the
USO, will share in the total funds
subscribed to the National War
Fund in 48 states organizations and
10,000 communities throughout
the country.
Stressing the need for maintain
ing the splendid support which
the American people have given
to the needs of American service
men and women at home and
abroad, as well as those war pro
duction workers laboring on the
home front, Mr. Cane said: “Each
day we are facing a new set of
conditions which require the con
tinued support of the American
people who have so generously
welcomed the opportunity to serve
our men and women whenever
and wherever they can by con
tributing gifts of money to carry
on the splendid program of the
USO, which is financed by the
American people through the Na
tional War Fund.”
Mr. Cane stated that the need
for the broad base of support is
greater now than ever before.
More American men and women
are in the service and many more
are abroad. “A single contribu
tion,” he said, “reached out to ev
ery front because of the long arm
of USO which operates some 3,000
clubs and units in the Western
Hemisphere from Alaska to Brazil
and from Newfoundland to Ha
waii.
“The NCCS,” Mr. Cane said, “is
serving Catholic, Protestant and
Jewish servicemen and women,
their families, and war production
workers in more than 500 USO
clubs and units in 46 states and
the District of Columbia, with a
professional staff in excess of 700.”
He added that hundreds of Catho
lic organizations are providing
volunteers who contribute num
berless hours of work at USO-
NCCS operated clubs.
USO, composed of six private
welfare agencies, was organized to
supply spiritual, recreational, so
cial'and educational services to
persons in the armed forces and in
crowded war production commun
ities. The six member agencies
are the Young Men’s Christian As
sociation, National Catholic Com
munity Service, The Salvation
Army, Young Women’s Christian
Association, National Jewish Wel
fare Board, and National Travelers
Aid Association.
NCCS Opening
Clubs in Italy
By BURKE WALSH,
(N. C. W. C. News Service War
Correspondent)
ROME—(By Radio)—Sponsored
by the National Catholic Com
munity Service, an American
Catholic Club for Allied Soldiers
will be opened within a few days
in recently-occupied Florence and
a Chaplains’ Rest Center, acquir
ed in Naples, is ready to function,
it has been announced here by the
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Walter S. Carroll,
Military Vicar Delegate to the U.
S. Armed Forces in this war thea
ter and representative of the
NCCS.
The new installations bring to
six the number of overseas centers
which have been opened by Mon
signor Carroll. These include
American Catholic Clubs in Cairo,
Naples and Rome and a Chaplains’
Rest Center in the Maryknoll
House in Rome, all operated under
NCCS auspices.
The club in Florence will be
located in the historic and spa
cious Strozzi Palace, in the heart
of the city, while the .Chaplains’
Center in Naples will be housed in
the Villa Lauro di Portici, on the
beautiful and historic Bay of Na
ples. Both are magnificent struc
tures and steeped in Italian his
tory.
Catholic Missioners in China
Stay on as Japanese Advance