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FEBRUARY 24, 1945
THE_BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
SEVEN
Parish in Sumter Founded
More Than 100 Years Ago
St. Anne s Church, Sumter, South Carolina, serves a parish the history of which extends back for
more than a century. The present church and rectory were erected during the time that the late
Right Reverend Monsignpr Charles Dubois Wood, P. A., was serving as pastor in Sumter. The Rev John
P. Clancy is the present pastor, with the Rev. Timothy J. McGrath, assistant pastor. St. Jude’s Church
™ lc h serves the Colored parish in Sumter, is a charge of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, with the
Rev. Philip Reed, O. M. I„ and the Rev. George Croft, O. M. I„ as the priests in charge
Member of Colored Parish in Fayetteville
Granted Private Audience by Pope Pius XII
(Special to The Bulletin)
FAYETTE VILE, N. C.—Declar
ing that lie had experienced the
happiest moment of his life, Ser
geant Spaulding Price, a mem
ber of St. Ann’s, the Colored
parish here, relates in a letter to
his pastor, the Rev. William P.
Ryan, O. M. I., liis experiences at
the Vatican, where he was priv-
. ileged to have a private audience
with His Holiness Pope Pius XII.
Sergeant Price’s letter read as
follows:
“Dear Father Ryan:
“If someone were to ask me
wliat was the happiest moment of
my life. I could easily answer it
now, without a moment’s hesita
tion.
“During, mv lour of duty in
Italy, I had the opportunity of
visiting Rome along with some of
the other fellows. When we ar
rived jn Rome, I separated from
the party and said that I was go
ing and chat with the Pope. I
said it as a joke because I did not
have the least idea that it was pos
sible but I was determined to try
anvway.
“So I arrived at the Vatican
about 11:30 in the morning and
after a lot of inciuiring. I found
the palace. By that time’ T was
feeling a little uneasy, but like
a good soldier, I had the courage
to go on even though I was
afraid. At the entrance of the
Pope’s palace 1 passed two Royal
(Swiss) Guards. I expect.ed them
to Hop me. In fact, I wished they
had so I could inquire some more,
but they let me nass without hard
ly noticing me. Now I found my
self in the palace a place that’s
as near as beautiful as Heaven as
any building man will ever build.
By this time I was nervous and I
was at last told that I would have
to see one of th“ Pope’s chaplains
or his secretary before I could see
His Holiness.
“I can sneak Italian, so I did
not find it very hard convincing
the Pope’s secretary, who was a
Cardinal, how necessary it was for
me to see the Holy Father, be
cause T did not know when I
might be killed. It could happen
anytime and I wished to sec the
Pope before I died. The Cardinal
thought my storv amusing, but
very earnest and promised to do
what he could for me. In the
meantime I was to walk around
with a oriest who would show Ino.
about fl”' nalace. B” this time. I
was feeling ouite at ease. but
where were ail the G. I.’s that I
heard visited the Vatican? I could
sure use the company of about a
dozen of them to help me see this
through.
“The nrwst tbH was with me
made me fori at home, and said
that I should write when tliinv-
get; better. I will not now loll
about all the wonderful works of
aril describing the lives of the
saints, etc because there * is too
much to begin writing about.
“When I had rocn much of the
Vatican T was told that I was to
go in and see the Pope, and here
is the amusing thing. I had
brushed up on my Italian the
whole day previously, preparing
a conversation and to my surprise,
the Holy Father spoke perfect
English, f did not find it hard to
talk to the Ilol" Father, because
alter seeing the expression on
his face, when I first entered, I
knew that as a Catholic, I had a
right to be here. Then I was no
longer shy, but instead realized
what a blessing this was, and we
conversed about different things:
First, Archbishop Francis J. Spell
man; second, my home and fam
ily; third, my church and parish
priest. Wc talked about twelve
minutps. His Holiness then asked
me to kneel down. I did so and
was given a special benediction,
and a rosary. Then I departed
smiling, the happiest man in the
world.”
Greenville NCOS Club
Grows in Popularity
GREENVILLE, S. C.—At the
Monthly meeting of the volunteer
corps of the National Catholic
Community Service, held on Feb
ruary 2. reports showed an in
crease in the popularity of the
club here and in the enthusiasm
of the volunteer workers. Ten
new volunters. were added, and
three hundred served at the club
during January.
J. Carroll Magarahan was named
parliamentarian, and Mrs. W. L.
Brigham, chairman of the welfare
committee. Mrs. Jack Kearney
reported on the spaghetti supper
given for the ’teen-age group and
thanked the kitchen committee for
their assistance and Mrs. Sudie
Mulligan and Bob Milan for ar
ranging entertainment programs.
Six spaghetti suppers were served
last month-
The quarterly commun
ion-breakfast is being held-on the
fourth Sunday of February. Let
ters were read from boys in the
service who had received their
Christmas packages, and the Rev.
Sydney F. Dean suggested that
Easter remembrances be sent to
all members of St. Mary’s parish
serving with the armed forces.
Mrs. Francis, McNamara, chair
man of the special service com
mittee, reported that 2,300 service
men and women had visited tlu
club during January, and that
twenty-one programs of entertain
ment had been arranged.
New members of the volunteer
corps are: Mrs. Lewis Barbare,
Mrs. James O’Rourke. Mrs. June
Scott, Misses Mary Slattery, Mrs.
Alic- Tate, Lumia Dumit. Anna
Magarahan. Cpl. Bill La Rue and
Alfred Milam.
USO lapel pins were awarded
Mrs. Jack Kearney, Mrs. A. B.
Bissinar, Mrs. L. C. Sease, Miss
Mary Jo Bissinar and Alfred Mi
lam.
NCCS WOMEN’S DIVISION
IN CHARLESTON HOST TO
GROUP OF CADET NURSES
CHARLESTON, S. C. — The
Women’s Division USO - NCCS
Club here entertained a group of
Cadet Nurses from St. Francis
Xavier Hospital and a group of
soldiers from Stark General Hos
pital at a Communion breakfast
on January 29.
The library of the club was
decorated witli flowers for the
occasion and Junior Hostesses
welcomed and served the guests.
This was the first in a series of
events that the Women’s Division
lias planned for the Cadet Nurses.
Mr. and Mrs. John O’Gorman
of Blackville Parish
Celebrate Golden Wedding
(Special to The Bulletin)
BLACKVILLE, S. C.—Mr. and
Mrs. John O’Gorman, of Black
ville, had members of their family
and many of their friends with
them on February 5. when they
celebrated the fiftieth annivesary
of their marriage. The occasion
was an outstanding one not only
because the well-beloved couple
were presented with so many
lovely gifts in gold, but because of
other nptes of sentiment.
Many friends of the family not
only from Blackville. but from
Orangeburg, Aiken and Augusta,
called to extend their good wishes
for continued health and happi
ness.
Two daughters of the family,
who are Sisters of Charity, were
not able to be present for the an
niversary celebration, but called
their parents over long distance
telephone. They are Sister Chris
tine. director of the School of
Nursing at St. Vincent’s Hospital.
Jacksonville, Fla.. and Sister
Eleanor, of St. Martin’s School,
Baltimore, Md.
Two other daughters, Mrs. Vic
tor G. Dorr and Mrs. Louis Con
nelly, and a son Farrell O’Gor
man, of Blackville, were with Mr.
and Mrs. O’Gorman on their an
niversary, as were a number of
grandchildren.
Mr. and Mrs. O'Gorman were
assisted in receiving their guests
by Mr. and Mrs. Farrell O’Gorman,
Captain L. J. Connelly and Mrs.
Connelly, formerly Miss Dorothy
O’Gorman, and by three grand
children. Jack Farrell Dorr. John
Farrell O’Gorman, Jr., and Thomas
O Gorman. Mrs. Victor Dorr was
assisted in serving the guests by
two other grandchildren, Eleanor
Dorr and Joan O'Gorman.
Three of the grandchildren of
Mr. and Mrs. O'Gorman were not
able to be present, Corporal Victor
O Gorman Dorr, who is serving
with the Army Air Forces overseas;
Kathleen O’Gorman, who is at
tending Duke University, and Ann
Farrell Dorr, who is a student at
the Visitation Convent, George
town, D. C.
During the afternoon, Mrs.
Charles Arthur Buist, of Black
ville, offered a program of violin
music, with Miss Anne Webb, of
Katluvood, and Mrs. James Gil
lespie, of Aiken, as accompanists.
At an anniversary Mass which
was offered at the Sacred Heart
Church here, the Rev. Vincent
Watson, C.SS.R., read a message
of felicitation and congratulation
from His Holiness Pope Pius XII,
who imparted a special Papal
Blessing to Mr. and Mrs. O’Gor
man on the memorable occasion.
At the anniversary Mass, which
was offered by the Rev. Edward
Donahue, C. SS. R., Louis O’
Gorman, the youngest grandson of
Mr. and Mrs. O’Gorman, received
his first Holy Communion.
Before her marriage fifty years
ago, Mrs. O'Gorman was Miss
Ann Farrell of this city. She and
Mr. O’Gorman still live in the
home in which they were mar
ried.
PROTESTS FROM WAR VET
ERANS’ and women’s civic groups
have caused authorities in San An
tonio, Texas, to cancel permission
for Jehovah's Witnesses meetings
in city recreational buildings .
SUMTER, S. C.—A hundred and
five years ago the Right Reverend
John England, Bishop of Charles
ton, established the Catholic
Parish of Sumter District. Father
Edward Quigley was appointed its
first pastor. He built a church at
Providence Plantation a few miles
north of Sumter. The Church was
blessed by Bishop England in 1833
and dedicated under the patronage
of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the
congregation numbered about
thirty souls.
This house of prayer was aban
doned in 1848, because all the
parishioners had moved, and a
lot was bought in Sumter Town
ship on West Liberty Street. The
old Methodist Church was bought,
remodeled as the new Caiholie
Church. This was dedicated by
the Right Reverend Ignatius A.
Reynolds in 1849 under the patron
age of St. Lawrence Martyr. In
1879 the church building was re
built and used until shortly be
fore it was torn down in 1906.
From that time until the com
pletion of the present St. Anne’s
Church the Catholics of Sumter
were welcomed by the Sisters of
Our Lady of Mercy into their
chapel at St. Joseph's Academy.
There mass was celebrated every
Sunday and week day, and the
many spiritually rich devotions of
the church were also held in the
chapel.
The Reverend Dr. Jeremiah P.
O’Conneli is his “Catholicity in the
Carolinas and Georgia” says "The
earliest and leading Catholic
families were the Sumters and
Spanns. Mrs. Sumter was the
relict of the distinguished Revolu
tionary General of that name, and
after whom the District is named.”
He also mentions a large number
of other well known Catholic citi
zens, among whom are: Brownfield,
Poole, Hulbert, Hon. T. J. Coglan,
who was elected State Senator and
afterwards Sheriff of the County;
Bogan, Patrick O’Sullivnn, James
and John Barrett; Feeney, Harney,
O’Connor, Monoghan, Kennedy,
McKain, Moran, Reardon, Tuomey,
Morrisey and Eberhart.
On May 21, 1911 the present
church was dedicated under' the
patrohage of Saint Anne. It was
built under the able direction of
the late Monsignor Charles Dubois
Woods. The new building was
made possible by the generous
legacies of Alice W. Poole and Ella
B. Tuomey. Other generous con
tributors were: Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas B. Jenkins, now of Rich
mond, Ind.: Neill O’Donnell, John
W. McKeiver, George W. Epper
son. Mrs. Mary Barrett. Mrs. A. A.
Monaehan and family; Mr. and
Mrs. 11. R. Van Dc Venter, now of
New York; Mm. Eugene M
the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy
Mrs. William A Bryan, Frank O'
Donnell, Rev. W. P. O'Donnell.
Bultman, McHugh, McGrath. Peter
and Patrick Gallagher; Schwerin
Sykes, Reardon, Morrissey, Ryan,
Delgar. Allen, Moran, Teic'.iers,
Pitts, Howard, Eberhart.
Among the prominent citizens
of Sumter who are well known
for their great public benefac
tions and interest in civic proj
ects were the late Timothy J. and
Ella B. Tourney whose generous
bequests established the far fam
ed Tuomey Hospital. Their .be
quest was more than tenfold in
creased by the late Neill O’Don
nell who willed almost his entire
fortune to this charitable institu
tion. Miss Alice W. Poole left
funds for the poor of Sumter as
did Mrs. Tourney. The City of
Sumter as well as its citizens has
benefitted from the generous do
nation of land by Thomas B. Jen
kins for a city -recreation center.
It is for him the "Jenkins Cen
ter” is named.
From 1938 through 1941 a large
number of Missions and churches
were part of St. Anne’s Parish. It
then extended over six counties
including the towns of Cheraw,
Bennettsville, BishopviUe. Harts-
ville. Manning and Summerton.
During that time mission
churches were built in Bishop-
ville and Hartsville. The present
Parish lines include Clarendon
and Sumter counties.
Tlie public benefactions and
charities of the parishioners of
St. Anne’s Church are prover
bial. Whether for the wayfarer,
hungry and stranded or for calls
of public or private community
charities there has always been a
fulsome and generous response.
All visitors have admired the
interior of St. Anne’s Church,
The ground plan of the building is
that of a Latin Cross; its interior
and exterior architecture is Eng
lish Gothic. Tlie windows of the
r.ave have emblems of the Seven
Sacraments. The chief feature of
the interior of the church is the
beautiful altar of Italian marble.
The side shrines are made to con
form to the main altar and are
surmounted by statues of the
Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph.
On the main altar of this sacred
edifice is offered each morning
for the glory of God and the sal
vation of souls the Holy Sacrifice
of The Eucharist, the ancient
Christian Sacrifice, the offering
of Jesus Christ Himself, foretold
by the Phophet Malachais and in
stituted by Our Lord at the Last
Supper.
Unique among the beautiful
stained glass windows is one ded
icated: “TO THE CONFEDER
ATE DEAD." This is the north
window of the eastern transept
and displays the Battle Flags of
the Southern lost cause. Inscrib
ed with a verse from Father
Ryan’s immortal poem, “The Con
quered Banner,” which reads:
“It will live in song and story,
Though its folds are in the dust.”
No history or outline history of
St. Anne’s Parish would be com
plete without something of St.
Joseph’s Academy being mention
ed. In 1862 the Sisters of Our
Lady of Mercy came to Sumter to
establish their convent. St. Jos
eph’s Academy .was the first edu
cational institution in the City of
Sumter. In. 1867 a new building
was erected for the convent and
Academy and the new Chapel
was dedicated November 22, 1896.
The Sisters of Our Lady of
Mercy, bequeathed the Neill
O’Donell home, resided there hav
ing named it St. Catherine’s Con
vent.
Pastors of Sumter’s Catholic
Parish have been: Father Edward
Quigley, 1838-1848; Father Jere
miah J. O’Connell, 1848-1862; Fa
ther Timothy J. Sullivan, 1862-
1865; Father Augustus J. McNeal,
1865-1909; Monsignor Charles
Dubois Wood, 1909-1912: Father
Louis E. Forde, 1912-1915; Father
Nicholas A. Murphy, 1915-1917;
Father Dennis P. Lanigan, 1917-
1918; Father Joseph F, Mahoney,
1918-1922; Father James D.
Quinn, 1922-1935; Father William
G. Mulvihill, Administrator, 1935-
1937. Father John P. Clancy has
been pastor since 1937.
Priests who have served as as
sistants in Sumter are: The Rev.
A. A. Plikunas, now Pastor of
Our Lady of Mercy Church,
Charleston; the Rev. Lawrence J.
Sheedy. assistant at the Cathedral
of St. John the Baptist in Char
leston, and the Rev. Louis Rem-
bert Williamson, pastor of St.
Mary’s Church, Hartsville.
The Rev. Timothy J. McGrath
is at present Assistant Pastor of
St. Anne’s Parish.
Alumnae Association of
Sacred Heart, Belmont,
Forms New Chapters
(Special to The Bulletin)
BELMONT, N. C.—The Alum
nae Association of the Sacred
Heart Junior College is in the
midst of a busy year. Since Us
organization last August, the asso
ciation has organized chapters in
Gastonia. Mount Holly. Belmont
and Wilmington in North Carolina,
and Charleston, S. C., and Savan
nah, Ga.
Some weeks ago, the association
held an open house at the college,
with approximately 500 members
of the alumnae and t,heir friends
attending.
Various chapters have presented
interesting programs for the stu
dent body. The Gastonia Chapter
presented Miss Star Chan'L-u - ,
Red Cross entertainer, home after
a tour of duty in the Asiatic-Paci-
fice theatre of operation. CapL
Richard Langen, Catholic chaplain
at Morris Field, Charlotte, and
Capt. James Duffy, recently re
turned from bombing missions in
the European theatre, were pre
sented by the Mount Holly Chap
ter. The Belmont Chapter pre
sented Edward Scheldt, chief of
the Federal Bureau of Investiga
tion’s office in Charlotte.
Plans are already being made
for Homecoming at the college
commencement when class re
unions will be held, graduates of
fifty years will be honored and
prominent speakers will be pre
sented.
Efforts are being made to corn-
tact “lost" alumnae, and all for
mer students of the Sacred Heart
College who have not yet filed
questionnaires for the associa
tion’s record are asked to com
municate witli the office of tlie
Alumnae Association at the col
lege.