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THIRTY-FOUR
THE,BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
'AUGUST 25, 1945
Trailer Missionaries of the
Diocese of Richmond
On ‘Hour of Faith’
The article which follows,
which was written by the Rev.
Francis .1. Byrne. D. I)., man
aging editor THE CATHOLIC
VIRGINIAN, and W'hich appear
ed in the June, 1942, issue of
that publication, is the second in
a scries of articles which THE
BULLETIN is reprinting for the
purpose of making its readers
familiar with the work His Ex
cellency the Most Reverend Vin
cent S. Waters, D. I)., Bishop of
Raleigh, was engaged in when
lie was a member of the Mission
ary Band of the Diocese of Rich
mond.
It was a midsummer evening in
a small Virginia town. On the
spacious veranda of the neat,
white-painted houses, the villagers
are relaxing—the men in shirt
sleeves, the women in their cool
linen frocks—trying to catch a bit
of fresh air and refreshment after
the heat of a sweltering August
day.
Suddenly the stillness of the
summer air is broken by a blare
of martial music. Curious ears
lisle.i and. a little lazily perhaps,
the people wonder what is happen
ing now in town to break the
pleasant monotony of their lives.
Then someone remarks: “Oh, that
must be the Catholic trailer chapel
which I saw pull up on the lot
down by the Masonic Temple this
afternoon. Last week's paper said
that they played records over a
public address system to let the
people know that services are go
ing to be held. Let’s take a walk
down there and sec what it's all
about.’’
So they come, singly or in small
groups, to hear the “message”
which the Catholic preachers have
to offer. When they arrive at the
lot they find a lack of seating ac
commodations. so they approach
officers of the Masonic lodge and,
with their permission, bring chairs
from the Temple, in order that they
might assist at this Catholic service
in comfort.
The martial music gives way to
religious melodies, some of them
hymn t”.nes with which these non-
Catholic listeners are familiar.
Finally, the music is silenced and
a black-robcd priest steps on the
lighted platform, which has ( been
let down from the back of the
Trailer. After making the sign oi
the cross .the missioner begins im
mediately lo read from the scrip
tures, an action which makes a
startling impression On some of
these people, many of whom have
been taught from childhood that
Catholics haw no love for the
Bible.
After the Scripture reading, the
priest welcomes the people to the
gathering, explains the reason for
their coming and advises them that,
at this time on subsequent eve
nings. he or his associate will be
glad to answer any question ; about
the Catholic faith or practice
which they may care to propose
personally or deposit in the ques
tion box on he platform. He then
announces to them that, after a
short religious musical interlude,
his associate will appear to deliver
the opening sermon, after which
the Fathers will be glad to meet
them personally, answer any in
quiries 'he.v might care to make,
give them Catholic literature to
read and invite them to inspect
the t ailer and its arrangements.
This, in brief, is the plan adopted
by the Richmond Diocesan Mis
sionary Fatheis for their services
from the trailer chapel, Saint
Maiy of the Highways. On one
night ol their two-weeks sojourn
in each town they give an explana
tion of the altar and its furnishings
and of . .ass vestments,, and show a
moving picture of the Mass with
running commentary by one of
the Fathers. Also during the mis
sion they show a picture of the life
of Christ, “King of Kings," and
“The Great Heart,” a movie “short"
based on the '.'fe of Father Damien.
The roen who do this work are
the Missionary Fathers, a band of
three diocesan priests organized in
1937 by the Most Rev. Peter L.
Ireton, D. D., then Coadjutor
Bishop of Ri.-hmond. Their number
is usually augmented by the addi
tion of one man during the trailer
mission season.
The chapel, Saint Mary of the
Highways, is a fine example of
trailer planning and construction.
Its steel body contains comfortable
quarters for the two Missionary
Fathers who man it, as well as
plenty of storage space for every
thing needed in their work.. There
are comfortable seats, which at
night become restful beds. There
is an office, with a desk and shelves
for reference books, as well as a
generous supply of pamphlets and
other literature for distribution to
the people. There are cupboards
for food and dishes, an ice box,
electric hot plate, and a sink with
running water.
The chapel's altar is a little gem
of beauty. It is wood and is ar
ranged that the priest may say
Mass on either side. With the
trailer closed, a few people can be
accomodated for Mass, but, if a
larger congregation is present, the
back of the trailer is opened and
the altar, which is just inside the
rear platform, is arranged for open-
air Mass.
Has the trailer work been suc
cessful? In three seasons—the
trailer operates only from mid-
May to late September — the
Fathers talked to audiences total
ing about 35.000 people, many of
whom had never seen a priest be
fore. They have covered most of
those areas of the Richmond
diocese where there are no priests
and sometimes not even a Catholic
chapel. They have distributed
over 50.000 pieces of literature
absolutely free of charge. They
are sending to 450 non-Catholic
homes 10,800 pieces of Catholic
literature each year, also free of
charge.
Hero we might mention that no
money is ever accepted from the
audiences to whom the Fathers
preach, since they are practically
all non-Catholic. The work of the
trailer missions is supported al
most entirely by voluntary contri
butions of Catholics throughout
the Richmond diocese.
Also, as a result of the trailer
missions, twelve non-Catliolics
are at present receiving a corre
spondence course of instruction in
the Catholic faith. This course is
conducted by seminarians of the
diocese studying at Saint Mary'.;
Sc tinary. Baltimore. Some few
converts have already entered the
Church because of the trailer mis
sions.
In these three years, the Dio
cesan Missionary Fathers have
preached two-week missions in
thirty distinctly rural and non-
I Catholic communities. They seize
every opportuni'y to engage tlje
people in conversation and thus
they have made many wa;m
friends of people who before look
ed up the Church and her priests
vvilh distrust and suspicion. They
have been < mighty propaganda
agency for the Church in an area
which is still distinctly missionary.
Here are some few instances
which may illustrate the effective
ness of the trailer mission work.
The scene with whic' we opened
this story actually took place in
Heathsville, a lovely little town j
in Virginia's Northern Neck, the
peninsula between the Rappah in-1
nock and Potomac rivers. There
the Fat hex; spoke to splendid audi- J
ences every night of their stay i
and there is not one Catholic in!
Heathsville or its environs. The I
people could not do enough to make 1
the Fathers feel perfectly at home
among them. The press, repre-'
rented by the Northumberland!
Kcho, was mast courteous and co
operative carrying stories of the
services ana accounts of the ser
mons on its front page. This has
been true of the press in every
place the Fathers have visited.
On the last Saturday of the Mis
sionaries’ stay in Heathsville, the
members of the local Methodists
church held their annual picnic.
At about seven o’clock that eve
ning the crowd attending the fes
tivities began gradually to di-perse.
Some of those who stayed behind
were puzzled al this abrupt termi
nation of the picnic and asked
where everyone was going. Be
lieve it or not, the answer was,
•that they were going lo the Cath
olic “meeting.”
From Heathsville and from other
places the Fathers still receive let
ters from friends whom they made
in their travels and occasionally
one of them drops in for a visit at
Saint Mary’s Mission Church, the
headquarters of the Fathers in
Richmond. Not infrequently these
non-Calholic people write to tell
the Fathers of their trials and dif
ficulties and ask prayers for them
selves or their loved ones.
There is a touching incident,
which took place during a mission
at Chase City last summer. Among
the most faithful auditors in that
town was a sixty-five year old man.
REV. THOMAS E. O’CONNELL,
pastor of St. Paul’s Church, Rich
mond. Va., and Executive Chair
man of the Catholic Committee
of the South, who "is delivering a
series of nine addresses “On Go
ing A Journey", on the “Hour of
Faith” program, during August
and September. The “Hour of
Faith” is produced by the National
Council of Catholic Men, in coop
eration with the American Broad
casting Company, and is broadcast
each Sunday at 11:30 a. m. (EWT)
over the nationwide stations of
ABC.
Dates and titles of Father O'Con
nell’s talks are: August 5, “Our
Invitation;” August 12, “We Plan
Our Trip;" August 19, “We Arrive
at the Station;” August 26, “We
Board the train:" September 2,
“The Scenes We Pass;” September
9, “We Dine;" September 16,
“The Folks We Meet;” September
23, “On Passing the Time,” and
September 30, “The Journey's
End.”
Father O'Connell, who graduated
from Holy Cross College in
1917, served as a sergeant during
World War 1. He completed his
study for the priesthood at Bel
mont Abbey Seminary, Belmont,
N. C., and did post-graduate work
at the Catholic University of Am
erica. 1-Ie has been pastor of St.
Paul's Church, in Richmond, for
twenty years. He is a former com
mander of the American Legion
Post in Richmond, and at present
is chaplain of the “40 and 8."
Advance Class Completes
Chaplains’ School Course
FT. OGLETHORPE, Ga.—The
Advanced Class of the first session
of the Chaplain School held at Ft.
Oglethorps concluded during the
week of August 7. The school was
recently removed from Ft. Devons*
Mass. The benediction at the
graduation exercises was given by
Capt. John J. Roche, C. M. Chap
lains in the Advanced Class arc
those with overseas experience.
The Basie Course, taken by the
majority of the 154 chaplains at
the school will continue to August
25. Col. Maurice W. Reynolds is
Commandant of the school and LI.
Col. Terence P. Finnegan, a priest
of the Diocese of. Har tford, is As
sistant Commandant.
physically a veritable giant, who
came every night lo the services
directly from his work, dressed in
his faded blue overalls On the day
the Fathers were to leave Chase
City, he left his.war/ to bid them
farewell. He stood beside the
trailer, his great size and his ven
erable old age making him 'appear
like Moses of old a:; he raised his
hands over his head and prayed
thus:
“Oh. God. take care of these two
pastors: bless them and their work
with every blessing, so that they
may bring the message of light and
truth lo many wandering souls.
They have taught me the truth
and showed me the light. Oh, God,
bring them back. Amen.”
With that he dropped his hands,
warmly clasped those of the
Fathers and murmured as he turn
ed away: “Pray for my dear old
mother. She was a good Christian
woman.”
During the 'month of May the
Diocesan Missionary Fathers again
set forth in Saint. Mary of the
Highways to bring the message of
Christ’s life and passion and death
and of the Church which he found
ed to many who do not know Him,
or who know Him but imperfectly.
Again their field of labor will be
Southside Virginia, where county
upon county is without priest or
church. May God bring success to
their efforts and give them fruit of
souls.
British Officer
Defends Leopold,
King of Belgium
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
I LONDON.—On behalf of King
Leopold of the Belgians, ir.terest-
!' ing evidence was given by Lord
Keyes, a non-Catholic, who was
British liaison officer to the Bel-
j gian Army at the time of its sur-
: render in 1940. In a letter to the
| London Times commenting on the
debate in the Belgian Parliament,
Lord Keyes accused M. Spaak,
one of the King’s most vehement
opponents, of making, will) his col
leagues, “ceaseless efforts . .
. between May 14 and May 24, 1940,
I to persuade King Leopold to de
sert his army.”
The Belgian political attitude,
Lord Keyes added, “certainly
alarmed him” because “the fate of
the small British army, during
their retreat, depended on the
steadfastness of the Belgian Army
on the northeast flanks.” Only
the inspiration and leadership of
King Leopold enabled that army lo
make a stand "almost as gallant
as their fathers had done during
the last war -under King Albert,
who had also been urged by his
Prime Minister to abandon his
army,’ ’the writer added.
But for “Leopold’s refusal to
fly with M. Spaak and his col
leagues many thousands of British
soldiers who escaped to Dunkirk
would surely have perished or
been captured,” Lord Keyes con
cluded.
MISSIONS AT CHURCHES IN
WAYNESVILLE, BRYSON CITY
WAYNESVILLE, N.C.—The Very
Rev. H. Louis Motry, S. T. D., J.
C. D., Dean of the Faculty of Can-
j on Law at the Catholic University
, of America in Washington, D. C.,
j conducted a mission for Catholics
and non-Catholic:: * at St. John’s
Church here, August 12-14, and a
similar mission at St. Joseph’s
Church. Bryson City, August 17-19.
Apostolic Delegate
Leads Victory Day
Service in Capital
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
WASHINGTON. — Unrestrained
joy mingled with deep reverence
marked the observance in the na
tion's capital of the conclusion of
the war in the Pacific.
His Excellency the Most Rev. Am-
leto Giovanni Cocognani, Aposto
lic Delegate to the United Stales,
officiated at a Solemn Te Deum
service in St. Patrick’s Church, fol
lowed by Benediction of the Most
Blessed Sacrament, al which he
was celebrant. The Apostolic Dele
gate officiated at similar services
in the same church when V-E Day
was proclaimed last May.
On the present occasion, the
Very Rev. Lyle McDonald, S. S.,
served as deacon, and the Rev.
Thomas Dade was subdeacon. The
singing of the Te Deum was led by
the choir of the theological college
of the Catholic University of Am
erica.
The Cathedral of St. Matthew
the Apostle was the scene of an
impressive service oLthanksgiving,
as was the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception on the
campus of the Catholic University
of America. Celebrant of the Bene
diction at the Shrine service was
the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Edward B. Jor
dan. Vice Rector of the university.
Thousands of the faithful visited
churches in the Washington metro
politan area on the Feast of the
Assumption. Virtually all of the
two-score churches in the area
held special services to mark
the coming victory.
Additional rites were held
throughout all the churches in the
area in compliance with the proc
lamation of President Harry S.
Truman that a day be observed as
one of thanksgiving to God for the
victory and “in praying that He
will support and guide us into the
paths of peace.”
Best Wishes
From
MRS, H. E. CHESHIRE
Produce
1509 WALTON WAY
AUGUSTA. GA.
Compliments
-of-
THE SOUTHERN
COTTON OIL CO.
Augusta, Georgia
Best Wishes From
BUDWINE
BOTTLING COMPANY
Augusta, Georgia