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TWENTY SIX
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LA YMEN’S ASSOCIATION
OF ^GEORGIA
SEPTEMBER 28, 1946
REX HARDWARE CO.
1128 Broad Street
Augusta, Ga.
BARTON HOUSE WRECKING CO.
Used Lumber, Sashes, Doors,
All Kinds of Building Material
1229 D’Antignac Street Augusta, Ga.
William J. Heffernan, Jr.
126 Eighth Street Dial 2-2931
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
GENERAL INSURANCE
Fire, Automobile, Burglary, Bonds
Greetings From
“The Robert E. Lee”
Excursion Steamboat
on the
Savannah River
McNEILL-ROBERTS
ELECTRIC COMPANY
472 Broad Street Augusta, Ga.
Best Wishes
to
the Members
of the
Catholic Laymen’s
Association
Commercial, Industrial, House Wiring
REPAIRS
Father Cairns, of Maryknoll,
Taken Prisoner by Japanese,
Officially Declared “Dead'
iff
OSSINING. N. Y. _(NC)—The
Rev. Robert J. Cairns, Maryknoll
missioner, has been officially de
clared ddad, headquarters of the
Catholic Foreign Mission Society
announced here.
The present announcement cul
minates several years of search
and conflicting rumors following
Father Cairns’ disappearance
from Sancian Island. China, in
the wake of the Japanese inva
sion at the outbreak of the war.
At the time of his disappearance
in 1941, he was 57 years old.
According to the most reliable
information available. Father
Cairns was shot aboard a Japa
nese patrol boat and his body
thrown into the China Sea. Events
leading up to his death can now
be reconstructed.
Five days alter Pearl Harbor a
Japanese officer told Father
Cairns that the United States and
Japan were at war and advised
him to leave Sancian Island at
once. The priest replied that he
could not leave until he had re
ceived permission from his Bish
op and that he wished to remain
with his Christians..
After the officer had left, Fath
er Cairns made preparations to
evacuate his staff, including a
group of Maryknoll Sisters sta
tioned on the island. He hired
two boats to run the blockade and
on the night of December 16 dis
patched the group to the China
mainland. That was the last time
any American saw him alive.
The following morning a Japa
nese patrol boat drew up at the
island, Father Cairns was ordered
aboard, and he and his Chinese
assistant sailed into oblivion. The
succeeding months added rumor
upon rumor. Reports reached the
Maryknoll missioners in China
that Father Cairns had been kill
ed. Chinese on Sancian said his
body had been thrown into the
sea. In the currents off Sancian
fishermen found a Panama hat
identified as Father Cairns’.
Christians reported that the Jap
anese had burned all the priest’s
books and clothing on the beach.
On the other hand, vague re
ports drifted in that Father
Cairns was alive. The Red Cross
reported a rumor that he was
held a prisoner. Another report
placed him in custody in Macao.
A message through the Swiss
Consulate placed him in Canton.
Finally a Chinese puppet sol
dier of Japan told the Christians
on Sancian Island that Father
Cairns was dead. He said that
he himself had been forced by
the Japanese to fire the fatal shot,
not long after the boat carrying
I he missionary had left Sancian.
The priest’s body was thrown into
the ocean, he related.
Father Cairns was born in Glas-
FATIIER CAIRNS
gow,' Scotland, in 1884 and came
to this country as an infant. He
received his early education in
Worcester, Mass. After complet
ing his studies at Holy Cross Col
lege in 1914, he entered St.
Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, lat
er transferring to Maryknoll to
prepare for foreign mission work.
He was ordained at St. Joseph’s
Seminary, Yonkers, N. Y., in 1918,
and two years rater assigned to
Kongmoon, China.
Father Cairns was appointed
pastor and custodian of the shrine
on Sancian Island which marked
the place where St. Francis Xav
ier died and was buried as he
sought to enter China. Today the
shrine lies in ruins from the
shells of a Japanese destroyer.
At the outbreak of the Chi-
nese-Japanese war Father Cairns
left the island to take up relief
work on the mainland. He was
appointed a member of the ex
ecutive committee of the Canton
International Red Cross and
placed in charge of the distribu
tion of food, clothes and medicine
at the Shameen Refugee Camp
where over 10,000 people were
cared for daily. He returned to
Sancian just befoi-e Pearl Harbor.
(Editor’s Note: Father Cairns
had a number of friends in Au
gusta, where he visited on sev
eral occasions when he was in
this country on vacation from his
missionary labors in China. Au
gusta’s famous golf courses held
a great attraction for the mission
ary priest. Following his return
to China, he corresponded regu
larly with the present editor of
The Bulletin, until the outbreak
of war in the Pacific.)
New Assignments for
Assistant Pastors in
Diocese of Charleston
(Special to The Bulletin)
CHARLESTON, S. C—Mon
signor John L. Manning, D. D.,
Chancellor of the Diocese of
Charleston, has announced that
the following changes in assign
ments of clergy of the Diocese
have been made by His Excel
lency the Most Rev. Emmet M.
Walsh, D. D., Bishop of Charles
ton.
Father Thomas M. Jellico. who
has been serving as assistant rec
tor of the Cathedral of St. John
the Baptist, in Charleston, has
been appointed assistant pastor of
St. Francis de Sales Church. Co
lumbia.
Father Louis F. Sterker, re
cently ordained, ha« been ap
pointed assistant rector of the
Cathedral in Charleston.
Father Louis J. Hubacz, who
has been assistant pastor of St.
Peter’s Church, Columbia, has
been appointed assistant pastor of
St. Mary's Church, in Charleston,
and will also serve as a member of
(he faculty of Bishop England
High School.
Father Frederick H. Suggs, who
was ordained this spring, has been
appointed assistant pastor of St.
Mary's Church, Georgetown.
Father Nicholas R. Bayard,
also ordained this spring, has been
appointed assistant pastor of St.
Mary Help of Christians Church,
Aiken.
Father Allan R. Jeffords, an
other of the priests ordained for
the Diocese of Charleston, this
spring, who has been serving at
St. Anthony’s Church, Florence,
has been appointed assistant pas-
Two More Councils in
Georgia Gain K. of C.
Star Council Rating
(Special to The Bulletin)
MACON, Ga.—Notice has been
received by State Deputy John J.
McCreary, that two more subor
dinate councils in Georgia, Atlan
ta Council, No. 660, and Henry
Thomas Ross Council, No. 1939,
Brunswick, have been added to
the list of K. of C. councils
achieving Star Council rating,
thus recording 100 per cent com
pliance by all councils in Georgia
with the Order’s Five Point Pro
gram of Progress. .
It was learned at the Supreme
Convention held at Miami Beach
last month, that Atlanta Council
lias sent a sufficient number of
applications for insurance mem
bership to the Supreme Physi
cian’s office before June 30, to
merit the Insurance Honor Roll
when they had been approved.
These approvals were enterd af
ter the list of Star Councils had
been announced, and, a request
that ffcay be credited to the pre
vious administration, headed by
William J. McAlpin, of Atlanta, as
state deputy, vns approved.
Henry Thomas Ross Council
had earned Membership and In
surance Honor Roll certificates
early in the year, but the grand
knight's report of compliance had
not been received by the Supreme
Council when the June 30 list
was compiled.
Tiie six K. of C. councils in
Georgia are aiming for a quarter-
of-a-million dollar increase in in
surance during 1946 and have pro
duced $152,000 of approved in
surance before June 30.
Thomas O*Connell
Dies in Way cross
WAYCROSS, Ga.—Thomas
O’Connell, a resident of Way cross
for thirty-two years, died on
September 18. Funeral services
were held from the Cathedral of
St. John the Baptist, in Savananh,
Father John Hillmann, S. M. of St.
Joseph’s Church, Waycross, offer
ing the Requim Mass, with Father
George Daly, Father Walter Dono
van, and Father John Ryan, C.
S. V„ of Savannah, assisting.
Pallbearers were Edward -
Ileagarty, Julian S. Solomon, 4
Harry M. Wilson, Walter E. Lee,
Philip Friberg and B. W. Cun
ningham.
Mr. O’Connell, a native of Val
dosta, was the son of the late Jo
seph O’Connell, of Limerick, Ire
land, and Mrs. Julia Herrington
O’Connell, of Sylvania. He lived
in Savannah for some time and
about thirty years ago became con
nected with the Atlantic Coast
Line Railroad in Wavcross. serv
ing until his retirement in 1934.
His wife, -the former Miss Ma
tilda Smith, of Savannah, died 15
years ago. He is survived by a
brother, Charles O’Connell; a sis
ter-in-law, Mrs. William F
Whalen, Savannah, three nephews
William Whalen and Joseph Fol
liard, Savannah, and George Fol
hard, Miami; two nieces, Mrs
Jeffrey O’Connell, New York City
and Mrs. Helen Whalen Coleman
Savannah.
COMDR. CARL C. GARVER
FUNERAL IN ATLANTA
ATLANTA, Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for Commander Carl C.
Carver, were held September 18,
from the Sacred Heart Church,
Chaplain Thomas H. Reilly offi
ciating.
Commander Carver is survived
by his wife, Mrs. Carver, Atlan
ta; Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Garver,
Jacksonville, Fla.; Dr. and Mrs. A.
M. Ellen, Atlanta.
FRANK N. BURCH,
DIES IN MACON
MACON, Ga.—Funeral services
for Frank N. Burch, who died in
that city on September 18, were
held at St. Joseph’s Church, the
Reverend Father Robert T. Bry
ant, officiating.
Mr. Burch is survived by his
wife, the former Miss Rosa Isabel
Simpson of Montgomery, Ala.,
four brother, Roland and Joseph
Burch, Evansville, Ind., L. S.
Burch, Hampton, Va., J. C. Burch,
Romulus Mich., and sister, Mrs.
Walter Goss, Redona Calif.
MRS. MARGARET CRONIN
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
tor of St. Mary's Church, Harts-
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Funeral
services for Mrs. Margaret T. Cro
nin, widow of the late Sergeant
Daniel J. Cronin, who died Sep
tember 2, were held at the Bless
ed Sacrament Church.
Mrs. Cronin is survived by two
sons, Edward J. Cronin and Dan
iel Cronin, Jr.; four daughters.
Mrs. Margaret Brown, Miss Lil
lian Cronin, Mrs. Ernest Mickler,
ifr., and Mrs. William Thomas; a
sister, Miss Lily Sollar, thirteen
grandchildren and several nieces
and nephews.
BERNARD O’NEILL
DIES IN CHARLESTON
CHARLESTON, S. C. — Fun
eral services for Bernard O’Neill,
insurance adjuster, who died Sep
tember 17, were held from the
Blessed Sacrament Church.
Mr. O’Neill was born in
Charleston, a son of Henry John
O’Neill and Mrs. Mollie Baker
O’Neill. He was a graduate of
Clemson College and Cornell Uni
versity and served as a major in
World War I.
He is survived by his wife, the
former Miss Alice Addison; a
brother, Harry J. O’Neill, and sev
en sisters.
MISS ANNE O’BRIEN
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Funeral ser
vices for Miss Anne O’Brien,
daughter of the late Professor M.
A. O’Brien, who died September
8, were held at the Cathedral of
St. John the Baptist.
Miss O’Brien is survived by a
sister - in - law, Mrs. Carmen
O’Brien, Atlanta; a niece, Sister
Caimelita, R. S. M., of St .Vin
cent’s Convent, Savannah, and
several other nieces and nephews
in Atlanta.
WILLIAM CARPENTER
DIES IN COLUMBIA
COLUMBIA, S. C.—Father Al
bert A. Faase, assistant pastor of
St. Peter's Church, officiated at
funeral services held August 22
for Wililam Carpenter. Mr. Car
penter is survived by a sister, Mrs.
Dora Thornsburg, of Tarboro, N.
C. ....