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FOUR THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA JANUARY 25, 1947 ®l)p Kullptin X’he Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen's Association of Georgia, Incorporated. HUGH KINCHLEY, Editor 216-217 Southern Finance Building, Augusta, Ga. ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1946-1947 ESTES DOREMUS, Atlanta President M. J. CALLAGHAN, Macon Honorary Vice-President FRED WIGGINS, Albany Vice-President J B. McCALLUM, Atlanta Secretary HUGH GRADY, Savannah Treasurer HUGH KINCHLEY, Augusta Executive Secretary MISS CECILE FERRY. Augusta Financial Secretary A M McAULiFFE Augusta Auditor Vol. XXVIII JANUARY 25, 1947 No. 1 Entered as second class- matter June IS, 1921 at the Post Office at Augusta, Georgia, under the Act of March 3 1879, accepted for mailing at special rate of postage rovidcd in paragraph 4. section 538, Postal Laws and egnlations ns modified by nnrncraoh (1 Member of N C W. C News Service. Religious News Service, the Catholic Press Association of the United States, the Georgia Press Association, and the National Editorial Association. Published monthly by the Catholic Laymen's Association ol Georgia lnc„ witn the Aoprobation of the Most Rev erend Bishops of Charleston and Savannah-Atianta, and of the Right Reverend Abhot-Ordinar.v of Belmont. With Pride—But With Sadness, Too /">LERGY and laity of the Diocese of Savannah- Atianta are thrilled with pride at the signific ant honor which His Holiness Pope Pius XII has bestowed upon His Excellency the Most Rev erend Gerald P. O’Hara, their beloved Bishop, in appointing him Regent of the Apostolic Nunciature in Bucharest, Rumania. Though his priests and people are proud and glad that the Holy See has deemed Bishop O’Hara worthy 6f selection for a highly important assignment, tl.ere als.o cotnes to them a feeling of sadness, be- e use in the post lo which he has been named by the Holy Father, Bishop O'Hara will be far away from those who have been blessed with his Episcopal ministrations and kindly spiritual guidance. His gentle disposition, his strength of character, his appealing eloquence, his unselfish charity, his untiring energy, his splendid contributions to the cause of the Church in Georgia, and inspiring lead ership have won him the affectionate regard, not only of his own priests and people, but have gained him the esteem and respect of the non-Catholics of this State, who have come in contact with him. Last summer, when it was first rumored that Bishop O’Hara was to go to Bucharest, The At lanta Constitution paid this tribute to him: “Rarely has any religious leader of whatever faith come to Georgia and so quickly won a place in the esteem of his fellow citizens as has Bishop Gerald P.-O’Hara, of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah-Atianta. “He gave much attention to civic affairs. He made of his Diocese one of the most active and effective in the whole South, and he made friends. f' rom Rome, where Bishop O'Hara is, it is re ported authoritatively that he is to be made Papal Nuncio to the Romanian Government in Bucharest. A Papal Nuncio is a direct representative of the Pope. I he duties of a Nuncio arc .to foster good re lations between the Holy See and ihe country to which he is sent. It is, in effect, an appointment as ambassador. It means, too, that the Vatican is selecting one of its most able men to send into one of the strong est spheres of influence of the Soviet Government . . .Georgia will take pride in Bishop O’Hara's pend ing advancement, but will, nevertheless, greatly re gret his going." The appointment by the Holy Sec of Bishop O Ilara to a position of great trust and large re sponsibility, is taken by the Catholics of Geof^ia as an occasion to reflect on the spiritual and material advancement mode in the Diocese of Savannah-At- ianla since their beloved B shop was installed in Savannah eleven years ago this month. There is an ilnpres=ivc record of progress. New parishes lnve been established, a new Cathedral lias been erected in Atlanta, new churches have been- built in many places, now schools have been open ed. a new St. Mary’s Home was built in Savannah, and its former quarter- became a vocational school for boys. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Free Cancer Home was opened in Atlanta, and a Colored Clinic, now conducted by the Medical Mission Sisters, was opened in that city. Athens was given a Catholic hospital, where repeated additions have been neces sary to meet the increased demands for its services. Mercy Hospital was given Macon. A new addition was built to St. Joseph's Hospital in Savannah, and work is now lining started on a million dollar ad dition lo St. Joseph’s Infirmary in Atlanta. More than a quarter of a million dollars has been raised and a site purchased for the erection of a Catholic hospital in Augusta. A fund of half-a-million dol lars is now being raised in Columbus for the pur pose of erecting a Catholic hospital there. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Redemptor- ist Fathers, and Franciscan priests, of the Order of Fi iars Minor, have been given charge of parishes in the Diocese. Home Missioners of America have established a mission center in Statesboro, and a Trappist monastery, recently elevated to the dignity of an Abbey, was founded in Rockdale County. Gr6y Nuns of the Sacred Heart. Missionary Sis ters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sisters Adorers of the Most Precious Blood. Dominican Nuns of ihc Adrian, Michigan, foundation, and Sis ter;; of St. Dominic, of the Congregation of St. Rose of Lima, known as the Servants of Relief for In curable Cancer, have been brought, to the-Diocese to teach and to engage in works of mercy. Religious vacation schools were established, a Diocesan Council of the National Council of Catho lic Women came into being, the work of the Catho lic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, of the Knights of Columbus, the Saint Vincent dc Paul Society, the Holy Name Society, Catholic Youth Organizations, and other groups have flourished under Bishop O'Hara's guidance. Bishop O’Hara inspired the generosity of the clergy and laity to support the Confraternity of the Laity and the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Savannah-Atianta, and as a means of enlightening Catholics and non-Catholics regarding the teachings of the Catholic Church, he established the Catholic Evidence Guild in this Diocese. As one of the sponsors, and the first Episcopal Unity of Faith—Variety of Worship D ESPITE the fact that here in our own Diocese there is a parish of the Maronite Rite, St. Joseph of Lebanon, in Atlanta, it must be ad mitted that there are a great many Catholics in Georgia who know very little about the Uniate Catholics whose members follow Eastern Rites in stead of the Roman, or Latin Rite, to which most Catholics in this country belong. It is hoped that those who are not well familiar with the Eastern Rites took advantage of the. op portunity offered by the Catholic Hour programs the last two Sundays when Father Alexander Beaton and Father Canisius Kiniry, both of the Society of the Atonement, discussed, respectively, “The Story of the Oriental Rites” and “Oriental Rites in the Modern World" over the radio. It would be well, too, if they had read, or will read, the article titled “East Does Meet West,” by Father Thomas S. Sullivan, O. M. I., which appeared in the December edition of The Catholic Digest. The 8,000,000 Catholics of Eastern Churches which are in union with the IJoly See are all Catho lics or descendants of Catholics who left the schmis- matic Eastern churches and returned to/ Rome. When they returned they retained their ancient liturgies and many of their religious customs, and are real Catholics in union with the Papacy, but who use, not Latin, but Slavonic, Arabic, Greek, Coptic, and other languages. There is no diffei'ence in faith and morals be tween the Catholics of the Eastern Rites and those of the Western Rite, though they do differ in the “superficialities of worship and custom,”, writes -Father Sullivan. He reminds that as a matter of fact, the first Mass was celebrated in» Aramaic, that St. Peter, first Bishop of Rome, said Mass in Greek, and that it was not until the third century that Latin was used in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy. To day, he said, some 350,000,000 Catholics offer the Holy Sacrifice in a variety of tongues. As evidence of how highly the Catholics of the Eastern Rites are regarded in Rome, there is the fact that His Holiness Pope Pius XII is personally the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Oriental Church. The recent celebration of the Mass, accofding to the Melchite Rite, by Archbishop Joseph Maloof, of Raalbec, Lebanon, Syria, at the Immaculate Con ception Church in Atlanta, has brought the exist ence of the Eastern Uniat groups vividly to the at tention of the Catholics of Georgia, and it is hoped that they will seek to become better acquainted with the history, customs and ceremonies of th« Catholics who are not of the Latin Rite. Br. M. Ashby Jones H IS Catholic friends in Georgia, and they were many, learned with regret of the death in At lanta, some days ago, of Dr. M. Ashby Jones, a Baptist minister. The death of Dr. Jones recalls the stirring and courageous appeal for religious freedom in Georgia which he made from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church, in Augusta, where he was pastor, some thirty years ago, when the greatest wave of anti- Catholic prejudice in Georgia’s history reached its climax with the State Legislature "enacting into law the Veasey Bill, or “Convent Inspection Act.” Dr. Jones’ sermon, of course, was in no sense a defense of the Catholic religion, but it was instead an appeal to the Protestants of Georgia to protest against the Veasey Bill as a vicious “menace to Christianity and democracy.” Dr. Jones' Catholic friends in Augusta appreciat ed his speaking out against the Veasey Bill, the in sulting provisions of which were aimed against the saintly Sisters who were engaged in works-of edu cation and mercy in Georgia, and when he left Augusta to become pastor of a Baptist church in Atlanta, they presented him with a watch. As a leading figure in the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and as a member of an inter-racial commission, Dr. Jones took an active part in campaigns against religious and racial pre judice. le was a Christian gentleman of the highest type, and a citizen who was an asset to the community in which he lived. His passing from this life is an occasion of pro found sorrow to his many Catholic friends, who extend sympathy to his bereaved family, and pray that God will giant his noble soul eternal rest. Chairman of the Catholic Committee of the South, Bishop O’Hara was instrumental in promoting the program of that organization in the fields of religion and social service. During the war years he furthered the work of the National Catholic Community Service at mili tary posts and for those engaged in war industry, meanwhile, devoting a good part of his time to the spiritual welfare of the men and women in uniform as a Vicar Delegate of the Military Ordinariate. But faintly has the record of accomplishment of Bishop O’Hara in the Diocese of Savannah-Atianta been brought out here, for its most important aspect, the spiritual development, which has sur passed the material’ progress, is beyond human reckoning. These few things arc mentioned to show how the Catholic Church in Georgia has profited by Bishop O’Hara’s spiritual guitiance. and to evidence the executive ability, which will enable him to render efficient service at the Nunciature in Bucharest. To that assignment he takes a devout piety, a wealth of knowledge, testified to by his holding doctorates in both canon and civil law. and a record of priestly and Episcopal service that has won the .special attention of the Holy See. That he may return at some not far distant date and continue to guide the Church in Georgia is the prayerful wish of the clergy. Religious, and laity of the Diocese of Savannah-Atianta, and it is also the sentiment of the multitude of non-Catholics who cherish his friendship. The present absence of Bishop O’Hara from his Diocese will but shrve to accentuate, if that could be possible, the affection which his priests and peo ple have for him. The impression that he has made upon the Catholics, and non-Catholics, of Georgia, will remain for all time. The fruit of his labors in our midst will extend into eternity. The priests, the Religious, the laity of the Diocese of Savannah-Atianta will offer prayers for Bishop O’Hara’s health and safety, and for the success of his mission on behalf of the Holy See, but most fervently of ail will they pray that he will return to them, as their bejoved Bishop Dixie Musir***? __ — .— Morgan Blake, whose column is a daily feature of the editorial section of The Atlanta Journal, had this to say, recently,, about Hughes Spalding, treasurer of the Endowment Fund Committee of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia: “To the Trustees of the DeKalb- Fulton Hospital authority Christ mas of 1946 was made more me morable by a wonderful gift from our chairman, Hughes Spalding. It was a magnificent silver ves sel given in memory of the late Thomas K. Glenn, beloved for mer chairman and the man main ly responsible for the establish ment of the Hospital authority. It was the handsomest present I have ever received on Christmas and the memories associated with it make it one to be cherished and to be handed down to the Blake posterity to the end of time. “In the company of most men of wealth I am a bit uncomfortable. But there have been two notable exceptions, namely Tom Glenn and Hughes Spalding. Their hu mility, their sweetness of charac ter, their genuine love . for their fellow man, their ‘plain as an old shoe’ personalities, their ‘country boy’ simplicity of manner made me thipk of them as comrades and real friends. “So enthusiastic were the trus tees over this beautiful gift and the thoughtfulness of the chair man that we were calling one an other up expressing our joy. If Hughes could have seen the radi ant faces of the Blake family when we took this present out of the box I am sure his Christmas would have been even brighter.” According to a United Press dis patch from Hallein, Austria, an All-American choir of soldiers, WACs and civilians, sang “Silent Night, Holy Night” on the night before Christmas beside the grave of Father Joseph Mohr, compos er of the famous hymn. The choir was accompanied by Karl Adler, of Salzburg, who played the same guitar which was used when the hymn was first sung in 1818. Father Mohr wrote the song when he was preparing for a Christmas festival for the church in Oberndorf. The Christmas party fbr or phans and poor children in Rome, Italy, given annually at the club of the National Catholic Com munity Service in the Eternal City, began on Christmas Day and continued through January 6, as the club played host to thousands of underprivileged children. Many of the children came from the institute conducted by the American Gtaymoor nuns in Rome. The famous. Sistipe Choir gave a number of musical rendi tions at the party on Christmas afternoon, which were broadcast throughout Europe through the facilities of a u. S. Army radio hook-up. Each child entertained at the NCCS club was given a bag con taining food, candy and soap. These materials were obtained through donations by U. S. mili- taiy and naval personnel in Rome and Naples, through local gifts and through presents prompted by Catholic newspaper appeals in the United States and elsewhere. A fund of $500,000 for restora tion oi'-the early Catholic Missions of California has been turned over to Archbishop 'John J. Mit- ty of San Francisco, Archbishop John J. Cantwell of Los Angeles, ishop Charles F. Buddy of "San Diego, and Bishop Philip G. Sphcr of Monterey-Fresno by the Hearst Foundation, Inc. The fund will be used to restore structures founded between 1769 and 1777 by th» Spanish Franciscan, Father Juni- pero, Serra. The missions, extending from San Diejjo to San Francisco, in cluded the well-knoyvn San Juan Capistrano, Santa Barbara, San Gabriel, San Fernando, San Fran cisco dc Asis and Luis Obispo. Special committees will be cre ated to determine which of the mission are sufficiently preserved to he restored: The Santa Cruz and Nuestra Senora de Soledad missions are believed beyond re pair. San Rafael Archangel, in the San Francisco Archdiocese, was leveled years ago. A fourth site, La Rurlsma Concepcion Mission, in Los Angeles Archdiocese, is now owned by the Federal Gov ernment. Here in Georgia, wc may hope that some day. the Hearst, or some other foundation, -will pro vide funds which will give im petus to the restoration of some of the Span! h Missions which fur nished along our coast line be fore the coming of Ihe English settlers under General Ogle thorpe. Mrs. James P. McGranery, of Philadelphia, is among the new members of the Girl Scout nation al board of directors. Mrs. McGranery has served op the national Girl Scout Catholic advisory committee. She is the wife of the Honorable James P. McGranery, formerly the Assis tant to tile Attorney General of the United States, and now a member of the Federal judiciary. Justice McGranery was the guest speaker at the convention of the Catholic Laymen's Association of Georgia held in Atlanta in 1944. In Georgia newspapers, dated January 13, there appeared one of a series of pages devoted to the stories of Georgia’s people and their achievements—and their ef fect upon the world df America’s growth — “Because There Is a Georgia,” sponsored by Rich’s, Inc., in Atlanta. This one of the series, written by Henry F. McIntosh, editor of The Albany Herald, began by saying:, “The names of men who adorned an honored profession are written high on the scroll of Georgia journalists. One has but to mention Henry W. Grady, Joel Chandler Harris, J. H. Estill and others whose names come readily to mind to be reminded that great men have sat in sanctums in this state.” It is gratifying that of the four Georgia newspapermen that Mr. McIntosh chose to name, two of them, Joel Chandler Harris and Patrick Walsh, were Catholics. We are grateful to Mr. McIn tosh for doing this, but .it in no way at all contributes to the opin ion that when a list of Georgia editors who have won universal ■ respect and admiration is made, the name of Henry F. McIntosh, himself, is entitled to a high rank ing place among the editors of tjais state who have been an hon or to the profession of journalism. The Pittsburgh Catholic, in its Christmas issue; recalled that Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” was pretty nearly required reading at that time of the year, and said that “no doubt some of the planned parenthooders and "euthanasians take time off to enjoy again the story of the education of Mr. Schrooge,” and if so, the Pitts burgh editor continued, there is one passage which should cause them to lay down the book and do a little thinking. It is in the ac count of the Christmas dinner at Bob Cratchit’s house, where the crippled Tiny Timin’ gives his toast, “God oless us everyone!” and the ghost reminds Scrooge of his heartless words about “de creasing the surplus population.” “Man,” said the ghost, “if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have ..discovered where it is. Will you decide what man shall die? It may be that in the sioht of heaven you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man’s child.” Christmas hymns and carols were composed by those who wish ed to honor the Infant Saviour on the anniversary of His birth in the stable at Bethlehem. It is most appropriate, proper, and in- piring to join in singing them or to hear them sung at Christmas, but the incessant and persistent rendition of them over the radio for weeks before Christmas that was indulged in recently, is mak ing annoying distractions < • them. The Federal Communications Commission would render a pub lic service if it banned the singing of Christmas carols except on the night before Christmas and Christmas day. There never was any excuse for inflicting an atrocity like “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” on radio listeneis. Monsignor William Hemmick, the first American priest to be appointed a Canon of St. Peter’s Basilica, has been installed in his new post by His Eminence Fede rico Cardinal Tcdeschini, prefect of the Sacred Congregation of tije Basilica of St. Peter. Stationed in Rome for many years, Monsignor Hemmick was formerly Canon of the Basilica of St. Mary Major. A native of Pitts burgh, he served in France as a U S Army chaplain in World War 1 ' H. K.