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FOUR
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
HuUrfin
FEBRUARY 22, 1947
'The Official organ of the Catholic Laymen's
Association -ot 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 McAULlFFE Augusta Auditor
Vol. XXVIII FEBRUARY 22. 1947 No~2
Entered as second class matter June 15 1921 at the
Post Office at Augusta. Georgia, under the Act of March
3. 1879. accepted for mailing at special rate of postage
provided in paragraph 4. section 538 Postal Laws and
Roeulntions ns modified by nnrnpranh ft
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
of Georeria Inc., with the Approbation of the Most Rev
erend Bishops of Charleston and Savannah-Atlanta, and
of the Right Reverend Abbot-Ordinary of Belmont.
The New Jersey School Bus Case
O N February tenth, the Supreme Court of the
United States announced its opinion in the case
of Emerson vs Board of Education of Town
ship of Ewing, on Appeal from the Court of Errors
and Appeals of the State of New Jersey.
The story of this school bus case, the first in
which the United States Supreme Court has con
sidered whether non-public school children can be
furnished transportation out of public funds, goes
back to 1941, when the New Jersey legislature en
acted a statute which provided that district school
boards might arrange for transportation of children
attending non-profit non-public schools as well as
for those attending public schools. t
The hoard of education of Ewing Township, near
Trenton, then passed a resolution which facilitated
the transporting of Ewing children to two public
high schools in the city of Trenton and to Catholic
schools in Trenton. This resulted in the paying
out of slightly more than $350 by Ewing Township
to carry twenty-one Catholic children into the city
for their education at Cathedral High School and
parochial grade schools. The $350 was paid directly
to parents as compensation for fares paid on public
suburban busses.
In September, 1942, Arch R. Everson, a Ewing
taxpayer, obtained a judgment from a New Jersey
court setting aside the school board resolution, it
was Mr. Everson’s contention that the school board’s
distribution of tax money contributed in part by
him had violated his rights under the 1st and 14th
amendments to the Constitution of the United Stales
because it resulted in "a taking of private property
for a private purpose” and it was “legislation re
specting the establishment of religion.”
illustrious Georgia Lay-nei.
K NIGHTHOOD in the Order of Saint Gregory
the Great is bestowed by the Holy See upon
Catholic laymen who have gained recognition
by virtue of their exemplary lives and because of
exceptional service which they have rendered to
Church and Country.
Two illustrious Catholic laymen of Georgia, Au
gustine Long and Martin Callaghan, of Macon, were
formally invested last Sunday with the honors of
Knighthood in the order of Saint Gregory, which
had been conferred upon them last June by His
Holiness Pope Pius XII.
When the Catholic Church was being assailed
and slandered in Georgia some thirty years ago,
they were among the valiant members of the laity
who gathered in Macon to found the Catholic Lay
men's Association, and both of them were , willing
to accept the financial losses that came to them be
cause of their connection with the Laymen’s Asso
ciation.
Their participation in Catholic Action has also
been evident in other fields, and by their exemplary
lives they have added to the prestige of Catholicity
among their fellow-citizens of Macon, who regard
them with the highest respect.
Nc Catholic laymen were ever more worthy of
such recognition than Augustine Long and Martin
Callaghan.
The Ewing Township School Board then appealed
this decision to the highest New Jersey court, 1
which in November of 1945 reversed the lower court j n °t between Church and Slate, but between the
West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In Iowa, tije school bus statute is ambiguous,
conflicting opinions of Attorneys General are in
existence and litigation is pending. In Texas, liti
gation is also ponding to clarify ihe meaning of
the statute. In the State of Washington, the stat
ute specifically provides for private schoolchildren,
hut a prior statute was held unconstitutional under
the State Constitution and legal action is pending
und*r the present law.
A school is a school—not a church. This is the
substance of the highly significant brief filed with
the Supreme Court in the New Jersey case by the
National Council of Catholic Men and the National
Council of Catholic Women.
“A school,” it declared, “does not lose the charac
ter of a school by virtue of teaching moral princi
ple and religious truth.” In the .school conducted
under religious auspices, the brief stated “the
citizen as well as the believer is present.” It con
tended that although public authority “may legis
late to ignore the child’s creed,” it may not over
look his need for public services such as transporta
tion to and from the school of his parents’ choice.
II a State cannot permit parochial school
children to ride in public school busses, then, the
brief argued, “the State must confess itself obliged
to treat those children as second class citizens, citi
zens of inferior standing. This impotence to aid
them would create inequalities in the treatment
of children in conquence of (heir religious beliefs.”
Church membership, the brief declared, would be
come a "civic liability” for parochial school children
and their parents.
Those who allege that a State statute authorizing
bus transportation for parochial school pupils
violates the principles of separation of Church and
State are misinterpreting the First Admendment,
the brief pointed out. It said their allegation is
“a distortion of the principle of separation of
Church and State by the erection of a false wall
TO THE CATHOLICS OF GEORGIA:
Monsignor J'Oseph E. Moylan, Vicar General of tjie Diocese
Oi Savannah-Allanta, announces that the annual campaign on
behalf of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Savannah-
Atlanta will be launched on the first Sunday in March.
Because of the generous response which has been made
to the appeal for contributions to the Catholic Charities of the
Diocese of Savannah-Allanta, these reminding words may be
unnecessary, but the fact that rising costs have increased the
burden that rests on Catholic Charities, makes it almost im
perative that those who subscribed last year give in a larger
amount if possible this year, while those who are not already
subscribing are urged to send in to their pastors the pledge
cards which are to be distributed in the churches of the Diocese.
His Excellency Our Most Reverend Bishop has declared
that the progress made’by the Church in Georgia is due, under
God, to the splendid zeal and generosity of> the priests and
people of the Diocese. Their contributions to the Catholic
Charities fund have furthered the cause of religion and charity
in the Diocese, and it is believed, confidently, that they will
continue their support in order that the Catholic Charities of
the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta may go on to still greater
accomplishments for the glory of God and the salvation of
souls.
Dixie Musings
and upheld the legality of both the statute of the ! State and a large area of the State’s own interests,
legislature and the school hoard resolution. | This d‘Stoition, the brief held, would force the
Following this action, Mr. Everson brought' a i State to say to parochial school children, “If you
futher appeal to the United States Supreme Court, ! choose to go to a parochial school, you go behind
citing again the infringement of his rights under : a . wall, and I am forbidden to follow you with my
the 14th amendment to the Constitution. j aid, because what goes on behind that wall is not
Briefs supporting the New Jersey law~were filed interest—the promotion Of public welfare. The
with the Supreme Court by the States of New York, on lV place where my interests are promoted is in
Michigan, Louisiana, Masschu etts, Illinois and : the public school and hence I shall aid it alone.”
Indiana, and jointly by the National Council of J It becomes evident that throughout all of the
Catholic Men and the National Council of Catholic j controversy which has arisen over whether of not
Women. Brie! : contesting Hie statute were sub-, pupils attending private or parochial schools may
mitted by the American Civil Liberties Union, the j be transported to such schools at public expense,
General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists and as pupil- attending public schools are transported,
a joint committee of Baptists, and the Junior Order 1 the question as to whether the child or the school
of United American Mechanics. I is benefited ii the vital issue, and it is difficult
In his arguments before the nation’s highest to comprehend how aid to its pupils in the form
tribunal, William H. Speer, of Newark, counsel tor , transportation can be considered as a contribu-
the Ewing Township School Board, contended that ; lioa towairi the support oi the schools,
if Stales may provide textbook-, at public exp:nre ! The same reasoning which leads to the conclu-
for children attenaiug both public and private ■‘o° n 'hat pupils who do not attend public schools
Plans are already being made
for the celebration of St. Pat
rick’s Day in Savannah. Father
Henry F. Wolfe, pastor of the Sa
cred Heart Church in Charleston,
has been invited to speak of “The
Day We Celebrate,” at the 135th
annual banquet. of the Hiber
nian Society of Savannah.
Among the bands which had ac
cepted invitations to take part in
the St. Patrick's Day parade are
the Marine Band, from Parris. Is
land: the Oliver General Hospital
Band, and ihe Richmond Acad
emy Band, from Augusta, with the
bands of Benedictine Military
School and Savannah High
School, local musical organiza
tions.
Dr. C. J. O’Neill, grand mar
shal for last year’s parade, has
been nSmed chairman of a com
mittee to arrange for the appear
ance of all past grand marshals in
the 1947 parade.
A committee from the newly-
organized Friendly Sons of St.
Patrick, headed by Robert J.
Swords, is cooperating with a
committee from the Hibernian
Society, headed by Robert F.
Downing, in making preparations
for making March 17 a gala day in
Savannah this year.
schools, as has been decided unanimously by the
U. S. Supreme Court in 1930. they could also pro
vide transportation for all school children, public
and non-public.
He argued that the New Jersey statute is a
valid use of the poPce powers of the State, a an
aid to education, as facilitating compliance with The
compulsory education law:; oi the State, and a-. o-
nioling the health, safety and welfare of school
children. If any benefit accrues to the private in
dividuals because of (he law, he stated, this bene
fit is inc'danlal and does not make the law uncon-
sf Putional.
M.\ Speer cU-elui. d: "A parent w.,.i sends his child
io ihe school of his choice, whether religion- or
noil-religious, is performing his legal duty and ex
ercising hi; constitutional' parental rights, rather
than his religious lights Provid' d only that
th? school (whatever it is) meets the requirements
imposed by statuL- the parent in any ’such cses
has fully cliseha;; rd Ids duties under Ihe law and
is nr much entitled to reimbui'-’tment for trans-
poi tntion a; are any . parents.”
At the present Line fifteen States have legislation
which authorise'' o. .quire: hi *>»o form o • an -<h®r
if ansooriaticn for non-public rcliDol pupils. They
t c California, Hlinoi:, Indiana, -an us, Kentucky,
Maryland. Moesacfewett*. Michigan, Missouri, Mon
tana, New Hemp’hire, New Jersey, Ne.yi York
Oregon, and Rhode Island.
In Colorado, Lcui-iana and Minnesota the State
Attorneys General have rul'd that llidir '"ene’rl
transportation statutes permit private school pupils
1o ride on public school buses. In Maine, North
Dakota and South Dakota the Attorneys General
have ruled to the contrary.
Twenty-four Stales limit their transportation to
public school pupils only. They are: Alabama,
Arizona. Arkansas. Connecticut. Deleware, Florida
Georgia. Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsyl
vania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont,
should ho deprived of transportation by bus at
■public expense could he extended to prohibit
children attending non-publie schools from walking
on sidewalks which has been laid at public ex
pense or from riding to school on streets which
had been paved with public funds.
Without complaining, Catholics are paying tre
mendous sums of money each year toward the
support oi public schools and-to provide free trans
portation for the children who attend them. At
no small sacrifices, Catholics also support their
own school-, freeing other taxpayers of the burden
of the oo t of educating the children who attend
them.
Our Ca.iivlic schools are thoroughly American,
and nothin;; is taught in them that is contrary to
American principles. Their scholastic standards
compare ..’orpbiy with those of the public schools,
but vvha. it more important, they provide the re
ligious in.(ruction -and moral training that make
for the be t in citizenship.
Fair-in.ndtd non-Catholics, like J. Edgar Hoover,
have acknowledged that our Catholic school j have
made an invaluable contribution to American life,
yet there are those who hold that the children
who attend them should be excluded from trans
portation, medical and dental care, school lunches
and other benefits which may be provided, for
children who - need them, by appropriation of
Federc! or State tunas.
Arc American children any less American because
they do not attend state-supported schools?
Some folks think it constitutional for Catholics
who have attended parochial schools to be trans
ported in ships, planes, Lucks and jeeps, owned
by the government, to battlefields iike Salerno,
Normandy and Iwo Jima, yet think it unconstitu
tional to transport them in busses, at public ex
pense. to the schools in which they learned a pat
riotism which inspired them to defend their country
in number for greater than their proportion of its
population.
A campaign to arouse interest
in a unique “night club” which
advertises “no reservations need
ed, no waiting in line no jockeying
for a ringside table, no cover
charge,”—and on Saturday nighis,
too—has been launched jn Roches
ter, New York.
The “club” is the Rochester
Diocesan Nocturnal Adoration So
ciety, which is employing the
“night club” technique in a mem
bership drive. Return of service
men has stimulated gi cater inter
est in ihe Society which provides
adorers for the lonely hours of Sat
urday nights.
Termed the “spiritual ’ power
house of Catholic Action,’> jy
Bishop James E. Kearney of
Rochester, the society has at
tracted nationwide interest
through its programs.
“For the next twenty or thirty
years, perhaps longer, the United
States will hold the leadership of
the world. The direction in which
it will lead the world can be de
termined far more than he thinks,
by the American priest.”
This assertion is made by the
Rev. James Keller. Maryknoll mis-
sioner, co-aulhor of “Men of
Maryknoll,” and founder’and lead
er of the Catholic Action move
ment known a-'Tlie Christophers,
in his new book, “The Priest and
a World Vision”, in whicli he em
phasizes the important role that
the American priest can play, not
only in his immediate surround
ings. but also in forming the
thought of flic world in the way of
Chri-t
The actress who plays the part
of Mother Cabrini in the RKO
screen play, “Citizen Saint,” a
former student of Marycrest Col
lege in Davenport. Iowa, is also a
granddaughter of one of the saint
ed nun’s Chicago co-workers. The
Catholic Messenger, Davenport
Diocesan weekly, recently car
ried a story on the career of Car
la Dare, who in private life is
Miss Cai'melita Pope, of Chicago.
Miss Pope was a member of the
cast of several Marycrest plays,
according to the account, and
worked under the direction of
Charles S. Costello, a Davenport
man with stage and screen expe
rience.
Her grandmother, Mrs. Voncig-
lia Bartolomei, was among those
who met Mother Cabrini at the
railway station on her first visit to
Chicago. She remained as one
of th foundress’ helpers at Co
lumbus Hospital until Mother Ca-
brini’s death in 1917, and con
tinued her work in the hospital
until a few years ago. Now eighty-
five, she lives in expectation of
seeing her granddaughter por
tray on the screen many of the
events in Mother Cabrini’s life
which she described to Carmelita
during the girl’s childhood years.
What the Southern Baptist Con
vention needs for its radio activ
ities is a speaker of the caliber of
Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen and a
program like the National Coun
cil of Catholic Men’s “Catholic
Hour,” the Baptist publication
Christian Frontiers, declared in
Chapel Hill, N. C.
“The Catholic Hour” arouses
great admiration in us, the Bap
tist editor wrote, “especially when
so gifted and compelling a speaker
as Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen is
delivering his annual series of
addresses.”
The National Lutheran Educa
tional Conference went on record
in Boston as favoring federal aid
lo students rather than to insti
tutions. and urged that students
be left free to select their own .
school.
Guido Mayr, who was widely
known as the portrayer of Judas
in the Oberammergau Passion
Play, has died. A wood sculptor,
he had been a member of the cast
of t^e Passion Play since 1890 and
had been entrusted with the part
of Judas repeatedly
Wealing the long sheer em
broidered linen gown worn by the
late President Franklin D. Roose
velt at his owp baptism, Michael
Anthony Roosevelt, infant son of
Mr. and Mrs. Janies Roosevelt,
was baptised on February 9 by
Monsignor Patrick J. Concannon,
rector of the Church of the Good
Shepherd, in Beverly Hills, Cali
fornia,
Felix “Doc” Blanchard, of
Bisiiopvillc. S. C., unanimous All-
American choice for the past two
years at West Point, was awarded
the Dr. Mathew G. Golden Trophy
as the country's outstanding
Catholic football player.
Encouraged by J. Edgar Hoo
ver, director of the Federal Bu
reau of Investigation, a group of
considerably more thaji a hun
dred women employes of file FBI
made a day of recollection at the
Retreat House in Washington. It
marked what is believed lo be the
first time that a government
group sponsored a day of recol
lection in the nation’s capital. Fa
ther Robert G. Lloyd, S. J., direc
tor of the Manresa House of Re
treats, Manresa - on - the - Severn,
Maryland, who is a close friend of
Mr. Hoover, conducted the spir
itual exercises.
According to a “delayed” dis
patch to the Associated Press,
from Bucharest, Bishop Gerald P.
O’Hara of Savannah-Atlanta; pre
sented his credentials as Regent
of the Apostolic Nunciature in
Rumania to Vice-Premier George
Tatarescu on B'ebruary 2.
Former President Herbert
Hoover was received in private
audience several days ago by His
Holiness Pope Pius XII. Mr.
Hoover was presented to the Pope
by Franklin C. Gowen of the staff
of Myron C. Taylor. —-H. K.