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TWENTY Two
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LA YMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA'
JULY 2G, 1947
St. Mary’s Hospital, Athens
Received Its First Patient
Nine Years Ago This Month
(Special to The Bulletin)
ATHENS; Ga.—Before dawn on
the morning of May 14, 1938, there
arrived in Athens four members
of the Missionary Sisters of the
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, from
the Motherhouse of their Ameri
can Province in Reading, Pa. This
small band was later augumented
by three Sisters. They were
escorted to their future home in
the rear of the building which they
were soon to operate as St, Mary's
Hospital.
Women of St. Joseph’s parish in
Athens had bountifully stocked
the pantry and storeroom of the
convent with an assortment of
foods and had provided a supply
of linens and varied articles of
furniture.
When the Sisters were conduct
ed to the hospital they were greet
ed by carpenters, plumbers, elec
tricians, plasterers and painters
busy completing the job of reno
vating the building, an assignment
that developed many unpredictable
problems.
Father Harold Barr, who at that
time was pastor of St. Joseph’s
Church here, met with a gathering
composed of practically every
member of* the Clarke County
Medical Association. The physi
cians who attended the meeting
evinced great interest in the new
hospital and gave assurance of
their hearty cooperation. A medi
cal staff was organized. Dr. Ches
ter Middlebrooks was elected
president; Dr. Guy Welchel. vice-
president, and Dr. Lewis Patton,
secretary.
On July 10. 1938, a modern hos
pital, well equipped to care for
the sick and suffering was l'ormal-
j*. opened. The opening ceremony
was highly impressive. Bi-liop Ger
ald P. O’Hara of Savannah-Atlanta
delivered an eloquent address,
appropriate to the program of
dedication.
It was the largest gathering of
Prelates and priests and laity in
the history of Athens. Three
Bishops, an Abbot-Ordinary and
priests and laymen from every
section of Georgia came here for
the dedication program.
Bishop Gerald P. O’Hara of
Savannah-Atlanta officiated at the
dedication and delivered an elo
quent address. Bishop Patrick
Barry of St. Augustine was the
celebrant at Pontifical Benedic
tion of the Blessed Sacrament, and
the occasion was honored by 1hc
presence of Bishop limmet M.
Walsh of Charleston and Abbot
Vincent G. Taylor, O. S. B.. of
Belmont Abbey.
After the blessing of the build
ing by Bishop O’Hara, Father
Barr, who presided at the exercise,
introduced Mayor A. G. Dudley,
who, officially and personally ex
pressed his great pleasure at the
opening of the new hospital and
thanked Bishop O’Hara, Father
Barr and the Sisters for making
its facilities available to the city.
Sam Hale, representing the civic
clubs of the city, welcomed St.
Mary's ^ospital and the Sisters,
and gave assurance that the peo
ple of Athens would cooperate
fully in making the new hospital a
success. %
In the unavoidable absence from
the city of Dr. Harmon Caldwell,
president of the University of
Georgia. Dr. W. D. Hooper, head
of the Department of Latin, ex
pressed the interest and appre
ciation of the University for the
splendid addition to the medical
facilities of the university city
which the hospital would afford.
Dr. Hooper also offered his per
sonal commendation of the pro
vision being made to accomodate
patients from the Colored popula
tion of the city.
The exercises were held on the
grounds of the hospital, where a
large platform, with a temporary
0pHar, had been erected. The en-
^tire front of the three-story build
ing was decorated with American
flags and the platform with the
Papal colors. Seats were pro
vided on the tree-shaded lawn, but
long before the exercises began
every seat was taken and many
persons stood throughout the pro
gram.
On the following day the hospi
tal received its first patients. Five
surgical cases were admitted on
the first day, three major and two
• ^rninor operations being perform
ed. The ensuing months and years
are a record of untiring service
to suffering humanity.
Patients have come to the hos
pital not only from Athens but also
foam many neighboring towns and
counties and represented varied
religious denominations. Creed,
color, or condition in life have
never been considered. All were
welcomed and treated with eqfial
care and kindness, and a good pro
portion of the hospital's services
has been on a charitable basis.
In November of 1938. a resi
dence was purchased, completely
renovated and furnished as a home
for nurses. Since then two other
residences adjoining the hospital
grounds have been converted into
nurses' homes. Another residence
on the block with the hospital is
now being used as a doctors' office
building, and still another resi
dence, presently being rented, will
eventually be used for purposes in
connection with the work of the
hospital.
Sister M. Columba, R. N., of the
Missionary Sisters of the Most
Sacred Heart of Jesus, and a mem
ber of the American College of
Hospital Administrators, was the
first superintendent of St. Mary’s
Hospital.
Other members of the hospital's
original staff were Sister M. Vir-
gilia, M. S. C., R. R. L„ librarian;
Sister M. Leaanndra, M. S. C., R.
N. A., Sister M. Syra, M. S. C.,
dietician; Sister M. Godoleva, M.
S. C., registered dietician, and
Sister M. Calasanza, R. N.
The original board of directors
of the hospital included Bishop
O’Hara, chairman; Father Barr,
vice-chairman; Frank Postero,
secretary; Father Daniel J. Mc
Carthy; Monsignor Joseph F.
Croke. T„ J. Camaratta, Dr. T. H.
MeHatton, Dr. John H. Mote, M.
F. Costa, Robert Walerson, and
Jacob Bernstein.
Originally, the medical staff in
cluded Dr. C. O. Middlebrooks,
Dr. Guy Welchel, Dr. Lewis Pat
ton. Dr. H. B. Harris, Jr., Dr. W.
H. Cabaniss, Dr. J. Weyman Davis,
Dr. Linton Gerdine. Dr. Ralph
Goss. Dr. A. C. Holliday. Dr. M.
A. Hubert. Dr. J. Hunnicutt. Dr.
H, W. Birdsong, Dr. S. S Smith,
Dr. H. I. Reynolds, Dr. Harry E.
Talmadge. Dr. Loree Florence. Dr.
John A. Simpson. Dr. G. T. Can
ning, Dr. H. B. Heywood and Dr.
Pope Holiday.
In 1939. an Auxiliary was form
ed with Mrs. T. H. MeHatton as
president; Mrs. L. M. Leathers,
vice-president; Mrs. Bolling Du-
Bose, treasurer, and Miss Nelle
Shaw, secretary.
From its opening day, St. Mary’s
Hospital has been eminently suc
cessful. This has been accomp
lished not only by the valiant and
self-sacrificing efforts of the Sis
ters, but also through the en
thusiastic sympathy and sincere
cooperation which they have al
ways received from the medical
profession and the people of
Athens.
Proof of the progress that has
b'-en made by St. Mary's Hospital,
and evidence of the need for its
services is found in the necessity
for building an addition to the
building some years ago, and the
completion of the present next an
nex which is required to accomo
date the increasing number of
patients who seek the hospitaliza
tion that St. Mary's has to offer.
CONVENT IN ATHENS—Pictured above is the convent which is
the residence of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus who conduct St.. Mary's Hospital in Athens, Georgia. The impos
ing Sputhern. colonial style structure was once the home of the Stovall
family, on Milledge Avenue. When a private hospital, which later be
came St. Mary's Hospital, was erected on the site of the Stovall home
on Milledge Avenue, the house was moved to the rear of the lot and
placed in its present position, facing Meigs Street. Now that the rear
wing of the hospital has been extended, the convent is connected with
the hospital by an enclosed passage way. Mass is offered daily in the
convent chapel.—(Photo by Classic Art Studio).
J. B. Keough
Dies in Atlanta
Dissenting Opinion in School Bus Case
Conflicts With First Amendment to U. S.
Constitution, Declares Father Parsons
DETROIT—(NCI—A charge that
the arguments on which Supreme
Court Justice Wiley Rutledge bas
ed his dissent in the New Jersey
bus fare case last February were
themselves a violation of the first
amendment of the U. S. Constitu
tion, was made by the Rev. Wil
frid Parsons, S. J., of the Cath
olic University of America, at the
monthly meeting of the First Fri
day club here.
In dissenting from the majority
opinion, which held that there was
nothing unconstitutional about the
New Jersey State Taw providing
payment for transportation of
parochial as well as public school
children, Justice Rutledge had de
clared that public-paid transpor
tation for parochial school chil
dren was violation of the first
amendment.
Declaring that the basis of the
Justice’s dissent is the doctrine
“that religion is a purely private
matter, a subjective, individual
thing, to which the state must be
completely indifferent, and this on
a doctrinal religious basis, not a
legal one,” Father Parsons added:
“When Justice Rutledge and others
like him invoke a religious doc
trine of one particular sect lo in
terpret the First Amendment they
are violating the Amendment, it
self, for if that Amendment means
anything, it is that the state is for
bidden to ‘establish’ a sectarian
doctrine as the official doctrine
of the state.”
The issue of separation
Rev. James Buckley, S. J.,
Assistant Pastor at
Sacred Heart, Augusta
of
Church and State has been a burn
ing one “and bids fair to become
more important as the days go
by,” Father Parsons continued.
“This issue has been alleged in
order to forbid every kind of co
operation between the public au
thority, Federal or State, and re
ligious institutions. The parochial
school has been a special target
of attack, where there is question
of free textbooks, bus fares, and
other services rendered to the
children of Catholic American
citizens who send their children to
Catholic elementary schools.”
• Noting that some are interpret
ing the first amendment of the
constitution to mean that the
State must divorce itself "from
every manifestation of religion,”
Father Parsons stated that this is
the point to which Catholics and
some orthodox Protestants object.
“Catholics hold that the State
Is a natural society, based on the
natural law', which fundamentally
is the law of God as discovered
by reason in our nature,” Faather
Parsons added. “It has a tem
poral end, and uses temporal
means. When the Church con
ducts a temporal enterprise like
an elementary parochial school,
even though it illuminates its
teaching with religion, it is also
serving the State by forming chil
dren to good citizenship. It is this
aspect of its work that the State
has the right and duty to support
—precisely because it is in the
temporal order.”
ATLANTA, Ga.—J. B. Keough
widely known in advertising cir
cles throughout the South, died
on July 17. Funeral services w'ere
held at the Sacred Heart Church.
Father Charles Willis, S. M., of
ficiating.
Mr. Keough, Atlanta manager
of the Branham Company, which
represented the Atlanta Journal
for many years in the national ad
vertising field was one of the
pioneers in advertising in the
South. The founder of the Atlanta
branch of the Branham Company.
Mr. Keough’s hgency represented
a number of newspaper throughout
the South, the Louisville Courier
Journal, the Nashville Tennessean
and Banner, the Columbus Ledger,
and many others.
He was well known as a
philantropist, being a benefactor
of Atlanta orphanages and other
charitable institutions.
Mr. Keough’s wife, the former
Miss Corinnc Jarrell Keough, died
seven years ago. He is survived
Wy two sisters. Miss Gladys B.
Keough, Chicago, and Miss Mary
Keough. New York City, and two
brothers, William Keough and
Paul Keough, both of Cleveland,
Ohio.
THOMAS J. BRENNAN
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Funeral ser
vices for Thomas J. Brennan, na
tive of Savannah, who died in
New York City, July 1(5, were held
from the Sacred Heart Church
here.
Mr. Brennan was connected with
the Central of Georgia Railway
and with the Liberty National
Bank and Trust Company here be
fore leaving Savannah some
twenty-five years ago to become
associated with the Ocean Steam
ship Company in New York.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Mary Brown Brennan; two sons,
Joseph Brennan, of New Jersey,
and Anthony Brennan, of West
Virginia, and a sister, Mrs. Fred
J. Friese,' Tampa, Fla.
Mary If as Invoked in America Before
Columbus Landed, Priest Scholar Contends
AUGUSTA, Ga.—Father James
M. Buckley. S. J.. who for the last
three years has been a member of
the faculty of Spring Hill College,
in Alabama, has arrived in Augus
ta where he will serve as assist
ant to Father J. E. O’Donohde, S.
J. pastor of the Sacred Heart
Church.
Father Buckley, a native, of
Elizabeth, N. J,, completed his
study for the priesthood at St.
Charles College, Grand Coteau,
La,. St. Louis University, and St.
Mary’s College, St. Mary’s, Kan
sas. He was ordained as a Driest
of the Society of Jesus in 1940.
Since his ordination. Father
Buckley has taught at the Jesuit
High School, New Orleans; the
Jesuit High School, Dallas, and at
Spring Hill, where he was also
assistant to the president. Father
W. P. Donnelly, S. J., formerly of
Augusta.
Father Buckley comes lo the
Sacred Heart Church here as as
sistant pastor to replace Father
John Buckley, S. J,, who has been
assigned to Spring Hill College.
WASHINGTON. — (NC) — The
Blessed Virgin Mary was publicly
invoked in what is now the United
States almost five centuries before
the nation was dedicated to her by
the American Hierarchy and al
most a century and a half before
Columbus discovered America, the
Rev. Raphael M. Huber, O. F. M.
Conv., of the Catholic University
of America, holds in an article in
the July issue of the American Ec
clesiastical Review published here.
Accepting as" genuine the “Ken
sington Stone,” which was discov
ered near the town of Remington.
Minn., in 1898, Father Huber de
clares that the stone gives convinc
ing prodl’ of the practice of Chris
tianity and of public prayer to
Marv at the time of its inscription,
1362.
The inscription on the stone is in
runic (old Gothic) characters and
is translated as follows; "Eight
Goths (Swedes) and 22 Norwe
gians on an exploring journey from
Vinland very far West. We had a
camp near two skerries (rocks in
the water) on a day’s journey
north from this stone. We were
fishing one day. When we return
ed home we found ten men red
with blood and dead. AVM (inter
preted by all scholars to stand for
Ave Maria or Ave Virgo Maria).
Save us from evil.”
“We have ten men by the sea to
look after our vessel 14 (or 41)
days’ journey from this island.
Year 1362.”
There is nothing impossible
about the inscription, Father Hu
ber maintain!, explaining that the
Norsemen could easily have come
to the central part of what is now
Minnesota by water over the Great
Lakes and otjier waterways. He
adds that the Norsemen had been
converted to Christianity before
that time and that the Nordic rul
er at the time, Magnus, King of
Norway and Sweden, dispatched an
explorer to look after the affairs
of Christianity in Greenland. The
priest also notes that devotion to
the Blessed Virgin was very strong
in the Church during that era.
MRS. JAMES BALLOUGII
FUNERAL IN WESTMINSTER
WESTMINSTER, S. C.—Father
John M. Donelon, C. S. P.. assist
ant pastor of St Andrews’ Church,
Clemson, officiated at funeral
services held here for Mrs. Cath
erine Fidelia Mullin Ballaugh, who
died in a Columbia hospital.
Mrs. Ballough, the widow of
James Ballough. came to Westmin
ster from Balson, N. C., twelve
years ago to make her home here
with her sister, Mrs. J. H. Johns.
She was the daughter of the late
James Mullin and Mrs. Catherine
Watson Mlllin, originally of Geor
gia, where she formerly resided
in Macon.
In addition to her sister, Mrs.
Johns, Mrs, Ballough is survived
by a brother, C. M. Mullin, Au
gusta, Ga.
WALTER P. POWERS IN
CHATHAM COUNTY TAX
OFFICE FOR 44 YEARS
SAVANNAH, Ga. — This month
marks the beginning of the forty-
fifth year of service of Walter P.
Powers, clerk in the office of the
Tax Collector of Chatham County.
Mr. Powers is one of the oldest
employes in point of service at the
Court House, only three others
having served longer than he has.
He began work in the tax collec
tor's office on July 13. 1904, when
T. F. Thomson was the collector,
and has since served under Ed
ward G. Thomson, Fred A. Cier,
George T. Pate, John L. Cabell
and Archie F. Johnson, the pres
ent collector.
Prominent in Boy Scout activity
for many years, being a special
Boy Seoul commissioner, Mr. Pow
ers was formerly Scoutmaster of
Troop 15 of the Sacred Heart par
ish. He has also been active in
Knights of Columbus circles.
MRS. W. T. TUGGLE
DIES IN LAGRANGE
LAGRANGE, Ga.—Funeral ser
vices for Mrs. W. T. Tuggle, who
died July 3, were held at St. Pe
ter’s Church, Father J. Joseph
Malloy officiating.
Born in Wilkes County, Missis
sippi, Mrs. Tuggle was the daugh
ter of Darling Babers and Mrs.
Frances Cline Babers. She had
made her home in LaGrange for
forty years.
Mrs. Tuggle is survived by her
husband, Judge W. T. Tuggle; a
daughter, Mrs. Emmett Pope, of
Mount Olive, N. C.; three nieces,
Mrs. W. D. Littlefield, Albany,
Mrs. Dewey Newsham and Miss
Ann Brandon Liddell, of Baton
Rouge, La.
JAMES J. KEANE
DIES IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Funeral ser
vices for James Joseph Keane,
Sr., who died July 7, were held
at the Cathedral of St, John the
Baptist.
Mr. Keane is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Elnora Keane, two sons.
James J. Keane, Jr., and Daniel
Joseph Keane; a sister, Mrs. Susan
Sheehan, and several nfeces and
nephews.
MRS. QUESSIE SOWELL
DIES IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Funeral ser
vices for Mrs. Quesse Hart Sowell,
of Newington, who died June 30,
were held at the Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist.
MRS. VIRGINIA VANDEGRIFT
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Funeral ser
vices for Mrs. Virgiina Vandegrift
who died June 30, were held in the
chapel of the Little Sisters. Mrs.
Vandegrift was a native of Elliott-
burg, Pa.