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.pnr n-'i rrrm- OF FHF CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA SEPTEMBER 27, 1947
Griffin Bids Farewell to
Father John J. Walsh, C.SS.R
Father John W. Doherty, C.SS.R.,
Appointed Pastor in Griffin
GRIFFIN. Ga — Father John J.
Walsh, C. SS. R., who has served
as pastor of the Sacred Heart
Church in Griffin since June, 1942,
was tendered a farewell reception
by the Altar Society of the parish
on the eve of his departure for
Nev? Smyrna Beach, Fla., where
he has been assigned to the
Redemptorist Mission House, and
will serve as an assistant pastor at
the Sacred Heart Church.
Some four or five hundred
friends of Father Walsh came to
bid him farewell, and as a token
of firendship and in appreciation
of his accomplishments in the
years that he has been in Griffin,
members of the parish and other
friends presented him with a sub
stantial purse.
During the evening refreshments
were served by Mrs. Edward Rob
ert-, Mrs. John A. Simms, Mrs.
Harry O'Connor, Mrs. J. W. Burns,
Mrs. W. B. Morgan and Mrs. Eu
gene Broome, and the guests were
welcomed by Mrs. C. R. Hale and
Mrs. Troy Smith.
RADIO PROGRAM PAYS
TRIBUTE TO FATHER WALSH
The radio program, “Flowers
to You”, sponsored by Sara
Frances Whatley, Griffin florist,
and broadcast each Sunday after
noon, over Station WKEU. was
dedicated to Father Walsh on
August 31. The program which
was composed and directed by
Sara Melton, with Cal Young as
announcer, offered “Ave Maria”
and “In a Monastery Garden” as
musical numbers, with the follow
ing “bouquet” to Father Walsh:
“Finding words appropriate
enough to express deep apprecia
tion to the outstanding citizen of
the week for his good works as a
resident and pastor in Griffin is
a man-sized problem. You could
use all the pretty phrases, add the
mo3t sincere thoughts, and still
your sentiments would be inferior.
“So we will simply and sincerely
say. ‘Thank you, Father John Jo
seph Walsh for all you have done
for Griffin and its people during
the five short years you have been
with us.’
“Father Walsh, as you know, is
leaving Griffin the later part of
this week for New Smyrna Beach,
Fla., to become assistant pastor of
the church there.
“If you'll think back about six
years ago, you will realize that
before the beloved Father Walsh
came to Griffin, as pastor of the
r acred Heart Catholic Church, the
church had Mass only once a
month. He was the first priest
! j establish permanent residence
here. Upon his arrival, he and
the members of the parish got
busy and bought and remodeled
a house adjoining the church prop
erty and made it into a rectory.
“Father Wal-h built up the
parish membership and arouse
new interest in church activity,
even spreading out to the out
lying towns where no Masses
were offeree} for the Catholic resi
dents.
“But Father Walsh’s main
dream for the city came true only
recently. Under his direction a
beautiful colonial home, located at
the corner of Tenth and Poplar
streets, was bought and converted
into the Sacred. Heart School,
which is staffed by four Sisters
of Notre Dame. The school is
made up of kindergarten and four
grades, and boys and girls come
from McDonough, Jackson and
Griffin to attend. To the regret
of the Sisters and Father Walsh,
children have to be turned away
from the school for lack of space
to accommodate more pupils.
“People of Griffin regret that
Father Walsh will not be here to
see the school grow and expand
as he has dreamed, but they all
know that without the efforts,
leadership, and faith of Father
Walsh, this school would not have
been possible.
“During his stay in Griffin,
Father Walsh has endeared him
self to Catholics and Portestants
alike. In everything he does he
radiates goodness.
“Evidence of Father’s popularity
is the great number of friends he
counts (but being a friend of
Father Walsh is easy, for he is
such a true friend himself). He is
an honorary member of the Elks
Lodge, and is also a member and
chaplain of the Rotary Club.
“To Father Wahh, whom Grif
fin, selfishly, wants to keep, we
say, ‘A Million Thanks!’ It’s people
Lice Father John Joseph Walsh
who make Griffin -oat •• . .
who make Georgia great . . .
In Robes of Office
Most Rev. Thomas J. McDon
nell, National Director of the So
ciety for the Propagation of the
Faith, who was consecrated Titular
Bishop of Sela and Auxiliary
Bishop of New York in St. Pat
rick’s Cathedral, New York, Sep
tember 15, by'His Eminence Fran
cis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop
of New York. (Mueller Photo).
who made America what it is
today.”
GRIFFIN, Ga. — Among the re
cent changes of the Redemptorist
Fathers of the Baltimore Province,
which includes the Vice-Province
of Richmond, was the appoint
ment of Father John W. Doherty,
C. SS. R., as pastor of the Sacred
Heart Church in Griffin, where he
has served since June of last year
as assistant to Father John J.
Walsh, C. SS. R., who has been
transferred from Griffin to the
Redemptorist Mission House at
New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
The new pastor in Griffin is a
native of Charlestown, Mass., the
son of the late Patrick J. Doherty
and Mrs. Mary McCarron Doherty,
both from Malin, County Donegal,
Ireland.
After attending Prescott School,
in Charleston and Boston College
High School, Father Doherty en
tered St. Mary’s College, the Re
demptorist preparatory seminary,
at North East, Pa., in August,
1917. He later entered the Re
demptorist Novitiate at Ilchester,
Md., where he received the habit
of the Congregation of the Most
Holy Redeemer on the Feast of St.
Alphonsus Liguori, founder of
the Order, in 1923.
The following year he entered
Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary,
Esopus, N. Y., and after complet
ing his study for the priesthood,
was ordained on June 16, 1929, by
Bishop John J. Dunn, then Aux
iliary Bishop of New York. He
rine of Siena in Charlestown.
Father Doherty then returned
to the seminary for post-ordina
tion study, which was continued
through 1930 at the Redemptor-
ists’ Second Novitiate in Annapo
lis, Md.
In 1931, Father Doherty served
as assistant pastor of Our Lady
of Perpetual Help Church, Brook
lyn, where he was in charge of
the parish club and parish cadet
corps. In February, 1934, he went
to Puerto Rico, where for six
years he was stationed at St. An
thony of Padua Church, Guayama,
serving two years on distant moun
tain mission, accessible only on
horseback. He also attended the
Catholic patients at Guayama’s
Tuberculosis Hospital.
In February, 1940, Father Do
herty returned to the United
States to be assigned to Our Lady
of Perpetual Help Church, in the
Ybor City area of Tampa, Fla.,
where his six years stay in Puerto
Rico he learned to speak
Spanish stood him in good stead
with the many Cuban residents of
Ybor City.
Last year, Father Doherty left
Tampa to become assistant pastor
of the parish in Griffin.
THE NEW YORK STATE Com
mission of Education, in a recent
action, has sustained the appeals of
residents of Loudonville, N. Y.,
and Columbia County, N. Y., re
questing transportation of their
children to parochial schools in
public buses.
celebrated his, first Solemn High
Mass at the Church of St. Cathe-
JOHN H. HARLAND COMPANY
LITHOGRAPHING PRINTING
OFFICE SUPPLIES
10 Pryor Street
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
WALnut 5738
Best Wishes
From
Augusta, Georgia