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FOUR
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION Oh GEORGIA
JAW UAp * .17, 1948
3Ijp SuUetin
fhe Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen'*
Association of Georgia, Incorporated.
HUGH K1NC11LEY. 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 K.1NCHLEY. Augusta Executive Secretary
MISS CECILE FERRY. Augusta Financial Secretary
A M McAUl.lFFE, Augusta;Auditor
VOL. XXIX JANUARY 17 No. 1
Entered as second class mailer June 15 11121 ai tire
Posi Office ai Augusta. Georgia, under the Act of March
3 1879 accepted foi mailing ai special rale of postage
provided In paragraph 4. sec I ion 538 Postal Laws and
thanlntion- ;is modified Ov o-non’ianh 11
uemoet nl N C W C News Service. Religious News
Service tl-e Catholic Press Association of the United
States tire Georgia Press Association. and the National
Kditmiiil Association
Published monthly by the Catholic Laymen's Association
of Grorela Inc., with lire Approbation of the Most Kcv
crcnH Bishops of Charleston and Savannah-Atlanta, and
of the Bight Rcrercnd Abbot-Ordinary ot Belmont,
Marlydom in Georgia
W ITHIN recent weeks, the Freedom Train visit
ed this section of the country, and while on
tour through Georgia it was accompanied by
the one-car Georgia Heritage exhibit, containing
documents connected with the founding and early
history of Georgia.
Catholics in Georgia have reason to be proud, not
onJy of the precious relics associated with the
Iii story of our Nation and our State, and what they
represent, but as Catholic Georgians they have
another glorious heritage of which they can well
be exceedingly proud.
At Auriesville, in the State of New York, there
is a shrine in honor oh Saint Isaac Jogues and his
companions, the saintly Jesuit Martyrs of North
America, who were put to death by the Iroquois
Indians in 1646.
The Catholics of the United States are descend
ants in the Faith of the intrepid and courageous
American martyrs, and the story of the Jesuit
Martyrs, that of Kateri Tekakwitha, '“the Lily of
tlie Mohawks,” and recently the sanctity of Saint
Francis Xavier Cabrini, have been impressed into
their consciousness, but comparatively few of us
have much, if any, konwledge of other martyrs
whose blood sprinkled the seed of Catholicity in
our land.
In our recitation of the litany of the Saints, when
we implore the intercession of Patriarchs and Pro
phets, Apostles and Martyrs, Confessors and Vir
gins, we are, perhaps, inclined to think of martyrs
in terms of those who suffered persecution under
Hie pagan emperors of Rome or who died for the
Faith in other far away times and places,
Many of us fail to remember that North America
had its own martyrs, and it is possible that a num
ber of Catholics in Georgia do not even know that
years before the Jesuit Martyrs were put to death
in New York, Franciscan missionaries died like
martyrs at the hands of the Indians within the ter
ritory what is now the State of Georgia.
In the fall of 1597, a young Indian chieftain,
called Juanillo, who had become a convert to the
Catholic Faith, later abandoned the Christian way
of life taught by the missionaries. He was not satis
fied with one wife, and relapsed into polygamy, the
pagan mode of life. Being reprimanded by Father
Pedro de Corpa, the Franciscan misisonary at Tolo-
mato, located on the mainland, • opposite Zapala
Island, which we now know as Sapelo Island, and
filled with rag and resentment, Juanillo gathered
a molt of pagan warriors about him, and breaking
into Father Corpa's dwelling, they killed the priest
with a tomahawk, as he knelt in prayer, and then
severing his head, fixed it on top of a pole.
The infuriated young savage was not content
with Hie slaughter of the missionary who had cen
sured him lor his immoral life, but with his angry
mob, which gathered strength as it went along,
rushed to neighboring missions to deal death to
four other Franciscans.
Going northward oil the mainland, to Tupique,
near the mouth of the Altamaha River, the Indians’
thirst for blood claimed another victim, the ven
erable Father Bias Rodriguez.
Father Michael Kenny, the beloved Jesuit his
torian and educator, once a member to the faculty
of the Sacred Heart College, in Augusta, who died
last year, said in his celebrated work, “I’he Ro
mance of tli Florida*,” that the martyrdom of
Father Rodriguez ‘‘matches the most sublime in
Christian annals.”
Bursting in to the chapel where Father Rodriguez
was vesting for Mass, the Indians told him that
they had come to kill him. Calmly facing those
who had announced themselves as his executioners,
the Franciscan friar asked that they grant him one
favor in return for n any which he had done for
them - that they would postpone this massacre until
alter he had offered the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass. The Indians agreed, and with a congregation
which included with the murderous mob some ol
the devoted, did res ed Christian Indians, who
were powerless to aitl him. Father Rodriguez ascend
ed the Altar of God and offered the double sacri
fice of Christ and of himself in atonement for the
sins of his executioners, partaking of the Sacred
Host which was his Viaticum. He was annointed
with his own blood.
Father Luis Geronbno de Ore. O. F. M., about
1617. wrote an authoritative account of the martyr
dom of the Franciscans in Georgia, in which lie
tells that at the end of the Mass, and alter'he lrid
distributed his few possessions among the faithful
members of his congregation, Father Rodriguez
spoke to the murderous band in these words:
‘‘My children, for me it is not a difficult thing
to die, for death of the body will come even though
you may not be the instrument of my death. Every
hour we must expect: at the end we shall have to
die. What hurts me is your loss, and that the devil
has been able to make you commit so great an
offense against your God and Creator; it hurts
me, likewise, .that you are so ungrateful for Hie
work which 1 and the other fathers have undertak
en for you in order to teach you the way to
heaven. Look, children, now you have time, if you
wish to depart from your evil intentions; God, our
Master, Is merciful and He will forgive you.”
The priest’s entreaty, however, did not turn
Juanillo and his followers front their intent to
murder him, and they crushed his head with a
stone hatchet.
Father Marion A. Harbig, O. F. M., in his book,
“Heroes of the Cross,” an American Marlyrology,
quotes further .from the story of the seventeenth
century historian, Fra Luiz, to say that after Father
Rodriguez had been slaughtered his body was
thrown into a field, that it might suffer the in
dignity of being devoured by birds, but that the
birds of prey would not approach the body of the
martyred priest, and that animals that came upon
it, immediately turned away. Later, an old man, one
of the Christian Indians, came in secret for the
body ol Father Rodriguez, and buried it in the
woods. His body was later removed to Florida and
laid to rest at the shrine of Our Lady of la Leche
which was erected some years after.
At the Mission of Santa Catalina, near the mouth
of the Savannah River, Juanillo and his savage
Indians found Father Miguel Aunon and Brother
Antonio Badajoz at prayer alter Mass. The lay
brother was given a blow with a hatchet from
which he soon died, but because of the respect
which they had for Father Miguel the apostate
Indians, hesitating to harm him, waited several days j
before one of them struck the friar a vicious blow '
which crushed his head. It is related that this
Indian, within a few days, gave way to despair, and
hanged himself with the cord of his bow, causing
great wonder among the tribesmen. Christian In
dians buried (he body of Father Miguel at the foot
of a cross which lie himself had erected.
Juanillo then led his murderous mob to Asao,
known to us as St. Simon’s Island, where Father
Francisco de Veraseola was in charge of the Mis
sion of Santo Domingo. 7’he priest was away at
the lime, having gone to St. Augustine to obtain
some things necessary for the mission and the
Indians. Upon his return to liis mission, as he dis
embarked. Hie Indians approached him with a dis-
quised attitude of friendship, and then killed him
with an ax.
Next Hie Indians hastened to what we know as
Jckyil Island to kill Father Francisco de Avila, who
was in charge of San Bonaventura Mission there.
Father de Avila escaped death, but he was wounded
with arrows and then held in cruel captivity for
nearly a year by the rebellious Indians.
The only Franciscans who were serving on the
missions in Georgia at the time who escaped the
fury of the Indians were Father Pedro de Chozas
and Father Francisco Pareja, of San Pedro Mission
on Cumberland Island, where the chief, a good
Christian, led his tribesmen against the assailants
and put them to flight.
Much of the story of these Martyrs of Georgia
is still hidden in the archives of Spain and the
Vatican, but it is by slow degrees being brought to
light.
About twelve years ago, Bishop John Mark Gan
non of Erie, who had been designated by the
Bishops of tlie United States to compile a catalog
which examines the merits of “The Martyrs of
America,” reported to the members of the Ameri
can Hierarchy what the proper documents had
been prepared for transmission -to the Holy See.
The petition in the Cause was dispatched to His
Eminence Carlo Cardinal Salotti, Prefect of the
Sacred Congregation of Rites by His Eminence
Dennis Cardinal Dougherty, Archbishop ot Phil
adelphia.
At that time, addressing himself to the laity of
the United States, Bishop Gannon answered the
question: "What can de do to justly honor these
great missionaries who planted the Faith in our
land?”
“Briefly, a prayerful interest on the part of our
devoted American Catholics must be enlisted. I
urge, then, a crusade of prayer on behalf of this
great Cause, that God may see fit to increase the
glory of Holy Mother Church by blessing the en
deavors of the Commission for the United States
Martyrs. England has her martyrs, France and Italy
theirs. Why not the United. States Martyrs? We
have the testimony of their noble lives and heroic
leaths. Why not, I say, God willing, the United
States Martyrs? Assuredly, they are and should be
America’s proudest boast.” x
Bishop Gannon revealed that the documents pre
pared for the Holy See contain “the names of one
hundred and eleven martyrs of America who lives
might merit canonical consideration.”
This total, which does not include Saint Isaac
Jogues and his companions—the Jesuit Martyrs of
North America—is made up of seventy-six Fran
ciscans, fifteen Jesuits, seven Dominicans, four
Diocesan priests, one Sulpician, and eight Indian
laymen. Among the Franciscans are the five who
suffered martyrdom in Georgia.
In a disturbed and distressed world today, our
country stands forth prominently among the nations
as the refuge and hope of the afflicted peoples of
the earth, a land of liberty and of plenty.
Yet is it not strange, as Bishop Gannon asked,
’’that Americans in general, Christians, even Catho
lics, give so little thought to the Source of their
national blessings and to those saintly pioneers,
who conquered a wilderness, who overcame the
savagery and the ignorance of aboriginal tribes, the
dangers of navigation and exploration, to bring
civilization and a Christian culture to America?”
May we point out, as Bishop Gannon does, “that
for every exploration and colonization by whatso
ever nation or in whatever part of America, Catho
lic missionaries, Tor the most part priests, worked
side by side with our national explorers, spreading
the light of a Christian faith Tnong pagan tribes,
planting the Cross in every known land, dispelling
ignorance by their Christian leaching; in truth,
laying tlie very foundation stones of that Christian
culture, which today-makes of America a free and
prosperous land. In many instances, these holy
missionaries watered the seed of faith whicl they
planted with their own blood, thereby winning for
themselves the title not only of missionaries and
explorers, but of martyrs as well ... I would make
America conscious of those unremembered heroes
whose flag was Hie Cross, and whose greatest con
tribution to their country was the Christian reli
gion and culture.”
In this reminder of the deaths oi the Franciscan
missionaries in Georgia. The Bulletin in no way
anticipates a decision of the supreme Ecclesiastical
Authority, nor does it use the term martyrs in hie
strict canonical sense. The story of (heir deaths >s
repeated here in (lie hope that it might inspire in
the Catholics of Georgia a greater appreciation of.
and a more fervent devotion to, the Catholic Faith
which was brought to our shores by intrepid Serv
ants of God who met their deaths while nrca”h#ng
Hie te:chi'ig% of Christ to the natives of a ne;vly
d scovcred world. . i
Dixie Musings
Baxley, down in Appling Coun
ty, Georgia, is within tlie terri
tory which is being served by the
Oblate Fathers in Douglas.
'Through the generosity of the
Catholic and non-Catholic friends
of tlie Oblatcs, a church has just
been completed in Baxley.
The new church will serve the
few Catholics of Baxley and its
vicinity, and should be a conven
ient place lor visitors from the
North to stop to hear Mass, while
on their way to or from Florida
during the winter tourist season.
Among the lew Catholics in
Baxley is Mrs. George Harper. A
native of France, she was married
to an American soldier, during tlie
first World War. This gentleman
located in Baxley after (he Armis
tice, and opened a five and ten-
cent store there.
At infrequent intervals, priests
from Douglas have offered Mass at
the Harper home, so that Mrs.
Harper could hear Mass without
having to make a trip to Way-
cross or some other nearby town
where there was a Catholic
church.
A year or so agt* so tlie story
goes, some Northern visitors, who
were passing through Baxley,
stopped to buy some pecans that
a small Colored boy was offering
for sale at a wayside stand. One
of (he members of the party of
tourists asked the boy if' there
were a Catholic church in the
town, and he said that there was,
and that he would lead them to
it. He got into the car with them
and directed them to park in
front of Mr. Harper’s five and ten-
cent store, and then, to the con
sternation of the visitors, pointed
to Mrs. Harper, saying: “There’s
the Catholic Church!”
In an unprecedented action, the
Abbot and ten of the choir monks
and seminarian Brothers of tlie
New Melleray Trappist Monas
tery at Dubuque, Iowa, left their
cloistered home to take part in an
Arclidioeesan ceremony. Tlie
monks were dispensed from their
Trappist rule of silence while
they attended the rites of the
Archdiocesan Synod convoked by
Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman of
Dubuque. , *
In a way, the young Colored
boy that is quoted in the para
graph above was not far wrong.
There are sections of the South
where Catholics are few and far
between, and as far as their non-
Calholic neighbors are concerned,
the Catholic laymen living in
these regions are Jhe Catholic
Church.
All that many non-Catholics in
the rural areas of Georgia and
other parts of the South know of
the Catholic Church is whatever
of its teachings or practices are
exemplified in file lives of their
Catholic friends.
Whether their separated breth
ren gain a good or bad opinion of
the Church depends upon tlie
lives Hie few Catholics they know
are living.
In Ms book. “The Glory of Thy
People,” just published by Mac
millan, M. Raphael ■Simon, O. C. S.
O., of the Abbey of Our Lady of
the Valley, in Rhode Island, tells
the story of his conversion to the
Catholic Church and of the steps
which led him to become a Trap
pist monk. /
Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen, of
Hie Catholic University of Amer
ica, wrote the preface for the book,
says of it:
“Particularly interesting is this
' record of spiritual growth for two
reasons. It comes from the pen of
a scientist and a Jew, and ends
with the scientist becoming more
scientific than ever, and the Jew
still more of a Jew. As a scientist,
a doctor of medicine, and a psy
chiatrist, the author saw that no
science was complete which count
ed the words in the book of Na
ture but never inquired either who
wrote the book or the moral obli
gations of him who studied it . , .
The same is true of his Jewish
background which he sees as per
fected in the faith.”
Inadequacy of scientific re
search in laying bare ultimate
causes led Father Simon to seek
ultimate truth in philosophy, which
in turn led him to the study of the
philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Turning then to theology and re
ligion, he was led to embrace the
Catholic Faith.
Brightly decorated trees in all
of tlie wards, children singing
carols for the patients, and
Charles Gavan, in the role of San
ta Claus, distributing gifts, brought
a glad note of Christmas cheer at
Our Lady of Perpetual Ilely Free
Cancer Home, conducted by Hie
Sisters of St. Dominic of the Con
gregation of St. Rose of Lima, in
Atlanta.
A festive dinner served on trays
adorned with favors further bright
ened the day for the fifty-three pa
tients at the Cancer Home, (lie
oldest of whom is eighty-seven
and the youngest, fifteen.
Miss Josephine Louise Butler,
daughter of Col. and Mrs. E.
Cieorge Butler, of Savannah, will
leave some time in February for
the major European capitals to
serve as a civilian employe of the
Department of State, with a Navy
security office.
Miss Butler lias been in this
field for more than five years, hav
ing been first commissioned an
ensign and then a lieutenant (j. g.)
in the WAVES. Miss Butler was
stationed in Washington from the
date of her commission, resigning
after the end of the war to go into
government service as a civilian.
In a poll conducted by die
Cleveland Plain Dealer, the read
ers of that newspaper voted
“The Family Theatre” as tops in
radio programs.
This is the program which was
founded by Father Patrick Pey
ton, C. S. C., and which many Au-
gustans delight in listening to
each Thursday at 10 p. m., when
it is broadcast by Station WBBQ
in this city.
Inaugurated by Father Peyton
to promote family prayer, in par
ticular the recitation of the Ros
ary by families as a group, “The
Family Hour” has presented a bril
liant array of stage, screen and
radio talent, and its well-directed,
capably presented programs are
deserving the popularity that they
enjoyed with the readers of the
newspaper in Cleveland.
In a Methodist church at Am
sterdam, Ohio, a charity collection
lias been taken up each year at
Thanksgiving for some worthy
cause. The church does not have a
I large congregation and the amount
'collected is not a very substantial
■ura, but it does bear the rich im
print of real charity.
Last Thanksgiving Day. some of
Ihe Methodists in Amsterdam had
heal'd of (he self-saarificing work
of the Franciscan Sisters of the
Sirs- Poor in neighboring Steuben
ville. so the collection, with a good
supply of clothing (o be distribu
ted to (he poor, was sent by the
Methodists to the Sislers of (he
Sirk Poor who labor for the
1 needy of all races aru creeds.
A miniature painting on ivory
of the Madonna and Christ, which
may be by Murillo, has been pre
sented to the Fordham University
art collection by novelist Lucille
Borden.
Framed in elaborately wrought
silver ornamented with gold mon-
ogrammed crests, the painting
was sent originally by Pope Pius
IX to tlie ill-starred Emperor
Maximilian of Mexico in 1864.
It was purchased in Mexico by
Mrs. Borden's brother, an Ameri
can diplomatic representative
there more than fifty years ago.
After receiving the painting from
Mrs. Borden, Father Robert 1.
Gannon, S. J., president of Ford-
ham University, removed tlie rear
plate inscribed "Pius IX Benedi-
camus Dominum” and sealed with
the Papal Arms, and discovered a
piece of parchment affixed to the
back of the miniature.
Tlie parchment was dated 1049,
and was an authentic 17th Century
script. Translated from the Span
ish it read: “This sacred image
was painted by Murillo in the year
of our Lord, 1629.” This daft* is
evidently a mistake as Murillo,
born in 1618, would have been
only eleven years old at tlie
time. Conclusive evidence is lack
ing that the picture was actually
painted by the Spanish master.
Lucille Borden, who is Mrs,
Gerald Borden in private life,
was awarded the honorary degree
of doctor of letters by Fordham
last June in recognition of her
work as an essayist, reviewer and
fiction writer.
Those who did not hear tlie ad
dress delivered by Father Joseph
Manton, C.SS.R., on Ihe Catholic
Hour, December 28, missed this
most delightful sentence:
"Amid the clanging oi cowbells
and the tooting of horns and.the
bracket.y-braek of noise-makers, at
the stroke of. twelve, the i'y “Hap
py New Year!’ is broadcast over
(he country on a national hiccup.”
II. K.