Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

♦ * TWENTY-EIGHT THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA AUGUST 21, 1948 » Father Ignatius Lissner, S. Af. A., Founder of Colored Missions in Georgia, Dies in New Jersey TEANECK, N. J. — The Very Reverend Ignatius Lissner, S. M. A., eighty-one, founder of the Aemican Province of the Society of African Missions, died on Aug ust 7 at Holy Name Hospital here. • The Office of the Dead was re cited at St. Anthony’s Mission House, Tenafly, and funeral ser vices were held at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Tena fly. A Solemn Mass of Requiem was offered in Mount Carmel Church, Tenafly, on Tuesday, August 10, and was attended by the Monsig nor Eugene S. Burke of Richmond, dean of Bergen County who was the representative of Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh of Newark, and Monsignor Joseph E. Moylan, ad ministrator of the Diocese of Sa- vannah-AUanta, who represented the Most Reverend Bishop Gerald P. O’Hara. Father John F. La- Fargo, S. J., represented the Cath olic Interracial Council and a number of Sisters, Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, which Father Lissner founded in 1910. also attended. Celebrant of the Mass was the Father Peter Hess, S. M. A., assist ed by Father P. J. O’Donoghoe, S. M. A. as deacon and Father Al phonse P. Koch, S. M. A., sub deacon. Father Lissner was buried in the Mount Carmel parish ceme tery at Tenafly. His closest sur vivor is Mifjs Jennie Lissner of New York City, a niece. Father Lissner was born in Wolxheim, Alsace-Lorraine, in 1867. and was ordained to the priesthood at Lyons, France, in June. 1891. The following Sep- . tember he went to Africa where he labored as a missioner for six years, his field embracing the west •r coast, Dahomey, Guinea, and the _Gold Coast, where he had many ‘interesting experiences in the dark continent. First coming to the United States in 1897, he traveled through this country and Canada, lecturing and making appeals for help to further the/missionary work of the Society of African Missions among the Negro population of the United States. After a brief visit to this coun try, Father Lissner went to Egypt as a chaplain with the British Army, returning to the United States in 1906. In January, 1907, Father Lissner went to Georgia. At the time theri was no house of the Society of Af rican Missions in the Diocese of Savannah, nor in the United States. He rented one room in a boarding house in Savannah, and before he had been in that city a year he had established St. Ben edict the Moor Mission, and had • started a school with the Francis can Sisters of the Immaculate Con ception as teachers. The growth of the mission and the rapidly increasing enrollment &t the school made it necessary to establish another mission and a school, dedicated to the Most Pure Heart of Mary, and in 1908, a third Colored mission, St. Anthony's, was established in Savannah. Father Lissner next established a mission in Augusta, and soon afterward founded Colored mis sions in Atlanta and Macon. When Father Lissner arrived in Georgia there were but 250 Color ed Catholics in the state and but 67 Colored children attending Catholic schools. At the present time, the Society of African Mis sions has three flourishing Colored parishes in Savannah, St. Bene dict’s, St. Mary’s, and St. An thony’s, each with its parochial school. In Augusta, there is the Immaculate Conception Church, with a high school and a grade school and St. Benedict the Moor Orphanage for Colored girls. In Macon, there is St. Peter Clavcr Church, and a school conducted by Sisters of the Blessed Sacra ment, and in Atlanta, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, with a school in *• which Sisters of the Blessed Sac rament are the teachers. In addition to the establish ment of the churches and schools in Georgia, Father Lissner also established St. Odilia’s Church and school in Los Angeles, Calif., and Blessed Martin de Porres Mission. Tucson. Ariz. In 1922, he started St. Antho- » ny’s Mission House, at Tenafly. for the formation of a Colored clergy. In 1928, he established a Retreat „ House at Tenafly ♦.here Colored business and professional men could gather for annual Retreats. In 1916, with the approval and blessing of the late Bishop Benja min J. Keiley of Savannah, Father Lissner organized in Suvanuah a FATHER LISSNER community of Colored Sisters, the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary. Later, the congregation was adopted into the Archdiocese of New York, and the Motherhouse of the community is now in New York City, where the Sisters teach at St. Aloysius Pa rochial School, operate St. Bene dict’s Day Nursery, add engage in social service work. The novitiate is on Staten Island, and the com munity now nurpbers about thirty Sisters. Father Lissner was Provincial of the American Province of the So ciety of African Missions until two years ago when the condition of his health made it necessary for him to relinquish the active direc tion -of the society’s missionary ef forts. ^ Since Father Lissner’s retire ment in 1946 he has been in resi dence at St. Anthony’s Mission in Tenafly, provincial headquar ters of the order in the United States. The Society of African Missions was founded in Lyons, France; its motherhouse is now in Rome, with the Very Rev. Maurice Slattery, S. M. A., as Superior General. The novitiate and provincial sem inary in this country are at Sil ver Spring, Md. The ,4.frican Fathers, as they are sometimes called, have communities or par ishes in the Archdioceses of Bal timore, Los Angeles and Newark, and the Dioc'escs of Belleville and Savannah Atlanta. K. of C. in Macon Outline Council . Program for Year MACON, Ga.—formation of a circle of Columbian Squires, com posed of boys between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years, under the sponsorship of the Knights of Columbus, the expan sion of Catholic activity and fra ternal projects, were among the recommendations made by State Deputy J. P. Price, of Augusta, on the occasion of his first of ficial visit to Macon Council, No. 925, K. of C. Robert J. Hinson, grand knight of Macon Council, said that through the various projects which would be undertaken by the council during the coming year that the members would “thus take and keep a more firmly es tablished position as Catholic lay men in support of our Bishop and our pastors in carrying out the work of the Church, and to attract to our organization most of the eligible and desirable men we want and need. We may tell them that through their cooperation and support our organization will earn still greater acclaim for its ac complishments for God and our country.” Following the regular ' meeting the state deputy held a number of conferences with members of the various standing committees of the council, and methods of furthering the council’s program were discussed. The evening’s program conclud ed with a buffet supper served by the entertainment committee of the council, under the leadership of N. J. Pascullis. It was announced at the meet ing that Past State Deputy John J. McCreary, of Macon, would represent the Georgia State Coun cil. with the state deputy, at the annual convention of the Supreme Spring Hill College Announces Changes, Additions to Faculty Father Thomas L. Finn, One of Georgia’s Outstanding Priests, Dies in Savannah, July 28th (Special to The Bulletin) MOBILE, Ala.—Changes and ad ditions to the faculty of Spring Hill College have been announced by Father Harry Crane, S. J., Pro vincial of the Southern Province of the Society of Jesus. Father J. Franklin Murray, S. J„ returns to the department of English after a year’s absence, and other faculty members return ing are Father Thomas F, Mul- crone, S. J., mathematics; Father J. M. Walsh, S. J.. Spanish; Father Louis J. Eisele, S. J., physics; and Father Charles C. Goetz, S. J., re ligion. Father Arnold Benedetto, S. J., and Father S. Yoree Watson, S. J., who have finished their work on their doctorate degrees in philos ophy at the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy, will be added to the department of philosophy. Three new members of the fac ulty will be Mr. Frederick Mc Caffrey, S. J., English; Mr. John Moore, S. J., Mathematics, and Mr. Thomas A. Steley, S. J., so ciology. Transferred from Spring Hill lo other appointments are: Father John Gonzales, S. J., to Holy Fam ily Church, El Paso, Texas; Father James D. Carroll, S. J., to Jesuit High School, New Orleans; Father John H. Mullahy, S. J., to Van derbilt University, where he will work toward a doctorate degree in sociology; Mr. Alfred O. Lambeau, S. J., to Fordham University, for work toward a master’s degree; Mr. Oren W. Key, S. C., to Jesuit High School, New Orleans, and Mr. John P. Driscoll, to St. Mary’s College, Kansas, to begin his theo logical study. Other members*‘of the Spring Hill Faculty are Father W. Pat rick Donnelly, S. J., president; Father Joseph S. Rogue, S. J., Father Andrew C. Smith, S. J., dean; Father Sidney A. Tonsmeire, S. J., Father Arthur A. Colkin, S. J., Father J. A. Cronin, S. J., Father John V. Deignan, S.. J., Father Joseph B. Franckhaus- er, S. J., Father John- A. Gosson, S. J., Father John A. Hutchins, S. J., Father Francis Janssen, S. J., Father Everett H. Larguier, S. J,, Father Warren J Martin, S J., Father John Moreau, S. J., Father Joseph Mulhern, S. J., Father John J. O’Keefe, S. J., Father John A. Sweeney, S. J., Father Henry Tiblier, S. J., and Father Patrick H. yancey, S. J. Mr. James D. Blakenship, S. J., and Mr. Robert Oglesby, S. J., who are on leave of absence for the summer, will return for the fall term. Lay members of the college faculty are Louis F. Bou- dousquie, registrar; Harold G. Al len, Sam M. Betty, John J. Hold en, James V. Irby, Jr., Edmund B. Sullivan, Edwin F. Trigg, and Wil liam C. Gardiner, coach. Other additions to the faculty, in the de partment of. accounting and com merce, will be aqnotinced later. Father J. E. Donohoe, S. J., will remain as pastor of St. Jo seph’s Church of the college. OBLATE MISSIONARY CONDUCTING NOVENA AT COLUMBUS CHURCH COLUMBUS, Ga.—Father Jo seph A. Curtin, O. M. I., of the Oblates Fathers Mission Band, from Douglas, is conducting a No vena in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the Holy Family Church here, where Father Her man Deimel is the pastor. Council of the K. of C., being held in Houston, Texas, this month. SAVANNAH, Ga. — Father Thomas L. Finn, one of the most widely known and best beloved priests of the Diocese of Savannah- Atlanta, died here on July 28, funeral services being held at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The Solemn Requiem Mass was offered by Monsignor Joseph Eh Moylan, Vicar General of the Dio cese of Savannah-Atlanta, with Father Daniel F. CumminffSj, of Baltimore, deacon; Father Jaiiies H. Grady, of Rome, subdeacon; Father James H, Conlin and Fath er George Daly, masters of cere monies. The sermon was deliv ered by Monsignor T. James Mc Namara, rector of the Cathedral. Among the members of the clergy present in the sanctuary were: Monsignor Joseph G. Cas sidy, rector of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta: Monsig nor Joseph F. Croke, pastor of St. Anthony’s Church, 'Atlanta; Monsignor Edward Dodwell, J. C. D., Officials of the Diocese .of Savannah-Atlanta: Monsignor James J. Grady, pastor of St. Mary's-on-The-IIill Church, Au gusta; Father J. Jennings Clark, Washington, D. C.; Father Sydney F. Dean, Greenville, S. C.; Father John J. O’Shea, Thomasville; Father Godfrey Weitekamp, O. F. M. Americus; Father John A. Morris, Thunderbolt; Father John D. Toomey, Milledgeviile: Father Adolph Gall, S. M. A., Augusta; Father Michael Manning; Gaines ville: Father James E. King, War ner Robins; Father Robert Bren nan, Dublin; Father John Harold Shea, Chattanooga; Father Thomas I. Sheehan, Decatur; Father Daniel J. McCarthy, Port Wentworth; Father P J. O’Connor, Washington, D. C.; Father Charles McBennett, O. M. I., Douglas; Father Daniel J. Bourke, Albany; Father Leo Ziebarth, S. M., Bruns wick; Father H. A. Schonhardt, Atlanta; Father John J. Ryan, C. S. V., Father Robert Brennan, O. S. If., Father Bede Lightner, O. S. B., Father Hugh Hagerty, O. S. B., Father Terence Kernan, O. S. B., Father Aloysius Wachter, O. S. B., Father Thomas A. Brennan. Father A. E. Grant; Father An drew McDonald, Father Joseph Ware. Savannah; Chaplain Sulli van, U. S. Marine Base, Parris Is land, and others. Music- at the Mass was by the Cathedral choir, under the direc tion of A. J. Ilandiboe, with Miss Patricia Barragan at the organ. The pallbearers were Walter B. Murphy, J. J. Doolan, William , J. Cleary, Edward J. Burns, Jr.. Joseph L. Bradley, C. F. Russell, Jr., II. J. Middleton and John O. McNamara. From the afternoon before until the hour of the funeral services, Father Finn’s body, in its flag- draped casket, rested in state be fore the main altar of the Cathed ral. In the evening the Office of (he Dead was chanted by the clergy of the city, and hundreds of Father Finn’s friepds among the laity gathered at the Cathedral to recite the Rosary. A guard of honor of Fourth Degree, Knights of Columbus, in full regalia, stood at attention beside the casket. For the past several years, Fath er Finn had served as Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta. Previously, he had served for a number of years as Director of St. Joseph’s Home, Washington, and he'was the first pastor of St. Thomas Moore parish, established in Decatur in 1941. Father Finn was well known in Savannah as a community worke?: and as a priest. He was at one time president of the Cotton City Ath letic Association and the Braves Club. At the inception of city league baseball in Savananh, Fath- FATIIER FINN er Finn was unanimously elected president of the league. The popular priest was also prominent in Boy Scout work, be ing scoutmaster in his earlier years of Troop 14, which at that time won many honors in scout ing. He was a past president of the Catholic Library Association, and while heading the asosciation was instrumental in bringing about the founding of the Catholic Com munity Center on Liberty street. During World War I he served with the Army, enlisting as a pri vate and being discharged with the rank of captain. Upon returning to civilian life. Father Finn was prominently as sociated in the cotton business in Savannah, with the Espy Cotton Company, until 1923, when he abandoned a promising business career to study for the priesthood. He entered St. Mary's Seminary, in Baltimore, and upon completion of his philosophical and theologi cal courses, was ordained at the Cathedral here in 1929 by Bishop Micheal J. KeycS. S. M.. at that time Bishop of Savannah. After his ordination. Father Finn was appointed director of St. Jo seph's Home for boys, at Washing ton, Ga., and it was while he- was in charge of the home that the new building was erected there. On account of illness, Father Finn was relieved of his post at St. Joseph’s Home in 1935, and later served as assistant pastof of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Savannah and as assistant rector of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta. When the Decatur parish of St. Thomas More was created in 1941, Father Finn was appointed as its first pastor. In 1945, he was reliev ed of his duty as pastor in De catur so that he could devote full time lo his positions as Director of Catholic Charities of the Dio cese of Savannah-Atlanta and Di ocesan Director of the Catholic Evidence Guild. He had his head quarters at the rectory of the Ca thedral of Christ the King, in At lanta, and while there served also as chaplain of the Newman Clubs at Georgia Tech, Emory University and Agnes Scott College. Early this year, Father Finn was honored by the Catholic Young People’s Association in Savannah when the association named its library the “Father Finn Library,” the dedication being not only be cause of ills donation of many books but also in recognition of his years as a leader and champ ion religious, youth and civic pro jects. Father Finn is survived by a brother, Walter Finn, of Savannah, and two cousins, James H. Mc Kenna and Mrs. Marguerite McK, McEllinn, also of Savannah. Best Wishes GANN’S ' BAR-B-Q CHICKEN - STEAKS - SEAFOODS SAVANNAH BEACH