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FOUR
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMENS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
AUGUST 30, 1952
(She Sttllefitt
The Official Organ of tj^e Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia, Incorporated
; The Christian Century Prints
OME weeks ago, on its editorial page, The Pilot
official organ of the Archdiocese of Boston,
reported on a survey which it had made of an
Dixie Musings
HUGH KINCHLEY, Editor
216-17 Southern Finance Building, Augusta, Ga.
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1951-52
MARSHALL WELLBORN Rome President
MARTIN a. CALLAGHAN, K. S. G., Macon
Honorary Vice-President
HARVEY HILL, Atlanta . . . Vice-President
CHARLES C. CHESSER Augusta Secretary
J. P. MEYER, Columbus Treasurer
HUGH KINCHLEY, K. S G., Augusta
. Executive Secretary
MISS CECILS FERRY Augusta, Financial Secretary
ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta . Auditor
VOL. XXXIII. AUGUST -30, 1952 No. 8
Entered as second class matter June 15, 1921, at the
Post Office at Augusta, Georgia, under the Act of March
1, 1879 accepteo for mailing at special rate of postage
providec in paragraph 4, section 538, Postal Laws and
Regulations as modified by paragraph 6
Member of N. C- W C News Service, Religious News
Service, the Catholic Press Association of the United
Stat js, -he Georgia Press Association, and the National
Editorial Association.
Published monthly by the Catholic Laymen’s Association
Of Georgia, Inc., with the Approbation of the Most Rev
erend Archbishop-Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta. and of the
Right Reverend Abbot Ordinary of Belmont.
'‘Russia Will Be Converted”
index Which The Christian Century, an undenomina
tional Protestant weekly review, published in Chi
cago, presents twice a year to its readers.
The index of matters treated in The Christian
Century, which was under study, cpvered the
period between January and June of this year.
The Pilot declares that the first shock its read
ers will receive is the discovery that in the time
covered by the index there had been more refer
ences to Catholicism in The Christian Century
than to Protestantism, and The Pilot goes on to
state:
“The Bible surely, we must think, will have
many references—there are actually only half as
many listing as for the Vatican. The subject of
Prayer has only seven titles, the, subject of Politics
has twenty-eight. The Congress of the United
States is referred to thirty-two times, Foreign
Policy has thirty-four references and Church and
State tops all with eighty titles. At the same time,
there is no listing at all for such subjects as Sacra
ments, Redemption, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Grace
and such matters which might be considered as in
teresting to a Christian journal of information.”
As The Pilot contends, what conclusions may be
Four Jewish youths perhaps
have done more than anyone else
to make a hymn dedicated to the
Blessed Mother more widely
known throughout the country.
They are the Ames Brothers—
Ed, Vic, Gene and Joe—a quar
tet popular on stage, radio and
television, who have recorded
“Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue”
for Coral-Decca records. Sale of
the records is brisk and may sur
pass the .Brothers best-seller “Un
decided” record. 1
“Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue”
is a poem written by Maiy Dixon
Thayer. It frequently has been re
cited over the radio by Bishop
Fulton J. Sheen, Auxiliary Bishop
of New York and National Direc
tor of the Society for the Pro
pagation of the Faith.
Father Fred Nelson, a convert,
assistant pastor of St. Joseph’s
Church, Mandan, N. B., whose
hobby is picking out tunes on the
piano, set the poem to music.
Father Nelson said he had “writ
ten lots of songs but they never
amounted to much.” He sent his
HERE has come to The Bulletin for review a
very remarkable book. It is titled “Russia Will
Be Converted,” its author is John M. Haffert, and
it is published by the Ave Maria Institute, Wash
ington, New Jersey, with the Imprimatur of the
Most Reverend George W. Ahr, D.-EL', Bishop of
Trenton.
drawn from ah index of this kind will be necessarily
vague and require testing against other statistics and
trends.
One Conclusion which may be drawn is that
the readers of The Christian Century must be having
their interest in the Catholic Church aroused. Many
The author, John Mathias Haffias, is a Catholic
layman of New Jersey. He is the editor of Soul,
a religious publication, and his writings include
“Mary In Her Scapular Promise,” “From A Morn
ing Prayer,” “A Letter from Lisieux,” and “The
Peacemaker.” He was privileged, in 1946, to spend
several hours with the only living visionary of the
Fatima apparitions, Lucia Santos, who at the time
of the interview was Sister Lucia of the Order of
St. Dorothy. Under the name of Sister Mary of
the Immaculate Heart, she became a Carmelite
Nun in May, 1946.
As its title would suggest, the book, which is
profusely illustrated, tells the story of the appa
ritions at Fatima and discusses the promises made
by Our Lady Of Fatima to Lucia Santos, Jacinto
Marto and Francisco Marto, the three Portuguese
children.
Chapter I begins with these words: ■ “In 1926
there was a strange coup d’etat in Portugal. While
several thousand people knelt in a town near Lis
bon, handful of devout men marched to the
national assembly in Lisbon and demanded the
resignation of the allegedly Leninist dictatorship.
Not a drop of blood was shed. The atheistic gov
ernment resigned and a new republic was born in
the world, a republic which came unscathed through
World War II, is now a member of the North At
lantic Pact, and which is one of the few creditor
nations of the world.”
This book retails two events which took place
on May 13, 1917, which by a coincidence was the
date of the consecration as Archibishop of Mon-
^ignbr Eugenio Paeelli, now gloriously reigning as
His Holiness Pope Pius XII.
The first recorded Bolshevik terrorism in Rus
sia directed by Lenin took place at noon on May
13, 1917, It was an attack on a Moscow church
■where a woman named Maria Alevandrova was
teuchiug catechism to a! group of children. This
was at the very hour, on the very day, of the first
apparition of Fatima.
Other apparitions followed at Fatima. Dur
ing one of them, Our Lady of Fatima, speaking in
prophecy, told the three children:
“You see hell where the souls of poor sinners
go. To save them God wishes to establish in the
World the devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If
-they do what I will ’tell you, many souls will be
saved and there will be peace. The war is going
to end.
-But if they do not stop offending God, another
and worse war will break but in "the reign of 'Pope’
Pius XI. When you will see a strange light illu
minating the night you will know that it is a sign
which God gives you that he is going to punish
the world for its crimes by means of war, hunger,
persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father.
“To forestall this I shall come to ask the
consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart
and the Communion of Reparation on the first’
Saturdays. * ■ ■ - ' ■•■ -
“If they heed niy request; Russia will be con
certed, and there •will be peace. If not, She shall
spread her errors throughout 5 the world, promoting
wars and-persecutions of the Church, the good crill
fee martyred, the Holy Father will have much to
suffer, carious nations Will be annilhilated. But
in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.
The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, she
■will be converted, and ah era of peace will be con-'
ceded to ‘humanity.’
The writer of “Russia Will Be Converted” states
that <in its pages it is his purpose above all to make j
the reader believe in Fatima. “Therefore,” he j
writes, we are not Writing; here of the devotions
of Fatima in any detail. It is our purpose above all !
to make the reader believe . . . that there is hope '
for what many of us may have begun to believe *
was impossible: The conversion of Russia and)
universal peace. We want the reader to feel that
not only did God send His Mother at Fatima to I
indicate a solution to this greatest crisis in world |
history, but that the solution is workable and work !
■Ing. We want each reader to feel, after turning the i
last page, that he or she might be the very one who
might add the last bit of weight to the' scale be
tween good and evil,; between atheism and fideltv
to God.” ,.
In a radio address on October 17, 1942, on the
occasion of the silver jubilee of the last of the
apparitions at Fatima, His Holiness Pope Pius , XII
consecrated the Church and the world to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, and although not men-
of these readers may be influenced to begin on
their own an investigation into the teachings of the
Church and such investigations have brought many
people to a profession of the Faith of Their
Fathers.
tioning Russia by name, made reference to that
country.
Last month; cm the Feast of Saints Cyril and
Methodius, the Apostles to the Slavs, His Holiness
Pope Pius XII addressed an Apostolic Letter to all
j the peoples of Russia, calling for the strengthening
[of Christian Faith and revealing that he has con
i’ secrated them in a special way to the Immaculate
; Heart of Mary.
While not making any distinct mention of the ap
paritions at Fatima, the Holy Father did recall that
“just as many years ago We consecrated the entire
j world to the immaculate Heart of the Virgin Moth
er of God,“(that occasion being the silver jubilee
| of the apparitions at Fatima) “so now, in a most
| special way, we dedicate and consecrate all the peo-
j pies of ’ Russia to that same Immaculate Heart, in
| confident assurance that through the most power-
| ful protection of Virgin Mary there may at the
| earliest moment be happily realized the hopes and
| desires which We, together with you and all those
\ of upright intention, have for the attainment of true
■ peace, of fraternal concord and of rightful liberty
for all.” .
The Holy Father reminded, too,, that it was
known that there was constructed in the Kremlin
itself,, a church—“today unfortunately no longer
being used for Divine worship - dedicated to Our
Lady assumed into Heaven; and this is a ipost clear
testimony of the affectionate devotion which your
forebears and you have for the beloved Mother
of God.” ,
Mr, Haffert, in his book, wrote: “Today, Rus
sia is ia Saul of Tarsus. Many in Russia and the Third
International hate and persecute Christianity . . .
Onee< again, lightning’ is going to strike from the
sky: and militant athefists will fall into the dust,
blindedf.momentarily to their false ideas, and in that
moment of blind light, they will hear the words:
‘Why peseeutest thou Me?’ ,
“And they will rise. They will go to the ends
Of their International ... turning’ the perfection
of their world brganization and following into a
highway to Christianity.”
/ Mr: Haffert states that he asked Sister Lucia,
when he talked to her in 1946, if she thought there
would be another war.' The Nun, the only living one
of the three children that saw the visions at Fatima,
answered: “I think the next thing that will happen
will be that the Holy Father and all the Bishops’ will
unite to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary.” When asked if she thought the conversion
■of Russia and peace would follow, Sister Lucia’s re
ply was that that Was what Our Lady had promised.
She did not venture to say when it would happen,
but that’“it will happen when a sufficient number
are fulfilling the requests”. * ’
' Here in Georgia, in Brunswick, ■where many
of the ihembeES of St; Francis Xaxier parish are
Of Portuguese“ancestry, devotion to Our Lady of
Fatima Was introduced long before it was known
in other"'parts’Of this Cburitry. '
To, the Diocese of .Savannah-Atlanta. within the
last twelve mpnths. have pome Bishop . Fulton J.
Sheen, through whom a number of those high in j
communist circles have been , brought t Onto the
Catholic Church; Father Patrick Peyton, pleading
for the’ recitation of the Rosary, the form of prayer
that Our Lady of Fatima recommended, and Father
James Keller, of the Christophers, saying that
each of uS can change the world py Lbecoming
Christ-bearers. ■ *
These three, like the book “Russia Will Be
Converted,” give us a good idea of how Our Lady
of Fatima will bring the peoples of Russia to the
Faith. We can believe, with confidence, that what
the Blessed Virgin Mother of God has promised
can be accomplished through her intercession with
her Divine Son.
All of us who want to. can speed the fulfill-
rnent of - the promise that Russia will be converted
id peace conceded 1 to humanity, if we: will: offer
acts of reperation and pray for the triumph of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. ,
May every reader of The Bulletin become one
of those who by prayer and sacrifice is making that j
sufficient number nearer to achievement. !
i music for the poem to publishers
in Portland, Oregon, who made a
record of the song by a boy so
prano, which met with limited
success.
Father Nelson said he first
i heard the Ames Brothers record
ing of his hymn on the ralio. He
commented: “1 think they do a
beautiful job of it.
It is a reverent song and should
be done with feeling. It’s not the
swingy type and I hope anyone
who plays it remembers that.”
The Ames Brothers were born
and raised in Malden, Mass., a
suburb of Boston. They have been
| singing as a quartet since their
! grammar school days and were
j prize-winners in many amateur
j contests in the Boston area. They
have appeared on a number of
television and radio shows and on
the stage. Usually, they conclude
| their act with a. serious number,
sometimes a spiritual. Now, they
often use the "Lovely Lady” num
ber for their closing.
Representative John W. McCor
mack of Massachusetts was credit
ed with “a stroke of genius” when
he called for the singing of “The
Lord’s Prayer” to soothe frayed
nerves toward the end of a mara
thon session of the Democratic
National Convention. -
Joe Parham, editor of The Macoii
News, in reporting the i ncident,
described it as “the greatest mo-*
! ment of- the Convention,” and in
{ writing about it for his newspaper
had this to say:
“Tempers were shortj”’ voices
hoarse arid bodies weary . . . On
the floor a death-grip struggle was
going on between the liberal Ke-
fauvef-Harrtmari coalition and the
conservative Stephenson-Russell
combination . . A woman had
fainted and been carried ; away
weeping . : A fight had' broken
out bet ween opposing partisans ....
Greed and prejudice and thwarted
ambition and arrogance had 1 shown
{their ugly faces. I
“Inspiration must have Struck
Rep. John McCormack; who w^s,
presiding. He rapped-the gavel and
called for silence. 'These; delibera;,
t ions are vital to the republic and
divine guidance is needed,’ he said.
Then he asked those of the vast
throng to bow their heads while
the Lord's Prayer was sung.
“The lights were dimmed and
an Augusta,' Ga.. Negro : named
Arthur Lee Simpkins, 1 b’egah to
sing: 'Our Father Who Art in
Heaven . . ’ A hush descended;
on the hall. The people 1 stood up
as the beautiful * barttone Voice.
soared to every corner 1 of the am
phitheatre 1 : V . M •• '
"The song finally ended'and the
lights came on but -hearts had
been' cleansed • and” inner motives
examined 1 and integrity reassert
ed in the time of the singing of
the • Lord's Prayer.” ’
> William Joseph Bruckneri'young
son of Captain and Mrs. William
Paul Bruckner, 'formerly of 1 the
parish of the Co-Cathedral of
Christ the’King in Atlanta, recent
ly received; his First Holy Cone,
munion in the Basilica of St: Pe
ter’s in Rome,
Captain Bruckner, who is in the
Army Ordnance Corps, has been
stationed at Leghorn, Italy, since
March. “Joey,” as his young son is
known to relatives and; friends, re
ceived Communion in a small chap
el ot St. Peter s, together with oth
er children of U. S,. Army person
nel. Commemorating the occasion,
"Joey” has a beautiful card,, in-,
scribed with a prayer, and testify
ing that he received bis First Com
munion on May 18, 1952, at St. Pe
ter’s, Vatican City.
“Joey’s” grandparents are Mr.
and Mrs. Julius Bruckner, of Atlan
ta, and Mr. and Mrs. William J. Sei
bert, of St. Petersburg, Fla.
His Holiness Pope Pius XII wit
nessed an impromptu display of
basketball technique when the Har
lem Globetrotters, famed Negro
team from the United States, called
to pay their respects to the Pon
tiff at his summer residence, Cas-
telgandolfo.
The Pope received the Negro
players in the Sala Clementine and
was presented with a new basket
ball signed by all of the members
of the squad. He told them be bad
heard much about them and said he
was Curious about the game of bas
ketball, which he hid never Seen.
The squad immediately volun
teered to put on an exhibition. The
fact that the audience chamber had
no court or baskets did not ham
per them in passing and dribbling
the autographed ball to one an
other and giving other examples of
their extraordinary skill,
“These young men are certainly
very clever,'” His Holiness told
their coach, Abe Saperstein.
Remains of what is believed to
be the mission church of St, Louis,
used by the Canadian Jesuit
martyrs, Saint Jean de Brebeuf
and Saint Gabriel Lalemant, have
been uncovered by archaeologists
at the martyrs’ shrine near Mid
land, in the Province of Ontario.
Among the items found were
part of a crucifix, arrowheads and
rosary beads. The excavations were
conducted by the Western Ontario
School of Indian Archaeology. The
site -is thought to be that of the
Huron village of St. Louis in which
the two Jesuits labored. The Iro
quois razed the village after cap
turing it in a battle with the
Hurons, seized the two priests and
after subjecting them to torture,
burnt them at the stake. The
North American Martyrs were
canonized in 1930.
Church and State have honored
the memory of two priests and
three Brothers of the Oblates of
Mary Immaculate who were tor
tured and executed in the garden
of the Oblate novitiate near Fon
tainebleau, France, on July 24,
1944. A gestapo informer had pre
viously denounced them as having
knowledge of the hiding place of
ammunition for the, French under
ground resistance to the Nazi in
vaders.
At the place of their execution
a memorial has been erected in
the form of an, altar where Mass,
was offered by the Carmelite
Father Louis .of the Trinity, who
before he entered the religious
life was Admiral Thierry d’Ar-
genlieu and chief of staff of the
French Navy. Among those at
tending the Mass were many Ob
lates who witnessed the shocking
events eight years ago. ;
Archbishop ’ Frederic C. Lamy
of Sens and Bishop Georges De-
bray of Meaux attended the Cere
mony,- together with Georges
Bidauit, leader of the' French re
sistant movement _ during the .war,
and a number of high government
officials.
The altar, topped by a tall stone
cross, is built against a wall bear
ing the names of the five, victims
and the inscription: “Greater love
than this no one has. that one lay
down his life for his friends.”
A hundred” persons in 30 states
and Canada haVC been prize win
ners in S' $100;000 nation wide es
say contest Sponsored by 1 the
Christophers.
Cbntest entries " consisted’ of
true stories illustrating “Wha‘t 1 one
person can do”—with God’A help
—to change the world for the
better.
According to Father James J.
Keller, M. M., founder, and di
rector of the Christopher move
ment, thousands of entries! were
rgceived, from every section of
the country arid from persons of
every race, creed and, color,,
Because of the outstanding na
ture of each of the prize-winning
essays, the judges voted to split
the $10,000 cash prize equally,
and each winner will receive a
$100 prize.
Among the winners were Mrs.
John W. Dunn, of Charleston. S.
C., and Mrs. Douglas Grant, of
Waynesville, N:; C. Mrs. Grant was
the guest speaker at the conven
tion of the Catholic Laymen’s As
sociation of Georgia held in Ma-
co nin 1949. B. K.