Newspaper Page Text
FOUR
OCTOBER 25, 1952
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
Hulletitt
The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen's
Association of Georgia, Incorporated
* HUGH KINCHLEY, Editor
216-17 Southern Finance Building, Augusta, Ga.
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1951-52
MARSHALL WELLBORN, Rome ...... President
MARI IN 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 CECILE FERRY. Augusta/Financial Secretary
ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta . Auditor
VOL. XXXIII, OCTOBER 25, 1952 , No. 10
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
provided 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
States, the 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.
Our Convention City
W AYCROSS, Center City of Southeast Georgia
and gateway to the world-famous Okefenokee
Swamp, has been chosen by the Catholic Lay
men’s Association of Georgia as its 1952 conven
tion city, and the Association’s thirty-seventh an
nual convention will be held there on Sunday,
October twenty-sixth, the Feast of Christ the King.
Waycross is a point of entry for the play
grounds and recreation resorts of Florida. It is a
city of diversified interests and attractions, a city
of culture and civic attainment, that is noted for
the cordial hospitality of its people.
’ As the city’s name would signify, it is where
“Ways Cross,” and in colonial days it was a hub
of stage coach roads and pioneer trails. Later the
old Plant System of railroads, long since absorbed
by the Atlantic Coast Line, and the Brunswick and
Western Railroad crossed tracks at Waycross.
Waycross is the county seat of Ware County,
named for Nicholas Ware, of Richmond County,
distinguished Georgia attorney who served in the
State Legislature and in the United States Senate.
The imposing Ware residence, which was
known in its early days as “Ware’s Folly,” still
stands on the comer of Telfair and Fifth streets
in Augusta, and is now the Gertrude Herbert Art
Center. /
Waycross dates its history as a community
from 1872. and was incorporated in 1874, though
from the times of Indian wars and the days of the
trading posts, settlers had been transforming the
wilderness in productive farms and forests.
There was an era’ when thoughtless waste de
vastated the forests and depleted the soil, but new
ly developed practices in conservation and diversifi
cation are developing a growing prosperity from
the abundant natural resources of the Waycross
surrounding of Waycross.
Principal crops of the area are lumber, pulp-
wood, cross ties, poles, pilings, veneer and naval
stores, tobacco, cotton, peanuts, poultry, truck,
sugar cane, together with pasture land.
‘ Manufactured products of Which Waycross
can boast are shoes, cigars, boxes, concrete brick
and block, concrete pipe, concrete vaults, beekeeper
supplies, chenille products, doll furniture, cabinet
work and mirrors. Waycross also ships to market
meats, pecans, tobacco, honey, hides and furs, ttiri
pentine and rosin.
Waycross is so close to the Golden Isles of
Georgia where the Spanish, Missions flourished
long years before the English settlers, landed in
Georgia, that it is quite- possible that some of the'
intrepid missionary priests, who preached Chris
tianity to the Indians along the Georgia coastline
penetrated into the wilderness to where Waycross
is now located.
, It is therefore believable that the Catholic
Laymen’s Association of Georgia is holding its
1952 convention in a part of Georgia that has a
Catholic history that dates back four hundred
years.
We do know, certainly, that there have been
Catholics in Waycross almost from the day that
it had its beginning as a town where railroads and
roads crossed. ,
In 1884. Mrs. II. B..Plant, wife of the pioneer
developer of the State of Florida, deeded to the
Eight Reverend William H. Gross. C. SS. R . D. D.,
then Bishop of Savannah, one city block in Way-
cross, to be held Until Such time as the Catholics
of the city could erect a church upon it.
' The first Catholic church in Waycross was
erected five years later, largely through the , gen
erosity of Miss Hannah DeVanny, and Jeremiah
Cronin, of Savannah. Their zeal and continued ac
tivity Were crowned with success and the first St.
Joseph’s Church in Waycross was dedicated in
1889 by Bishop Thomas A. Becker of Savannah.
The structure was demolished during a hur
ricane in 1898, and construction of the present
St. Joseph’s Church was begun at the corner' of
Tebeau and Elizabeth streets, and completed 1 the
following year.
; Mrs. .William, Cason, of WaycrosS, Was large
ly responsible for .the, *rpctiaii of the present'
church, just as Mr. Cronin had been for the original
structure. She was untiring, too, in enlisting aid,
never becoming discouraged, even at times when
Father P. J. Luckie, S. M., one of the first Marist
Fathers to be assigned to the Brunswick area,
found it hard to meet the payroll for the men
who were building the church.
-it is not surprising that Father Luckie, said
of Mrs. Cason: “This church will be your monu
ment. At least God chose yflu as His instrument
to further His works.”
Before there was a church in Waycross, Mass
was said for the Catholics of the city at the Cason
State Department Condemns Sofia “Trials”
T HE RECENT “trial” and sentencing of a Bul
garian Bishop and bis co-defendants by the
communist government of Bulgaria is considered
by the United States State Department as an at
tempt to destroy the last remnants of the Catholic
Church in that country.
The Department stated so in commenting on
the case of Bishop Eugene Bossilkoff of Nikopol
and his co-defendants in a statement released in
Washington. Bishop Bossilkoff and three priests
“tried” with him were sentenced to death for al
leged spying and conspiracy against the Bulgarian
regime. Twenty-six other priests, lay Catholics
and a nun received prison sentences ranging up
to twenty years.
In handing out the statement Press Officer
Michael J. McDermott said that the State Depart
ment could not protest the “trial” to the Bulgarian
government because this country no longer had
diplomatic relations with Bulgaria- Relations were
broken in 1950 after the Reds demanded the recall
of the U. S. envoy.
The text of the State Department statement
reads as follows:
“The Bulgarian Government has just staged
(September 29-October 3) another of its elaborate
‘trials’ of religious leaders, designed, in this in
stance, to destroy the last remnants of the Catholic
Church in Bulgaria.
“As in the infamous trials of Bulgarian Protes
tant leaders in the spring of 1949, the forty Catho
lic leaders accused in this latest ‘trial’ were charg
ed with various vaguely defined anti-State activities,
including, in the course of the proceedings, allega
tions that certain of the defendants had engaged
in espionage as employees of ‘the Americans’ and
had, for this purpose, been in touch with a United
States Government official on duty with the for
mer American Legation in Sofia.
“These charges are groundless and absurd.
The same crude attempt to accuse the United States
Government and its official representatives in Bul
garia of being involved in clandestine efforts to
overthrow the Bulgarian Government has recurred
in each of the many ‘trials’ in which the Soviet
satellite dictatorship in Bulgaria has sought to
eradicate every form of opposition to its regime.
“Cynical disregard for the truth characterized
the whole ‘trial.’ At the end the court dutifully
meted out the sentences—four defendants, includ
ing one Bishop, to be shot, all but five of the rest
sentenced for periods ranging from 10-20 years.
“In a speech just prior to the trial, Bulgarian
Minister of Interior Georgi Tsankov revealed with
crude brutality the atmosphere in which the trial
was to be staged. ‘Let all (who oppose the com
munist regime) know,’ he said, ‘that the Peoples
Rule, through the organs of the Ministry of Interior,
is able to put everyone where he belongs, and will
deal mercilessly with all who try to hinder us.
Neither God nor their imperialist masters can help
them.’
“In accordance with this avowed policy, under
the flimsiest pretense of legality, a last vestige
of free religion in Bulgaria has now been stamped
out. The Government of Bulgaria which already
stands accused before the tribunal of world opinion
of, the most blatant violations of its solemn obliga
tion to guarantee human rights and fundamental
freedoms to its citizens, has by this new act proved
again how justly its vicious tyranny deserves the
condemnation pft free men everywhere.”
Fred G. Doyle
T HE ANGEL of death has summoned the noble
soul of Fred G. Doyle, of Savannah, back
to The God Who created it. His passing leaves
a void in the Catholic life of Savannah that will
be bard to fill, and the city in which he spent
the span of his earthly life mourns the loss of
one of its most highly esteemed citizens.
Long active in the work of the Catholic Lay
men’s Association of Georgia, Mr. Doyle served
during the stirring years of the past as president
of the local branch in Savannah. For the past ten
years he has been a member of the Endowment
Fund Committee of the Laymen’s Association. His
interest in the Association was evidenced by his
presehce at the convention in Rome last year.
( Well might The Savannah Morning News, in
editorial tribute, say, of Mr. Doyle: “Savannah is
richer for having produced a man of his calibre,
one who quietly and unostentatiously went about
doing kindly and useful things in behalf of others
while he was applying his time and talents in the
fullest' measure to advancing the interests of his
Church, his community and the outstanding agen
cies and organizations with which he was long
identified.” .
The countless friends who mourn the loss of
their friend have hearts filled with sympathy for
Mr. Doyle’s bereaved wife-and family. The bonds
with which they were attached to him in life still
bind them to him in tender memory, and impel
them to offer fervent prayers that God may grant
his soul eternal rest and let light perpetual shine
upon him.
home> on Alice street. Mrs. Cason continued ac
tive in parish affairs until her death, and was
prominent in the work of the Laymen’s Associa
tion in its early years.
At a meeting held in Waycross, in 1919, on
a motion of E. M. Heagarty, it was voted by the
members of the Catholic laity present that a local
branch of the association be established in Way-
cross, and at that meeting, Daniel W. Morgan was
elected president, Mrs. Cason, vice-president. She
.so served for several years as one of the state
vice-presidents Of the Laymen’s Association.
Waycross has continued as a charge of the
Marist Fathers from Brunswick, first served from
Brunswick, and now for some years w'ith a priest
in residence.
A great day for Catholicity in Waycross came
in 1948 when ground was broken for a Catholic
school, which was t# be staffed by Sisters of-the
Third Order of St. Francis, of the Allegany, New
York foundation. Classes were taught during the
1948-49 school year in temporary quarters in the
Plant Building, which adjoins St. Joseph’s Acad-r
emy was opened at the comer of Nichols and Isa
bella streets.
Waycross is truly a flourishing, progressive city,
inhabited by some twenty thousand fine people,
from whom the Catholic laity of Georgia will as
suredly receive a cordial welcome.
Dixie Musings
In the smallest Catholic diocese
of the United States, the greatest
forward stride in the distribution
of and reader interest in the Holy
Bible has originated during the
past two years through the persis
tent faith and promotion of one
individual.
Since 1950, under the direction
of Edward F. Gallagher, Jr., a
member of St. Michael’s Parish in
Gastonia, North Carolina, who is
the originator of the, first modern
Catholic Bible with “eye-appeal”,
over 285,000 copies of the Holy
Family Edition of the Bible have
been sold by his firm, Catholic
Books, Inc., which is also located
in Gastonia in the Diocese of Bel
mont Abbey-Nullius.
The popularity of this practical
edition, which has outsold any con
temporary edition of the King
James version, is based not only on
the attractive page layout, easily
legible style of printing with a
practical, flexible binding but also
in the many useful, instructive
features contained in the edition.
Included in these features are a
rosary section prepared by Father
Peyton of Family Rosary fame, a
liturgical, illustrated explanation
of the Sacrifice of the Mass, a 300,-
000 word biblical and general in
formation dictionary, and the
translation of three of the papal
encyclicals on blble study. Both the
Old and New Testament sections
are profusely illustrated with more
than three hundred full-color illus-
strations, most of which are from
the works of Tissot, the great
French biblical artist.
Other sections include the Sta
tions of the Cross, a summary of
bible history, a commentary on
biblical interpretation with com
parisons of the books of the Douay
and King James versions, the im
printing of the words of Christ in
red ink, and the presentation of the
Psalms and New Testament accord
ing to the Confraternity Edition.
Thus, out of a tihy Catholic cen
ter in a great, non-Catholic area of
our country, through a hew, origi
nal idea of “eye-appeal” in making
this edition of the Bible an attrac
tive, useful book to read, the Word
of God has been brought to more
than one million readers.
An “effective blow” at a “great
social evil” will result from Con
gressional hearings on indecent
literature.
This prediction was made by
Martin Work, executive secretary
of the National Council of Catho
lic Men. NCCM played a role in
passage of the resolution setting
up the House investigation by
helping Representative E. C. Gath-
ings of Arkansas, who became
chairman of the investigating unit,
to obtain samples of offensive
publications.
Mr. Work, in a statement report
ed'by Catholic Men, NCCM month
ly magazine, said there will be in
creasing opposition to the investi
gation because the issue of free
dom of the press will be injected.
“However,” he maintained, “be
cause of the vast amount of inde
fensible pornographic material on
hand as evidence, and because of
the intelligent and energetic work
of the committee, as well as the as
sured cooperation of reputable
publishers and distributors, the net
result will be an effective blow at
this great social evil.”
Mr. Work predicted that no na
tional censorship board or law
would come out of the hearings,
but:
A strong demand would arise
for reintroduction of measures to
close loopholes in present laws af
fecting indecent literature—such
as proposals to allow postmasters
to impound objectionable material
while awaiting legal action against
the mailer; and provision for heavy
penalties. (
Under Congressional pressure,
book publishers may and should
write their own code.
Public opinion will he groused
to demand enforcement of local
laws, and imposition of stiffer,
penalties.
At the Bulletin office, we have
had a number of inquirers asking
where they might secure a copy
of that delightful and delicious
volume “Blessed Mother Goose,"
which since its publication some
months ago has been finding its
way into the nursery of many
Catholic homes. Religious Gift
Shop, 1229 Beec'ii Valley Road, N.
E., Atlanta, has just received a
new supply of the fasf-feelling
“Blessed Mother Goose” hook of
nursery rhymes.
Postal officials in Washington
concede that they forgot about a
stamp issued sixty years ago when
they said that Adolf II of Nassau,
Archbishop of Mainz, is the first
member of the Hierarchy to be pic
tured on a United States postage
stamp.
Archbishop Adolf, who appears
on the current Gutenberg Bible
commemorative stamp, is merely
the first to be honored in his own
right for his sponsorship of Guten
berg.
Actually, the honor of being the
first pictured belongs to Cardinal
Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, Arch
bishop of Toledo and Primate of
Spain (1428-1495), who is shown on
the 30-cent stamp of the Columbian
commemorative series of 1892 with
the court of Ferdinand and Isa
bella as Columbus appears to an
nounce his discovery of the New
World.
On several other stamps of the
Columbian issue, the first com
memorative stamps ever issued by
the United States, members of the
Catholic clergy appear. However,
they are unidentified by the artists,
and do not necessarily represent
historical figures.
Cardinal Gonzalez was, of course,
merely a spectator, or an incidental
figure, while Archbishop Adolf is
honored for a specific act, the
sponsorship of Gutenberg’s print
ing of the Bible.
LOOK magazine, in its issue
which was on sale at newsstands
on October 7, contained an article
titled “What is a Catholic?”
The article, which appeared in
th. form of questions and answers,
W'as written by John Cogley, ex
ecutive editor of Commonweal, a
weekly magazine, edited by Catho
lic laymen. It was one in a series
of articles in LOOK on the role
of religion in American life. ,
As would be expected, the
twenty-four questions which are
answered cover matters regarding,
which non-Catholics frequently
seek information from their Catho
lic friends. One question is: “What
are the chief differences between
the Catholic and Jewish faiths?
The Catholic and Protestant?”
Among other matters disfeussed are
confession, Catholic schools, the
infallibility of the Pope, the Im
maculate Conception and the As
sumption of the Blessed Virgin,
images, purgatory, the Mass, di-*
vorce, gambling, drinking,, motion
pictures, plays and books. >
How interesting and informative
the non-Catholic readers of LOOK
found the article cannot be said. It
evidently attracted Catholic atten
tion for a number of our friends
mentioned the article* to us before
we had had a chanee^ to read it.
Sisters in religious garb and
public school teachers are work
ing shoulder-to-shoulder at St.
Mary’s School in Fort Recovery,
Ohio, and after the first month,
school officials report “no prob
lems.”
Fort Recovery—a village of 1,231
peMons—still needs a new school.
Until it gets one, St. Mark’s school
is doing double-duty.
Previously it had been operated
as . a parochial school but now it
is only such from 8 to 9:30 each
morning, and after that time it be
comes a public school. No religion
is taught after 9:30 a. m.
There are three Sisters of the
Precious Blood and one lay teach
er. The Sisters qre entitled to pay
as qualified teachers at the mini
mum wages prescribed by the state.
Parochial school pupils are' not
required to pay tutition for public
school instruction and are entitled
to ride public school buses as regu
lar public school pupils.
The' public school system is
leasing St. Mary’s building for
$1.00 a year. It remains the prop
erty of the church, but may be
Used for extra-curricular or church
activities with the permission of
the school board.
A wayside shrine of Our. Lady of
Fatima was dedicated on; U. S.
Highway No. 31, just north of
South Bend and adjacent to the
Univeristy of Notre Dame on Oc
tober: 19. Father Patrick Peyton,
C. S. C., founder of the Family
Rosary Crusade, delivered the ser
mon at the dedication.
Erected with the approval of
Bishop John F. Noll of Fort Wayne,
the shrine consists of six statues
cflrved from Pietrasanta marble.
The statue of Our Ladyi is six feet,
six inches in height. There are
kneeling statues of the three Portu
guese Children who witnessed the
Fatima apparitions, and statues of
two sheep. —H, K.