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JULY 9, 1955.
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
SEVEN
State's Newest Mission Chapel
Archbishop William D.
O’Brien, D.D., LL.D., President
of the Catholic Church Extension
Society and Auxiliary BishoD of
the Archdiocese of Chicago, ded
icated the Mission Chapel of St.
Anne, Richmond Hill, on Mon
day evening, June 13. The chap
el, the first Catholic foundation
in Bryan County, was recently
acquired from Mr. Gilbert Ver-
ney, textile manufacturer of
Manchester, New Hampshire.
The stately structure, in colo
nial design with lofty steeple,
was built in 1938 by the late
Henry Ford, who named it the
Martha-Mary Chapel in memory
of his mother. Until 1952 the
building was used by the people
of Mr. Ford’s Richmond Hill
Plantation as a non-denomina-
tional place of worship, also for
religious exercises and functious,
such as graduations, in connec
tion with the public school near
by, and occasionally for wed
dings and funerals. According to
the wishes of Mr. Ford, it was
not used for any denominational
services.
In the summer of 1952, His Ex
cellency, Most Reverend Francis
E. Hyland, D.D..J.C.D., personal
ly made a census of the area and,
finding about thirty Catholics,
established a mission at Rich
mond Hill. Through the courtesy
of the Board of Commissioners
of Bryan County, permission was
obtained for the people of the
mission to attend Mass in a room
of the County Building. There
Bishop Hyland celebrated the
first Mass at Richmond Hill on
Sunday, September 16, 1952. His
Excellency also placed the mis
sion, at that time, under the
patronal care of St. Joseph. Rev.
Michael J. Regan, J.C.D., secre
tary to Bishop Hyland, was ap
pointed priest in charge of the
mission. Mass was celebrated at
the County Building until last
Easter Sunday. On Low Sunday,
April 17, Mass was begun at the
newly acquired St. Anne’s Chap
el, although the renovations were
yet in progress.
The chapel, although beautiful,
was not suited, as originally
planned, to Catholic devotional
purposes. It has, however, lent
itself most readily to the renova
tions which had to be made. To
cover the cost of the renovations,
the Catholic Church Extension
Society donated the sum of $10,-
000. The donation was given in
memory of Mrs. Anna Kilgallen,
and it was requested that the
chapel be named St. Anne, thus
bringing about the change of the
original name of the mission, St.
Joseph.
The entire exterior of the
chapel and most of the interior
have been painted. A new roof
also has been put on the build
ing. In addition to these improve
ments, the sanctuary was com
pletely rearranged and furnished.
Two statues, one of St. Anne
with the Child Mary and the
other of St. Joseph holding the
Child Jesus, have been placed
at the Gospel and Epistle sides
of the chapel respectively. Sta
tions of the Cross, in lifelike
color and Roman design, have
been placed around the side-
walls. Attractive cruciform
sconces, in bronze, part of the
original decorations on the win
dows of the chapel, have been
cleaned and polished. An ela
borate crystal chandelier, also
part of the original decorations,
hangs from the center of the
arced ceiling. The cushions on
the pews, also already in the
chapel, have been recovered.
Kneelers had to be installed
throughout, as also a confession
al which is located in the rear
of the chapel on the epistle side.
The chapel is illuminated by
flqrescent, indirect lighting
which boarders the base of the
arced, acoustical ceiling.
The seating capacity of the
chapel is 215. There is also a
spacious room off each side of
the rear of the building, one of
which has been converted into
a sacristy, the other which is
being used for instruction classes.
The Sisters of Mercy of the Most
Blessed Sacrament Church, Sav
annah, have been instructing the
children of the mission since 1952.
During the ceremony the Very
Rev. John J. Martell, E.M., pas
tor of St. Francis Xavier Church,
Brunswick, and the Rev. John
A. Morris, administrator of the
Church of the Nativity, Thunder
bolt, were chaplains to Arch
bishop O’Brien. Very Rev. An
drew J. McDonald, J.C.D., Chan
cellor and the Rev. Thomas I.
mam
SANCTUARY, ST. ANNE'S
MASS FIRST CELEBRATED IN COUNTY BUILDING
ST. ANNE'S, RICHMOND HILL
Sheehan, pastor of St. Thomas
More Church, Decatur, were
chaplains to Bishop Hyland. Fol
lowing the dedication ceremony,
Rt. Rev. Msgr. T. James McNa-
mera, V.F., rector of the Ca
thedral of St. John the Baptist,
Savannah, celebrated a Missa
Cantata. The choir was compos
ed of the girls from St. Vincent’s
Academy, Savannah, under the
direction of Sister M. Riedelis,
R.S.M. Mrs. Joseph C. Schereck
played the organ.
Prior to the ceremony, a din
ner was served to the clergy at
the cafeteria of the Cathedral
School, Savannah.
In addition to the priests men
tioned above, the following were
also present at the dedication ce
remony: Very Reverends Daniel
J. Bourke, V. F., and Donald C,
Hamburger; Reverends Mario
Di Leila, O.F.M., Rayner A.
Dray, O.F.M., John J, Garry.
Francis B. Gillis, S.M.A., James
J. Glynn, C. M., Gabriel Gor
man, C. P., Capistran Hass,
O.F.M., E. M. Kelly, C.S.V,,
James A. Kemper, Bartholomew
J. Keohane, S.M.A., James Ker
ins, C.Ss.R., Bernard Krimnv
C.Ss.R., Marvin Le Frois, Francis
McCarron, O.M.I., Michael Man
ning, Charles J. Mahoney, Jos
eph J. Mullins, S. Ml, Matthew
J. Noonan C.S.V., John J, O’Shea.
Nicholas J. Quinlan, Philip Tier
ney, O.S.B., John D, Toomey, M.
A., Emmanuel Trainer, C. P., Leo
Wetzel, O.M.I., and Bernard S.
Zeller, C.S.V.
GEORGIA STATE COUNCIL
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Rev. Vincent P. Brennan. S. M.. Slate Chaplain, Atlanta, Ga.
Henry C. Taylor,, State Deputy. Atlanta, Ga,
Joseph F. Kunze. Past State Deputy. Columbus, Ga.,
George W. Hughey. State Secretary. Albany, Ga,
William O'Dowd, State Treasurer, Augusta, Ga,
R. H. Casson, State Advocate. Macon, Ga.
V. J. Ryan. State Warden, Savannah, Ga.
Ed. P. Daly, District Deputy, First District
James J. O'Shea, District Deputy, Second District
Patrick R. Mulherin. District Deputy, Third District
ATLANTA COUNCIL
NO. 660
LOUIS C. BAUGNON
Grand Knight
HENRY C. TAYLOR
Financial Secretary
Council Meeting 1st and 3rd
Wednesdays at 8 P. M. at the
Council House, 1200 Peachtree
Street, N. E.
Club House open every evening
at the above address
SAVANNAH COUNCIL
NO. 631
PETER SCHUSTER
Grand Knight
Joseph m. McDonough
Financial Secretary
3 Liberty Street West
Savannah, Ga.
BISHOP GROSS COUNCIL
NO. 1019
PHILIP J. BATASTIN1
Grand Knight
JOE F. KUNZE
Financial Secretary
Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays
8 P. M., 802 Broadway
K. C. Hall
Columbus, Ga.
PATRICK WALSH COUNCIL
677
JAMES O. BENNETT
Grand Knight
FRANK EGBERT
Financial Secretary
Meets 2nd and 4ih Monday
Visiting Brothers Welcome
2575 Henry St., Augusta, G<a.
MACON COUNCIL NO. 925
JOSEPH P. CASSIDY
Grand Knight
ROBERT J. HINSON
Financial Secretary
2986 Houston Ave.
Meets the First and Third
Tuesdays at 8:15 P„ M.
541 New Street,
Macon, Ga.
HENRY THOMAS ROSS
COUNCIL NO. 1939
R. J. CLANCEY,
Grand Knight
JOHN H. STILES,
Financial Secretary
Meets Fourth Tuesday at
Xavier Hall
Brunswick, Ga.
ALBANY COUNCIL NO. 3607
JOHN R. ROSS. Grand Knight
CLARENCE R. SHOEMAKER, Financial Secretary
Council Meets Second and Fourth Monday at 8:30 P. M,
400 N. Jeffexson Street