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Official Newspaper For The Diocese Of Savannah - Atlanta PUBLISHED BY THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA “To Bring About a Friendlier Feeling Among Neighbors Irre spective of Creed” Vol. XXXVI,,No. 6. MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1955 10c Per Copy — $3 a Year ‘PILGRIM VIRGIN’ CRUSADE FOR PEACE The famed “Pilgrim Virgin” statue of Our Lady of Fatima is escorted by more than 500 religious' in a welcoming demonstration with huge banners in Olean, New York, for the Marian Celebration there. _The event was sponsored by the. Sisters of St. Francis as part of a Crusade for Peace, (NC Photos) WHY MEET COMSURRENTLY! (Rev. Francis Donohue) The coming ninth Regional congress of the Confraternity Doctrine is to be held jointly with the annual convention of the Catholic Laymen’s Associa tion of Georgia. Ordinarily the Laymen’s Convention is held on the weekend of the feast of Christ the King. However, with the past brilliant record of the Catholic Laymen’s Association and the Apostolic zeal of its members in mind, His Excellen cy, Bishop Hyland asked that the CCD Congress and the fortieth Annual Convention of the Cath olic Laymen’s Association of Georgia be held in conjunction with each other. For without the active help of Georgia’s most ardent Lay Apostles, the outlook for the Confraternity Program in our diocese would be dark, in deed. If the Confraternity, which is a lay organization, is to func tion effeciently and achieve its goal, then it must make use of the talents and experience of those who have a deep love for the Faith, couple with the desire to see it known and loved by all. The present record and truly heroic past accomplishments of the Catholic Laymen’s Associa tion of Georgia are, or certainly should be, known by all. But in case they are not, then- a brief recapitulation of the history of the Association may inspire yet more men and women to enroll in this historic Catholic organiza tion, and to work with it for the spread of the Faith in Georgia, through the Confraternity Pro gram. Today the Catholic Church is well known in Georgia and equally well respected. Political discrimination against Catholics is almost entirely a thing of the past. No longer are the Church Priests, and Sisters the subject of vilification and misrepresen tation. But many there are throughout the State of Georgia who remember other days. Thir ty years ago times were hard for the Church and her people in Georgia. Catholic institutions were constantly misrepresented by a hostile press. Even the loyal ty of Catholics to their state and their country was called into question. For, a people who knew nothing of the Catholic Church or her teachings could not distinguish between the spi ritual allegiance which every Catholic owes to Christ, through His Vicar on earth, and the temporal allegiance which Cath olics as wbll as others owe to the duly constituted authorities of the country. There were some who would have disfranchised Catholics because of this alleged “Dual allegiance.” The honor of our Sisters and the sanctity of their convents were openly cal led into question by otherwise prudent and respectable men. The Sisters, and through them the Church and Catholics throughout the State were humi liated by the passage of the “Convent Inspection Bill”, known today as the “Veasey Act.” The Bishop who rose to voice the Church’s potest against what could only have seemed a gross and monumental in justice became the object of a series of diatribes in the legis lative halls of the State he had served so loyally as a citizen, a soldier, and a Churchman. It is difficult for us who did not live through those trying days to appreciate the plight of the Catholic Church in Geor gia thirty short years ago. And without the zeal, talent, tact and the determined and persevering action and prayer of the little group of men who, under the direction of their Bishop, first formed the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, those dark days might never have been shortened. In their zeal they wanted the Church of Christ to be known as it really is and loved for what it is. They were tactful men who reasoned that such a wide spread misconception of the na ture of the Church and such a violent hatred for it could not be the result of malicious intent, but rather of ignorance and mis information. They pooled their talents to devise ways and means to inform the people of Georgia as to the true teachings and practices of the Church; and they gave unstintingly of their time, efforts and financial resources, to bring about “A friendlier feel ing among Georgians irrespec tive of Creed.” The esteem and respect for the Church and Catliolics in Georgia, today, attests most ele- oquently to the success of the Catholic Laymen’s Association in their progress toward their goal. Thanks be to God, the lean days are over, and while the “Convent Inspection Bill” re mains in existence as an unfor tunate blot upon the legislation of the State of Georgia, the bit terness and misunderstanding that gave it birth have, for the most part, dissipated before, the light enkindled by the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia. Today, the Church in Georgia can breathe and grow, but even the most optimistic of us would not claim that all ignorance and misunderstanding has disappear ed from the scene. There is much work yet to be done. The gains which the Church has made in Georgia must be consolidated by a strong and vigorous Catholic (Continued on Page Two) Archbishop O’Hara Addresses Congress (N.C.W.C. News Service) NOTTINGHAM, England, Aug. 18—A worldwide questionnarie on university education and its meaning for Catholics forms the basis for this year’s Pax Roma- na Congress at Nottingham Uni versity here. Archbishop Gerald P. O’Hara, Apostolic Delegate to Great Bri tain and Bishop of Savannah- Atlanta, set the theme for the congress—“From University 'to Life” — when he preached the sermon at the opening Mass, celebrated in Nottingham Ca thedral by Bishop Andrew Beck of Brentwood. Opening address of the con gress, “The Culture of the Uni versity Graduate,” was to be de livered by Sir Hugh Taylor, Princeton University professor and president of the Council of the International Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs. In a symposium four univer sity leaders from different parts of the world are scheduled to present reports on what the modern student expects from the university and how the universi ty fulfils these expectations. The reports are based on the Pax Romana questionnaire. One of the four to present these reports is Dr. Richard Pattee, a contri butor to the N.C.W.C. News Service. Others are Dr. Joseph Kuriacos of India, joint presi dent of the congress along with Sir Hugh Taylor and president of the International Movement of Catholic Students; Dr. F. Kluber of Muenster University, Germany, and Mr. K. McDon nell of Queen Mary College, London. Other American professors taking part in the congress in clude Father Robert F. Drinan, S.J., of Boston, Father Patrick H. Yancey, S.J., of Mobile, Ala., Father William Rooney of Washington and Dr. Pick of Marquette University in Mil waukee. Argentine Catholics Are Blamed For Attacks Made By Paid Ruffians BUENOUS AIRES (Radio NC) —Mystery attacks made on guards placed at churches here were carried out by paid terrior- ists, it has been revealed by an investigaton. Catholcs were pur posefully blamed for these at tacks, it was also revealed. These important disclosures came to light as new govern ment charges of an attempt on the life of President Juan D. Peron, and other instances, have brought a new phase to the un settled situation in Argentina. The regime’s police announced that they had arrested more than 200 persons as a result of the discovery of an armed plot on the life of President Peron. They identified only two of the per sons charged, but the prisoners ranged from communists to members of the Catholic Auction Group. Observers remarked upon the starnge coalation of conspirators reported by the police. They noted, however, that all were members of the opposition. Heretofore, announcements of the discovery of plots against the Peron Regime have inverib- ly proceeded the regimes against opponents. Meanwhile, the Churche’s po sition is restated as follows; 1. Ecclesiastical Authorities have banned Catholics from par ticipating in meetings and de monstrations which are called Religious but which are not ec clesiastically approved. 2. The Ban does not apply to free participation by Catholics in civic demonstrations and the exercise of their civil rights. 3. Whenever civil adthorities find it necessery to curb demon strators, this should be accom plished within the framework of respect for the freedom and dig nity of a human-person. The official statement of the Churche’s position, first made public late in July, stressed that the church is not responsible for Civic demonstrations, since it leaves absolute freedom to the faithful. Charges made by the police that the weapons and ammuni tion were kept in Catholic col leges were found to be ground less upon investigation by oth ers. Even a few old weapons that have been in colleges, for sport and practice use, were re turned to the army. The only (explosives) that could be found in Catholic colleges were a few bottles for chemicals used for in struction purposes in laborato-' ries. With growing discontent in all groups, the police announce ment of a plot against President Peron did not surprise anyone. Many believed it to be just one more shift in the shaking, un certain, Peronist policies. Even children have joined in open resistance by painting V’s topped by a Cross on walls all over the city as a sign of Vic tory. Many of the leaders arrested have expected it for several days, as peronist intimation had been experienced steadily with out cause. Catholic homes and schools continue to constitute a prin cipal target of the regime, be cause they are buwarks against the organized peronization of Youth. The charge of seditious preaching hurled against Clergy also is untrue, but the priests are firmly opposed to the cor ruptive tactics of the regime and violation of constitutional rights.