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October 15. 1955.
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FIVE
October 5, 1955.
Dearly beloved in Christ:
The Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta is deeply conscious of
the honor that it will have in-being host to the Ninth Regional
Congress of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine that will be
held at the Oglethorpe Hotel, Savannah, in conjunction with
the Annual Convention of the Catholic Laymen of Georgia, on
October 21-23 inclusive.
AH nf us know that from our guests we will learn much
about the work of the Confraternity and the way it functions
in striving to achieve the best possible results elsewhere. What
we will learn from them will be of great value in promoting
the apostolate of the Confraternity in Georgia and in attaining
its sacred objectives.
Need I say how welcome to the diocese will be the dis
tinguished members of the hierarchy, of the clergy, of religious
communities, and of the laity, who are coming to the diocese
for the Confraternity Congress? We will do all we can to make
them feel at home in our midst and to make their stay with us
very pleasant.
Although canonically erected years ago in Georgia, the
Confraternity never really did get under .way here. Perhaps
the excuse could be validly advanced that all of us in Georgia
have had our hands full in providing for the constantly increas
ing needs of the diocese in other ways, for example, in the
organization of new parishes and missions throughout the State
with their churches, schools, rectories and convents, not to speak
of other needs that had to be provided for. This work has ab
sorbed practically all the time and energies of our priests in
recent years. It is due to the zeal of Bishop Hyland that the
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine has taken on new life.
Bjshop Hyland has seen to it that one of our priests be specially
trained in Confraternity work so as to be in position to give
expert guidance to all our priests and people in so important
and necessary an apostolate. Although the end of our building
program is nowhere in sight as yet, I feel that with the increas
ing number- of priests and religious in' Georgia, we will see the
Confraternity in full-fledged operation everywhere in the
diocese.
The inspiration that the Ninth Regional Congress will give
us surety points the way to the intense and vigorous activation
of the Confraternity program in Georgia. For this inspiration
and for the new incentives that the Confraternity Congress
will provoke we will be sincerely grateful to those who will
be in Georgia with us during the Congress days.
AVe call attention to the fact that with relatively few ex
ceptions the forefathers of all our Georgia citizens were Cath
olics and worshipped at Catholic altars. Somewhere in the
course of the years many of them lost their Catholic heritage.
One of the sacred objectives of the Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine is to bring home to our non-Catholic friends a realiza
tion of the duty that they have in conscience of giving fair-
minded study to the beliefs of the Catholic Church which their
forefathers in the past held so sacred and which they accepted
with all their hearts. We are all familia* with what is happen
ing in the minds and hearts of countless thousands of Ameri
cans who have become Catholics but who previously knew
little or nothing about the Catholic faith and who in some
cases were so blinded by inborn prejudices that they hated
the Church. Often it was the good example or the timely and
friendly suggestion of Catholic friends that opened their eyes to
the beauty of Catholic truth. We know the expressions of heart
felt joy that have poured forth from grateful souls that came
to know the Catholic Church as it realty is and not as it is so
often described by those who know it not. In the South our
non-Catholic friends and neighbors are, generally speaking,
well-disposed and warm-hearted. They are so well-disposed
and have such a love for Our Lord and for the Sacred Scrip
tures and strive so hard to please God according to the lights
they have that, we can say they belong to the soul of the Church
even without knowing it. We Catholics have a duty to say a
kind word at opportune times in favor of the Church to non-
Catholic friends and neighbors. Such a word tiftrely said, plus
the power of good example can have undreamt of effects.
Moreover, we must all have a spirit of compassion towards the
non-Catholics who surround us in such great numbers, and we
must pray fervently and frequently as the law of Christian
charity demands, for their return to the faith of their fathers.
A hearty welcome then to all who will be coming to Geor
gia for the Ninth Regional Congress of the Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine. May the blessings of God abundantly de
scend upon them during the days of the meeting.
Yours sincerely in Our Lord,
Open House Scheduled Oct. 16
Notre Dsie Book Shop Opens
New Library, Reading Room
ATLANTA, Ga.—The opening volunteer workers who have
of the new Catholic Library and
Reading Room by ^the Notre
Dame Book Shop in downtown
Atlanta opens up many new pos
sibilities for the spread of Cath
olicism in this area. Equipped
with more than 1200 volumes of
Catholic books covering every
phase of Catholicism, the new
library with the confortable
reading room opens to the gen
eral public a new means
of learning about the Catholic
Faith.
To introduce the new library
and reading room to the public,
the Notre Dame Book Shop will
hold an Open House on Sunday,
October 16. It is located in down
town Atlanta across from Davi
son’s at 181 Peachtree Street
above Walgreen’s Drugstore. All
are invited to come and inspect
the beautiful pine panneled
library and rading room and look
over the many interesting Cath
olic books available.
The only charge for using the
library is a $1.00 Life Member
ship card. There are no rental
charges and no fines collected on
overdue books. Mailing service
is also available.
The history of the Notre Dame
Book Shop and Library goes
back only seven years when it
was first opened as a parish
library with only 60 books in a
one room store area in Buck-
head. As interest developed, the
little library grew into a book
shop carrying Catholic books
and religious merchandise to
make it selfsustaining. As the
demand for its goods increased,
its market spread and it soon be
came a corporation and moved
to its downtown location. Now
it serves not only all of the At
lanta area, but the entire dio
cese, as a central supply center
and distributor of Catholic books
and religious merchandise.
The success of the Notre Dame
Book Shop and Library is due
to the hard work of the many
To the Editor of THE BUL
LETIN
It would be a service to your
readers, especially the school
Sisters and the priests, generally
if you would bring to their at
tention a recent publication, THE
ALTAR BOYS’ CEREMONIAL,
by the Reverend Joseph W. Ka-
vanagh. This very valuable little
book is published by Benziger
Brothers, Inc. Its author served
in our Diocese for many years
as Secretary to Archbishop
O’Hara and as Episcopal Master
of Ceremonies. It is most com
prehensive in its scope and while
geared specifically to the altar
boy’s participation in the liturgy
of the Church, it is an invaluable
manual for the priest, whose
time is liimted as he seeks to
prepare the altar boy and him
self ds well'for the many cere
monial functions of the sapetua-
ry. This observation is made in
the light of my tenure as Admi
nistrator of the Middle Georgia
Missions as well as from the
standpoint of my rectorship of
the Cathedral.
MSGR. T. J. McNAMARA
Rector Cathedral
Father Thurston N. Davis, S.J.
has been appointed editor-in-
chief of America.
worked in the Shop from time to
time and to the valuable assist
ance rendered by Notre Dame’s
Board of Directors which is
composed of a group of Atlan
ta’s business and professional
men. It is operated almosst en
tirety by volunteer help and
supported ony by its own profits
and a few donations. In view of
this, its growth and progress has
been phenomenal.
With the opening of the new
library and reading room, it is
felt that the objective of the
Notre Dame Book Shop can be
better realized in many ways,
and that, objective is the spread
ing of the knowledge of God and
the Catholic Church.
BACKDROP—
(Continued from Page Four)
The iron curtain cannot be so
tightly shut there is no com
munication. Word seeping
through to the West shows quiet,
steady resistance to the Red
tyranny that yokes so many peo
ples.
A few weeks ago another of
America’s fine reporters, Marr
quis Childs, 'wrote of what he
saw as on of a group traveling
from Rome down to Castelgan-
dolfo for an audience with His
Holiness, Pope Pius XII.
FORCES'
“Those of us who try to re
port what is happening in the
world,” he wrote, “put a great
deal of stress on the outward;
signs of power—the productivi
ty of mills and mines, the divi
sions under arms and planes in
the air. But there are greater
forces which escape the ordina
ry terms of measurement, such
as the pilgrimage to this hill
side village.”
October 5, 1955.
My dear People:
It is my prayerful hope and ardent desire that as many of
our people as possible will attend the Ninth Regional Congress
of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine,. which will be held
this year in conjunction with the Fortieth Annual Convention
of our Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia. This Con
gress is of such eminent importance that I cannot find words
strong enough to urge large representations from every parish
in the diocese. Promotion of the aims of the Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine is essential to the spiritual life of all our
Catholic people. It is difficult rightly to distinguish the points
of emphasis, for souls are lost to the Church in the city parishes
as well as in the unchurched rural areas. Catholics residing
on our missions, lacking the facilities of the Catholic school,
must themselves possess a superior knowledge of the faith,
since upon them rests a larger obligation, not only to the chil
dren of- their families but frequently also to neighbors who
have no one else to inform them about Holy Mother Church.
It is singularly felicitous that the Laymen’s Association
convention coincides with the Congress. The existence of this
resplendent organization worked wonderous change in the so
cial and religious atmosphere of our State. They have made
Georgia a better State in which to live. They have calmly
looked into the face of prejudice and smiled its alienation away.
The Association, particularly through the Augusta office
and THE BULLETIN, was successful in its program of instruc
tion. It clearly and gracefully set forth the truth of the Church
when the misinformed would falsely interpret her teachings.
But today’s problems require that every man intensify his
personal Catholic life, and he can do it only in so far as he
pursues the logical influences of action. You were taught that
we are in this world to know God, to love God, and to serve
God, that we might be happy with Him forever. The Holy
Ghost descended upon the Apostles and illuminated their minds
to understand more deeply the words and teachings of their
Divine Master. Their hearts were inflamed with love greater
than they deemed possible, and this love, induced by knowledge,
compelled activity. Out of a deeper knowledge of our religion
necessarily flows a deeper knowledge of God; knowing God
better we shall love Him more intensely; love will motivate
action.
Every Catholic, therefore, an apostle. Every Catholic a
mine of information able to answer questions. Every Catholic
endowed with eager interest in the expansion of the Church.
Every Catholic aware that he is his brother’s keeper. Every
Catholic determined to crown his life with at least one convert.
That is the new aim for which the Congress seeks to propose .
the means.
Let me, therefore, beg' of you, in the name of God and the
interests of the broadest humanity, to interest yourselves in this
Congress, which will be held in Savannah, October 21, 22, and
23, at the General Oglethorpe Hotel. Please immediately con
sult your pastor for registration blanks and whatever other
information you may require. Let the members of the Newman .
Clubs, the students in our high schools, the officers of our parish
societies, promote attendance, by first registering themselves
and then exciting the interest of others. Extend yourselves in
The effort to realize the theme of the Congress and the Con
vention: “A Fuller Knowledge of Christ in a Region Devoted
to Christ.”
Begging your prayers for the success of this meeting, I in
vite God’s blessing upon you and your dear ones.
Devotedly yours in Christ,
FRANCIS E. HYLAND
Auxiliary Bishop,
Vicar General
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