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EIGHT
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FEBRUARY 18, 1953.
Auxiliary Prepares For March 17
PLANS ANNOUNCED FOR
HIBERNIAN DINNER-DANCE
40 & 8 PRESENTS NURSES' SCHOLARSHIP—Miss June Dale Lariscy, student of Savannah
High School, is shown receiving a three-year scholarship in nurses training from Frank A. Kelly,
Chef De Gare of Voiture Locale 567, Society of Forty and'Eight. Pictured above are Sister Mary
Redempta, R.S.M., Director of the School of Nursing at St. Joseph’s Hospital; Miss Jane Dale
Lariscy, scholarship winner, and future nurse at St. Joseph’s for three years; Chemimot Harry
Adler, co-chairman of the Nurses Committee of Voiture 567 and Chef De Gare Kelly.—(Savannah
Morning News photo by Jim Bisson).
Operation
The following is the first of a
series of articles in which Father
Justin Garvey, 41 -year-old Pas-
sionist from Ridgewood, N. /.,
describes his four years of suf
fering, abuse and intimidation in
a communist jail. Communist in
terrogators used mistreatment and
tb reals to try to make the priest
“confess his crimes" and adopt a
‘cooperative" attitude t o w a r d
communism.
By Father Justin Garvey, C.P.
N.C.W.C.i News Service)
The storm broke on the Feast
of St. Thomas, Apostle, Decem
ber 21, 1951. The police chief,
nicknamed Nero among us,
swooped down on the mission
for another of his spectacles. It
wasn’t long before I learned my
number was up. Greater surprise
was the reason for my arrest.
It didn’t make sense then and
only later could I see how it all
came about.
Nero, flanked by the three of
ficers who were to be my in
quisitors read the warrant. It
was publicly charged with co
operating in resistance activities
with Nationalist guerrilla band
its led by one Sung Kwang-Yin,
secret Nationalist colonel in
charge of the Liulincha-Wuki
area.” I was supposed to have
aided these bandits in their arm
ed resistance to the People’s
Liberation Army, especially in
the spring of 1950.
After the warrant was read,
I was searched and kept under
guard in the front parlor of the
mission till early evening. What
went (on in the meantime I can
only guess.
With the day’s work over, the
No. 1 officer, whom we called
Goggles, sidled up to me and
said I couldn’t be arrested if I
revealed the hiding'place of my
“secret instruments” and my
“political diaries” there was no,
possible answer to that so Gog
gles piped. “Off you go.”
I was tied up in the usual’
manner and, after several at
tempts to clamp on the irons,
Nero gave up! I. was , pushed
through the door With the butt of
a rifle. I was led along the street,
flanked by soldiers. Behind me
marched Nero and, the. three of
ficers.'The rest of the soldiery
brought up the rear.
With a trailing guide rope
noosed around my neck, every
so often I would be jerked to a
slow pace, then pushed with a
bayonet to speed up while the
people were called to take |
Brainwash
FATHER JUSTIN GARVEY,
C.P., on the day of his expulsion
from Red-controlled China is
shown at. the border-station of
the British port-city of Hong
Kong with Miss Strathie of the
Red Cross, a British border In
spector, and Father Marcellus
White, C.P., exiled along with
Father Garvey.—(NC Photos)
• * * *
notice. Actually I think the
thoughts of the bystanders
swung in my favor. The people
seemed to show little response
to the antics of the soldiers.
Once in the jail, I was given
a thorough going over. One of
the guards found a small pill in
my pocket. It must have been
there since the days I worked
in the hospital. At any rate, I
couldn’t explain it, which creat
ed a stir. I was suspected of try
ing to hide suicide pills! A sec
ond search began. I was fine-
combed from head to toe. After
that, minus my shoe laces, belt
and any apparel that might aid
my “escape” or “suicide,” I hob
bled off to my new quarters un
der guard.
This 1 found was a prison with
in a prison. Off in a lower part
of the prison compound was a
small area enclosed again by a
high brick, wall. A soldier at the
gate and a ‘sign forbidding un
authorized entry guarded the
place. Inside, the compound Was
depressed about four feet from
ground level. An inner gate , led
to a small court with three cells,
two larger ones and a gmall one,
I was put in the latter.
Adjoining was a further door
leading to a block of eight cells,
four on either side. Over the
compound was a machine gun
post giving added “protection” to
the inmates of what! I called
| Little Alcatraz. Here I worked
out my first seven and a half
months, which were a living
nightmare.
I discovered I was in what the
Reds call the “Pu k’e-ch’i,” or
rough treatment section. The
purpose of this little world apart
was to make the inmate’s life as
miserable as possible. He could
not expect a moment’s peace
until transferred, the hitch be
ing, no transfer before confession
as “only the guilty go there.”
It seemed the idea was to
sustain life at a minimum, level
so that the physical strain would
bring about a confession which
mental resistance might with
hold.
The number of inmates kept
changing, averaging about ninety
silent men and women. To in
sure silence and discipline, the
guards had attached to their pis
tols leather lashes, used freely
for violations of the rules.
From the beginning, I was ab
sorbed into life there and told by
Goggles my status required se
verity. However, I would be al
lowed to sit or pace at will. I
would also receive food rations
like our other prisoners.
After several weeks of' initia
tion, I was required by Gussie
(name given my number 2 man)
to write on my situation. I ex
pressed sui'prise over my “pri
vileges.” All persons around me
were immobile and in various
forms of physical suffering. I
likewise said I presumed that
upon arrest my judgment was
already/ determined and ex
pressed surprise at the chance
given me to write of my case in
what I thought would be self-
defense.
I needn’t have been surprised
at all, for I discovered my “pri
vileges” were not to be perman
ent, and m,y original suspicions
all too true.
In the Red system arrest means
legal guilt. Defense after arrest
has no place in a “case.”
The time spent in Litfle Alcat
raz was an existence all its- own,
too complicated to unravel here.
The Reds can never speak in the
name of humanity when their
penal system includes such rank
brutality.
In my seven and a half
months, three men died of ill
ness' or of prison weakness, one
died of a beating given by the
warden, while another went
stark mad, raving on the floor
for a' week until taken else
where.
At no time , could I jget near
any of these men to assist them.
I protested the death of the pris-
(Continued on Page Twelve)
Installation For
Trappist Abbot
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
ROCHESTER, N. Y. — Abbot
M. Walter Helmstetter, O.C.S.O.,
of Our Lady of the Genesee Ab
bey, Piffard, N. Y., was solemn
ly blessed by Bishop James E.
Kearney of Rochester, at solemn
rites in Sacred Heart Cathedral
here.
The nearly three-hour ceremo
ny brought monks garbed in
medieval robes alongside modern
radio and photograph equipment
as the rites were recorded for
broadcast and press.
Abbot Helmstetter was elect
ed head of the Trappists’ Abbey
at Piffard to succeed Abbot M.
Gerard McGinley, O.C.S.O.,
founder and first Abbot of the
Abbey, who died September 19,
1955,
During the impressive cere
mony conducted by Bishop Kear
ney, Abbot Helmstetter received
the miter, crozier, gloves, and
ring, symbols of his high office.
Assisting Abbot Helmstetter
were Abbot Anthony Chassagne,
O.C.S.O., of Our Lady of Mep-
kin Abbey, South Carolina, and
Abbot Edmund Futterer,
O.C.S.O., of St. Joseph’s Abbey,
Massachusetts.
Auxiliary Bishop Lawrence
B. Casey of Rochester, was in
the Cathedral sanctuary for the
blessing rite.
Also attending were three
Trappist Abbots, a Benedictine
Archabbot, Monsignori and
priests of the Rochester diocese
and members of religious com
munities.
Trappist monks who elected
Abbot Helmstetter as their su
perior for life in October, 1955,
came from the Piffard Abbey to
witness the blessing. At the con
clusion of the Mass, the 72
monks knelt before the new Ab
bot to pledge their homage to
him.
In his sermon, Bishop Kearney
stated that the priests and peo
ple of the Rochester diocese are
“richer in our lives because of
the unselfish lives of these
monks.”
“As the parish priests go their
rounds,- their work for the sal
vation of souls is fortified day
and night by the sacrifice and
prayers of t these Trappists,” /he
said.
The Bishop said that there
was a “spiritual relationship”
between the priests he ordains
each year in the sanctuary of
the Cathedral and the new Ab
bot who received the solemn
blessing in that same sanctuary.
Bishop Kearney concluded his
talk by saying that it was “a
privilege for me to bless this
young priest, who takes upon his
shoulders the responsibility of
the office of ,Abbot.”
Abbot Helmstetter is 35, one
of the youngest trappists ever
elected to serve as an Abbot.
Present in the sanctuary were
Archabbo.t M. Bonaventure,
O.S.B., of St. Meinrad (Ind.) Ab
bey; Cistercian Abbots Phil
ip O’Connor of New Melleray,
Dubuque, la., Pacmoe Gaboury
of Oca, Canada; and Robert Mc-
Ghan of Gonyers, Ga.
FORGET THE FUTURE
Everyone knows you can’t take
it with you—the problem is to
keep enough tb enjoy yourself at
the present time.
Risk little on the opinion of a
man who has nothing to lose.
ATLANTA, Ga.—The principal
meeting of all Hibernian Societies
is their annual meeting held on
March 17th. This, as everyone
knows is the Feast of St. Patrick, ■
the patron saint of Ireland, and
an appropriate day for this meet
ing.
Hibernian Societies also have
meetings at various times during .
the year; some monthly, some
semi-annually, and on other, dates.
The Hibernian Benevolent Society
and the Ladies Auxiliary of the ,
Hibernian Benevolent So ciety
hold their meetings quarterly.
Established in Atlanta in 1858,
the Atlanta Hibernians have a
long record of good deeds accom- ,
plished. In their early days they
rendered a large amount of char
itable work. In recent years since,
other agencies have taken over so
much of that type of work they !
have confined their activities
more to keeping forever alive
those traditions which have made
the Celtic race one of the world’s
greatest. They wish not only to
keep these sacred traditions for
ever bright, but to present them
truthfully, with justice to all and
ill will to none.
Their efforts in this direction
have attracted some of Atlanta’s
outstanding men to become mem
bers. The Atlanta Hibernians are
proud of the names on their rost
er.
The meetings of the Hibernians
are not formal, cut-and-dried af
fairs. Good fellowship and broth
erly love pervades at their meet
ings. They transact their business
in an efficient manner but they
never lose sight of the human
touch.
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Hi
bernian Benevolent Society was
organized in 1952. This Auxiliary
has been of invaluable help to the
Hibernian Society as it has re
lieved them of a lot of responsi
bility and enabled them to con
centrate on other important
functions of the Society.
This year the Ladies Auxiliary
is handling the Annual St. Pat
rick’s Dinner Dance. It will be
held at the Atlanta Biltmore, Ho
tel. The tickets for this dance and
dinner are.$5.00 each person. $10.-
00 per couple.
In order that the ladies will not
be handicapped it is requested
that all members and their friends
contact the following persons by
telephone for reservations:
Mrs. W. T. Ellis (DI-1849, Mrs..
C. F. Porter (CR 5954), Mrs.
John McManus (AT-6667)
In addition to the above Din
ner-Dance the annual St. Pat
rick’s Day parade will be held on
March 17 beginning at 2:00 p.m.
A luncheon will be served at the
Sacred Heart Cafeteria before the
parade. Tickets for this luncheon .
are $1.00.
Mo con Area Scouts
In Special Program
MACON, Ga.—The Explorers, .
Scouts and Cubs of St. Joseph’s
joined by the Scouts and Cubs
from Sacred Heart . Church in
Warner Robins, and the Girl
Scouts and Brownies of both
Churches in the annual Celebra
tion of Scout Week on Sunday,
February 12.
Ralph Lane Williams Jr., son
of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Lane Wil
liams of 2929 King Alfred Drive
received the Ad Altare Award.
This is the Churches’ recognition
of the scouts’ advancement in the
spiritual content of the Scout
Program. Ralph is the first to
receive such recognition since
the troop 10 was organized in
1953.