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SEPTEMBER 29, 1958.
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FIVE.
YOU CAN WIN CONVERTS
How Kindness Wins Souls
By REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN, Ph. D.
f TTni-.rpi.c;tf of Noire
Readers were shown an entire
new side to George Bernard Shaw,
the upside-down Irishman, in the
recent feature article in “The At
lantic” monthly magazine select
ing his 100th anniversary. A close
friendship with a Catholic nun is
revealed and we see the self-suf
ficient, cold, witty Shaw in a new
role.Those who have studied Shaw
know that religion seemed to
haunt his plays. His mouthpieces
spoke at length of God, heaven
and hell. Shaw was truly thirsty
for the eternal truths only his
great intellectual pride cluttered
the way. Let no one take anything
away from Shaw, the playwright.
He made men think about the
important things that fill a life
time. They did not always agree
with Shaw’s solutions. He con
tinues to dwarf the playwrights of
today who leave their audiences
with little more than a crumpled
program and a new set of off
color jokes. Shaw had a message
and he was not ashamed to pro
claim it. He was the dedicated
playwright who sought to change
the world from the stage.
Three characters in three of
his plays best bespeak Shaw’s
philosophy, it seems to me. They
are Blanco Posnet, Father Keegan
in “John Bull’s Other Island” and
Don Juan in the hell sequence
of “Man and Superman.” They are
all Shaw speaking on God, heaven
and hell. I seemed to find that
Shaw hoped too much in a Super
man and too little in God. He
showed only ajdinical interest in
people and attributed this same
characteristic to God. In short
Shaw saw God as a superior be
ing somewhat like himself. He
vested God with no divinity. He
believed with Plato that the world
is a hell wherein we are paying
for sins committed in a previous
existence. Heaven held no wonder
or hell no horror except perhaps
boredom for Shaw. He could not
see in his genius that man was
not sufficient unto himself, that
he was entirely dependent on Al
mighty God. These will ever be
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the sins of those with great minds
and little faiths.
Thus we see an entire new side
of Shaw in his simple, sincere let
ters to his friend the Abbess of
Stanbrook. Even in these he gets
so far and no further beyond his
self-styled faith. Yet there is hope
for a dramatist whose greatest
success is the portrayal of the
young martyr, St. Joan. It was in
an autographed copy of “St. Joan”
sent to the Catholic nun that
Shaw first signed himself “Broth
er Bernard.” One of the comments
which I liked particularly in his
letters to the nun was found in the
one decrying the condition of
Jerusalem. Shaw wrote: “God
must feel sick when he looks at
Jerusalem. I fancy he consoles
himself by turning to Stanbrook.”
Another touching note is found in
the letter written after the Ab
bess had suggested he inscribe U;
certain gift given the convent.
Shaw wrote: ‘Why can it not be
a secret between us and Our Lady
and her little Boy?” While reading
these letters it seemed that the
stubborn mind of the great play
wright had a brief insight into the
simple childlike faith. It was
Shaw’s friend Chesterton who
wrote: “However he may shout
about profanities or seek: to shat
ter the shrines, there is always
something about him which sug
gests that in a sweeter and more
solid civilization he would have
been a great saint.”
Mass For
Polio Group
DUBLIN—The Apostolic Nuncio
to Ireland, Archbishop Alberto
Levame, was the celebrant of the
monthly Mass arranged by the
Polio Fellowship of Dublin. Some
50 disabled members of the Polio
Fellowship assisted at the Mass
with their families.
KC Initiation
AUGUSTA, Ga.—Approximate
ly 40 new candidates were initiat
ed into the Patrick Walsh Council
Knights of Columbus on Sunday,
September the 8th.
The hew Knights were feted at
a Supper at the home on Henry
Street following the conferring
of the degrees.
BACKDROP-
(Continued from Page Four)
since then, Dr. Lowry maintained,
the proper instruction of Amer
ican youth in the facts of Com
munism has become a problem
that cannot wait much longer for
solution, if the nation intends to
remain free and retain its allies
in the rest of the free world.
ABOVE SUSPICION
If the teaching of Communism
is to be introduced in the school
curriculum, the attitude of Amer
icans toward such a venture must
change radically. In the past all
too many have regarded with sus
picion any effort along that line.
School boards in some communi
ties actually have thrown out
textbooks that contained exposi
tions of Communism, even when
they were free of any taint of
advocacy.
There is, howgver, no reason
why any American should sus
pect the loyalty of the supporters
of the current move to introduce
Communism instruction.
Members of the national ad
visory council of the Foundation
for Religious Action include Bish
ops Michael J. Ready of Columbus
and John J. Wright of Worcester,
and the Rev. John F. Cronin, S.S.
Prominent Catholic laymen on
the council are Henry Ford II,
Prof. Jerome G. Kerwin of the
University of Chicago, George
Meany, president of the AFL-CIO,
Thomas E. Murray, member of
the Atomic Energy Commission,
Prof. George Shuster, and John
L. Sullivan, former Secretary of
the Navy.
FULL-SCALE PROGRAM
As a first step toward break
ing down the taboo against the
factual teaching of Communism,
the recent conference named a
committee, headed by Dr. Elliot,
to develop a full-scale, systematic
program of education in the Com
munist menace in the nation’s
schools.
It may be objected that the
teaching of Communism in the
schools would give taechers with
Communist leanings an opportuni
ty to propagandize their students.
But this danger could be eliminat
ed by a careful screening of teach
ers by community school authori
ties.
Becomes Chaplain
TORRINGTON, Conn., (NC)—
A priest who spearheaded re
building efforts in this city of
28,000 following the disastrous
floods of 1955 will shortly report
for active duty as a chaplain in
the U. S. Air Force.
Torrington was one of the hard
est hit communities in the multi
million dollar floods which swept
Connecticut in August and Oc
tober of last year. Following the
floods, Father John J. Castellani
was named head of the Torring
ton Redevelopment Commission.
The 33-year-old priest has di
rected the city agency’s activities
since that time.
He relinquishes his post as as
sistant pastor of St. Peter’s Chur
ch here to become chaplain. En
tering the Air Force chaplaincy
with him will be another young
priest of the Hartford archdiocese,
Father James D. Harlow of New
Britain.
Funeral For
John J. McAuliffe
AUGUSTA, Ga.—Funeral serv
ices for John J. McAuliffe were
held September 26th at St. Pat
rick’s Church. Rev. Arthur Welt-
zer officiating.
Survivors are his wife; Mrs.
Daisy O. McAuliffe, a niece, Sis
ter Mary Charlotte of Charleston,
and a number of nieces and
| nephews.
Mrs. George Yeager of Chula
Vista, Calif., is a recent convert
who has shown her gratitude to
God for the grace of faith by help
ing to lead another soul into the
fold. How she herself came to
embrace our
holy faith is an
interesting sto
ry, and it shows
how Catholics
in every com
munity can help
their non-Cath-
o 1 i c neighbors
find Christ’s
true Church.
“When my husband and I
moved from South Carolina to
San Diego,” said Mrs. Yeager,
“we met some Catholics whose
friendliness to us newcomers
warmed our hearts. They wanted
to make us feel at home and help
ed us to get acquainted.
“One was Mrs. Francis Condon
and the other was Mr. James Phil
lips, who is 75 years old. Mrs.
Condon was the first to invite me
to church. I went with her to the
Stations of the Cross, missions
and other services at St. Jude’s
Church while my husband, a re
tired navy man, was on night du
ty. I was deeply impressed by the
services which were so different
from those in the Baptist Church
I had attended in South Carolina.
“Later on St. Mary’s Church in
National City had a mission and
Mr. Phillips, a ■ devout Catholic,
asked me if I’d like to go. I went
to every Mass during the mission
and again I sensed the deep faith
and piety of the worshipers and
was moved by the eloquent and
well-reasoned sermons of the mis
sionaries.
“The mission was followed by
an Inquiry Class and I decided
to go to it. ‘Pop,’ as we affection
ately call Mr. Phillips, went with
me to each class, apparently anxi
ous to help me feel at ease there.
At first I thought I’d just go for
the information but each night
seemed to draw me closer to the
Church.
“In three months the instruc
tions were completed and I knew
then that the Catholic Church was
the one Church founded by our
Blessed Lord for all men. Along
with other members of the class,
I was baptized by Monsignor J.
Malachy O’Sullivan, with Mrs.
Condon serving as godmother, and
the next day made my First Com
munion.
“That was one of the happiest
days in my life. It is difficult for
a ‘cradle’ Catholic to realize the,
joy and rapture which a convert
experiences -when he receives our
Eucharistic Lord for the first
time: Next to the grace of God,
it was my good friends, Mrs. Con
don and Mr. Phillips—and of
course Monsignor O’Sullivan —
who were instrumental in bring
ing me such joy . . .”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,
Mrs. Yeager,” I broke in, “be
cause if more of our laity realized
how much they could help their
non-Catholic neighbors simply by
bringing them to church with
them, millions more would make
it a practice to do so.”
“I’m sure that’s true. Father,”
said Mrs. Yeager. “Later on I was
confirmed by Bishop Buddy, who,
in a beautiful little talk, exhort
ed us to be soldiers of Christ and
to share our spiritual treasure
with others. Confirmation, he
pointed out, is the sacrament of
spiritual adulthood and gives us
the grace to be missioners for our
Lord.
“Soon afterwards I got a chance
to put the bishop’s counsel into
practice. My husband’s sister was
taken ill with cancer and I went
up north to get her. I brought her
home and later took her to Mercy
Hospital. I told her of the con
solation which the Catholic reli
gion had brought me and suggest
ed that it might help her like
wise.
“I called in the two priests who
had been so kind and helpful to
me—Father Joseph di Christiana,
pastor of St. Jude’s, and Monsig
nor O’Sullivan. Both visited her,
spoke words of comfort to her,
and knelt in prayer for her. She
was deeply touched by the kind
ness of the priests,, and the Sisters,
took instructions, and was,receiv
ed into the Church. She died, for
tified by the last sacraments.”
“That’s, an inspiring story, Mrs.
Yeager. It shows what kindness
can do: the kindness of the Cath
olic neighbors who invited you to
their services and to the Inquiry
Class, the kindness of the priests
who visited your sister-in-law,
and your own thoughtful kindness
in inviting them. It is no wonder
that Bishop Buddy, who launched
the first Crusade for Souls in
America, his zealous priests with
their Inquiry Classes in every
parish, and his devoted laity striv
ing as recruiters lead all dioceses
in the winning of converts for
Christ. God bless you and them!”
17 Scout Awards
At Warner Robins
WARNER ROBINS— A camp
fire Court of Awards for 17 mem
bers of Boy Scout Troop 122, spon
sored by the Sacred Heart Cath
olic Church here, was held recent
ly on grounds of the Scout build
ing in the dormitory area.
Presentation of awards was
made by Scoutmaster Bill Schnei
der assisted by troop committee
members, Carrol Goslin and Joe
Dembowski.
Receiving awards for advance
ment in rank were Bruce Ken-
nard and Wayne Neet, Star
Scout and first class emblems;
Johnny Weaver, Life Scout; Ben
nett Brantley, 1st and second
class badges; Stephen Hoar, Ten
derfoot and second class; Jimmie
Dembowski, Jimmy Evans, Tom
my Ross' and Billy O’Herron, sec
ond class; Mike Williams, Tender
foot and second class, and J. M.
Crabb. Jimmie Cretors, Philip
Finlay, Lamar Fowler and Keith
Peacock, Tenderfoot badges.
Receiving merit badges were
Johnny Weaver, camping, forest
ry, life saving; Bruce Kennard,
cooking, first aid forestry, home
repairs and swimming; Walter
Wills, cooking, first aid, forestry,
home repairs and reptile study;
Bennett Brantley, home repairs;
Wayne Neet, cooking, first aid,
forestry and .home repairs; Jim
mie Dembowski, home repairs,
nature study and swimming;
Douglas ; Karczewski, swimming,
and Scoutmaster Schneider, for
estry.
Honorary membership pins
were presented to mothers of the
star and life Scouts.
Services For
W. T. Greene, Jr.
ATLANTA, Ga.—Funeral serv
ices for Mr. W. T. Greene, Jr.,
were held September 14th at the
Immaculate Conception Church,
Rev. Father Harold J Rainey of
ficiating.