Newspaper Page Text
OCTOBER 13, 1956.
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FIVE.
Jottings
■ ■ ■
(By BARBARA C. JENCKS)
YOU CAN WIN CONVERTS
Laity Can instruct Converts
By REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN, Ph. D.
(University of Noire T - * 3 ™ 0 ’
How do you measure up in the
world’s .eye? If the world put its
measuring sticks of fame, fortune,
social position and glamour up to
you where would you rate? Me,
I am afraid I’m one of the world’s
many unsuccess stories. If I went
to a bank tomorrow for a loan,
I’d be out of luck. Investigators
would find I had no bank account,
I own no car or home. I possess
the very minimum of material
possessions, they stangle me. I
don’t belong to any country club,
or even a, book of "the month club,
for that matter. I’ve never win
tered in Florida and a day on
Park Avenue would cost me a
week’s pay. The worldly might
raise their eyebrows to the fact
that I ve been to Europe twice
but they will quiet down when
they hear it was no grand tour
but a job. assignment. The only
tailor made suit I have owned
was the gift of a designer. So
you see in the eyes of the worldly
which are apt to. judge a man
pretty much on the cut of his
clothes, the size of his bankroll
and his home address, I am quite
a flop. Peace, satisfaction, joy,
ideals and faith aren’t acceptable
collateral, you see.
It’s my own fault. I have no
one else to blame for my un
success story. If I had tried a
little harder or been more in at
tune with the call of higher liv
ing, I might not have turned out
out so poorly. I could be writ
ing public relations releases this
very moment in ,a slick Madison
Avenue office. "Or I might have
taken to knocking off stories of
the Mickey Spillane variety in
stead of columns for a Catholic
newspaper or lectures for a Cath
olic college class. Maybe my
prayers were worded wrong. I
have never prayed for the big
pay-off here. My daily prayer is:
“I pray Thee not for earthly
riches, honors and transitory
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pleasures but for the greatest
spiritual treasures, namely a sup
ernatural horror of sin and in
tense sorrow for past offenses,
freedom from inordinate affec
tions, a meek and humble heart
like Thine, the most perfect sub
mission and even abandonment
to Thy will, a holy life and a
happy death.” These are the
marks of the success which I
would attain with all my powers.
Does the lack of any of these
material assets which the world
deems so important ever worry
or annoy? I suppose once in
awhile, it bothers me to see
someone who has taken the short
cut to fame hit the tabloids with
headlines and by-lines and bank
rolls. It would seem that we can
not help once in awhile in the
heat of the race becoming infect
ed with a worldly standard. At
the devil’s nudge we wonder why
we havn’t rtiade a similar fnark
in the sun. As for money, if I
had it today, I would give it
away tomorrow. There are many
things I would like to buy for
loved ones which I’m not able to
do now. There are many charities
and institutions which I wish I
could benefit. Having a few
worldly desires hanging onto my
coat tails, I would wish that I
had enough money to go back to
Ireland and better still enough
talent, inspiration and time to
write one fine Catholic book be
fore my time runs out.
All the material trinkets fade
when I place them against the
eternal standards of sucess. I
figure that it is much more im
portant to look myself in the eye
when I get out of bed each morn
ing and know that no corners
have been cut or any people in
jured in a grab for sucess. I
don’t have much money but I can
sleep nights without the prick
of conscience, dissatisfaction or
disillusion. I don’t have to select
my friends because of their coun
try club membership, political
affiliations or social status. I am
still able to glean more fun out
of a hot dog roast' on the beach
than a night at the Stork Club.
(I have known both and there’s
no comparison and please God.
I always will say this.) Getting
up for an early Mass will ever
mean more than" having the
money to travel'the world over
or the power to command serv
ants . or the name which*, will
make headlines. The worldly may
feel that my years of youth have
been wasted working at jobs with
the Catholic Press and later in
the field of Catholic education.
These are the no-man’s lands for
the gray-flannel suit crowd. I
live but once and pass \his road
just this little while, I do not
want to wear my energies here
chasing lesser stars or walking
minor avenues. Perhaps these
standards of success don’t make
much sense to the worldly but I
am sure they do to God.
Some people are not satisfied
to tell all they know—-they just
keep on talking.
—x
A man’s deficiency in dollars
can usually be traced to a defi
ciency in sense.
BACKDROP-
(Continued from Page Four)
three of them—McKenna, Butler
and Brennan—were appointed by
Republican Presidents. Chief
Justice White, a Democrat, re
ceived his appointment from a
Democrat, President Grover
Cleveland, but he was elevated
to the Chief Justiceship by a
Republican President — William
Howard Taft.
In more recent years former
President Herbert Hoover, a Re
publican, appointed Associate
Justice Benjamin Cardozo, a Dem
ocrat. President Truman named
Justice Harold H. Burton, a Re
publican, and the late President
Franklin D. Roosevelt elevated
Justice Harlan F. Stone, a Re
publican, to the Chief Justiceship.
Dedicate New
N. Augusta School
NORTH AUGUSTA, S. C. —
North Augusta’s newest school,
Our Lady of Peace School, was
dedicated on Sunday October 7
by the Most Reverend John J.
Russell, Bishop of Charleston.
There are four classrooms, a
cafeteria equipped with modern
stainless steel equipment and a
bookroom in the modern, one
story brick, concrete and steel
building. Built at cost by Mc
Donald Construction Co., the $46,-
000- school is decorated in pastel
colors, with ceilings of soft yel
low,
Gainesville Holy
Name Group
Plans Activities
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — During
the coming year the Gaines
ville Holy Name Society
will sponsor the centuries-
old observance of Holy Name
Sundays, traditionally held on the
second Sunday of each montji.
On Holy Name Sundays the men
of the parish will attend Mass and
partake of Holy Communion as a
group. The Holy Name Society
among Catholic men began in.the
year 1432, as a Society organized
to combat the forces of blasphemy
and paganism. Today, the Society
is looked to among Catholic men
as a strong deterrent against the
rising forces of materialism. The
Society has adopted “The cojjgf.
version of Russia” as its commu
nion intention of the month, and
its motto, “Every man a Holy
Name man.”
Other anticipated programs of
the Society include youth work
affecting local_ youth groups,
group discussions on various
phases of Christian doctrine, and
the pormotion of Diocesan activi
ties such as retreats for laymen
and Church expansion.
The October meeting featured
as speaker, Father Michael J.
Manning, who will discuss his
recent visit to nine European
countries.
Funeral For
Jaye Wrenn
ATLANTA, Ga.—Funeral serv
ices for Jaye Wrenn were held
September 22nd at the Cathedral
of Christ the King, Rev. Father
John Mulroy officiating.
Survivors are his wife; moth
er, Mrs. Alice Wrenn of Cobb-
town; sister, Mrs. F. G. Godley of
Kingsland; brothers H. G. Wxenn
of Sanford, N. C ; Maj. J. B.
Wrenn of Arlington, Va., .Albert
Wrenn of Kingsland, and Gaston,
Harold D., arid Howard E. Wrenn
of Daytona Beach, Fla., and sev
eral nieces and nephews.
Can the laity teach religion? i
May the laity teach religion? I
Must the laity teach religion?
“The answer to all three ques
tions,” says Bishop John J.
Wright, “is most definitely af-
'f i r m at i v e .
Christ and His
teachings must
be brought in
to the market
places, farms,
factories and of
fices. Since on
ly the laity pen
etrate all these
areas, it is ob
vious that the laity must explain
the truths of Christ to their fel
low workers in all these places.
“Few professional expositors of
the faith have ever stated its
truths and precepts more clearly
for me than did the devout lay
people who first introduced me to
the catechism and to my first
understanding of Catholic dog
matic and moral teaching.
“It is to a layman, a mill-
worker, that I am indebted for
an exposition of the marks of the
Church, given to me as a seventh-
grade student, which I am now
using to instruct the children
whom I have the privilege of
confirming.”
Thus does the scholarly Bishop
of Worcester drive home the
triple truth that our laity can,
may and must teach religion. In
deed, if the convert apostolate is
to reach the hundred million
churchless people of our country,
we must enlist every Catholic
family in the effort to bring the
saying truths of Christ to them.
The Bishop presents these en
couraging and instructive ob
servations and reflections in a
chapter of “Bringing Souls to
Christ” (Hanover House, $3). The
entire volume was written by
outstanding converts in this much
needed and holy apostolate.
In a chapter, “The Catholic
Mind and the Protestant Heart,”
Clare Boothe Luce shows how
necessary it is for the salesman
,•■( Christ to know not only his
subject matter but also the men
tality, background and typical
.methods of reasoning or of “emot
ing” of the prospect. She then'
presents a penetrating analysis
of the difference'between Protes
tants and Catholics in their ap
proach to religion.
Archbishop Cushing shows how.
every Catholic can help lead
souls into .the fold of Christ by
engaging in the apostolate of
good will. The recipient of a re
cent award from the citizens of
Boston for his work for under
standing and good will among
members of all faiths, the Arch
bishop speaks from practical ex
perience.
Cardinal Spellman presents the
pronouncements of our recent
Pontiffs, calling upon every Cath
olic to dedicate himself to the ur
gent task of bringing Christ to
the churchless. This every lay
man can do by prayer, example
and zealous action.
Stressing the need of a Re
ligious Information Forum in
every parish Cardinal Stritch
shows how the laity can greatly
increase its fruitfulness by re
cruiting attendance. It is only
when the laity supplement the
efforts of the priest that maxi
mum sucCess is achieved.
Msgr. Thomas J. McCarthy, for
several years the director of the
National Catholic Information Bu
reau, presents the most common
criticisms of Protestants and
shows the laity how they can
answer them.
Bishop William O. Brady helps
us to see our faith and its prac
tice as it appears to those outside
the fold.
BRING ING SOULS TO
CHRIST was prepared by a dozen
experts to cover all the important
phases of the convert apostolate
for the layman, and to enable
him to fulfill the role outlined
by Bishop Wright. No longer
can our laity say they would
like to share the precious treasure
of their holy faith with their
churchless friends but that they
don’t know how to go about it.
During the state-wide Crusade
for Souls, the Bishops of Indiana
supplied their people with hun
dreds of copies of J.his book to
help them win the largest pos
sible number of converts.
“I have ordered 200 copies of
‘Bringing Souls to Christ’,” says
Archbishop Cushing, “to show Mr.
Catholic Layman and Mrs. Cath
olic Laywoman how to win con
verts and reclaim fallen-aways.
A copy should be in every Cath
olic home, for it will help to
make that home a seat of apos
tolic. instruction and a veritable
Catholic Information Center.”
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ALPINE 4681 — EXTENSION 224