Newspaper Page Text
MARCH 30, 1957.
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FIVE
Jottings ...
(By BARBARA C. JENCKS)
The nun’s story, in my opinion,
has never been written. It is
doubtful if it ever will be writ
ten. It is debatable whether it
ever need be written. There have
been numerous attempts. Lately,
there have been several books of
biography" and fiction revolving
around a nun or priest.
The recent best seller on the
former Sister Luke proves well
the fascination of the nun in
literature. Put a' nun in a short
story, movie script or novel and
it is sure to ring up impression
able sales. There is something
magnetic and fascinating about
the nun who wears a hab
it designed in the middle ages,
lives kn ancient rule and yet
manages to get along quite well
in the 20th century. The contrast
fascinates both writers and read
ers. Thus we have a rash of books
which show a nun smashing a
tennis ball across the net to win
benefit funds for her convent or
showing another in the role of a
clerical Sherlock Holmes or solv
ing wisely a world crisis. Pho
tographers delight in catching
Sister in an “un-nunish” pose
such as swinging a baseball bat
or riding a ferris wheel or munch-
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The layman yearns to crack the
cloister but few writers have been
able to do it effectively. The au
thentic nun’s story lived by hun
dreds upon hundreds of dedicat
ed women across the face of the
earth would lack the sensational
element which appeals to the
public. The real nun’s story does
not resemble the caricatures or
the unusual stories which appeal
to the lay reader. A nun leaves
the convent and writes about it
and a best-seller is born.
How many realize that such a
story is not the norm; it is the
unusual story?
What good does all this popular
literature on nuns and priests ac
complish? It does not appear to
effectively span the monastery
or convent walls. It is debatable
whether it should. Does it break
down the prejudices or mystery
and superstition that hangs over
the convent walls or does it only
capitalize on such things? Lastly
has the popularized nun or priest
done anything to attract vo
cations? . It seems not. To the
contrary it appears that the un
representative picture of convent
life shown in a recent well-writ
ten story would turn young wo
men away and do nothing to as
sure their parents of the normali
ty and happiness of the life.
Will the authentic nun’s story
ever be written? Let us hope so.
It will have to be written by a
nun who has stayed, a representa
tive spokesman for hundreds.
Most nuns I am sure do not think
such a story is necessary. They
do not think that they need ex
plaining or defending. God knows
what they are about and that is
all that matters to them.
In after years a man acquires
knowledge while breaking some
of the habits he learned in earli
er years.
BACKDROP-
(Continued from Page Four)
communitites to- provide such
services was upheld — and upon
the changes in the court since
that decision was handed down.
ANYBODY'S GUESS
In the Everson case, decided in
1947, the highest court held that
a New Jersey statute authorized
the use of tax money to pay bus
fares f o r children in Catholic
schools was constitutional. But
the court split 5 to 4 on the is
sue. And five of the nine justices
who participated in that decision
are no longer on the court. More-
| over, the four who remain split
I two to two.
Whether the present court, with
five justices who have never
heard arguments on the bus
transportation issue, would ac
cept an appeal from the Maine
courts in the Augusta case is any
body’s guess. Equally conjectural
is how the court might rule if it
did hear new arguments. All that
can be said is that in recent years
the court has been more prone
to reverse previous decisions than
it was 30 years ago.
The fate of state laws permit
ting free bus transportation to
parochial schools, if challenged in
the courts, will depend in large
measure on how they are written.
If the statute makes it clear that
the aim is to promote the health
and safety of school children —
as many of the pending statutes
in State Legislatures are written
—the chances are they may be
upheld. For no one has challeng
ed the right of a state to enact
measures to protect the health
and safety of all of its citizens.
Catholics pay taxes just like
everybody and they are entitled
to have these funds used to safe
guard the health and safety of
their children, regardless of what
kind of school they send them to.
If the aim of a state statute is
clearly to enhance health and
safety, how, we may ask, can op
ponents of bus transportation for
parochial schools support their
claim that this is a direct con
tribution to the support of a
Church?
The parochial schools are sup
ported by donations of Catholics.
They will continue to operate
whether or not the pupils pay for
their own transportation to and
from school and for their text
books.
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PHONE 5-1523 « MACON, GEORGIA
YOU CAN WIN CONVERTS
William Wins 1,3 Converts
By REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN, Ph. D.
— (University of Notre T>amat
Did you ever think of becom
ing a priest, a brother or a nun?
Many have at one time or
another. With most, the desire
faded and they decided that they
had no vocation. But though
wear ing the
garb of lay peo
ple, they can
still do the
work of an
apostle. So too
can you.
William L.
Miller of Wil
liamsport, Pa.,
found this out from experience.
As a youngster he had aspirations
of becoming a Maryknoll Brother,
but as he grew older he felt call
ed to the family life. That, too, is
a high and holy vocation, and
while fulfilling it. William has
managed to do the work of an
apostle—winning 13 converts for
Christ!
i
“Tell us, William,” I said, “how
you managed to lead some of
those people into the fold. Most
Catholics would like to share
their faith with churchless friends
but they don’t know how to go
about it.”
“Fred Grosset came to our home
one day,” said William, “to do
some repair work. While there he
spied a Bible History which I
had used at St. Boniface School.
He started to skim it, became
interested, and finally asked to
borrow it. I told him to keep it
as long as he wanted.
“That started the ball rolling.
He began to ask questions about
the Catholic religion and, for
tunately, I was able to answer
them. In addition to having a
good course in religion in high
school, I got many pointers from
Father Bernard Borr with whom
I used to go swimming.
When Fred’s interest persisted,
I took him to Father Borr for I
systematic instruction. Three!
months later I was Fred’s god- j
father at baptism. That showed j
me that a bit of encouragement
is often all that many, need to ]
find their way into the Church.”
“Joe Dunlap married a Catholic
before a justice of the peace and
they had two children,” William
continued. “I told him how much
it would mean to his wife if he
would investigate the Catholic re
ligion and get his marriage
straightened out. I loaned him
some books and later took him to
Father Borr.
“Joe was received into the fold,
and his wife came back to the
faith/and their two children were
baptized. I served as godfather
for Joe and the children. It made
me feel, that, though I was in the
world, I could still do at least
some of the work of a Religious.”
many Catholics.
“That’s not enough, Roy,
I said. "You’ve got to come up
with an act of faith and end up
at the Communion rail or you’ll
r e main merely a spectator.’ I
drove that point home to him on
almost every visit. Finally it
clicked.
“Roy was strickened with a
heart attack and was rushed to
Divine Providence Hospital,
where he called for a priest. The
chaplain, Father Everling, hur
ried to his room. ‘I want to be
come a Catholic,’ Roy said. I’ve
been on the sidelines long
enough.’ Father baptized him and
gave him his First Holy Com
munion.
“There were tears of joy in
Roy’s eyes, and Marguerite’s and
mine too, when Roy received our
Eucharistic Lord. I served as
Roy’s godfather and I said, ‘Roy,
you got in just under the wire!’
‘Thanks to you!’ remarked Roy.
‘No,’ I said, ‘thanks to God’s grace
and the example of your good
wife. ”
“True, William, but you too
played an important role. In help
ing to lead thirteen converts into
the fold, you have demonstrated
how all our laity can be mission
aries and apostles for Christ, no
matter what line of work or
business they are in.”
Savannah
Knights Plan
Exemplification
Savannah Council 631, Knights
of Columbus will exemplify the
first, second and third degrees of
the order to a large class of can
didates on Sunday, March, 31st.
This class has been named the
Mason Ingram-Diamond Jubilee
Class in memory of the late Mason
Ingram who was warden of Savan
nah Council at the time of his
death in an industrial accident
several years ago.
The candidates, officers and
nembers of Savannah Council will
attend the 8 o’clock mass and re
ceive communion on Sunday at
the Church of the Most Blessed
Sacrament. Following the mass, a
communion breakfast will be held
at the K. of C. Hall at 9 o’clock.
Arrangements for the breakfast
re being handled by Chris E. Her
nandez, chairman of the lecturer’s
committee. James F. Glass, Brig.
Gen. (ret), will be the speaker.
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“William,” I remarked, “that’s
worth emphasizing. Christ wants
every Catholic to be a missionary,
and our laity often have more
contacts with non-Catholics than
a Religious does. They are in a
position to steer many into the
Church. Tell us about another of
your converts.”
“I’m proudest of my last con
vert, my thirteenth. Roy Feiser
was a fine gentleman, sixty years
old, a salesman all his life, and
married to a devout Catholic,
Marguerite O’Brien, Roy was a
33rd degree Mason, but came
with his wife to Mass every Sun
day, and used a missal.
“It was while I was ushering
at St. Boniface’s that I came to
meet Roy. We became very good
friends. I told him it was nice
to attend Mass but that he ought
to go the whole way. He said he
knew the religion better than
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