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MAY QUEEN AT SAVANNAH BEACH—Mildred Johanna
Burke, May Queen at St. Michael’s Church, is pictured
with statue of Blessed Virgin which she crowned at the
Parish May Procession on Mother's Day, May 12th. Miss
Burke is an 8th grade student at St. Michael’s School.
AUGUSTA
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AUGUSTA
Parish Founded In 1810
St Patrick’s Church
Consecrated In 1863
One hundred years ago, on
April 12, 1863, St. Patrick’s
Church was consecrated by Bi
shop Augustin Verot, Bishop of
Savannah and Administrator
Apostolic of Florida. It must
indeed have been a day of joy,
jubilation and interest to both
Augusta’s Catholics and non-
Catholics. THE CONSTITU
TION, Augusta’s newspaper at
the time, estimated that 7,000
people attended the consecra
tion ceremonies, surrounding a
platform which had been raised
in front of the church and over
flowing to the opposite sides of
Telfair and Eighth Streets. The
historic event must have been
surrounded with much solemn
ity as is evidenced by the num
ber of hierarchy present. Every
Bishop of the Confederacy was
invited. Some, however, by
reason of distance and the un
certainty attending travel be
cause of the war, found it im
possible to attend. The Most
Reverend W. J. Quinlan, Bishop
of Mobile, preached from the
platform at the beginning of the
ceremonies to the people out
side of the church. The Most
Reverend P. Lynch, Bishop of
Charleston, assisted Bishop
Verot in the consecration ce
remonies. The Most Reverend
J. McGill, Bishop of Richmond,
preached at the Pontifical Mass
which “was attended by quite a
number of soldiers who wore the
uniform of the Confederate for
ces.”
The ceremony of consecra
tion was begun at seven o’clock
in the morning. At three o’clock
in the afternoon, the congrega
tion was dismissed with bene
diction. At seven o’clock in the
evening, Vespers were sung and
Bishop Lynch of Charleston de
livered a sermon to the assem
bled throne.
P. Keenen relates in an Ap
pendix which he published to the
program of consecration that
when Bishop Quinlan spoke to
the vast multitude in front of
the church, “his voice reached
every ear in the vast audience
—not a syllable was lost in the
solemn silence produced by its
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AUGUSTA, GA.
This is the first in a two
part history of St. Patrick’s
Church. The history was com
piled by the Rev. Ralph E,
Seikel, pastor, from available
records and histories of ear
lier years.
delivery. The war was raging
then, raging in all its fury, and
the dead and wounded coming
in on every train. When the
Bishop raised his hands to hea
ven, invoking the Divine power
to put an end to the slaughter
and restore ‘peace on earth to
men of good will’ many in the
audience shed tears for the lost
ones that the cruel fate of war
had deprived them of.”
Altogether, the occasion was
an interesting and impressive
one, and would be long and
gratefully remembered by the
Catholics of Augusta. For they
now had secured for themsel
ves a church worthy of the great
object for which it had been
built, one that would be an or
nament to the city and a cource
of satisfaction to themselves.
But all this did not transpire
over a matter of weeks, months
or even years. Catholicism in
Richmond County dates from
the years of 1539 and 1540
when Hernando DeSoto and his
band of explorers passed
through Georgia on their his
toric march from Tampa to the
Mississippi, when the party
with twelve priests, eight ec
clesiastics and four religious,
camped for some time near the
present site of Augusta, their
Masses having been the first
Christian rites ever celebrated
in this section. (Narrative of
DeSoto, Bourne)
After the settlement of
Augusta under Oglethorpe in
1733, we hear no more of the
Spanish in this part of Georgia,
though there were other Catho
lics in Georgia prior to the
Revolution. It is a fact that
when the British separated the
Acadians in 1755, a colony of
400 of them come to Georgia
and were so hostilely received
that they went to Carolina where
religious intolerance was not
carried so far as in the region
governed by Oglethrope.
Immediately after the Revo
lution, a group of Catholics
came to Wilkes County from
Maryland, and in 1796, Father
Le Mercier left Savannah to
live at Locust Grove in Wilkes
County, with Augusta as a mis
sion.
The Catholic population of
Augusta was soon greatly in
creased by the arrival of exiles
from the Revolution in France
as well as refuges driven out of
San Domingo by the racial and
factional strife occuring there.
For many years there were
more French among the
Catholic population than Irish
and German combined.
So far as can be learned the
first Mass was offered by Abbe
Carles whom the Revolution had
driven out of France and whom
Bishop John Carroll of Balti
more sent to Georgia, in which
diocese this state then was. He
celebrated Mass in the home of
a Mr. Bignon on Broad Street
just below Monument Street.
(Richard Reid)
Th^ first record in Augusta
is thfe’ burial service on No
vember 28,1796, of Louis Char
les Magon from San Domingo
at which a Father Le Mercier
officiated. This record is kept
in the Cathedral in Savannah.
(Survey of State and Local His
torical Records: Mrs. Clara
Augusta’s Oldest
Augusta’s Largest
Augusta’s Leading
RAILROAD BANK
& TRUST COMPANY
AUGUSTA. GEORGIA ; ;
MtMBtf t 0 1C • MEMIII 'fDCRAl BtSftVI ST? TIM
More People Bank At The Georgia
Than Any Other Augusta Bank
The Southern Cross, May 18, 1963—PAGE 3
Colson)
The church records of St.
Patrick’s show statistics of
births and marriages as early
as 1807. It was about this year
that a temporary chapel was
secured, in itself proof of the
increasing number of Catholics
in Augusta.
In 1810, a charter of incor
poration was obtained from the
Legislature and the number of
Catholics had increased to
justify a resident pastor. The
first pastor of Augusta was a
Father Browne. The charter
issued to the Roman Catholic
Society of Richmond County
constitutes it one of the oldest
bodies in Georgia. It was grant
ed the deed to the site of St.
Patrick’s Church by the Rich
mond Academy Trustees by the
authority of the legislature of
1811. (Memorial History of Au
gusta, Jones.)
In 1812, a committee was ap
pointed to secure subscriptions
for a church, and the edifice was
completed in 1814. It was of
modest dimensions and humble
architecture, 49 feet high and
24 ft. wide, and was situated
within the confines of the block
upon which the present church
is located. It was named the
Church of the Most Holy Trini
ty.
This Church sufficed the Au
gusta Catholics until the year
1843 when it was found too
small. A resolution was passed
to enlarge it, which resolution
was immediately carried into
effect. A transept was added to
the nave and a wing on either
side, making the church cruci
form in accordance with gen
eral usage throughout the
Catholic world.
The first Catholic known to
<be born in this section of Geor
gia is Mary Drummond Mac-
Murphy. Her son, who was still
living when the golden jubilee
of this church was celebrated,
listed the names of families
identified with the early church
here. He lists them in three
groups, French, Irish and Ger
man, and a glance will show how
many more there were of the
former than of the latter two
combined.
Among the French families
were those of Talvande, Brux,
Boulineau, Gardelle, Mande-
ville, Boisclaire, Carrie, Bau-
dry, Lany, DeCotted, Boutette,
Picquet, Sartz, Sabal, Debeau-
regard, Allude, Babie, Bouyer,
Caffin, Gieu, Crepue, D'Antig-
nac, Rossignol, Robert and Dor-
tie.
Among the Irish families
were those of Hurley, Maguire,
Duffy, Starling, McTeir, Gar-
gan, Kinchley, Riley, Grady,
Markay, Dunbar, Henry, Quinn,
Maher, Hackett, Barry, Shields
and Tobin.
Only three German family
names can be found in connec
tion with the history of the
“first” church. They areNehr,
Fredrick and Rudler.
Father John Barry seems to
have been the most outstanding
pastor of the early Augusta Ca
tholics. P. Keenan writes of
him, “Father John Barry. . .is
the one to whom the Catholics
of Augusta are most largely in
debted. He may be considered
the first author, after God, of
the excellent order and
flourishing state in which
the congregation of Augusta is
now. Father Barry is deeply
engraved in the memory of all.
They remember with the most
sincere sentiments of admira
tion, gratitude and love, the
works of this truly good man
He was not a man of sounding
words, but of bright works. His
untiring zeal in instructing and
reforming his congregation, his
indefatigable patience in visit
ing the sick and administering
to all the succours of religion;
his self denial and abnegation,
which he exhibited in innumera
ble instances; his heroic forti
tude in times of pestilence and
epidemic; his unbounded chari
ties, which made him truly the
friend and father of the poor;
his spirit of prayer, which made
him often spend long, sleepless
nights in communion with his
God, are known to everybody in
Augusta. And there is no doubt
the eminent sanctity of this
truly good pastor that drew
such an abundant benediction
upon the flock and gave the
Catholics of Augusta that re-
spectibility and good name,
which, in the beginning of this
pastoral ministrations were at
a very low ebb. All those who
came into contact with Father
Barry had to modify their views
in reference to the Catholic
faith, and became unsuspecting
ly and perhaps unwillingly con
vinced that in that church were
found supernatural, heroic and
heavenly virtues.”
PAROCHIAL TRANSFERS REGISTER IN PROTEST
m
A group of Catholic mothers led by Mrs. Albert J. VanHoecke (left), registered their
children for public school classes in the Kansas City suburb of Raytown, Mo., in protest
against the Missouri legislature’s refusal to permit parochial school students the use of
public school bus transportation. A widespread influx of parochial school children in
Missouri public schools caused overcrowding and forced some schools to close their doors.
(NC Photos)
Raps Proposed Law
Prelate Denounces
Migratory Labor
System In S. Africa
CAPE TOWN, South Africa
—The Archbishop of Cape Town
has denounced South Africa’s
migratory labor system, noting
that it has a damaging effect on
the family life of Negroes.
Archbishop Owen McCann
also said that a proposed labor
direction system would put Ne
groes in a “defenseless, ser
vile condition in the urban
areas.” He spoke at a Mass in
St. Mary’s cathedral here on
the feast of St. Joseph the Work
er (May 1).
Migratory labor is found in
other countries, too, the Arch
bishop noted, but he said that,
in other countries, either a
man can take his family with
him or the migration is season
al.
In South Africa, the minimum
work assignment is 18 months,
he said, adding that this is too
long for a man to be away from
his family.
“The labor of these people
has been used in the production
of the wealth of the country,
“Archbishop McCann said.
“Have they been justly
remunerated? By human stand
ards we cannot answer affirma
tively.
* ‘Their housing has been con
siderably improved, though
transport is costly. But
the effect of migratory labor on
family life is grave, and the sys
tem has to be condemned from
a Christian standpoint.
“And now further restrict
ions are proposed. A system of
direction of labor is to be in
troduced. That is what the new
Bantu Laws Amendment Bill
means. It means the placing of
the Bantu in a defenseless, ser
vile condition in the urban
areas.
“Our south African Bantu are
to become aliens, allowed into
the towns only to suit the needs
of the white man, to be draft
ed here, sent there, as our
economic system requires
—a mere unit of labor.
“Labor bureaus are ex
cellent, but freedom of
movement must not be denied.
The restrictions proposed are
really heavy on the workseeker.
And the man who has served the
community well for many years
does not escape if he leaves
his job.
“Let us speak against these
POWDER POST
BEETLES
calir-^
1100 Years
Of Slav
Christianity
ROME, (NC)—The 11th cen
tenary of the apostolate of SS.
Cyril and Methodius among the
Slavic people was commemora
ted on May 12 by a Byzantine
Liturgy celebrated by Arch
bishop Josyf Slipyi of Lvov,
recently released after 18 years
of detention in the Soviet Union.
The rite was celebrated in the
ancient Roman church of St.
Clement’ s where, in 867, St.
Cyril was brought the body of
St. Clement for burial and where
18 years later, St. Cyril him
self was buried.
In connection with centennial
ceremonies the Pontifical In
stitute of Oriental Studies has
organized a series of lectures
which illustrate the life and
work of the two saints.
evils, these faults and flaws,
Let us appeal to the conscience
of the public to have the wrongs
righted. The obligation and the
blame rests on each of us.”
The Bantu Laws Amendment
Bill, which is sponsored by
the government, is now in draft
form and is due to come up soon
in Parliament.
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LUCKIE AT CONE ST.
A Good Address in Atlanta
LEBANON: A TREE DIES
The Holy Father’s Mission Aid
for the Oriental Church
The other day one of the famed CEDARS OF LEBANON
<died. Obituary notices appeared in four Middle East news
papers . . . Why? Because these
trees are historical and legendary,
deeply rooted in the life and hills of
Bible lands . . . The Prophet Ezechial
••"■"jTjlO. Q spoke of them, as did the Psalms.
I rvlii Solomon used them for building the
Temple . . . Cleopatra and St. Helen
ordered them, one for her royal barge,
the other for the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre. In modern times, their
wood was used in Sacre Coeur Basil
ica, Paris . . . Now there are just
400 left, with only a dozen or so of
ancient origin. Not far from the
famed trees, some Lebanese laboring people are trying valiantly
to build a church for their parish, BEIT-EID, in the Maronite
diocese of SABRA ... No longer, they hope, must they assist
at Mass in their all-too-small building where in winter many
had to stand outside. Through their Bishop and parish priest
they ask us to aid them to the amount of $3,000, enough to pay
for materials like cement and iron which must be purchased.
. . . Will you help ?
THUNDER OVER JORDAN
Jordan is much in the news today. Political unrest, plans to
divert the waters of the Jordan River into the Negev, the find
ing of the oldest theater of the Middle East in the “rose red
city of Petra”—and in the midst of these happenings, the con
tinuing, sad, never-solved problem of the PALESTINE REFU
GEES . . . They fled their homes in the 1948 Israel-Arab war
and were taken into hospitals and convents, orphanages and
schools. Temporary quarters were built . . . Their needs were
many and are still enormous. Will you help with a $10 FOOD
PACKAGE which will keep a family for a month? . . . And
for the Bedouins, blankets are needed which cost $2 . . . Re
member them now!
TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE
Billy P., a nine-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada, writes us:
“I have a great desire to help orphans ... I receive a dollar
a month for my chores and I would like to give it to the
orphans.”
You know, Billy, the priests and sisters in the Middle East
will be encouraged by your generosity. They too are helping
orphans ... We have our ORPHANS’ BREAD CLUB to help
these children. Your monthly sacrifice of $1 and a prayer
keeps it going!
KINDLY SEND US YOUR MASS OFFERINGS. They are
often the sole support of the 15,000 priests under our care in
the 18 Middle East and Near East countries.
ADOPTING A SEMINARIAN OR NOVICE? This means
paying the cost of their training. A seminarian needs $100 a
year for six years, a sister-to-be needs $150 a year for two
years. We have many names such as PIETRO TEAME and
BERNARDO TESFAL, studying with the Cistercians in Italy
for missionary work. Also SISTERS BERNARDINA AND
MERCITTA of the Sisters of the Destitute in Alwaye, India.
PLEASE REMEMBER US IN YOUR WILL. Our title:
THE CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION.
Dear Monsignor:
Enclosed find for
Name
Street
City Zone
. State
lMi < Dear £ast OlissionsjM)
FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN, Presidoftt
Magr. Joseph T. Ryot, Nat*l Soe*y
Send all comatMfcatloM to:
CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION
480 Lexington Ave. at 46th St. New York 17, N. Y.
