Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

The Southern Cross, August 15, 1963—PAGE 5 REV. HERBERT J. WELLMEIER Some time ago, I read a story of a half-drowned soldier being dragged ashore by island sav ages in the Pacific Ocean dur ing World War II. They appear ed to be about to spear him to death as an enemy when, notic ing a religious medal around his neck, they asked in pidgin Eng lish "Are you a Jesus-man?” The savages obviously had rem nants of Christi mity from long ago. That phrase has been rattling in my brain for the two weeks since I read it. And it might almost be a standard slogan to ask ourselves and test the depths of our Christ-likeness, "Are you a Jesus-man?” The sources of grace most readily available to us are Con fession and Communion. Un fortunately, may teen-agers, like their grammar-school bro thers and sisters, neglect these sacraments all summer, It is a common experience among all priests in September to have young penitents acknowledge, "My last confession was three months ago,” as the newspap ers say on their church page, "God does not take a summer vacation.” It should not be a case of "school’s out, church is out!” We cannot be real good "Jesus-men” unless we maintain that personal contact that comes in the intimate un ion of the Eucharist, In the matter of confession there is a point I would like to drive home, too. The church realizes and respects the pen itents personal preferences for a particular confessor. Each priest is somewhat different in his approach to counseling and advising. But in the total pic ture, tne priest is always ab solving in Christ’s name, as ultimately it should matter very little who hears our confession. Some youths fear they will be recognized and shamed. Actual ly one who is desirous of spir itual progress doesn’t mind lay ing the soul bare to his confes sor, And such a person also does not resent being question ed, realizing that the confessor sometimes needs to probe a bit to diagnose and prescribe spir itual remedies. Every priest is solely concerned with dispens ing God's mercy and forgive- Vietnam Situation— (Continued from Page 4) any faster, "It’s just a storm in a tea cup,” an intimate supporter of the President told this corres pondent, speaking of the Buddhist agitation. "In time it will calm down, if people don’t pay attention to it.” This was three weeks after the May 8 clash in Hue in which at least eight persons lost their lives. This attitude is a political error, aggravating the evil instead of curing it. And, as Catholics see it, it leaves their religion exposed to criticisms, which, however unreasonable, will still be damaging. It gives enemies of the Church another pretext for attacking Catholics. Of course the tactics of President NgodinhDiem and his government in dealing with re fractory citizens are not dictated by his religion. But un fortunately people inside Viet nam and outside it are not all logical or fair minded. They are influenced not only by fallacies but even by labels. In most of the foreign press the routine procedure during the Buddhist dispute has been to , speak of "the Catholic Presi dent Ngo dinh Diem.” Corres pondents have justified this harping on the President’s re ligion by saying that it is "re levant.” By constant emphasis A Smith-Corona, R. C. Allen, Totalla Calculators - Adding Machines Cash Registers - Mimeograph - Duplicators - Photocopy Office Files - Desk and Supplies ALL MAKE & RELIABLE TYPEWRITER CO. 215 WHITAKER ST. SAVANNAH, GA. Ph. AD 3-7420 AD 3-72)3 Otfiantait MOTOR HOTEL • TV i. AIR CONDITIONING • FAMOUS MIAMI BUFFET • ICE A BEVERAGE STATIONS • COFFEE MAKER, EACH ROOM LUCKIE AT CONE ST. A Good Address in Atlanta this relevance becomes that of cause to effect in the average reader’s mind. He concludes that President Diem does what ever he does in the current af fair as a result of being a Catholic. The Buddhists at Xa Loi pa goda here,headquarters of their campaign, get hold of foreign press stories unfavorable to the government and stressing the President’s religion within a surprisingly few days of publi cation. They mimeograph them hastily and distribute them to all comers. Thus the President’s religion, which the Buddhists usually refrain from mentioning in their own statements, is em phasized, in the context of the present dispute, for the Viet namese public through these replayed foreign news dispatch es. The President has made sev eral public gestures of con ciliation and reassurance. Ca tholic Vietnamese have wel comed these with special satis faction. Unhappily their effect has been weakened by such factors as the bitterness in a recent speech of the President’s sister-in-law. Vietnamese Catholics feel that in several other respects, too, their religion is under fire because it is also the Presi dent’s. At the same time they sympathize with him in his en ormous problems and recognize the debt that they and their non- Christian fellow countrymen owe him for his courage in leadership against the commun ist menace. They realize that if the communists were to take over south grievances would soon look like a picnic wist fully remembered. The best way for President Ngo dinh Diem to take the steam out of the Buddhist agitation now (and not all Buddhists are in volved) would be to relax re strictions generally on civil liberties and make some other reforms for which there is strong popular desire. This would also strengthen the re sistance to the communists. And it would be an opportune de monstration of Catholic princi ples applied for the common good. 73 0 Mann Television Service Company TV-RADIOS-TRANSISTORS TAPE RECORDS-STEREOS 148 West Broad AD 6-6358 Savannah, Ga. 3^ » > Orradialtd. IWjrUfM tamin-T) ‘ UnnetteA. Over 40 Years of Dependable Courteous Service SAVANNAH. GEORGIA 3^ /< person - to - person Service ail uour banbina needs your banbiny SAVANNAH BANK & Trust Co. Savannah, Georgia Member F. D. I. C. ness. He is saddened for Christ’s sake by the offenses confessed. He is personally concerned that the penitent be cured of spiritual disease. He acts as teacher, doctor and judge. He is burdened with the obligation to help the soul hun gering for God's graces. It is advisable, therefore, to trust yourself fully into the confessor ’s hands as a mem ber of the flock committed to a pastor’s care, it is better not to consistently avoid the confes sion box of your Parish priest. And it is almost criminal to downgrade any confessor to your friends, so that his priest ly ministry is adversely affec ted. Pray for your confessor and cooperate with him, Do nothing to drive others away from the sacrament of God’s mercy, But are you a Jesus-man? Can you be when you neglect to answer the knock at the door of your soul, as Jesus comes calling in each Mass, He wants to get in every time you attend and co-offer Mass. How often do you open the door and ' ‘play host” to his friendly visit? Perhaps all this is not so timely now, because summer is almost over. These things should probably have been said about July 4th, but better late than never. And they are, to my mind, reminders of timeless values. It has been said a thousand and one times by people in trouble with the law and police, that as soon as they turned their backs on God, and stopped going to church and the sacraments, they ran into nothing but ' ‘bad luck.” There is no doubt that this expresses a truth. Even though it's more than just bad luck misfortune and sometimes real tragedy does dog the footsteps of those not walking in Christ's footsteps, So, for God's sake, and your own, be a "Jesus-man” through and through, to the very core. Mobile— (Continued from Page 1) Hocklander, "so also, as I un derstand the cases, it has stricken attempts by the state to exact a tax on the privilege of religious worship. "The wall of separation, much talked about, has two sides to it. Religion must not be aided by state legislation nor, in turn, may its practice be circum scribed by tax restrictions which would tax the use of ar ticles such as these directly and intimately connected with the worship service itself.” Archbishop— (Continued from Page 1) astray . . . and fall into a trap of national discord which can profit communism,” He said he had established many social welfare institu tions for people of all faiths in Hue since he had been ap pointed there three years ago. Throughout that time he had never uttered any criticisms of Buddhists, he declared. He said that Catholics had sym pathized with the victims' fam ilies after the May 8 incident and prayed for friendship be tween Catholics and non-Catho- lics. The first lecture was under the auspices of a local Catho lic students’ association. The public was invited to attend and ask questions, A Buddhist student who ventured to ask a question was trailed by police on leaving the hall. While not saying the Archbishop was res ponsible for this, the Catholic students’ association was re portedly reluctant to sponsor the second lecture because of this and other reasons. The second lecture was given under the auspices of a local asso ciation of former seminarians. Earlier , the Archbishop told a press conference: ‘ ‘In the three years that I have been Archbishop of Hue, I have never seen the least restriction on the preaching or practice of the Buddhist Cult.” The Archbishop denied charged that ' ‘Catholic schools receive government aid because they are Catholic” and the * ‘provincial leaders have been removed from office because they refused Baptism.” He denounced the danger of communist agitators who do not hesitate to "put on the cas sock or the Buddhist robe to deceive people.” He noted that the General Buddhist Associa tion was no more than a mil lion members who belong to a ’’number of independent sects. ON 10TH ANNUAL MARIAN WEEK—A large eight by twelve foot oil painting of Our Lady of the Ecumenical Coun cil is enshrined in this modernistic outdoor altar on the monastery grounds of the Marian Fathers. in Stockbridge, Mass. The artist was Father John Szantyr, a young Marian priest. Prayers for peace, the pope and the ecumenical council will be offered up at services here during Marian Week, August 18 to 25. This year marks the tenth anniver sary of the Marian Week observance.—(NC Photos) League For Polish Aid Seeks Gov’t Guarantee Of Religious Freedom GREEN BAY, Wis., (NC)— The Polish communist govern ment was urged to grant reli- gtious freedom to the Polish people in a resolution voted by the Catholic League for Reli gious Assistance to Poland. The resolution, adopted at the league’s eighth national con vention, called on the Polish government ‘ ‘to guarantee com plete religious freedom to the people of Poland.” Delegates from many parts of the United States attended the convention here (Aug. 6 and 7), whose theme was "Two Decades of Service.” The Catholic Lea gue for Religious .Assistance to Poland is marking its 20th an niversary^.^ In the past 2-years the league has given more than $5 million for the use of the Church both inside and outside Poland. Supplies which it has shipped to Poland or to Poles in ex ile in Europe include clothing, 48,885 religious vestments, 2,163 chalices and more than 9,000 missals. Msgr. Alfred A. Am- bramowicz of Chicago, execu tive director of the league, said its aid in the coming year will be concentrated on the Polish Pontifical College and Institute, both in Rome, and the Polish seminary in Paris. "Poland needs educated priests, and when the semi narians and priests leave Po land they have only $5 in their pockets,” Msgr. Ambramowicz said. The educational program costs the league about $80,000 a year. Also slated to receive aid are the Polish Bishops who will come to Rome with little or no money to attend the second ses sion of the- Vatican council, opening September 29, the mon signor said. Bishop Stanislaus V. Bona of Green Bay offered the opening Solemn Pontifical Mass for the convention here in St. Francis Xavier cathedral. Also at tending the opening sessions was Auxiliary Bishop Roman Atkielski of Milwaukee. After the Mass, Bishop Bona welcomed the delegates and read them a message conveying the blessing of His Holiness Pope Paul VI. Bishop Bona stressed the doctrine of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ as the theological foundation of con cern by Catholics everywhere for the fate of the Church in Po land. "Poland now is suffer ing,” he said. A sermon prepared by Bishop Stephen S. Woznicki of Saginaw, Mich., was read to the con vention by Msgr. Wallace Fili— povicz, rector of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, Mich. Bishop Woznicki was unable to attend because he was recuperating from a heart attack. He emphasized in his sermon that on the league’s 20th anni versary "Poland has not been forgotten.” He predicted that there will be a need for aid to the Church in Poland for many years to come. Archbishop William E. Cou sins of Milwaukee addressed a luncheon session during the convention and congratulated the league on its work. During the convention dele gates heard a tape-recorded message of thanks from Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, Primate of Poland. Newly elected members of the executive committee, all from Chicago, are: John Aszhler, president; Msgr, Ambramo wicz, executive director; Stella Andelbrat; Frank Brodnichi; Bernard Hendrzak; Joanne Rzyuchi; and Lescadin Janga, The next national convention will be held in Buffalo, N, Y,, in 1967. Vocational Education Bill Passes House WASHINGTON, (NC)— The House of Representatives has passed and sent to the Senate a bill to expand the Federal program of aid to vocational education. Private colleges and univer sities and other private, non profit agencies and institutions would be eligible to share in some funds under the bill. However, before adopting the measure by a vote of 377 to 21 (Aug. 6), the House reject ed an amendment intended to specify that private schools could share in all portions of the program. Federal funds allocated under the bill to aid vocational educa tion would total $45 million in the first year, $90 million in the second year, $135 million in the third year, and $180 million yearly thereafter. The bill provides that five per cent of the annual total be used for grants to state educa tion boards, or, "with the ap proval of the appropriate state board,” to local educational agencies and to colleges, uni versities and "other public or nonprofit private agencies or institutions” to pay for re search or pilot projects in voca tional education of youths. Programs developed under this section would be aimed "particularly (at) youths in ec onomically depressed commun ities who have academic, socio economic, or other handicaps that prevent them from suc ceeding in the regular vocation al education programs.” An effort to amend the bill to specify that the other 95 per cent of the funds—earmark ed for distribution by the states for regular programs—would be available to private nonpro fit scyools on the same terms as public schools was made by Rep. William T. Cahill of New Jersey. However, Cahill’s amend ment was deafeted by a vote of 123 to 44. Before the vote, Rep. Frank Thompson, Jr., of New Hersey, a principal backer of the meas ure, stated that under the bill as it stands the states would be "at liberty” to contract with private schools for vocational education programs All cars should be equipped with a basic first aid kit, flares and other emergency gear for use in case of trouble. Non-Catholic Clergymen To Attend Liturgical Week PHILADELPHIA, (NC)— Non-Catholic clergymen of this area have expressed gratitude at being invited to attend the North American Liturgical Week here August 19 to 22. More than a hundred letters of appreciation from ministers have been received by a conven tion committee appointed to welcome members of other re ligious groups. Some of the letters express regret at inability to attend, others indicate intention of at tending some or all of the ses sions, but common to all the replies has been a warm appre ciation for having been invited, Father James J. Murphy, com- Refuses Hearing Summons JERUSALEM, Israel, (NC)— The High Court justice who cast the lone dissent in a De cember decision denying Jewish nationality to a Carmelite priest has refused to attend a hear ing on whether he insulted the Jewish Faith in a June speech. Justice Haim Cohn wrote (August 2), in refusing a sum mons to a rabbinical court, that he never sought to insult the Jewish Faith. The summons was based on a complaint from a private peti tioner, Dr. Arieh Wagenaar, after Justice Cohn said in a speech here June 17: "One of the bitterest ironies of the state (of Israel) is that the same racist approach that was propogated by the nazis . . . should, because of an allegedly sacrosanct Jewish tradition become the basis for the official determination or rejection of Jewishness in the state of Israel.” Israel’s High Court turned down in a 4-1 decision (Dec. 6) a plea from Carmelite Fa ther Daniel, a 40-year-old Po lish Jew, that thc“cpurt make the government recognize him as a Jew and give him citizenship under the country’s Law of Return. The law says that all Jews coming to Israel automatically become citizens. The court ruled that Jewish birth did not give the priest the right to Israeli citizenship. In his refusal of the sum mons, Justice Cohn wrote that he had the highest regard for the honor of the Jewish na tion and for the honor and rights of "all who are cre ated in the image(of God).” For this reason, he rejects any interpretation of Jewish law which would deny this honor or these rights, he said. He said the press reported that the Chief Rabbinate had issued (July 8) a statement calling his June speech a "slur on the Jewish people and Jew- sih law.” If the reports were accurate, he said, the rabbi nical courts would have to dis qualify themselves from exa mining the question because they are bound to follow the decision of the Chief Rabbinate. Calls For Negro Rights HARTFORD, Conn., (NC) — Archbishop Henry J. O’Brien of Hartford has urged the people of his archdiocese "as Chris tians and as Americans” to "view with sympathetic under standing all legitimate and rea sonable efforts by the Negro to gain full exercise of his rights.” He asked them to "give the support of their prayers and of their active influence” to everything done in pursuit of the Negro’s rights "which is con stant with the good order of the civic community and with the requirements of justice and charity.” The Archbishop said that the American Negro "now seeks full and practical recognition of his equal status as a child of God and as an American citi zen. He is not rebelling against legally constituted authority. He is not claiming special privil ege. He is not making demands which depend for fulfillment on political or social expediency. No, he is asking justice accord ing to the law of God and the law of the land.” The Negro "has equal citi zenship and therefore equal rights,” the Hartford Archbish op said. "Anyone who denies him these in theory or in fact cannot call himself a true Am erican.” mittee chairman, stated. ' ‘What is particularly signifi cant about this spontaneous and generous response,” said Fa ther Murphy, "is that the origi nal letter of invitation was in the form of an announcement that required no reply.” Included among the replies are letters from Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Quakers. Most of the mail came from pastors of city, suburban and country areas. Other letters came from members of semi nary faculties, heads of insti tutions, administrative heads of religious groups, an Episco pal canon and an Episcopal bi shop. Typical of the replies are these: —' ‘Thank you very much for the gracious invitation to parti cipate in the sessions of the 1963 Liturgical Week, It is very kind of your Church to include us of the separated brethren, to use the late Pope John's words. . .” —"It was heartwarming to receive your gracious invita tion. . .the knowledge that we would be welcome at these dis cussions is in itself an insight which I for one will treasure. The success of the 1963 Litur gical Week will be paramount in my thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks.” —‘ ‘I am deeply grateful for the invitation to participate in the Liturgical Week. . .(I) want you to know how much this invi tation means to me.” —"I am most appreciative of the gracious thought which prompted the issuance of the invitation.” —"I hope I may be notified of any other similar meetings. May our Heavenly Father con tinue to guide and bless you in hastening the day when, in ans wer to the prayer of Jesus, 'we may all be one.’ ” —"Please let me know if there is any way I can assist... These are good days to be work ing together.” —"It is more than kind of the Roman Catholic Church, speci fically the Philadelphia arch diocese, to extend an invitation to the clergy of non-Roman churches to attend, . .” —"I was happy to receive the communication. . .1 am looking forward to a most inspirational and profitable week.” MARRIAGES STEVENS-PAUL SAVANNAH — Miss Helen Holmes Paul, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Archie F. Paul of Sa vannah and Francis M. Stevens, son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis W. Stevens, were married July 29th in Our Lady of the Incar nation Church, Adams, Mass., with the Rev. John E. Forhan performing the ceremony. KENNEY-REMION SAVANNAH — Miss Dolores Elizabeth Remion, daughter of Mrs. Charles Grossi and Wil liam O. Remion, and Richard Barry Kenney, son of Mr. and Mrs. John J. Kenney were mar ried on August 10th in the Ca thedral of St. John the Baptist, with the Rev. Lawrence A. Lu- cree celebrating the Nuptial Mass. SUMNER-CROWNOVER TIFTON—Miss Nancy Jane Crownover and Paul William Sumner were married July 21st at Our Divine Savior Church with the Rev. Frederick Kirch- ner celebrating the Nuptial Mass. The bride is thedaughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Lewis Crownover and the Bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Jackson Sumner. fjojr Wedding Invitations $It’s The Acme Press 1201 LINCOLN STREET PHONE 232-6397 WAR AND PEACE IN THE LIVES OF THE POOR THE POOR CLARES, faithful daughters of peace-loving saints Francis and Clare, must wonder about their former convent on the Via Panisperna in Rome. In the 1870 uprising, the Sisters were driven out at bayonet point ... In 1934, the same building, now the physics laboratory of a great university, was the scene of the first successful atom-splitting experiment. There Enrico Fermi and his six assistants, working in a fountain behind the former convent, discovered and patented the secret of slow fission — key to the atom The Holy Father's Mission Aid bomb! ... In POYYA, in the diocese for the Oriental Church of TRICHUR, INDIA, the Clarists still pursue their work of peace in our nuclear age. They teach the children of some 150 poor families . . . The twenty nuns have plenty of work, but no place for adequate rest or religious services. A convent was begun, but of the total §8,500 needed for its completion, they have borrowed or scraped to gether only some §4,500 . . . With little hope of obtaining more from their poor families, they seek help from far-off America. Their Superior, SISTER BERNARDINA, asks for the remaining §4,000 needed ... St. Francis prayed, "Make me an instrument of Thy peace” . . . Your generosity will enable his followers to be just that; to set off, not nuclear chain reactions, but chain reactions of grace in India! ADMISSION: FIVE CENTS “Dear Father: Five little girls, ages 8 to 10, and one boy, age 4, 'put on a show in my garage. It was a rainy Saturday but despite this they did a very good job of it. Admission was 5c. for children and 10c. for adults. Had it been a clear day, I am sure they would have clone better. Now they u'ant to share part of it with you and I am enclosing one dollar for your missions. I think thev would like it to go to children near their age.” — Mildred T. “Dear Mildred: Thanks. And thanks to the children. We shall certainly follow their wishes!” FACTS not made up out of whole cloth CALICO is named after CALCUTTA in India; DAMASK aftei DAMASCUS in Syria; MUSLIN after MOSUL in Iraq; DIMITY after DAMIETTA in Egypt! Odd how many kinds of material have names from Near East and Middle East phaces . . • Yet many of the poor, aged, orphaned and the blind in these coun tries must be clothed by our 15,000 missionaries, priests, Sis ters and Brothers. Through their noble work, supported by you, these unfortunate ones receive not merely clothing for the body, but also the supernatural garment of grace! HOW YOU CAN HELP 1 Educate a seminarian, such as THEOPHANE M. PUTHU- KULANGARA and MATHEW JOHN THAYIL of Bangalore, India. Cost: §100 a year for six years. 2. Educate a Sister like SISTER BENNET and SISTER SI ENNA of the Carmelite Sisters of Kothamangalam, India. Cost: §150 a year for two years. (Payments for the support of a seminarian or a novice may be made in installments.) 3. Buy a FOOD PACKAGE for a PALESTINE REFUGEE FAMILY. Cost: $10. 4. Purchase a BLANKET for a BEDOUIN. Cost: $2. 5. Give an undesignated or STRINGLESS GIFT to be used where the Holy Father feels the need is greatest.. 6. Send a MASS STIPEND. 15,000 priests in the NEAR and MIDDLE EAST often have no other means of support each day. Msgr. Joseph T. Ryan, Nat’l Sec'y Send all communications to: CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION 480 Lexington Ave. at 46th St. New York 17, N. T.