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SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1963
CATHOLIC YOUTH WEEK PROCLAMATION—His Honor, Mayor Malcolm Maclean signs
proclamation designating the week of October 27th to November 3rd as National Catholic
Youth -Week in the city of Savannah. Looking on are Father Teoli and officers of the
Catholic Youth Organization of Nativity parish. They are (1. to r.) Father Teoli, Nativity
pastor; Michael Roach, Vice-Pres.; Paul Caldwell, Treas.; Janice White, Chairman of
Spiritual Activities; Mayor Maclean; Ray White, Pres.; Margaret Ganem, Chairman of
Cultural Activities; and Diane Thompson, Secretary.—Proclamation on Page 6.
Mark 5th Anniversary
Of Pope John’s Election
By Patrick Riley
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
VATICAN CITY—Pope Paul
VI offered Mass in St. Peter’s
basilica for the ecumenical
council Fathers and a vast
throng of laymen, priests and
Religious to mark the fifth an
niversary of the election of
Pope John XXIII (Oct. 28).
The celebration of the elec
tion of a late pope is unprece
dented in living memory and
perhaps—some authorities say
certainly—in all history.
Leo Cardinal Suenens of
Malines-Brussels, in an hour-
long eulogy delivered after Pope
Paul’s Mass, said Pope John
"left men closer to God and
the world a better place for
men to live.”
The Belgian Cardinal said
LEADS USO APPEAL—Gen
eral Emmett O’Donnell, Jr.,
(above) of Brooklyn, combat
commander and U.S. Air Force
hero of World War II and the
Korean War, has accepted
chairmanship of the United Ser
vices Organization national
campaign committee for 1964.
The National Catholic Commun
ity Service (NCCS) is one of six
civilian agencies of the USO
serving the spiritual and social
welfare of the men and women in
the U.S. Armed Forces. The
organization, founded in 1941,
operates in 34 points in foreign
countries and 165 local com
munities in the United States.
—(NC Photos)
that although Pope John has left
us, "we dare to believe that he
is more than ever present in
our midst.” The Cardinal de
clared:
"It is right and fitting that we
should ask him to intercede
for us now with God, so that
our council labors, which he
inspired, should evolve and
come to perfection.”
This public plea for prayers
to a man not officially proposed
by the Church for the venera
tion of the faithful astounded
many in the council hall. Pope
Paul, in opening the council’s
second session (Sept. 29), had
spoken to Pope John as to a
living person. But this could
have been interpreted as a rhe
torical figure of speech, as when
an orator says: "You, Abraham
Lincoln, freed the slaves.” No
such ambiguity clouded Cardi
nal Suenens’ unequivocal state
ment.
Much comment was aroused
by Pope Paul’s choice of Cardi
nal Suenens to deliver this im
portant eulogy. From the very
outset of his pontificate, Pope
Paul has publicly showed the
Cardinal from Belgium some
thing like the same deference
and honor Pope John in his
pontificate showed him when
he was Cardinal-Archbishop of
Milan.
At his very first appearance
at the window of the papal apart
ment to bless crowds in St.
Peter’s Square, Pope Paul
brought Cardinal Suenens with
him and presented him to the
people. He appointed him one of
the four cardinal moderators
he made responsible for the
smooth functioning of the coun
cil.
Now he not only chose him to
honor Pope John, but at the end
of the eulogy, he embraced
him. This, too, is unprecedent
ed.
For the commemorative ce
remony, St. Peter’s basilica
was still rich with damask wall
hangings of the previous day’s
beatification ceremony. Innum
erable chandeliers installed for
Blessed Dominic Barberi’s
beatification illumined the ce
remony honoring Pope John.
The late Pope’s two brothers
were present. Pope Paul shook
hands with both of them as he
left the basilica.
Cardinal Suenens described
his speech as a simple effort
"to represent before us for a
few moments the figure of John
XXIII in a collective act of
filial piety and deeply-felt
gratitude.”
Cardinal Suenens noted that
"on the morrow of his election
John XXIII might have seemed to
be a ‘pope of transition.’ ”
"And indeed he was that, but
in an unexpected manner that
the expression does not suggest
in its usual meaning. History
will surely judge that he opened
a new era for the Church and
that he laid the foundations for
the transition from the 20th to
the 21st century.”
Radio, television and the
press made Pope John’s death
"like a death in the family,”
Cardinal Suenens recalled.
"Never has the whole world
taken part at such close quar
ters in the poignant stages of a
mortal sickness. Never has it
shown such unanimity of feel
ing.”
Cardinal Suenens said Pope
John is still "present in our
midst” in two ways.
"First of all he is present
in his well beloved successor,
Pope Paul VI, the august con
tinuer of his work. . .It is clear
that Providence has given Pope
Paul VI to the Church to give
form and substance to the pro
phetic intuitions of his prede
cessor.”
Applause rose from the coun
cil Fathers at these words
The second way in which
Pope John continues to be pre
sent, Cardinal Suenens said,
"is by reason of the sacrifice
of his life, which he offered for
the happy outcome of the coun
cil’s labors.”
He recalled that in the course
of an audience Pope John gave
at Castelgandolfo—Cardinal
Suenens did not say to whom
Pope John gave the audience,
but it sounded like an incident
Cardinal Suenens himself had
witnessed—the late Pontiff re
ferred to some council schema-
continued on Page 6)
No Separate Schema
On Our Lady
VATICAN CITY—The
Ecumenical council voted
October 29th to include the
council’s declaration on Our
Lady in the schema On The
Church instead of in a sep
arate schema. The vote was
1,114 to 1.074.
The Day’s moderator,
Cardinal Agagianian, said
before balloting: "No vote on
either side can be construed
as constituting any lessening
of the dignity of the Blessed
Virgin or any diminution of
her preeminent role In the
Church.”
Msgr. Thomas A. Brennan
Diocese Mourns
Savannah Pastor
ROME (NC)—An American
Archbishop has scored the
wording of a passage in the
fourth chapter of the Council’s
schema "On the Nature of the
Church” as dangerously am
biguous and said that some
changes in the text must be
made lest "the world” misin
terpret the phrase.
Archbishop Lawrence J.
Shehan of Baltimore told a press
conference here that the phrase
"separation of Church and
State” has such political and
emotional overtones that he has
asked the ecumenical council
to drop it from the schema
"On the Nature of the Church,”
now being debated.
Archbishop Shehan was the
first American prelate to ini
tiate a special Wednesday press
conference sponsored by the
American Hierarchy, at which
U. S. Bishops or experts will
speak to the press on various
phases of the council or allied
matters.
At his conference Archbishop
Shehan stated that he has intro-
By U. S. Archbishop
Church-State Text
Called Ambiguous
duced two other changes to the
schema, one of which would
clarify the nature and extent of
papal infallibility and a second
which would make more precise
a section dealing with Scripture
and Tradition. He said all three
of his steps have ecumenical
overtones.
His speech in the council,
which he gave in the name of all
American Bishops, dealt with
a passage in the schema’s fourth
chapter in which laymen are
cautioned against the "regret-
able separation” of Church and
State. Unfortunately, Archbi
shop Shehan noted, there is an
ambiguity in the phrase.
He said the problem is this:
Do the 10 lines dealing with this
passage mean that it is regret-
able that any separation of
'Church and State exists, or does
'it mean that it is regretable
that the things of the City of
God are in conflict with the
things of the City of the World?
Archbishop Shehan said that
most bishops believe that the
second notion was the original
intention. But rather than run
the risk of having the world
misinterpret this phrase, he
said that some changes must
be made. He stated:
"The word ‘separation’ has
become a fighting word for all
of us. We want to get rid of the
word ‘regretable’ and, if the
section cannot be suitably re
vised, to eliminate it entirely
at this time.”
The Archbishop said that he
favors eliminating it entirely
because the whole question of
the relations of Church and State
are "too important to be intro
duced into the schema obliquely.
If it is to be treated, it should
be treated thoroughly.”
20% Raise For
Vatican Workers
VATICAN CITY (NC)—Pope
Paul VI has raised the salary
of every Vatican employee 20
per cent.
The salary increase was or
dered "in consideration of the
increase in the cost of living,”
the Vatican Press Office stated.
Cardinal Says Viet
Trouble Is Political
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas A. Brennan
BEATIFICATION SCHEDULED—
Father Leonard Murialdo
(above), Italian founder of
the Pious Society of St. Jo
seph of Turin wall be beati
fied on November 3, in St.
Peter’s Basilica, Rome. The
new beata died in 1900. (NC
Photos)
because lay people were not
ready to take a very active
part.
"All that is changing now,
and the laity, particularly those
with education and the leaders
in business . . . are becoming
more active. They are solid Ca
tholics and unsurping the rights
of the hierarchy has never en
tered their minds.
Speed-Up
Of Council
Work Urged
By Father Placid Jordan, O.S.B.
(N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE)
VATICAN CITY — The
French, German and African
Bishops have reached virtual
agreement on a plan to speed
up the work of the ecumenical
council.
They feel confident that other
groups of bishops will join in
their proposal to change coun
cil rules to reduce the number
of weekly general meetings
from five—Monday through
Friday—to three.
The other two days are to be
used for meetings of the var
ious national or regional bi
shops’ conferences at which
council Fathers will not have
to speak in Latin and will have
a real opportunity to debate
the issues.
The proposal states that fol
lowing discussion in national
conferences, only two Fathers
would be assigned to present'
the pros and cons of a topic
at a general meeting. This, ac
cording to the plan, willcutdown
on duplicating speeches as well
as those that stray from the
point under debate.
The proposal was prompt
ed by a widespread feeling
among the Fathers that the
counci 1 needs to speed up its
work.
"The work of the council be
gan a year ago,” an American
bishop remarked, "and we still
have not adopted a single
schema. With 17 schemata on
(Continued on Page 6)
SAIGON VATICAN EXHIBIT—Buddhist bonzesses (nuns) are
welcomed by Father John Thanh Lang as they arrive to
view an exhibit illustrating Vatican Council II in Saigon
City. Organized by Song Dao, lay-edited Catholic weekly, it
was shown in a hall beside the Catholic Church of the Viet
namese Martyrs. It is also moved from place to place with
in the city and the provinces of South Vietnam. (NC Photos)
Assistant Pastor
At Valdosta
VALDOSTA—The parish of
St. John the Evangelist here
received a new assistant pastor
this week. He is the Rev. Robert
J. Reiter of the Diocese, of Buf
falo, New York. On loan to the
Diocese of Savannah for one
year, he will work with the Rev.
Thomas Payne, pastor of St.
John’s.
"I am sure I express the gra
titude, not only of the pastor and
people of St. John's parish, but
of His Excellency, Bishop Mc
Donough and the entire Diocese
in welcoming Father Reiter,”
said the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Andrew
J. McDonald, Savannah Chan
cellor.
"The growth and vitality of
our Diocese is due in great part
to the missionary zeal of priests
like Father Reiter, who have
come to us from other parts of
the country, and to the gener
osity and Apostolic Spirit of
Bishops like the Most Rev.
James A. McNulty of Buffalo,
who have deprived their own
dioceses in order to help ours,”
he said.
Father Reiter, who was or
dained earlier this year is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Henry Reiter of Buffalo.
After eight years of elemen
tary school at St. Teresa’s in
Buffalo, he entered the Buffalo
Preparatory Seminary, com
pleting his high school studies
and the first two years of college
there.
Father Reiter received his
degree of Bachelor of Arts in
Philosophy at Christ the King
Seminary, Olean, New York and
was ordained on March 9th,
1963 after completing Theologi
cal studies at St. John Vianney
Major Seminary in Buffalo.
After ordination he undertook
further studies at St. John Vian
ney Seminary and the Catholic
University of American, Wash
ington D. C. His first assign
ment, before coming to Valdos
ta, was to the City Apostolate,
Buffalo.
included in propaganda against
communism, the Cardinal
replied : "Yes, for in propa
ganda all forms of human good
ness can be utilized.”
Cardinal Tien was asked for
his opinion of the ideas on the
role and rights of the laity
coming out of the ecumenical
council.
"The Church,” he said, "has
made great progress in For
mosa and Hong Kong. Until re
cently, most of the work was
done by priests and Religious,
PRAY FOR OUR
PRIESTLY DEAD
REV. JOSEPH KADDAH
November 2, 1928
REV. STEPHEN BEYTAGH
November 5, 1876
REV. JEREMIAH F. O’NEAL
November 6, 1868
Oh God, Who didst give to
thy servants hy their sacredotal
office, a share in the priest
hood of the Apostles, grant,
we implore, that they may
also he one of their company
forever in heaven. Through
, Christ Our Lord, Amen.
HONG KONG (NC)—Thomas
Cardinal Tien, S.V.D., of Tai
pei, Formosa, said here that
"Vietnam’s troubles are not
religious but political—clearly
religion is being utilized by
communists.”
Cardinal Tien, on his way
back to Formosa from the ec
umenical council in Rome, stop
ped here to say a Mass at the
Hong Kong government stadium
for the Feast of Christ the King
(Oct. 27). Some 45,000 took part
in the dialogue Mass.
(In Vietnam, on the same day,
a Buddhist monk burnedhimseif
to death in flaming gasoline out
side Saigon’s Catholic cathedral
to protest alleged suppression
of his religion—the seventh
such suicide since last ju.ie.)
Cardinal Tien said there is a
crucial need for strongly organ
ized propaganda in South Amer
ica and in the Far East to off
set the difficulty of penetrating
the Iron and Bamboo Curtains.
When asked during an inter
view if economic aid should be
SAVANNAH—The Right Reverend Monsignor Thomas A. Brennan, pastor of Blessed Sacra
ment parish here, died last Sunday at St. Joseph’s Hospital. He was 69.
He had been a priest for forty years and had served posts in Atlanta, Albany, the south
west missions of the then "Savannah-Atlanta” Diocese, Augusta and Savannah.
A native Savannahian, Mon
signor Brennan received his
elementary school education at
Cathedral School and was a
graduate of Savannah’s Bene
dictine Military School.
He undertook preparatory
studies for the Priesthood at St.
Charles College, Catonsville,
Maryland, and finished his
Theological studies at St. Ber
nard’s Seminary in Rochester,
New York. He was ordained in
1923.
After serving three years as
assistant pastor of Atlanta’s
historic Immaculate Conception
Church, he was named assis
tant pastor of St. Teresa’s,
Albany, in 1926 where he was
later named pastor.
During more than a decade
as pastor there, Monsignor
Brennan was placed in charge of
the largest "Home Mission
Area” in the United States,
comprised of 11 churches in 55
southwest Georgia counties.
In 1941 he was appointed
pastor of St. Mary’s on the
Hill, Augusta and named Vi
car F orane of the Augusta Dean
ery.
He was appointed to his last
post, which he held for eight
een years, in April of 1945.
During his tenure at Bles
sed Sacrament parish, a new
school building, including a
large gymnasium and cafeteria
was erected. New residential
facilities for both priests and
sisters were also constructed.
He was elevated to the rank of
Domestic Prelate by the
late Pope John XXIII in 1959
and appointed to the Board of
Diocesan Consultors by His Ex
cellency, Bishop Thomas J. Mc
Donough.
Monsignor Brennan was an
active member of the Knights of
Columbus, holding posts in Sa
vannah Council 631, and serv
ing as Chaplain and Faithful
Friar in the Immaculate Con
ception General Assembly,
Fourth Degree.
He was also a past exalted
ruler of the Albany Lodge of the
Benevolent and Protective Or
der of Elks and a past State
Chaplain of the Georgia Elks
Association.
Monsignor Brennan was a
nephew of the internationally
known "Waving Girl” of Sa
vannah, Miss Florence Martus.
On Tuesday, October 29th,
The Right Reverend Thomas I,
Sheehan, pastor of St. Joseph’s
At the time of Mon signor
Brennan’s death on Sundav
afternoon, Monsignor An
drew J. McDonald, Chancel
lor, telephoned Bishop Mc
Donough in Rome, Italy,
where he is attending the
Second Session of the Vatican
Council.
Bishop McDonough ex
pressed "deepest senti
ments of sympathy to the
Catholic people of the par
ish, the city and the Diocese
upon the loss of a faithful
and beloved priest.”
Citing the ‘ ‘wonderful ex
ample of priestly loyalty, the
deep respect for authority
which characterized the life
of Monsignor Brennan,” the
Bishop said, ‘ ‘He was a man
who always realized that
first things come first.
"His life was an inspira
tion to all who knew him. He
bore his illness and suffer
ing with admirable patience
and fortutide.”
Bishop McDonough asked
Monsignor McDonald to
' 'convey my sympathy to the
immediate family and close
friends of Monsignor Bren
nan.
"His death is a loss to all
of us, but it is to be hoped
that his life of good example
will inspire other young men
to become priests.”
"It is a source of deep
regret to me that I cannot be
present for the Funeral
Mass, but I shall offer a
Triduum of Masses on Mon
day, Tuesday and Wednes
day, here in this eternal city
of Rome, for the happy re
pose of the soul of a truly
good Priest,” he said.
Church, Macon was celebrant
at a Requiem Mass at Blessed
Sacrament Church, for the chil
dren of the parish. The eulogy
was delivered by the Reverend
Edward Frank, assistant pastor
of Blessed Sacrament.
Following the Mass, the body
lay in state throughout the day.
Rosary services were held at
8:00 p.m. with members of Sa
vannah’ s F ourth Degree Knights
of Columbu s mounting a guard
of honor.
Priests of the Diocese chan
ted the Office for the Dead at
10:45 a.m. Wednesday and a
Solemn Mass of Requiem was
sung at 11:30 a.m.
Celebrant for the Funeral
Mass was the Reverend Robert
Brennan, a cousin of Monsignor
Brennan and pastor of Sacred
Heart parish, Warner Robins.
He was assisted by the Rever
end Edward Frank, who served
as Deacon and the Reverend
William V. Coleman, rector of
St. John Vianney Minor Semin
ary, Subdeacon.
The Right Reverend Andrew
J. McDonald, Chancellor, was
Master of Ceremonies, assis
ted by the Reverend Cornelius
Keane, assistant pastor of Bles
sed Sacrament. Preaching the
sermon was the Right Rever
end Monsignor T. James Mc
Namara, rector of the Cathe
dral of St. John the Baptist
and Vicar General of the Sa
vannah Diocese.
The Priests’ Choir, under
the direction of the Reverend
Felix Donnelly, pastor of Sac
red Heart parish, Augusta, sang
the Mass.
The burial service at the
priests’ section of the Catholic
Cemetery was conducted by
Monsignor McDonald, who is
serving as temporary adminis
trator of Blessed Sacrament
parish.
Monsignor Brennan is sur
vived by a sister, Mrs. Walter
Futch of Savannah; a brother,
Joseph Brennan of Rochester,
New York; and several neph
ews and nieces.