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BISHOP’S CONFRATERNITY—Miss Dorothy Owens
(Tompkins High School), President of St. Anthony’s C.Y.O.,
and Miss Jacqueline Washington (St. Pius X High School),
Treasurer, present a check in the amount of $25.00, dona
tion from St. Anthony’s C.Y.O. towards the Bishop’s Con
fraternity of The Laity, to their Pastor, Father Denis J.
Begley, S.M.A.
Christians Persecuted
In Sudan Bishop Says
By Patrick Riley
VATICAN CITY (NC) — A
Sudanese bishop has declared
that there is “de facto perse
cution” of Christianity in that
Moslem-ruled African nation.
But the prelate—Bishop Ire-
neus Dud, Apostolic Vicar of
Wau—pointed to a recent change
of government policy that may
bode well. He said that the
government has allowed some
missioners on home leave to
reenter the Sudan.
Bishop Dud was speaking on
the Sudan’s Revolution Day
(Nov. 17). This marks the fifth
Anniversary of the army coup
d’etat that overthrew the Su
dan’s two-year-old parliamen
tary government.
The Sudan, which won inde
pendence in 1956, has since
been ruled by the eight mil
lion Arabic-speaking predomi
nantly Moslem people of its
northern region. The Moslem-
dominated government has
sought to Islamize the predom
inantly Negro and pagan sou
thern region, which has more
than 600,000 Christians in a
total population of about four
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million. The government, which
says that Islamization will lead
to national unity, has taken over
all mission schools in the
South, expelled missionaries
and decreed the Missionary So
cieties Act in 1962 which vir
tually bans all missionary ef
forts.
Bishop Dud traced the his
tory of the government’s res
trictions on southern Sudan’s
500,000 Catholics and 120,000
Protestants since them He said:
“In 1956 there were 207
priests in the South, of whom
11 were Sudanese. (Now there
are 25 Sudanesepriests).There
were 100 lay Brother mis
sioners and 270 missionary Sis
ters.
“At that time the Catholic
Church was running 350 schools
with some 25,000 pupils, be
sides, technical schools and
six teacher-training centers.
In addition, the Catholic Church
was running midwifery cour
ses, leper colonies, orphana
ges, dispensaries and social
activities.
“Today the total number of
Catholic expatriate missioners
in the southern Sudan is approx
imately 70 priests, 35 Brothers
and 100 Sisters.”
Bishop Dud pointed to the
government’s confiscation of all
350 schools in the South in 1957
and its gradual restriction on
the movements of missionaries
even in their pastoral work.
He stated:
“Assisting the sick and dis
continued on Page 6)
MARRIAGES
FITCH-SERGI
B LOOM INGDALE—Miss
Mary Angela Sergi became the
bride of George Alfred Fitch,
November 8th, in Our Lady of
Lourdes Catholic Church with
the Reverend Francis J. Dono
hue conducting the marriage
ceremony. The bride is the
daughter of Mrs. Mary Gandeo
of Bloomingdale and the late
Michael Sergi. The bridegroom
is the son of Mr. andMrs. Ray
mond A. Fitch of Port Went
worth.
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The Southern Cross, November 21, 1963—PAGE 5
Dear Editor:
In recent weeks there has
been much propaganda and
"flag hoisting” regarding the
need for increased financial aid
to Education in Georgia. Edu
cators are in almost unanimous
agreement that money is
needed. Certainly some, but not
all of the problems can be sol
ved with money. I wonder how
will the money be spent? Will
private and particularly Catho
lic schools receive considera
tion?
Unfortunately no one of our
Catholic legislators has (as far
as I know), raised a question
concerning the status of Catho
lic Schools in the State’s plans.
Are the schools the forgotten
step-children of the legisla
tors? Is it too late for Catholic
politicians to raise their voices
and demand consideration for
Catholic parents?
A recent statement on the
matter runs thus, “If the citi
zens of Georgia want better
Education then the citizens of
Georgia must pay the Freight.”
Undoubtedly, the citizens must
pay. Will Catholics then with
their usual docility refrain from
seeking alleviation from mone
tary burdens while they receive
no financial aid? Perhaps they
will accept silently further im
positions as they have in the
case of the recent unfair Water
Charges. It is unfortunate that
directors of parochial schools
are forced to fight- for free
water.
Free water and free bus
rides are but side issues which
our own indifference have al
lowed to become the apparent
ly important problems. The real
issue is children must attend
SAINT MARY’S OPEN HOUSE—Mrs. John A. Pope (L) and Mrs. John C. Hagler III
discuss St. Mary’s Open House Plans with Brian Mulherin.
Trend Is Against Powers
For Bishops’ Conferences
school. They may attend the
school of their choice. If, then
they attend a Parochial school
their choice is wrong. They
must pay a penalty. This is the
real issue.
Before it is too late let us
hope that Catholic Schools will
be considered in whatever plans
the Georgia Legislature has for
the improvement of Education
in Georgia. If they are not con
sidered, we have no one to blame
but ourselves.
Sincerely,
Father T. O’Dwyer
Savannah
“Prayer Ruling
Secularized
United States”
BATON ROUGE, La. (NC)--
A veteran educator in the legal
field said here the U. S. Su
preme Court’s latest decision
against public school prayer
‘‘Brought the United States to
complete secularization and en
dangered the only juridical pos
tulate which makes our Consti
tution different from that of
Russia.”
Brendan Brown of Loyola Un
iversity law school, New Or
leans, detailed to the 13th an
nual conference of chancery and
tribunal offices of the Province
of New Orleans the progres
sion of the high court’s rul
ings in three distinct period of
time.
Religion no longer means
church in the traditional sense
of a congregation with a spiri
tual entity in the light of the
court’s recent decisions, Brown
said.
‘ ‘To establish a religion now
means to promote a belief in
any transcendental moral value
and the expression of that
value,” said Brown, a former
dean of the Catholic University
of American law school, Wash
ington.
Brown spoke before more
than 60 priests who are offi
cials of chanceries and tribu
nals of Sees in Louisiana, Ar
kansas, Mississippi and Alaba
ma.
VATICAN CITY, (NC)—With
the council speech (Nov. 13)
of Francis Cardinal Spellman
of New York, which opposed giv
ing juridical powers to national
conferences of bishops, all of
the four U. S. cardinals pre
sent in Rome had spoken on the
issue.
Earlier James Francis Car
dinal McIntyre of Los Angeles
had also opposed the idea, Jo
seph Cardinal Ritter of St.
Louis favored it, and Albert
Cardinal Meyer of Chicago fa
vored it within certain limits.
Richard 'Cardinal Cushing of
Boston is not in Rome.
Cardinal Spellman was high
in his praise of the usefulness
of national episcopal conferen
ces but expressed his belief
that it would not be advisable
to give them authority to issue
decisions which would be juri
dically binding on all individual
bishops. He spoke as the coun
cil continued discussion of the
schema on bishops and dioce
san government. He said:
“Each bishop must remain
free in his diocese, even though
he be morally bound to coop
erate with other bishops for
matters going beyond the limits
of his own diocese.
“We should leave to plenary
councils under the presidency
of any apostolic legate the right
to put juridical obligations on
individual bishops. If national
conferences, which are not
under the presidency of papal
legates, had this power, then
they would have more authority
than plenary councils, and this
is contrary to the whole of ec
clesiastical tradition.”
If the opinions expressed on
the council floor were any mea
sure, opposition to giving ju
ridical power to national con
ferences seemed to be gaining
ground. Of the four speakers at
this meeting who discussed the
question directly, all were op
posed. Besides Cardinal Spell
man, they were Joseph Car
dinal Frings of Cologne, Ger
many, Archbishop Marcelino
Olaechea Loizaga of Valencia,
Spain, and Bishop Lawrence Bi-
anchi of Hong Kong.
After a brief review of the
successful history of the Natio
nal Episcopal Conference of
Germany, Cardinal Frings said:
“It is better for the de
crees of the conference not to
have juridical binding force.”
“In the activities of national
conferences,” said Archbishop
Olaechea, “care must be taken
Catholic
Women Hear
Father Bede
SAVANNAH—The Monthly
Meeting of the Catholic
Women’s Club was held Tuesday
evening, November 12th, in the
Club Rooms with Mrs. Rudolf
Heitmann, the President pre
siding.
The Reverend Bede Lightner,
O.S.B., Prior of the Benedictine
Community, was the guest
speaker. He gave a talk on the
Last Rites of the Church, which
was very interesting and infor
mative.
Members were requested to
read the Bible in observance of
National Bible Week and to give
used clothing and shoes to the
Thanksgiving Clothing Collec
tion in their parishes, and to
help feed the hungry people of
the world, and to donate gar
ments for baby layettes for the
Holy Father’s Storeroom.
Several members of the Club
were among those who made a
trip to Gracewood State School
and Hospital, Gracewood, Geor
gia, on November 13th. The trip
was planned by the Committee
on Cooperating with Catholic
Charities of the Savannah Dio
cesan Council of Catholic Wo
men.
A Christmas party for the
members will be held at the
December meeting in the Club
Rooms. Gifts will be exchanged.
It was announced that the
Christmas Party, given by the
Club, for the guests at the Little
Sisters of the Poor will be held
as usual; the exact date in De
cember to be announced later.
Mrs. Joseph E. Kelly is Chair
man of the event.
The membership prize was
won by Mrs. Richard Murphy.
Refreshments were served
after the meeting.
SEVEN DWARVES discover sleeping Snow White, felled by Witch’s poisoned apple in
play presented by girls of St. Mary’s Home, Savannah. Play was highlight of semi-annual
meeting of St. Mary’s Guild held last Sunday at the home.
Sunday, November 24th
Open House
At Saint Mary’s
AUGUSTA—St. Mary’s on-
the-Hill Church will hold an
open house for area residents
on Sunday, November 24th. The
open house is being sponsored
by the Ladies Auxiliary, assis
ted by the Holy Name Society.
Invitations have been sent to
non-Catholic pastors and their
congregations.
Auxiliary members will be
stationed at various points in
the church. Hostess guides
will conduct groups from one
station to another for an ex
planation of various rituals and
appointments of the church.
Sacred vessels, vestments,
and altar appointments will be
displayed and their use and
meaning explained. The confes
sionals will be shown, and an
explanation given of the Mass
and other Catholic devotions in--
eluding the stations of the cross
and the rosary.
Music will be provided by,
Mrs. Lydia Porro and Mrs.
Harry Jacobs.
Refreshments will be ser
ved in the Parish Hall follow-t
ing the tour. A nursery for
small children will be pro
vided throughout the after
noon. i
Mrs. John C. Hagler, III, is
president of St. Mary’s Ladies
Auxiliary. Mrs. John A- Pope,
is chairman of the open house
with Miss Anne Casey and Miss
Elizabeth Casey as co- ;
chairmen. Mrs. C. G. Kaiser,
is hospitality chairman.
Mr. Harry Best, Sr., is pre- (
sident of the Holy Name So- t
ciety. >
to forestall the rise of national
churches, as also the danger of
government by episcopal oli
garchy. It is equally important
to safeguard in all details the
right of appeal to the Roman
pontiff.”
Bishop Bianchi suggested
that the text of the schema
specify “that the decisions of
national conferences have only
consultative value, except when
they have been reached with
strict unanimity and have been
approved by the Holy See. . .
Individual Bishops should be an
swerable only to the Holy See.”
Archbishop Emile Guerry of
Cambrai, France, a recognized
scholar on the subject of the
powers of bishops, said that
the real foundation for national
conferences is in the “princi
ple of communion.”
“By virtue of this prin
ciple,” he explained, “all in
dividual churches collaborate
with the sovereign pontiff in
communion with each other.
This principle is very ancient
and was symbolized by the send
ing of the Eucharist to other
churches.
“We should determine what
is divine and ecclesiastical law
in this question. The conference
themselves are of ecclesiastical
law. The elements of divine
law are in the primacy of the
Roman pontiff, the existence of
the Apostolic College and the
relations between this college
and the successor of Peter in the
evangelizing mission of the
Church to the entire world.”
Pfeffer Sees
School Prayer
Finally Out
MIAMI, Fla. (NC)—Leo Pfef
fer of the American Jewish
Congress said here religious
practices in public schools are
on the way out.
Pfeffer is general counsel for
the New York-based jewish or
ganization and prominent in le
gal attacks against religion in
public schools.
Pfeffer will be spokesmen for
five Miami parents who are
challenging Dade County’s
practice of Bible reading and
prayer in public schools on Dec.
10 before the Florida Supreme
Court.
The American people, Pfef
fer maintained, recognize that
U.S. Supreme Court decisions
against religious exercises in
schools do * ‘not reflect hostil
ity to religion, but a deep re
gard for religious freedom.”
Pfeffer also said he thought
that when the issue of religion
in public schools is finished, the
next major Church-State strug
gle will be over the constitu
tionality of Federal aid to paro
chial schools.
“The cause of religion is best
served by total separation of
Church and State,” he said.
More than 30% of students
throughout the country who en
ter high school drop out before
graduation, the Catholic Digest
reports.
FLOWER PETALS strewn by white-clad tots of St. Antho
ny’s parish, Savannah symbolize worshipers’ sentiments of
adoration and love for the Blessed Sacrament carried in
procession at Forty House observance there last week.
“Even The Hindus Have Much Confidence
in the Sisters,” writes a member of the community at ANlKAD :
in southern India. “In delivery cases they get much relief when
entrusted to the care of the Sisters. n
Many patients are coming daily and
getting medicine. Many must re
ceive special attention. But without
a place to put enough beds, it is dif
ficult. There are many diseases j
such as tuberculosis and dysentery,
etc. among the villagers. A year ago
we opened the dispensary. At pres
ent in cases of urgent necessity, we
keep patients in the corner of the
... dispensary. A building with 20 or
The Holy Father s Mushm Atd be( j s . g bad i y nee( jed. The people
for the Oriental Church will do the manual labor. We need
$2500 for materials. Benefactors are our sole hope.” . . . The
Archbishop warmly adds his plea. Will you help these struggling
Sisters? Any amount will be appreciated.
c
GLASTONBURY HAWTHORN
This hawthorn of England blooms twice yearly, an unusual
thing, once in May and once around Christmas time. Legend
has it that Joseph of Arimathea and his 11 companions were sent
there by St. Luke. Joseph’s staff, placed in the ground, bloomed.
. . . Sorry we cannot send you slips from it but we will send a
card of pressed flowers from the Holy Land and a GIFT CARD
to anyone in whose name you send a mission gift. Some sug
gestions:
Mass Kit
$100
Chalice
$40 Stations
$25 .
Altar
75
Ciborium
40 Censer
20
Vestments
50
Statue
30 Sanc’y Lamp
15
Confessional
40
Tabernacle
25 Altar Linens
15-
Monstrance
40
Crucifix
25 Sanc’y Bell
5 >
OTHER GIFT SUGGESTIONS
Perpetual membership ($20) or annual membership
($1) in the CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE
ASSOCIATION.
A DONATION for the care of.the aged, orphans,
lepers or refugees in our care. FOOD PACKAGE
costs $10.
A STRINGLESS GIFT for an urgent mission need.
RING THE BELLS AND TELL THE PEOPLE
the words of the popular song. Doesn’t NOVEMBER—the month
of the Holy Souls ring a bell with you. Our priests will remem
ber your loved ones in Masses if you wish to send MASS
STIPENDS.
MINE DISASTERS
These recurring disasters and rescues of the last five years
draws our mind to another miner—St. John, once condemned
to the lead mines of Patmos where he wrote the Apocalypse . . .
Perhaps we should pray to him today . . . One thing that certainly
would please him is to sponsor the training of a Sister-to-be or
a seminarian in his beloved Middle East, a student or Sister :
such as JOHN SOUDI SANSGUR or SISTER MARY ELAIZ.
Cost: for the seminarian—$100 a year for six years. For a A
Sister-to-be: $150 a year for two years.
Dear Monsignor Ryan:
i
Enclosed please find for
Name
Street *• J
City
jML^DearSstOlissionsjMl
FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN, President
Msgr. Joseph T. Ryan, Naf’l Sec’y
Send oil communications to:
CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION