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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 For Wedding Invitations hor St y ifs The Acme Press | 1201 LINCOLN SYR’EE’r ** PHONE 232 6397 DESBOUILLONS Savannah’s Leading > Bridal Store SINCE 1870 AD 2-1145 126 E. Broughton St. Savannah, Georgia rHE^^ Qtfiontait MOTOR HOTEL • TV A AIR CONDITIONING • FAMOUS MIAMI BUFFET • ICE A BEVERAGE STATIONS • COFFEE MAKER, EACH ROOM LUCKIE AT CONE ST. A Good Address In Atlanta 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. Home Mortgage Insurance — Group Insurance Flem G. Cliett, v ^ Staff'$upervisor Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. AD 3-7717 Estate Planning — Business Insurance SAVANNAH only the FLAMELESS ELECTRIC Provides Perfect Indoor Climate Control All Year Round! And the flameless, all-electric heat pump auto matically switches from heating to cooling and back again, as needed. Ask about our LOW total-electric rate AND the plan that pays up to $180 toward wiring your home. GEORGIA POWER COMPANY 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