Southern cross. (Savannah, Ga.) 1963-2021, February 13, 1964, Image 1

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Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah.

Newspaper Page Textf Diocese Launches Vocations Campaign FOR, PRIESTLY VOCATIONS Southern Cross Editor Says Catholic Press Is Tool To Promote Peace And Justice SAVANNAH—Father Francis IJ. Donohue, editor of The Sou thern Cross has cited the Catho lic Press as one of the chief means by which the Church seeks to effect peace and justice in modem society. Father Donohue spoke at the Cathedral Day School Auditori um last Thursday night (Feb. 6), in a lecture entitled, “Today’s Catholic Press.’* He was the third speaker in a series of six lectures concern ing the Second Vatican Council, sponsored by the Diocese of Savannah. “The Catholic Press, as we know it today had its beginning in the not too distant past,” he said. “In many places, what gave rise to Catholic newspapers and periodicals was the necessity of finding an effective way to combat attacks against the Ca tholic Church, her teachings and practice. “Happily, in recent years a lessening of religious tensions has seen a decreasing tendency toward polemics on the part of the Catholic Press. But the Church, today, finds in Catholic publications a most effective way to make the teachings of Christ relevant not only to the life of the individual, but to the life of a society growing ever more complex. ' ‘The industrialization and urbanization of civilization, growing and almost instantane ous means of communication, Lecture By Msgr. Toomey SAVANNAH — The Right Rev. Mon signor John D. Toomey, pastor of Saint James Church, will deliver the fifth in the series of lectures on “Reform and Re union Among Christians, being sponsored by the Dio cese of Savannah. Monsignor’s lecture, en titled “The Liturgical Re vival’ ’, will be given Thurs day evening at 8 p.m. at the Cathedral School Audi torium. an era of inventions which began literally to shrink the world bringing men and nations into the closest possible contact has, in modem times, focused the attention of the Church, ever more clearly, on the social implications of the Gospel. “Nations were growing in size and power — governments were growing in scope, entering into the lives of society and its citizens in ways undreamed of a century ago, as were the worlds of commerce and labor. “If their actions were in formed by the principles of Jus tice, Right reason, and Charity, as set forth in the Gospel of Christ, the world could be on the threshold of a wonderful era of peace, freedom and justice such as man had never known before. ' ‘But, if their actions were not so informed, the world could be visited by the most terrible of man-made calamities. If the societies of men were not gov erned by Justice and Charity then the world could become a jungle, with men and nations relying on and using animal wits, cynical cunning and brute strength to survive. ‘The Church saw the Catho lic Press as one of the chief means of making men and na tions, in an era of unparalleled technical and scientific achievement and human ad vancement, aware of new-found (Continued On Page 3) DIOCESAN LECTURE ON CATHOLIC PRESS — The Reverend Francis J. Donohue, Editor of The Southern Cross, listens to question following lecture at Cathedral Day School, Right Reverend Monsignor T. James McNamara is seated at left. — (Ward Studio Photo) SAVANNAH—The annual campaign for vocations to the Priest hood in the Diocese of Savannah will get under way on Sunday, Feb. 16th with a letter from The Most Rev. Thomas J. McDon ough being read in every church and chapel in the Diocese. (See full text on page 6) Vol. 44, No. 31 During the next month, priests of the diocese will visit every Catholic elementary and high school in the diocese to address students and conduct interviews. On March 15th and April 12th sermons in all churches of the Diocese will be devoted to the nature of the Priesthood and the preliminary signs of a priestly vocation. Bishop McDonough has stressed the importance of the diocesan-wide recitation of the “Prayer for Vocations” after every Sunday and Daily Mass and evening devotion. “If God has richly blessed our vocations program in the past it has surely been in ans wer to the thousands of minds and hearts raised to Him asking for more “other Christs’* in r diocese. I cannot stress too strongly the necessity of a continuing awareness, on the part of all our people, of the importance of sincere and heartfelt prayer toward this end. For it is only the Grace of God in answer to our prayers which can bring our efforts to increase the ranks of our clergy to fruition.” On Sunday, Feb. 16th, another, important highlight of the voca tions program will take place at St. John Vianney Minor Semi nary, when an open house will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The open house is sponsor ed by the Serra Club of Savan nah working with the Bishop’s Council of Men. The public has been cordially invited to attend. The priests and the dates they will visit the various schools are: MSGR. MCDONALD February 17th - Cathedral, Savannah; February 19th - Sa cred Heart, Savannah; Febru ary 20th and 21st - Blessed Sacrament, Savannah; February 24th and 25th - St. James Savannah; February 26th - St. Michael, Savannah Beach; Fe bruary 27th - St. Benedict’s, Savannah and Nativity, Thun derbolt; February 28th - St. Mary’s, Savannah; February 28th - St. Anthony’s, Savannah; March 2nd - St. John’s, Val dosta; March 2nd - Queen of Peace, Lakeland; March 3rd - St. Teresa’s, Albany; March 4th - Benedictine, Savannah and March 5th - St. Pius X, Savan nah. FATHER COLEMAN February 20th - Sacred Heart, Augusta; February 20th- Immaculate Conception, Augus ta; February 27th - St. Francis Xavier, Brunswick; February 27th - St. Joseph’s, Waycross March 4th - Our Lady of Lourdes, Columbus; March 4th and 5th - Pacelli High, Colum bus; March 5th - St. Anne’s Columbus; March 18th - St Joseph’s, Macon; March 18th - Mt. de Sales, Macon; March 19th - Sacred Heart, Warner Robins. FATHER BOLAND February 20th - St. Mary’s Augusta. FATHER STRANC February 20th - Aquinas High, Augusta. Conference For Clergy Feb. 18th SAVANNAH — A Clergy Con ference for all parish priests of the Diocese will be held Tuesday, February 18th at the Hotel DeSoto. The conference will open at 11 a.m. with Bishop Thomas J. McDonough, Monsignor John D. Toomey and the Father Eu gene Krygier scheduled to speak. Bishop McDonough will as- dress the priests regarding the vernacular in the Mass and the changes in the breviary. He will also discuss the Second Vatican Council “as it affects parish priests.” Monsignor Toomey will out line Liturgical Reforms initiat ed by the Council. “The Bible In The Light Of Modern Interpretation” will be Father Krygier’s topic. Bishop McDonough has call ed a meeting of Diocesan Con- suitors for 3 p.m. at the Chan cery. Essay Winners Named AUGUSTA — “My Parish- Source of Grace and Christian Training” was the subject cho sen for the Twentieth Annual Essay Contest conducted by the Savannah Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. Receiving cash awards from the diocesan council and religious articles from the deanery councils are Group I for 10th through 12th grades: Miss Janet Jones of 539 East Park Avenue, Savan nah, Georgia, tenth grade, Pius X High School; Group II for 7th through 9th grades: Miss Christine Peter son, 616 Briarcliff Road, War ner Robins, Georgia, ninth grade, Mount de Sales High School, Macon, Georgia; Group III for 4th through 6th grades: Miss Patricia Mc- Greevy, Route 2, Fort Gordon Georgia, grade six, Saint Mary’s School, Augusta,Geor gia. The contest was open to all students attending Catholic Schools in the diocese and to Catholic students attending pub lic schools. In areas where there were no Catholic Schools in the immediate vicinity, the pastors or parish council presi dents were asked to conduct the contest. 10c Per Copy — $5 A Year WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1964 LENTEN SERIES—Priests taking part in the series of Lenten sermons in the Savannah area are (front row left to right): Reverend Herbert Wellmeier, Reverend Robert Teoli, Rev. Edward Frank. Back Row, left to right: Reverend Raymond Bane, S.M.A., Reverend Lawrence Lucree, Reverend Joseph Stranc. Six Priests Participate Lenten Lecture Series In Savannah Parishes SAVANNAH—Six priests, of the Savannah area, will take part in a lecture series to be held at six Savannah parishes on each Wednesday evening during lent. Speakers for the series, and their topics are: the Reverend Raymond Bane, S.M.A. —”How to Pray the Canon;” the Rev erend Lawrence Lucree — “Communion and the Mass;” the Reverend Edward Frank — “The Mass — A BondofChari- Lutheran Layman Tells Cathedral Men Holy Spirit Has Inspired Ecumenical Movement By Frank Rossiter SAVANNAH — Edgar P. Eyler, prominent Lutheran lay man and Savannah businessman, believes the “Holy Spirit” has inspired the Ecumenical move ment in order to have all “Bro thers in Christ” present a unit ed front in combatting a deca dent world. Speaking at a Communion breakfast of the Cathedral Men’s Association Sunday, Mr. Eyler said things are happening today in the cause of Christian unity that would have been im possible just a few short years ago. “With all of your unprece dented moves and those of ours are we going to be able to keep up with the leading of the Holy Spirit? ” he asked. “You tell us now by papal confirmation of the view that baptism makes all believers members of Christ’s church. This is a change from a 17th century view which required submission to the Holy See for membership in Christ’s Church,” Mr. Eyler said. “As an aside, being a Lu theran, we are having a trying time endeavoring to get eight or nine million members into one organic body. In one body of the Lutheran Church my pas tor is not permitted to preach in those pulpits nor am I per mitted to receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. And there are Methodists divisions, and Baptist divisions, and Presby terian divisions, and no doubt where there is a Protestant denomination there is a divi sion. It would seem we were almost trying to hide our iden tity from God. And we are thankful He is as all-knowing as He is to be able to keep up with all of His churches. “Is the reason for this ecu menical movement by all Chris tians due to an awareness that we are not making an adequate impression on the world be cause of our failure to act to gether. Is this the way God has let us drift to show us the folly of how we are thwarting His purpose by our not working to gether. As Pope John suggest ed, why have we not been stres sing what unites us rather than what divides us. Perhaps if a common Bible ever comes off the press, which I understand is now being worked on by Ca tholics and Protestants, there might be one tangible evidence to the world that we can work together for God’s kingdom yet being divided into different flocks under one Shepherd, Je sus Christ. “Even though the Vatican Council II is yours, let’s pray EDGAR P. EYLER God that as history records its accomplishments, and there will be many, that it will be those years in which the Holy Spirit will have made our gen eration vibrant for the Kingdom of God.” The former member of the Georgia General Assembly from Chatham County said it would have been “unthinkable” a few years ago to have invit ed him, “a Protestant and more than that, a Lutheran” to speak to Catholic laymen at a Com munion breakfast. “For the lack of a better word to express it,” Mr. Eyler said, “the BIG THAW is on.” “My friends said 'Watch out they don’t make a Roman Catho lic out of you’, and when I have asked your Father Dono hue to speak to a group com posed of several local Lutheran churches a few years ago on the Roman Catholic Church and more recently when Monsignor McDonald spoke to my young adult Sunday School class, the feeling is usually one of dis trust that they would endeavor to proselyte the group to which they were speaking. These thoughts of ulterior motives should not exist. As you, we believe in the Triune God. Your Saviour is our Saviour and your Creator is our Creator and the Holy Spirit who guides you guides us. I am therefore high ly honored in being a part of this exchange of love and friendship. “Your Fathers coming to us and my coming to you is neg ligible compared to the exchan- (Continued On Page 6) ty;” the Reverend Joseph Stranc — “The Notion of Sacrifice;” the Reverend Herbert J. Well meier — “The Offering of Our selves;” the Reverend Robert Teoli — “The Mass and. its Symbolism.” The priests, moving each week to a different church, will speak in the following parish es: Cathedral, Blessed Sacra ment, Saint James, Nativity of Our Lord, Sacred Heart and :Saint Benedict’s. Father Bane’s lecture, “How to Pray the Canon,” will treat with the overall meaning of the Canon as the prayer of the Mys tical Christ — the place of the Church Triumphant and Suffer ing in our prayer — the mean ing of certain less obvious pray ers. “Communion and the Mass,” Father Lucree’s lecture, will teach that Communion is the complement of sacrifice — Communion unites us with one another — How to make a pro per Thanksgiving. Father Edward Frank in his lecture, “The Mass — A Bond of Charity,” will explain Christ’s command of mutual love and its connection with the Mass — the symbolism of the offertory and its implications for community love — the teaching of Our Lord on the need (Continued On Page 5) BISHOP S OFFICE 225 Abercorn Street Savannah, Georgia My dear people: The annual diocesan drive for new and renewal subscrip tions to the diocesan newspaper, THE SOUTHERN CROSS, will be carried forward in every parish and mission church next Sunday, February 16th. You are requested to use the envelopes which have been provided for this purpose. THE SOUTHERN CROSS has gained great eminence dur- in the past year. Our diocesan catholic paper has been prominent in bringing the Catholic news to our people promptly and effectively. In many instances, I have received commendations from Catholic sources which I evaluate high ly. The faithful of the Diocese have been most generous in their comments on the coverage given to the Second Va tican Council, Diocesan events and parochial endeavors. Our paper has succeeded in becoming a herald of Catholic truths and a forceful medium of articulate Catholic ac tion. THE SOUTHERN CROSS graphically relates the growth of this missionary diocese and the efforts being expend ed by our laity in bringing Christ to its 88 counties. In view of all of these ’accomplishments, which touch so intimately our holy faith, I am asking you to support generously THE SOUTHERN CROSS. With my blessings and prayers, I am, Devotedly yours in Christ, Bishop of Savannah.

Georgia Historic Newspapers

Southern cross. (Savannah, Ga.) 1963-2021, February 13, 1964, Image 1