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NEWSPAPER DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
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VoL 45, No. 26
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1965
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IN SAVANNAH
Court Test Of
Obscenity Law
The Georgia State Literature
Commission has filed suit in the
Superior Court of Chatham
County (Savannah) asking for
a declaratory judgment against
a paperback book it considers
to be violation of the literature
obscenity law adopted by the
1964 Georgia General Assembly.
The Literature Commission’s
action came after a Savannah
group, Citizens for Decent Lit
erature, had submitted to the
commission a list of eleven
books it considered morally ob
jectionable.
Savannah group is head-
by A. K. Gannam, local
Catholic layman, who has spear
headed a community drive to
4th Session
Will Open
Sept. 14th
VATICAN CITY (NO—Pope
Paul VI has decided that the
fourth and final session of the
ecumenical council will start on
Sept. 14, 1965.
The Pope made his decision
known (Jan. 4) at an audience
with Amleto Cardinal Cicognani,
Papal Secretary of State. The
Vatican announced it the next
day. The Pope again emphasiz
ed that the fourth will be the
last council session.
The recently concluded third
session of the council began on
Sept. 14, 1964, and ended Nov.
21.
Less than a week before the
Pope’s decision, the council’s di
rective bodies had met for the
first time since the third ses
sion’s end to discuss the order
in which the fourth session will
deal with items still on the a-
geoda.
rid the city’s news stands of
books and magazines adjudged
obscene and pornographic.
The Savannah organization
had submitted eleven books to
an unofficial board of ten re
viewers, composed of prominent
citizens who read the books,
noting passages and sections
which they considered obscene.
The books, together with the
notations of the reviewers were
then submitted to the State Lit
erature Commission which, in
turn, reviewed the books and
chose one of them as the sub
ject of the pending suit.
Named as defendants are the
author; the publisher, Neva Pa
perbacks Inc. of Nevada; oper
ators of a Savannah news stand
where the book was purchased;
and an Atlanta wholesale dis
tributor.
According to Hubert L. Dyar,
executive secretary of the State
Literature Commission, the suit
was filed to test the state’s anti
obscenity law. He also paid
tribute to the months of prep
aration and assistance by the
Savannah citizens’ group.
Superior Court Judge Dunbar
Harrison as set a hearing for
Jan. 28.
Said Gannam in an interview,
“We’re very hopeful that the
courts will uphold Georgia’s an
ti-obscenity law. If they, do,
we’ll have the tool we need, not
only to keep printed filth off
our news stands, but also to
keep it from coming into our
State and our community. De
cent Literature groups from
other states have already made
inquiries about our law, and if
the courts uphold it, it will be
a great help to them, too.
“But law, alone, is not enough.
If citizens remain apathetic a-
bout the dangers of traffic in
smut and pornography—if par
ents neglect to train their chil
dren to good reading habits,
then any victory over obscene
literature will be, at best, tem
porary.’’
HEADLINE /■«
HOPSCOTCH
3
NATION
N. C. Governor Gets Citation
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (NC)—Incumbent Gov. Terry Sanford
of North Carolina has been given a citation by Catholics in the
Raleigh diocese for his leadership in promoting social justice, equal
opportunity and better relations among religions and races. The
citation was presented at a luncheon here (Jan. 5) by Bishop Vin«
cent S. Waters of Raleigh.
CANADA
KINGSTON, Ont. (NC)—An editorial in the Canadian Register,
published here, points out that introduction of the vernacular in the
liturgy does not mean that missals are outdated. The editorial re
plies that “now, more than ever, they need to use missals and join
with the priest . , , they should read at least the Ordinary parts
aloud with him; and for the other sections, they can certainly par
ticipate more intelligently by reading with him than merely by lis
tening. Further-more, they need a missal to follow those sections
of the Mass which the celebrant reads silently.’’
VATICAN
Papal Trip to U.S.
VATICAN CITY (NC)—The Vatican City daily, L’Osservatore
Romano, has taken note in a report from New York of the vivid
interest aroused there by the invitation extended to Pope Paul VI
to visit the city’s World’s Fair. But it stated in the same dispatch
tj^^t is believed that the Pope would not accept the invitation.
\ ERICA
Reds in Sudan
NAIROBI, Kenya (NC)—Newspapers in the Sudan have been
kept from criticizing that nation’s growing Communist party under
threats of retribution, according to informed sources here. It has
been learned that all Sudanese newspapers have been warned by
communist officials that unfavorable references to the communists
will be met by burnings and mob violence directed against the
printing plants. It is reported that the Khartoum government fears
the growing influence of the communists but as been unsuccess
ful in checking it. The communists have been using racial tensions
between Arabs and Negroes to throw a bad light on Christian mis
sionaries who have been described as “tools of imperialism” and
"instigators of violence.”
TO AVOID CHIJRCH-STATE ISSIJE
President Explores
New Aid Proposals
For Nation’s Schools
CHAPEL of the new St. Mary’s Convent, Augusta, which will be dedicated by
Bishop Thomas J. McDonough at ceremonies to be held at 2:30 P.M., today. The
new building will house the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who teach at St.
Mary’s School and :at Aquinas High School.
MSGR. MITCHELL, FR. BRENNAN
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
WASHINGTON - President
Johnson plans to dramatize his
concern for education by quick
ly sending to Congress a pack
age of Federal aid proposals
designed to open new paths in
the Church-State maze.
Selected newsmen were told
three days before Mr. Johnson’s
State-of-the-Union address (Jan.
4) that the administration would
call for support of shared-time
programs, help for community-
oriented education and grants
to schools to buy instructional
materials.
The source of these disclosur
es was hinted to be the Presi
dent himself.
The approach would be a
sharp departure from tradition
al proposals. Most bills in the
past have centered on massive
Federal grants to states to help
pay for school construction or
for teachers’ salaries.
None of these proposals has
met success on the elementary
and secondary level. The prin
cipal reason has been controv-
ersy and indecision over inclu
sion of parochial schools and
their nearly 5:5 million pupils.
In his State-of-the-Union ad
dress, Mr. Johnson sketched his
proposals, saying they will
range from pre-school to col
lege and cost about $1.5 billion
the first year.
“For the pre-school years,”
he told a joint session of Con-
Death Claims Two Priests
‘Missals Not Outdated’
During the past week, Geor
gia Catholics received the news
of the death of two priests who
devoted the greater part of
their priestly labors to this
area.
In Philadelphia, on January
30th, death came to Very Rev.
Robert Brennan, O.S.B., who
served in Savannah for many
years at Benedictine Military
School and as pastor of Sacred
Heart Church.
On January 2nd, word was
received of the death in Tenn
essee of Rt. Rev. Monsignor Jo
seph D. Mitchell, a priest for 56
years, and twice Vicar-General
of the Diocese of Savannah.
His Excellency, the Most Rev.
Thomas J. McDonough was the
celebrant of a pontificial Requi
em for Msgr. Mitchell held
Tuesday morning at the Alexian
Brothers Rest House, Signal
Mountain, Tenn.
Requiem for Father Brennan
was offered Saturday, January
Msgr. Joseph D.
Mitchell
2nd at 4 P.M. at the Chapel of
Sacred Heart Convent, Belmont,
N. C. Celebrant of the Mass was
the Rt. Rev. Walter Coggin,
O. S.B. Father Oscar Burnett,
O.S.B., native of Savannah, de
livered the eulogy. Jv v », ,
Msgr. Mitchell was born in
Columbus, Ga. His father Fran
cis Hart Mitchell, had served in
the Confederate Army w th the
Alabama Reserves.
In 1904 he became a convert
to the Catholic faith and
ent e r e d Dunwodie Seminary,
Yonkers, N.Y. He was ordain
ed a priest in the Catholic
church in Atlanta on June 21,
1908, and from. 1909 to 1917 he
served as chancellor of the dio
cese of Savannah, later to be
come the diocese of Savannah-
Atlanta. He came to Savannah
in 1908 on his first assignment.
He was rector of the Cathe
dral of St. John the Baptist
from 1919 to 1922. When Bishop
Keiley resigned from his ac
tive career in 1922, Father Mit
chell was made administrator
of the diocese and served until
the consecration of Bishop Ke
yes in 1923. He had been vicar
general of the diocese at the
time of Bishop Keiley’s resig
nation.
Later when he had become
pastor of St. Patrick’s Church,
then located at Liberty and
West Broad Streets but since
razed, he had been named vicar
general for the second time.
In April, 1932, Father Mit
chell, along with Rev. James A.
Kane of Augusta, and the Rev.
Joseph F. Croke of Savannah,
was invested as a member of
the Papal Household with the
rank of monsignor.
In 1937, Msgr. Mitchell asked
for a leave of absence from his
duties because of ill health.
Bishop O’Hara, in accepting the
request, paid tribute to the zeal,
loyalty, and devotion with which
he had served the church and
the diocese. Msgr. Mitchell’s
farewell Mass was celebrated at
the Savannah Sugar Refinery
whose people he had served for
more than 14 years.
Father Robert came to Savan
nah in September, 1937, as a
member of the faculty at Ben
edictine Military School. He
was transferred from Richmond,
Va., where he had served as
principal of Benedictine High
School.
As a member of the Benedic
tine faculty he participated ir-
the annual Red Cross drives.
United Community Appeal and
Boy Scouts program. He was a
past president of Family Serv- :
ice of Savannah, and chaplain ’
of Savannah Council of Ihe
Knights of Columbus for 10 ;
years. He served as secretary
of the Cosmos Club of Savan
nah.
For several years Father
Robert was a member of the fa
culty of St. Joseph’s Hospital
School of Nursing where he
taught psychology and ethics.
He was nationally known for his
spiritual activities over a num
ber of years at the Reidsville
State Prison where he assisted
in formulating and developing a
rehabilitation and athletic pro
gram.
He was named pastor of Sa
cred Heart Church in 1946 and
also prior of the Benedictine
community.
gress, “we will help needy chil
dren become aware of the ex
citement of learning.
“For the primary and secon
dary school years we will aid
public schools serving low in
come families and assist stu
dents in both public and pri
vate schools.”
The President also spoke of
a scholarship program for ta
lented and needy high school
students and of guaranteed low-
interest loans for college stu
dents.
He said laboratories and cen
ters would be proposed to ex
plore new methods of teaching.
“These centers will provide spe
cial training for those who need
and deserve special treatment,”
he said.
Twice in his a d d r e s the
President spoke of the need of
educating every American child.
“Every child must have the
best education our nation can
afford,” he said at one point.
“I propose we begin a pro
gram in education to ensure ev
ery American child the fullest
development of his mind and
skills,’’ he also said.
Complete details of Mr. John
son’s program are expected on
Jan. 12. He reportedly will seek
to highlight his concern by
breaking tradition and sending
his education message to Con
gress in the interval between
the State-of-the-Union address,
and the inauguration on Jan. 20.
Shared-time education involv
es having students enrolled in
parochial or other private
schools take some classes in
public schools. It is now prac
ticed in several hundred school
districts, mostly on the seconda
ry school level.
In February, 1964, the admin
istration supported a bill to pro
vide Federal funds to public
schools to help finance local
shared-time programs. However,
the endorsement was mild and
the bill died in the House Edu
cation Committee.
The so-called community-ori
ented educational programs
have a precedent in the admin
istration’s anti-poverty program.
The Office of Economic Oppor
tunity has given grants to sev
eral parochial schools serving
as part of community-wide ef
forts to aid the underprivileged.
These parochial schools, along
with public schools, offer to
children in their neighborhoods
remedial or other non-curricu-
lar programs designed to help
the youngsters take part effec
tively in normal school classes.
Federal grants for instruction
al materials are now made at
the rate of $90 million a year in
the National Defense Education
Act.
Federal funds are supplied to
finance the purchase of equip
ment to be used in science, ma
thematics, modern foreign lan
guages, English, reading, his
tory, geography and civics. E-
quipment does not include text
books.
In the present program, a dis
tinction is made between public
and other schools. Direct grants
are given public schools. Inter
est-bearing 10-year loans are of
fered to parochial and other pri
vate schools.
Reports are that the adminis
tration thinks its proposals are
reasonable, necessary and con
form to the Church-State re
quirements of the First Amend
ment of the Federal Constitu
tion.
They were said to feel that
the proposals will satisfy both
those who say the government
must take cognizance of the im
portance of private schools and
those who say it must not vio
late the constitutional provision
for separation of Church and
State.
Confirmations
At Dublin
And Augusta
His Excellency the Most Rev
erend Thomas J. McDonough
conferred the Sacrament of
Confirmation at four parishes
this week.
On Monday evening the bish
op confirmed at the parish of
the Immaculate Cone e p t i o n,
Dublin.
Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday, His Excellency conr
firmed in Augusta-At Sacred
Heart on Tuesday, St. Joseph’s
on Wednesday and £t. Mary’s
on-.he-Hill on Thursday.
ALL-CATHOLIC VILLAGE
Bullet In Tabernacle
Tells Binh Gia Story
Very Rev. Robert
Brennan, O.S.B.
by Fr. Patrick O’Connor
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
BINH GIA, Vietnam — Com
munist shells have left gaping
holes in the wall of Sacred
Heart Church here.
A bullet ripped through the
upper part of the wooden tab
ernacle. Another gashed the
front of the altar.
All this and much more has
happened along an intermittent
battlefront, first inside and then
outside this all-Catholic village
some 40 miles southeast of Sai
gon.
So far the battle is believed
to have cost hundreds of lives,
including those of four Ameri
cans. Three Americans are be
lieved to have been taken pris
oner, Communist losses report
edly have been much heavier
than those of the national forc
es.
The four Americans were kill
ed Dec. 30 when their armed
helicopter was shot down and
crashed in a rubber plantation
about a mile from here.
Sacred Heart Church was hit
by communists apparently fir
ing on national troops advanc
ing to relieve the village cap
tured early on Dec. 28. St. An
thony’s church in another of
this large settlement’s three
parishes was badly damaged.
The communists were forced
out of the village on Dec. 30
but they have only gone into
the nearby wooded area. The
fighting is still going on two or
three miles outside Binh Gia.
Yet the tabernacle lamp
burns steadily in bullet-pocked
Sacred Heart Church and the
people are gathering calmly for
evening prayers.
They are determined looking,
wiry peasants who left their
homes in North Vietnam ten
years ago because they didn’t
like communism. They still
don’t like it. That is why they
fought against the heavily arm
ed communist Vietcong battal
ions that attacked this village
at 4:30 a.m. Dec. 28.
This was the fourth attack on
Binh Gia in the year 1964 and
the second within four weeks.
This time the communists were
determined to capture and hold
Binh Gia.
It is more a township than a
village, having three large ham
lets. Its 6,000 villagers are all
Catholics divided into three par
ishes.