Newspaper Page Text
I
PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, September 2, 1965
TO UNITED ISA TIONS
Cuban Exile Leader Hits
Rumored Papal Visit
The rumored, but unconfirm
ed projected visit by Pope
Paul to the U.N. later this;
year has drawn criticism from
“The Truth About Cuba Com-
mitee, Inc.” The committee’s;
president, Luis V. ManrarU
has sent the following letter to
the Pontiff:
< ‘Through reading the news
papers I learned about your
plans to visit the United Na
tions in the City of New York.
“I have read several
articles charging that the
United Nations is an organi
zation used by international
communism as an instrument
to further their goals. To my
knowledge, the best doc
umented book on this matter
is “The Fearful Master,”
which I am forwarding to you
with this letter in the hope
that Your Holiness will read
it before honoring the above
mentioned organization with
your presence.
“The undersigned is a
Cuban exile*,, a practicing Ca
tholic, who ever since his
departure from Cuba five
years ago has been dedicated
to studying communism and
alerting North-Americans, in
particular, about this diaboli
cal international conspiracy
which strives to eradicate the
name of God from the Uni
verse, exterminate the Church
and enslave mankind.
“I am well aware, Holy Fa
ther, that our Church preaches
peace on earth to men of good
will as it is implored in our
prayers and in the Holy Sa
crifice of the Mass.
“Atheist communists pro
claim that they, also, yearn
for peace. But we must make
a distinction -- I am certain
Your Holiness does --between
the peace preached by our
Lord Jesus Christ and the
“communist peace” whichSa-
tan’s representatives strive
to impose on earth.
“The United Nations is the
beacon which irradiates false
beams of hope for peace under
the atheistic communist
tyranny. The mere presence
of Your Holiness in this in
sidious organization would
give them a spiritual and
moral support which they des
perately need in these mo
ments in which the world is
becoming aware of the evil
hidden behind the hypocritical
facade of the United Nations.
“With the utmost respect
that Your Holiness inspires
in me, I dare bring before
you, for your consideration,
a fact which is constantly
present In my experience in
the struggle against com
munism. I refer to the con
fusion existing today through
out the world among Chris
tians — and most expecially
among Catholics — as a con
sequence of the diabolical
communist propaganda. The
communists are deceiving the
world by making it believe
that their goals are the same
as those preached by Chris
tianity and the Catholic
Church, in particular. To
prove it they point out that the
Catholic Church has adopted
towards them a policy of ap
parent rapprochment — “ag-
giornamento.” They fre
quently quote statements made
by prelates and Catholic prie
sts, which apparently coincide
with their doctrinal points of
view.
“However, what confuses
and alarms the Catholic bre
thren most is that, up to now,
Our Holy Mother the Church
has not launched a firm and
energetic crusade against
communism. If your Holiness
should consider it wise, it
would be of an incalculable
value that the Catholic Church
assume a strong militant posi
tion against communism.
“I humbly beg of Your Holi
ness to ask in your daily
prayers for the ultimate de
feat of atheistic communism
and for the liberation of the
27 nations at the present en
slaved by this infamous con
spiracy, among which is in
cluded Cuba, my bereaved
country.”
LEGION OF DECENCY
V
CLASS A — Section I — Morally Unobjectionable for General Patronage
REVIEWED THIS ISSUE
Help (Br.)—UA Laurel and Hardy’a Laughing 20’s—MGM
Pinocchio in Outer Space—Universal Willie Me Bean—Magna Films
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Monkey’s Uncle, The—B.V.
tMy Fair Lady—War.
My Son, the Hero—UA
Mysterious Island—CoL
Nikki, Wild Dog of the North—Buena Vista
Operation Crossbow—MGM
Pied Piper of Hamelin—Prod. Unlimited
Pirates of Tortuga—Foa
Purple Hills—Foa
Queen of the Pirates—CoL
Sandokan The Great—MGM
Seaside Swingers (Br.)—Embassy
Sergeant Was a Lady—U-I
Shenandoah—U-I
Snake Woman—UA
Sons of Katie Elder—Para.
CLASS A — Section II — Morally Unobjectionable for Adnlts and Adoleaecada
REVIEWED THIS ISSUE
Wild on the Beach—Fox
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Harvey Middleman, Fireman—Col.
High Wind in Jamaica, A—Fox
Ipcress File, The (Br.)—U-I
Ivanhoe Donaldson—Brandon
King** Story, A—Columbia
Lord Jim—Col.
Love and Kisses—Universal
Major Dundee—Col.
Masquerade (Br.)—UA
Miracle Worker—UA
Mirage—U-I
Mutiny On the Bounty—MGM
Naked Brigade, The—U-I
Naked Edge-UA
Nobody Waved Good Bye (Can.) —
Cinema V Films
Overcoat, The (Russ.)—Cinemasters Inti. Ltd.
Pit and the Pendulum—Am. Inti.
Revenge of Spartacus—Para.
Reward, The—Fox
Section III — Morally Unobjectionable for Adults
REVIEWED THIS ISSUE
Sergeant Deadhead—American International
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Having A Wild Weekend (Br.)—War.
He Who Must Die Ur.)—Lopert
How to Murder Your Wife—UA
Hush . . . Hush, Sweet Charlotte—Fox
Hustler, The—Fox
Hysteria (Br.)—MGM
II Successo (Ital.)—Embassy
I Saw What You Did—U-I
Magnificent Cuckold, The (Ital.) —
Walter Reade-Sterling
Money, Money, Money (Fr.)—Times Film
Corp.
Morituri—Fox
Nothing But a Man—Cinema V Productions
Once A Thief—MGM
One Plus One—Selected Pics.
Operation Snafu—Am. Inti.
Panic in Year Zero—Am. Inti.
Pie in the Sky—AA
Rocco and His Brothers (Ital.)—Astor
Apache Gold—Col.
Capture That Capsule—UA
Conquered City—Am. Inti.
Family Jewel*—Para.
Git—Embassy
Go, Go Mania (Br.)—Am. Inti.
Great Race, The—War.
tCreatest Story Ever Told, The—UA
Hallelujah Trail—UA
Hercules, Samson and Ulysses (ItaL)—MGM
Honeymoon Machine—MGM
Incident at Phantom Hill, The—U-I
Invasion Quartet—MGM
Lassie’s Great Adventure—Fox
McHale's Navy Joint the Air Force—Univ.
Agony and the Ecstacy, The—Fox
Arizona Raiders, The—CoL
Atlantis, the Lost Continent—MGM
Beach Blanket Bingo—Am. Inti.
Bridge to the Sun—MGM
Brigand of Kandahar—Columbia
Cat Ballou—Col.
Coatt of Skeleton*—7 Art*
Convict Stage—Fox
Dark Intruder, The—U-I
Dr. Blood’s Coffin—UA
Fool Killer—Landau Co.
Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster—
Vernon Films
Frantic (Fr.)—Times Film Corp.
Glory Guys, The—UA
Great Sioux Massacre, The —CoL
Gunfighters of Casa Grande—MGM
Guns of Darkness—War.
CLASS A
Patch of Blue, A—MGM
Murieta—Warner Brothers
tbound of Music, The—Fox
Swingers Paradise—American Inti,
Taffy and the Jungle Hunter—AA
Teenage Millionaire—UA
Thief of Baghdad—MGM
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying
Machine*—Fox
Trial of Joan of Arc—Pathe Contemporary
Up From the Beach—Fox
Valley of the Dragon*—CoL
Von Ryan’s Express—Fox
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sen—Fan
When the Clock Stdke*-UA
You Have to Run Fast—UA
Sardonicu*—CoL
Sail ah—Palisades International
Scream of Fear—CoL
Secret of Deep Harbor—UA
Secret of My Success—MGM
Seven Slaves Againt The World—Para.
She (Br.)—MGM >.
Situation Hopeless But Not Serious—Para.
Ski Party—American Inti.
Skull, The—Para.
That Funny Feeling—U-I
•Tickle Me—AA
Tomb of Ligeia—Am. IntL
Town Tamer—Para.
Trunk, The—CoL
Twenty Plus Two—A A
Weekend With Lulu—CoL
Young Doctors—UA
Young Fury—Para.
War Lord, The—Universal
Ada—MGM
Agent 8%—Continental
Andy—Univ.
Armored Command—AA
Backfire (Fr.)—Royal Films
Battle of Villa Fiorita—War.
Brainstorm—W ar.
Bebo’s Girl (Ital.)—Walter-Reade Sterling
Breakfast At Tiffany’s—Para.
Claudeile Inglisb—War.
Couch, The—War.
Die, Die My Darling—Col.
Dingaka—Embassy
Favor. The—U-I
Finnegan’s Wake—Expanding Cinema
Genghis Khan—CoL
Great War, The—Lopert
Guide, The (Indian)—Stratton Inti.
Harlow—Para.
Season of Passion—UA
Ship of Fools—Col.
Slave Trade in the World Today—
Walter Reade-Sterling
Strange Bedfellows—Univ.
Summer and Smoke—Para.
Susan Slade—War.
Synanon—Col.
These Are the Damned—Col.
Third Day, The—War.
Three On a Spree—UA
Thunder of Drums—MGM
Tia Tula, La (Spanish)—United International
Films
Town Without Pity—UA
Two Women (ItaL)—Embassy
Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Fr).—Landau Co.
Variety Lights—Pathe-Contemporary
West bide Story—UA
Wild Seed (was: Fargo)—UI
CLASS A — SectftM IV — Morally LaobJeetionaSle far Adalts, with Reservatigu
A-IV Classification is given to certain films, while not morally offenaive in themselves, require caution and some analysis and explanation aa a pio-
tscUwa to the uninformed against wrong interpretations and false conclusions.)
•Anatomy of A Marriage (Fr.)—Janus
Anatomy of a Murder—CoL
Best Man, The—UA
Black Like Me—Walter Reade-Sterling
Collector, The—CoL
Cool World, The—Fred Wiseman
Devil’s Wanton (Swed.)—Embassy
•Divorce, Italian Style (ItaL)— Embassy
Dr. Strangelove—CoL
Easy Life, The (Ital.)—Embassy
Eclipse (Ital.)—Times Films
(Ital.)—Embassy
Girl with Green Eyes (Br.)—UA
Important Man (Mexican)—Lopert
Intruder—Pathe-Am.
CLASS
-Para.
Abysses, Let (Fr.)—Kanawha
Americanization of Emily, The—MGM
Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanderi
Black Sabbath—Am. IntL
•Blood and Black Lace—A A
•Carpetbaggers. The—Para.
•Casanova 70 (Italian)—Embassy
City of Fear—Allied Artists
Cleopatra—Fox
Comedy of Terrors—Am. IntL
Craxy Desire (ItaL)—Embassy
Cry of Battlo—AA
Curse of the living Corpse—Iselin-Tenney
Prods.
Dementia 13—Am. IntL
•Devil and The Ten Commandments—Union
Devils of Darkness—Fox
Diary of a Bachelor—Am. IntL
Diary of a Chambermaid (Fr.)— Int*l Classics
Eva—Timet Film
Fort Courageous—Fox
•Four For Text*—War.
•From Russia With Love—UA
Cirl Happv -MGM
Girls on the Beach—Para.
Harlow—Magna Films
He Rides Tall—U-I
REVIEWED THIS ISSUE
Darling—Embassy Pictures Moment of Truth, The—Rizzoli Films
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Knack, The (Br.)—UA
L- Shaped Room, The - Columbia—Davis-Royal
La Dolce Vita (Ital.)—Astor Pictures, Inc.
Lilith—Col.
Lolita—Seven Arts
Long Dsv’s Journey Into Night—Embassy
Love s Is Carte (Ital.)—Bernard Lewis Co.
•Marriage, Italian Style (Ital.)—Embassy
Martin Luther—de Rochemont
Mondo Cane—Times Films
Night of the Iguana—MGM
Nothing But the Best (Br.)—Royal Films Inti.
Organizer, The (Ital.)—Walter Reade-Sterling
Pressure Point—UA
Pumpkin Eater, The—Davis-Royal
— Morally Objectionable la Part far All
REVIEWED THIS ISSUE
Cincinnati Kid, The—MGM Loved One, The—MGM
Deaert Raven—Allied Artists Mozambique—Seven Arts
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Honeymoon Hotel—MGM
Horror of Party Beach—Iselin-Tenney Prods.
House Is Not a Home. A—Embassy
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini—Am. Inti.
I’ll Take Sweden—UA
In Harm’s Way—Para.
Irma La Douce—UA
•Joy House—MGM
Kistin' Cousins—MGM
Kitten with A Whip—U-I
Ix>ng Ships, The—GoL
Looking For Love—MGM
Lost World of Sinbad, The—Am. IntL
Love Has Many Faces—CoL
Love on the Riviera—Ultra Films
Male Hunt—Psthe Contemporary
Man in the Middle—Fox
Masque of the Red Death—Am. IntL
Money Trap—MGM
Naked Prey, The—Para.
New Interns, The—CoL
Night Must Fall—MGM
No Greater Sin (waa: 18 and Anxious) —
Alexander Enterprises
Nutty, Naughty Chateau, The (Fr.)—Lopert
Of Human Bondage—MGM
Palm Springs Weekend—War.
Pleasure Seekers, The—Fox
CLASS C — CMdcMied
Red Desert—Rizzoli Film Ust.
Servant, The—Landau Co. 42 ,
Storm Center—CoL •
Strangers in the City—Embassy
•Taboos of the World (Ital.)—Am. Inti.
This Sporting Life (Br.)—Continental
Tom Jones (Br.)—UA
Too Young to Love—Arthur-Go Pictures, Inc.
Victim (Br.)—Pathe-America
•Visit, The—Fox
Walk On the Wild Side—CoL
Yellow Rolls Royce, The—MGM
Young and the Willing, The (Br.)—U-I
Zorba, The Greek—Fox
Psyche 59—CoL
Quick, Before It Melts—MGM
Racing Fever—A A
Raiders From Beneath the Sea—Fox
Sandpiper, The—M.G.M.
•Seventh Dawn—UA
Sex and The Single Girl—War.
Shot in the Dark, A—UA
Small World of Sammy Lee, The (Br.)— 7
Arts
Soldier in the Rain—AA
•Station Six Sahara—AA
Strangler, The—AA
•Sunday In New York—MGM
•Sylvia—Par a.
Tiara Tahiti (Br.)—Zenith IntL
Under Age—Am. IntL
•Vice And Virtue (Fr.)—MGM
Viva Las Vega*-MGM
•What A Way to Go— Fox
•What’s New Pussycat-UA
Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed—Para.
•Why Bother To Knock—Seven Arts
•Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (ItaL)—
Embassy
Young Dillinger— A A
Zombie—Del Tenney Prod.
Affair of the Skin, An—Zenith
Balcony, The—Continental
Bemhole (Ital.)—Royal Films
Beil’Antonio (ItaL)—Embassy Films
Boccaccio 70 (ItaL)—Embassy
Bonne Soupe, La (Fr.)—International Classics
Breathless (Fr.)—Films Around World
Christine Keeler Affair, The (Dan.) —
JaGold Pictures, Ltd., Inc.
Circle of Love—Walter Reade-Sterling
Cold Wind In August—Aidart
Contempt (Fr.)—-Embassy
DolL The (Swed.)—Kanawha Films
During One Night (Br.)—Astor
Empty Canvas—Embassy
Five Day Lover (Fr.)—langsley-IntL
Girl With the Golden Eyes (Fr.)—Union Films
Green Carnation (was: Trials of Oscar Wilde)
(Br.)—Warwick Films
Green Mare (Fr.)—Zenith
High Infidelity—(Ital.)—Magna Pictures
1 Love, You Love (ItaL)—Davis-Royal
Image of Love—Raab & Stoumen
Joan of the Angels?—Polish-Telepix
Jules and Jim (Fr.)—Janus
Kiss Me Stupid— Ix>pert
Knife in the Water (PoL)—Kanawha Films
L’Awenturs (ItaL)—Janus
La Notte (Night) (ItaL)—Lopert
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Lady Chatterley’s Lover (Fr.)—Kingsley
Law, The (Fr.)—Embassy
Let Liaisons Dangereuses (Fr.)—Astor Pic
tures, Inc.
Let’s Talk About Women (ItaL)—Embassy
Love Game (Fr.)—Films Around World
Love Goddesses, The—Walter Reade-Sterling
Love Is My Profession (Fr.)—Kingsley-IntL
Love on a Pillow (Fr.)-D.via-Ro£l
Lovers, The (Fr.)—Zenith
Magdalena (Ger.)—Buhawk
Maid in Paris (Fr.)—Bellon-Foulke
Mating Urge—Citation
Millers Beautiful Wife (Ital.)— DCA
Mistress for the Summer, A (Fr.)—American
Film Distributors
Molesters, The—Aristocrat Films
Mom and Dad (Siderosd)—Hallmark Prod.
Mondo Pazzo (Ital.)—Rizzoli Film Dist.
My Life to Live (Fr.)—Union
Never On Sunday (Greek)—Lopert
New Angels, The (Ital.)—Promenade Films
Nude Odyssey, The (Ital.)—Davis-Royal
Odd Obsession (Jap.)—Harrison
Of Wayward Love (Ital.)—Pathe
Oscar Wilde (Br.)—Four City Enterprises
Passionate Summer (Fr.-Ital)—Kingsley
Pawnbroker, The—Landau Co.
Phaedra (Greek)—Lopert
Playgirl After Dark (Br.)—Topaz Films
Please, Not Now! (Fr.)—IntL Classics
Port of Desire—Union
Pot BouiUe (Lovers of Paris) (Fr.)—Con
tinental
Prime Time—Essanjay Films, Inc.
Private Property—Citation
Question of Adultery—NTA
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (Br.)—
Continental
Savage Eye—Trans-Lux-Kingsley IntL
Seven Capital Sins (Fr.)— Embassy
Sweet snd Sour (Fr.)—Pathe Contemporary
Silence, The (Swed.)—Janus
Sins of Mona Kent—Astor
Tales of Paris (Fr.)—Times Films
Temptation (Fr.-Ital.)—Shelton
Terrace, The (Span.)—Royal Films
To Love (Swed.)—Prominent Films
Too Young, Too Immoral—Rialto Int*L
Trials of Oscar Wilde (Br.)—Warwick Films
Truth, The (La Verity) (Fr.)—Kingsley IntL
Viridiana (Sp.)—Kingsley IntL
War of the Buttons (Fr.)—Sami. Bronston
Wasted Lives snd The Birth of Twins —
K. Gordon Murray Production
Weekend (Dan.)—Jerome Balsam Films
White Voices (Ital.)—Rizzoli
Woman in the Dunes (Jap.) —
Pathe Contemporary
Women of the World (Ital.)—Embassy
NEW OFFICERS of The Bishop Gross Assembly, 4th Degree, Knights of Co
lumbus in Columbus are: (seated 1. to. r.) Lawrence J. Laughlin, Faithful Cap
tain; Antoinne Comeaux, Faithful Navigator; Edwin F. Pater, Faithful Pilot;
Henry F. Gallman, Faithful Admiral. Standing (1. to r.) James C. Schomburg,
Inner Sentinel; Joseph J. Spano, Faithful Comptroller; Stanley Lewandowski,
Outer Sentinel and Edmond J. Kosobucki, Faithful Scribe.
K.(. AND CLERGY
Supreme Knight Claims
Critics Trying To Divide
BALTIMORE (RNS) — The
supreme knight of the Knights
of Columbus lashed out here
at the “unenlightened critics”
who, he said, have attempted
to create dissension between
the fraternal order and the
clergy and Hierarchy of the
Catholic Church.
Dr. John W. McDevitt made
it clear that the organization’s
“officers and directors are
thoroughly conscious of their
responsibilities to develop the
program and objectives of the
Knights of Columbus in the
future in a manner completely
consistent with the desires of
the Hierarchy and clergy.”
In a major address to more
than 2,000 delegates at the so
ciety’s 83rd supreme conven
tion, Dr. McDevitt said:
“We have been faced with
some written and spoken crit
icisms as to the direction in
which the Knights of Colum
bus will move in the light of
the development of the Vati
can Council.
“ONE WOULD think from
reading or listening to some
of these unenlightened critics
that we were back in the Mid
dle Ages where there was ten
sion between clergy and lay
men, instead of existing in a
modern world where truly the
Knights of Columbus record
since 1882 has been one of de
voted loyalty to the Church at
every level of its organiza
tion.’
Citing the achievements of
the fraternal order, Dr. Mc
Devitt said:
“The total record of our co
operation in the way of man
hours of service, of untold
millions of dollars expended
by the supreme, state, and
local councils for religious
causes over these 83 years
are major projects unmatched
by any society of laymen.
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“They stand as proof posi
tive that the type of appeal
which is uniform in its de
mands for a change in the
position of the laity rests on
unsubstantiated grounds.”
The supreme knight deliv
ered his address only hours
after Bishop Michael W. Hyle
of Wilmington urged the or
der to abandon its traditional
role of simply giving money.
IN HIS sermon at the open
ing Mass at the Cathedral of
Mary Our Queen, Bishop Hyle
appealed to the delegates to
broaden their role to include
ecumenical and lay activities
along guidelines spelled out at
the Vatican Council and in its
Constitution on the Church.
In his speech, Dr. McDevitt
was skeptical of such a role
for the Knights of Columbus.
“The ‘aggiornamentd* of the
Church does not affecther es
sential constitution which was
Y eterans
Back Viet
Policies
NEW YORK (RNS) — U. S.
Government action “to deter
and defeat aggressors” in
South Vietnam has received
solid backing from the Ca
tholic War Veterans, meet
ing here for their 30th an
niversary convention.
CWV member Mayor Ro
bert F. Wagner delivered the
convention’s major address,
in which he warned of “false
patriotism.”
“Many scoundrels have
committed the most heinous
crimes in the name of pat
riotism,” Mayor Wagner
noted, pointing to the “patrio
tic motives of Adolf Hitler.”
“True patriotism,” the
Mayor continued, “recalls
that national interests are
subject to morality. No vio
lations of justice or clarity
can be condoned on patriotic
grounds.”
promulgated by her Divine
Founder but rather adapts
this basic structure and the
deposit of revealed truth to
the throught and circum
stances of modern life,” Dr.
McDevitt said.
He continued: “Today’s
world has become an arena in
which everything is ques
tioned. We no longer live in
an age where our daily lives
are solidly framed in tradition
with institutions standing for
values that were never called
into question.
“On all sides the conserva
tive position is being chal
lenged and conformity is con
sidered old fashioned ....
(The) urge for more and more
personal freedom identifies
the spirit of our time. Affilia
tions and institutions that
stress law and order are being
vigorously challenged by this
new momentum for individual
rights. ’
DR. McDEVITT was sharp
ly critical of those who are
“carried away by the heady
waters of the experience of
freedom, (who) have attacked
the very foundation of the
Church, the Rock of Peter.”
Allowing that such “adoles
cent action” might be “grow
ing pains,” he said, however,
that such behavior is “aseri
ous scandal in the Church
when the accepted norms of
the natural law and the tradi
tional teaching role of the
Bishops become the target of
destructive appraisal by those
who protest they are loyal
children of the Church.”
“In a very real way,” he
said, “such attacks represent
a subtle secularism which its
proponents aver they enter the
market place to counter.”
McDevitt announced later
last week that the Knights
of Columbus will become a
participating agency in the
CARTA Foundation which fi
nances catholic radio and TV
efforts.
McDevitt announced that the
Knights participation in
CARTA, which stands for Ca
tholic Radio and Television
Apostolate, will be done by di
versification of the famed K.
of C. Program of offering
information on the Church
through advertisements.
McDevitt noted that the 83rd
convention of the supreme
council of the fraternal bene
fit society of Catholic men
agreed earlier this month to
diversify the advertising ef
fort.
CARTA was launched early
this year to enlist the support
of Catholic fraternal societies
in assisting radio and TV
work. Its chairman is Joseph
Cardinal Ritter of St. Louis.
Sheffield Distributing Co.
G ST. EXTENSION, P. O. BOX 237
BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA 31521
PHONE: 265-4131
IN L. A. AFTERMATH
Pastor In Watts
Discusses Work
LOS ANGELES (NC)~You
drive through the scarred
heart of Watts with a man who
knows something of its soul.
Father Valerian O'Leary,
O.F.M.Cap., is the Catholic
pastor in Watts.
He is a Capuchin and for
40 years the Capuchins have
been in charge of St. Law
rence of Brindisi church.
The church is one block from
the gutted 103rd St. business
section that helicopter pilots
dubbed “charcoal alley” dur
ing the Negro rioting.
There is a normal week
day morning calm in Watts
as you drive with Father O’
Leary. Children play in front
yards. Some boys stand on
street corners.
Father O’Leary guides you
through the east side of his
parish, down Grape St., past
Jordan Downs—the big pub
lic housing project, on through
streets of single fhmily frame
houses, some well-cared for,
others faded.
As you drive, Father O’
Leary points out homes of his
parishioners, mentions names
of families, speaks of their
children, of the good parish
leader who lives in that house,
of the man with five children
in the school.
“There has always been a
strong Christian relationship
between parishioners and
their priests here. As in
any other parish, the people
come with their problems to
the parlor.
Father O’Leary talked about
the riots. “The people are
saddened over the whole af
fair. Our people had nothing
to do with it. They’re a good
moral Christian people.
“You know, we had no po
wer in the house from that
Friday to the following Thurs
day. We have a neighbor,
one of our first Negro pa
rishioners. His house was
between us and the fire. If
his house had gone, ours would
have gone next.
“His house had power. So
he took care of us, keeping
food for us in their refrige
rator, things like that.
“We talk Catholic doctrine
here. We talk to the people
as Catholics, as men and wo
men, not as Negroes, as Chi
nese or as Mexicans—we have
all of them here.’ ’
“We have ordinary, normal
relations. We don’t talk on the
basis of race. This doesn’t
mean that the Church in
different to extraordinary
needs,” he said.
“We have the gift df a
new convent from the arch
diocese—no strings attached.
Our parish debt is cancelled
—assumed by other parishes.
The cardinal gave the altar
when our church was replaced
in 1949.” he added.
Father O’Leary said he had
never thought in terms of co
lor or race at St. Lawrence-
-not until after the riots when
the people brought it up.
“We had calls that Sunday
morning asked if we were
having Mass. ‘Of course,
I said ‘four Masses as us
ual.’
“After Mass Sunday peo
ple would come up with tears
in their eyes to say they were
so glad we had stayed—being
white. Some embraced me.
This was an expression of the
normal attitude of Catholics
to their pastor.”
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