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PAGE 6—The Southern Cross, December 16, 1965
FAMILY CLINIC
By JOHN J. KANE, Ph.B.
Professor of Sociology
University of Notre Dame
I am a single lady in my
30’s and have usually lived
in my parents’ home. I some
what aspire to become a re
ligious but have never been
able to discuss the matter with
my parents. I realize at my
age no parental consent is ne
cessary. I have never been
interested in dates and things
of that sort but since the age
of eleven I wanted to be a nun.
Yet I am still uncertain and
wonder if I should marry, can
you help me?
* * *
Let me begin by stating that
a lack of interest in dates and
such things is not necessarily
an indication of vocation to the
religious state. Thousands of
nuns have had dates before
they ever entered the convent,
and I doubt they are any the
worse for it. As a matter of
fact, it may contribute no end
to their understanding of the
problem of the young girls
and boys whom they teach. I
might also add, that having
had a few innocent dates takes
away the mystery and wonder
that might go on in an indi
vidual’s mind about such
things.
Of course, it is impossible
for me to make any statement
as to whether or not you have
a religious vocation. But the
problem you raise in your let
ter about failure to commu
nicate this idea to your pa
rents seems at best a highly
belated matter. I don’t think
it enters directly into the
question of your vocation at
all.
But it does enter indirectly
into the matter. A question I
should like to ask you, is why
you are now expressing such
grave concern over a matter
which is completely over? For
nineteen years, according to
your statement, you have been
considering the religious life.
Nineteen years seem a very
long period of time for an in
dividual to remain indecisive.
This prompts me to ask how
sincerely you felt about be
coming a religious.
Certainly, any teenager who
aspires to the priesthood or
the religious life, might in
deed discuss it with his or her
parents. Even more impor
tant, the individual should dis
cuss the matter with his or
her confessor. If you had
been interested in becoming
a physician, lawyer or teach
er, it seems highly probable
you might have gone to a mem
ber of one of these profes
sions to ask him something
about the kind of work it was.
So too, you might very well
have communicated with some
nuns you knew and tried to find
out a great deal about the re
ligious state.
Even twenty years ago it was
possible to get such informa
tion from booklets put out by
a number of religious com-
.munities. If you read the
Catholic papers, you find ad
vertisements inviting people
to write and inquire about one
or other specific religious
congregations. So actually,
it seems that you had an idea,
and that was about it.
Another obvious approach
for anyone who feels called to
the priesthood or religious
state is to pray that God will
make known His will. Yet you
mention having done nothing
of this sort. So I am inclined
to think that the dilemma you
are trying to present is one
of your own making.
If you are really deeply up
set about this matter, then I
think you should take some
action. At the present time
you are tinkering with the idea
of a religious life on one hand
and the marriage state on the
other. If you continue to tin
ker with these ideas for a few
more years, it may be too late
to achieve either.
Why not go first to a priest
and discuss this matter in
complete detail? He will help
you to gain some insights into
the problem you presented to
me. It may also prove help
ful to discuss the matter with
some of the Sisters. If you
are encourged to continue to
consider entering the Reli
gious congregation, there is
absolutely no reason why you
should not raise the question
with your parents. Certain
ly a person of thirty years,
should have enough maturity
to discuss such a matter quite
readily.
If it becomes clear from
the advice you receive and
from your own prayer that
this is not the state to which
God has called you, then con
sider the marriage state. Let
me hasten to add that these
are not the only two possible
states of life. You may find
after careful consultation and
reflection that your real vo
cation is to the single state.
But for the sake of your own
peace of mind, try to decide
the issue once and for all
and do it now.
NOTRE DAME
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N.J. CA THOLIC GROUP
Larger Role
Given Laymen
In Education
RIVER EDGE, N.J. (NC)—
An experiment with potentially
far-reaching implications for
participation by laymen in Ca
tholic educational affairs is in
progress on a county-wide
scale here.
It is the Bergen County Ca
tholic Educational Associa
tion, a lay-oriented group or
ganized inSeptember. The as
sociation brings together pas
tors, teachers, parents and
others interested in education
to consider area-wide educa
tional problems, including
those of children in public
schools.
A 25-member board of di
rectors sets association po
licy and projects. Father Leo
nard J. Jordick of St. Peter
tne Apostle church, River
Edge, represents Msgr. Jo
seph P. Tuite, archdiocesan
superintendent of schools, on
the board, which includes 18
laymen and six priests and
Religious.
Two types of memberships
are available, “block” and
“laity.”
Thirty parishes have taken
“block” memberships. This
is nearly half the parishes in
the mushrooming suburban
county across the Hudson
River from New York.
Block - member parishes
are represented in the asso
ciation by six people, four of
whom must be lay people.
“The others are usually the
pastor and the school princi
pal,” O’Connell said.
In addition, individuals from
these parishes and from all
other parishes in the county
may take out individual mem
berships for $2. All members
have full voting rights.
Msgr. Tuite’s office has
permanent representation on
the board. Of the other 24
board members, eight are
elected each June for three-
year terms.
Already the association has
held a symposium on high
schools for parents and one
general meeting—three are
planned annually. In both in
stances, the principal speak
ers were public school edu
cators,,
“We are just as interested
in the thousands of Catholic
children attending public
schools and therefore in the
public schools themselves,”
O’Connell said in an inter
view.
He said the association will
explore means of cooperating
with the Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine and other
groups interested in educa
tion.
SAVANNAH STORK
Cross Roads
J oins Y olume
Advertisers
Cross Roads Appliance
Center, located in the Victory
Shopping Center in Savannah,
has joined the Southern Cross’
list of volume advertisers,
with three advertisements ap
pearing in this issue.
Owned by TonyAliffi,Cross
Roads has been serving the
appliance needs of the Coastal
Empire for over ten years.
The Store features a complete
line of Philco and R.C.A. Vic
tor radio, black and white T.V.
and color television, stereo’s,
and tape recorders, Frigidare
Home appliances, Amana
Freezers and refrigerators
and a complete line of Eureka
Vacuum cleaners and floor
polishers. The store also fea
tures various small household
appliances.
Brother Sol Aliffi heads a
professional repair depart
ment of four top flight service
men who are ready to handle
all kinds of repairs and in
stallations. This department
will repair all sorts of elec
trical equipment including
washers and dryers.
Rounding out the staff is
Catherine Conners Schexany-
der, saleslady and Louise
Aaeger McAlum, officer man
ager.
Tony Aliffi is married to the
former Miss Virginia Baker
and the couple have six chil
dren - Tony Jr., Donald,Car-
mela, Salvatore, Anna Marie
and Thomas Joseph. The Alif-
fi’s are parishioners of Most
Blessed Sacrament parish,
Savannah.
When shopping Cross Roads
Applicance Center tell them
that you saw their ad in The
Southern Cross.
Brunswick P.C.C.W.
The Parish Council of St. Francis Xavier (Brunswick) held
their annual Christmas Party at Renaldo’s on Wednesday at
8:00 P.M. Dec. 15th. In lieu of exchanging Christmas among
the members, each person was asked to contribute to the
Holy Father’s Storehouse. This money will be used toward
the purchase of layettes for infants in honor of the Baby Jesus.
Nativity Home & School
Tne Nativity Home & school Assn, met on Monday evening,
December 6th at the school auditorium at 8 P.M. Before the
meeting began some 116 parents of pupils of Nativity School
were delightfully entertained by the “Children’s Choir” of
Nativity School, directed by Sister Mary Godrey R.S.M., who
led the group in a medley of Christmas carols.
Albany P.C.C.W.
St. Teresa’s Parish Council of Catholic Women (Albany)
reports a highly successful covered dish luncheon, which was
held following the 11:30 A.M. Mass on Tuesday December 7th.
Announcement has been made that Christmas Food Baskets
will be delivered to the needy at Christmas. The P. C. C. W.
will clean the old church in preparation for Christmas.
CHRISTMAS PARTY for St. Joseph’s Hospital Clinic, Savannah, was held
Tuesday, December 14th. The annual party is sponsored by St. James rar-
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ST. ELIZABETH’S
Boston Hospital Records
A ‘First’ In Medicine
BOSTON (RNS) — Medical
authorities throughout the
world have sent congratula
tions to a team of doctors at
the Roman Catholic St. Eli
zabeth’s Hospital here for
having for the first time in
medical history, successfully
completed a total exchange of
blood in an adult to save his
life.
The physicians carried out
the amazing procedure be
cause the patient, a young in
tern at the hospital, was “as
close to death as one can
come.”
Total blood exchange has
been used to save the lives
of Rh-incompatible infants but
never before in an adult, said
Dr. Frederick Stohlman, chief
of the medical staff.
Not only did the doctors re
place the blood of the patient
once but they repeated the un-
precedeated process when it
was apparent that the patient
was not making the recovery
they had hoped for.
in coma, badly jaundiced and
there was no sign the liver
was regenerating.
The decision to try to se
cond complete exchange was
made. After this procedure
there were complications but
soon the clinical picture
changed — especially with
liver regeneration.
Dr. Stohlman commented,
“There has been steady im
provement ever since and
while the patient is still not
out of the woods, we think
the young doctor will be back
in the wards caring for
patients before long.”
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is
the largest in the Boston Ca
tholic archdiocese and Ric
hard Cardinal Cushing, Arch
bishop of Boston, is head of
the board of trustees.
Oglethorpe
Marble & Granite Co.
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THE HOLY FATHER’S
THE
GIFT THAT
SAYS
“I LOVE YOU”
MISSION AID TO THE ORIENTAL CHURCH
The intern was suffering
from fulminating hepatitis, a
liver disease.
The doctors worked for
three hours, replacing the
blood — one pint in, one pint
out — until five quarts of fresh
blood had been used.
The first blood exchange
brought clotting time to nor
mal but the intern was still
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Christmas is Christ’s Birthday, To show Him you
love Him, sacrifice something for the poor! . . .
In Trichur, India, for instance. At St. Anne’s
Institute barefoot boys are learning to earn a
living as farmers, bakers, tailors, thanks to our
rugged Father Joseph. “To go on with the farm
work, we must have a Jeep —and I can get
one second-hand, in good condition, for only
$2,025,” he writes. “Won't you ask someone
to open his heart?”. . . In Jordan, not far from
Bethlehem, infants in makeshift Bedouin tents
WHAT shiver in their sleep on the desert sand. $8
YOU will buy four blankets. . . . Refugee families in
DO miserable camps can be kept in milk, cheese,
POR flour, for only $10 a month. Remind us, if you
OTHERS feed a family for a month, to send you an Olive
YOU Wood Rosary as our thank-you. . . . Christ’s
DO Birthday is just one week away. Your gift to the
FOR missions says to Him, “I love You.”. . . What
HIM are “the missions”? They are people, not place-
names. They are lepers, cancer sufferers, the
blind, the aged, foundlings, homeless refugees.
They are the people for whom Christ became an
infant, and was crucified. What you do for the
hungry, the shivering, the abandoned, He sa ! d,
you do for Him. . . . How to celebrate Christ’s
Birthday? Do something for the poor! We’ll send
your gifts (tax-deductible, of course) to the Holy
Father. He’ll use them exactly as you request.
□ $10,000 will build a parish “plant” complete
(church, school, rectory, convent) somewhere
overseas. Name it for your favorite saint, in
your loved ones’ memory.
□ A church can be built for $3,800, a school
for $3,200. The Bishop in charge will write
MISSION to y° u ’ j u , . •
QIPT □ How can one missionary do the work of ten?
CHECK Put him on wheels. A small car costs $2,255,
LIST Give part of it at least?
□ The Holy Father uses stringless gifts in any
amount ($5,000, $1,500, $500, $100, $50, $25,
$10, $5, $2) where they're needed most.
□ It costs only $8.50 a month ($100 a year)
to train a native priest. For $12.50 a month
($150 a year) you can train a native Sister.
Payments at your convenience, of course.
©
Dear enclosed please find $
Monsignor Ryan:
FOR
Please name
return coupon
with your street
offering
CITY STATE ZIP CODE.
THE CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION
NEAR EAST
MISSIONS
FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN, President
MSGR. JOSEPH T. RYAN, National Secretary
Write: Catholic Near East Welfare Assoc.
330 Madison Avenue*New York, N.Y. 10017
Telephone: 212/YUkon 6-5840