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PAGE 2 — The Southern Cross, December 12, 1968
FATHER BERNARD BASSET
Author Says Christianity,
Fervor Flourishing Today
CINCINNATI (NC) - A
British priest-author-retreat
master said here, that on a
global basis the Christian
religion is thriving and fervor
is “rapidly increasing.”
Father Bernard Basset,
S.J., warned, however, that
“neglect of the media of
communications with a
consequent lack of openness”
creates the threat of “another
schism. ”
Speaking (Dec. 2) at
Xavier University here,
Father Bassett, whose books
include “We Neurotics” and
“The Noonday Devil,”
declared: “I often hear it said
that the Church is losing its
grip, that materialism has
won, that people are
abandoning religion by the
thousands-but this has not, as
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yet, been my experience.”
‘‘Far from fervor
declining, I believe that it is
rapidly increasing and that all
that our parents and
grandparents strove to initiate
with so much self-sacrifice,
has come to fruition in our
day” said the Jesuit who has
conducted retreats in many
areas of the world.
“True,” he continued, “we
have seen the passing of the
little old Irish granny in her
shawl, the parish mission
filled to bursting, the
Confraternities and the
Sodalities with banners and
sashes, the monster parades
on St. Patrick’s Day. Such
demonstrations of ardor
suited an age without easy
'transport, suited a world of
poor immigrants, often
illiterate, who hardly knew
the prayers that they were
reciting and found it
satisfying to tap out their
faith with their feet.”
“Maybe our great Catholic
colleges and schools will now
be forced to change to meet
new conditions; some, having
done their work, may pass
away. But they achieved a
miracle, and to discredit the
past, while bellyaching about
the present, is to display
one’s ignorance and to reveal
a very poor sense of history,”
as (ji rol
The wonderful spirit that
pervaded the manger is
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he declared.
Other good works have
sprung up to take the place of
those outdated, he said, citing
activities of the Christian
Family Movement, the
Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine, the Cursillo and the
retreat movement.
“In every part of the
world that I have seen, I have
stood amazed at the stature
and balance of the silent
laity,” he said. “Not so many
months ago in Wellington,
New Zealand, I gave a
three-day retreat to 40
doctors, many of them at the
very top of their
profession-throughful, holy,
well-informed as few
Catholics were in my
grandfather’s day.”
As for change in the
Church, Father Basset said “it
would have been
disappointing and surprising”
if recent advances in science
and communications had left
theology unaffected.
“Those would be narrow
and unfair who exaggerated
the present trouble in the
churches, troubles less severe
and more easily manageable
than the frightening threats,
now made possible by
science, against human life
and liberty,” he said.
What can become a cause
of schism, he said, is not a
matter of dogma or belief but
an unintentional “lack of
openness” on the part of the
Church. He was critical of
“long and involved”
encyclical letters as a means
of communicating with the
people, and of publicity-seek
ing “mischief-makers,” who
are “so fully sponsored by
certain sections of the
Catholic press” as they “wash
their dirty linen in public.”
Father Basset said that “if
those who love the Church,
on either side, come quickly
to their senses, we may still
profit by our present troubles
to see liberty and authority
flourish in a renewed
Church.”
“Much tolerance and
charity will be required, a
rapid improvement in
Christian communications, a
willingness to face reality and
not the self-satisfaction of a
personal point of view,” he
said.
“For me as a historian,”
he said, “The fear, almost the
terror, points to another
Reformation, in so many
ways similar to the
16th-century experiment.
Now the word Reformation
means reform but the label,
as used in history, has no
such placid connotation; the
last one split the Western
World into bitter, warring
segments, now slowly
re-knitting after four
centuries.”
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STATESBORO CONFIRMATION - Confirmation class at St. Matthew’s, Statesboro pose in front
of church with Bishop Gerard L. Frey and Father John Fitzpatrick, pastor. Ceremony was held on
November 24th.
SUNDAY JANUARY 5th
Prayer Of The Faithful
For “World Peace Day
55
WASHINGTON (NC) -
Auxiliary Bishop John J.
Dougherty of Newark,
episcopal moderator of the
Division of World Justice and
Peace, United States Catholic
Conference, has sent copies of
a suggested prayer of the
faithful to local bishops to
assist them in the observance
of “World Peace Day.”
The National Conference
of Catholic Bishops at its
recent meeting here approved
Jan. 5, the first Sunday of
1969, as “World Peace Day.”
Similar observances of the
day, instituted by Pope Paul
VI, 1 -will be held in nations
throughout the world. The
theme of the day is
“Promotion of Human
Rights-The Way to Peace.”
Following is the suggested
prayer of the faithful:
Celebrant: That we may
see in the foreigner and the
alien the face of your Son.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Celebrant: That we may
see that all men of all races
and colors are made in your
image and likeness.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Celebrant: That we may
see that the three billion
people who share this planet
with us are truly the one
human family, the people of
God.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Celebrant: That we may
see that we must live as
brothers or destroy ourselves
as aliens and enemies.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Celebrant: That if we dare
to call you our Father, then
we must treat all men as your
sons.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Celebrant: Creator and
Father of us all we ask you to
help us see that we are not
our brothers’ keeper. Rather,
we are our brothers’ brother.
Bishop Dougherty
suggested duplication and
distribution of the prayer for
use in local parishes.
“Further, whatever you
can do to promote public and
ecumenical interest and
involvement in the
observance of the World
Peace Day will further alert
the community to this
worthy purpose,” he told the
bishops in an accompanying
letter.
Bishop Dougherty later
noted that the UN
International Year for Human
Rights ends with 1968. “The
education it has engendered
will be of little use,” he said,
“unless each one personally
resolves henceforth to respect
others and their rights,
through all means open to his
influence, including
legislation and the formation
of public opinion. This is the
beginning of peace of
conscience, peace within the
family, peace among
neighbors and peace in the
world,” he stated.
“We are grateful to Pope
Paul for instituting the World
Day of Peace, and for this
particular theme-‘Pro motion
of Human Rights-The Way to
Peace.’ In this way,
everywhere, members of the
human family may reflect on
the connection between
observance of human rights
and world peace, and at the
beginning of the year may be
united in prayer and
resolution for no more war.
“We know U.S. Catholics
will be joined in dedication to
this great resolve by those of
other faiths,” Bishop
Dougherty stated. “Thus all
of us together will help the
world move a bit closer to
giving that priority to
elimination of the present
international war system’
demanded by the American
bishops’ pastoral Human Life
in our Day.”
THANKSGIVING BASKETS - Pictured with baskets are
several children from the first grade class at Sacred Heart
School, Augusta. Kneeling (1. to r.) Peter McDowell, Robbie
Craig, Brian Lee Miller and Zanetta Marshall. (Standing (1. to r.)
Tony Paris, Mars Dukes, Theresa Wright, Lisa Usry, John
Giuffrida, Pam Connell, Jan Swint and Rhonda Coker.
Ward Studio
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Communications
Chief Selected
WASHINGTON (NC) -
Warren W. Schwed, a New
York public relations
consultant, film producer and
former newsman, has been
named director of the
Department of Communica
tions of the United States
Catholic Conference.
Schwed will supervise
plans, programs and budgets
for a department that
includes four major divisions:
motion picture services (the
National Catholic Office for
Motion Pictures),
information, broadcasting
services (the National
Catholic Office for Radio and
Television), and the NC News
Service for the Catholic press.
The U.S. Catholic
Conference, successor to the
National Catholic Welfare
Conference, was established
in 1966 by the U.S. bishops
to carry out their programs in
the social, educational and
public affairs fields.
Schwed’s appointment was
announced (Dec. 7) by
Bishop Joseph L. Bernardin,
general secretary of USCC.
“Mr. Schwed’s extensive
experience in all
communications
media-ranging from working
newspaperman to film
producer and agency
executive-uniquely fits him
to analyze the needs of the
U.S. Catholic Conference and
ensure that our
communications program
conforms to top standards,”
the bishop said.
“As in any other large
organization,” he added,
“proper communications are
of vital importance to the
Church and, with this
appointment, we believe we
have taken a major step
forward.
“Mr. Schwed has
undertaken ' this 1 assignment
basically to survey our
present operation and make
suggestions for improvement,
revision or whatever else may
be required. Although he has
been named director of the
department, his
recommendations may lead
to his restricting his role to
that of a special consultant to
the conference, following
other departmental
appointments.”
Schwed was founder
president of Grey Public
Relations, Inc., in New York
and served in that position
from 1963 until this year,
when he sold his interest in
the firm to produce films and
do public relations
counseling.
Earlier he was with the
public relations firm of Carl
Byoir, Newsweek,
McGraw-Hill and United Press
International. He attended
Ford ham University and
holds B.A. and M.A. degrees
from Columbia University.
Mrs. Schwed is the former
Joan LaDriere of St. Louis.
The Schweds have six
children and homes in New
York and Point Lookout,
N.Y.
Schwed’s assignment
begins immediately, although
he has several special projects
and film commitments under
way. He will have offices at
the U.S. Catholic Conference
here and in New York.
W. W. SCHWED
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ESSAY WINNER — Theresa Johnson, Seventh grade student of
Augusta’s Sacred Heart School, is shown receiving 2nd place
award of a watch for her essay on Fire Prevention. Pictured (1.
to r.) Father Herbert Wellmeier, pastor, William Johnson,
Theresa and Lt. E. W. Whitehead of the Augusta Fire
Department.
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