Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross, January 2,1969 — PAGE 5
FAMILY CLINIC
By John J. Kane, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
University of Notre Dame
I attend a small church in
a small town. Every Sunday a
family with seven children
comes to church. The small
girl runs up and down the
aisle dragging a blanket with
her, shouts and screams. The
two young boys throw spit
balls at the organist. In short,
they cause chaos. Many have
spoken to the pastor about it
but he says the people are
O.K. with him. Some priests
saying Mass in this church
have suffered harassment.
What can be done?
* * *
If this situation occurs
Sunday after Sunday, as you
state, and has been going on
for a rather long period of
time, it seems that not very
much is going to be done.
People in your parish appear
to be the long suffering type,
and your pastor a remarkably
patient person. It could be,
however, that both the pastor
and the parishoners are wrong
in this case. At any rate you
and some others do not feel
the same way about it.
There are many possible
solutions and I am certain
that most of them must have
occurred to you and others in
your parish. There is no
obligation for children below
the age of reason to attend
Mass on Sunday. But there
are some very practical
reasons why parents take
them. Sometimes, because of
distance or serious
inconvenience, it is necessary
for both parents to attend
Mass together. It may be that
the wife does not drive and
there is no other means of
transportation. Or if the
parents go to Mass together
there is no one with whom
they can leave their children.
There is, of course, the desire
on the part of many parents
to have the family attend
Mass together.
Nevertheless, in view of
the chaos which is caused
weekly in your Church,
perhaps you and some other
parishoners might approach
this family and see if some
arrangements qqyld not be
made for someone to
supervise their children while
they are in church. From the
jist of your letter I am
assuming there is only one
Mass in your Church on
Sunday. Otherwise I should
simply suggest that you
attend a Mass that this family
does not attend and at least
so far as you are concerned
there will be no problem at
all.
If the children are so
misbehaved as you state in
Poncho's Little Mexico
MEXICAN MEXICAN I
R,
AMERICAN
FOOD
WE CATER PARTIES
TAKE OUT ORDERS
Ruben Rodriquez. ProD.
Open 11 AM—Midnight
4:00 PM—Midnight Suhday
2117 Cusseta Rd. 687-0552
COLUMBUS
ED SCHROEDERS
Music Studios
INSTRUCTION ON
• Accordion
• Spanish Guitar
• Hawaiian Steel
Guitar
• Clarinet • String Bass • Banjo
• Violin • Drums • Sax
• Trumpet • Trombone
Instruments For Sale
Trade Or Rent
REPAIRS & SERVICE
232-4747
18 W. LIBERTY
SAVANNAH, GA.
your letter, it is going to be
very difficult to get anyone
to babysit with them. Parents
may also resent being asked
to leave their children at
home. I would suggest that
you talk with the pastor
about this problem but
preferably with a number of
other parishoners. Perhaps
some arrangment could be
made whereby all young
children could be taken to
the school or perhaps a
basement of the school and
there two or three girls could
supervise them. But if there is
really only one Mass in your
parish, this is going to work a
grave inconvenience because
these girls might have to go to
another town to Mass.
As you probably know
many churches have special
places for young children. It
is usually a room with a large
window and it is soundproof.
The parents can see and hear
Mass by means of the
amplification in the room but
whatever disturbances occur
in this area are not heard by
persons in the church. But
this is apt to cost some
money and since your pastor
does not seem to be at all
disturbed by the present
situation, I doubt if you are
going to persuade him to do
this. This is even more true if
the problem involves only the
seven children you
mentioned.
The people who are really
at fault are the parents of
these seven children. All
youngsters at some time or
other will misbehave in
church. We’ve all had the
experience of observing a
young mother or father
carrying a child out of church
because the youngster is
crying or screaming. And I do
think we have to be rather
tolerant about this kind of
behavior because no doubt all
of us have been guilty of it at
one time ourselves as
children.
These parents apparently
are quite remiss and
unmindful of other people..
They must certainly be aware
that the misbehavior of their
youngsters is a source of
MASON
INC.
AD 2-4192
18-20 W. Bryan St.
Printing
Office Supplies
Office Furniture
Ditto Duplicating
Machines and Supplies
Columbus’ Finest In Fashion
KIRALFY’S
DOWNTOWN AND COLUMBUS SQUARE
Georgia State Savings Bank
Savannah's Largest and Oldest
Savings Bank
BANK BY MAIL SERVICE
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Bull & York Streets
distraction to the other
worshippers and, to say the
least, somewhat annoying.
Basically, it is a problem of
child rearing that you are
discussing. These parents
must be extremely permissive
in the rearing of their
children. One wonders what
the situation may be like in
the home, if on public display
actions are permitted to get
so far out of hand.
One sentence in your
letter is something of a tipoff
about the nature of the
problem. You mention that
this little girl brings a blanket
with her to Mass on Sunday.
You also stated that she drags
it up and down the aisle with
her. Many young children
develop an attachment to a
blanket, teddy bear, or some
other object. When this
object is not within their
reach, they become rather
anxious. This is an indication
of some insecurity on the
part of the child which most
ultimately is outgrow. It is
this that prompts me to state
that perhaps these parents do
need some help with regard
to child rearing. I do not refer
to the child’s attachment to
the blanket so much as the
fact that it is related or at
least associated with
misbehavior.
Are these parents aware
that the two young boys are
throwing spit balls at the
organist? If they are unaware
of it, and I rather doubt this,
the organist should no longer
hesitate to tell them about it
rather sharply. To make her
point, she might simply stop
playing the organ come down
stairs and go to the parents of
these boys even though Mass
is going on. It might interrupt
the services for a few
moments but it is preferable
to the kind of behavior
carried on now.
Naturally, this is the kind
of matter that is difficult to
handle. Unless the pastor can
be convinced that this
continued misbehavior - at
Sunday Mass is resented by a
number of the people in the
parish, it appears that he is
unlikely to do anything. So
my final suggestion to you no
matter what course of action
you decide to take, including
any of those I suggested, you
had better do so with support
from other parishoners. And
try to do it in a spirit of
charity. There’s no point in
stamping into the pastor and
making demands. Rather go
to him with positive
suggestions about what could
be done to curtail this weekly
annoyance at Mass. I think if
he realizes that a number of
people are concerned about
it, he will take a different
viewpoint.
Uneeda Glass Co.
PLATE GLASS
FURNITURE tops
MIRRORS.
AUTO GLASS INSTALLED
PHONE FA 7-3285
1439 (ith AYE. COLUMBUS
GLASSES
ARTIFICAL EYES
CONTACT LENS
Hodge Optical Co.
151 Bull Street
Phone AD 4-6696
AUTO REPAIRS
Savannah Radiator
Co.
315 West Bay Street
Savannah, Georgia
Editor: brief; that in the length of
time it takes some others to
Dr. John J. Kane’s offer it they can hear me,
November 7th article on recite the pledge of allegiance
anti-Semitism was to the flag, and sing one
illuminating and interesting stanza of America. Several
(Family Clinic). I fear that we years ago, on sitting down
Catholics are as guilty as are after giving the Catholic grace
non-Catholics - only down before meals, a young
here there are fewer of us to Protestant lawyer across the
show it .. But I believe it is table remarked, with a smile,
thoughtlessness rather than “You didn’t leave much for
viciousness which is our Jewish brethren, did
responsible for it. you?” And, on reflection, I
realized how right he was. I,
and others like me, had been
Have you noticed at so most inconsiderate and
many mixed gatherings of a thoughtless. Since then,
civic, patriotic, political, exce P t in m y own home ’ the
professional or social nature, one ^ use ’ Bl esse( i art Thou,
where persons of all faiths are ® Lord, our God, King of the
present, how the speakers, lay Universe, who bringeth forth
as well as clerical, go out of bread from the earth, is
their way to bring into their Jewish, but you will agree
thread of thought the Father, that xt 1S as appropriate for us
the Son and the Holy Spirit, as ^ or ^ em '
Jesus Christ our Lord and
Savior, and other references Certainly only those Jews
to the Second and Third and others in the mob outside
persons of the Holy Trinity, P,late ’ s Court ’ and certainl y
in utter disregard, even not those elsew here or of
defiance, of the later generations, may justly
non-Christians who are blamed for the
present? Tributes to the living Crucifixion,
as well as to the dead almost _
invariably emphasize his 0ur thoughtlessness or
being or having been such a carelessness in the matter is
fine CHRISTIAN At no efficient excuse. If one
devotionals and memorial fires U P a foul-smelling cigar
services those preparing the or P*P e a dosed car of
program apparently would non-smokers, are they less
not regard the program as nauseated by reason of one’s
complete without including “thoughtlessness”? And I
“All Power to Jesus’ Name” trul V believe that we
and other such hymns, and Catholics and Protestants
even have Jews and would be irritated and
everybody singing, with great offended, if not actually
gusto, Onward CHRISTIAN insulted, if we were victims of
Soldiers! similar thoughtlessness of our
Jewish brethren mentioned
by a protestant brother
At my bar association and lawyer at a bar association
civic club luncheons and meeting,
dinners I am sometimes
invited to offer the Respectfully yours,
invocation. I have been told John J. McCreary
that my grace before meals is Macon
Pope Optimistic—
of better communication and
the exchange of ideas, not
only with the cardinals and
the Roman Curia, but also
with his brother bishops. He
said: “We have studied
different means of assuring an
ever wider contribution of
their bishops’ experience,
counsel and responsibility to
this Apostolic See and the
entire Church.
“To this end we have
established the convoking for
1969 of an extraordinary
assembly of the Synod of
Bishops, which will begin,
God willing, on next Oct. 11
and which will have as its aim
an examination of the forms
best suited to assure a better
cooperation and more fruitful
contacts between the
individual episcopal
conferences and the Holy See
and among themselves.”
An extraordinary session
of the synod is defined as one
in which “the matter involves
the good of the universal
Church and requires speedy
consideration.” Membership
is composed of the patriarchs,
major archbishops and
metropolitans outside the
patriarchates of the Catholic
Churches of the Eastern rite,
the presidents of national
episcopal conferences,
presidents of episcopal
conferences of several nations
which do not have their own
individual conference, three
Religious representing clerical
religious institutes, and
cardinals in charge of the
offices of the Roman curia.”
On Vietnam, the Pope
said:
“You know with what
attention we have followed
the situation in Southeast
Asia ... In those regions
there has finally opened a
bright interval which seems to
foretell most consoling
events, even if, unfortunately,
Vietnamese territory
continues to be a theater of
intense warfare and terroristic
activity.”
On the subject of the
uneasy situation in the
Middle East, the Pope noted
that “authoritative voices
have been raised to point out
the gravity of the present
situation.
Lastly, the Pope
considered the situation in
Nigeria. Noting that he has
never passed up an
opportunity to urge a
peaceful settlement of the
war, the Pope declared.,
(Continued from Page 1)
we are dutifully concerned
with safeguarding the sacred
deposit of faith and the
norms of life which the
Church has been entrusted
with by its founder and
which we must preserve
essentially undamaged as they
were transmitted to us, while
presenting them and applying
them in a manner
corresponding to the
necessities of the world
today.”
The Pope expressed
displeasure with those who
twist or misinterpret his
words. “We cannot remain
silent about the sorrow which
we feel when we see our
intentions and our very words
sometimes misunderstood
and distorted,” he said.
On the question of birth
control and his encyclical,
Humanae Vitae, he said the
document was his response to
questions today regarding the
“ancient problem of
responsible parenthood and
the honest regulation of
births. It was a reply long
meditated upon because we
desired that the new
arguments and objections
raised against the constant
and common teaching of the
Church be examined
scrupulously . . . “We are not
ignoring the differing
reactions stirred up by our
pronouncement. We have
taken note of them all with
the respect which we have for
all and with the intent of not
omitting, when it shall be the
right moment, the replies
which appear required,
especially on the level of
pastoral concerns.”
In the meantime, said the
Pope, “we trust that our
teaching will have been
accepted with a frank spirit
of faith, that it will have been
meditated upon with ^rene
and full reflection, that it will
be recognized as conforming
with Christian habits and
feelings, that it will be
accepted as a providential
defense of the honesty and
dignity of love, that it will be
accepted as a novitiate
leading to a higher morality
and to a sincere spirituality of
conjugal life, that it will be
practiced as a strengthing of
the family and of social
health, and that it will be
blessed by gifts which make
present life virtuous and
happy and which prepare for
that of the future.”
The Pope discussed means
CHRISTMAS DECORATION WINNERS — Mr. and Mrs. Fred Water’s unique Nativity lawn
display at 320 Sharondale Road, Savannah, was judged the most outstanding religious decoration
by the Chatham County Garden Club Council and received first place plaque for “Keeping Christ
in Christmas.” The contest is sponsored annually by Savannah’s Holy Family K.C. Council 5588
with prizes being presented by Savannah Electric and Power Company. Second place religious
award went to Mr. and Mrs. T. F. Turner, 1 Leach Drive. In upper photo Jerome J. Kilpatrick,
grand knight of Council 5588 admires display with Waters. In lower photo Kilpatrick presents
plaque to Turners while Mrs. Louis Kravatt of Chatham County Garden Club Council looks on
Other awards were: Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Gay, 2201 Daffin Dr. - First place door; Mr. and Mrs.
Merle Howard - 264 E. 74th St. - Second place door; Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Joiner - 33 Romney
Place - First place overall; Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Sernesen, 334 Kensington Dr. - second place overall.
First place window was awarded to Miss Kathy Means - 341 Kensington Dr. Second place window
went to Mr. and Mrs. Jim Walthall, 319 Windsor Rd. (Photo by Bob Ward)
Scientists Oppose—
(Continued from Page 1)
biology at Harvard, in
preparing a statement of
protest to the Pope. Baker
said that some 2,600
scientists have signed the
statement, including four
Nobel Prize winners.
Signatures were first
solicited in a letter sent to
various scientists across the
country, asking if they or
“some of your colleagues or
graduate students would be
interested in signing the
statement, please do.” Signers
were asked not to disclose
news of the petition to the
press until after Dec. 20.
Between 375 and 400
signatures were obtained at
the AAAS convention. None
of the 2,600 signers’ names
have been disclosed to the
public. The AAAS
emphasized that the petition
was not endorsed by the
organization and convention
officials refused permission
for promoters of the petition
to set up card tables at the
convention to solicit
signatures.
The document says that
“more than half the world is
hungry” and the environment
of the world is “deteriorating
rapidly’’ because of
overpopulation. It continued:
“Any action which
impedes efforts to halt the
world population growth
perpetuates the misery in
which millions now live and
promotes death by starvation
of millions this year and
many more millions in the
next few decades.”
The statement said: “It
has been stated by Roman
Catholics that the Pope is not
evil, but simply unelightened,
and we must agree.”
But, it added, “whatever
the motives, the evil
consequences of his
encyclical are manifest.”
Parish
The scientists pledged in
the protest document that
they would no longer be
impressed by appeals for
world peace or compassion
for the poor “from a man
whose deeds help to promote
war and make poverty
inevitable.”
Scenes
In Who’s Who
Miss Margaret Helena Muller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph C. Muller of 120 East 46th Street, Savannah, is one of
20 Marymount College (Tarry Twon, N.Y.) students selected for
listing in the 1968-69 edition of “Who’s Who Among Students
in American Universities and Colleges.”
A junior, Miss Muller is a graduate of St. Vincent’s Academy.
An honor student, she is chairman of the Students Activities
Committee.
Joint PCCW Meeting
St. James and Blessed Sacrament Parish Councils of Catholic
Women will meet on Monday, January 6, 1969 at 8 P.M. in St.
James School. After separate meetings they will hold a joint
program in the School Auditorium featuring Mr. Aubrey
Mumford, Neighborhood Center Director for the Office of
Economic Opportunity. His topic will be “Reaching Out To The
Disadvantaged.” An invitation is extended to the women of
both parishes to participate in this joint activity.
Adult Sunday School
The Religious Education Committee of Savannah’s Blessed
Sacrament Church’s Advisory Board has announced that the
Adult Sunday School program will continue on a permanent
basis. It will be set-up as follows: 1. Each month a different
teacher will offer a new subject. 2. Classes will meet on Sunday
mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the school library.
Father Brinstan Takach, O.S.B., assistant Headmaster at
Benedictine Military School will conduct the classes during
January. His subject will be “The Current Philosophies of
Education.”
THE MOST ATTRACTIVE RATES IN AUGUSTA
> (J^etVtem£ntj^£u3
77 f —PLAY billiards
SPECIAL RATES!
• DAILY - WEEKLY
• MONTHLY
WITH OR WITHOUT MEALS
111/ 2 ACRES IN THE CITY !
JUST MINUTES FROM \
EVERYTHING
Free Parking
Dial 733-3661
AUGUSTA, GA.
—PLAY BILLIARDS
-SHUFFLEBOARD
-BRIDGE
-LOVELY
DINING ROOM
-3 GRACIOUS
LOBBIES
BEDROOMS AND
SUITES AVAILABLE
FOR TRANSIENT
VISITORS
Catering
' Banquets
DINNERS-DANCES
WALTON WAY AT riiCK/viAN ROAD
NESTLED HIGH ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE CITY OF AUGUSTA