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PAGE 8 - - The Southern Cross, December 18,1969
By Guest Columnist Marian Stewart
President, Columbus Deanery Council of Catholic Women
SEARCH FOR
IDENTITY. Today’s women
have a great challenge before
them. In the October issue of
WORD Joanne Moran in her
editorial said, “Today we
stand at the crossroads of
change--in the Church, in
America, in the world. Never
before has the individual
woman had more freedom to
choose the manner in which
she wishes to respond to
change, and in so doing, to
choose the type of person she
wishes to become. We can
choose to be open and
responsive to the world
around us, deeply committed
to channeling those responses
into a constructive stream of
social action, or we can take
the more comfortable and
less humane course and
passively drift along the
surface of life.”
Isn’t it great to be living
during this period of history?
Or have you really thought
about it? Women today more
than ever should be
constantly aware of our ever
changing world, and the
needs of those around us.
We need to “Stop, Look,
and Listen”, and we will learn
how to fulfill our role as
Christ-like women. It really is
an easy job, because by our
very nature, we are warm,
sympathetic, and eager. God
blessed us with these
qualities, and we should use
them. Let’s “STOP, LOOK
AND LISTEN”, and perhaps
even THINK a little bit.
First, STOP . . . Before we
can reach out to others we
need to be aware of our own
identity. How do we measure
up in the role God chose for
us? Have we accepted
ourselves as we are, and used
those talents that most of us
have lying dormant, just
waiting to be released?
Remember only through use
will these talents develop.
LOOK . . . Yes, look all
around you. What is
happening today? Are you
involved, or are you waiting
for someone to give you a
shove? Too many of us are
content to sit around “just
breathing” while the rest of
the world is busy.
LISTEN . . to the sounds
that are stirring in our society
today. Are you closing your
ears to our youth, the poor,
the hungry, or thy friendless?
Plato tells us, “Know
thyself.” To know oneself
and one’s potential is vital if
we are to succeed. Women
must free themselves from
inner fears if they are to be
themselves. They must
strengthen themselves by
prayers and determination so
they will be ready to stand up
for their convictions. To
satisfy one’s inner needs is
essential if one is to be a
whole person . . . whether it
is finding a job, painting
pictures, taking singing
lessons, doing social work,
being a housewife, or
whatever it is one wants to
do.
In accepting responsibility,
and becoming involved and
committed, one’s relationship
with others begins to expand,
and in expanding, we grow as
a person, and life begins to
have a purpose. It is necessary
to weed out the
non-essentials, and to
concentrate on the really
important things, such as
those that affect all
humanity.
Before we can relate to
others we must accept
ourselves as we are, realizing
that the pressures that
motivate our actions are
mostly based upon
fear . . . fear of not being
accepted, fear of failure, and
fear of life. The important
thing is to find oneself and
learn to live in the sphere for
which each of us is created.
God calls each of us to .fill a
unique place in His world. It
is when His design and our
desire become one that we
sense our true identity.
MRS. VALERIE WEIRZBINSKI was honored on December 9th
on the occasion of her 100th birthday at the home of the Little
Sisters of the Poor where she is a guest. The Mass was celebrated
by Monsignor Andrew McDonald. Mrs. Weirzbinski, her neice,
husband and their daughter who came from Cleveland, Ohio,
friends and guests attended aneceived Holy Communion. At a
luncheon later Monsignor presented the guest of honor with the
Apostolic Blessing from Pope Paul. Mrs. Weirzbinski cut the
beautifully decorated birthday cake and “Happy Birthday” was
sung and her Polish relatives and friends sang a song in her
native tongue wishing her 100 years more. In Polish, which her
relatives,translated, she said she in her life had many good times
and many bad ones but God had been very good to her and
Mother Mary Claire and the sisters at the home were very kind
to her and she had been well blessed.
GOLDEN
SAVINGS
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Liberty Bank will give you 5% plus every-day interest, plus the
convenience of full-service branches where you can make
deposits. You can open your Golden Savings Account
for just $25. from then on, the amount you deposit is up to
you. You get automatic quarterly statements.
You can withdraw any money which was on deposit at
the beginning of any calendar quarter during the ten day withdrawal
period ,at the-beginning of the next quarter. Inte/est is paid
quarterly and can bfe withdrawn at end of any
quarter. Deposits are insured up to $15,000 by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation. Open your Golden
Savings Account—at any branch of the
Liberty National Bank
FIRST COMMUNION CLASS BLESSED SACRAMENT
SCHOOL — Saturday morning, December 13, children from
Savannah’s Blessed Sacrament School made their first
Communion at a Mass celebrated by Monsignor Andrew
McDonald. Gary Shea and Beverly Butler led the class, carrying
wheat and grapes, symbolic of the Sacrament. (Pollack & Daly
Photo)
IN NCEA STUDY
Cath. Schools Get Good
As a result of efforts by
the National Catholic
Education Association
(NCEA) to collect
nation-wide data on the
Catholic schools of the
United States, “some
interesting statistics are
beginning to come to light,”
according to Father Ralph E.
Seikel, Superintendent of
schools for the Savannah
diocese.
“For example,” said
Father Seikel in a release to
THE SOUTHERN CROSS last
week, “of the 110 faculty
members staffing the six
Catholic high schools in the
diocese, 32% possess a
Master’s degree or better.
Some have as much as twenty
or thirty hours toward a
Doctorate.”
This is an “unusually
high” percentage of graduate
degrees for the secondary
faculties of any diocese to
possess, Father Seikel said.
He also indicated that of
the five high schools in the
diocese which had an
all-white enrollment ten years
ago, their combined
percentage of black
enrollment this year stands at
9%. One high school, St. Pius
X in Savannah, is still an
all-black school
“Another interesting fact
to come to light, said the
superintendent, “is that if the
Sisters, Brothers and priests
who are presently teaching in
our six high schools were paid
a salary comparable to that of
lay teachers, it would cost the
people of Savannah, Macon,
Augusta and Columbus,
where our high schools are
located, a total of
$343,742.00 per year more
Marks
than they are presently
paying to operate these six
high schools.
“In other words, the
religious in the six high
schools are donating services
worth $343,742.00 during
the current school year.”
SOME OF THE BOYS from the high school CCD class at Our Divine Saviour parish, Tifton, took
on the project of going out to the woods and cutting their own Christmas tree to decorate the
parish hall. Mrs. Judy Peckham, moderator of the high school discussion club, went along to join
in the fun.
Obituaries
Mr. George H. Fries of Savannah, December 9th
Mr. Robert P. Crowder of Savannah, December 12th
Mr. Sylvester J. Thomas of Savannah, December 12th
Marriages
Miss Patricia Ann Johnson of Waynesboro, Ga., and Mr.
Edward Lee LeBlanc of Augusta, Ga., December 7 in the
Sacred Heart Church, Augusta.
Danny Bailey and Haroleen Lamb at Our Divine Saviour
Church, Tifton, Ga. Dec. 12, 1969.
Necrology
Rev. John A. Morris, December 24,1957.
Rev. M. J. Rice, December, 26, 1881.
Following a date of year unknown:
Rev. Thomas P. Hayden, 1941.
Rev. Thomas P. Hayden, 1941.
Rev. T. J. Morrow, 1940
His Eminence Ignatius Cardinal Persico, Fourth Bishop of
Savannah, 1895.
Albany P.C.C.W.
After a highly successful Bishop’s Clothing Drive for the
needy, headed by Mrs. Keith Burnette, St. Teresa’s Councocil of
Catholic Women found themselves launched into December
activities with Mayor Fred Mills’ Motorcade for the mentally
retarded leading the way. Gifts donated by individuals and local
businessmen, and wrapped by Girl Scouts, went on their way
with the Motorcade on December 15th into the hands of the
often forgotten. Receipients of this drive are patients at Central
State Hospital, Milledgeville; Southwestern State Hospital,
Thomasville and Bainbridge; and Grace wood Hospital, Augusta.
Chairwoman from St. Teresa’s is Mrs. A. T. Cyganiewicz. The
council’s December meeting, a dessert social, was held Tuesday,
Dec. 9th in St. Teresa’s school hall. A hoped-to-be annual affair,
a “white elephant” sale was held, with members donating their
“Elephants.” During the weeks leading up to Christmas the
school children have been filling baskets of canned goods to be
given to the needy. Chairman of this endeavor is Mrs. James L.
Lindsey.
St. Benedict Workshop
Members of St. Benedict’s parish, Savannah met last week
(Dec.7) for the purpose of “orienting parishioners on the
purposes and functions of a parish council,” according to Father
Joseph C. Otterbein, pastor. During the two-hour meeting
Father Otterbein gave a 20 minute presentation on various ideas
concerning parish councils as outlined in a booklet, “Your
Parish Council. Another 20 minute session examined the
functions of four parish council committees - Worship,
Christian Service, Christian Formation, Finance as adapted for
St. Benedict’s parish. After a brief ‘coffee break’ parishioners
spent a half-hour in small groups discussing the material that
had been presented . Then, a synopsis of the observations of
each group was offered to the entire meeting. “This meeting was
an overwhelming success,” said Father Otterbein. “It was more
than a workshop on parish councils. It was a time when
members of the parish came together for one main purpose, but
many concomitant features were in evidence - namely,
fellowship, enthusiasm and a willingness to serve. Such great
feats can be accomplished when we put our minds and hearts
together. This was the underlying thesis that permeated the
workshop.”
PROPOSAL RAPPED
Chatham
County School
License 6 Unreasonable’
A letter from Father
Ralph E. Seikel, Diocesan
Superintendent of Schools, to
the Board of Chatham
County Commissioners ob
jecting to a proposed
Chatham County license fee
for private schools and
kindergartens received the
unanimous endorsement of
the Chatham County Catholic
Clergy at a meeting Monday
night (Dec. 15).
Amendments to a county
license tax ordinance, due for
a second reading December
19, would levy a license fee
of $25.00 on kindergartens
and private schools.
In the letter endorsed by
the Savannah-area priests,
Father Seikel noted, “There
are in Chatham County
eleven Catholic schools
wherein are enrolled 3,227
pupils. If these children were
enrolled in the Chatham
County Public Schools, which
have an annual per-pupil cost
of $421.00, it would increase
the tax burden of the people
in the county by the amount
of $1,358,567.00 per year. It
seems most unreasonable to
make these schools buy a
license for the privilege of
saving the people of Chatham
County this amount of
money, annually.”
Father Seikel also de Jared
in his letter that all other
service and shop fees in the
proposed ordinance represent
profit-making ventures. Said
the Superintendent, “If there
exist some private schools in
the area that are profit-making
ventures, I could see a reason
for issuing them a license. I
strongly object, however, to
schools that are
non-profit-making
institutions being harnessed
with the added burden of a
license fee.”
The letter informed the
County Commissioners that
Father Seikel and
representatives of area
Catholic churches will be
present at the December 19
meeting of the Board and
asked that the provisions for
a kindergarten and private
school tax be dropped from
the proposed licensing
ordinance before it is
adopted.
Copies of the letter were
sent to all members of the
Board of Commissioners.
In commenting to THE
SOUTHERN CROSS
concerning his action, Father
Seikel said, “I’m sure that the
patrons of the area’s private
schools are not only unhappy
with the proposed licensing
No Paper
Next Week
There will be no
SOUTHERN CROSS next
week. Our next issue will
be dated Jan. 1, 1970.
fee, but also with the idea
that their contributions to
the educational efforts of the
County are so totally
overlooked that a proposal to
tax those contributions could
have even been seriously
considered by the
Commissioners.”
SPIRIT OF RENEWAL -
Sister Hope, Instructor at Mt.
DeSales High School, Macon,
conducted a course on the
Spirit of Renewal for an adult
group at Sacred Heart
Church, Warner Robins. The
course was held weekly
during October and
November and ended with a
celebration and refreshments
on December third.
t6e ‘food ole datyb
7f,ou c&ofifiect you% ournl
'H&w- T>* *)t
7^ O&Uf (AKUf, Ot &
Italian Club Lot
Bee Road & Victory Drive
“QUALITY CHRISTMAS TREES”
Firs From British Columbia
Treated Scotch Pines
pinett
SdteUa*