Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 8—The Southern Cross, July 22, 1971
Fr. McCown—
(Continued from page 1)
practically any distance for
the service.”
Despite their poverty,
Father McCown’s Mexican
parishioners never failed to
mtke a special occasion of
religious holidays.
“Particularly in the Indian
villages,” he said. “They
planned marvelous displays of
fireworks. At the most
solemn part of the mass when
we ring the bell here, they
will set up these terrific
explosions.” When the padre
left, his friends never failed to
provide gifts - a bag of corn,
several dozen carefully -
packed eggs, and at least two
squawking chickens, all tied
to his saddle bag.
His most spectacular
adventures occurred in East
Africa, where he conducted
retreats for English-speaking
Sucumu teenagers, Dutch and
Irish nuns, and for laymen
and members of religious
orders in Kenya and Ugan
da. To say that Father
McCown circulated widely
during his year in Africa
would be an understatement.
In 10 months, he traveled
8,000 miles on a Honda
motorcycle, which the
Africans call “piki piki”. As
an elderly priest told him,
“Father, you’ve seen more of
the country in 10 month than
I have in 30 years here.”
He never missed a chance
to photograph Africa’s
scenery, her people, and
especially the animals. His
collection of color slides has
delighted many Maconites.
It was in Uganda’s
Elizabeth Park that an angry
buffalo, allergic to cameras,
snorted at him, and a wld
elephant charged the small
car in which he was riding. “I
wanted to photograph the
elephant, so I told the driver
to circle around and head him
off,” he said. “Then I
discovered why one gives
elephants the right-of-way.”
The huge beast flatten his
ears, thrust out his trunk, let
out a wild squeal and charged
the car. “We outran him,
luckily,” the priest said, “but
I was never so frightened in
my life.”
Father McCown’s retreat
house was about seven miles
from Mwanza, Tanzania, city
of 34,000. In the huge rocks
surrounding his quarters,
leopards and hyenas roamed
at night. He soon learned that
after dark in Africa, one
seldom ventures from home.
He still remembers accounts
of injured travelers being
carried off by the
ever-watchful hyena, the
jungle’s strongest-jawed
animal.
The only neighbors causing
him trouble were the baboons
living on the the rock outside
his house. The pesky varmints
devoured his bananas, pulled
off the shingles of the chapel
roof, and even interrupted a
Sunday mass. “ I looked up
one day and five of them
were peeping through the
windows,” he said. Once the
whole pack got after him.
“They looked so cute sitting
on the rock,” he said, “so I
yelled, ‘hi fellows’. That did
it. Fifteen of them started
after me like a pack of wild
dogs. I ran until I was
exhausted, then waited to be
devoured. Then I learned that
baboons are big bluffers.
They never touched me. They
just ran back down the hill
and I went to bed for five
hours, waiting for my first
coronary.”
Father McCown found
Africans extremely pleasant.
“Very good natured,
responsive, lovable people,”
he said. “They were
fascinating in their customes
and religions, and very honest
in their business dealing. My
sadness was that I spoke
Swahili so poorly.”
Commenting on Catholic
missions, Father McCown
says he “sees almost
insurmountable problems for
Catholicism in East Africa, a
country that admires
polygamy, until the church
allows the ordination of
married African tribal leaders.
“I rarely meet a priest who
doesn’t feel as I do, that
marriage should be optional,
although I have already
chosen my option.
“As for the changes in the
church, I welcome them all,
“and fret at the slowness of
some of them,” he said. “This
is a great time to be a priest.”
Father McCown will leave
Macon Aug. 1, returning to
Mexico in September.
His heart’s desire is a
permanent assignment there.
He never plans to retire.
Sheehan—
(Continued from page 1)
Mr. Sheehan was founder
and chairman of the board of
the Dan J. Sheehan Co., a
building contractor firm.
He was grand marshal of
the St. Patrick Day’s Parade
in 1953.
Mr. Sheehan was a veteran
of World War I and a member
of American Legion Post No.
36, the Rotary Club, the Elks
Club and the Chatham Club.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs.
Ellen R. Sheehan of
Savannah; a daughter, Mrs.
Richard P. McCusker of Boca
Raton, Fla.; a son, Daniel J.
Sheehan Jr. of Savannah; four
stepchildren, Mrs. Thomas
Brown of Eatonton, Mrs.
David McCutchon of
Savannah Beach and William
E. and Craig Barfield, both of
Savannah; two brothers, the
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas
Sheehan of Macon and
Joseph D. Sheehan of
Savannah; three sisters, Miss
Marie A. Sheehan, Miss
Margaret M. Sheehan and
Miss Hannah T. Sheehan, all
of Savannah; 14
grandchildren, and one
nephew and two nieces.
Summer Schedule
There will be no paper next week, as we are oat
Summer Schedule. The Southern Cross does not print
the second and last weeks of June, July and August.
Cold Cash
Available!
Liberty National Bank
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Films Should Be Rated
( «v
Around The Diocese
J
Either ‘Pass’ Or ‘Fail’?
Obituaries
* Mr. John Leslie Meredith of Savannah, July 8th
* Mr. Adam Joseph Simoneaulx formerly of Port Wentworth,
July 8th
Wheeling, W. Va. (CPF)--A
Jesuit professor of English
has proposed that the movie
industry’s much-maligned
G-GP-R-X ratings system
ought to be replaced with one
that contains only two
categories: “those which
anyone could attend and
those which could be viewed
by those over a pertain age,”
probably 18.
The Rev. Stephen J. Laut,
S.J., professor of English at
Wheeling College in West
Virginia, compared the rating
of films with the grading of
English compositions by six
different members of the
faculty in an experiment to
determine whether they
could agree on grades.
“The outcome of the
grading conparison was quite
predictable,” Father Laut
reported in a column he
writes for The Catholic Spirit,
newspaper of the Wheeling
diocese.
“We all marked fine papers
‘A’ and woeful papers *F’. As
usual, the problems arose in
the relative position of ‘B’„
‘C’ and occasional ‘D*
compositions. The extremes
are always easy to evaluate;
try as we might, the middle
ones constantly present a
problem.
“This is a difficulty not
only for our English
Department; it is a problem
in any evaluating system
employing two or more
judges.”
Noting that the National
Catholic Office for Motion
Pictures and its Protestant
counterpart, the Broadcasting
and Film Comrission of the
National Council of
Churches, had withdrawn
their support of the movie
industry’s G-GP-R-X ratings,
Father Laut reiterated a
suggestion for revamping the
industry ratings.
“Away back on September
25 in this column, I made a
plea for more simplified
classification of films on the
basis that the present code in
confusing both to reviewers
and public and that the set-up
is unforceable.
“The solution offered then
seems adequate still. That
was: there should be only
two categories of movies,
those which anyone could
attend and those which could
be viewed by those over a
certain age. Eighteen seemed
a reasonable age, especially if
it is decided to give the vote
to the 18-year-old.”
Father Laut ridiculed the
GP category, which means,
“for general audiences,
parental guidance suggested.”
“These movies often were
not the kind parents could
take the kids to,” the priest
commented, citing the
example of a mother’s
“trauma” when she took her
child to see the GP-rated
Ryan’s Daughter.
The mother told Father
Laut, “I thought it would be
a nice family show about
Ireland, something with a lot
of beautiful scenery and
romance. The GP rating
seemed to guarantee that it
was all right”
CONFUSION OVER FILM-INDUSTRY ratings was illustrated again recently when the MPAA
gave an R rating to Walkabout, because of some nude scenes—the film is about two children who
are lost in the Australian desert and befriended by an aborigine. The film company appealed and
the MPAA appeal board changed the rating to a GP, partly because Parents Magazine has
recommended it for children. A Jesuit priest contends there ought to be just two ratings: suitable
for children and not suitable for children.
Daniel J. Sheehan
(Excerpts from homily delivered by Msgr. Andrew
J. McDonald at funeral (Jul. 17) for Daniel J. Sheehan,
Sr. held at Savannah’s Cathedral.)
Seventy-eight years ago, the pages of
history opened for Daniel J. Sheehan.
Birth is a time of subdued joy. The
Sheehan family rejoiced with their new
son. Today, the pages of life are closed.
Death brings subdued sorrow. This same
family mourns their loss. When life is
evaluated, it is not important that we
live long; it is of no consequence to
establish renown and fame. Power
crumbles and wealth slinks from the
mortal reaper, death. What does matter
is: how did we live our life? What are our
values? What are our loyalties?
Dan J. Sheehan is synonymous with
the Catholic Church in Chatham County.
He stood out among our Catholic laity
like a sturdy oak. His faith was deep and
strong. This is not surprising. Like
yourselves, I have been closely associated
with the Sheehans for many years. Their
tradition in the faith is superb. Their
family has given our Church priests and
sisters. This family, and Dan in particular
has stood beside every Bishop of
Savannah, from the gentle Bishop
L
Keiley, the shy Bishop Keyes, the
prestigious Archbishop O’Hara, the kind
Bishop Hyland, the far-sighted
Archbishop McDonough, and Bishop
Frey. In the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and
even 60’s a call from the Bishop to Dan
meant the project, whatever it may be,
was well on the way. In fact, if the
Bishop asked him to do something
today, it was done yesterday. No man,
no set of circumstances, no place
prevented Dan from kneeling to kiss the
Bishop’s ring. The Holy See recognized
Dan’s loyalty. During the reign of Pius
XII, Dan received the medal, “Pro
Ecclesia Et Pontifice”. The beloved John
XXIII honored Dan with Knighthood in
the Order of St. Gregory.
Dan J. Sheehan is synonymous with
love for the Cathedral. He is second only
to our beloved Monsignor T. James
McNamara in his love for this edifice, the
Cathedral. All of us readily concede that
the love of these two men for the
Cathedral has enriched this building;
filled it with warmth; made it a
barometer of our faith in Savannah; and
established it as a landmark of prayer,
particularly devotion to Our Lady, Mary,
God’s Holy Mother.
* Mrs. Edtha Rae Vought of Augusta, July 8th
* Mrs. Lulu Mary Endersbee Dana of Augusta, July 10th
* Mr. Aloysius Henry McCarthy of Savannah, July 10th
* Mr. David Francisco Nuno of Martinez, July 11th
* Mrs. Mary Andrews Rice of Augusta, July 11th
* Mrs. Lenora D. Hearn of Savannah, July 11th
* Mrs. Lillian Flynn Gary of Waynesboro, July 12th
* Mrs. Harriet Laird Sweeny formerly of Savannah, July 13th
* Mrs. Estelle B. Wise formerly os Savannah, July 15th
* Mr. Daniel Joseph Sheehan of Savannah, July 15th
Marriages
* Miss Martha Teresa Forsmark of Augusta, Ga., and Mr.
Russell Andrew Rachels of Miami, Fla., July 1 at St. Mary’s
on the Hill Church, Augusta.
* Miss Ethel Mary Kucela and Mr. Thomas Matlock Barron,
both of Augusta, Ga., July 3 in Saint Joseph Church,
Augusta.
* Miss Loraine Ann Godfrey of Augusta, Ga., and Mr. William
Day Krenson Jr. of Atlanta, Ga., July 3 in Saint Joseph
Church, Augusta.
* Miss Mary Elizabeth O’Connor and Mr. Robert Emmett
Leonard Jr. both of Augusta, Ga., July 10 in Sacred Heart
Church, Augusta.
* Miss Joyce Lavo Todd of Warrenton, Ga., and Mr. Philip
Gregory Weigle of Augusta, Ga., July 10 in Saint Mary’s on
the Hill Church, Augusta.
* Miss Mary Elizabeth Broderick of Savannah, Ga., and Mr.
William Joseph McCormick of Brooklyn, N.Y., July 17 in
Blessed Sacrament Church, Savannah.
* Miss Myriam Garcia of Ft. Gordon, Ga., and Mr. Mark
Gregory Overbee of Farmington, Minn., July 17 in Saint
Joseph Church, Augusta, Ga.
Necrology
* Rev. Harry J. Honeck, July 25, 1952.
* Rev. Michael T. Reilly, July 25, 1902.
* Rev. Thomas L. Finn, July 28,1948.
* Rt. Rev. Thomas A. Becker, Sixth Bishop of Savannah. Julv
29,1899.
* Rev. James Murphy, July 29,1877.
* Rev. James O’Hara, Aug. 1, 1873.
But she was unprepared for
the film’s adultery and
love-making scenes. “How do
you answer a six-year-old
who asks ‘What are they
doing, Mommy?’ ”
Father Laut described the
possibility of government
censorship of films, which the
church-related agencies have
warned of, as “a true horror.
The bureaucratic solution is
nearly always the worst one
and the one least responsive
to the wishes of the general
public.”
Declaring the present
G-GP-R-X rating system “a
failure and satisfactory to not
one,” Father Laut said “I
firmly believe that a
two-category listing is the
answer. Let the movie makers
turn out whatever product
they wish; just make sure that
those under adult age are
protected.”
In Dallas, meanwhile, an
editorial in The Texas
Methodist weekly paper
proposed that the Catholic
and Protestant film offices
unite and issue their own
ratings (the Catholic office
already rates films, The
Protestant office does not) to
supplant the movie-industry
ratings.
The editorial suggested
that the two agencies might
keep the present G-Gp-R-X
clsssifications but night add
another rating: Z.
“The X category should be
sub-divided into X (no one
under 17 admitted) and Z
(exploitation film),” the
editorial specified. “There are
many legitimate films which,
because of theme or content,
should be open only to adult
audiences.
“There are also a growing
number of ‘exploitation’
films—we used to call them
pornography—which also
received the X rating at
present. These films have
little or no plot and no
artistic or social value. They
are composed of a string of
loosely-related film clips
depicting human violence and
sexual activity in the most
explicit and distorted forms
possible.
“The exploiters each try to
advertise their films as ‘more
X’ than the others. We believe
films of this type should be
given a separate
rating-Z-signifying that they
are devoid of benefit for
anyone---children or
adults—in the opinion of the
rating agencies.”
Dear Father Donohue:
A resolution passed at the
1971 Spring meeting of the
Valdosta-Brunswek Deanery
Council of Catholic Women
on Sunday, May 16, in
Waycross directs that a letter
of congratulations be
extended to you, as Editor,
and Mr. John Marketer, as
Managing Editor, of THE
SOUTHERN CROSS, which
won first place in the nation’s
general excellence contest
among Catholic newspapers.
The announcement that
our own Savannah Diocese
weekly newspaper had
captured top honor among
Catholic newspapers was met
with an outburst of applause
and appreciation by those
present. To you, Mr.
Mark waiter, and the members
of your staff, heartiest
congratulations upon the
recognition earned by THE
SOUTHERN CROSS. For
your efforts, time and talent -
thanks from the
Valdosta- Brunswick Deanery.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs. P. D. Joines
Immediate Past President
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