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SERVING 88 SOUTH - GEORGIA COUNTIES
The Southern Cross
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 53 No. 25
Thursday, July 6,1972
Single Copy Price — 12 Cents
Statement Of
Bishop-Elect
Official word has come from the
Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Luigi
Raimondi, in Washington, D.C. that His
Holiness, Pope Paul VI, has named me
Bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock,
Arkansas.
Upon receiving this word, with
humility and wonderment, I have
accepted the wish of the Holy Father as
the will of God Himself. My heart
overflows with joy at the prospect of
sharing in the fullness of the powers
Christ gave to the original apostles. I am
grateful to God as He continues to
confound the strong of the world by the
choice of the weak. To our Holy Father,
Pope Paul VI, I re-affirm my loyalty, my
love, and my devotion.
On this day in my life, I return thanks
to God for my good Mother and Father
of happy memory, my good brothers and
sisters. My parents were shining examples
of faith and courage; my brothers and
sisters by prayer and example have
sustained me in my work as a priest.
On this day, my mind goes back over
twenty-four years of work in this Diocese
— to the wonderful association with
bishops, priests, sisters and laity. Without
hesitation, I single out the people of the
Blessed Sacrament Parish. For nine years,
I have been their pastor and they have
been my people. Their spirit of prayer,
their quick response to the needs of
others have been a source of inspiration
to me. They have made these happy and
fruitful years in my life.
To Bishop Frey who has had
confidence in me as his Vicar General, to
all my fellow priests, to the religious
sisters and brothers, to the laity of the
Diocese, I am grateful for the
opportunity to grow together in Christ.
Thus far, Georgia has produced only
one native Bishop — James Augustine
Healy, born near Jonesboro, Georgia,
who became the Bishop of Portland,
Maine, in 1875. Bishop Emmet M. Walsh,
while born in South Carolina, was a priest
in the Diocese of Savannah when he
became the Bishop of Charleston in 1927.
He was my ordaining prelate in 1948.
As I look to the future, I am reminded
of the words of St. Paul, “One plants;
another waters; but it is God Who gives
the growth”. While I do not know Bishop
Fletcher personally, I stand in awe of his
achievements. He was ordained a priest in
1920, three years before I was born. A
native of Arkansas, he has given 52 years
of generous, selfless service to God to the
Church and to the fine people of
Arkansas. Since 1946, two years before I
became a priest, he has labored tirelessly
as Bishop of the Diocese.
As I look to the future, I offer myself,
all my talent, my energy, my life to the
honor and glory of God and to the service
of the good citizens of Arkansas.
The ceremony in which a priest is
elevated to the episcopacy is now called
“The Ordination of a Bishop”. The
ceremony will take place in our Cathedral
of St. John the Baptist. Shortly after
that, the ceremony of Installation will
take place in the Cathedral of St. Andrew
in Little Rock. I will be the fifth Bishop
of Little Rock. As yet, no dates have
been set for these ceremonies.
msgr. a. j. McDonald
INSIDE STORY
Irish Protestants
Pg. 2
Editorials
Pg. 4
Drug Scene
Pg. 5
Diocesan History
Pg. 7
Bishop - designate McDonald
Profile Of Diocese
Msgr. McDonald Named
Bishop Of Little Rock
Pope Paul VI has named Monsignor Andrew J. McDonald, pastor of Savannah’s Blessed Sacrament parish,
bishop of the diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas. Announcement of the appointment was made Tuesday morning
(July 4) by Archbishop Luigi Raimondi, Apostolic Delegate in the United States.
Monsignor McDonald succeeds Bishop Albert Fletcher who has resigned from the Little Rock diocese for
reasons of health and advanced age. Bishop Fletcher is 75.
Monsignor McDonald, who is 48, is a native of Savannah, the son of James B. and Theresa A. (McGreal)
McDonald. Both are deceased. One of twelve children, he has seven sisters and three brothers. Another sister,
Josephine (Sister Celine of St. Rose, Little Sisters of the Poor) is deceased.
Monsignor McDonald’s sisters are Mrs.
Alice Hiltz, Dorothy (Sister Mary Aurelia,
C.S.J.), Genevieve (Sister Mary Incarnata,
R.S.M.), Theresa (Sister Mary James
C.S.J.), Mrs. Bernadette Pigman, Mrs.
Ann Jordan and Mrs. Eleanor Arnett.
His brothers are James J. McDonald,
Eugene B. McDonald and Richard A.
McDonald.
The new bishop-elect has announced
that his ordination to the episcopate will
take place at Savannah’s Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist, but no date has been
set, either for the ordination or his
installation in Little Rock’s Cathedral of
St. Andrew.
A graduate of Marist School for Boys
in Savannah, Monsignor McDonald
, finished his high school and junior college
studies at St. Charles College, Catonsville,
Md. After finishing philosophy studies at
St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore where he
received his B.A. degree, he pursued
Theological studies at St. Mary’s
Seminary, Roland Park, Md. graduating
with a Licentiate of Sacred Theology.
The Diocese of Little Rock comprises
the whole State of Arkansas. In the
structure of the Catholic Church, the
Diocese belongs to the Province of New
Orleans. The State and the Diocese
comprise 53,105 square miles, with a
population of 1,923,295. The Catholic
population is 55,000.'
The Diocese was established seven
years before the Diocese of Savannah,
November 28, 1843. There have been
four Bishops:
Bishop Andrew Byrne; Bishop Edward
Fitzgerald; Bishop John Morris and
Bishop Albert Fletcher. The present
NEW YORK (NC) - The U.S. Agency
for International Development (AID) has
given grants of $10 million, including $5
million to Catholic Relief Service, for
relief to Bangladesh.
CARE (Cooperative for American
Relief for Everywhere) will receive $4.7
million and the remainder will be shared
by several agencies. The announcement
was made by Maurice J. Williams, AID
deputy administrator and coordinator of
U.S. relief assistance for Bangladesh, at a
signing ceremony in the Overseas Press
Club here.
Williams said that under a new policy
U.S. cash grants will be given directly to
voluntary overseas agencies in support of
their ongoing programs. The Bangladesh
grant is the first contract agreement
under this new policy.
Msgr. Andrew P. Landi, assistant
executive director of CRS, Harold S.
Miner, president of CARE and David
Guyer, executive director of the
Community Development Foundation
signed the grant agreements.
Williams said that the AID grants
represented the largest and most flexible
grants and would enable the voluntary
relief agencies to assist millions of
Bengalis. Including the new grants,
Williams said total U.S. government
assistance committed to Bangladesh in
cash, food, medical supplies and other
supplies amounts to about $264 million.
Catholic Relief Services conducts its
operations through the Bangladesh
Auxiliary Bishop is Bishop Laurence P.
Graves.
The Diocese of Little Rock has 98
secular priest; 68 religious priests; 54
religious brothers; and 606 religious
sisters. There are 79 parishes and 39
Missions; 5 High Schools; 41 Elementary
schools; 11 hospitals; 1 orphanage; one
Home of the Good Shepherd; 3 homes
for the aged; 10 Newman Clubs on
college and university campuses; a
Benedictine Monastery; and a Carmelite
Monastery. There are 15,000 students
enrolled in all the different type religious
educational programs. The Catholic
Newspaper is called the Guardian Press.
Christian Organization Relief and
Rehabilitation (CORR) aid program for
more than 2 million people affected by
the turmoil prior to the formation of
Bangladesh.
The $5 million grant will be used by
CORR for housing, road, and bridge
repair, agriculture, small business loans
and skilled employment.
Loans will be made to businesses,
farmers, and artisans on a revolving fund
basis in that one half of the total amount
borrowed will be repaid by the recipients.
These funds will then be used for further
loans to others in need.
After his ordination by the late Bishop
Emmet M. Walsh in 1948, he undertook
post-graduate studies in Canon Law at the
Catholic University of America, earning
his Bachelor’s degree there.
He continued studying Canon Law at
the Lateran University in Rome and
received his Doctorate in Canon Law
there in 1951.
He was appointed a Papal Chamberlain
with the title of Very Reverend
Monsignor in 1956 and in 1959 was made
a Domestic Prelate with the title of Right
Reverend Monsignor.
He served as vice-officialis of the
Diocesan marriage tribunal from 1952 to
1956 and as Chancellor from 1952 until
1967. Other assignments have included
Sub-Vicar for the Military Ordinariate,
Diocesan Consultor, Spiritual Director of
St. John Vianney Minor Seminary,
Diocesan Ecumenical Commission,
Diocesan Comptroller, Diocesan Building
Commission, Diocesan Finance Board,
Dean of the Savannah Deanery, Diocesan
Pastoral Council, Diocesan Clergy Welfare
Board.
He has been pastor of Blessed
Sacrament parish since 1963 and Vicar
General of the diocese since 1967. He is
also a board member of the Savannah
chapter of the American Red Cross and a
board member of the Federal
Court-appointed Savannah bi-racial
committee.
In a statement issued after the
announcement of his appointment as the
fifth bishop of Little Rock, Monsignor
McDonald said, “I have accepted the wish
(Continued on Page 2)
Legion Of Mary Mini-Congress
In Savannah, July 22
The Legion of Mary will hold a Mini-Congress, sponsored by the Norristown,
Pennsylvania Comitium, on July 22nd, at Blessed Sacrament Church, Savannah,
Ga. This will be a time for talking, singing, working and eating with fellow
legionaries.
All Legion members, past and present, are invited to attend. A buffet supper
will be served at 6:30 P.M. The Congress will be held after the supper. If they
cannot come to the supper, they are urged to come to the Congress at 8:00 P.M.
The visitors from Pennsylvania will be seventeen in number and will include
Father Francis Lendacky. These people are using their vacation time and pay to
visit. So let us turn out in numbers to welcome them and to receive every
Grace and Blessing offered.
FOR BANGLADESH AID
CRS Gets 5 Million
FATHER LAWRENCE A. LUCREE, recently resigned President of Serviam Inc.,
sponsor of Rose of Sharon Apartments for the elderly, is shown here accepting a color
television set for the residence from the Immaculate Conception General Assembly,
Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus. Assembly members above are (1. to r.) Joseph K.
Ebberwein, John R. Caterisan, J. Philip Roach Sr., Daniel J. Keane, Daniel J.
McFeeley, Karl A. Holmen and J. Thomas Coleman, Jr. Keane, Faithful Navigator of
the Assembly, said he hoped the presentation would move others to “seek out ways of
assisting the residents of the Rose of Sharon.”
Nuncio Criticized
GUATEMALA CITY (NC) - Families of some 600 Guatemalans missing after five
years of political violences criticized the Vatican representative here for not trying to
find the missing persons. “Archbishop Gerolamo Prigione, apostolic nuncio to
Guatemala, is definitely not doing .. .anything to investigate and discover the fate of
these missing people,” said Elizabeth Cruz Reyes of the Missing Victims Committee
here. Mrs. Reyes and the committee’s legal advisor, Hector Estrada, said that “at least
we want to know the burial place of our relatives.”
Abortion Suits Delayed
WASHINGTON (NC) - The Supreme Court has postponed a decision on challenges
to anti-abortion laws in Texas and Georgia until next fall or winter. While the court
gave no reason for ordering a rehearing of the cases, observers noted that the original
arguments were heard last November before Justices Lewis Powell and William
Rehnquist had been seated on the court. The court apparently wanted the cases argued
before all nine justices. Msgr. James McHugh, director of the Family Life Division of
the U.S. Catholic Conference, called the court action “a step forward” and an
indication that the justices realize that the abortion issue is serious enough to require a
hearing by the full court.
Memoirs Not To Appear
VIENNA, Austria (NC) - Sources close to 80-year-old Cardinal Josef Mindszenty
disclosed that the Hungarian prelate’s long-awaited memoirs - originally due to appear
in book form this year - will not be published after all. A Hungarian-bom university
professor here, who declined to be identified, edited the Cardinal’s manuscript for
publication. But, the professor now says, the agreement between the Vatican and the
Hungarian government that resulted in Cardinal Mindszenty’s leaving the U.S. embassy
in Budapest after 15 years precludes the cardinal from publishing his memoirs.
Confession Change Seen
VATICAN CITY (NC) -- Pope Paul VI will soon announce that priests in special
cases may forgive sins of a group of persons without hearing individual Confessions,
informed sources told NC News. The new instruction on absolution, signed by
Cardinal Franjo Seper, prefect of the Doctrinal Congregation, was approved by Pope
Paul at an audience with the cardinal June 16, but it is not known when the Vatican
will make the new instruction public. The new instruction will extend the privilege to
areas such as the missions where overworked priests might not have time to hear
individual confessions. “The Church is not junking the confessional box and is very
definitely keeping the regular format of Confession except in extreme circumstanced,”
the sources said.