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SERVING 88 SOUTH - GEORGIA COUNTIES
The Southern Cross
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
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UbA
Vol. 53 No. 30
Thursday, September 7,1972
. /» @ / Single Copy Price — 12 Cents
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Monsignor McDonald Ordained Bishop
MONSIGNOR ANDREW J. McDONALD is shown here as he walks in procession of 23 archbishops, bishops and abbo'ts into
Savannah’s Cathedral of St. John the Baptist last Tuesday (Sept. 5) to be ordained the fifth bishop of Little Rock, Arkansas. He is
flanked by Father Joseph F. Ware of Atlanta (on his right) and Monsignor John U. Lyness of Cumberland, Maryland (on his left).
THROUGH THE IMPOSITION OF HANDS by Archbishop Thomas J. McDonough and the other consecrating bishops, Monsignor
Andrew J. McDonald of Savannah receives the Holy Spirit to carry out the office of Bishop of Little Rock, Arkansas.
More than one thousand persons, laypeople, Religious, clergy, abbots, bishops and archbishops crowded
Savannah’s Cathedral of St. John the Baptist last Tuesday (Sept. 5) to witness the ordination of Monsignor
Andrew J. McDonald as a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
In the solemn and impressive rites, the well-known and popular Savannah prelate became the Most Reverend
Andrew J. McDonald, fifth bishop of the diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas.
The principal consecrator was
Archbishop Thomas J. McDonough of
Louisville, a former bishop of Savannah,
He was assisted by Archbishop Philip M.
Hannah of New Orleans and Bishop
Gerard L. Frey of Savannah. Twenty
other abbots and bishops also
participated in the ceremonies.
The assembled prelates entered the
crowded Cathedral in solemn procession
at 11 a.m. to the rousing strains of the
hymn “Praise to the Lord” leading
bishop-elect McDonald and the three
co-consecrators. Following the liturgy of
The Word and the Homily, delivered by
Archbishop McDonough, the Rite of the
Ordination of a Bishop began with the
presentation of Msgr. McDonald to
Archbishop McDonough by Msgr. John
U. Lyness of Cumberland, Maryland, a
close friend of the bishop-elect.
The mandate from Rome, which
appointed Msgr. McDonald to the
episcopacy was then read by another
friend of many years, Father Joseph Ware
of Atlanta. Then, as a sign of the consent
and approval of the entire community,
the congregation burst into applause.
Archbishop McDonough read an
instruction on the duties of a bishop.
He reminded the congregation that
Jesus Christ chose twelve apostles to
carry the good tidings of the Gospel to
the world, and that the apostles, in turn,
selected helpers for themselves and
“passed on to them the gift of the Holy
Spirit they had received from Christ, by
an imposition of hands which confers the
sacrament of Orders in its fullness.
“In that way, by a succession of
bishops unbroken from one generation to
the next, the powers conferred in the
beginning were handed down and the
work of the Savior lives and grows in our
own time.”
Archbishop McDonough then
reminded Msgr. McDonald that “the title
of bishop derives not from his rank but
from his duty, and it is the part of a
bishop to serve rather than to rule.”
The instruction continued with the
admonition to the bishop-elect to
“proclaim the message (Gospel) whether
it be welcome or unwelcome; correct
error with the greatest patience and in a
spirit of teaching,” and reminded him to
“be mindful always of the good Shepherd
who knows his sheep and is known by
them and who did not hesitate to lay
down his life for his sheep.”
Following the instruction, bishop-elect
McDonald was then questioned aloud, in
accordance with the ordination ritual, on
“his resolve to keep the faith and
discharge his duties,” responding in the
affirmative to ten questions.
After the singing of the Litany of the
Saints came the high point of the
Ordination, the “Laying on of Hands.”
First, Archbishop McDonough and then
all the assembled archbishops, bishops
and abbots approached bishop-elect
McDonald and imposed their hands upon
his head, thus transmitting to him “the
gift of the Holy Spirit” they, themselves,
had received by a similar imposition of
hands when they were made bishops and
successors to the apostles. All the
episcopal participants then joined in the
following prayer: “Now pour out upon
this chosen one that power which flows
from you, the perfect Spirit whom you
gave to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,
the Spirit whom he gave to the apostles,
who established the Church in every place
as the sanctuary where your name would
always be praised and glorified.”
The new bishop returned to the pulpit
and addressed the people. (Text of his
address will be found on page 2).
Ministers of the Mass were members of
Monsignor McDonald’s family and
relatives. Priests who have served at
Savannah’s Blessed Sacrament while he
was pastor there, several priest-friends
and members of the parish.
In addition to the three main
consecrators, the following members of
the U.S. Hierarchy participated as
co-consecrators and concelebrants of the
Mass:
Bishop Albert L. Fletcher, retiring
bishop of Little Rock; Archbishop
Thomas A. Donnellan of Atlanta; Bishop
Michael J. Begley of Charlotte; Bishop
William D. Borders of Orlando; Bishop
Joseph B. Brunini of Jackson, Miss.
Bishop Lawrence P. Graves, Auxiliary
bishop of Little Rock; Bishop Charles P.
Greco of Alexandria, La.; Bishop James
W. Malone of Youngstown, O.; Bishop
Charles G. Maloney, Auxiliary of
Louisville.
Bishop John L. May of Mobile; Bishop
Harold R. Perry, Auxiliary of New
Orleans; Bishop Mark F. Schmitt of
Green Bay; Bishop Paul F. Tanner of St.
Augustine; Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler
of Charleston; Bishop Joseph G. Vath of
Birmingham.
Archabbot Egbert Donovan, of St.
Vincent’s archabbey, Latrobe, Pa.; Abbot
Walter A. Coggin of Belmont Abbey,
N.C.; Abbot Michael Lensing of New
Subiaco Abbey, Ark.; Abbot M.
Augustine Moore of Holy Spirit
Monastery, Conyers, Ga.
Msgr. Stapleton Dead
The Rev. Msgr. John D. Stapleton, 47,
rector of the Cathedral of Christ the King
in Atlanta, died August 26 after a short
illness.
He was a native of Savannah, attended
Marist School for Boys and graduated
from Benedictine and Georgetown
University in Washington, D.C. He did his
seminary studies at St. Bernard in
Rochester, N.Y.
He was ordained as a priest in the
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in 1953.
Monsignor Stapleton served as the
associate pastor of the Church of the
Assumption in Atlanta, the pastor of St.
Bernadette’s Church in Cedartown and
the founder and pastor of St. Jude’s
Church in Atlanta.
He was elevated to the rank of
monsignor in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.
Survivors are his . mother, Mrs.
Catherine Storer Stapleton of Savannah; a
brother Frank Storer Stapleton of
Texarkana, Tex.; two nephews and
several aunts of Savannah.
Msgr. Stapleton
"Maranatha” Sunday
The mysterious word “Maranatha” is making its appearance in the vocabulary of
Catholics in the Diocese of Savannah. Many will be wearing bright yellow “Maranatha”
buttons on September 10th, which is being observed throughout the Diocese as
“Religious Education Sunday”. “Maranatha” comes from the Arabic, and is taken
from Old Testament writings. It means, “Lord, come!” or “Come, Lord Jesus.” It has
been chosen as a key word to capture the spirit in which Catholics will embark on
studies this year to broaden their understanding of their faith. The importance of
religious education will be stressed in all churches in the Diocese, and information will
be made available about the different educational programs offered in each parish.
Priests Senate Meeting
The next meeting of the Priests’ Senate of the Savannah diocese will be held Friday,
September 15 at 10 a.m. at Johnnie Ganem’s restaurant, Habersham and Gaston
Street, Savannah. On the agenda is a discussion of plans for the diocesan clergy
conference to be held October 11. Senators wishing to have other items included on
the agenda should contact Father Herbert Wellmeier, President, as soon as possible.
India Independence
After this, the newly ordained bishops
was invested with the insignia of his
episcopal office, the ring, miter and staff,
and invited to take first place among the
assembled bishops.
The liturgy of the Mass was then
resumed, concluding with the hymn
“Praise God, From Whom All Blessings
Flow,” While Bishop McDonald
proceeded through the Cathedral, blessing
the congregation.
NEW DELHI, India (NC) -- Catholics in this capital city attended mid-night Mass in
all churches of the city on Aug. 15, commemorating India’s becoming independent 25
years ago. In the brilliantly lit central assembly hall of Parliament, Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi said that the “attainment of India’s freedom in 1947 was the beginning
of the end of colonial rule in different parts of the world.”
Long Hair, Beards Nixed
LAFAYETTE, La. (NC) - Priests in the Lafayette diocese have been ordered to
wear clerical clothes and “to abstain from wearing long hair -- down to the shoulders.”
The order came from Bishop Maurice Schexnayder in a letter telling priests in the
diocese to be moderate in their personal grooming. He also objected to beards and
mustaches.