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BISHOP ANDREW J. McDONALD, former pastor of
Savannah’s Blessed Sacrament parish and presently
bishop of Little Rock Arkansas, returned to Savannah
for the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day observance. He is
shown here talking to youngsters after blessing a shrine
honoring Our Lady of Fatima on the grounds of
Blessed Sacrament rectory.
PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, March 22,1973
U.S. Nun Heads Vatican Office
BY ANNA BRADY
VATICAN CITY (NC) - Now that
women are working in the Roman
Curia, the Church’s central
administrative offices, what kind of jobs
do they have?
Sister Thaddeus Kelly, a Presentation
Sister from San Francisco, is one
example.
Vatican Council II’s call for updating
and, if necessary, revision of all
constitutions of religious congregations
brought into being in 1971 the Office
for the Approbation of Constitutions of
Congregations of Women Religious at
the Vatican Congregation for Religious.
According to a priest member of that
congregation, it was decided to look for
an American nun to head this new
office. There are well over 2,000
.congregations , of women Religious
dedicated to active life apostolates,
about a quarter of them
English-speaking. Sister Kelly, he said,
was known personally at the
congregation in connection with visits in
behalf of her own congregation. So she
was summoned from San Francisco to
head the new office.
Sister Kelly is the first and, up to this
writing, the only woman head of an
office of the Roman Curia.
Sister Kelly came well prepared to
tackle her challenging job. First she
served as a teacher and a school
principal, then as a member of her
community’s general council and as first
assistant to its superior general. She
Stephen Patton, a sophomore at
Columbus’ Pacelli High School is the
winner of the 1973 Young Columbus
Contest sponsored by Parade Magazine
STEPHEN PATTON
holds a master’s degree and is fluent in
French, has a working knowledge of
Italian and a good Latin foundation.
Her activities have included
participation in international meetings
and she has worked intimately with
members of other religious
communities.
Interviewed in her pleasant office,
Sister Kelly was relaxed, frank in her
answers and obviously happy in her
work. There was no trace of the
restraint which at one time marked the
manner of Roman Curia members below
the rank of secretary. Her short-skirted
black suit (her community’s modernized
habit) was becoming, with a small veil
adorning her slightly greying black hair.
Of medium height, compactly built, a
visitor is put at ease by the friendly
interest in her eyes behind spectacles
and the warmth of her smile. With a
touch of amusement she answered the
obvious question, saying “there has
been no lack of acceptance of me or of
the other women working here.”
There are now 12 women in her
department; nine of them Religious, the
others laywomen. The nuns belong to
different religious communities and
constitute a polyglot international work
force.
“It is often said,” I commented,
“that the Sisters serve only as secretaries
and have no effective voice in any of the
work of the congregation.”
“Actually,” Sister Kelly replied,
“only three of the women here do
secretarial work. They are the-members
secular institutes and their vocation is
and the Ledger-Enquirer newspapers of
Columbus.
On April 19, Patton will join other
U.S. newspaper carriers in New York for
a 13-day trip to Romania and Germany.
The youth is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Lyle W. Patton of 2930 Beacon Avenue
in Columbus and an altar boy at Holy
Family Church.
Young Patton won the trip by
signing up 88 new subscribers to the
Columbus newspapers. To get that
many subscribers, says Patton, he had to
knock at “at least 800 doors, probably
more like over 1,000.”
The European trip will feature visits
to scenic and historic areas in Romania
and Germany, including Bucharest and
Munich. Attractions in Germany will
include folk entertainment in Munich
and athletic competition among the
news carriers themselves at Olympic
Village. Patton’s forte is in jumping
competition.
that particular field. And, I may add,
they are extraordinarily good at their
job and turn out beautiful work.”
Asked to describe her own work,
Sister Kelly replied:
“My special work is with the
English-speaking women Religious in
active life. As this language group,
particularly the Americans, has
produced the greatest number of
changed constitutions and raised the
largest number of questions regarding
them, this in itself is really more than a
fulltime job. I am also consulted,
naturally, with regard to questions
connected with the other language
groups as well.
Asked about work hours, Sister Kelly
said they were the same as for every one
in the Curia,” eight to one, six days a
week, with an additional five to eight
turn once a week.
“I confess,” she added with a smile,
“that I find it useful to return in the
afternoon from time to time to get
through work without interruptions and
to catch up on unffinished business.”
“Since this office is for the
approbation of new constitutions,” I
remarked, “will you tell me how many
have been approved since you have been
here?”
“First of all, let me say that no final
approval is being given to any
constitution until the end of the
experimental period set by Pope Paul.
And this period varies according to the
individual constitutions of the various
congregations.
“Secondly,” Sister Kelly continued,
“there is no question of formal approval
being given by this office. That is not
within its competence but rests with the
prefect and the secretary of the
congregation. My work, and the work of
the office is to prepare the documents
for their examination and decisions.
“Since no final approvals have been
given as yet, does this mean that the
congregation is not satisfied with those
constitutions it has received?” I asked.
“Not at all. It is to allow the
maximum time for the trial period. In
some cases, a one or two-year extension
has been granted because the reasons
given for asking it have been considered
valid ones.”
“What is your opinion regarding the
final outcome of the trial period?”
“Most optimistic,” Sister Kelly
replied. “There has certainly been
definite growth and development in the
understanding between the various
religious communities and the
congregation, for example. There is
need for increasing communications
between them and every effort is being
made to bring it about.
Pacelli Student Wins Trip
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Augusta Hospital States
Its Position on Abortion
Rev. Andrew Doris, Secretary of the
Operating Board of Saint Joseph
Hospital, Augusta, introduced a
resolution at the recent meeting of the
Board, in these words:
“In the light of recent developments,
it seems opportune and even neseccary
that we reaffirm our corporate policy in
relation to respect for life and therefore
I offer the following resolution for
adoption by the Board.
The Operating Board of the Saint
Joseph Hospital, recognizing its
obligation to protect and promote the
philosophy of the Sisters of Saint
Joseph of Carondelet, the sponsoring
agency of this hospital, do reaffirm that
it is the stated policy to give the greatest
respect to and acknowledge the dignity
of human life in every stage of its
development; from conception until
naturally ended.”
This resolution was adopted by the
Board at its February meeting.
The philosophy of the Health Care
Apostolate of the Sisters of Saint
Joseph of Carondelet contains the
following statement:
“1) each person has a uniqueness and
dignity in the spiritual pyschological,
social and physical aspect of his nature;
2) the right of human life is sacred in
its conception, birth, maturity, and
transformation through natural death to
life eternal;
3) proper and competent means shall
be taken to prevent and cure illness and
alleviate suffering in the whole person
without regard to race, creed, national
origin, or economic status.”
Mr. William S. Atkinson,
Administrator, states that Saint Joseph
Hospital adopted the policy that any
challenge which confronts the hospital
in regard to abortions, will be handled
by the proper authorities.
Mr. Atkinson further stated that he
will incorporate an appropriate
statement on this vital issue in his
comments to new employees.
Sister Rose McLarney, Inservice
Coordinator at the hospital, will include
in her orientation and in-service
programs information on the
philosophy of Saint Joseph Hospital in
this regard, Mr. Atkinson continued.
Under the Georgia Law, hospitals
will not be forced to perform abortions,
and Saint Joseph Hospital’s policy will
continue to be that abortions are not
permitted; that a consultation from a
qualified member of the staff is required
for an operation in which the viability
of a fetus is placed in jeopardy.
The Georgia statute left intact this
portion of the requirements:
“a hospital is free not to admit a
patient for an abortion” and that:
“a physician or an employee has the
right to refrain, for moral or religious
reasons, from participating in an
abortion procedure.”
Thus appropriate protection is
contained in the statute to the individual
and to the denominational hospital.
The budding branch, shown on
leaflets which will be distributed in each
parish on Sunday, symbolizes man’s
budding faith as he struggles to emerge
from a childish understanding of
Christian beliefs and to develop
maturity in his relationship with God.
Sermons this Sunday will describe this
stage of growth as a painful one, as man
comes to grips with the doubt and
rejection he must pass through in order
to develop an adult understanding of
faith. The leaflets and sermons are part
of “The Church - a place to grow”, the
Lenten program by the Department of
Christian Formation. The program,
which involves the church, the home,
the schools, CCD classes and adult
learning in each parish, is being used
throughout the Diocese of Savannah and
in a number of areas outside the Diocese
during the Lenten season.
Vatican Warned on Red-Relations
BY FATHER PLACID JORDAN
BONN, Germany (NC) - The
Catholic press of West Germany is
warning the Vatican to beware of East
European Communist regimes bearing
gifts of new dioceses in their territories.
Apprehension in the press is being
voiced especially about the future status
of the sections in East German territory
of four West German dioceses -- Fulda,
Osnabrueck, Paderbom and Wuerzburg.
The auxiliary bishops and others in
charge of those sections live in the East
German cities of Schwerin, Magdeburg,
Erfurt and Meiningen. Rarely are they
permitted by the Communists to visit
their dioceses’ See cities in the West.
Willy Weiskirch, speaking for the
Christian Democratic party, warned
Vatican authorities not to accede to
East German requests to establish new
dioceses under East German control. He
said he feels such accesion would cut off
the already precarious contacts between
the 1.3 million Catholics under East
German Communist rule and other
Catholics in the West.
East Germany has appeared eager to
establish relations with the Vatican
since it negotiated a treaty with Willie
Brandt’s West German government. The
next step might be the appointment of a
papal nuncio in East Berlin, but this
prospect is remote, observers said.
Dr. Otto B. Roegele of the
journalism faculty of Munich
University, warned in an article that
Church negotiations ought not to be
rushed under Communist pressure.
The Berlin daily Morgenpost
commented on the Vatican’s contacts
with Czechoslovakia’s Communist
regime and the subsequent naming of
four bishops to vacant dioceses there.
The Morgenpost expressed the fear that
this might be a “sad overture toward the
realignment of German diocesan
borders.
The naming of our bishops in
Czechoslovakia was accompanied by
some government actions which made it
seem evident that the regime continues
to keep pushing its party line.
German skeptics of the Czechoslovak
situation were able to add fuel to their
criticism by pointing to the
consecration of bishop Josef Vrana of
Olomouc. Contrary to an agreement
reached with the Vatican, he apparently
will continue as president of the
government-sponsored “peace priests”
movement, Pacem in Terris.
Writing in Petrusblatt, Berlin’s
diocesan paper, Wolfgang Knauft
concurred with those urging caution in
dealing with the Communists. He
pointed out that the Prague archdiocese
still remains vacant as do seven other
Czechoslovak bishoprics.
Knauft pointed out further that no
satisfactory understanding * seems to
have been reached about the freedom of
teaching religion, the training of priests
and the activity of religious
communities in Czechoslovakia.
Hermann Josef Kreitmeier, editor of
the diocesan weekly in Eichstaett, wrote
that prospects of more religious
freedom are no better in Hungary and
Poland.
It is appreciated in West Germany
that the Vatican must necessarily walk a
tight rope in dealing with Communist
regimes. It is understood further that
results will not be immediate in trying
to better the conditions of Catholics
behind the Iron Curtain.
But observers here also pointed out
that no papal nuncios are allowed to
function in any of the Communist-ruled
countries, except Yugoslavia.
Finally, it is conceded here that one
must be satisfied with whatever
alternative is available. But even under
such slow progress the Church may at
least continue to exercize some
influence, the observers say.
Why Doesn’t Colombo Go to Mass?
GREENSBURG, Pa. (CPF) - If
rabbis don’t like the way Jews are
portrayed on Bridget Loves Bernie, a
Catholic priest suggested they might not
feel so discriminated against if they “see
how many people we got on TV series
and look how they behave.”
The priest, Msgr. Norbert Gaughan,
who writes a frequently satirical column
for The Catholic Accent, newspaper of
the Greensburg diocese, ran a “Dear
Rabbi” letter written by a mythical Mrs.
Sophie Nadurski, “local president of
Bring Back Religion to TV.”
“You think you got troubles with
Bridget Loves Bernie,” Sophie tells
Rabbi Balfour Brickner, director of
Interfaith Activities for a prominent
Jewish organization, after reading about
his complaint in Time magazine. Writes
“Sophie”:
“Take that fine Italian detective,
Columbo. He’s a nice guy, I guess. He’s
always talking about his wife, and he
never gets smart with any of the pretty
ladies who show up in the plot, and
that’s worth something, isn’t it?
“But does the TV program ever show
him at Mass? No, and never once do you
see him saying the Rosary. When he’s
got a tough case and can’t solve it, do
you see him say a prayer, in church or
out of it? Fine Italian; he never
mentions St. Anthony. So what’s the
use of having an Italian hero of a series
if you don’t get to see him living his
religion too?”
“Sophie” also pointed out the lax
Catholicism of another TV hero, “that
Polish boy Banacek.”
“There he is, lots of money, living it
up in Boston, where there are lots of
Catholics. Now you would expect to
find a Polish boy once in a while going
to church, wearing a medal or two, or at
least mentioning something from the
Baltimore Catechism, right? . . .
“Every week he’s got a new girl
friend whom he smooches all over the
place and gets serious with. If he’s such
a good Polish man, why doesn’t he
settle down, get married and raise a
family? With all the money he makes,
he can afford it. Or give some money to
the missions. Or help out poor Cardinal
Medeiros, who has got troubles enough,
God knows. At least he could buy a
statue for his church.”
“Sophie” looks down on Madigan
“(Do you ever hear any nice words from
him about the Pope?”), and she suspects
that McMillan & Wife, if they’re
Catholic, probably practice birth
control (“With all that lovey-dovey stuff
you would think they would have a few
children at least, but you never see any.
Might interfere with their life-style”).
“Sophie” also wonders why, with all
those doctors on TV, not one is a
Catholic. At least it looks that way to
her.
“Every so often, at least one doctor
somewhere should be lighting a candle
before an operation, or giving an
advertisement for God, or talking over
the ethical implications of some
operation with a nice, smart theologian.
Not those bozos. They all look like
smart-alecks and it looks like they don’t
need God.”
She also took out after the TV talk
shows.
“You name any subject that nice
people aren’t supposed to talk about, or
any words that are not to be used in
polite conversation, and Johnny
Carson’s show has got them.
“Rabbi, you would be surprised how
many Catholics and Jews come on that
program and show that whatever their
religion is, it doesn’t have a thing to do
with the way they live.”
****
Reform
BOSTON (NC) - Cardinal Humberto
Medeiros endorsed a statement by the
Boston archdiocesan priests’ senate that
urges that “prisons as currently
conceived and administered should be
abolished.” In addition, the cardinal
responded to a call by the senate and
appointed Father John J. Foley,
Catholic chaplain at the Massachusetts
Correctional Institution, to head a new
archdiocesan Commission on Penal
Reform. The prelate took the actions
before going to Rome for installation in
the college of cardinals.
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