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DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 54 No. 40»
Thursday, November 15, 1973
Single Copy Price — 12 Cents
FATHER ALFRED MCBRIDE, well-known author
and educator led a Worship Congress workshop
examining possible ways of “Renewing Traditional
Forms of Prayer.” Ways of rejuvenating devotions such
as Forty Hours, and the Rosary were discussed.
THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE
BAPTIST was the scene of the Worship Congress’
closing Mass. Concelebrating, in addition to about
40 priests, were Bishops Raymond Lessard, Ernest
Unterkoefler, and Michael Begley.
CONGRESS PARTICIPANTS learned something
about “Approaches to Prayer within the Protestant
Tradition from Dr. James May, Methodist Minister and
Professor of Liturgies and American Church History at
Emory University.
1200 ATTEND MEET IN SAVANNAH
Area Worship Congress Examines Prayer
MRS. LILLIAN O’DONOVAN, Savannah Ballet Instructor performed
an interpretative dance illustrating the words of St. Paul’s epistle to the
Phillipians, chapter 2, verses 5 to 11, at the Worship Congress.
BY FR. F.J. DONOHUE
Approximately 1,200 laypeople,
Religious and clergy met in Savannah
last week (Nov. 8-10) to participate in
three days of lectures, workshops,
prayer services and liturgies that
constituted the fourth Congress on
Worship of the Atlanta Province. The
province is made up of the archdiocese
of Atlanta, the dioceses of Savannah,
Charleston, Charlotte and Raleigh, and
Belmont Abbey. Theme of the congress
was “We Believe « Let us Pray.”
Heading the delegations to the
congress were Archbishop Thomas
Donnellan of Atlanta, Bishop Ernest
Unterkoefler of Charleston, Bishop
Raymond Lessard of Savannah, Bishop
Michael Begley of Charlotte, Bishop
Vincent Waters of Raleigh, Auxiliary
Bishop George Lynch of Raleigh and
Abbot Edmund McCaffrey of Belmont
Abbey.
The three-day meeting began on
Thursday evening with delegates being
welcomed by the Mr. Tom Coleman,
Chairman of the Commissioners of
Chatham County within which
Savannah is located, and by Mr. Frank
P. Rossiter, Mayor Pro Tern of
Savannah.
Both men are active Catholic, laymen.
Mr. Coleman is a former Chairman of
the Savannah Diocesan Pastoral Council.
Mr. Rossiter is a member of Savannah’s
Cathedral parish.
Speaking on behalf of the host
diocese was Bishop Raymond Lessard.
“It is my hope,” said the bishop,
“that these next three days might
provide for us, especially at those
moments when we are gathered around
the altar, a preview and a foretaste of
the heavenly liturgy - a taste of that joy
and peace that will be ours in heaven.
“For, after all, our liturgy is Christ’s
work and Christ’s worship, and
INSIDE STORY
Centenary
Pg. 2
Charismatic Conf.
Pg. 3
'Know Your Faith’
Pg. 5
Bishops Meeting
Pg. 7
therefore takes on something of the
heavenly liturgy. This event, this
festival, gives us a chance to be together
to lift our voices together with those of
the angels in one voice of praise and
thanksgiving. And it is with that spirit in
mind that I extend, on behalf of the
Saints of the churches of Savannah, the
warmest of welcomes to the Saints of
the churches of this province.
“Together, may we praise the Lord in
our joy, in our work, in our prayer.”
Featured lecturers for the congress
were Father Alfred McBride, O. Praem;
Monsignor J. Warren Holleran and
“In 1966 John Lennon of The
Beatles remarked that the Beatles were
more popular than Jesus Christ. The
Beatles have since disbanded, George
Harrison has been found singing ‘My
Sweet Lord’ and message songs such as
‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Bridge Over
Troubled Waters’ are filling our air
waves even yet. ‘Godspell’ comes
through like a medieval mystery play set
to music.”
So said Father Alfred McBride in his
keynote lecture at the Atlanta Province
Worship Congress held last week in
Savannah (Nov. 8-10). Father McBride,
a Norbertine priest, is a writer and
educator and author of a high school
religion text, “The Pearl and the Seed.”
Fr. McBride’s topic was “Believing in
Jesus” and his thesis was that a vital, if
not traditional, belief in Jesus is growing
in the United States, and that those who
share it have something of value to say
to the traditional, institutional church.
H^ recalled that in 1966 a writer in
TIME magazine proclaimed to the
nation that “God is dead.” “Yet, in
1973,” he declared, “we get the distinct
impression that Jesus lives. A
belief-experience in Christ is rife in
American culture and abroad in the
land.”
Conceding that “the fervor we are
now seeing may not be exactly the
second coming of Christ,” the
priest-educator insisted that “it gives
every indication of participating in the
kind of insight that even John Wesley
(the founder of Methodism), I think,
would have brought to your
neighborhood a hundred years ago.
He listed the so-called Jesus People,
Protestant Evangelicals and Catholic
Bishop Rene Gracida. Father McBride
holds a doctorate in Religious
Education from Catholic University. He
has written books on liturgy, Bible
history and Catechetics, and is author of
the high school text, “The Pearl and the
Seed.” Fr. McBride spoke on “Believing
in Jesus” and “The Church at Prayer.
Monsignor Holleran who spoke on
“The Prayerfulness of Jesus, is professor
of Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick’s
Seminary, Menlo Park, Calif, and holder
of a doctoral degree in Biblical
Theological from the Gregorian
University in Rome.
Pentecostals as the “three shapes” the
modern belief-experience of Jesus is
taking.
All three groups, he said, emphasize
the value of devotional and personal
prayer to Jesus and personal experience
of the Holy Spirit. “There is evidence in
many instances,” Fr. McBride said, “of
Bishop Gracida, Auxiliary bishop of
Miami was a practicing architect before
entering studies for the priesthood. He
has done graduate studies in Theology
and Philosophy at the University of
Fribourg, Switzerland. He spoke on
“The Church at Prayer.”
Separate reports on two of the
lectures will be found elsewhere in this
newspaper.
Highlighting the Congress on Worship
was a series of workshops conducted by
a layman, three nuns, a United
Methodist Minister, and six priests.
(Continued on Page 3)
conversion from lives of despair. . .to
lives of joy and hope.”
All three groups, he continued, talk
about Jesus as a “friend” and proclaim
that direct communication with God is
available to anyone “who opens himself
to the power of Jesus and permits
(Continued on Page 2)
Nothing After Death
PARIS (NC) - A poll indicates that 40 percent of the French population believes
there is nothing after death. Thirteen percent of the so-called practicing Catholics
shared this view. The survey, commissioned by a Catholic weekly, showed that 30
percent thought “there is something but I don’t know what” after death and 20
percent believed in a “a new life.” Ten percent had no opinion.
Cardinal Defends Right
LOURDES, FRANCE (NC) - Cardinal Francois Marty of Paris defended the French
bishops’ right to speak out on public issues. The cardinal, president of the French
bishops’ conference, referred to charges that the bishops are incompetent to speak on
issues that do not involve religion. Such charges had been made after several
churchmen opposed France’s nuclear tests in the Pacific earlier this year. The cardinal
spoke at the French bishops annual assembly here.
Allende Suicide
PHILADELPHIA (NC) - President Salvador Allende of Chile committed suicide,
some reports of deaths during the Chilean coup have been exaggerated and there is
evidence that Allende supporters had distributed arms for a paramilitary force.
Cardinal Raul Silva of Santiago, Chile, made these observations in a conversation with
Cardinal John Krol of Philadelphia. Cardinal Silva reportedly said that he is certain
about Allende’s suicide because the churchman’s own nephew was among the
physicians who examined Allende’s body. Cardinal Silva said that most reliable sources
indicate that 1,000 persons died in Santiago during the coup and that about 300 died
4-Vt r» 4-
FR. MCBRIDE TELLS CONGRESS
Belief in Jesus is Growing