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PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, January 17, 1974
Former Soviet Prisoner Lauds Solzhenitsyn
NEW YORK (NC) - “I admire this
man. He has taken dangerous risks. I
only wish I’d had the courage to do
what he did. ”
The man who said that is Father
Walter J. Ciszek who spent 15 years
years in Soviet prison camps. The man
Father Ciszek praised was Alexander
Solzhenitsyn, the dissident Soviet
author who has been openly critical in
his statements about the Soviet political
system.
The “dangerous risk” to which
Father Ciszek was referring was
Solzhenitsyn’s latest book, “The Gulag
Archipelago,” a grim 600-page account
of the Soviet prison and forced labor
camp system of the past. He wrote the
documentary from his own experiences
in prison, but mainly from the
eye-witness accounts from more than
200 survivors of the Gulag Archipelago.
TRANSCENDENTAL SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS.
Sisters Pat, Lucy and Charlene show “how to do it”
when recording an album of upbeat songs such as “No
Beer in Heaven” and “Bam Burner” -- two of the
selections in an album available under the Ray Record
label. This photo was used for the album cover.
NO BEER IN HEAVEN
Singing Nuns Launch Album
(NC News Service)
“In heaven there is no beer.
That’s why we drink it here.
And when we’ve gone from here,
Our friends will be drinking all the
beer.”
With this bit of joie de vivre, three
singing nuns in Nebraska have kicked
off their musical career as the
“Transcendental Sisters of St. Francis.”
There may be no beer in heaven, but
that doesn’t stop the Sisters from having
a good time as they romp through an
album of light-hearted polka tunes to
the accompaniment of a five-man band.
The three nuns, Sisters Patricia
Swirczek, Charlene Stuezynski and
Lucy Kosiba, said they cut the stereo
LP album to help riuse money for the
retirement fund of their Colorado-based
order, the Poor Sisters of St. Francis
Seraph of Perpetual Adoration, in
Colorado Springs.
Sister Lucy, principal and first-grade
teacher at St. Anthony grade school in
Columbus, Neb., told NC News the idea
of cutting an album originated with
Joseph Siedlik, an agent of Ray Records
in Columbus, who “knew the three of
us liked to sing polka music.”
Sister Pat and Sister Charlene - all
three prefer to use their first names -
teach at St. Stanislaus school, Omaha.
According to Sister Lucy, the idea to
use proceeds from the records for the
retirement fund arose because over half
of the Sisters in the order have reached
retirement age. Because of the recent
decline in new vocations, the order
expects its percentage of retirees to
increase in the next few years, she said.
She said the Sisters recently joined
the Social Security System and have
established a retirement fund that is
“adequate for now,” but the order’s
needs will increase in the future.
“I love these nuns!” exclaimed
Siedlik, explaining his role in the
production of the album. “Sister Pat
used to be my babysitter.”
He said it was his hope that the
album profits would help the Sisters
establish a retirement home in Nebraska
so they would not have to return to
their Colorado Springs motherhouse
when they retired.
“When you’ve worked with a
community 35-40 years, and then have
to go away to Colorado . . .well, you
have to leave your friends and associates
of a lifetime, and that’s just not right,”
he said.
The album, which is available for
$5.00 from Ray Records, P.O. Box 128
in Columbus, Neb., will bring the Sisters
$.25 in royalties plus the retail profit of
about $1.00, Siedlik said.
Do the three Sisters drink beer? Sister
Lucy broke up laughing. “I don’t like
it!” she said. “‘No Beer in Heaven’ is
just a nonsense song I started teaching
my first graders about 10 years ago. The
others (Sisters Pat and Charlene) will
drink beer once in a great while, on
special occasions.”
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The Gulag Archipelago is a reference
to the network of prisons and transit
facilities in the Soviet Union which
through a 40-year period kept more
than six million political prisoners.
Father Ciszek was one of them.
A native of Shenandoah, Pa., Father
Ciszek was ordained a Jesuit in Rome in
1937. He was assigned to parish duties
at Albyrtyn ad Slonim, Poland. During
World War II that area was held by the
Germans, and later by the Russians.
Father Ciszek was jailed by the Soviet
secret police on charges of being a spy
in 1940. He was released in 1955. He
lived in Poland until 1963 when he was
sent to the United States in exchange
for two Soviet spies.
Now 68 years old, Father Ciszek
marvels at the way Solzhenitsyn was
able to gather his information for the
book in the Soviet Union where citizens
think twice before speaking critically
about the Soviet regime, past or present.
“When I was released from prison, I
wanted to do the same thing that
Solzhenitsyn did, but I didn’t have the
guts, I guess,” Father Cislzek said.
Father Ciszek noted, however, that for a
political prisoner like himself, prison
would likely be much harsher than it
would for a writer of Solzhenitsyn’s
stature. And in fact, the kind of harsh
prison system that Solzhenitsyn wrote
from the accounts of others, is the
system that Father Ciszek experienced
first hand.
“I applaud one-hundred percent what
Solzhenitsyn has done. I hope he can
survive the pressures that are almost
certain to be put upon him,” the priest
said.
“I once wanted to say the same
things, but of course I could not have
said them so eloquently as Solzhenitsyn
has done. And maybe that is God’s will.
Solzhenitsyn is truly inspired to speak
on behalf of the Soviet people of
today.”
Father Ciszek, now associated with
the Pope John XXIII Center for Russian
Studies at Fordham University, said he
is eager to read “Gulag Archipelago”
when it becomes available in the United
States.
Father Ciszek did write a book,
however, that received good reviews last
year. The book, entitled “He Leadeth
Me,” tells how he survived, in the words
of one reviewer, “years of religious
persecution, gruelling interrogations,
Siberian slave labor camps, perpetual
hunger, spiritual isolation and intense
physical suffering.”
The reviewer was Father Kenneth
Baker, a fellow Jesuit and editor of
Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He
wrote that Father Ciszek’s book “comes
to grips with the fundamental problems
of human existence that confront
Everyman; life, suffering, death, faith,
despair, hope, the will of God, evil,
prayer, the providence of God.”
ST. PETER CLAVER
Macon Parish Highlights
BY MRS. BEA SIMMONS
November was a very busy month for
St. Peter Claver Parish, preparing for
Thanksgiving. Food was gathered by the
CYO, school and private individuals and
distributed to needy families. The men
of the Parish, as their first project,
distributed fruit baskets. These projects
were very successful.
The Council of Catholic Women
hosted a farewell social, November 29,
1973, for one of their faithful members,
Mrs. Jackie Boatman, who is leaving the
parish to reside in Chicago with
relatives. We are saddened by the loss of
such a dependable member, but we
know she will be an asset to whatever
parish she affiliates with. Our Blessings.
In rolls December, like a
thunderstorm of events, with the men,
God Bless them, organizing St. Peter
Claver Men’s Club. It is indeed rare, that
men have the opportunity to get
together for such a project. About 20 of
our men, decided to form a mens club,
with the following officers elected:
Eddie Brickie, President; Curtis Givens,
Vice President; Ernest Troutman,
Secretary; Glen Tomey, Treasurer;
Ernest Bailey, Program Chairman; and
Ed Jones, Joe Lundy and Ron Hogan,
By-Laws Committee. “Good Luck
Men,” we’re proud of you.
Well, do you have a “Ditty Bag” or
not? You better not get caught without
one, says Mrs. Cynthia Manson, our
Chairman of Community Affairs, one of
the many commissions of St. Peter
Clavers Council of Catholic Women. The
“Ditty Bag”, a collection of small items,
toiletries, etc., were distributed
December 17th., to various Nursing
homes for the patients. This project, a
tremendous success with full
cooperation from all. Don’t get caught
without your “Ditty Bag”, I suspect
Cynthia will be lurking around again.
Berrigan
Speech
Scored
PHILADELPHIA (NC) - In an open
letter to Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan,
two of his fellow opponents of the
Vietnam war challenged his anti-Israeli
remarks in a recent speech before an
Arab organization.
“It was with great pain. . . that we
read your words spoken before the Arab
University Graduates in Washington,”
wrote Rabbi Alexander Shapiro of Oheb
Shalom Congregation in South Orange,
N.J., and Father David Gracie of
Philadelphia, urban missioner of the
Episcopal diocese of Pennsylvania.
Father Gracie and Rabbi Shapiro
called Father Berrigan’s speech
“potentially lethal.”
“We worry together about
anti-Semitism on the Christian left as
well as on the right,” they said. “We
think Israel has been the Christians’
suffering servant for long enough . . .
Even if this search for a Jewish
scapegoat were nowhere in your
unconscious, we suspect it exists for
others and will be fired up by your
words. ”
The two peace activists charged that
Father Berrigan’s speech was filled with
factual errors. “We doubt that you
could have written what you did if you
had done my homework at all,” they
said.
Ah, last, but definitely not least, our
Christmas Party, hosted by the CCW
It was indeed a Merry after Christmas,
December 28th in the Parish Hall. The
children, even in arms, were delighted
with the decorations, and to be
co-mingling with their parents and
others. They were prancing around with
owl-eyed wonder, at all the presents
under the tree and all the food.
Its amazing how much food seems to
come from everywhere when the CCW is
planning something. All the snitchers
were in very good form, while everyone
was being entertained with a Fashion
Show, sponsored by the Catholic Youth
Organization, under the capable
direction of Mrs. Mildred Howard. Gifts
were given to the children up to age
twelve. The Priests, Sisters and
Parishioners enjoyed the festivities.
The CCW was a tremendous success
during the year 1973, and this was due
to the capable and dedicated leadership
of our President, Mrs. Virginia Morgan.
Mrs. Morgan was presented, at the
Christmas Party, a watch to show our
appreciation and affection for her. We
are looking forward to 1974 being even
greater. A simple Thank you.
We cannot close out the year without
saluting a lady we think of as the
mother of our parish, “Mama Daisy”;
Mrs. Daisy Pitts who is always cooking
something, for the sheer pleasure of it,
who is there when you need her, lending
a helping hand in all areas. We salute
you, and look forward to that firm
guiding hand in 1974. We love you.
Happy New Year, St. Peter Claver
Parish.
Parochial League Underway
The Parochial School Basketball
League, sponsored jointly by Savannah
Council No. 631, Knights of Columbus
and the Catholic parochial schools of
Chatham County opened its 1974
season the first weekend in January.
The format of the league is similar to
previous years with one exception. St.
Michael’s, a very small school at
Savannah Beach, decided not to enter
the league this year.
To partially make up for this loss to
the league, Blessed Sacrament parish
entered two girls teams. None of the
schools, however, were able to field a
second boys team. Consequently, the
boys section is operating with one team
less in 1974 than in 1973.
Games will be played on seven
succesive weekends, alternating each
weekend between Sacred Heart and
Blessed Sacrament gyms. A donations of
25 cents for adults and 10 cents for
students will be asked at the games to
help defray expenses of the league.
FIRST WEEKEND
During the first weekend of play in
the boys division, Cathedral won over
St. Mary 32-23 and St. James downed
Sacred Heart 44-22. Blessed Sacrament
and Nativity did not play the first
weekend.
In the girls division Nativity won
handily over Blessed Sacrament No. 2
by a score of 29-4. Cathedral took its
opener from St. Mary 33-27 and St.
James routed Sacred Heart 38-4. Blessed
Sacrament No. 1 did not play.
Nativity 48-24 while Sacred Heart
bested St. Mary 48-34. Cathedral and
St. James had an off weekend.
In the girls division Blessed
Sacrament No. 1 bested a scrappy
Nativity quintet 23-18, but a hapless
Blessed Sacrament No. 2 team fell
before Cathedral 14-5. St. Mary
disposed of Sacred Heart 33-11. St.
James had an open weekend.
On Jan. 19-20, all games will be
played at Sacred Heart Gym. On the
19th, Blessed Sacrament boys will face
Cathedral at 2 p.m. and Blessed
Sacrament girls No. 1 will take on
Cathedral at 3 p.m.
There will be three games on the 20 th
opening with Nativity girls meeting
Cathedral at 1 p.m. The 2 p.m. game
pits Nativity boys against Cathedral and
the 3 p.m. tilt will find St. James girls
and Blessed Sacrament No. 2 facing one
another.
The boys teams of St. James and St.
Mary’s will be idle.
TEAM STANDINGS
GIRLS
WON
LOST
Cathedral
2
0
Bl. Sac. No. 1
1
0
St. James
1
0
Nativity
1
1
St. Mary
1
1
Bl. Sac. No. 2
0
2
Sacred Heart
0
2
BOYS
WON
LOST
SECOND WEEKEND
In games played on the second
weekend of January, in the boys
division Blessed Sacrament outscored
Bl. Sac.
Cathedral
St. Jamees
Sacred Heart
Nativity
St. Mary
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
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