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The Southern Cross
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 56 No. 11 Thursday, March 13,1975 ' Single Copy Price -15 Cents
Bishop Lessord Invites Diocesan Reaction
My dear friends in Christ,
The production of the National Catechetical Directory is an
important project undertaken by the Bishops of the United States.
Its purpose is to set down norms and clarify goals for Catholic
religious education in our country.
Wide and extensive consultation is being used in the preparation of
this document, not only to assure that the final product be both
practical and pastoral, but also to take advantage of the collective
wisdom and insights of the whole people of God.
Our own local coordinating committee has drawn up a plan for
involving our people in the Diocese of Savannah in this consultation.
Anyone who is concerned with this area of Catholic life is invited to
examine the first draft of the document, which is already available,
and to submit observations and recommendations. I especially hope
that those individuals or groups in the diocese who have been asked
to study and make recommendations on a specific section or chapter
of the document will be able to do so. In this way, we can be assured
of a substantial and representative participation by the people of our
diocese in this important project.
Asking for the prayers of all that this vital undertaking be guided
by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of the Church in this country, I
remain,
Devotedly yours in Christ,
+ Raymond W. Lessard
Bishop of Savannah
ON CA TECHETICAL DIRECTOR Y
Second Phase of Consultation Underway
WEEKEND RETREAT. Nineteen young women
from Savannah board bus last week (March 7) for
spiritual retreat at Holy Trinity Retreat House, Holy
Trinity, Alabama. Accompanying them were Fr.
Lawrence A. Lucree, Rector of the Cathedral; Sr.
Joseph, O.S.F. (far left, front row), Sr. Jeanne Therese,
I.H.M. (3rd from left) and Sr. Camille Collini, C.S.J.
(far right). Sr. Pauline Garvin, R.S.M. and Sr. Gilmary
O’Hayer, R.S.M., both from Columbus, joined the
group in Alabama.
DURING NCEA MEET
on Priestly Formation
Hearings
WASHINGTON (NC)
Representatives of the U.S. Catholic
Bishops’ Committee on Priestly
Formation will hold hearings on the
revision of “The Program of Priestly
Formation” in the United States during
the coming annual convention of the
National Catholic Educational
Association (NCEA).
Announcement of the hearings during
the March 31-April 3 NCEA convention
in Atlantic City, N.J., was made here by
Msgr. Robert E. Bacher, executive
director of the bishops’ committee.
“The Program of Priestly
Formation,” prepared by the bishops’
committee in collaboration with the
Conference of Major Superiors of Men,
is the basic training program for all
future priests, diocesan and Religious, in
this country.
On Jan. 18, 1971, the Vatican
Congregation for Catholic Education
approved the U.S. program for a
five-year period. Work on revision of the
current program began early in 1974,
and the first hearings were held at last
year’s NCEA convention in Cleveland.
A working paper of revisions, which
has been sent to seminary officials and
others concerned with priestly
formation, will form the basis for the
Atlantic City hearings. The paper was
prepared by the bishops’ committee as a
result of the Cleveland hearings and
consultations conducted during the past
year with bishops, seminary personnel,
and a number of organizations.
The format for the hearings involves
a series of panels for each of three levels
of seminary formation.
It is expected that the input from the
Atlantic City hearings will be evaluated
shortly afterwards by a steering
committee and presented to the
bishops’ committee in late May. A
revised document will then be sent to
the bishops, and a final document will
be presented to the November annual
meeting of the National Conference of
Catholic Bishops.
INSIDE STORY
Irish Mythology Pg* 2
Death Penalty Pg* 3
Television Movies Pg* 6
Abortion Survey Pg* 7
Production of the new National
Catechetical Directory is moving into its
second state, as concerned Catholics all
over the nation prepare to comment on
the first draft, now available in tabloid
form.
In a letter issued March 10th, Bishop
Raymond Lessard has invited the widest
possible reaction to the Catechetical
Directory draft. “Anyone,” said the
bishop, “who is concerned with this
area of Catholic life is invited to
examine the first draft of the document,
which is already available, and to submit
observations and recommendations.”
(Full text of Bishop Lessard’s letter
appears above.)
The Directory - to be issued by the
Catholic Bishops of the United States -
is intended to be a pastoral and practical
document containing norms and
guidelines for teaching religion to U.S.
Catholics of all ages and circumstances.
Over 32,000 persons took part in the
initial consultation, generating more
than 17,400 recommendations for the
first draft.
Parents, religious educators, priests
and all interested people, are being
urged to react to the draft, and to send
in their recommendations for changes or
additions to the text.
The Savannah Diocesan Coordinating
Committee has tried to select certain
sections of the Directory for study and
evaluation by specific groups to whom
they seem directed.
Major groups - including priests,
Catholic School and CCD Principals and
faculty, School Boards and Parish
Councils - will receive sections of the
Directory for study and commentary.
Others within the Diocese who will
be asked for comment include
charismatic prayer groups, campus
ministers and college students, social
apostolate workers, family life groups
and groups of teen-agers.
WOW, WHAT A SNOWSUIT -- What looks like a super snowsuit is
really a test garment which may allow children who cannot develop
immunities to venture from their sterile plastic rooms in homes or
hospitals. Beth Sauer, 4, daughter of a space engineer at Houston, walks in
the suit which was developed by NASA. Following her is a modified
lawnmower which carries batteries, filter packs and other life support
systems. It can also be ridden. (NASA Photo)
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HEADLINE
HOPSCOTCH
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Poland Sends Missioners
ROME (NC) - Poland sent 246 missioners both clerical and lay during the four
years from 1970 to 1973, according to the mission news agency Fides. By the end of
1973, Fides said, there were 828 Polish missioners in the field.
Says CIA Hurts Missions
Catholic School faculty members will
be asked to invite groups of parents
from each class to meet and discuss
sections of the Directory concerning
their children.
This week the selected sections of the
Directory were sent out to all groups
being specifically invited to participate
in the consultation process.
CHICAGO (NC) -- The covert activities of the CIA to “destabilize” Chile’s
government have hurt the credibility of American missioners in Latin America,
according to journalist and Latin American expert Gary MacEoin. MacEoin also said
American missioners have knowingly and unknowingly provided information to the
CIA in the past. He made his comments in Christian Century, an ecumenical weekly
opinion journal published here.
School Figures Released
Any other interested Catholics are
also invited to take part. Complete
copies of the first draft are available free
from the Department of Christian
Formation, Grimball Point Road,
Savannah, Ga. 31406.
All reports should be returned in the
required format to the Department of
Christian Formation office by April
23rd. They will be recorded, sorted, and
sent on to the National Directory
Committee in Washington. A
consultation on the second draft will be
held in the Fall of 1975. The final draft
will be submitted for approval to the
Bishops of the United States.
Publication of the final version is
expected some time in 1976.
WASHINGTON (NC) -- Statistics compiled by the National Catholic Educational
Association (NCEA) for the current 1974-75 school year indicate that the number of
Catholic elementary and secondary school pupils is stabilizing, an NCEA official said
here. The official, Father Frank H. Bredeweg, NCEA director of special projects, said
the statistics show that only 174 Schools, or 1.7 percent of the total number, were
closed or merged during the current academic year. He said also that the enrollment
drop of 122,000 students, or 3.4 percent of the total, was one-third less than in
1973-74.
School Aid Struggle Seen
OLYMPIA, Wash. (NC) -- Many observers are anticipating a bitter struggle in
Washington state over a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would
allow nonpublic school students to participate in state and federal assistance programs.
The state Senate voted 39-8 March 5 in favor of the proposed amendment. Identified
as HJR 19, the proposed amendment now goes to Republican Gov. Daniel J. Evans for
his signature. The governor has already endorsed it. It will then appear on the ballot
for the people’s approval in next fall’s statewide elections.