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41 A A 4 V I DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER Vol. 56 No. 26 Thursday, July 17,1975 Single Copy Price — 15 Cents WILLIAM E. DILLARD Presides At Ceremonies Sr. Comile accepts plaque from Miss Halligan. St. Joseph’s Celebrates 100 Years St. Joseph’s Hospital observed its 100th birthday on June 30th. This historical occasion was highlighted by the presentation of service awards to 213 employees. This program formally kicked off St. Joseph’s activities in its centennial year. William E. Dillard, a member of St. Joseph’s Board of Trustees, presided as Senator John R. Riley, Board Cha-rman, was unable to attend. in his short' t pv said that, “Because of pressing matters requiring Senator Riley’s presence at the capital in Atlanta today, he asked me to express his regrets and bring you his greetings, and also requested that I represent him on your program today. AUGUST 7-9 “On the 100th Birthday of this grand ole St. Joseph’s Hospital what could be more appropriate than to give recognition by service awards to those of you who have contributed so much by devoting your best energy, ability, and personal warmth through so many years in making St. Joseph’s the most efficiently operated and the best loved hospital in the whole Coastal area of Georgia. It is bound to be a source of much gratification to every one present as you realize the important part you have had in bringing this great institution to the high state of prefection it enjoys today.” Miss Agnes Halligan, who has been employed at St. Joseph’s since 1938, presented a special plaque to Sister M. Cornile, R.S.M., St. Joseph’s Administrator, on behalf of the employees for Sister’s years of dedicated service to St. Joseph’s. The plaque reads: “The Employees of St. Joseph’s Hospital present this tribute of appreciation to Sister M. Cornile Dulohery, RSM, Administrator, in recognition of her appointment as the First Hospital Representative to The Georgia Board of Human Resources. Her leadership, dedication and abiding faith have touched us all, and will continue to inspire each of us to live our institutional philosophy: “Whatever is done to the least of his little ones is done to Him.” Father Aloysius, OSB, hospital chaplain, gave the invocation. Father (Continued on page 5) Bicentennial Hearing In Atlanta Bicentennial public hearings on social justice, a vital part of the American Catholic Church’s Bicentennial Observance program will be held at Atlanta’s Civic Center August 7th through 9th. The congressional styled hearings will be held before a panel of U.S. Bishops and will focus on the topic “The Family” with local participants providing the testimony. New Rectory for St. Theresa’s, Cordele Bishop Dedicates Rectory For St. Theresa’s, Cordele On Sunday, June 29th, Bishop Raymond W. Lessard presided at the Concelebrated Mass of Dedication for a new rectory for St. Theresa’s Church, Cordele. Assisted by Father Cronan Kelly, O.F.M., Vicar Provincial of the Franciscan Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, and Fr. Patrick Adams, O.F.M., pastor of the parish of St. Theresa, the Bishop celebrated the Mass in the presence of a church filled with parishioners and friends from the local community as well as many out-of-town guests. Father Kevin Boland, Vicar General of the Diocese of Savannah, was concelebrant and Master of Ceremonies. A number of diocesan priests, Franciscans and religious sisters were also present. The rectory, located on the north side of the church, was constructed during the 50th anniversary year of the organization of the parish. The cornerstone of St. Theresa’s Church was blessed and set in place in 1930 by the late Bishop Michael J. Keyes of Savannah. After the Mass, the rectory was blessed inside and out and a reception was held for the Bishop. The ladies of the parish provided refreshments and served as guides for all who wished to inspect the new building. A dinner was later served at the local Holiday Inn in honor of Bishop Lessard. Built of red brick, the rectory follows the architectural lines of the church and features capped buttresses. Built on a concrete slab, the one-story structure is sixty by thirty feet and includes a large paneled room which serves as a daily chapel, meeting and class room. The national program for the Bicentennial centers around the theme “Liberty and Justice For All” and seeks response from the average American on topics linked to social justice. The ultimate goal of the hearing process is an updated plan to promote a more just and free society through effective and needed social action. The three day program in Atlanta has been broken into several categories for testimony. Thursday, August 7, the panel of Bishops will hear speakers related to “Spanish Speaking and Urban Blacks.” On Friday, August 8, the panel will travel to a rural area for an open “tent” hearing on “Rural and Appalachian concerns.” The hearings return to Atlanta for Saturday, August 9, when the subject will be “Middle Class Americans and other topics.” Father Jacob A. Bollmer, coordinator for the Atlanta Hearings, said the local committee was presently contacting numerous groups, agencies and individuals seeking their participation in the hearings. Father Bollmer said the Atlanta Hearings are “an honest effort to reach anyone who might wish to voice their views or opinions to the panel and bring to the Bishops the real down to earth feeling of the average person.” He termed the hearings “a really innovative step for the Church and one which encourages people to participate fully in the decision making process of the 1976 conference on social justice. We’re hopeful large numbers of people will respond and relate to their panel their needs and desires on the ‘Family’ topic.” Father Bollmer said the local hearings are open to all people and are not to be considered merely a process limited to Catholics. Although the hearings are national in scope and anyone may attend, the Atlanta sessions are expected to draw heavily from the southeastern states, all of whom have been invited to participate. Applications to appear on the hearing agenda are due July 25 when responses will be studied and spaces on the agenda assigned. Applications are available from the Bicentennial Committee, 756 W. Peachtree Street, N.W. or by calling (404) 881-6571. LOCAL ACTION STRESSED New Ecumenical Guidelines VATICAN CITY (NC) - The Vatican, issuing papally approved guidelines for ecumenical action at the “regional, national and local levels,” has emphasized that local needs and problems determine ecumenical action. The document; published July 7 by the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, also called it “the responsibility of the regional or national episcopal conference to decide on the acceptability and the appropriateness of all forms of local ecumenical action.” Such decisions by the bishops should be made “in cooperation with the appropriate organ of the Holy See, to wit the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity.” A foreword to the 30-page, seven-chapter booklet signed by Cardinal Jan Willebrands, president of secretariat, states that the Pope had it “sent to all episcopal conferences as an aid to them in carrying out their ecumenical responsibilities.” Chapter one outlines the “ecumenical task.” It stresses: “All Christian communities recognize the proclamation of the Gospel to the world, in deed as well as in word, as their first duty.” It adds: “As the Catholic Church in each country becomes more aware of the manifestations of ecumenism in various parts of the world, it has to avoid both isolationism and slavish imitation of other places.” It declares: “Ecumenical initiatives must be adapted to local needs and will therefore differ from region to region, while always remaining in harmony with the bonds of Catholic communion . . . “Ecumenism is an integral part of the renewal of the Church, and its promotion should be the constant concern of the local church.” But it warns: “A difficulty is created if ecumenical initiatives are left solely to unofficial groups. Then there is an imbalance in which the full ecumenical responsibility will not be adequately and prudently met. Such difficulties will best be avoided if there is an obvious and sincere commitment to ecumenism by the local church.” The second chapter emphasizes: “Ecumenism on the local level is a primary element of the ecumenical situation as a whole. It is neither secondary nor merely derivative.” Chapter three cites various forms of local ecumenism, including shared worship, common Bible work and joint pastoral care. of religion, especially where this has to be done in non-denominational schools. But as long as Christians are not fully at one in faith, catechesis, which is formation for profession of faith, must remain necessarily the proper and inalienable task of the various churches and ecclesial communities.” Chapter four deals with councils of churches and Christian councils. It (Continued on page 5) My dear friends in Christ, Bishop's Office Diocese ge Savannah P. O. Box 6709 Savannah,Geobgia 01402 President Gerald Ford has recently proclaimed the day of July 24,1975, as a National Day of Prayer. In his official statement, the President explains how, “as we begin the celebration of our Bicentennial, it is fitting to recall that it was a profound faith in God which inspired the Founders of our Nation.” Amid the rhetoric and commemorative celebrations that have already become commonplace in this Bicentennial year, we should indeed be grateful that President Ford has reminded us of the spiritual dimensions of our national history and heritage. Our response as Catholics should certainly be one of willing and enthusiastic participation in this National Day of Prayer. Our prayers ought first of all to be in profound thanksgiving to Him “from whom all blessings flow.” At times, in our legitimate expressions of patriotic fervor, we might be inclined to think that the precious gifts of freedom and equality as well as the opportunities afforded us to enjoy them are the product of mere human reason and effort, when these gifts and opportunities are in fact the divinely-ordained conditions of the basic God-given dignity of the individual human being and the human collectivity. To the Lord and Creator of the universe then must be directed our prayers of thanksgiving. To this expression of gratitude, however, must be added a pressing plea for continued divine guidance, if we are to grasp the full implications of the Founding Fathers’ dream of freedom and equality under God. This prayer will demand humility and the courage to recognize and admit how we have failed to realize this dream. As one writer recently suggested, for instance, perhaps now is the moment to reflect whether to that phrase in the Declaration of Independence about our inalienable RIGHTS to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we should not add a corresponding affirmation of our inescapable DUTIES of work, learning and the pursuit of responsibility, if we are to guarantee and safeguard our fundamental rights as well as promote the ideals of “liberty and justice for all.” Early this fall, the Diocese of Savannah will take part in a major program sponsored by the U.S. Catholic Bishops as one feature in the Church’s contribution to the Bicentennial celebrations. Under the theme of “Liberty and Justice for All,” the program will consist of a broad parish-based consultation of our people on the subject of social justice. As the 1974 Synod of Bishops declared, we are firmly convinced that “while the truths about human dignity and rights are accessible to all, it is in the Gospel that we find their fullest expression and our strongest motive for commitment to their preservation and promotion.” This Catholic Bicentennial activity will give us an opportunity to reexamine and reaffirm our dedication to such principles. In the meantime, I invite all the people of the Diocese of Savannah to respond wholeheartedly to President Ford’s call, by observing “in humiliation, fasting and prayer,” as did our forebearers two hundred years ago, this Bicentennial year’s National Day of Prayer, Thursday, July 24. Devotedly yours in Christ, U), Bishop of Savannah Two Vicars Appointed; Assignments For Sisters It cautions, however: “The rule is that Catholic churches are reserved for Catholic worship . . . Therefore sharing them with other Christians or constructing new churches jointly with other Christians can be only by way of exception.” It cites various possibilities of collaboration in education, but points out: “In catechetics local needs have led at times to collaboration in the teaching Bishop Raymond W. Lessard has announced the appointment of three Sisters to Diocesan posts. At the same time the bishop named a Vicar for Education for the Diocese of Savannah. The appointments and their effective dates are: Sr, M, Immaculata Dulohery Celebrates Golden Jubilee Sr. M. Immaculata Sister M. Immaculata Dulohery, a native of Savannah and a member of the Sisters of Mercy Independent Community with their Motherhouse in Belmont, North Carolina, was one of seventeen jubilarians who celebrated their Golden Jubilee on July 5 in Belmont with a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a reception held in their honor. Sister Immaculata was Mother Superior of the Sisters of Mercy in Belmont from 1946 until 1951. She had also served on the Community Council. At the present time she is principal of Sacred Heart Campus School in Belmont. Sister Immaculata is the sister of Sister M. Comile Dulohery of Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Savannah. -- Sister Camille Collini, C.S.J., is named pastoral associate of St. Matthew’s Church, Statesboro, with the specific responsibility of conducting the Campus Ministry program at the Newman Center at Georgia Southern College, effective September 1,1975. - Sister Michael Joseph Lyons, R.S.M., is named Diocesan Archivist of the Diocese of Savannah, effective September 1,1975. - Sister Mary Julian Griffin, V.S.C., is named Vicar for Social Affairs for the Diocese of Savannah, effective September 1,1975. - Father Michael Smith is named Vicar for Education for the Diocese of Savannah, effectively immediately. Sister Camille Collini, C.S.J., is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. A native of Savannah, she is well known in the Diocese, having worked in Augusta as Religious Education Coordinator at St. Mary’s on the Hill, and this past in Savannah as Auxiliary Parish Minister for the three (Continued on page 5)