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s n The Southern Cross DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER Vol. 56 No. 38 Thursday, October 30,1975 Single Copy Price — 15 Cents Brunswick Sisters Mark Jubilee Bishop Raymond W. Lessard was the principal celebrant and homilist at a concelebrated Mass (Oct. 30) celebrating seventy-five years of service of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet in Brunswick. The first school, known as St. Joseph’s, was founded in 1900. In 1958, a new school was built and dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. The first school had an enrollment of between 60 and 70 students. Today’s St. Francis Xavier boasts an enrollment of 375. The history of the founding of the school, and the sisters coming to Brunswick, is recorded in a Historical Record of the Saint Francis Xavier Church which was published in the late 40’s as follows: “The parochial school in Brunswick was begun in 1900 after Father Luckie had requested Sisters of Bishop Keiley. The Bishop in turn asked the Sisters of St. Joseph to assume this charge, which they did in September of the same year. “In the beginning the school was apparently run on the “academy” basis and this explains the strange anomoly of having “St. Joseph’s School” as the parochial educational institution for St. Francis Xavier Parish. “Conditions at the outset did not seem favorable and it is to the credit of the first historic band of Sisters that they continued their work and laid the foundations for the flourishing school of today. “The first faculty of the school included Sister Aloysius, Sister Ignatius, Sister Celestine and Sister Genevieve. “Although the Sisters had passed through severe storms of dire poverty and countless trials in their loyalty to Christ, this seemed to be the culmination. Had it not been for the kindness of Father Luckie in begging assistance from the parishioners, for them, the Sisters would have fared very ill. “He secured for them a house, formerly a grocery store, on the corner of Richmond and Howe Streets. Three rooms downstairs were converted into schoolrooms and a tiny bit of cubby hole just large enough for four prie-dieux was used as a chapel. The Sisters slept upstairs. “The school opened with from 60 to 70 pupils, too many for the house, so that the seventh and eighth grade girls were taught in the sacristy of St. Francis Xavier Church on the opposite corner.” ESTABLISH UNITY Pope Tells Portugese President RALLY FOR LIFE -- Thousands of persons opposed to abortion rally in front of the Old Court House in St. Louis to urge passage of a constitutional amendment to restrict abortion. Featured speaker at CHARITIES[ LEADERS TOLD: the rally was Dr. Mildred F. Jefferson of Boston University Medical Center, president of the National Right to Life Committee. (NC Photo) Catholic Church Wants To Help Observing that they had been “listening to the people themselves” at five bicentennial hearings sponsored by the bishops in various parts of the country, he said: “It is one thing to hear a scholarly presentation on the ‘unemployment problem.’ It is another to hear the pain and suffering of prolonged Unemployment. . . Sister Mary Stanislaus Wilson, R.S.M. Sr, M, Stanislaus Wilson Celebrates Golden Jubilee Fifty years ago this month, a young Irish girl left her home and family in Dublin, Ireland, to join the Savannah Community of the Sisters of Mercy. Mary Josephine Wilson, who became Sister Mary Stanislaus, was honored at a double celebration on Saturday, October 18th. A Mass concelebrated by Father Eamonn O’Riordan and Father Francis Teoli was attended by Sisters of Mercy from Savannah, Macon, and Atlanta. This was followed by a Jubilee dinner at Mercy Convent. In addition to the homily at the Mass, tribute was also paid to Sister Stanislaus during the dinner. In the afternoon, a reception was held for the Jubilarian. Attented by numerous guests, some of whom had been first grade pupils of her’s fifty years ago. Other guests included friends from throughout the city. During the past fifty years, Sister Mary Stanislaus taught in elementary schools in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Maryland. She also instructed choirs in several schools and taught piano lessons after school hours. She was engaged full time in teaching for a total of forty-three years. Now Sister is actively engaged in work with senior citizens in the Savannah area. She is a member of Cunningham Golden Age Center, a Volunteer under tb£ Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Under this program, Sister has contributed several hundred hours of service in various activities - presently she visits at Cohen’s Men’s Retreat and also serves several hours each week in the Technical Services Department of the Public Library. VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope Paul VI, receiving Portuguese President Fr?."‘''isco da Cost?» Gomes in a private audience Oct. 22, reassured him that the Catholic Church in Portugal “is ready to give her own devoted collaboration” to his government’s attempts to achieve unity in that troubled nation. “To this end, the Catholic Church in Portugal is ready to give her own devoted collaboration, respectfully and loyally, but without abandoning her privileges of freedom - guaranteed, moreover, by the many. . .pacts of which your Excellency has, significantly, confirmed the value.” He cited the freedom “to carry out her proper mission, to announce the Gospel and to work for society, at the service of all the Portuguese people.” But he declared that the Church would not yield “her privileges of freedom,” and specified that the Church must be free “to carry out her proper mission to announce the Gospel and to work for society.” The Vatican press office did not immediately state what specific problems the Pope and the Portuguese president discussed in their 65-minute conference. But it was widely speculated that they focused on the fate of Radio Renascenca, Portugal’s Catholic radio station which has been taken over by communist-led workers. In his formal address of welcome to the Portuguese president, the Pope said: “We ardently hope that the future will be one of serenity and concord, of freedom and progress, in peace and justice, for all her (Portugal’s) citizens. “We understand the present difficulties, especially in regard to those of the overseas territories which are coming to independence.” The Pope added: “We give our sincere and warm wishes that, thanks to the efforts for unity by all the sons of Portugal and the firm and intelligent attitude of the authorities, these difficulties may be overcome soon and in the best manner possible. “It is one thing to talk in abstract theory of the need for land reform. It is another to see with one’s own eyes the powerlessness of a migrant farm worker. . . “It is one thing to listen to learned papers on the collapse of the housing industry in our country. It is another to hear the cry of distress from a couple who are losing the roof over their own and their children’s heads because of unemployment coupled with usurious interest rates...” STICKY SITUATION - Children at Liberty Park Day Care Center in Spokane enjoy some of the sticky fruits of Halloween - apples which they coated with somewhat more carmel than they got on themselves. The center cares for children between the ages of 2Vi and 6, most of whose parents work or attend college. It received a grant from the U.S. Bishops’ Campaign for Human Development in 1974. This year’s collection will be held nationwide on Nov. 23. (NC Photo) CINCINNATI (NC) - America suffers from “a great disease of disillusionment” and needs leaders of “moral stature and religious conviction,” Archbishop Peter L. Gerety of Newark, N. J., said here. He preached the homily at a Mass in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral for delegates to the 111th annual meeting of the society of St. Vincent de Paul and to the 61st annual meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Charities (NCCC). Commenting that the nation’s priorities “have become twisted,” Archbishop Gerety called for “leaders throughout our land, in our villages, in our towns and cities, who will articulate the full dimensions of the American dream.” “We need leaders who will have the courage to proclaim our true priorities in terms of human dignity before God,” he said. “We need leaders who will cast out the false idols of money and power, and struggle to restore the God-given right to the fruits of this earth to all our people.” In his homily at the Oct. 19 Mass, Archbishop Gerety, who is chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee for the Bientennial, said that “for large numbers of our people liberty and justice begin to seem like an instubstantial mirage, not a dream for fulfillment. . .They are beginning to mistrust our elected representatives, they are beginning to lose confidence in the power of the ballot, they see our social priorities as set in terms of help the rich and soak the poor.” “We must dream of an American society,” the archbishop said, “where our priorities are ordered in terms of liberty and justice for all. Ultimately nothing else will work in this country, and yet somehow they have become twisted. “In this richest country in the world should not our policy be one of full employment? “In this country with the most abundant food resources in the world, should not our policy be to make sure that no one, young or old, is without enough to eat?” Official Appointments Bishop Raymond W. Lessard has announced the following appointments: REV. MICHAEL O’KEEFFE, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Columbus, effective November 15,1975. REV. MSGR. DANIEL A. BOURKE, temporary administrator of St. Joseph’s, Way cross. REV. RICHARD MINCH, Associate Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Warner Robins, effective November 5,1975. REV. MICHAEL CRAIG, Associate Pastor of Nativity of Our Lord, Savannah, effective immediately. REV. FRANCIS BARRY, newly ordained for the Diocese of Savannah, Assistant Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, Savannah, effective immediately. REV. ELMER S. POWELL, S.V.D., Associate Pastor of St. Benedict’s Church, Savannah, effective immediately. 4 U.S. Suffers From Disillusionment^