Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 7—The Southern Cross, November 6,1975
Savannah Self-Study Results—
(Continued from page 1)
c. whether parishes are doing all they
can to promote vocations (priests and
sisters are much more convinced of the
inadequacy of present vocation efforts)
d. whether the practice of weekday
home masses should be increased
(priests and sisters would favor such an
increase)
6 Comment Sheet 9 Results
The recent Self-Study Questionnaire, distributed at parish masses throughout the
Deanery on the weekend of September 20-21, yielded 636 detailed responses or
“comments” in addition to some 4177 responses to the objectively worded questions.
Each questionnaire, in essence, included a detachable “Comment Sheet.” Respondents
were asked to take this sheet home, complete and return it to their parish rectory.
Questions on the “comment sheet” call for responses which cite the strengths and
areas for improvement in the parishes, deanery, and diocese. As indicated by the
Self-Study Steering Committee, an “area for improvement” is defined as “something
which the parish, deanery, or diocese is now doing which it should be doing better,” or
“something which the parish, deanery, or diocese is not now doing which it should be
doing.”
Responses to the sheets give the following numerical results:
AREA OF CONCERN NUMBER OF COMMENTS
(example)
STRENGTH
AREA FOR
IMPROVEMENT
A. LITURGY
345
128
217
(music)
(64)
(15)
(49)
(sermons)
(80)
(14)
(66)
(Confession times)
(20)
(4)
(16)
B. OUTREACH
255
56
199
•i (youth)
(83)
(22)
(61)
(elderly)
(34)
(3)
(31)
(poor)
(22)
(9)
(13)
C. STAFF
457
398
59
(priests)
(363)
(313)
(50)
D. ORGANIZATION
174
128
46
(CYO)
(25)
(10)
(15)
§ (Parish Councils)
(65)
(50)
(15)
/ E. PHYSICAL FACILITIES
85
38
47
F. FINANCES
68
33
35
{
i G. SPIRIT OF PARISH
437
246
191
(fellowship)
(99)
(44)
(54)
(involvement)
(120)
(45)
(75)
(cooperation)
(28)
(24)
(4)
< (communication)
(59)
(22)
(37)
The questionnaire also elicited data concerning the “Personal Religious Practices” of
Vrespondents. Percentage results for this section of the questionnaire show that:
0 A. Compared to five years ago:
s 22% attend Mass MORE often, 10% attend Mass LESS often, 59% attend Mass
ABOUT THE SAME.
s B. Compared to five years ago:
10% go to Confession MORE often, 53% go to Confession LESS often, 31% go to
2 Confession ABOUT THE SAME.
1' C. Compared to five years ago:
• 28% go to Communion MORE often, 20% go tOiCommunion LESS often, 42% go
to Communion ABOUT THE SAME.
■/ In addition, the findings indicate that 66% of the respondents usually attend Mass in
:*the parish where they reside, while 11% do not. During the same period 77% have
1 attended Mass regularly over the past 5 years, 10% over half the time, and 6% less than
half the time. Allowing for inflation, 38% increased their level of giving over the past
five years, 11% decreased, and 44% remained about the same.
< The Self-Study Steering Committee indicates that the totals for some questions on
the personal data sheets do not always add up to 100%. The remaining percentage can
be accounted for by noting that many respondents either left certain questions blank,
or indicated that they wished to express “no opinion” on a particular issue.
e. whether parish marriage-related
programs are adequate (priests and
sisters feel they are not)
f. whether the self-study should result
in a Deanery Pastoral Plan (priests and
sisters are in favor of such a plan)
g. whether there should be an
increased deanery approach to religious
education (priests and sisters favor such
an approach)
h. whether Catholic School Boards
are performing satisfactorily (priests and
sisters are less satisfied)
i. whether the work of the Deanery
Pastoral Council is known in the
parishes (priests and sisters are more
sure it is not known)
j. whether the Deanery Pastoral
Council should be a “strong directive
body.”
In addition, respondents appear to be
somewhat divided in opinion
concerning: the practice of lay ministry
of communion, non-Catholic minority
students in Catholic schools, the
primary reason for attendance at
Catholic schools, and future procedure
for implementing the self-study.
As indicated by the Self-Study
Steering Committee, these and other
findings should be further discussed and
interpreted at the second and third sets
of parish “town meetings” in November
and early December, as well as the
second general deanery assembly set for
December 13.
Ultimately, these meetings and the
survey itself are scheduled to culminate
in the completion of the self-study
sometime next May. At that time,
during a third deanery assembly, Bishop
Lessard will close the self-study effort
by blessing and commissioning the
pastoral plans of the individual parishes
to continue, in effect, the “grassroots
involvement” called for by Vatican II
and implemented by the study.
Statement—
(Continued from page 1)
texts from the two traditions that
express their churches’ beliefs in prayer.
They concluded the statement with a
prayer common to both traditions,
which begins: “O God of unchangeable
power and eternal light: Look favorably
on your whole Church, that wonderful
and sacred mystery.”
In a joint statement introducing the
new ecumenical agreement, Bishop
Vogel and Bishop Helmsing stressed
that, as in all such theological
consultations, the conclusions of the
group carry only the authority of the
theologians on the commission.
“It is our hope,” they said, “that,
through the appropriate authoritative
means both the Anglican and Roman
Catholic Communions will recognize the
‘faith of the Church’ in the fruit of our
dialogue, and that this agreed statement
will be another step hastening the day
that we will be truly one according to
the mind and heart of Christ the Lord.”
AT FORT GORDON
Augusta DCCW Holds Fall Meeting
The fall annual meeting of the
Augusta DCCW was held Sunday, Oct.
26, at Fort Gordon. Major General
Harley Moore (Ret.) was the speaker.
His topic was the Bicentennial. Ten
door prizes of 18th century missions
sketches made by the Fort Gordon
PCCW President Mrs. Joseph Spitek
were given away.
Of great interest is the announcement
that the Community Clothing Store,
begun by the Augusta Deanery in 1967,
and now also supported by Church
Women United and the Sisterhood of
Walton Way Temple, has expanded its
services. They have facilities in a 15th
Street building on Shiloh Orphanage
grounds, and are open for selling the
first week of each month. This is a
convenience measure, adopted by the
hoard of the Clothing Center “to better
reach the lower income groups” said
Mrs. Kenneth Roth, its immediate past
president, and current Deanery board
representative Mrs. Thomas Dicks is
now the president of the Community
Stores. The main store, located at 1854
Broad Street, is open six days a week.
Last year, It served over 3500 persons,
and there were 100 volunteers.
The Augusta Deanery is actively
involved in many community projects.
It has volunteers who work with patient
services for the American Cancer
Society transporting patients to the
Augusta Radiation Therapy Center at
University Hospital and to the X-Ray
Department of Talmadge Hospital. It
has ladies who each week carry students
from the Training School to the Masters
Bowling Alley on the Gordon Highway.
The Augusta Deanery is the founder
of Birthright, Inc., in this area.
Birthright is an organization which seeks
to help any pregnant woman in need.
Whether she is married or unwed,
whether she needs clothing, baby
furniture, milk formula, or
transportation to a physician, her needs
are met. This wonderful work done
almost entirely by the Augusta Deanery
has cared for 175 women during the
past year. Mrs. Vance E. Logan, Jr.
heads the Birthright Office and is on the
Savannah Diocese Board. Mrs. Thomas
Murphy is Deanery chairman.
Another worthwhile community
project undertaken by the Catholic
ladies is youth education for BIB
(Better Infant Births). There are ten
volunteers from the four parishes of
Augusta and the women of the chapel
of Fort Gordon who will supervise the
program this year throughout
Richmond County with the hope of
expanding it into the surrounding
counties.
The ladies keep themselves informed
on legislation both on the National and
State levels. They are concerned about
life and the basic right of each
individual to it whether it be in the
beginning (right of the unborn) or at the
end (right of the elderly). Mrs. George
Quinn is Pro-Life Deanery Chairman as
well as Chairman for the Savannah
Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
The Catholic parishes of Augusta are
sponsoring three Vietnamese families as
well as befriending many of those who
have come to Augusta under the
sponsorship of other groups. Also each
November, the ladies assemble clothes
to ship to the needy throughout the
world. Many are active in the Meals on
Wheels Program, and make visits to
shut-ins in their homes, the hospitals
and nursing homes.
This is the work of over 2000 ladies
who comprise the Augusta Deanery.
Mrs. Eugene Long is its president. The
vice-presidents are the five parish
council presidents: St. Joseph’s Church,
Mrs. Charles Voegler; Most Holy
Trinity, Mrs. Grade Delaney; St.
Teresa’s, Mrs. Raymond Hoyt; St.
Mary’s on the Hill, Mrs. Brad Bennett,
Jr.; Fort Gordon, Women of the Chapel,
Mrs. Joseph Spitek.
Mrs. Joseph Gill is treasurer; Mrs. Lee
Haley is recording secretary; and Mrs.
Seaborn McGarity is corresponding
secretary. Mrs. Patrick Rice is publicity
chairman.
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PRIESTS LOCK ARMS and dance in expression of joy following principal Conference Mass (Nov. 1)
PENANCE SERVICE at Southeastern Regional
Charismatic Renewal Conference held last weekend in
Augusta. Service was held at Most Holy Trinity Church
on Saturday afternoon.
Southeastern Region Charismatics—
(Continued from page 1)
Session was addressed by Father George
Montague and Derek Prince, a
Pentecostal Minister and native of
England.
Father Montague said that most are
familiar with the term “Body of Christ”
as meaning we are members of his
Church. He said it is also not only His
Risen humanity brought forth from the
tomb and glorified at the right hand of
the Father. “The Body of Jesus is not
only our individual bodies, but the
Body of Jesus Christ is his people . . .the
Lord has a plan for the body and that
plan is that it also be the place where
God is glorified in the Spirit.”
“The Lord wants His presence in our
lives to become so real that it is to
touch us even physically. He wants to
fill us with a radiance that shines out
from our eyes, and shines out from our
faces, and shines out from the way we
live . . .the Lord Jesus wants to teach us
how to smile, how to bring His power,
His goodness into peoples’ lives . . .He
wants to shine radiantly through the
way we live.”
Derek Prince, of Christian Growth
Ministry, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., told the
conference, “The Cross is the richest,
most glorious realm of truth there is.”
Prince said that he believed the Cross
to be the very center of all truth in
relationship to freedom, healing and
deliverence. “Continuing the work of
Calvary,” he stated, “is a perfect work -
perfect in every respect and in every
aspect.”
The three-day meeting drew a crowd
of approximately 2,500 persons from
the seven state area which comprises the
Southeastern Region.
Conference plans were under the
chairmanship of Bill Beatty of The
Alleluia Community, Augusta. Others
serving on the committee included: Dale
Clark, Dennis McBride, Father Liam
Collins of Augusta, and Joel Kibler of
the Charismatic Renewal Services, Notre
Dame, Indiana. Peggy Slattery, of
Augusta was the Conference Office
Manager.