Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 57 No. 6
Thursday, February 5,1976
Single Copy Price —15 Cents
RESULTS OF DIOCESAN BICENTENNIAL PROGRAM
w
Recommendations Forwarded To National Committee
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK ~ A bright eyed girl
sits at a classroom desk and a group of children
surround their teacher in these scenes from Catholic
• -.'■''■'I pch<yC‘‘i' - r ^-- -"i- -vc £tic9£ thar? 10 ,000 ■ Colics
grade and high schools in the United States. Feb. 8-14
is being observed as Catholic Schools Week throughout
the country. (NC Photo by Carl Balcerak)
SA VANN AH DEANER Y
0/,t‘
Self-Study Enters Critical
Problem-Solution Phase
In prespect of a third Deanery
Assembly in May, the Savannah
Deanery Self-Study has entered a
critical problem-solution phase.
According to Paul Ramee, chairman
of the Self-Study Steering Committee,
the SSSC has now identified major
problem areas and opportunities with
which to deal and has named
Official
Appointment
t i
Reverend Patrick Shinnick, presently
associate pastor at St.
Mary’s-on-the-Hill, Augusta, has been
named associate pastor of St. Joseph’s
in Macon.
The appointment was announced last
week by Bishop Raymond W. Lessard,
Savannah.
committees to work on each. “Through
our extensive committee deliberations,
the results of last September’s
Deanery-wide questionaire, and input
from the previous Deanery Assemblies,
we have reached this important point in
the Self-Study,” Mr. Ramee stated.
He also pointed out that developing
concurrently with SSSC work is pastoral
planning in each parish of the Deanery.
Parish goals and objectives are due for
semi-final completion by March, and
once put in final form, they are to be
blessed and commissioned by Bishop
Raymond W. Lessard at the third
Deanery Assembly.
The following are committee
personnel assignments as well as some of
the key areas of concern with which
these committees will be involved:
DEANERY COMMITTEE - The
members are Walter Schaaf, (chairman),
Mrs. Patricia Whelan, Dr. Carl Brennan,
and Norman Elmore. Among the
charges to this committee are: a) to
develop instruments and processes for a
more complete and useful parochial and
Deanery census, and b) to develop with
the Deanery Pastoral Council a
consensus as to its role and function as
successor to the SSSC as implementer of
the Self-Study.
EDUCATION COMMITTEE - The
members are Sister Mary Jude Walsh,
R.S.M. (chairperson), Rev. Ralph Seikel,
Mrs. Gwendolyn Goodman, and Jack
Buttimer. Among the charges to this
committee are a) to develop a Deanery
school plaji with appropriate
structure . . .e.g., a possible Deanery
school board, b) to develop a Deanery
education plan wtih appropriate
structure . . .e.g., a possible DPC
committee, c) to consider methods for
the development and sustenance of
“adult communities of faith” in the
Deanery, and d) to explore, evaluate
and communicate the use of new,
innovative programs in youth ministry
and adult faith education.
(Continued on page 7)
BY GILL BROWN
The Bishops of the United States
should consider “cleaning up the
welfare system,” “doing something
about unfair prices and practices in
health care,” “educating its citizens in
terms of overseas economic aid,”
“supporting the rights of women,” and
“discovering more effective ways of
furthering integration while respecting
ethnic and cultural rights.”
These are some of the varied
recommendations which were generated
by the Fall “Bicentennial” program,
“Liberty and Justice for All,” which
was presented in many parishes in the
Diocese of Savannah. Recommendations
have now been returned to the Office of
Social Affairs for collating and
codifying. A final report, with
suggestions and recommendations, has
been sent to the Bicentennial
Committee in Washington. Reports
coming in from parishes after the
February 1st deadline will be sent on to
Washington as they arrive.
Results show that parishes used a
variety of different approaches in
presenting the program. Some made use
of the handbook from the National
office, and held a series of adult
discussions.
Others used materials from the
Diocesan Department of Christian
Formation, to hold “family” discussion
evenings, adult talks, or liturgical
celebrations.
The participating parish groups found
that the program gave them a real
opportunity to re-examine their
commitment in the area of social
justice, and most commented favorably
on the value of the whole experience.
A valuable outcome of the program
has been the recommendations that
many parishes have made for
themselves, as well as for the Bishops
Bicentennial Committee.
In Brunswick, parishioners of St.
Francis Xavier Church, studying the
topic “Work,” decided to encourage
voter registration and participation in
local elections. Under the “Personhood”
topic, they recommended that the
parish promote “Birthright” education.
In Macon, parishioners of St. Joseph’s
parish looking at America as the “Land
of Plenty” voted to continue to educate
parishioners in terms of world food
problems.
In Warner Robins, parishioners of
Sacred Heart Church came up with a
listing of recommendations for their
own parish council under eight different
topic headings, covering such goals as
formation of a new young-adult group,
use of women as Lectors and
Eucharistic Ministers, initiation of a
“person to person” program for the
mentally ill, prisoners, shut-ins, etc., and
fuller use of church buildings for such
programs as day-care, tutoring and
services to the elderly.
Presentation of the “Liberty and
Justice for All” Program was designated
as a priority for all parishes during the
Fall period, and Bishop Raymond
Diocesanwide Input On Cathedral Sought
At the Fall meeting of the Board of
Vicars of the Diocese of Savannah a
presentation was made pertaining to the
on-going process of discussing the
possibility of renovating, the Cathedral
of St. John the Baptist.
From the resulting discussion, it was
decided that a list of specific questions
be sent to the seven Deans in the
Diocese of Savannah and also to the
other Special Vicars who constitute the
membership of the Board of Vicars. The
purpose of the questions was to give the
Vicars more time to discuss this
on-going process with their constituents.
During January, the questions were
formulated by the diocesan staff and
ratified by Bishop Lessard and were
mailed to all the Vicars of the diocese
during the last week of January. It will
be up to each Vicar to formulate his
own system as to how he wants to use
the questions within his own deanery or
area of concern.
During February, the Vicars will
formulate a process for receiving input
concerning these specific questions and
report back their findings by the end of
that month. The four basic questions
that were addressed to all Vicars are as
follows:
1. How do the local parishes in the
diocese relate to the Cathedral (the
Pastoral Letter
On Cathedral
Page 4
Bishop’s Church) as a sign and focal
point of unity for the diocese?
2. In what manner should the
Cathedral be renovated to respond to
the new pastoral dimensions of the
conciliar directives on sacramental and
liturgical worship?
3. With regard to the financing of any
eventual changes, as well as continuing
maintenance needs <?f the Cathedral,
what would the reaction be to the
following suggestions:
a) That the financial burdens be
pro-rated among the parishes?
b) That a certain portion of the
Confraternity of the Laity be designated
to the project over a number of years?
c) That Cathedral funds only be
used?
d) That diocesan funds and/or
outside sources and donations be used?
e) That a combination of any of the
above be used?
4. Is there a need on the diocesan
level to involve as manv as possible in
the consultative process needed to
achieve a consensus on the practicality
of renovating the Cathedral?
Two points should be kept in mind:
1) Because of many misunderstood
implications, no decision has been made
whatsoever in regard to the proposed
renovation. The above questions simply
indicate a process by which those
charged with making an official study of
the possibilities will have some
information by which to guide their
deliberations.
2) It should be pointed out that even
though the questions may seem to be
presumptuous in favoring a renovation
program, such is not their intent. The
questions are meant to elicit
information and attitudes within a
controlled area of concern. By no means
should it be presumed that the
questions are all-embrasive of the many
implications that are undertaken when
one initiates a study of this magnitude.
Lessard strongly urged all to take part.
One deanery, the Savannah deanery,
was unable to participate due to the fact
that its extensive “Self-Study” program
has taken up the time and energies of all
eleven parishes for some months.
Responses from other areas show that
best use of the program was made by
the smaller, or more rural parishes,
while many of the larger, more urban
areas did not send in recommendations.
Some parishes which were unable to use
the program in the Fall have plans to
present it in modified form during
1976.
HEADLINE
HOPSCOTCH
“No CIA Activities”
VATICAN CITY (NC) -- Vatican spokesman Fredrico Alessandrini has categorically
denied reports that the papal secretariat of state actively collaborated with the CIA
and its wartime predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services, from 1942 to 1950.
Reports in the Italian press were based on a forthcoming book, “The American in
Italy,” which the press said links the Vatican with activities of both U.S. intelligence
agencies.
' Priests Praised
I^EW YORK (rfC) -- The U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) Communication
Committee has praised the “extraordinary services rendered” by two priests who
operated the USCC’s radio station for Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees at Ft.
Chaffee, Ark. The priests are Father H. Brian Highfill of New Orleans and Father Ted
Kosse of Cincinnati.
Court Declines To Rulie
/
WASHINGTON (NC) - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to rule on the
constitutionality of a Missouri law prohibiting use of Medicaid funds to pay for
abortions not needed to save the life of a mother. A U.S. circuit court in St. Louis had
ruled the law unconstitutional, holding that by allowing Medicaid payment for
childbirth and not for abortion it denied the equal protection guaranteed by the
Constitution.
Warning On Pilgrimages
SEVILLE } Spain (NC) - Church leaders here are warning Catholics abroad not to
join pilgrimages to Palma de Troya, the site near here of alleged apparitions of Our
Lady being fostered by a group of irregularly ordained bishops. Cardinal Jose Maria
Bueno Monreal of Seville said no priest of the archdiocese was supporting the group,
and only a handful “of simple persons” from the area had paid intermittant visits to
Palma, mostly out of curiosity. But promoters of the devotion were attracting larger
numbers from foreign countries.
Asks Stop To Violence
COBAN, Guatemala (NC) - The killing by rangers of four campasinos in a land
dispute incident prompted a demand from the bishop and his priests that the
government stop widespread violence against farmworkers in Vera Paz province.
Bishop Juan Gerardi of Santa Cruz del Quiche, who is also apostolic administrator of
Vera Paz in northern Guatemala, said in a joint statement with 40 priests that contrary
to the government version, the campasinos “did not ambush the rangers: the killings
took place in open prairie.”
Governor Busbee Names
Sister Mary Alvin
Governor George Busbee has appointed Sister Mary Alvin Seubott a
member of the Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Delinguency
Prevention.
This committee serves in conjunction with the State Crime Commission.
Twenty-one members are on the committee.
Sister Mary Alvin is the Administrator of St. Mary’s Home, Savannah. She
is also President of the Child Care Executive Association for the State of
Georgia.
June Charismatic Conference
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (NC) - The second National Conference for Priests on
Charismatic Renewal will be held at the Franciscan-run College of Steubenville June
21-25.
The college will also host a youth conference July 16-18 and the first National
Conference for Sisters on Charismatic Renewal, Aug. 9-12.
Major speakers at the priests’ conference include Dominican Father Francis
MacNutt of St. Louis, author of several books on preaching and healing, Father John
Randall, a member of the Word of God Community in Providence, R.I., Father John
Bertolucci, vice chancellor of the Albany, N.Y. diocese and Father Francis Martin,
leader of Madonna House Apostolate in Combermere, Ontario.
More than 600 priests from the United States and 13 foreign countries attended the
first conference at the college last year. College officials expect attendance to double
this year.