Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 57 No. 27
Thursday, July 22,1976
Single Copy Price —15 Cents
Diocesan Eucharistic Pilgrimage July 31 In Macon
TO
ATLANTA
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TO SAVANNAH
TO
ALBANY
Diocesan Pilgrimage Of Renewal
HOLY SPIRIT PARISH
MACON
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Saturday, July 31
BY GERALD T. CANTWELL
Monsignor Marvin J. LeFrois,
diocesan coordinator of the event,
announced today that all is in readiness
for the Savannah Diocesan Pilgrimage of
Renewal to be conducted in Macon next
Saturday, July 31. This is the diocese’s
official celebration in conjunction with
the 41st International Eucharistic
Congress which will open in
Philadelphia two days later.
Father William Leahy, pastor of Holy
Spirit, the host parish, and his parish
council, assisted by many volunteers
from their sister Macon parishes, St.
Peter Claver and St. Joseph, have put
the finishing touches on all
arrangements and are waiting to be
engulfed by hundreds of pilgrims.
Although parking may be tight, Fr.
Leahy’s people have adequate plans to
accommodate all vehicles efficiently.
“However,” Fr. Leahy warned, “the
more people who come in buses, the
easier it will be for us to accommodate
them.” The off-duty policemen who
will be helping out will direct bus
drivers to discharge their passengers on
the church grounds and park their buses
at a remote location (see adjacent map
for Holy Spirit location). Although the
event is not scheduled to start until
11:00 A-M., Fr. Leahy encourages all to
arrive as early as possible to avoid a
last-minute jam.
The focal point of the day’s
celebration will be a large tent raised in
the middle of Holy Spirit’s sylvan
setting. However, an efficient public
address system will be operating, and
the people are encouraged to take
advantage of the nearby shady groves
and rest on the ground, even as the
disciples of Jesus did.
At various times during the day, the
great tent will be the site of holy hour,
the three “hungers” programs, Mass,
and Benediction. There will be quiet
interludes, too, when the people can
meditate in solitude, either in the tent
or at the separated grotto in which the
Blessed Sacrament will repose during
the day.
All in all, the event promises
something for everyone; each will be
able to celebrate the pilgrimage in his
own way. Finally, it will be a day
unique in the annals of the diocese.
There is simply no precedent for the
diocese coming together as one to
celebrate a spiritual event.
DIOCESAN GROUP TO ATTEND
41st Eucharistic Congress
To Take Place Aug. 1-8
PEACE DAY THEME
6 If You Want Peace, Defend Life’
VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope Paul
VI has chosen a strong pro-life theme
for the 10th World Day of Peace
celebration, in part to remind people
that abortion can lead to “chain
reaction extermination,” the Vatican
said July 15.
In announcing the peace day theme -
“If you want peace, defend life” -
Vatican officials said that the slogan for
the Jan. 1, 1977, celebration shows
Pope Paul’s concern over war, world
hunger, and political torture and
imprisonment as well as abortion.
Pope Paul established the Jan. 1
World Day of Peace in 1966.
According to the vice president of the
Pontifical Commission for Justice and
Peace, African Archbishop Bernardin
Gantin, the quest for peace and the
fight against abortion are intricately
related.
“To be in favor of abortion and
against war is a contradiction,” the
archbishop declared. “But to be against
abortion and to condone or promote
war is likewise contradictory.
“Without refusing to recognize the
dramatic problems raised by the
repeated call for respect for life, the
upcoming theme is a reminder of the
incalculable risk of chain reaction
extermination inherent in forgetting
that life has a sacred character,” the
prelate said.
Archbishop Gantin added that the
consequences of forgetting life’s
sacredness are “death camps, genetic
manipulation, contraception,
euthanasia, and all forms of
discrimination.”
Strong opposition to war is also
sensed in the theme, the archbishop
said, since “if war is another name for
death, then life is another name for
peace.”
Regarding peace day and world
hunger, the archbishop said that some
aspects of the problem such as the
political and cultural, are being dealt
with by the world. “But isn’t it time to
spotlight the great slaughter of human
life brought about by famine,
malnutrition and thirst?” he asked.
To defend life means to struggle as
well against men who “wound, diminish
or dishonor life,” the prelate continued.
Both the Second Vatican Council and
Pope Paul VI have “denounced with
special vigor torture under all its forms,
while the same reprimand has been
given to the numerous countries relying
on prisons to govern, and especially
those relying on psychiatric hospitals
and on practices designed to cause
psychic breakdowns in individuals,”
according to the archbishop.
The 54-year-old prelate from
Dahomey ended by saying that the
1977 theme does not only urge defense
of life. “It invites us to heal life, to
prolong it and to make it better.”
The World Day of Peace, celebrated
on New Year’s Day, takes various forms
in different lands. Some Vatican
officials have expressed concern that the
day is given little notice in the United
States.
Each year a special liturgy is drawn
up which can be used in place of the
regular Jan. 1 liturgy.
BY MARY BRODERICK
The Savannah Pilgrimage group to the
41st International Eucharist Congress
will leave by chartered bus on August 4
for Philadelphia to be in attendance
during the last four days of the
Congress. Led by Father J. Kevin
Boland, Dean of the Savannah Deanery,
the group will consist of twenty-eight
persons from Savannah and Savannah
Beach, nine from Brunswick, five from
Augusta, 2 from Macon, and 1 from
Warner Robins.
This Congress is a gathering of the
universal church and will offer to the
world a great witnessing of Christianity
in one place. People from all over the
world, from every walk of life who want
to share in this great spiritual experience
Will participate - bishops, priests,
religious, laity and non-Catholic groups.
According to His Holiness Pope Paul
Program On ‘Rebel Bishop’
On Sunday, August 1, approximately 500 radio stations across the country
will broadcast a radio documentary on the Rebel Bishop: Augustin Verot - as
part of the special Bicentennial series, the Patriotic Part: Catholic and Citizen
in America, produced by the Sacred Heart Program.
The text and presentation of “Rebel Bishop: Augustin Verot” is by Dr.
Michael V. Gannon, former director of the Mission of Nombre de Dios, St.
Augustine, Florida, the oldest city and cradle of Christianity in North
America.
In this radio documentary, Dr. Gannon presents a portrait of Augustin
Verot, a remarkable churchman of the Catholic faith who lived in the 19th
century - a man -- selfless and dedicated, keenly perceptive and spiritual,
colorful and exciting; a man whose unconventional views of slavery, science
and ecumenism invited opposition and even ridicule in his own time and
earned for him the title of Rebel Bishop.
VI, “The 41st International Eucharistic
Congress to be held August 1-8 is
another great gift of God to the Church
in our time. It marks a special moment
in the passage of the Lord among the
people of this generation. And the
prayerful hope that we express today is
that this Eucharistic Congress may
indeed play a major role in helping to
build what we ardently desire and what
we have frequently called “the
civilization of love.” For the Holy
Eucharist, which is the center of the
Congress and indeed the “source and
summit of all Christian life” is a
mystery of love. Out of love, Jesus
became for all who believe in him the
Bread of Life.”
A spiritual link has been made
between this Congress and the 28th
International Eucharistic Congress held
in Chicago in 1926. The Christian
community of Chicago has presented to
the people of Philadelphia the
Monstrance used at the 1926 Congress.
The Monstrance, a decorated metal
vessel with glass windows used to
display the consecrated host, is carried
at liturgies and processions.
Using the theme, “The Eucharist and
the Hungers of the Human Family,” this
will not be a Congress marked by pomp
and pageantry. Rather, it is a sober and
intense exploration of the mystery of
Christ’s sacrifice to the world, and of
the continuing life of that sacrifice.
Each day’s happenings are clustered
about a specific theme - the Hunger for
God, for Bread, for Freedom and
Justice, for the Spirit, for Truth, for
Understanding, for Peace, and for Jesus,
the Bread of Life.
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and
Paul will be the focal point for the
solemn opening of the Congress on
August 1 and on the f homing day,
nilv Day, amom other events Prince
Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco
will participate in the Family Life
Conference.
Special Eucharistic Celebrations have
been planned for Suffering People Day
and Clergy and Religious Day and on
Thursday, Pilgrim People Day, the
Ecumenical Conference will feature
such well-known speakers as Jan
Cardinal Willebrands, William Cardinal
Baum, Archbishop Iakovos, Dr. Robert
J. Marshall and Archbishop Fulton J.
Sheen. That evening an Ecumenical
Service and Charismatic Renewal will be
held.
On Friday, August 6 Bishop
Raymond W. Lessard, of Savannah, will
chair the Conference on “Woman and
the Eucharist” at which Mother Teresa
of Calcutta will be one of the speakers.
Since Friday is Youth Day a special
Eucharistic celebration for young
people will be held at 7 P.M. and later at
the Marian Liturgy, “Mary, the
Tabernacle of the Lord,” Archbishop
Fulton J. Sheen will be the homilist,
this to be followed by an all-night
Marian Vigil.
Saturday, Peoples of the World Day,
will feature Eucharistic Celebrations and
festivals throughout the day for
international heritage groups with a
Eucharistic Procession at 7 P.M. and
all-night adoration. The closing day will
be devoted to thanksgiving for the
Eucharist with a Procession of the
Nations and States at 4 P.M. followed
by the Eucharistic Celebration, Statio
Orbis, in John F. Kennedy Stadium.
PEMBROKE
Holy Cross Mission Dedicated
Holy Cross Mission at Pembroke was
formally dedicated on Friday, June 11
by Bishop Raymond W. Lessard.
Father James Wilmes, pastor of the
mission parishes of Evans, Tatnall and
Bryan counties served as Master of
Ceremonies for the bishop as he
celebrated the liturgy of the Eucharist
and Blessing of the building. Also
present and concelebrating the Mass
were Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Bourke,
Comptroller of the Diocese and Rev.
John Kenneally, Chancellor.
The first stages of mission-parish
activity begun in 1974 have now grown
into a thriving Community of about 40
Catholic members. In 1975 a sturdy,
frame structure was purchased,
approximately 60 ft. by 35 ft.,
incorporating large rooms across front
and rear (each 35 ft. by 15 ft.) with
four additional, ample rooms between
these larger ones.
Under the leadership of Father
Wilmes, a number of parishioners
donated considerable time, talent and
energy and completely renovated both
the interior and exterior of the parish
center. A very attractive and efficient
Catholic center for the Diocese’s newest
Mission has now emerged.
Following the ceremony of
dedication the ladies of Holy Cross
Mission served an excellent buffet
luncheon. Decorated with a
Bicentennial theme, one of the rooms
had been designated as “parish hall” for
the occasion and was the setting for the
social that followed for the capacity
crowd that was present for this first,
public parish event.
This was also the occasion for Father
Wilmes to bid farewell to his
parishioners, as he was about to be
transferred to the Glenmary Mission at
Hugo, Oklahoma.
Another Glenmary Missioner, Father
Bill Smith, has now replaced Father
Wilmes as pastor. One of his
responsibilities will be to direct a
building program for a new church for
Pembroke.
This is already in its planning stages
with the Diocesan Building Commission.
The older, renovated structure will then
serve for educational and social
functions, as well as for overnight living
quarters for a priest.
Holy Cross, Pembroke