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PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, December 16,1976
The Church And The Death Penalty -- Part II
BY JIM CASTELLI
American churches which had
opposed the death penalty held activity
on the issue in abeyance during the nine
years since the last execution, said the
Rev. John Adams, an activist Methodist
minister now involved in the National
Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
When the Supreme Court outlawed
the death penalty in 1972, most people
thought the issue was settled. But the
court’s reversal this summer, restoring
the death penalty under some
conditions, caught church people by
surprise.
One priority, according to the Rev.
Adams, is to “reeducate” the
memberships of the churches. A number
of churches are working through the
National Coalition to do this and to
work politically against the death
penalty.
Three Catholic groups — the National
Federation of Priests’ Councils, the
National Coalition of American Nuns
and the U.S. Jesuit Conference - are
members of the coalition and others
may join, although Catholic groups are
also working outside of the coalition.
The U.S. Catholic Conference
(USCC) committee on social
development and world peace will
discuss the death penalty at its Jan. 19
MICHAEL SEAN COLLINS, of North Augusta, a graduate of Aquinas
High, Augusta, and Susan Barnes of New Ellenton, S.C., were honored as
the first recipients of the Thurmond Scholarships at the Medical
University of S.C. at a banquet at the Thunderbird Inn in Augusta, Ga.
recently, for alumni and friends of the Medical University. The Thurmond
Scholarships were established by Senator Strom Thurmond to honor his
two brothers, Dr. George A. Thurmond and Dr. J. William Thurmond,
graduates of the Medical University at Charleston, and prominent
physicians in the Augusta area for many years. Pictured, 1 to r, Collins, Dr.
Geo. A. Thurmond, Senator Thurmond, Miss Barnes and Dr. J. William
Thurmond. (N. Augusta Star Photo)
COLUMBUS
‘Winning Habit’ At Lourdes
The last two years have been good
ones for the athletic program at
Columbus’ Our Lady of Lourdes parish.
They’ve developed a winning habit.
Teams representing the church have
brought home nine trophies during this
period.
The men’s slowpitch softball team
made the latest additions. They finished
first in Division I of the Adult
Church League and captured the
Columbus Church Invitational
Tournamnet. The team was coached by
David Hollis and managed by Henry
Pasko.
The church’s first trophy was brought
home by the ladies of the parish, who
were undefeated in 1974. They added
two more trophies in Volleyball in
1975. The ladies softball team were
trophy winners the summer of 1975,
with the men’s basketball team winning
three trophies during the 1974-75
season.
Prospects for the future look good.
At present the OLOL Co-ed Volleyball
team is in first place with a 7-1 record
and the Ladies Volleyball team is in
second place with a 3-1 record.
TROPHY CASE at Our Lady of Lourdes, Columbus, filled with nine
trophies garnered during past two years.
Season's Greetings
To
Columbus Area Parishes
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meeting, according to Francis Butler,
associate secretary for domestic social
development.
Butler noted that the bishops’
bicentennial “Call to Action”
conference called on all levels of the
Church to take action against the death
penalty.
He said his office will distribute to
dioceses resource material such as
Catholic statements of opposition to the
death penalty. Butler said the
committee might recommend that the
USCC staff assist local church groups
organize on the issue, file a friend of the
court brief in pending death penalty
cases before the Supreme Court, or
both.
But whatever the committee does,
Butler said, “if the Church is going to
work as an advocate for life, it will have
to be on an interfaith basis and in
coalitions.” Much Catholic activity in
recent months has already been in such
coalitions.
In fact, the death penalty has already
produced some surprising bedfellows.
Pro-life groups which have battled the
MONSIGNOR ELWOOD VOSS
American Civil Liberties Union over
abortion have worked with the ACLU in
opposing the death penalty.
Also, some anti-war groups such as
the pacifist Fellowship of
Reconciliation are active in opposing
the death penalty.
The Gilmore case surprisingly focused
attention on the Utah death penalty
law, but a larger number of people face
executions in Texas, Georgia and
Florida, the three states whose laws
were specifically upheld by the Supreme
Court.
Church groups have been active in
Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, Tex. In
Dallas, Bishop Joseph Durick, who
resigned his post as bishop of Nashville,
Tenn., to become a prison chaplain, has
spoken out strongly as an individual
against the death penalty and Bishop
Thomas Tschoepe of Dallas has named
an official representative to the Dallas
Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
Similar activity is going on in Florida
and Georgia.
Coalition actions generally follow this
pattern:
— Collecting petitions and testifying
in state legislatures to stop the death
penalty.
— Providing legal services for inmates
on death row. Opponents of the death
penalty argue that most people
condemned to die have not had
adequate legal defense because they
could not afford it.
Dr. Ellen Burns of the Atlanta
archdiocesan social services office
claimed that while there are 66 people
on death row in Georgia, “we can only
find 33 of them. The rest are scattered
around the state.”
The National Coalition of American
Nuns, is seeking to help provide legal
counsel for people on death row,
beginning with the handful of women
now condemned to death.
— Linking death row inmates to
ministers of their religious
denomination and providing counseling.
Public protests and vigils are another
element in the strategy, as is pressure on
governors and pardon boards. Henry
Schwartschild of the ACLU said he has
been told that Utah Gov. Cecil
Rampton’s mail has run nine to one
against the Gilmore execution.
The National Council of Churches is
also planning a national day of
mourning on the day of the first
execution.
The various coalitions fighting the
death penalty are not yet as well
organized as they would like to be, but;
they are moving fast. There is even a
relative degree of optimism about their
efforts.
Deborah Leavy of the ACLU noted,
for example, that people are more likely
to favor the death penalty in the
abstract than to favor any specific
execution. The closer an execution gets,
she and others believe, the softer
people’s feelings get.
“I don’t think it will be difficult to
regenerate interest” in opposing the
death penalty, Rev. Adams said. “I
know what the polls say, I know what
the mood of the country is. But I think
we can restore a morally informed
response. '
Theresian’s National Director Visits Columbus Area
Monsignor Elwood Voss, National
Director and founder of the Theresians
of America met with Columbus and
Phenix City Theresians at a
joint-meeting recently at Our Lady of
Lourdes School.
Monsignor was accompanied by Sister
Patricia Mullen, Associate Director, and
Sister Michaelanne, International
Director. The group traveled to
Columbus from the National Office
which is located in Scottsdale, Ariz. The
joint-meeting was highlighted by the
presentation of official charter plaques
to Mrs. Emmy Otero, and Mrs. Rosalie
Beach, Presidents of the Columbus and
Phenix City, Ala., Theresian groups.
Theresians is a group of lay women
dedicated to the Sisterhood Vocation
Apostolate. It is a Catholic organization
of women who are dedicated to a
deeper appreciation of the vocation of
the Christian woman - and this vocatibn
is lived in the religious and lay states in
the world today. The movement was
founded in Pueblo, Colorado in 1961 by
the Rev. Monsignor Elwood Voss.
In his Columbus talk Monsignor Voss
described the purpose of the Theresians.
He said the five dimensions of the
Theresian way of life are: Spiritual,
Education, Vocation, Community and
Ministries. He spoke on three of the
dimensions: education, vocation and
ministries.
Speaking of education, he stressed
having speakers at each monthly
meeting, who were in tune with Vatican
II in order to keep informed on what is
going on in the Church and the
Christian world, saying, “If we know
what is going on in the Christian world,
we are enriching ourselves and as a
result we are becoming enthusiastic
Christians.”
In the area of vocation, he told of the
need of serious study of the Christian
vocation regardless of life style, career
or mission. “This is a beautiful
concept,” he said, “if we can all realize
we have a Christian vocation, the work
of the Church could get done better
than ever before.”
Discussing ministries, he said that in a
Theresian Community the members are
encouraged to work with the
handicapped, the aged, women in prison
and an apostolic work to the extent
there is time, talent and interest. He said
people have so many needs and new
needs come up all the time. “The whole
idea,” he continued, “is sharing in the
work that has to be done. This is the
whole concept of the Theresian
communities.”
Sister Patricia Mullen spoke on the
highlights of the National Theresian
Conference the trio attended in San
Antonio, Texas. The conference was
well attended by members from
Theresian groups throughout the United
States and Canada.
Programs were planned and ideas
exchanged for the coming year. Several
topics of interest were discussed at the
National Conference, such as
Evangelization of the Christian
Community, Teenagers problems today,
Campus Ministry, Equal Rights
Amendment - from the Christian point
of view; world hunger; Birth Right:
World Social Concern, Peace and
Justice, The Abortion Issue, World
Religion, Apostolate to Senior Citizens,
Family Services, Women’s Equality,
Marriage Counseling, Charismatic
Movement, and many others.
Sister Mullen commented on the
Spiritual Dimension - emphasizing
communication with God through
private prayer at home, and praying
together at monthly meetings. The
Theresians pledge a weekly holy hour
for the intention of Sisterhood
vocations. Their motto is “Without God
we cannot, without us God will not.” Iri
conclusion Sister Mullen said the<
Community dimension is to encourage
and promote spirituality, learning and
mutual support of one another, of going
out of your way to help one another, of
listening to one another to be able to
share joys and sorrows with one
another.
Sister Michaelanne Kasper asked for
names of persons in other parts of the
world who would help in setting up!
Theresian groups. Her personal goal is to
establish Theresian communities outside
of the United States and throughout the
world. She urged all to be missionaries
and share with the people of the world
the prayer life and the community spirit
that they have.
Thomas Merton Symposium In Macon
BY REV. THOMAS HEALY
On January 18-19, 1977, St. Joseph’s
Church, Macon, will sponsor a
symposium on Father Thomas Merton
entitled “The Desert of the Heart.” At
the time of his death in 1968, Thomas
Merton was the most famous monk of
the Western World. 'The proposed
program will, hopefully, introduce us to
Father Metron in all his dimensions -
contemplative monk, spiritual writer,
poet, essayist, and servant of God.
Beginning the symposium on
Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 8 PM in the Social
Hall (basement) of the church, Father
Thomas Healy of St. Joseph’s will speak
on “Thomas Merton, The Man and The
Monk.” This talk will deal with the
personal dimensions of Merton’s life.
The heart of the talk will be a discussion
of Father Merton’s contemplative
vision. After this talk, all those
attending are invited to the church to
conclude the evening with Compline.
On Wednesday morning at 9:30 AM,
Dr. Victor A. Kramer, assistant
professor of English at Georgia-State
University in Atlanta, will discuss
“Merton’s Art and Non-Western
Thought.” This will be a presentation of
some of Merton’s writings and poems.
Emphasis will be placed on the
influence of Oriental Thought on
Merton’s later works. Dr. Kramer’s talk
will be followed by questions.
After a coffee break, Julius Lester,
professor in the department of
Afro-American Studies at the University
of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., will
speak on “The Monk in the World.”
This will be a personal appreciation of
Thomas Merton. It is scheduled for
10:40 AM. Another break and question
period will follow.
From 12:10-1 PM the group will
break for lunch. Sandwiches can be
ordered during the morning for those
wishing to remain in the Hall for lunch.
At 1:00 PM, Father Thomas Fidelis,
monk of the Monastery of the Holy
Spirit, Conyers, Ga., will take “Merton
On Prayer” for his topic, giving an
expose of Tather Merton’s thoughts on
prayer. A break and the final question
period will follow.
BENEDETTO
LAUNDRY
3061 Houston Avo.
Macon, Go.
Phono SH. 2-2361
At 3 PM, Mass will be celebrated in
St. Joseph’s Church with the Mt. de
Sales Choir and the St. Joseph’s Folk
Group providing the music.
In preparation for the symposium, it
is recommended the following books be
read:
NEW SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION
(A New Directions Paperback. New
York, 1961) This is one of Father
Merton’s best loved works. It consists of
a collection of thoughts about the
interior life.
THOMAS MERTON ON PRAYER
by John J. Higgins, S.J. (A Doubleday
Image Book, New York. 1975) This is a
most valuable book. It will form a
background for the talk to be given by
Father Thomas Fidelis on Merton’s
understanding of prayer.
THE ASIAN JOURNAL OF
THOMAS MERTON (A New Directions
Book. 1968) Posthumously published,
this book is a record of Father Merton’s
illfated pilgrimage to the Orient. It also
contains the text of Merton’s final
address. It is a telling witness to
Merton’s own personal spiritual growth
and development.
charge for the j
There is i
symposium.
The speakers promise to be
stimulating and should present us with a
mosaic of spiritual insights. All in all the
symposium should be an invaluably
replenishment of our spiritual resources.
Johnnie Ganem
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