Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross
Newspaper Of The Diocese Of Savannah
Vol. 70 No. 19 Thursday, May 10, 1990 $12.00 Per Year
D.C.C.W. Convention
Effective, Compassionate Action Is Stressed
BY HELEN M. STAUNTON
The Savannah DCCW: Serving God in
Church and Community was the theme of
the 51st DCCW Convention (April 27-29) in
Brunswick — but the lofty theme touched
ground and pointed toward effective and
compassionate action in the needs of
many: orphans, the problems of families
affected by AIDS, living evangelization
and, most especially, concern for life.
Terry Weaver, of Atlanta, regional con
sultant for Birthright International arous
ed strong enthusiasm at the General
Assembly as she told how CCW members
could establish more local Birthright
centers and reach out to the fearful in
knowledge and charity and assistance to
save unborn lives.
In a follow-up workshop Cheatham
Hodges, Director of the Georgia Catholic
Conference, told how legistalive informa
tion could be obtained and used in the pro
life efforts. He called attention for many
who had not heard of it to the Bishop’s Pro-
Life Commission, to what could be done
and how it could be done. “Prepare
yourselves and those around you as you
see the need,” He urged. “There will be no
red alerts. Preparedness is the thing.”
Andy Garr, special assistant on the
standing Senate Committee on Children
and Youth, picked up the discussion and
also urged action — now — on children and
drugs. The drug problem, he said, is
greater in rural Georgia than in any other
area, but can also be attacked more im-
meditely than the national problem which
has to wait on Congress’ routine delays.
The recurrent theme in and out of the
workshops was that the women of the
SDCCW can be especially effective, but
must begin with knowledge and a com
pletely unfuzzy understanding. On abor
tions they should not be confused by sen
timental arguments, but should be against
all abortions and all funding for abortions;
should be for life and know that life begins
at conception. Conviction can help, but,
(Continued on page 9)
D.C.C.W. CONVENTION — Before the Saturday Banquet Bebe
Dismer, of St. Simons, Credentials Chairman, and Claire Kempton,
St. Simons, Convention Chairman, are pictured with Msgr. Daniel J.
Bourke, of Savannah.
Diocesan Pastoral Council Hears Schools,Communications Reports
The Diocesan Pastoral Council, meeting in Savannah last schools and of the diocesan newspaper,
weekend, heard reports about the Catholic School system The DPC, which acts as an advisory board to the Bishop
and endorsed the concept of providing The Southern Cross in defining the goals and objectives of the diocese, also
newspaper to all households in the diocese. reviewed the fiscal 1990-91 diocesan budget.
During the two-day session, held at St. Frances Cabrini Sr. Virginia Ross, Diocesan Superintendent of Schools,
Parish Bishop Raymond W. Lessard outlined the mission gave an overview of the school system, touching on the
and goals of the DPC and reiterated his support of Catholic topics of enrollment decline, tuition increases, and the crea-
D.P.C. MEETING — Sister Virginia Ross, to r.) Sister Patricia Brown, SSMN, Executive
CSJ, Diocesan Superintendent of Schools, re- Secretary; Frances Cummings, Chairman;
ports on Catholic Schools to Savannah Diocesan Bishop Raymond W. Lessard.
Pastoral Council on Saturday, May 5. Others (1.
tion of a new Catholic school in Savannah by combining two
older schools.
Enrollment in Catholic schools in the diocese peaked in
1959-1960 with a total of 8,522 students in grades
kindergarten through twelfth grade. For the 1989-1990
school year, there are 6,406 students in those grades in the
21 Catholic schools in the diocese, Sr. Virginia said.
The average tuition charged by those schools has more
than doubled in the last decade, she said, citing as an exam
ple the average tuition for Catholic children in parochial
elementary schools which has risen from $530 annually for
the 1981-82 school year to $1,137 for 1989-90.
Bishop Lessard told DPC members he is committed to a
future for Catholic schools in the diocese and that to survive
each school will have to have a broader base than that of a
single parish.
Also during the Saturday session, Bishop Lessard told the
group about internal communications in the diocese, in
cluding the circulation of the Diocesan Pastoral Bulletin
and other newsletters.
Barbara King of the Diocesan Communications Office
gave a report on that office’s work in the area of com
municating the diocesan mission through radio, television
and print media, and John Mark waiter, editor of The
Southern Cross, and Fr. William Simmons, Vicar General,
talked about the history of the newspaper, its present cir
culation and the question of whether more subscribers
should be added.
While there are approximately 24,000 Catholic households
in the diocese, only about 10,000 currently receive the
newspaper, Fr. Simmons said.
DPC members, after discussing the problems of financ
ing the newspaper, said they felt a way should be found to
provide the paper for every Catholic household in the
diocese.
Bishop Lessard said in his discussions with the Diocesan
Council of Priests he would express that sentiment.