Newspaper Page Text
Official Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah
http://www.diosav.org Vol. 81, No. 31 Thursday, September 13, 2001 $.50 per issue
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Pope, bishop express horror at
“inhuman terrorist attacks”
Castel Gandolfo, Italy (CNS)
ope John Paul II said he was horrified at the
“inhuman terrorist attacks” in the United
States and offered prayers for the victims and all
Americans in “this dark and tragic moment.” The
pope, who followed news of the September 11
attacks from his summer residence outside
Rome, sent an unusually speedy telegram to
President Bush several hours after the attacks
began.
“Shocked by the unspeakable horror of today’s
inhuman terrorist attacks against innocent people
in different parts of the United States, I hurry to
express to you and your fellow citizens my pro
found sorrow and my closeness in prayer for the
nation at this dark and tragic moment,” the papal
telegram said.
“Commending the victims to almighty God’s
eternal mercy, I implore his strength upon all
involved in rescue efforts and in caring for the
survivors. I beg God to sustain you and the
American people in this hour of suffering and
trial,” he said.
Bishop J. Kevin Boland, in Washington for a
meeting of the Administrative Board of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
issued this statement: “September 11, 2001, was
a day of national infamy. It will be part of our
historical memory from this time forward.”
“We pray for eternal rest for those who died.
We pray for the living victims, may God be their
strength and consolation. We pray for our nation.
Let us pray and work together, we need to sup
port each other in our hour of need.”
“We pray also for our president, national and
local government leaders. They bear the burden
of leading us in wise ways during these days of
• darkness.”
“Violence breeds violence. Deep down we
know it never solves our human problems. We
share a common humanity with those who perpe
trated these horrific times. The Gospel directs us
to pray for our enemies. In the horror of these
happenings, it is the most difficult thing to do.
This weekend I am directing all the parishes in
the diocese to celebrate the Mass in Time of War
or Civil Disturbance with the Second Eucharistic
Prayer for Reconciliation.”
“I call upon all members of our diocesan fami
ly to renew their trust in God. In the words of the
bishops’ administrative board: ‘Let us not engage
in ethnic, religious or national stereotyping for
what may be the acts of a few irrational terror
ists’. And we recall the words of the Psalmist,
‘the Lord is compassionate to all his creatures’.”
The bishop will celebrate the 10:00 a.m. Mass
on Sunday, September 15, at the Cathedral of
Saint John the Baptist in Savannah.
The second tower of the World Trade Center in
New York City falls after the plane attacks
September 11 that destroyed both towers.
to host missionaries for Co-op Sunday
Diocesan parishes
Maryknoll Father Peter C. Brien, shown celebrat
ing Good Friday with his missionary flock, will
speak in the Savannah Deanery for the Mission
Co-op Appeal, September 22-23.
By Sister Mary Faith McKean, RSM
issionaries from around the world will con
verge on the Diocese of Savannah for the
annual Mission Cooperative Appeal on Septem
ber 22-23.
Albany Deanery
Albany’s Saint Teresa Church will host Father
Charles Opondo-Owora, one of 70 Ugandan
priests who, along with 9 European priests, 150
religious brothers and sisters, and over 850 lay
catechists, minister to half a million Catholics in
the Tororo Archdiocese. Catholics comprise 29%
of the population in that part of Uganda, just ten
times their percentage in south Georgia. The
Church strives to meet the many social service
needs in this developing nation.
Augusta Deanery
The people of the Turkana Desert in Kenya,
East Africa, are nomads who live chiefly from
the milk and blood of their camels, goats and
cows—unless a serious drought means their ani
mals die from starvation. Such a drought in 1962
induced the Kenyan government to invite the
Medical Missionaries of Mary into the country
for the first time to do famine relief. The Sisters
also set up the first schools and health centers the
Turkana region had ever seen. As Sister Mary
Andrew Phillips says, “It is a wonderful experi
ence watching starving children gain weight and
become healthy again.” Sister Mary Andrew, a
native of Michigan, and Sister Bernadette
Gilsenan, from Dublin, Ireland, have both spent
years in this part of Kenya, doing health and edu
cation work and assisting women’s groups. They
will speak at Saint Teresa of Avila and Most
Holy Trinity Churches.
Two priests of the Society of Saint Patrick will
(Continued on page 11)
Father Garcia
installed as pastor
—page 6
Vietnamese youth
society prospers
—page 7
Saint Anne’s, Columbus,
turns 40
—page 12