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The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Savannah http://southerncross.diosav.org Vol. 89, No. 1 Thursday, January 8, 2009 $.75 per issue New church dedicated at Saint Francis of Assisi, Folkston O n December 20, Bishop J. Kevin Boland dedicated the new Saint Francis of Assisi Church, Folkston. Saint Francis, a mis sion of Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish, Saint Marys, benefited from gifts of $271,935 pledged by other parishes in the Diocese of Savannah. The Catholic Church Extension Society also con tributed $100,000. The church, which seats 200, was filled to capacity. Special guests included William Staeger. Mayor of Folkston, Jessie Smith, Chairman of the Charlton County Commission, and other dignitaries. The Rite of Dedication began with Bishop Boland receiving the keys to the church from design consultant Dawn Malin and then entrusting them to Father Gabriel Cummings, pastor. The bishop then sprinkled the people, the walls of the church and the altar with holy water. After the first proclamation of the Scripture read ings in the new church and the homily, the bishop anointed the altar in the central rite of dedication. A brazier was placed on the altar from which incense burned as a sign of prayer rising to heav en. He and Father Cummings then anointed the walls of the church before the first celebration of the Eucharist on the altar. See page 6 for more photos. Presidential election caps dramatic year; economy a major issue By Patricia Zapor Washington (CNS) Z fie election of Sen. Barack Obama as president November 4 climaxed a dramatic political year in which the faltering economy ultimately steered voters 'decisions. While Obama’s election was his toric in many ways, the campaign between Obama, an Illinois Demo crat, and Republican nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona had its own particular religious angles of interest. Before it came down to voters who were worried primarily about the economy, the campaign had veered off into stories about the clergy who advised or endorsed the candidates and disagreements among some in the Catholic Church about their moral obligations in voting. The election also brought ballot measures on which the Catholic Church weighed in, including those about same-sex marriage, regula tions on abortion, assisted suicide, embryonic stem-cell research, gam bling and taxes to aid the needy. At the top of the ballot, Obama won a slightly higher percentage of votes among Catholics, 54 percent to 45 percent for McCain, than among all voters, 53 percent of whom chose Obama while 46 percent voted for McCain. Latinos were a significant factor in the Catholic portion of the vote, with 67 percent supporting Obama. Like white voters overall, white Catholics more strongly supported McCain over Obama, by 52 percent to 47 percent. Latinos make up about 40 percent of U.S. Catholics. In the new year analysts will still be debating how much Catholic vot ers were influenced by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ election guide, “Forming Consci ences for Faithful Citizenship,” and by the statements of some bishops who warned that voting should be based on the candidates’ record on abortion. One who took such a stand, Bi shop Joseph F. Martino of Scranton, Pennsylvania, told the people of his diocese that abortion outweighed all other issues in voting. At a parish political forum, he said the USCCB document was not relevant in his diocese. “Faithful Citizenship” emphasized the importance of the abortion issue in voting. But it also left open the possibility that Catholics might in good conscience support candidates who do not favor overturning Roe v. Wade, the court ruling legalizing abortion, if the voter rejects that position but has other morally grave reasons to support that candidate. Continued on page 11 ' Drummer boy, mayor, priest revisited —page 3 Winchel ordained a deacon - *r,~ » h, jj; ■ Betty Purdy retires after nearly 48 years —page 12