Newspaper Page Text
4
♦
PRAY FOR
CHRISTIAN
UNITY
VOL. 1 NO. 28
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1963
$5.00 PER YEAR
INTERFAITH EFFORT
Clergy Offer
Savannah Help
ARCHBISHOP O’HARA
Death Claims
Prelate
OFFICIAL
Pontifical Requiem Mass will be
offered for Archbishop Gerald
P. O’Hara, who died July 16th
at the Cathedral of Christ the
King at 6:30, Monday evening,
July 22nd.
SAVANNAH, Ga., (NC)—
Twenty-four clergymen, in
cluding Catholic, Methodist and
Protestant Episcopal bishops,
have offered their help in solv
ing Savannah’s racial problem.
The offer came (July 13)
from the clergymen during a
truce in Negro demonstrations
which had led to rioting and
shooting.
Msgr, John D, Toomey,
pastor of St. James Catholic
church, was instrumental in
arranging the truce. He met
with leaders of the Negro pro
tests, appealing for time to
organize businessmen and
others to work out a solution.
In the statement issued by
the white clergymen, including
Bishop Thomas J, Me Donough
of Savannah, racial conditions
in the city were described as
critical.
The group said there will
be "further violence and eco
nomic loss unless people quick
ly seek reasonable and just
solutions to these problems.”
"Therefore,” the statement
said, "we religious leaders of
the community make the fol
lowing appeal:
"1. That all persons restrain
themselves from violence and
seek to restore peace and order;
"2. That negotiations be re
sumed immediately among re
sponsible leaders of citizens;
"3. That recognition and gua
rantees be given to the rights
of all citizens;
"4. In order to help achieve
this, we offer our help in ne
gotiating these solutions.**
In addition to Bishop McDon
ough, the other Bishops among
the signers are: Bishop Albert
Stuart of the Protestant Epis
copal Diocese of Georgia and
Bishop John Owen Smith of
the South Georgia Methodist
Conference.
MORE CLASSROOMS
'OAih.ii.
Moit Rev. Paul J. Hallinan
Archbiihop of Atlanta
FIRST FRIDAY CLUB OF ATLANTA
For all Catholic Men in Greater Atlanta
area.
Luncheon - First Friday of every month,
at Elk i Club, Peachtree and 4th Street!.
12 Noon - Guest Speaker
Send in 1963-64 dues ($5.00) now to B.
F. Whitham, Treai. 716 Channing Dr.
N. W. Atlanta 18, Georgia.
SEE YOU ON AUGUST 2.
The late Most Rev. Gerald P. O'Hara D. D., J. U. D.
Apostolic delegate to Great Britain
(Former Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta)
VISITED WITH KLAN HEAD
BY GERARD E. SHERRY
LONDON — Archbishop Ger
ald P. O’Hara, Apostolic Dele
gate to Great Britain and for
mer Bishop of Atlanta, died here
Tuesday. The Archbishop suf
fered a heart attack Friday.
Before the Archbishop as
sumed his post here in August,
1954, he had served as the
last papal representative in
Rumania. He suffered house
arrest under the communist
government in that country and
his health was affected.
After leaving Rumania in 1950
Archbishop O'Hara was Apos
tolic Delegate to Ireland, leav
ing that post in 1954 to come
to Britain. Before joining the
papal diplomatic corps, he was
active in setting up the Catho
lic Committee of die South, an
organization aimed at unifying
and coordinating Catholic
l thought and action in the south
east. As Bishop of Savannah
and later as bishop of the Sa-
vannah-Atlanta Diocese he was
a well-loved figure in die church
in the south.
Archbishop O'Hara was born
in Green Ridge, Pa. on May 4,
1895 and attended St. Charles
Borromeo Seminary in Over
brook, Pa. He then went to
Rome to study at the Ponti
fical Roman Seminary, where
he earned a doctorate in can
on and civil law in 1924. He
was ordained in Rome on Ap
ril 3, 1920.
After completing his studies
in Rome, he returned to the
U.S. and was named secretary
to Dennis Cardinal Dougherty.
Archbishop of Philadelphia and
was made a judge of the arch?
diocesan matrimonial court.
On April 26, 1929, he was
appointed Auxiliary Bishop of
Philadelphia at the age of 34
and was then said to be the
youngest Bishop in the U.S.
He was also named rector of
the Church of the Nativity and
Vicar General of the archdio
cese.
On November 26,1935, he was
transferred to be Bishop of
Savannah, Ga. During the war
years he served as Military
Vicar Delegate to the armed
forces in the southeastern sta
tes,
In January, 1947, Pope Pius
XII named him interim regent
of the apostolic nunciature in
Rumania. During his three
years there he protested con-
tinously against communist at
tacks on the Church. On July
4, 1950, he was expelled from
that country and eight days
later was given the personal
title of archbishop.
In 1951, he was appointed
Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland,
where he later received an
honorary degree from the Na
tional University.
In 1954 he was appointed Apos
tolic Delegate to Great Bri
tain, which also Included duties
as papal representative to Mal
ta, the Bermuda Islands and
Gibraltar. In 1960 he became
the first papal representative
to visit the Houses of Parlia
ment here in more than 400
years.
The funeral Mass for Arch
bishop O'Hara will be held here
at Westminster Cathedral this
Friday. The Mass will be said
by Archbishop Heenan of Liver
pool.
Archbishop O’Hara is well
remembered in Atlanta in con
nection with the dedication of
the Cathedral of Christ the King.
He Invited the then Exalted Wiz
ard of the Ku Klux Klan. Dr.
Hiram W. Evans, to attend the
dedication. The Klan had owned
the property on which the cathe
dral was built and had its head
quarters in what is now the ca
thedral rectory.
Work Begun On
2G90 Feacktree Road, N. E,
PO. Box 12047, Norlkside Stali
Atlanta 5, Georgia
The death of Archbishop Gerald P. O'Hara takes from the world
community a true apostle. We in Georgia are the first bene-
ficaries of his zeal, his tireless work for God, and God's Church.
For 24 years, he covered the counties of this state, establish
ing the needed parishes, schools and missions, strengthening
the bonds of unity among Catholics, and extending a warm hand
of welcome to those not Catholic. The establishment of the Diocese
of Atlanta in 1956, and the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 1962, was
the logical and fruitful product of his vision and his labors.
But Archbishop O'Hara was an apostle to the world. Like Saint
Paul, he went where the Holy Spirit sent him - Rumania, Ireland,
England, carrying the image of the Holy See, representing the
Pope, giving his great talents to the difficult art of church
diplomacy.
We extend to his family our sympathy, and at the same time,
express to God our gratitude that this apostolic priest was for
so many years our Shepherd and our Bishop.
Construction began on th« new
D’Youville Academy classroom
building in the middle of June.
It is the nucleus for the future
high school and possible junior
college. The generoelty of the
parents and friends made this
addition possible. They made
pledges to undertake the costs
of this first much-needed nu
cleus.
It is composed of four class
rooms, rest rooms, heating,
maid, and locker rooms, and a
corridor combination on the
ground floor. The first floor
consists of the rest rooms for
up to the central television
antenna so that educational pro
grams from the Atlanta School
Board and University of Geor
gia will be readily received.
Height of the school is two
stories with a future third floor
and expansion in all directions
e pected. All the materials are
non-combustible. For the noise
level control, acoustical ceiling
was used. Resilient floor tiling
for easy up keep and mainten
ance was specified by the arch
itect. All the windows are to
be stainless steel so that no
PROPOSED NEW D YOUVILLE CONSTRUCTION
both the teachers and students,
four classrooms, one home
room, and one large science
room with preparation room.
Equipment in this lab is the
latest in science lab equipment.
One classroom on the first
floor will be a temporary chapel
with a folding door connecting
to an adjoining classroom.
Therefore, there will be accom
odations in excess of 80 per
sons.
There will be an intercom
munication system connecting
to the office in the existing
convent. Each classroom is set
painting will be required.
School will be of traditional
design. Architect specified
brick and limestone to blend
with the existing convent and
surrounding landscape. Paved
parking for 40 cars is pro
vided, doubling the outdoor
basketball courts. Future ex
pansion set aside for four ten
nis courts, a large atheletic
fields. Possible stables and
show rink will round the edu
cation for young ladles.
Mr. Albert 0. Ordway, A.I.A.
is the architect for the struc
ture.
D’Youville Bldg.
Archbishop O’Hara Well
Known To All Atlantans
Atlanta. . . Archbishop Ger
ald P. O'Hara's death caused
many reminiscences of official
acts in which he officiated for
the 30 years in Georgia.
At the age of 34 he was the
youngest Bishop in the country
when he was named Auxiliary
Bishop of Philadelphia. Follow
ing the resignation of Bishop
Michael J. Keyes S. M., Arch
bishop O'Hara was named the
Bishop of Savannah and was
MONTREAL, Que. (RNS)—
The "dialogue” was cited at
the World Council of Churches'
World Conference on Faith and
Order here as an "instrumen
tality of Providence” designed
to keep the Christian unity
movement from "deadlock or
flying apart."
Dr. Albert C. Outler, an
American Methodist theologian
and professor at Perkins
School of Theology, Dallas,
Texas, said, however, that while
the dialogue has succeeded well
among "professional theo
logians," it has been less suc
cessful in "episodic mass con
ferences.”
HE said "something” was
still needed to "draw the gen
erality of churchmen into ecu
menical dialogue in their con
crete situations of disunity and
disability.”
Dr. Outler told some 500
Protestant, Anglican and Or
thodox church leaders and the
ologians from various parts of
solemnly installed on January
15, 1936.
The title of the church in
Georgia was changed at the re
quest of Archbishop O'Hara <n
1937 from the Diocese of Sav
annah— to the Diocese of Sav-
annah-Atlanta. This was to give
prominence to the city of At
lanta which the late Prelate re
cognized as a growing southern
metropolis. It was also Arch
bishop O'Hara who in 1956 re-
the world, that the Faith and
Order Conference would be a
"cause for rejoicing” if it
should inspire other Christians
to undertake sifnilar meetings
and dialogues with each other.
He challenged his listeners,
who Included five Roman Ca
tholic official observers and
15 "guests,” to an expansion
of the ecumenical dialogue on
a wider scale.
"IS there any one of us, or
any one of our Churches, who
could not do something toward
the expansion of appropriate
study programs in our various
regions and Churches?” he
asked.
"We have come here from
the ends of the earth and under
the constraint of Christ’s love
to risk ourselves and our tra
ditions in ecum enlcal dialofue, ”
he said. "Those who sent us
here will want to know what
happened, beyond our talks and
prayers together.”
quested that Atlanta be made in
to a separate diocese. At that
time he was named Bishop of
Savannah.
In 1947 the Apostolic Nuncio
to Rumania was ousted by the
communist regime and His
Holiness, the late Pope Pius
XII appointed Bishop O’Hara to
the post of Regent of the Apos
tolic Nunciature in Bucharest.
In 1950 the communists expel
led the Georgia bishop from the
country and in recognition of
his service to the church in
Bucharest, he received the per
sonal title of Archbishop while
still retaining his diocese as
Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta.
1951 saw Archbishop O’Hara
filling another high church post
when he became the Papal Nun
cio to Ireland. He served in
that capacity until June of 1954
when he was named to succeed
Archbishop William Godfrey as<
Apostolic Delegate to Great
Britain. He was still serving in
that post when death claimed
him on July 16, 1963.
He is probably best remem
bered in north Georgia for his
construction of the Co-Cathe-
dral of Christ the King in At
lanta which was dedicated on
January 18, 1939 with a Solemn
Pontifical Mass offered by Ar
chbishop Curley of Baltimore
and presided over by His Emi
nence, Dennis Cardinal Dough
erty of Philadelphia. On this
occasion the Rector of the Ca
tholic University in Washing
ton, Monsignor Joseph M. Cor
rigan preached the dedication
sermon. The occasion of the de
dication not only drew front
page press notices for the story
itself but also because it oc
casioned the visit of the Imper
ial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan,
Dr. Hiram W. Evans.
FAITH AND ORDER CONFERENCE
Unity Dialogue Not
Just Theological
In England
