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* ( THE CATHOLIC PRESS- 4 Catholic Press And Public Opinion—Georgia Pioneers PATRlPk' F cr AVI IV B who for wars rarrlsd nn rnnrr J I ...I 1.. ... PATRICK F. SCANLAN About 45 years ago one of our neighbors in Brooklyn met us one evening and conveyed the surprising information that he was going to Georgia to engage in a special Catholic activity. Our friend told us that Bishop Kiely of Savan nah, assisted by some stalwart and zealous lay men, was establishing an organization to confront the prejudice and misrepresentation directed ag ainst the Catholic religion. It will be recalled that those were the days of Tom Watson, who so frequently fulminated and wrote against our religion and its people. The Catholics, of course, were small in number and throughout Georgia large sections of the press, ministerial groups and men striving for political advantage derided the Pope, the Hier- achy and the Faith we love. THE MAN GOING from Brooklyn to Georgia was James Farrell. The work which he helped establish was the Catholic Layman’s Associa tion o f Georgia. The main tools he employed were personal appearances before groups, a bureau of information, and spreading literature- mostly small tracts imparting information about This is the fourth in a series of 12 articles on the Catholic Press written exclusively for the GEORGIA BULLETIN by leading editors through out the country. Pat Scanlan is managing editor of The Tablet, official newspaper of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Mr. Scanlan is no doubt, the “Dean” of Catholic Press editors, and has given over 40 years of service to Church and country. Catholics. After being in Georgia a year, Mr. Farrell stated: hatred of the Church is greatly exagge rated; what people hate is not what Catholicism is but what they think it is. What we must do, he said, is to be in a position to present our case to the poeple — for the people of Georgia are religious; they love the Bible; they are open for hearing the truth. Mr, Farrell died a few years after he had commenced this noble, positive, constructive work and he was succeeded by another friend of ours, Richard Reid, a very worthy gentleman who for years carried on most unselfishly, suc cessfully-and effectively the activities of the Catholic Layman’s Association. The result has been better feeling, better understanding, lead ing to unity, harmony and friendship. Civic and religious progress has resulted and to this day the effects of this small but vital endeavor has been impressive. In recent years most of us are familiar with what is called the Madison Ave. technique. Here richly financed, well-equipped, powerfully organ ized and extremely active businesses are dedi cated to public relations, indoctrination, the crea tion of images, the erection of judgments, the endeavor to influence public opinion and buyers, to win friends or initiate movements, which will promote the particular business of Madison Ave. and its clients. Jim Farrell and Dick Reid started their public relations work long before Madison Ave. became a cliche, but their technique, as proved by results, achieved the goal of what has been called “selling” convincing the public that the Catholic religion was a most worthy article, one worth possess ing, or certainly respecting. Their program pro duced what might be called a healthy public opin ion for these reasons: FIRSTLY, AS individuals they were men of high moral caliber. Whenever and wherever they asso ciated with others, by their sturdy character they made a fine impression. Among Catholics they had an inspiring influence and among non-Catholics they were a source of stimulation. They were in the best sense of the word “salesmen.” Secondly, they combined learning and zeal with their faith. They were mission-minded, for they loved their fellow man, took him at face value, and considered friendship as the cement for unity, self-respect, understanding and concord. Thirdly, they Identified the Catholic Church with public life. They considered our religion was of importance not only to the individual but to the great issues of the day. They ardently promoted education, public welfare, law and ord er, the progress of the Nation and civic matters helpful to all people. FOURTHLY, THEY believed very emphatically in the written as well as the spoken word, The CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 PATRICK F. SCANLAN NCWC Unit Asks Poverty Action Washington (nc)—TheSo- £ ia l Action Department of the National Catholic Welfare Con- fer *ence has called for new ini tiatives by individuals, private S r °ups and government to assist ^ 5 million fellow Americans who u ve in poverty/’ The department, in a major st atement on the problem of Poverty, said that “one-fifth °i our citizens are in want.” IT URGED Steps not only to d ® al with the immediate effects °i Poverty but also to root out lts causes—racial discrimina- tlon * poor education, unemploy- ment and other social ills, „ 7,16 Church views poverty as a challenge, not merely to 0dr compassion and charity-, but also to intelligent social action almed at eradicating the many of human failure,” the ^ agency said. "IT is a tragic commentary u Pon the world today that na tions are forced to spend bil lions for ghastly weapons of war and yet cannot find the funds to eliminate slums. Our ingenuity can cope with the almost un believable difficulties of send ing a rocket to the moon, but we seem unable to come up with workable plans to aid human be ings created in the image and likeness of Almighty God,” the statement said. The department’s statement came amid mounting national concern over the problem, in cluding the Johnson administra tion’s announced war on pov erty. A presidential message on the subject to Congress is expected shortly. THE DEPARTMENT stres sed that while the Church tra ditionally has taught that poverty is a good thing for those who embrace it voluntarily as a means of religious detachment, it is an evil for those who have no other choice. Archbishop’s Notebook When you are in the hospital, especially in a hospital like Saint Joseph’s Infirmary, there is a tendency to tell about the medical team (Doctors Joseph Wilber, David Hein, John Galambas and Peter Cline), the Sisters (Sister Melanie, the Administrator) and the others; the nurses and the aides; and the many who make life what it is. But today, it was different. Today. 1 offered the Sacrifice of the Mass. It was my 27th anniversary. Twenty-seven years ago, I offered my first Mass at Saint John's Cathedral, Cleveland, Feb ruary 20, 1937; and my first Solemn Mass at Saint Mary’s Church, Painsville, Ohio, February 21, 1937.They were great days, but the day I’ll never forget is February 20,1964—the day I offered Mass at the Chapel of the Convent of the Mercy Sisters in Saint Joseph’s Infirmary. MONSIGNOR Norman P. Kelley, my classmate, and his dad and mother visited me. Norm said Mass at 8, but was on hand for the Mass a^t 11:30. The Mass was ‘The Mass for the Eternal High Priest, with a special memento for the priest himself. About six of the Sisters were able to be present, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Kelley. I was quite weak because I had not offered Mass since Christmas; but by sitting at a very convenient chair for the Canon until the Communion, I made it fine. At the end, I gave the triple blessing as usual, and then said a few words of gratitude to them all. It was a great experience. As I mentioned, it was even more thrilling than February 1937. Also, as I thought of the intervening 27 years, I could only be grateful, and appreciative to God for what He has given me. My years as a parish priest, my college, news paper and army days; my three years as Bishop of Charleston, S. C., and then the appointment two years ago, February 21 1962 to Atlanta. Now as then, there is much work to do, and it must be done Atlanta’s way— vigorous, firstrate, excellent. IT WAS DISAPPOINTING to postpone the Expansion Program. But there have been the integration moves, the new educational policy, The GEORGIA BULLETIN, the hoped-for increase in priests, the renovated financial system, the “Georgia Mission Plan , the Liturgical steps, the Ecumenical moves, the Welfare S . l ,t PS i a l WCU 3S ±e plans for ^ new Center and other projects. All of these add up to a large order for 1964-65. Some of these must await 1965, but many of them can begin this year, 1964 So you can understand how anxious I am to be back in the harness,* or should I say Mitre and Zuccheto. It was a great day, and I am sure that it was the outstanding of twenty-seven anniversaries since 1937.Thanks be to God I There is much to be grateful for in 1964. ■ Archbishop of Atlanta NY Auxiliary Bishop Dies NEW YORK (NC) — Solemn Pontifical Mass of Requiem for Auxiliary Bishop James H. Griffiths of New York was of fered in St. Patrick’s cathedral by Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York on Feb. 27. The 60-year-old prelate died at the rectory of St. Monica’s church, where he had been pas tor since 1955. His death re sulted from a heart attack. Ex treme Unction was administer ed by Father John C. Cannon of the rectory staff. Bishop Griffiths was bom in Brooklyn, N.Y., July 16, 1903, son of the late James Hei and Helen O’Neill Griffiths, was graduated from St. Joh University, Brooklyn, befo going to Rome to make his s dies for the priesthood. He v ordained in Rome, March 1927. Vatican Pavilion Cross In Place NEW YORK (NC)—A 42-foot “three-dimensional” cross has been placed on top of the Vati can Pavilion at the World's Fair. diocese of Atlanta LLETIN SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES ATLANTA, GEORGIA THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1964 $5.00 PER YEAR. HOBERT DENNIS WITHERS, a senior at Marist, is shown ad- dressing the Georgia House of Representatives. He was invited t0 speak as the result of a resolution, sponsored by represen tatives Ralph McClellan and Wilson Brooks (on left), recogniz es his services as Governor of the 1963 Georgia Boys’ State, backed by the American Legion, and for his outstanding high ^chool record. Withers later received a flag which had been “own from the nation’s Capitol. INITIATIVE needed MONEY OR JAIL Jesuits Describe Haitian Ouster N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE Members of the Jesuit com munity in Haiti—expelled in toto from that Caribbean nat ion on Ash Wednesday—have revealed details of their last days under the authoritarian regime there. Those who were jailed suf fered major discomforts, but no torture. Others, only under police surveillance, apparently were treated with relative courtesy. But the Church was forced to pay $2,000 in con nection with the Jesuits ouster — two missionary bi shops having to promise the money. The expellees other wise were threatened with mass imprisonment. one of the priests was found to have in his possession a copy of the August, 1963, re port of the Interna tipnal Com mission of Jurists declaring that Haiti under President Francois Duvalier is oppressed by a tyranny in which “human rights and fundamental liberties are totally disregarded.” BUT THE BASIC reason for the ouster seemed to be that the members of the Society of Jesus were servants of the people of Haiti, not puppets of the Duvalier regime. And, as the jurists' report declared, Duvalier sees the Catholic Church as “the only organized fbree capable of standing up against him.” Liturgical Constitution Is Revolutionary Change (The following article is the 10th in a series on the broad reforms in the public worship of the Church which were enact ed by the ecumenical council. The author, an official council expert, is a professor of canon law at the Catholic University of America and the immediate past president of the North American Liturgical Conference.) BY FATHER FREDERICK R. MCMANUS (N. C. W. C. NEWSSERVICE) From gloomy silence to joy ous song—this is the revolut ion demanded by the Second Vatican Council for Catholic worship. It may be expressed in other ways—from passive unconcern at Mass to active involvement, from a liturgy understood by priests to the people's worship, THE CONSTITUTION on the Liturgy is revolutionary, part ly because it decrees a thorough reform of the services of wor ship, partly because it brings the whole Church abreast of the Biblical, cathechetical, ecu menical and theological move-4 ments of the past few decades. To take one .example, the pic ture of the Church as a lega listic, authoritarian society is bypassed. The Church is seen as a community of love, as an assembly of worshipers. The center of Christian wor- slilp is the celebration of the eucharist, holy Mass. Accord ing to the council, this is the height toward which all the other activities of the Church lead. It Is the source and starting point for the entire Christian life of the faithful. YET, MORE often than not, the Mass appears to be an im personal and mechanical rite, or the weekly payment of a debt to God or a haven of escape from the real world. Translate Bible BOMBAY, India (NC)—Work is now under way to translate the entire Bible into Gujerati, which is the language of seve ral million people on the west coast of India. Among the Indian languages which already have their vernacular Bible are San- skirt, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Konkani, Malayalam and Hindi. For a long time people have been described as “hearing Mass” and priests have been described as "saying Mass,” as if it were a formula of words—words spoken In a language which not one parti cipant in 100 or 1,000 could understand without a translat ion. The involvement of the in dividual person in the communi ty’s worship is at a minimum. Communion hardly appears to be the joyful feast of the Chris tian family at the Lord’s com mon table. “The Church,” says the council, “has never failed to come together to celebrate the Paschal Mystery” of the Pas sion, Resurrection, and As cension of Jesus, “reading those things ‘which were in the Scriptures concerning him' (Luke 24:27), celebrating the Eucharist in which ‘the victory and triumph of his death are again made present, 'and at the same time giving thanks 'to God for his unspeak able gift’ (2 Cor. 9:15) in Christ Jesus, 'in praise of his glory* CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 MOURNED - A Pontifical Re quiem Mass was offered in St, Louis (February 22) for Su preme Knight Luke E. Hart, 83 , (above) an officer of the Knights of Col»mbus for 45 years. (See also page 8) AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME—A young member of Rome’s St. Pius X parish reads an address of welcome to His Holiness Pope Paul VI, who seems to be enjoying it all. The Pope visited the parish in the northwest part of the city on one of his Sunday Lenten visits as Bishop of Rome. MASS CENTER OF WORSHIP HAITIAN officials gave as the reapon for the expulsion only the nonspecific charge of conspiracy against the govern ment. One immediate cause, it ap peared in retrospect, was that The 18 Jesuits in Haiti- all members of their society's Frenchspeaking province of Lower Canada, with headquart ers in Montreal — were responsible for vital work in behalf of the Church in Haiti; They conducted the nation's only senior seminary; they also staf fed the sole laymen’s retreat house. A KEY figure in the mass ouster was Father Paul Laramee, S, J., who was at tached to the Port-au-Prince retreat house and who operat ed a small radio station there which broadcast religious news and taught reading and writing. The priest, son of Justice Arthur Laramee of Montreal, was ar rested Jan. 31, on his return from Canada. Arrested with him was Brother Francois Xavier Ross, S. J., technician of the radio station. They were held incom municado for 12 days, until they were taken to the air port for deportation. CATHOLIC PRESS MONTH