Newspaper Page Text
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GEORGIA BULLETIN
THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1964
the
Archdiocese of Atlanta
GEORGIA BULLETIN
SERVING GEORGIA'S 71 NOUTHMm COUNTIES
HIM Official Organ of the Archidocese of Atlanta
Published Every Week at the Decatur DeKalb News
PUBLISHER- Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
MANAGING EDITOR Gerard E. Sherry CONSULTING EDITOR Rev. R. Donald Kiernan
2699 Peachtree N. E.
P. O. Box 11667
Norths ide Station
Atlanta 5. Ga.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rev. Leonard F. X. Mayhew
Member of the Catholic Press Association
and Subscriber to N. C. W. C. News Service
Telephone 231-1281
Second Class Permit at Altanta, Ga.
U. S. A. $5.00
Canada $5.00
Foriegn $6.50
‘Patriotic’ Racists
Democracy died a little in At
lanta last Saturday. The national
celebration of Independence Day
was scarred by the little men who
spewed forth hate and prejudice,
at a so-called rally of “patrio
tic" Americans. What mockery
of all that we hold to be true
in this country, when the gover
nor of Alabama tells Georgians
he’ll not comply with the law of
the land. What a slap at the
founding Fathers when the ex
governor of Mississippi ridicules
the highest principles of Ameri
canism.
Furthermore, howcanthe self-
styled patriots who attended the
rally justify the beating of de
fenseless Negro spectators, who
were attacked with metal chairs
and baseball bats. This is not
democracy. It appears more like
a flash-back to Hitler’s Germany.
This is exactly what the Nazis
did to gain their evil ends. Are
we to tolerate the same thing
here?
Those who think the racists
are really harmless, had better
take a long, hard look at the sit
uation. Here in 1964, we have a
restuarant owner who wants to
keep his establishment for white
only. And to make sure that no
Negro customer crosses his
threshold, he has a box of axe
shafts or handles ready to repel
the “invaders." His customers
are invited to help him keep out
the Negroes whose only wish is to
have the freedom of choice on
where to eat.
Whenever we liken these rac
ists and their supporters to the
Nazis, we are called Commun
ists-- this because every step
taken toward social justice is
considered “communism" by the
extremists within our midst.
Every protest against the sadism
of some of these “white supre
macists" is likened to a vote for
the Soviet Union. Be that as it
may, we ought to speak out, and
often.
What shocks this writer is the
indifference in some sections of
the daily and religious press to
the excesses of racial and reli
gious extremists. Even some
newspapers of religious minori
ties which have suffered much
persecution, prefer to remain
silent on such matters. This
despite the fact that they will
always seek the editorial support
of others when they are attacked.
No concerned citizen can afford
the luxury of remaining silent.
No religious newspaper can claim
immunity from moral obligation.
If editors of religious orientat
ed periodicals cannot speak out
against racial or religious vio
lence, then they should fold up
their tents and seek the re
lative calm of the secular news
paper field.
If we cannot love our neigh
bor-- even to the extent of tak
ing an unpopular stand-- then
the cause of justice is threaten
ed. What is needed now is a
sense of justice, and the em
bracing of justice applied equally
to all.
Politics In Pulpit?
Last Sunday many priests of the
diocese not only read Bishop Be
gins pastoral letter urging Cath
olics to help defeat November’s
housing initiative in the interests
of justice and charity, but also
used the occasion to preach on
the race question in general and
that initiative in particular.
This leads us to wonder at a
statement made in the Tidings,
the Los Angeles archdiocesan
newspaper, in its eloquent de
fense of Cardinal McIntyre when
he was charged with too conser
vative a position on the issue
of racial justice.
the controversy. Our pulpits ex
ist for the preaching of the Gos-
pel. . . .
In the very next paragraph the
editorial writer prevented any
false conclusions when he ex
plained, “The Church’s pri
mary work lies in the realm of
spiritual and moral influence,"
(italics ours), “not in the forum
of politics or the formulation of
economic policies. This does not
mean that she divorces herself
from these arenas. For they in
volve human beings, and no hu
man problem or human sorrow is
alien to her."
ggggE
Helping Hand
GEORGIA PINES
Sterling Silver Jublee
BY REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN
1939 was a very important year in the history of
the Church in Georgia. It was only twenty-five
years ago that two religious groups of Sisters be
gan foundations in this state, and this year the
event has been marked with two separate functions.
There were less than twenty-five thousand Cath
olics in the whole state at the time and the city of
Atlanta could boast of only five
Catholic Churches. At the invi
tation of the late Archbishop
O'Hara, the Dominican Sisters
came to Atlanta, and the Mis
sionary Sisters of the Sacred
Heart came to Athens.
BOTH RELIGIOUS orders
were to found hospitals; both
were to have humble beginnings
in vacated buildings, but both groups were destined
to have a marvelous impact for good on the com
munities in which they worked.
A Hebrew orphanage on Washington Street was
soon to be known as a place of tender care where
terminal cases of cancer, with no one to care and
regardless of race or religion, found sympathy and
comfort from religious women who saw a suffer
ing Christ in every patient.
IN ATHENS, a hospital operated by two Athens
medical men was purchased by the Diocese and un
der the supervision of the Sisters became a scene
of tender mercy by a group of nuns from Reading,
Pa.
Washington Street in Atlanta at one time was a
showplace of beautiful homes. Lined with giant
oaks, the leaders of Georgia's political, business
and financial world had their city homes there.
The Sisters of Mercy conducted an Academy in the
old Marsh residence just blocks from the capitol
buildings. The red brick building at 760, which
occupied a whole city block was likened to a jewel
set in beautiful surroundings.
TIME TOOK ITS toil on the neighborhood, how
ever, and soon the vacated orphanage was the
only impressive structure in the whole area. Slow
ly the Nuns renovated the building and with work
on the grounds, it became a scene of tranquility
and peace for those in physical pain.
Doctors, lawyers and preachers all came to the
aid of the Nuns who were performing a truly chari
table work in the community. If there is one "civic
boast" which the city enjoys, It is the presence of
the Home. For while the Home is church-operat
ed, the Atlanta community all feel a justifiable
pride in its operation.
NO WORDS COULD ever be spoken about the
Perpetual Help Home without the mention of the
name Mary Ann. For while the vision and sacrifice
of the good Sisters has made for a permanent
place in the hearts of all Atlantans, Mary Ann has
her own place In the hearts of the nuns.
Afflicted with incurable cancer, Mary Ann came
to the Home as a babe. It was really the only home
she ever knew. Soon she became a sort of "official
greeter" to everyone who passed through the
doors. All felt Mary Ann belonged to them and, no
doubt, Mary Ann felt a part of everybody associat
ed with the Home. Prayers in abundance were of
fered for her when Almighty God called her
"home"........this little one, who by her own ex
ample, had taught so many to suffer in patience
and has shed so much joy and happiness throughout
the wards of the Home by her presence.
MEANWHILE in Athens, the Sisters had earned
the respect and admiration of the city to such a de
gree that it became necessary to construct an ad
dition to the hospital. And now, twenty five years
later, ground has been broken for an entirely new
hospital facility for the Sisters. The list of advi
sors to the Sisters in Athens closely resembles a
directory of the educational, financial and civic
leaders of the community.
Yes, twenty five years have passed. A quarter
of a century. To some, possibly, a long time;
to others, just a Hick of a candle as compared
with eternity. But twenty five years in the lives of
the Missionary Sisters in Athens and the Domini
can Sisters in Atlanta has rendered the church in
Georgia an incomparable service one of love,
devotion, and self-sacrifice.
The Tidings stated in the tenth
paragraph of its June 19 editor
ial, “The Church is opposed to
Father would like to eee the picture of our new char
that was os the frost Mae.”
It is precisely because Propo
sition 14, the housing initiative,
deals with human problems and
human sorrow (we trust the Tid
ings would agree) that the pasto
ral letter was read so many
priests preached on the subject.
The pulpit should be used when
a political measure goes against
Christian social principles.
Proposition 14 does. No Catholic
can with a correct conscience
support a measure which is “of
such a nature as to contradict
what is clear and universal Cath
olic teaching on the rights and
duties of those who own prop
erty."
The pulpit should be used to
preach the Gospel. Social justice
and social charity are the Chris
tian Gospel for today.
THE CATHOLIC VOICE
OAKLAND, CAL.’
IRELAND PROSPERING
Your World And Mine
BY GARY MACEOIN
Bright warm weather has greeted the early
summer tourist throngingfrom all parts of Europe
and the United States into Ireland's impressive
network of modern hotels. The country is losing
its delapidated appearance. Homes are painted in
bright colors. Flowers sparkle in gardens and
fields. Hedgerows are trimmed.
table industry producing a hundred thousand auto
mobile piston rings a day. He has sold his Mexican
interests and bought five factories in Ireland. His
immediate target is a mass market In Scandina
via for a line of knit goods. "Ireland is at the
beginning of a major industrial expansion," he told
me. "I have greater opportunity than I ever dreamt
of in Mexico."
Businessmen, too, have smiles on their faces.
The economy is experiencing a boom such as it has
never previously known. If emigration has not
ceased. It has finally declined to a trickle. Skilled
workers are returning from
England and America to work
In the rapidly expanding factor-
ires. The statisticians fore
tell that by 1970 fewer than 29
cent of the population will
remain on the land. For the
time, more people will be
employed in industry than in
agriculture.
In Diblln I ran into an American friend. 1 used
to know him in Mexico where he built up a profi—
IRONICALLY, the greatest impetus to Ireland's
economy today is being provided by the English fi
nancial interests which wiped out Irish industry in
the nineteenth century and fought its revival in the
twentieth. Remorse is not responsible for the
change of tactics. It is simply that capital finds
more opportunity under an Irish government of
fering inducements to new industry than under the
government of Britain's welfare state. And the in
dications are that flight of capital to Ireland will
assume flood dimensions in the fairly likely event
of a Socialist victory in British general elections
later this year.
To the Irish themselves it all still seems as un-
CONT1NUED ON PAGE 5
OPPORTUNITY
Now, Negro
Response
BY GERARD E. SHERRY
Passage of the Civil Rights Law is not merely a
time of unbridled joy — there must also be some
sombre ref lection on all its implications. While the
white community has the most demands made upon
it, our Negro fellow citizens also have inherited
some awesome responsibilities.
First of all, the Civil Rights legislation did not
establish any new rights for the Negro -- he
already had them.
What it does is fur
ther emphasize the
constitutionality of
these rights and
gives the Negro citi
zen legal support
whenever he is de
prived of them.
The most encour
aging sign since last week's enactment of the law
has been the ability of many communities toad-
just the political and social climate to compliance
with the law. To be sure, there is still hard-core
resistance; there are still people in various parts
of the land who recognize no rights other than
their own; who are selfish enough to perpetuate
hate and prejudice to sustain the evil of racism.
But despite all this there is opportunity for all
our citizens to work together in peace and har
mony. This is especially so in relation to our
Negro brethren. Theirs is an opportunity unequal
led to show their fellow-citizens their indepen
dence, their initiative, their ingenuity, and last
but not least, the love that forgives, even though
they have been much wronged by the rest of us.
Above all, the Negro community must begin to
develop that mark of maturity and stability which
many of their critics say they do not possess.
Certainly much of the Negro leadership in this
country possesses it. Men like Roy Wilkins of the
NAACP, Martin Luther King of the Southern Lead
ership Conference, Robert Weaver of the Federal
Housing Administration, are but a few of quite a
REAPINGS
AT
RANDOM
number of Negro leaders who have nothing to
apologize for and who are a credit to their race.
On a local level, many new Negro leaders are be
ing trained. If they heed the voices of the Wilkins’
and the Kings there is great hope for a peaceful
settlement of current difficulties. It means, too,
that the Negro community will have to grasp
willingly and diligently the new opportunities of
education and jobs in the self-advancement so
urgently required.
There should be an end to belligerency. This
because while the changes rightfully demanded by
the Negro will not happen overnight — even with
the Civil Rights Law — there will be a speed
ier response if there is a more friendly approach.
This is perhaps asking a lot from our Negro
brethren for they have suffered much at the hands
of many of us, andformany years. However, their
sense of maturity will be best expressed in their
being able to forgive. This is an area in which
Negro Catholics especially can help in their par
ishes and their communities.
When Catholics join in with the spirit of racism,
they also join in attacks upon the very roots of the
Faith. The heart of Catholicism is love springing
from the very being of God and expressed in human
terms in the Mystical Body of Christ. The late la
mented Pope Pius XII, described the loss of un
derstanding of love as the worst error of our time,
for it rejects Jesus Christ and the purpose of His
coming.
We are commanded indeed by God Himself to
love Him with all our heart, with all our soul,
with all our strength, and with all our mind.
Further, that we love our neighbor as we love our
self. There is no room in God, nor can there be
in the Catholic, for an area wherein pride of race
may flourish. As so fittingly described by St. Paul,
referring to the baptized, "Here there is no more
Gentile and Jew, no more circumclzed anduncir-
cumcized; no one is barbarian, or Scythian, no
one is slave or free man; there is nothing but
Christ in any of us."
The law of Christ governs the Catholic Church
and all of its members. The law has been reduced
to two simple terms; love God and love your neigh
bor. The Catholic, therefore, must strive for the
betterment of his neighbors, Negroes included,
with the same energy that divine blessings are
sought for self. Fortified by a true knowledge of
his Faith, the Catholic will find that there is only
one answer to questions of this day.
So while the Civil Rights Law further empha
sizes the unalienable rights of our Negro citizens,
interracial cooperation continues to be the urgent
task within all communities. Those of us who have
been involved in this struggle cannot afford to quit
now. The time of testing is at hand and the unity
of our citizenry is even more essential.