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YOUR
PRIZE-WINNING
NEWSPAPER
the
Archdiocese of Atlanta
iiiBI
SERVING GEORGIA'S 71
NORTHERN COUNTIES
[ 4, NO. 1
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1966
$5.00 PER YEAR
Synod, Congresses Convoked For 1966
W DECREE CONVOKING THE
Hist Archdiocesan Synod
111. In the Name of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. By the ordinary authority of the Arch
bishop of Atlanta, 1 hereby convoke the First Archdio
cesan Synod to be held November 20-22, 1966. It is called
in the Spirit of the Sacred Scriptures recalling the early
Church as narrated in the Acts of the Apostles. Under the
direct influence of the program of “awareness, reform,
unity with other Christians and sensitivity especially to
our entire human society’’ (enumerated in Pope Paul Vi’s
opening address in 1963), let us meet during these sacred
days to renew the Church in Northern Georgia. May it
by God’s power and our human efforts “reveal to the world,
faithfully though darkly, the mystery of the Lord until, in
the end, it will be manifested in full light.” (Constitution On
the Church, #8) ,
The areas to be prepared, debated and voted upon are; (1)
The Archdiocese; (2) Hie Parish:-the Living Cell; (3) Priests
and People; (4) Christian Formation; (5) The Church in the
Community. Chairmen and members of 28 committees are
now working on the various subjects to be included.
Every priest of the Archdiocese, both diocesan and reli
gious, is called to the work of the Synod, each bringing
his own wisdom and skills, his charity and his aspirations
for the Church. Although, by canon law, the sole legislator
strictly speaking is the Archbishop, the Synod must enlist
the participation of the clergy. Their counsel, recommen
dations and criticism are indispensable for the fruitful for
mation and activation of the Synod’s decrees.
In addition, the Synod will have the benefit of the varied and
riph experience of our Religious Sisters and of our Laity.
Both groups will hold Congresses in the spring. It is ex
pected that from these assemblies many worthwhile recom
mendations will be forwarded to the Synod.
The Congress for Religious and the Congress for the Laity
will be related to the Synod in three ways:
a) Each will forward to the proper Synod Committee
those Recommendations approved by a majority of
the Delegates;
b) Religious and Lay Consultants are to be invited to
attend, advise and take part in preparatory meetings
arranged by the Synod Committees. They will have
consultative, but not Deliberative, voice;
c) A representative group of Religious and Laity will
be selected at the respective Congresses to attend
the Synod as Auditors.
After the three events have been held, an Appraisal Com
mittee will be appointed by the Archbishop to review all
parts of the year’s program. This report will be made to
the Archbishop, and proper committees of the Synod and
two Congresses.
|. The Synod will be a reflection of the great Vatican Council
just ended, but it will be local, not universal in its purpose.
With God’s grace, it will breathe the same vigorous air.
It will preserve the deposit of the faith, and at the same
time, meet the challenge of today’s world. “In exercising
their office of father and .pastor, bishops must stand as those
who serve in the midst of their people. . .good shepherds,
true fathers.” (On the Pastoral Office of Bishops, #16)
Priest, their prudent cooperators, are “united with the bis
hops in sacerdotal dignity”, a pattern to the flock (On the
Church, #28). Religious "must enter vigorously into the
external works of the apostolate.” (On the Pastoral Office
of Bishops, #33.) The Laity are called in a special way “to
make the Church present and operative in those places and
circumstances where only through them can it become the
salt of the earth.” (On the Church, #33.) In the Mystical Body
of Christ, no part can remain indifferent to the divine plan
of the Head.
The holy lives and practical human efforts of priests, Sis
ters and laymen and laywomen for more than a century have
been the foundation-stones of the Church as we know it to
day in northern Georgia. The architects were ten zealous
and tireless bishops - Gartland, Barry, Verot, Persico,
Gross, Becker, Keiley, Keyes, O’Hara and Hyland. Catholics
were always few in numbers, but they were strong in faith.
We are standing on the shoulders of them all as we hear this
new call from the Holy See to enter another chapter in the
history of the Church.
{84 In confidence born of the program of church renewal personi-
1 fied in Paul VI and the Council fathers, 1 hereby convoke
■ this Archdiocesan Synod as the authentic voice of thePeople of
■ God,—archbishop, priests, religious and laity. To this end I
■entreat your prayers and your efforts, mindful of those great
■Popes from Leo XIII to John XXIII, and asking the intercession
Hind help of Our Blessed Lady, Mary Queen of Wisdom.
Given at Atlanta, January' 6, 1966
on the Feast of the Epiphany
I ^ (jU \
(J ARCHBISHOP OF ATLANTA
Synod Schedule, November 20-22
Congresses To Be Set In Spring
AN EPISCOPAL DIRECTIVE
CONVOKING
1st Congress Of Laity
1. By authority as'Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta,
I hereby convoke the First Congress of the Laity to be held
in 1966 as an integral part of the program of renewal which
will culminate in the Archdiocesan Synod at the end of the
year.
2. The Lay Congress is based on the intent of the Constitution,
On the Church; Chapter IV (The Laity), especially Par. 33
(“may every opportunity be given them so that they may
zealously participate in the saving work of the Church”),
and Par. 37 (“let this be done through organs established
by the Church for this purpose.”)
3. The Lay Congress should consist of two elements:~(a)
A General Lay Committee (including a Steering Committee
and Committees as determined by the General Lay Com
mittee); (b) An Assembly of delegates elected by the pa
rishes to consider, alter, amend and approve or disapprove
Recommendations prepared for the consideration of the
Delegates by the General Lay Committee.
4. In confidence bom of the Second Vatican Council’s renewal
and reform, 1 hereby convoke this Lay Congress as an au
thentic voice of the laity in this Archdiocese. It should elicit
the full interest and cooperation of God’s People as a neces
sary part of the renewal. It should be a first step in the es
tablishing of those organs for the laity ordered by the Coun
cil. And it should be an effective instrument in preparing our
First Archdiocesan Synod in the spirit of today’s Church.
5. To this end, I entreat on behalf of our laity, the memory of
those great laymen, from Saint Joseph to Saint Thom as More,
the first of many holy laymen of modern times, and the
prayer and help of Our Blessed Lady, Mary Seat of Wisdom.
£Lt
U ARCHBISHOP OF ATLANTA
FATHER R. Donald Kiernan, left, pastor of St. Anthony’s West
End, and Father ConaldFoust, assistant at Sacred Heart are ad
visors to the Planning Committees of the Lay Congress.
AN EPISCOPAL DIRECTIVE
CONVOKING
1st Congress Of Religious
1. By authority as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta,
I hereby convoke the First Congress of Religious to be held
in 1966 as an integral part of the program of renewal which
will culminate in the Archdiocesan Synod in November.
2. The Congress is based on the documents of the Second Vati
can Council, especially the Constitution On the Church, and
the decree On the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life
(#8). In the latter, it is stated:
"In these communities, apostolic and charitable acti
vity belongs to the very nature of the religious life,
seeing that it is a holy service and a work character
istic of love, entrusted to them by the Church to be
carried out in her name. . .the whole religious life
of their members should be inspired by an apostolic
spirit, and all their apostolic activity formed by the
spirit of religious.”
The relationship of religious to the archdiocese and parish
, they serve results from the “need of unity and harmony
in the apostolate” (On the Church, #45).
The Congress of Religious will therefore explore their com
plete role in the entire Catholic body of the Archdiocese and
the general public community of Northern Georgia. It will
not deal with subjects of strictly internal concern: vows,
constitutions and particular rules of their respective com
munities.
4. The Congress should consist of two elements:—(a) A Gene
ral Executive Committee including a Steering Committee,
and Area Committees as determined by the Executive Com
mittee; (b) An Assembly of delegates elected by the con
vents to consider, alter, amend, and approve or disapprove
specific Recommendatons prepared by the General Execu
tive Committee.
5. In trust born of the Second Vatican Council’s program of
renewal and reform, I hereby convoke this Congress of Re
ligious as an authentic voice of the Sisters of this Archdio
cese. Their past record is noble in its reading, and fruitful
in its consequences. This Congress, holding fast to the trea
sures of the past, can open new doors. We pray that it will
be an effective instrument in preparing for the Archdiocesan
Synod. The Archdiocese of Atlanta joins its voice to that of
the Vatican Council in praise of those
“who in monasteries, or in schools and hospitals, or in
the missions, adorn the Bride of Christ by their unswerv
ing and humble faithfulness in their chosen consecration,
and render generous services of all kinds to mankind.”
(On the Church, #46)
6. To this purpose, I entreat on behalf of our Religious, the
memory of those holy women in the Church’s history,
many in our own beloved nation, and the prayer and help
of the first consecrated virgin, Mary, the Seat of Wisdom.
^■ (jbjl
(/ ARCHBISHOP OF ATLANTA
SOME PRESENT FOR 1966
To be preceded by Congress
es for the Laity and Religious
the First Synod of the Archdio
cese of Atlanta has been con
voked by Archbishop Paul J.
Hallinan for November 20-22,
1966. Father Michael Mann
ing Pastor, of Saints Peter
and Paul Parish, Decatur is the
General Chairman,
Every ten years, it is re
quired by the Canon Law of the
Church, that each diocese con
vene a Synod "to consider mea
sures for the welfare of the
clergy and people of diocese”.
(Canon 356) In 1939, Archbishop
Gerald P. O’Hara called the
Synod for the diocese then known
as "Savannah-Atlanta”. These
statutes retained their force in
1956 when the new Diocese of
Atlanta was formed under Bis
hop Francis E. Hyland’s direc
tion, and in 1962 when the dio
cese was raised to the rank of
an Archdiocese.
To insure the due part to be
taken by the Religious and Lai
ty in the life of the Church,
Congresses for both groups will
be held before or after Easter
at a date yet to be set by the
Archbishop. It is hoped that
delegates from both Congresses
will present to the Committee
for the Synod their own recom
mendations for consideration.
Lay delegates will be chosen
from all parishes of the Arch
diocese. Religious delegates
will also be named from their
own ranks. Herbert G. Farns
worth of Christ the King Parish
is Lay Chairman, and Sister
Mary Virginia, Principal of
Christ the King School, is
Chairman of the Religious.
Every priest of the Archdio
cese - diocesan and religious,
pastors, assistants, teachers
and staff-will be called to the
Synod by the Archbishop. Al
though they constitute a “con
sultative body,” the advance
work of committees, ample time
for study of recommendations
by these committees, and free
discussion of all issues assures
a highly responsible role to all.
According to Canon law, the
bishop is sole legislator, (Can
on 362). But the participation
of all priests in the prepara
tion and discussion of the de
crees, and the recommenda
tion to be made by the Lay
Congress insure that the Sy
nod is a truly consultative
body.
Planning committees for the
Lay and Relisious Congresses
FATHER MANNING
Synod Chairman
SISTER M. VIRGINIA
Religious Chairman
HERB FARNSWORTH
Lay Chairman
are already at work sifting re
commendations to be presented.
They will be voted on at the
Congresses before submission
to the Synod.
1939 Synod Personalities Are Recalled
<. i t eharc. rpcnoneihilihi
THE SYNOD OF 1939 will be
represented by two priests now
serving inthe Archdiocese.
Monsignor Joseph E. Moylan,
Pastor of Sacred Heart Church
in Atlanta,. was Promoter
(Chairman) of the entire Sa
vannah Synod, as well as Chair
man of die Committee on Pas
tors and Sacraments. Monsig
nor Joseph Cassidy, now Pas
tor of Sacred Heart Parish in
Milledgeville was a member
of three committees: homele-
tics (preaching), lay associa
tions and clergy. The two
priests are now vicars-gener-
al of the Archdiocese.
The late Msgr.James King.
and Fathers Philip Dagneau and
Henry E. Phillips, in the
Archdiocese today, took part
in the early Synod.
Although many of the statut.
enacted in 1939 concern such
expected subjects as clerical
conferences and dress, parish
'records and divine worship, it
would be a mistake to conclude
that a truly pastoral tone did
not prevail in them. Statue 33
states:
'THE PASTOR MUST re
member that he is the she
pherd of the entire flock; he
shall therefore neglect no fa
mily within his jurisdiction.”
In Statue 25, priests are re
minded to have “a tender care
for the poor and unfortunate,
and never by word or act in
crease their sorrow.”
The Liturgical, Ecumenical
and Educational changes of to
day will require a new orien
tation of many sections of 'the
statues. Although the tone of the
paragraph on the Church’s con
cern for the Negro conveys
some of the prevailing social
customs of the 1930’s, itmustbe
read in the light of history.
At a time when other denomina
tions had split into white and
Negro affiliations, Catholic
priests were exhorted ”to in
terest themselves deeply in the
spiritual welfare of these-
people.” Specifically this meant
that priests were never to
“speak slightly of colored peo
ple, in private conversation or
otherwise, nor refer to them by
names that are common among
vulgar people.” In addition, the
Synod reminded all who employ
ed colored help that they were
“bound in conscience to pay
them a decemswage.”
THE LAST NATIONAL Lay
Congress held in the United
States was in Chicago in 1891,
preceded by another in Balti
more two years before. Car
dinal James Gibbons and Bis
hop Richard Gilmour of Cleve
land supported them enthusias
tically, and Archbishop John
Ireland's confidence inspired
lay men like Henry Brownson
and Charles Bonaparte. How
ever, no similar Congresses
were held after 1891; various
lay organizations began to use
their Conventions to express lay
opinions.
Georgia figured in the long
period in which Bishop John
England (whose diocese then in
cluded this State) brought to
gether his annual Convention
of priest and lay delegates to
share responsibility for the ad
ministration of the Church.
These were continued from 1824
to 1842, but no other diocese
adopted the plan.
Now the Consitution on the
Church calls for “instruments
erected by the Church for this
purpose: so that laymen by
reason oftheir knowledge, com
petence or outstanding ability
may be permitted and some
times even obliged to express
their opinion on those things
which concern the good of the
Church.*
The Lay Congress of 1966
has this as its chief purpose.