Newspaper Page Text
1,300 Chicago Priests
Form Association
CHICAGO (RNS)—Priests of
the Rpman Catholic Archdio
cese of Chicago — more than
1,300 of them -- formed the
Association of Chicago Priests
at a meeting here.
Nothing like it ever happened
before in American Catholic
ism, nor in the long history of
the Catholic Church, according
to observers here.
Several things of special sig
nificance stood out after the
day-long founding meeting.
The priests demonstrated
that they are a force in the af
fairs of the largest diocese in
the country. The Chicago arch
diocese counts more than 2 mil
lion men, women and children
as members,
Archbiship John P. Cq.dy told
the priests he was proud of their
work and the large turnout for
what he called a “historic
gathering’’ and an ' epochal
event."
While it was repeatedly de
nied that ACP is a union of the
labor movement type, the
priests adopted a number of
resolutions dealing with typi
cal labor- management prob
lems — clergy appointment and
retirement policies, internal
communications and continuing
education for themselves.
However, Father Patrick J.
O’Malley, member of the steei>-
ing committee that laid the
groundwork for the Association,
emphasized:
“It will not be a union, for
we are not seeking pay or fringe
benefits of a labor union."
His point was echoed by other
priests at a news conference,
who said they were not con
cerned with" such things as
strikes or collective bargain
ing.
Members of.. the steering
committee also stressed that
the ACP is not related in any
way to the formation of a trade
union called the American
Federation of Priests, announ
ced recently by Father William
H. DuBay, controversial Cali
fornia priest.
Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
said Father May hew resigned
his pastorate last week because
of illness and an extended leave
of absence was granted at his
request. The new appointment
will become effective Nov. 10.
Father Mayhew and his parish
committee have completed
plans for the building of a new
structure to serve as a school
of religion and parish center
with temporary provisions for
a church. Father Mayhew has
pioneered the school Of religion
idea in the archdiocese and at
present 82 0 children are en
rolled, A sister of Notre Dame
and a staff of 50 laymen and lay-
women has conducted the school
for more than a year.
Nationally known for his lit
urgical work, Father Mayhew
has held the chairmanship of
the Archdiocesan Commission
on the Sacred Liturgy compos
ed of priests, sisters and laity.
In the parish, he has been tire
less in his pastoral work, es
pecially in education and divine
worship, the archbishop said.
Father Mayhew served as as
sociate editor of the Georgia
Bulletin and also handled the
work of the Junior Clergy Ex
aminations since 1963.
Father Beltran, head of the
archdiocesan Tribunal has done
important work in the matri-
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3)
A press panel at the news
conference later reported the
prelate said he was “proud" to
see the clergy’s interest in
"problems of mutual interest."
★★★★★★★★
Catholic parishes in Rome
and LaGrange will receive new
pastors effective Nov. 10, Arch
bishop Hallinan has announced.
Father Joseph Beltran, pas
tor of St. Peter’s in LaGrange,
will become pastor at St. Mary’s
in Rome while Father Edward
O'Connor, assistant at St.
Peter’s and Paul, will become
pastor of the LaGrange Church.
Father Beltran will become
deaii of the Northwest Deanery
with his appointment to Rome.
He has been pastor in LaGrange
since 1964 after serving as an
assistant in Atlanta.
Father O’Connor has had con
siderable experience while at
St. Peter and Paul, the arch
bishop said, has served the mis
sion at Covington and brought to
completion the church building
which was dedicated in the sum
mer of 1965.
* Both of these priests are
representative of the dedicated
clergy of the archdiocese, " the
archbishop said. "Father Bel
tran has served well bn every
assignment and his new role as
dean is in recognition of this.
Father O’Connor, who succeeds
Father Beltran for a second
time, the first time at St. Peter
and Paul, brings a fresh and
vital consciousness to the
churches to which he has been
assigned.”
Pastors Named
At 3 Churches
Father Eusebius J. Beltran, pastor of St. Mary’s parish in
Rome, has been appointed pastor of Holy Cross parish in Cham-
blee, succeeding Father Leonard F.X. Mayhew, who establish
ed the parish in June 1964,
Give
unite
appea
diocese of Atlanta
SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES
VOL. 4, NO. 44
ATLANTA r GEORGIA
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1966
$5.00 PER YEAR
★★★★★★★★ Presynodal Sessions Begin ★★★★★★★★
There Is Work To Do
“We have work to do-in At
lanta."
With these words Archbishop
Paul J. Hallinan opened Monday
the first of three presynodal
sessions of the Archdiocese of
Atlanta. After his address,
diocesan and order priests from
throughout North Georgia began
discussing and voting on mat
ters of pastoral concern- -the
archdiocese’s part in the uni
versal Church, the archdiocese
as part of the Church in the
United States and the mission
of the archdiocese.
"We have work to do~in At
lanta," the archbishop pointed
out. "As in Genesis, it is
scheduled to take six days. As
in Genesis, may we hope that
when it is finished, God may look
upon it, and see that it is good.
“Very briefly, may I direct
your thoughts to the past and
future? The past because it is
on the shoulders of the great
laymen, sisters , priests and
bishops that we stand today.
"Just as Vatican II could
neyer have been the historic
landmark thatitiswithoutpopes
Leo XIII and Pius XII, church
men like Newman of England,
Gibbons of America, Suhard of
France — neither could we be
meeting in Atlanta today were it
not for bishops Verot, O’Hara
and Hyland, priests like Father
Thomas O’Reilly of the Immac
ulate Conception in the 1860’s
and Msgr. Joseph Moylan of all
Georgia in the 1920’s to the
1960 and 'laymen of our own like
Richard Reid, Martin HaVerty,
Col. Jack Spalding, Flannery
O’Connor, and the Marietta men
who knew the Bible cover-to-
cover in the 184Q’s."
The archbishop said, “In
turn we must look ahead to the
future because another genera
tion will stand on our shoulders
to widen their vision. May our
main focus be on the unity of the
whole archdiocese-laity, relig
ious, clergy and bishops, young
and old. . .
“But diversity ?nd flexibility
are needed too. The Church is
not a rock, it is built on a rock.
It is a vine that must grow. With
due respect for proper author
ity and with that kind of common
sense we often call prudence,
we realize that if the Church is
to grow in depth and develop
with the times, we must keep
ever alert to change.
“Old ways have to be shed, no
matter how painfully, if they no
longer bear fruit nor point in the
right direction. New ways must
be assimilated, pointing toward
better understanding and par
ticipation and involvements as
long as the majesty of the trans-
cendant God and the divine law
of charity toward others are
not betrayed by our own opin
ionated self. This calls for
flexibility and change, in cour
age, humility and patience.
“But our strongest motive
these days, our ultimate thrust,
will be toward our part in the
servant Church."
Father Michael Manning,
chairman of the Synod said fol
lowing the archbishop’s re
marks: "We have different |
problems than those of the past
and in this Synod we will meet
these new problems.
‘The idea of the Church as a
rock may have lulled us into;
apathy, but as we think of the|
Church as vine that changes and;
grows we will be benefitted by!
the changes of Vatican II,'"
The second presynodal ses
sion will be held Nov. 7, the
third Nov. 14 and the Synod
Nov, 20-22. The synodal de
cree will be presented to Arch
bishop Vagnozzi, Apostolic Del- ;
egate, on Dec. 8, the first an
niversary of the end of Vati
can II,
Topics to be discussed in the
sessions include the role of
laymen, priests and sisters, the
structures, needs and resour
ces of the archdiocese, the
structures of parishes and lay
. groups, Christian life including
the liturgy and eucharist, edu
cation, social services, com
munications, health and hospi
tals.
ARCHBISHOP Hallinan is shown as he gave the opening ad
dress, entitled “A Dream and A Vision.”
FATHERS James Maciejewski and Jerry Hardy listen as the
archbishop makes his opening remarks.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
FATHER Michael Manning, chairman, welcomes Fr. Philip Dag-
neau, S.M., left and Msgr. Joseph Cassidy to the presynodal
session of the archdiocese.' Father Dagneau, MonsignorCassidy
and Msgr. Joseph Moylan took part in the 1939 Synod.
A POINT of procedure is discussed by Father John Stapleton,
Archbishop Hallinan and. Bishop Joseph L. Bernardin.
Archbishop, Bishop
To Attend Meeting
Of U.S. Hierarchy
Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan and Bishop Joseph L. Bernardin will
be among the members of the U.S. hierarchy who will meet in Wash
ington Nov. 14-18 for the first time since the end of the Second
ARCHITECT’S drawing of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Skies at the Tri-Faith Chapels Plaza,
John F, Kennedy International Airport. The 500-seat chapel was scheduled to be dedicated on Nov.
6 by Archbishop Bryan J. McEntegart, Bishop of Brooklyn. To the rear of the white marble altar
is a curved marble screen with a carving of the Last Supper. Above the altar is a 14-foot aluminum
statue of Our Lady of the Skies. The new chapel replaces a similar church at the airport which
has operated since 1955. Protestant and Jewish chapels also are being erected on the airport’s
plaza area. ' (RNS Photo)
Pope Delays Decision
About Birth Regulation
Vatican Council.
The members of the hierar
chy—made up of 26l cardinals,
archbishops, bishops and auxil
iary bishops^-will consider the
implementation of changes de
creed by the world assembly of
bishops which met in Rome in
four sessions from 1962 through
1965.
Preparatory work for the
meeting has been done by a
bishops’ committee on reor
ganization, which met several
times during the year. The ad
ministrative board of the Na
tional Catholic Welfare Con
ference met with the reorgani
zation committee on Oct. 5 to
review recommendations.
At the Oct. 5 meeting it was
also decided that news confer
ences would be held during the
week of the bishops' meeting.
The conferences are being ar
ranged by the NCWC Bureau of
Information, and invitations will
be issued to a limited number
of the. members of the general
press. Bishops who are mem
bers of various commissions
will be on hand to meet with
the press. This will be the first
time that news conferences.will
be held in connection with the
Catholic bishops’ annual meet
ing.
The bishops will revise the
statutes of their national epis
copal conference in the light of
conciliar developments. As a
result of the Second Vatican
Council, the Catholic Church is
embarked on a world-wide de
centralization program by
whi'ch national bodies share in
some of the powers hitherto
reserved to the Holy See.
The National Catholic Wel
fare Conference— which has
served as a general secretar
iat of the American Bishops
since 1919—will be reorganiz
ed and renamed.
NCCJ Honors
Gerry Sherry
NEW YORK (NC)--Gerard E.
Sherry, former Catholic news
paper editor, will be presented
with the first place award in
the field of human relations
as a result of an editorial com
petition conducted by the Na
tional Conference of Christians
and Jews.
The presentation will be made
Nov. 18 in Morgantown, W. Va.,
where Sherry now is editor of
the Dominion News, a daily
newspaper.
The award was voted to
Sherry for editorial writing
while editor of the Georgia Bul
letin, Atlanta, Ga., archdioce
san newspaper. The competition
was conducted by the NCCJ
in the national communications
media;
Biblical Scholar
Will Speak Nov. 9
Father Barnabas Ahern C.
P. will speak Wednesday, Nov.
9, to the clergy and laity of
the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Father Ahern, a scriptural
professor at St. Meinrad's (Ind.)
Seminary, will speak at 8 p.m.
at the Cathedral Center to both
laymen and clergymen. The
public has been invited to at
tend this lecture. Earlier, he
will hold conferences for the
priests of the archdiocese.
VATICAN CITY (NC) — Pope
Paul VI said he is delaying
his . long-awaited decision on
artificial birth control “for
some time, yet” because the
conclusions of the international
commission thathas beenwork-
ing on the problem “cannot be
be considered definitive.”
However, he reminded Catho
lics (Oct. 29) that the Church's
existing norm against the use of
artificial methods to prevent
birth “demand faithful and ge
nerous observance. They can
not be considered not binding
as if the teaching authority (ma-
gisterium) of the Church were
in a state of doubt.”
The magisterium, he said,
is rather “in a moment of
study apd reflection concern
ing matters which have been put
before it is worthy of the most
attentive consideration.”
It is the "law of God much
more than our authority, a su
preme concern for human life
considered in its integral full
ness, dignity and destiny much
than any practicalconcern,” he
said, which makes this existing
norm of the Church "the best
and most sacred norm for all.”
The statement came during
an audience with 300 partici
pants in the 52nd national con
gress of the Italian Society of
Obstetricians and Gynecolo
gists then meeting in Rome.
The regulation of births, he
said, “is a vast question, a
very delicate question, and one
on which we ourselves, because
of its religious and moral im
plications, have the right and
indeed the obligation to speak.
It is a question of reality here'
alid now. We know that people
are waiting for us to give a
decisive pronouncement re
garding the thought of the
Church on this question. But
obviously we cannot make such
a pronouncement in this par
ticular instance.”
He noted that the Second Va
tican Council made important
statements on love, matrimony,
birth and the family. “But these
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