Newspaper Page Text
RECONSTRUCTING FAMILIES
Village Of St. Joseph
Activity Begins In June
FATHER James F. Scherer, director of Catholic Social
Services, points out a recreation area in one of the cottages at
the Village of St. Joseph on Tell Rd., SW.
The Village of St. Joseph in southwest Atlanta is fair-
Ty quiet now except for the sound of a drill or saw, but
in June it will explode into a center pf activity for 35
boys and girls.
The new village — four cottages, an administration
building, a chapel and an activity building—has 40 acres
of ground so children can dig in the dirt and play ball.
The modern facilities are only part of the advantage
the new village will have over the old home in Washing
ton, Ga.
"The past service, was custodial, but the program at
the new village will be treatment—oriented," said Fa
ther James F. Scherer, director of Catholic Social
Services. "The new program will make the atmosphere
more homelike; it will unite brothers and sisters; and
will provide treatment for both the child and his family.
"It must be remembered the village will serve chil
dren who would not function in a foster-home atmos
phere because of emotional disturbances. Thewholepro-
gram 4s to reconstruct families, to help the child and
the family while the child is at the village so we can
create a stable family ' situation," the priest said.
The home in Washington made it impossible to re
habilitate families since; brothers and sisters were in
institutions 300 miles apart—fhe boys in Washington,
the girls in Savannah.
"The difficulty in securing professional services
also hampered treatment," Father Scherer said, "and
a study indicated a need for facilities in Atlanta to treat
teen-age girls. It will be the only institution in the
state to take teen-age girls other than the juvenile
detention home.”
The $1 million-plus village will open with 35 chil
dren, but in three years the capacity will be increased
to 62. These will include boys from ages 6-14 and girls
from 6-18.
"During a child’s stay at the village, the parents will
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BULLETIN
ARCHDIOCESE OF ATLANTA SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES
VOL 5, NO. 6 ATLANTA,GEORGIA /hURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1967
CELIBACY
Fr. Fichter, Magazine Clash
Over Survey On Priests
FROM PRESS REPORTS
A Vatican publication has
rapped a survey on celibacy
while the man who made the
survey, Father Joseph Fichter
retaliated againstthecriticism.
The publication, L’Osserv '-
tore della Domenica warned
against putting too much faith
• in partial surveys such as Fath
er Fichter’s survey.
Father Fichter said in Cam
bridge, Mass., "If the results
of an opinion survey are dis
turbing, perhaps it is because
there is something to be dis
turbed about.”
Commenting on an accom
panying article by its U.S. cor
respondent on the Fichter re
port, the weekly noted:
"Statistics are generally a
partial expression of a society
or of a mode of life or a form
of culture and, as such, they
change from region to region
and from continent to continent.
The East will give figures dif
ferent from the West and the
West itself, will give different
figures from country to coun
try and diocese to diocese.
"We believe,” the weekly
said, "that if such an inquiry
were conducted in Italy the re
sults would differ from those in
Piedmont to those in Liguria,
from Lombardy to the Venice
region and from the south to
the north.”
The comment continued:
"Father Fichter’s statistics
are definitely useful, not only to
understand the relations be
tween priests and bishops...but
also to sound out the feelings
of the younger clergy.”
The sensitiveness of the
.young clergy deserves to be
"studied and examined in all
its aspects.”
The weekly noted that if only
"to provide an education and a
priestly training in keeping with
the spirit of the (ecumenical)
council,” the survey is all the
more needed, "since the situa
tion which has been reported
does not arise solely in the
United States but is to be found,
though in different forms and
degrees, in other countries.”
While such studies are use
ful, fhe comment concluded,
they should be carried out with
out publicity. "It is not from
publicity that the answer can
come but from an assessment
of the priestly vocation and
from the judgment of the Church
regarding its discipline.
CONSTRUCTION continues on the town hall, convent and admi
nistration building at the village in preparation for its opening
jn June.
"The Church finds a solu
tion for this and similar prob
lems by drawing its orientation
from supernatural principles
and by giving its directives on
the basis of the behavior it
considers most fitting for an ec
clesiastical and priestly way
of life,"
To these criticisms, Father
Fichter replied that he has a
right as a researcher to decide
what group will be the subject
of his research.
"I do not pretend and never
said that the survey represents
an opinion-sampling of all the
priests in the United States,"
he said. “It was not our pur
pose at this time to Sample the
opinions of pastors, monsignors
or members of religious ord
ers. We wanted to know what
the rank-and-file diocesan
clergy are thinking — partly
because these priests are sel
dom heard from and partly be
cause budget limitations would
not permit a wider survey.
“We sent questionnaires to
one-third of these priests who
fell, into our selected category
and of those we questioned more
than half sent in replies. This
is an unusually large re
sponse,”
FATHER Jerry Hardy on Ash Wednesday makes the sign of the
cross in ashes on the foreheads of Christ the King students sig
nifying the beginning of Lent. He said in applying the ashes,
"Remember man that you are dust and unto dust you shall re
turn," The students are from left, Jack Harney, Jan Duffy
and Charlice Geiger.
Church Not Yet
In Poverty War
MARONITES
Bishop Zayek Plans First Visit Here
Bishop Francis Zayek, first
Maronite Apostolic Exarch in
the United States, will pay his
first visit to Atlanta Feb. 18-19.
The program for his visit in
cludes a reception Saturday,
Feb. 18, from 7 to 10:30 p.m.
at St. Joseph’s Maronite
Church, 502 Seminole Ave., NE.
The following day Bishop
Zayek will celebrate a solemn
and pontifical Maronite Mass at
the church at 11:30 a.m, and a
reception will begin at l:30p.m,
at the Parliament House.
The reception includes the St.
Joseph’s Choir; dinner; greet
ings from St. Joseph's parish
by Father Joseph Bistany; in
troduction of guests by Joseph
A. Ashkouti, toastmaster;
greetings from city and state
officials; reflections by Father
Joseph Abi-Naber, vice chan
cellor and former pastor of St.
Joseph’s; greetings from Arch
bishop Pa,ul J. Hallinan; intro
duction of Bishop Zayek; and a
closing prayer by Msgr. P. J.
O'Connor. The invocation will
be given by Dom Augustine
Moore O.C.S.O.
After the closing prayer at
4:30 p.m., dancing to Arabic
music will be held until 7:30
p.m.
Bishop Zayek, a native of
BISHOP ZAYEK
Cuba, was formally installed
as Exarch, June 11, 1966, at
the Cathedral of the Blessed
Sacrament in Detroit, Mich.
Beginning his studies for the
priesthood, he enrolled at St.
Joseph’s Catholic University in
Beirut, Lebanon, in 1932 and
entered St. Maron’s in Lebanon
in 1935,
He entered the Catholic Insti
tute of the Propagation of the
Faith in Rome in 1939 and was
ordained in 1946. After that he
obtained his doctorates in di
vine theology and in philosophy
and obtained a doctorate in
canon law in 1951.
Bishop Zayek was assigned to
Cario, Egypt, as rector of the
Maronite Cathedral of the Holy
Family. He was recalled to
Rome in 1956 and was appointed
promoter of justice in the Sac
red Roman Rota. He became
professor of Oriental canon law
at the International College of
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)
WASHINGTON (NC) — ‘The
Catholic Church has not yet
declared war on poverty in the
U.S.; it is time for it to do so,
and to develop a theology for
the conduct of this war.”
That is what Father Geno C.
Baroni, executive secretary of
the Washington archdiocesan
community relations commis
sion, told 73 participants at a
regional meeting of diocesan
anti-poverty campaigners here.
Poverty is a moral issue, he
said, although many do not see
it that way.
Father Baroni spoke on the
first day of a two-day session
called by the National Catholic ■
Coordinating Committee on
Economic Opportunity, held at
the Catholic University of
America.
The problem confronting the
Church! today, Father Baroni
said, is “how to educate avery
middle-class Church to the fact
that poverty is a moral and a
theological problem.”
Father Baroni’s talk came at
the end of a morning given over
to recounting a wide variety
of anti-poverty projects launch
ed by Catholic agencies.
“It is not enough to recount
the wonderful things that we
have done in the past,” he
said. "Everyone acknowledges
these. We must nOw ask our
selves what is the Church’s fu
ture commitment to the poor,”
‘The Church in the U.S. has
always been an urban church,”
Father Baroni continued, "and
has shown how effective it can
be in fighting urban poverty.
The Catholic middle class—
once a poor immigrant class—
proves that.
‘The test which must now be
applied is this: how willing is
the Church to commit its re
sources to the poor who are not
its own?”
Father Baroni’s comments
drew strong support from the
floor. Father John F. Cronin,
S.S., assistant director of the
U.S. Catholic Conference social
action department, put it this
way:
"We must get the grassroots
demand for this restudy; and
the people here must help to
build it. The Bishops are re
ceptive, but we must give them
the information they need.”
Said one delegate from the
floor: ‘The Bishops, after all,
will have to answer these ques
tions themselves, but wh it we
do here will go a long way to
ward helping them.”
SENATE
Organization Will Give Nuns
More Voice In Archdiocese
Nine nuns in the archdiocese
have been elected to formulate
the role of the Sisters’ Senate
and to deal with the spiritual,
intellectual, medical and rec
reational needs of the 210 nuns
in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
At a meeting of representa
tives from each convent Sunday
at the Cathedral Center, the fol
lowing nuns were elected: Sis
ter Francis Maureen G.N.S.H.;
Sister William Joseph C.SJ.;
Sister Ann Julice S.N.D.; Sis
ter M, Geraldine; Sister Fran
cois, a Blessed Sacrament nun;
Sister M. Robert S.S.N.D.; Sis
ter M. Rosaire M.S.S.H.; Sis
ter M. Melanie R.S.M.; Sis
ter Mary DavidO.P. Two con
templative sisters of the Visita
tion also attended the meeting.
The Sisters’ Senate will con
sider the establishment-of cen
tral places for retreats; days
of recollection, conferences and
confessions; the, proposals 'of
the Sisters’ Congress on educa
tion, schools of religion, New
man Apostolate , social and
health services; contracts of
the religious communities with
the archdiocese; participation
in archdiocesan commissions
such as liturgy, education, so
cial service and ecumenism;
and will act as a means of
communication between the sis
ters and the archbishop.
Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
told the sisters, ‘This is a step
in the whole renewal program
that corrects a serious flaw of
years past. Sisters, dedicated
by their vows and working from
dawn to dusk for the family of
the Church, should be heard.
Now you have a voice by which
you can speak to God’s people.
Now you have a real tool by
which your opinions, questions,
criticisms and suggestions can
be put to use.”
He said, "Faithful to the tra
ditions of the Church and the
archdiocese, you sisters have
already awakened all of us to
the renewed Christian way.The
Senate will be your new bridge.
It is badly needed arid will be
confidently watched."
The Sisters' Senate will be
parallel to the Senate of Priests
which has recently been formed.
Father John McDonough, sec
retary for Religious, spoke on
confessions and conferences.
He said that suggestions be put
in writing. He said unless he is
made aware of the sisters’
wishes about conferences and
confessions nothing can be done
to help them.
He said the sisters have a
voice and should use it.
Sister Mary Virginia G.N.S.H.,
president of the Sisters’ Con
gress, presided at the meeting
highlighted by considerable dis
cussion.
The sisters discussed the na
ture of their responsibility to
their communities} whether
they are going to involve them
selves in teaching or whether
they shoulcf branch out into some
other work in the parish.
UMIW
FATHER John McDonough, se
cretary for the nuns, discusses
the formation of a Senate with
representatives of each con
vent. At his left is Sister Mary
Virginia G.N.S.H., president of
the Sisters Congress.
Msgr. Conway
Dead At 61
DAVENPORT, Iowa (NC) --
Msgr. John D. Conway, 61, who
was known to hundreds of thou
sands of Catholics as writer of
the "Question Box” column
which appeared in more than
50 diocesan newspapers in the
U.S. andCanada,diedhere(Feb.
5).
Msgr. Conway was officialis
of the Davenport diocese and
pastor of . St. Mary's church
here. Bishop Gerald O’Keefe of
Davenport was the chief cele
brant of a concelebrated re
quiem Mass (Feb. 7).
ATHENS
Spalding Chapel, Newman
Center Dedication Sunday
BARBARA Sutherland of St.
Anthony’s Parish will represent
Girl Scouts of Northwest Geor
gia at an international encamp
ment from Aug.l3-31at Nanta-
nala National Forest, North
Carolina. Barbara is the daugh
ter Of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Suth
erland. She is a Junior at St.
Joseph’s High School.
More than 500 persons are
expected to attend the dedi
cation of the Spalding Memorial
Chapel and Newman Center Sun
day at 4 p.m. on the University
of Georgia campus at Athens.
Dr. O.C. Aderhold, presi
dent of the university, will bring
greetings from the administra
tion and Ed Steppe, president
of Newman, will address the
gathering. The center is at 1344
S. Lumpkin St.
Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
and Bishop Joseph L. Bernar-
din will bless the new chapel
and center. Most Rev. Finian
F. Kerwin O.F.M., provincial
of theFranciscanfathers of New
York, will give the hpmily at
the first concelebrated Mass in
the new chapel at 5 p.m. A
reception and buffet supper will
follow in the center.
The facilities were built at a
cost of approximately$350,000.
The center contains offices,
classrooms, a library, audi
torium and living quarters for
two chaplains. FatherChristian
Malone O.F.M. is the chaplain.
The Catholics Church Exten
sion Society gave $15,000 for the
project.
The chapel, named in honor
of Bishop John Lancaster Spald
ing, first bishop of Peoria, Ill.,
will accomodate more than 300
It is of modern design, with
nine sides of neutral weather
granite from Stone Mountain,
and laminated wood beams and
decking. The polished granite'
altar, pulpit and presiding chair
came from Elberton, Ga., and
the stained glass was designed
and cut by the Trappists at
Conyers. Albert Ordway A.I.A.
was architect for the project
and Mathis Construction Co. of
Athens was the contractor.
Lenox Square
Mass On Mall Monday
Each Monday during Lent,
beginning Feb. 13, Mass will
be offered in the auditorium
at Lenox Square by Marist
fathers from Our Lady of the
Assumption parish.
The noon Mass will include
a brief homily. Confessions
will be heard at 11:45 a.m.,
Father Thomas J. Roshetko
S.M., pastor, said.
Details are being worked out
for Lenten services to beheld
on weekdays other than Mon
day by representatives of
other Christian religions.
The Mass on the Mall began
last year. Archbishop Halli
nan and Father 'Noel Burten-
shaw, chancellor, said the
Masses last year.
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