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4 GEORGIA BULLETIN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1968
Most Rev. Thomas A. Donnellan D.D, J.C.D. - Publisher
Rev. R. Donald Kiernan - Acting Editor
Wendy Marris - Assistant Editor
2699 Peachtree N.E.
P.O. Box 11667
Northside Station
Member of the Catholic Press Association
and Subscriber to N.C.W.C. Newsservice
Telephone 261-1281
Second Class Permit at Atlanta, Ga.
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
U.S.A. $5.00
Canada $5.00
Foreign $6.50
Published Every Week at the Decatur - DeKalb News
- ■ The opinions contained in these editorial columns are —.
■ the free expressions of free editors in a free Catholic press. — 1
CHRIS ECKL
Last week’s issue of the Georgia Bulletin carried the news of the
resignation of Mr. Chris Eckl who had served as editor for more than
two years. His resignation was received with regret, and a word of
appreciation for his distinguished service is in order. He was a
competent editor, deeply interested in the work and the news of the
Church, not only locally but nationally and internationally. He was
enthusiastic about the work of renewal, and deeply concerned about
the social apostolate of the Church. To this interest, enthusiasm, and
concern he added a discerning judgement and a journalist’s expertise.
As a result, the Georgia Bulletin, under his editorship, was an
effective archdiocesan newspaper of which the Archdiocese of
Atlanta could be proud.
We are happy that Mr. Eckl’s new post offers him a challenging and
exciting opportunity to use his talents. He has our prayers and best
wishes.
We are fortunate in being able to avail ourselves of the services of
Father R. Donald Kiernan as editor. He has had a long association
with the Bulletin and is well-known to its readers for his informed,
newsy weekly column. He has kindly consented to serve as editor at
least for the present and to assist in planning the future course of the
Georgia Bulletin so that it may continue to be an outstanding
archdiocesan newspaper.
— GEORGIA PINES
“Farewell...To Chris”
'By R. Donald Kiernan — ■ » ——
Most Reverend Thomas A. Donnellan
Archbishop of Atlanta
Disgrace
THE LASTEST issue of LOOK magazine carries a long article
under the title A National Disgrace; it is the story of racial
discrimination in labor unions. With impressive documentation, a
picture of discrimination, trickery and callous cruelty emerges in
union employment practices at a time when we have the highest
employment quota of all time. Individual interviews with those who
have been hurt personalize the experience and cannot fail to shock
every thoughtful reader.
Labor unions, which liberated the poor of one generation^ now
turn their backs on the poor of another one. Some even make use of
the old canard that Negroes are not good workers-the old “lazy and
shiftless” story that endured from the days of slavery. This line has
been disproven by the unions themselves, since there are some unions
which have integrated long ago and have been models of success. But
most unions lack even token integration; they allow the Negro to
belong to an all-black union of his own or take a job in some of the
mud trades at the bottom of the ladder. The whole thing presents a
situation where determined and arrogant exclusion deprives a Negro
worker of his basic right to earn a living for his family. It would be
hard to imagine a more radical sabotage of his dignity.
If we want law and order,” of which we hear so much, one way to
get it is to end prejudice in employment, and take some of the
frustration from the young Negro who wants to support his family
like every other man.
The labor movement in America, and specifically in this part of
America, is powerful and resourceful; it also has many men of high
ability and character among its leaders. It is time they came forward
with more than token gestures for the poor and the black. Many of
them are Catholics, and are well aware of the Christian teaching on
social justice and racial equality. How long must we wait to see their
taith reflected in their actions? The opportunity that is now before
them must not be allowed to slip by. Disgrace can still be turned into
honor.
BOSTON PILOT
IT’S WITH a bit of sadness that I write this
column this week because it is to say
“farewell” to our editor, Chris Eckl, as he
leaves the BULLETIN to take up a new job.
Working with Chris these past two years has
been a delightful experience as I watched a
man dedicated to his job
and totally consumed
with the interest of the
Church at heart.
In leaving, Chris Eckl
joins the long list of
outstanding Catholic
laymen who have served
the Church in Georgia
through the medium of
the press and in public relations. The Church in
Georgia has always had a shortage of
clergymen and this shortage has always been
supplemented by dedicated laymen. While
laymen working with the clergy is thought by
many to be a direct outgrowth of Vatican II,
indeed this practice goes back many a year in
this portion of the Lord’s vineyard.
Too, one might, think by reading the
masthead of the BULLETIN that a newspaper
in Georgia has existed for only eight years, but
in reality a press circulated among the
Catholics of Georgia goes back to the year
1919.
When the Catholic Laymen’s Association of
Georgia was founded, it was decided that a
publication would be initiated in order to keep
the members of the Association, spread over
52,000, square miles, informed and united in
purpose.
The paper, first published in 1919, was a
quarterly and had as its first .editor, Mr. James
Farrell. The paper was at that time what its
name signifies, a bulletin. Whenever and
wherever attacks were made upon the Church
or its doctrines, it was through the media of
this publication that answers would be made.
AT *Mr. Farrell’s untimely death Mr.
Richard Reid became the editor and in 1921,
the BULLETIN adopted its newspaper format.
Mr. Reid served the Georgia paper from
January 1921 until December 1939, at which
time he was made the Editor of the
CATHOLIC NEWS’ official newspaper of the
Archdiocese of New York. Mr. Reid was
Knighted by the Holy Father for his
outstanding service to the Church in Georgia.
Richard Reid was succeeded by Hugh
Kinchley K.S.G. in January 1940 and served in
this post for 13 years, until his death in 1953.
During Mr. Kinchley-’s tenure, the circulation
of the BULLETIN increased from 7,000 to
almost 12,000. Mr. Kinchley’s able assistant,
John Markwalter of Augusta, succeeded Mr.
Kinchley inl953 and served as editor until
1958 when the State of Georgia was divided
into two dioceses and he became Managing
editor of a dual publication published for the
Diocese of Savannah and the Diocese of
Atlanta. Father Frank Donohue became the
Editor of the Savannah edition of the
BULLETIN and I was named the editor of the
Atlanta edition.
ON MARCH 29, 1962 the Bishop of
Charleston, became the first Archbishop of
Atlanta, the Most Rev. Paul J. Hallinan. Near
the end of that year it was decided to publish
separate editions for the both dioceses and
1963 saw the coming of Gerard E. Sherry as
the editor of the BULLETIN. Mr. Sherry
remained with the paper until 1967, and left to
become editor of a newspaper in Morgantown,
West Virginia. For a short time the BULLETIN
was edited by two priests and in May, 1966
Chris Eckl, a veteran newspaperman with
service in the Associated Press was named
editor of the BULLETIN’
Now Chris leaves to enter a new field, with
new challenges, but with the same dedication,
the same spirit, plus more experience. His
name is now added to the role of great laymen
who served his God and his Church through
the medium of the press. Best wishes, Chris.