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ARCHDIOCESE OF ATLANTA
The Georqia Bulletin
** SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES
Vol. 9 No. 32
Thursday, September 23,1971
$5 per year
Dear
Reader
By HARRY MURPHY
Ministries of both the laity
and clergy take varied forms,
as shown by projects in
Rhode Island and New
Mexico.
Mr. and Mrs. Lionel W.
Parenteau of Woonsocket,
R.I. were asked by a priest
friend from Latin America
for their home and friendship
so he could rest and pray,
away from any kind of
structured living.
They complied, and soon
came a similar request. An
experiment was bom.
Its purpose is to help
priests and religious facing
difficulties or challenges in
their ministries, so that they
may overcome their
frustrations and return to
their work with renewed
conviction, zeal and
enthusiasm.
The atmosphere is
family-like, unpressured. The
priest or sister may reflect,
dialogue and personally
resolve his or her difficulties.
Further information can be
gained from the Parenteaus,
90 Avenue B, P.O. Box 707,
Woonsocket, R.I. 02895.
And out west in Gallup,
N.M., Franciscan Fr. Dunstan
Schmidlan won a
Distinguished Community
Service Award for
establishing the “Sleep-In.”
No, it isn’t a protest
movement, but just a place
where those who have
imbibed too heavily can find
a clean, safe, dry, warm place
to sleep and stay out of
trouble.
Fr. Schmidlan, assigned to
the Catholic Indian Center in
Gallup, originated the idea in
1968 to get intoxicated or
stranded people - primarily
Navajo Indians - from the
streets, alleys and doorways
of the town.
Business at the free-lodging
facility was so good that it
had to move to larger
quarters, a larger and
better-equipped garage in an
old hotel on U.S. 66.
The building is kept at
comfortable temperature and
a water fountain, restrooms
and breakfast are provided.
An attendant is on duty
full-time. An off-duty
policeman hired by the
Southwest Indian Foundation
keeps order and provides first
aid treatment.
Customers are free to come
and go at will, but most arrive
after the bars close and leave
after a 5:30 a.m. breakfast of
coffee, Metrecal and cereal
has been served.
Fr. Schmidlan isn’t
attacking the hard core
(Continued on page 6)
Archbishop Back
From Viet Tour
Archbishop Thomas A.
Donnellan has been in
Vietnam since Sept. 1
conducting retreats for
Catholic chaplains connected
with the Armed Forces there.
The invitation for the tour
through Hawaii and several
sectors of Vietnam came
from Army Chief of
Chaplains, Msgr. Francis L.
Sampson (major general).
The retreats were given in
Hawaii and in two South
Vietnamese centers.
According to one command
chaplain, this is the first time
the two sectors have been
included in the retreat
program directed by the
Chief of Chaplains Office.
The Archbishop returns to
Atlanta this weekend.
‘If Dream, Can Do’ Theme
To Launch Poverty Plan
“If you can dream it, you can do it” - that is the
theme of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council’s
ambitious priority program to be kicked off
Saturday, September 25.
After months of planning
and coordinating, the Council
will publicly present the
action components developed
to carry out the over all
program.
These projects have been
designed with the help of
resource personnel from the
state and local level as well as
from Atlanta’s academic
community both black and
white. The projects
themselves are aimed at
securing parish level
participation from all age
groups.
One spokesman for the
Council said that the effort
thus far had been in
developing workable projects
activities which could be
easily picked up by a parish
and centered on. He added
that what faced the Council
at this point was to sell the
projects and sustain
enthusiasm for them.
The Sept. 25 meeting will
be followed up by two
sessions in each on the three
Deaneries of the program’s
informational and
motivational component
Operation Eye Opener. (See
box for dates, times, places)
The whole archdiocesan
Pastoral Council effort came
in response to Archbishop
Thomas A. Donnellan’s
challenge to the delegates to
develop priorities to which
the whole Church of North
Georgia could address itself.
Father Jerry Hardy, Priest
Secretary to the Council, said
the over-all program is both
practical and imaginative. In a
letter to Council delegates, he
pointed out that the thinking
behind the program was to
attack poverty at the cause
level, not the symptom level.
He went on to add that it
would be unrealistic to
suspect the program could
eradicate poverty.
“We know we can’t wipe
out the problem with this
program. But I do believe we
can cut it back, provided
people in the Archdiocese
believe in the value of
concerted effort no matter
how small,” he said.
In a recent letter to the
Sisters of the Archdiocese,
encouraging their
participation and support,
Father Hardy mentioned
some of his personal hopes:
“I think this program can give
us a new awareness, a
heightened consciousness of
ourselves as a Church by all
of us pulling together around
a single priority.”
The action components
will cover a broad range of
cause level approaches to the
problem. Day Care Centers,
domestic workers, open and
low-income housing, rural
food, and equal job
opportunity are the titles.
Suggested action in each of
these areas will be presented
in Saturday’s Kick-Off
session.
Sister Janet Valente,
GNSH, Director of the Office
of Urban Affairs for the
Archdiocese has been
responsible for securing top
local and regional resource
personnel for this program. “I
feel we have been able to
benefit from the best
experience and expertise
around here,” she said. “Men
of the calibre of Jim Parham
Director State Dept, of
Family and Children’s
Services, Lyndon Wade
(Director of the Atlanta
Urban League) and Bob
Weimer (Assistant Director of
The Georgia Narcotics
Treatment Program) are
really outstanding in this
whole area and have been
tremendously helpful”, she
added.
All of those mentioned will
be on hand for the Sept. 25
meeting as well as the first
Deanery Session for
Operation Eye Opener.
Editorial
Can you dream of a group of Catholics in North Georgia, less
than 3 per cent of the population, presumptious enough to try
to improve the quality of life around them by some simple,
unglamorous action programs? (See editorial, Page 4.)
Dates, Times, Places
ARCHDIOCESAN PASTORAL COUNCIL
PRIORITY PROGRAM ON POVERTY
Saturday, September 25 - 10 a.m. Kick-Off Meeting for all
Parish Delegates, Alternates and Pastors, Cathedral School
Cafeteria.
DEANERY SESSIONS OF “OPERATION EYE OPENER” ARE
OPEN TO ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED.
FIRST SESSION
Monday, September 27 - 7:30 p.m. Northeast Deanery at
Immaculate Heart of Mary School Cafeteria.
Wednesday, September 29 - 7:30 p.m. Northwest Deanery at
Saint Pius X Catholic High School.
Thursday, September 30 - 7:30 p.m. South Deanery at Saint
John the Evangelist, Hapeville, School Cafeteria.
SECOND SESSION
Monday, October 11 - 7:30 p.m. Northeast Deanery at
Immaculate Heart of Mary School Cafeteria.
Wednesday, October 13-7:30 p.m. Northwest Deanery at Saint
Piux X Catholic High School.
Thursday, October 14-7:30 p.m. South Deanery at Saint John
the Evangelist, Hapeville, School Cafeteria.
VOLUNTEER DOCTOR, PATIENTS
Dr. James N. Brawner III
St. Vincent Sets $29,020
Goal In Oct. 3 Collection
“I’ve got a hurting and I
don’t know what it is, but I
just feel bad.”
“I’ve got a chance for a
good job, but I can’t take it
because I’ve got no place for
my kids.”
“I need the free
government food, but I’ve got
no transportation, and no
money to hire it brought to
me.
“Mr. Vincent, when is
night school going to start?
Kin I go?”
And in response to
statements like these, the St.
Vincent de Paul Society has
involved itself more deeply in
the lives of the poor.
Through the unique efforts
of the men and women of the
Conferences who confront
the poor on a personal level,
the Society has grown to be
the largest private
organization that offers
emergency help to the poor
in Metropolitan Atlanta.
Through its Inner City
program, centered in the
Bedford-Pine Urban Renewal
Area, it has carried on this
tradition of personal concern
for the poor.
Starting with a tutorial
program for elementary age
children in September 1966,
the Society has been able to
add new programs each year
because of the generous
support given to the Annual
Collection.
The tutorial program
(which the children call night
school) gives personal help to
about 50 children. They are
brought to St. Joseph High
School twice a week and
tutored on a one-to-one basis
by volunteers - professional
men and women, housewives,
and college students.
There is a Pre-School
program for three and
four-year-old children from
the community.
Approximately 40 children
are given two years of child
development training by
teachers trained for this
work. Each child is fed a
snack and a hot meal.
To answer the community
need for medical treatment
that they couldn’t otherwise
afford, a Health Clinic is open
one night a week. This clinic
has a staff of doctors and
nurses who volunteer their
time to bring professional
medical help to the poor.
They handle over 500 visits
to the clinic each year.
Through this program the
attempt is made to encourage
better health habits of those
who seldom have a chance to
discuss their personal
problems with a doctor.
Many of the health
problems of the poor are a
result of a poor diet. In a
survey taken by volunteers it
was learned that a large
number of the families were
not availing themselves of the
government commodities
because they were either
ignorant of the program or
were unable to get the food
because of lack of
transportation.
The Society uses the truck
which belongs to the Store
operation to go to the
warehouse two days a month
and distribute the food
allotment to more than 80
families.
Through the survey taken
(Continued on page 2)
NEWS BRIEFS
Synod Aides
WASHINGTON (NC) — Three American priests, experts on
the priesthood and world justice, have been invited to serve as
resource aides by the U.S. delegation to the world Synod of
Bishops in Rome. The priests, all theologians, are Father Carl
Peter, theology professor at Catholic University and president of
the Catholic Theological Society of America; Redemptorist
Father William Coyle, executive director of the secretariat of
the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Priestly Formation, and Jesuit
Father Philip Land, a member of the Pontifical Commission for
Justice and Peace. The delegation also asked Russell Shaw,
director of the National Catholic Office for Information, to
serve in Rome as its information officer during the synod.
'Should Self-Destruct’
VANCOUVER, B.C. (NC) — Cardinal John Wright, on a visit
here just before he convened the International Catechetical
Congress in Rome, had a two-pronged barb for computers and
sociologists in these days when both are telling the Church
what’s wrong with it. “No computer is so omnicompetent that a
baby crawling on all fours can’t pull out the plug,” said the
American cardinal who heads the Vatican’s Congregation for the
Clergy. He discussed the priesthood’s problems at a luncheon in
Vancouver with 130 priests, then addressed 3,000 persons at a
city theater. As for sociologists, the 62-year-old cardinal said he
hoped to live “long enough to see the last sociologist fed into
the last computer, which will then self-destruct in five seconds.”
Ask 1976 'Target Date’
WASHINGTON (NC) — An advisory unit to the U.S. Catholic
Conference (USCC) here has recommended 1976 as a target for
setting up a national pastoral council for the U.S. Catholic
Church. The USCC advisory council agreed with an earlier
observation of its steering committee that immediate
establishment of a widely representative pastoral council to
assist in U.S. church decision making was not feasible. But the
advisory group - a 50-member body of bishops, priests,
Religious and laity established in 1969 - suggested several ways
to help build the foundations for such a council by the
recommended target date. Th e group submitted its
recommendations to the USCC administrative board -
composed of 25 bishops - which will refer the matter to the full
body of U.S. bishops at their semiannual meeting in November.
Mrs. Ira Driskell
Leads ACCW Slate
By Sheila Mallon
The ACCW (Archdiocesan Council of Catholic
Women) held its 15th Annual Meeting this year
September 18-19 at Dalton, Georgia.
St. Josephs Parish hosted
the two day affair which was
held at the Holiday Inn in
Dalton.
Panorama Of Church Problems
To Open Third Bishops Synod
VATICAN CITY (NC) — The third Synod of Bishops, which opens in the Vatican
on Sept. 30, will begin its formal meetings with an overview of the Catholic Church
problems today.
Bishop Ladislaw Rubin, general secretary of the synod’s permanent council, told a
news conference that the presentation of a “panorama” of contemporary Church
problems is a departure from the regular meetings of a synod but had been suggested
by the synod council because of the desire for information by various conferences of
bishops.
The “panorama” will be
read by Archbishop Enrico
Bartoletti, apostolic
administrator of Lucca, Italy,
but is not scheduled for
discussion by the more than
200 elected or appointed
participants.
After the over-all view is
presented, the synod will
begin with the introduction
of the first major matter of
study on its agenda, “The
priestly ministry.”
The second subject will be
“Justice in the World.” It will
be introduced once general
discussion of the priestly
ministry is completed. Both
topics will be treated not
only in plenary sessions but
in study sections broken up
into seven language groups:
Latin, English, French,
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
and German.
Bishop Rubin also
announced that during the
synod participants will be
given a statement on the
proposed constitution of the
Church -- the Lex
Fundamentalis (basic law) -
but added that the
controversial document
would not be debated on the
floor of the synod.
According to Bishop Rubin
the fathers of the synod will
number 205, with some
possible additions.
Prayer, Fasting Set
Here To Aid Synod
The body of priests of the
Archdiocese of Atlanta,
through their duly elected
Senate, has requested a
special day of prayer and
fasting on the eve of the
Bishop’s Synod in Rome.
This is the conformity with
the expressed desire of Pope
Paul VI, who seeks the
combined prayers of the
Church for the success of the
forthcoming session. This
proposal is also in conformity
with the practice of the early
Church as related in the Acts
of the ADOstles.
We therefore designate
Wednesday, September 29th,
as a day of prayer and
voluntary fasting in the
Archdiocese of Atlanta, and
ask that the day be
commemorated in a special
way in each of our parishes
and homes.
Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran,
Vicar General
He noted that under synod
membership rules, the Pope
could name 28 personal
choices but so far had limited
himself to 25.
Among the papal
nominations were three
Americans: Archbishop
Martin J. O’Connor, president
emeritus of the Pontifical
Commission on Social
Communications; Holy Cross
Father Edward Heston, new
president of the
communications commission;
and Bishop William Baum of
Springfield-Cape Girardeau,
Mo.
The official opening of the
synod on Sept. 30 will be
held in the Sistine Chapel,
where Pope Paul VI will
celebrate Mass and deliver a
sermon on the aims and
intent of the synod.
Bishop Rubin said the
synod meetings will probably
last throughout October. He
did not specify a closing date,
which is normally determined
only when the main course of
discussion and business has
been completed.
Bishop Rubin said a
(Continued on page 6)
More than 120 delegates
attended the convention
which began Saturday
morning with Registration
and ended Sunday afternoon
with the Installation of the
new officers.
Husbands and Clergy who
attended the meeting took
advantage of Daltonians’
hospitalitys and played golf.
For the ladies, tours of
nearby carpet mills and
shopping sprees at the outlet
stores were arranged.
The working day began
Saturday at 1 p.m. with the
Annual Business Meeting.
Reports of the officers were
heard and resolutions were
passed concerning pollution,
abortion, pornography, WICS
and the Commitment to
Poverty of the Archdiocesan
Pastoral Council.
Workshops followed at
Dalton Jr. College, moderated
by the chairmen of the five
standing commissions.
At 5 p.m. a Concelebrated
Mass was offered, followed
by the Banquet at which Mrs.
Joseph Meyer, ACCW
President presided. The
delegates were welcomed by
Rev. Michael Woods, Pastor
of St. Joseph’s, Dalton. Rt.
Rev. John Stapleton, Pastor
of Christ the King,
introduced the speaker, Dr.
Harmon Moore, Executive
Director of the Christian
Council of Metropolitan
Atlanta.
Dr. Moore expanded on
the theme of the Convention,
“Ecumenism is a Real Living
Together.” He commended
the Archdiocese of Atlanta
for it’s commitment to
combat poverty and spoke of
the need for understanding
and'love between all men.
Sunday morning the
delegates attended a brunch
meeting and heard from Mrs.
George Gunning, ACCW
Liaison Chariman to WICS,
Mrs. Charlotte Wilen,
President of, BIB, and Mrs.
E.P. Faust, NCCW National
Director from the province of
(Continued on page 6)