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Vol. 10 No. 44 Form 3579 to 202 East Sixth Street, Waynesboro, Georgia 30830
Thursday, December 14,1972
$5 per year
(PHOTO by Buddy Disney)
Santa Claus listens to young John Smith’s request at St. Thomas More Christmas Party.
Christmas Party and Show at St. Thomas More
Tennessee Bishop Supports
Busing and Open Housing
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NC) -- Bishop
Carroll T. Dozier of Memphis urged
school busing, open housing and an end
to racism.
He said in a pastoral letter:
“It is my hope that the foundation of
the Church in Memphis will be justice
and peace, that as the Psalmist said,
‘Righteousness and peace now em
brace.’ ”
At a press conference, Bishop Dozier
discussed his pastoral and said: “I have
tried to face violations of justice as
expressed in violence and racism, and
the necessity of law and order to secure
and protect human dignity. The letter
points out that there are concerns such
as busing and open housing which
offend against justice.”
In calling for support of busing,
Bishop Dozier said that it might be seen
“as partial repayment” for past
educational injustices to black students.
“However, some people have
promoted anti-busing as an emotional
issue,” Bishop Dozier said. “Politicians
who have introduced anti-busing
legislation are once again blocking the
schoolhouse door. When they limit their
education of poor children and inflame
the hatreds of the community, they nail
two-by-fours across the doors of equal
opportunity. Busing has become a
tension which divides us.”
Bishop Dozier
busing would not destroy our
community.”
Elected officials who seek to
undermine the Supreme Court’s
desegration decision in 1954 “are not
only unpatriotic, they are ungodly,” the
bishop said.
Bishop Dozier said he hoped
Memphis churches would seek justice in
the community by pouring large
portions of their budgets into programs
to work for justice.
“Justice is not served by Christmas
baskets to the poor,” he said. “In fact it
is not served by an single stopgap
program . . .We say we believe in God
and yet this belief does not always enter
our day-to-day lives. God calls us to love
our neighbor. The Church in Memphis
has frequently forgotten this. This
Church has reflected the temper of our
society.
“Of all sins, considering a person
inferior because of his race is the most
destructive . . .Racism directly shatters
Jesus’ reconciliation.”
Jeane Dixon Helps Cancer Home
BY MARIE MULVENNA
Ho-Ho-Ho! Santa was there! But the
“Ho-ho-ho’s” were not exclusively
Santa’s at the St. Thomas More
Christian Youth Fellowship-sponsored
Christmas party and show.
The resounding joy of the Christmas
season was shared by 60 exceptional
children from schools in the Decatur
area and almost 100 teenagers and
“young” elders who showed up to
provide one-to-one care for the children.
Highlight of the party was a free show
by guest magician Bobby Faye.
The “Ho’s” were interspersed by
shrieks of joy and howls of disbelief as a
rabbit and a dove came from nowhere
and disappeared again. An exhibition of
tap-dancing and ballet with a Christmas
theme was given by Carla Werner, Linda
Little and Lisa Elison of the Delores
Werner Dance Studio. Santa, normally
recognized as Bill Waidelich, patiently
met the many demands of hugging and
affectionate children. The party
concluded with a punch and cookie
line-up.
The C.Y.F. kicked off their 2,760
light bulb sale after the show. They
hope to raise $300 to continue to bring
the light of Christmas to other young
people in hospitals and also to the
elderly and shut-ins of Decatur’s many
nursing and convalescent homes.
Bishop Dozier also said if
neighborhoods were integrated, “we
could then pursue education at the
neighborhood school. Divisions about
Flordia Bishops Seek Fair Application
And Future Abolition of Death Penalty
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (NC) - The
state legislature has passed a bill
reinstating the death penalty in Florida,
with limitations intended to satisfy a
U.S. Supreme Court ban on the death
penalty as it had been administered in
the U.S.
The state’s House and Senate passed
the legislation during a special session
that had been called by Gov. Reubin
Askew, who said the bill “should
provide a fairer way to administer
justice without discrimination.”
Before the legislature enacted the
YOUNG CHAMP - Kenny Miller, a third grade student at St. Jude the
Apostle School, poses with his teacher, Mary Ellen McReynolds. Kenny,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Miller, won the 8-year-old area division of
the Punt, Pass and Kick contest held recently at Atlanta Stadium. The
young athlete will compete for the divisional championship on December
16 in San Francisco. The competition for the championship will be held
during the half-time ceremonies of the San Francisco-Minnesota gridiron
encounter, and will be televised in the Atlanta area.
legislation by overwhelming majorities,
the Catholic bishops of the state said
they hoped a new death penalty law
would impose capital punishment more
fairly across racial, social and economic
lines than the old statute.
However, they also stated that they
hoped that capital punishment would be
abolished in the future.
The bishops’ statement seemed to
concur with the Supreme Court’s feeling
that the death penalty had been
imposed unevenly in the past.
“We feel obliged to draw attention to
the fact that the law’s application in the
past was characterized by marked
unevenness,” the bishops said.
“It is true that the supreme penalty
was imposed on a relatively small
number of criminals, and that death
sentences were frequently commuted to
life imprisonment. But of those actually
sentenced to be excuted, it is equally
true that an unreasonably high
percentage were the indigent, the
friendless and members of minority or
ethnic groups.
“If we recall the axiom, ‘Justice must
not be a respector of persons,’ we are
forced to the conclusion that justice has
too often failed that test,” the bishops
said. “Those who could afford skilled
defense attorneys and could pay for the
many appeals that can be made to
higher courts, were evidently successful
in many cases in avoiding capital
punishment.
“If the death penalty is to be restored
in Florida, it is imperative that adequate
workable safeguards be written into the
law itself to forestall these injustices. It
is certainly our hope that the time is not
too far distant when capital punishment
will be abolished altogether.”
The statement was signed by
Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll of
Miami; Bishops Paul F. Tanner of St.
Augustine, William D. Borders of
Orlando and Charles B. McLaughlin of
St. Petersburg; and Auxiliary Bishop
Rene H. Gracida of Miami.
The bill the legislature approved
December 1 cites a variety of crimes
that would entail the death penalty:
premeditated murder; murder during
robbery, burglary, arson, rape and
kidnapping; rape where the victim is 10
years or younger; murder resulting from
air piracy; and “delivery” of heroin
when the drug has been shown to be the
“proximate” cause of death.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Caner Home was the recipient this week of
proceeds from an annual breakfast hosted by the women’s division of the
American Institute of Banking. It was held at the Regency-Hyatt Hotel here.
Featured speaker for the breakfast was the well-known seer Jeane Dixon. Miss
Dixon addressed the sell-out gathering on the topic of cancer, answering
questions as well. She presented a personal donation of $1,000 to Sister Marie
Cordis, O.P., administrator of the home which is located at 760 Washington
Street.
Sister Marie Cordis represented the staff of the home at the annual breakfast
and said she was most impressed by Miss Dixon’s humility and respect for
religious life. Sister said she was “really overwhelmed by Miss Dixon’s generous
contribution.”
She added that she is always very grateful to the banking group for their
wonderful and continuous support of the cancer home, which annually benefits
from the breakfast.
CHAPLAIN FOR HOPE -- Father John T. Ryan,
C.SS.R., parish priest in Jackson and McDonough, Ga.,
is serving as Catholic chaplain aboard the S.S. HOPE in
northeast Brazil. Pictured with young Brazilian
patients in the pediatrics ward of the hospital ship in
Natal, Father Ryan has served with the staff since
August. The HOPE will complete her tenth medical
teaching-treatment mission in early December and will
return to Baltimore on December 20.