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Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Vol. 15 No! 12
Thursday, March 24,1977
$5 Per Year.
Had
‘Sufifatdtuv
Wesley Road
You climb the steps to the
house. It’s not as quiet as usual,
but that’s to be expected. You
open the door and they are mostly
gathered in the room at the back
of the house. The noise hits you
immediately. It is a swell of good
conversation mixed with a lot of
humor. It is a warm atmosphere
and you know it’s going to get
better - much better.
It is St. Patrick’s Night and you
are one of the Atlanta priests
dropping , in on the Irish
Shenanigans at the Archbishop’s
House. It is a clerical gathering.
The scenery is mostly black, with
a touch of green here and there.
Spirits are high and the Irish,
foreign born and home spun, are
determined to have center stage.
Of course, on this sacred
holiday, all are Irish. The Graczs,
the Selis, the Paulantonios, all will
claim a square inch of the old sod
- some with a put-on accent to
match. Others, like the Giustas
and Cavallos are thinking that
equal time should be alloted. How
about an ethnic night of their
own. But no, they dispel that idea,
the Irish would only take it over.
The evening goes on. Out in the
breakfast room beside the kitchen,
something starts. You hear it as a
distant moan at first. It grows to a
din and finally a full swing.
Someone has found the song
books. You tell yourself you are
not getting into this racket but
you find the gut curiosity is
murder, so you sneak a peek. The
choir around the table is far from
Mormon Tabernacle status. But
they are oblivious to every living
thing except the songs they boom.
Father Ludden calls himself a
Dublin tenor, he gets very little
support for that claim, and Father
Gill, also from Dublin, has an
undefined voice, reminding you of
the vegetable man’s delivery.
Father Woods has the lilt of the
North (“not far enough North”)
and Father Fallon still insists he
has choir status in the Longford
Cathedral. Father Kane has a good
voice, that is good and loud.
Father O’Shea adds the right
touch of experience. Fathers Neary
and Dillon add a line here and
there as memories are touched.
Others momentarily pop in and
out. The Archbishop, using the
wisdom of his Office, decides to
abstain until some blend evolves.
He may even wait till next year.
The music goes on with melodic
fever.
They resurrect the great ones.
The Foggy Dew, The Minstrel
Boy, Kevin Barry (“just a lad of
eighteen summers” the Irish still
cry) and more. You decide to go
back to the food. Great cornbeef
and vintage Irish coffee. Here and
there a little business is discussed.
Father Naughton is the prime
target, he’s Personnel Board
Chairman. “Give us a scoop,
Louis,” booms Father Marren.
Properly, Father Naughton ignores
him.
You decide to go home. You
have first Mass in the morning.
Better get going. Well, maybe one
more song. Sit down, what’s the
rush? You can grab a snooze
tomorrow. All right, one more,
here we go “Just a lad of eighteen
summers ”
Inside This Issue:
- Final Run for the Fifth
- Family Night Explored
- New Deacons Ordained
DUNWOODY AREA
WHO IS THIS MAN? All he has at this moment is a park bench, a few
pigeons and squirrels to befriend him. Yet he seems happy and at peace
with himself and the world around him. During the final week of the
Diocesan Lenten program, we study the value of a person. The program
looks at the way we tend to evaluate ourselves, in terms of our
possessions, our capabilities, our achievements or lack of them. The
program ends with an attempt at true self-evaluation, as we prepare for
the celebration of Holy Week and Easter. (Photograph by Harry
DeLorme)
LENTEN SERIES
Theme: The Person
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
Discover something about yourself, by filling out the following. Imagine that you
are introducing yourself to a group of total strangers, giving the most important facts
about yourself. How would you word your introduction (using about 50 words or
less):
I am
NOW, try to do the same thing, WITHOUT mentioning your job, rank, your salary,
where you come from, your educational background, your age or marital status:
I am
Did you find this hard to do? Looking at the two introductions, where do you find
your identity as a person? What is important to your sense of self?
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER:
Themfore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor
about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more important than food, and the
body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, they have
neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are
you than the birds! And which uf you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of
life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about
the rest? Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well.
(Luke 12: 22-26, 31)
SOMETHING TO DO:
Pay a compliment. Affirm a good quality shown by someone with whom you are
associated daily.
Ask for help. Seek assistance from some person whose advice you respect, in some
project in which you are involved.
Examine your conscience for good things you may have done during the day - ways
in which you have shown understanding, or ways in which you have helped others.
Plan a “no cuts” day in your' family. Have all members of the family attempt to
avoid any unkind or critical statements. You might agree on a sign, such as thumbs
down for a “cut” and thumbs up for a compliment, during the day.
New Parish Opens
Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan
has announced the opening of a new
parish in the metro Atlanta area. The
parish will be opened in Dunwoddy
effective April 11, 1977. Father Joseph
J. Beltran, presently pastor of Corpus
Christi Church in Stone Mountain, has
been named pastor.
The area of the new parish is
presently served by many parishes,
mainly, however, by St. Jude’s in Sandy
Springs. Other parishes to give up lesser
amounts of territory are Holy Cross and
Our Lady of the Assumption. Property
for the new parish has been purchased
and is located on Mount Vernon
Highway near the intersection of Tilly
Mill Road.
Other pastoral assignments have been
slated for the April 11 date. Father
James H. Sexstone, presently Assistant
Pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary
Church, becomes Pastor of Holy Trinity
in Peachtree City. This is Father
Sexstone’s first assignment as Pastor.
Father Daniel J. McCormick moves to
Immaculate Heart of Mary and is also
assigned as Chaplain to the Veterans’
Hospital.
Father Thomas Kenny, presently
Assistant Pastor of the Cathedral of
Christ the King, becomes pastor of
Corpus Christi in Stone Mountain.
Fathers James Atkins and John
, Druding switch positions as Assistant
Pastors.
The Archbishop’s statement on the
new parish is as follows:
“Once again the growing number of
Catholic faithful in an area of the
Archdiocese makes it pastorally
advisable to establish a new parish ... in
this case, in Dunwoody. This area has
until now been a part of the Parish of
Saint Jude. But with the" number of
resident Catholics steadily increasing
over the past two years, it seems in the
interest of providing better pastoral care
to make the area a parish in its own
right.
“Considerable consultation and
planning have preceded this decision.
Property for this parish was purchased
in March of 1971 on Mount Vernon
Highway near the intersection of Tilly
Mill Road. Over the past eight/ten
months, the matter has been before the
Archdiocesan Consultors on several
occasions as they assessed the needs to
be met and recommended boundaries.
Pastors in the parishes adjacent to this
Bridge Road (at this point Holcomb
Bride Road is the County Line between
Fulton and Gwinnett Counties). Follow
the County Line south to DeKalb
Gwinnett County Line. Continue south
on DeKalb-Gwinnett Line to Peachtree
Industrial Boulevard (Highway 141).
Continue southwest on Peachtree
Fr. Joseph J. Beltran
area have also been consulted. From all
quarters, the approval for this action
was unanimous.
“Therefore, having had the benefit of
these deliberations and
recommendations, 1 hereby decree that
a new parish is, by this document,
caponically established in the area
known as Dunwoody. The effective date
of this Decree is Monday, April 11,
1977.
“The boundaries of the new parish
area are: Beginning at Interstate 285
and Chamblee-Dun woody Road,
proceed north on Chamblee-Dunwoody
Road to Roberts Road. Continue north
on Roberts Road to Spalding Drive. Go
east on Spalding Drive to Ball Creek.
Ball Creek to the Chattahoochee River.
Chattahoochee River to Holcomb
Fr. James H. Sexstone
Industrial Boulevard to Interstate 285.
Continue west on 285 to
Chamblee-Dunwoody Road.
“The members of the faithful living
within these boundaries become
members of the new parish. They have
the challenge of giving the Church an
increasingly viable and visible presence
in this area. To them and to their new
pastor I extend best wishes and prayers
that the Lord of the Harvest may bless
their work together for His Glory and
their salvation.
“Given at Atlanta. Georgia, this 21st
day of March 1977
Most Reverent Thomas A. Donnellan
Archbishop of Atlanta
Stop Drugs ‘Blitz Day’ March 28
BY MICHAEL MOTES
Weeks of preparation to involve all
Catholic school children in the
Archdiocese of Atlanta in a program to
end the sale of illegal drugs will
culminate on Monday, March 28, when
drug abuse and lend their support to
‘Stop Drugs at the Source’.”
Armed with the Carter proclamation
and full support of members of the
Georgia Legislature, Krautter and his
family walked from Savannah to
Chattanooga soliciting signatures on
petitions that were sent to government
officials on local, state and national
levels.
• /
Last summer, the Krautters extended
their walks, plodding from Washington,
Ga., to Washington, D.C., where
Krautter met with Sen. Sam Nunn and
top officials of the Federal Drug
Enforcement Administration.
The program in the Archdiocesan
School System will be based on the
three goals Krautter set for Stop Drugs
at the Source:
-- Mobilize public opinion in such
massive proportions that government
must respond to the will of the people
and stop the flow of illicit drugs.
- Test the viability of the petition as
a practical nationwide means of
mobilizing public opinion.
(Continued on page 8)
“Blitz Day” launches student
participation in the Stop Drugs at the
Source campaign.
According to Sister Valentina
Sheridan, Archdiocesan Superintendent
of Catholic Schools, all Catholic schools
in the North Georgia archdiocese will
participate in the program, which was
begun by Atlanta’s accountant Ken
Krautter several years ago.
Krautter, who has gained wide
recognition for his “walks” to end the
sale and availability of illegal drugs,
received the endorsement of then
Governor Jimmy Carter in 1973 when
Carter issued a proclamation urging all
Georgians “to recognize the dangers of
Archbishop Donnellan has announced the following priestly assignments
effective Monday, April 11,1977:
FATHER JOSEPH J. BELTRAN, presently pastor of Corpus Christi Church
in Stone Mountain, as pastor of the new parish in Dunwoody.
FATHER THOMAS KENNY, presently assistant pastor at the Cathedral, as
pastor of Corpus Christi Church in Stone Mountain.
FATHER JAMES H. SEXSTONE, presently assistant pastor of Immaculate
Heart of Mary Church, to first assignment as pastor (of Holy Trinity Church in
Peachtree City).
FATHER DANIEL J. MCCORMICK, presently pastor of Holy Trinity Church
in Peachtree City, as Chaplain at the Veterans’ Administration Hospital in
Decatur, and assistant pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.
FATHER JAMES J. ATKINS, presently assistant pastor of Saint John the
Evangelist Church in Hapeville, as assistant pastor of Saint Mary’s Church in
Rome.
FATHER JOHN C. DRUDING, presently assistant pastor of Saint Mary’s
Church in Rome, as assistant pastor of Saint John the Evangelist Church.