Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6—The Georgia Bulletin, March 2,1978
Joyful Noises Resound In Atlanta
(Continued from page 1)
Archdiocese of Atlanta,
including Officialis from June
1965 to March 1972. He has
been a Pro-Synodal Judge of
the Tribunal since March
1972. He also served as Vice
Chancellor of the
Archdiocese in 1964.
In September 1971, while
serving as pastor of Holy
Cross Parish, he was
appointed by Archbishop
Thomas A. Donnellan as
Vicar General of the Atlanta
archdiocese. At the age of 37,
the Bishop-elect was
unusually young for the
position, which, according to
Church law, is the highest
administrative office of the
diocese after the bishop.
Expressing surprise at his
selection as Vicar General,
the Bishop-elect stated at that
time, “I hope I can justify the
faith placed in me by the
Archbishop.”
On November 6, 1974, the
Bishop-elect was invested
as Prelate of Honor with the
title of Reverend Monsignor
by Archbishop Donnellan at
ceremonies at Saint
Anthony’s.
Upon learning of his
appointment by Pope Paul,
Bishop-elect Beltran stated:
“I was speechless, surprised
and shocked at the profound
announcement that I have
been chosen as Bishop of
Tulsa, Oklahoma. After
recovering my composure,
my reaction was thoughtful
gratitude for this special grace
in my life.
“From the moment of
ordination almost eighteen
years ago until this news, I
have endeavored to fulfill the
Lord’s will as His priest. I
have great faith and trust in
the Lord and have never once
doubted the call to the
priesthood. Now comes this
further call through the
Church. With the same Faith
and Trust, I accept this new
call and the challenge which
it offers.
“In my years as a priest of
the Archdiocese of Atlanta,
my brother priests and
countless people of the
Church of Atlanta have
supported me with prayer,
encouragement, advice and
co-operation. I turn to them
all again and beg their
continuing prayers and
supportive gratitude. With
their help and the Grace of
Almighty God, I will
confidently serve the people
of God as a Bishop of the
Church.
“I am grateful to our Holy
Father, Pope Paul VI; to
Archbishop Jean Jadot, the
Apostolic Delegate in the
United States, and to
Archbishop Donnellan for the
confidence expressed in me.
“My response to their
expression of confidence is
that I shall humbly and
faithfully serve to the best of
my ability. And to the Lord
who directs the Church, I
heartily respond in the words
of the Sacred Scripture, ‘Here
am I Lord, I come to do Your
Will.’ ”
The Reverend W.M.
Eichoff, Chancellor of the
Archdiocese of Oklahoma
City, telephoned the
statement of the Most
Reverend Charles A. Salatka,
Archbishop of Oklahoma
City, to the GEORGIA
BULLETIN Tuesday
morning.
Archbishop Salatka said:
“I rejoice together with the
people of the Diocese of
Tulsa at the appointment of
the Reverend Monsignor
Eusebius J. Beltran as the
second Bishop of Tulsa.
“As Archbishop of
Oklahoma City I welcome
Bishop-elect Beltran to
Oklahoma and the Oklahoma
City Province. The
Bishop-elect can take
encouragement from the fact
that he will come to serve
Oklahomans, a people who
are both hospitable and
vigorous.
“I look forward eagerly
to the arrival and installation
of Bishop-elect Beltran. I
anticipate working in
co-ordination with the
Bishop-elect for the building
up of the Church in all of
Oklahoma, as well as laboring
together with him in common
with all persons of good will
in those causes of human
betterment through which
the reign of God will become
reality in our midst.”
Bishop-elect Beltran’s
installation will take place at
the Cathedral of the Holy
Family in Tulsa in mid-April.
Archbishop Jadot will ordain
him.
Bishop-elect Beltran’s
mother, Mrs. Helen Beltran,
resides in Decatur and is an
active parishioner of Ss. Peter
& Paul. She was honored by
Pope Paul VI in 1965 with
the Cross Pro Ecclesia:
Pontifice. His father, the late
Joseph C. Beltran, died
October 28, 1961.
The Bishop-elect is the
brother of Father Joseph J.
Beltran, pastor of All-Saints
Parish in Dunwoody; Sister
M. Sponsa of Reading, Pa., a
Bemardine Sister of Saint
Francis and for several years a
missionary to West Africa;
Miss Helen Marie Beltran of
Eatonton, Ga.; Mrs. Henry J.
Cebulski of Conyers; Mrs.
Gerald Carrier of
Philadelphia, and Mrs. Carey
Florence and Frank J. Beltran
of Atlanta.
Brother
• • •
Getting The
Good News
• • •
Sister
FATHER JOSEPH BELTRAN gets the news that his
brother has become the Bishop-Elect of the Diocese of
Tulsa.
A PROUD MOTHER, MRS. HELEN BELTRAN,
takes pride in all of her eight children.
★ ★ ★ ★
Oklahoma Vistors
Bishop-Elect Beltran will be visited on Monday next
by two Oklahoma priests. They will bring greetings to
their new Bishop from the entire Tulsa Diocese.
Reverend Bernard Jewitt, pastor of St. Thomas
More Church in Tulsa and the present Administrator of
the Tulsa Diocese, will bring the words of welcome. He
will be accompanied by the Chancellor of the Diocese,
Father Dennis Dorney.
Both priests will remain in Atlanta for two days
giving the new Bishop his first insight into the life of
the Church in Oklahoma.
SISTER M. SPONSA BELTRAN rejoices at her
brother’s appointment.
The New Bishop’s Diocese
Oklahoma is a large state. The Diocese is
large too. It includes the Eastern one-third
of the state having 31 counties. The square
miles involved are 26,000. That means
Bishop-Elect Beltran will have a.diocese
slightly larger - territory wise - than his
home Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Within the Diocese of Tulsa reside one
million and a quarter people. Of these,
46,000 are Catholic. The City of Tulsa,
where he will have his residence, has a
metropolitan area of half a million people.
Working under the new Bishop will be
82 priests, 56 Diocesan and 26 Religious.
There are 48 parishes and 35 mission
stations.
Tulsa is a new Diocese, founded only in
1973. The first Bishop appointed to the
new area was the Most Reverend Bernard J.
Ganter. Bishop Ganter now becomes
Bishop of Beaumont in Texas.
The Bishop-Elect will go west to his new
assignment in mid-April.
★ ★
BISHOP-ELECT BELTRAN was invested as a
Prelate of Honor with the title of Reverend Monsignor
on November 6, 1974 at Saint Anthony’s.
GEORGIA HISTORY - Bishop-Elect
Beltran in his role as speechmaker in
November 1974 after his investiture as
Monsignor. Seen with the new Bishop
are men who have influenced his
priesthood. Right to left are
Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan;
Monsignor Joseph Cassidy, his first
pastor after ordination; Monsignor
Michael Manning, who was his home
pastor in Gainesville, Georgia, and
Monsignor John McDonough, his
long-time friend.
Priest-Brothers
Become Priest And Bishop
The name Beltran is well-known in Atlanta. Especially in
Church circles. There is not just one of them - there are two.
Zeb is the younger and Joe is the big brother. Father Joe is
pastor of the new All Saints Parish in Dunwoody. He was
ordained in 1955. Little Brother Zeb was ordained in 1960.
Both have served in parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta since
ordination.
Now the younger has become a Bishop of the Church. He is
the newly named Bishop of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Commenting on
his brother’s elevation, Father Joe said, “I am elated even
though it is a bitter-sweet experience for me. We are very close
and I won’t be able to call him up and get together for a cup of
coffee and a chat. I know he’ll be a great Bishop and I pray he
will be a close helper of his priests.”
There is another religious vocation in the family, too. The
two brothers boast of a sister who is a nun. Sister Mary Sponsa
is a member of the Bemardine Sisters of Saint Francis. Sister
Sponsa is stationed in Reading, Pa. Sister served as a missionary
in Africa for many years.
With great pride, the mother, Mrs. Helen Beltran, looks out at
the accomplishments of her family. Justly proud of them all,
she now reacts happy that “Father Zeb” has been appointed
Bishop by Pope Paul VI. Bishop-Elect Beltran’s father died in
1961.
There are a total of eight children in the Beltran household -
five girls and three boys. All will now be packing for Tulsa and a
farwell to Father Zeb. It will be hello, His Excellency the Most
Reverend Eusebius Joseph Beltran, Second Bishop of Tulsa.
LENT SERIES
Home Study Guide
Week Number 4
“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.’
JOHN 9: 1-4)
(READ
In a world that is often dark and confusing, we seek
to see clearly; to find a sure sense of direction. Without
the sense of sight, we would grope our way blindly
through the many kinds of darkness the world presents
to us. Sometimes it takes the “illumination” of a
kindly act or courageous stand by another person, to
enlighten us:
— a young man who is willing to volunteer his spare
time services in helping the poor.
-- a young woman who is willing to support good
moral values when all her friends accept a lower
standard.
-- a man or woman who is willing to come to the
defense of someone who is being unfairly criticized by
a majority of others.
-- a doctor or lawyer who is willing to accept a lower
salary by working with and for the people of an
impoverished area.
-- the family that is willing to provide a home for an
unwed, teenage mother-to-be.
-- the man or woman who is consistently thoughtful
of others and considerate in word and action.
IN HIS LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS, ST. PAUL
REMINDS US OF OUR IDENTITY AND CALLING
AS “CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT.”
You were darkness once, but now you are light in
the Lord; be like children of light, for the effects of
the light are seen in complete goodness and right living
and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you,
having nothing to do with the futile works of darkness
but exposing them by contrast. The things which are
done in secret are things that people are ashamed even
to speak of; but anything exposed by the light will be
illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light.
That is why it is said:
Wake up from your sleep,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.
DURING THE WEEK:
As a means of helping spread the light of Christ this
week, you might choose to do one of the following:
— Listen to another person’s point of view; try to
see the good points in his or her argument, even if you
don’t fully agree.
— Brighten the day of someone who is lonely or
troubled, by visiting or taking a gift.
— Become enlightened about some area of today’s
society which seems to be troubled or confused. You
might do some reading about penal reform, for
instance, or the rising incidence of child abuse.
— Speak up about something you believe in or feel
strongly about.
FORMAT FOR FAMILY PARTICIPATION
Light a candle
Read the gospel story
Discuss questions
Read the selection from St. Paul together
Choose a follow-up activity for the week.