Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4
>
The Georgia Bulletin
September 28,1978
Bigger Collection
Bigger Results
The second tinhe the basket is passed
this week in Church, we just hope it will
be filled - right to the brim. This is a
once a year plea and the cause is not
only worthy - it is essential.
The St. Vincent de Paul, servants of
the Inner City Poor, are making their
once a year pitch. They don't ask us to
inconvenience our persons, only our
pockets. And really that’s not much
when you consider the gigantic work
lovingly accomplished on our behalf.
The best contact we can claim with
those caught in the never ending circle of
poverty is that long-famous Society of
St. Vincent. Without personal gain,
without praise to keep the motors
running, they selflessly serve. Clothing is
given, hot meals are provided, families
are kept together and no one is left out
in the heat or cold. They, the men and
women of St. Vincent, well and truly
represent us.
So give them their annual arsenal.
Weigh down the basket and overburden
the ushers. They'll love you for it and
the light of necessities needed will be
kept alive in eyes that may have no other
hope. Give this Sunday or send your
check to your parish. Mark it “poor,”
color it “love,” watch it “work.”
We all gain as this collection grows.
Bigger results accumulate as bigger
sacrifices are made.
--NCB
Working Women
By Sheila Mallon
When I read about little Erica Staib in Dave
McGill’s column last week it really touched my
heart. I found myself thinking of her all the
time and hoping that her parents would get all
the volunteers they need to help “pattern”
their precious four-year-old. As Dave pointed
out we are only being asked for two hours out
of our weekly 168.
However, most of the “working women” I
have spoken to lately have told me how hard it
is to get people to volunteer for anything.
Projects go begging for want of someone who
could man a phone, or mind a baby, deliver a
meal or paint a wall, help pattern a child or visit
a shut in.
During the past year I have written a number
of columns about oikr women who are working
as volunteers in all kinds of activities
throughout the Archdiocese and of their great
need for more helpers. I must confess that at
times I feel discouraged because I can’t really
tell if it has helped. There is no way to really
know whether anyone was moved to call any of
the telephone numbers we have printed and
offer their services. But then I have to think
that if there is one person delivering meals to an
elderly shut-in who wasn’t before it is all
worthwhile.
There are so many areas where our help is
needed and we certainly can’t do it all, but
surely most of us could give a couple of hours a
week to one project close to our hearts. You
know, even if you work eight hours a day, sleep
eight hours and have to be a mother and a
housewife too - you still have about forty hours
—
a week to read, watch T.V., go to movies, play
bridge and so on. Spare just two of those hours
a week to help someone less fortunate and you
will receive much more than you will give.
Some of the projects we have mentioned in
the past and which are still in need of helpers
are: Parties for the patients at Central State
Hospital in Milledgeville, volunteers act as
hostesses and provide refreshments and prizes,
the St. Vincent DePaul Society needs help with
their many programs among the cities poor;
visiting the elderly in nursing homes and
delivering Meals on Wheels to sick and elderly
shut-ins; helping Catholic Social Services repair
the homes of senior citizens or manning the
telephones at the Birthright office to offer a
distraught young woman a choice between
abortion and life for her child. You could help
make layettes for the Better Infant Births
program or you might just take the time to
write your congressman about a Bill that if
passed will give our state better maternal health
care. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Home
needs helpers and so does the Notre Dame
Book Shop. We can reach out a friendly hand
to the foreign visitor or student in our city and
make them feel a little less lonely and
friendless.
These are only a few of the opportunities we
have to share more than our pocketbooks, to
share a little of ourselves with those who need
us. If you are interested and don’t know who to
contact call me at 938-0019 any evening and I
will try to put you in touch with the right
person.
\
Publication No. 574 880
The
V Geimyia
fl
Catholic- Archdiocese of Atlanta
Most Rev. Thomas A. Donnellan Publisher
(USPS 574 880)
Rev. Noel C. Burtenshaw Editor
Michael Motes Associate Editor
Member of the Catholic Press Association t
Telephone 881-9732
Business Office
756 West Peachtree, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
U.S.A. $5.00
Canada $5.00
Foreign $6.50
DEADLINE: All material for publication must be received by MONDAY
NOON for Thursday’s paper.
Postmaster: Send POD Form 3579 to THE GEORGIA BULLETIN
601 East Sixth Street. Wavnesboro, Georgia 30830
Send all editorial correspondence to: THE GEORGIA BULLETIN f
756 West Peachtree Street, N.W. I
Atlanta, Georgia 30308 J
Second Class Postage Paid at Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Published Weekly except the second and last weeks
in June, July and August and the last week in December
at 601 East Sixt+i St., Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
L i :
Be A Chicken, Not A Monkey
Dave McGill
"N
In the “Monkey Trial” in 1925, William
Jennings Bryan (who had lost three races for
the U.S. Presidency in 1896, 1900, and 1908)
was the winning attorney. It was quite a battle,
though, and Bryan was so pooped out that he
died while resting after its conclusion. Clarence
Darrow was the other lawyer, unsuccessfully
defending the right of one John Scopes to teach
evolution in the Tennessee public schools. In
spite of the trial’s result, anthropology is quite
a science today, and more and more is being
learned about the way-back roots of man.
Current anthropological thinking is that we
got here by way of a hairy fellow called
Dryopithicus, who evolved into Ramapithicus,
then Homo habilis. Homo erectus, Homo
sapiens, and finally to us-icus. It’s hard to
square all this scientific research with a literal
interpretation of the creation account in
Genesis, but problems like this have occurred
before: -(Perhaps the most famous was brought
about by Copernicus’ discovery that everything
didn’t revolve around our Earth, but rather that
the planets, including our own, travel around
the sun, by golly. A lot of Scripture had to be
re-interpreted when THAT finally became
accepted, and Galileo caught holy *+@% in the
Inquisition because he knew, and published,
that the Polish astronomer was right on.)
By the way, liberty for discussing evolution
of the human body was granted by Pope Pius
XII in his encyclical “Humani Generis,” in
1950; hense you may read on without fear of
heresy!
I remember a song, recorded by Dave
Bartholomew (who collaborated with the artist
on almost all of Fats Domino’s hits in the 50’s),
which was entitled “The Monkey Speaks His
Mind.” In it, an ape is disgusted and repulsed
by the very thought of man having descended
from his noble race! With all of man’s
inhumanity to man, I can see where the apes
might feel that way; but after taking my
8-year-old to the monkey house at Grant Park
Zoo yesterday, I’ll take my chances with the
human race. Some of those loonie baboonies
will make you go home and pray for a literal
insertion of Adam and Eve in the Garden,
Dryopithicus and his footprints along the
evolutionary path notwithstanding.
When I was a little boy, my pals and I had at
least one thing in common with the monkeys:
we LOVED to climb trees. We must’ve
conquered every tree in the town (tall pines
excepted). There was this one huge oak tree
near the lumber mill that we actually played
“chase” in. Its branches were so big, and we
were so agile, that we’d trot along the branches
and jump from one to another to keep from
getting caught and becoming “it.” Sometimes
one of us would get caught “out on a limb,” so
we understood that expression at an early age.
There was one dangerous acrobatic stunt, a
swing and jump in a certain tree in our yard,
that only a very few of us could execute. We
were right proud of it, and we were forever
daring all comers to try “the great leap” and
join the exclusive club of G. Steele, R.
Cusimano, and me. One day we called a chum
of ours a “chicken” once too often, and he
angrily and determinedly started up the tree
toward the “jumping-off-place.” To this diy I
can remember thinking that Mickey was too
short and chubby to make the leap, and I Was
right. Poor devil, he sailed through the air,
missed the other limb, and broke his arm. In
several places. I cringe at this moment, 30 years
later, as I recall the sight of it, and his
embarrassment, suffering, and sorrow.
I learned something, though. I don’t think I
ever called anyone “chicken” after that day.
And I’ve usually not “been afraid to be a
chicken” when a challenge was thrown up to
me that was either too dangerous or else clearly
wrong. A message arises for the kids: Monkeys
are among the smartest of animals, and
chickens are among the dumbest. Still, it’s
better to be a “smart chicken” than a “dumb
monkey” with a busted arm.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1. is National Atlanta will hold its annual Respect
Respect Life Day. The Archdiocese of Life Observance on October 14.
Potpourri
Teresa Gernazian
Bravo to Dr. Charles F. Stanley, Pastor of
the First Baptist Church of Atlanta (Peachtree
and Fifth Streets) for hosting a Legislative
Prayer Breakfast on September 11 with two
excellent speakers against abortion. Judge
Braswell Deen, Jr., Presiding Judge of the
Georgia Court of Appeals, hit strongly at the
anti-Creator, humanistic philosophies being
promoted in public school and college books.
He stated that abortion is a $500 million
business and as Christians we must strive for a
Constitutional Amendment. Georgians, he
stressed, must work for a law similar to
Louisiana’s, which stipulates abortion
counselors must go into detail to the reality of
abortion and give the alternatives.
The second speaker was Don Highlander,
psychologist, who was applauded when he
began with a statement that saturates our
society: “Abortion is a basic human
right ... no different from having a tooth
pulled ...” After a slight pause, he continued,
“The problem is the people who say this have
already been born.” As a counselor he sees the
psychological and emotional after-effects of
abortion. As so often in America we deal with
problems twenty years later, he said, relating
various situations where women come to him.
When a woman cannot get pregnant after an
abortion, or when the baby she does have after
an abortion is handicapped, she feels God is
punishing her. The hard facts of abortion are
suppressed, concluded Dr. Highlander, and to
this we add “Amen.”
Dr. Stanley’s series of Legislative Prayer
Breakfasts affords an opportunity for Christians
of various denominations to join together in
prayer and informative presentations on current
issues effecting the family. It is also an
excellent opportunity to meet local legislators,
judges and school board officials. Last month
the topic was pornography and though the
coming month’s program will not be
announced, it is scheduled for, Monday,
October 2, 7:30 to 9 a.m. Reservations may be
made by calling First Baptist Church,
881-1221.
*****
It was good to learn that Bishop Thomas C.
Kelly of the U.S. Bishops Conference told
President Carter he questions the ability of
Sarah Weddington (Midge Costanza’s White
House replacement on women’s issues) to
adequately represent the views of millions of
Americans who are disturbed by the Supreme
Court abortion decision. Ms. Weddington
successfully argued the Roe v. Wade abortion
case before the Supreme Court and is a former
president of National Abortion Rights Action
League. Prolifers are protesting this choice.
Since Ms. Weddington has announced she will
be working diligently for ERA ratification, the
tie-in between the two issues surfaces evermore
clearly.
Would you believe that one of the abortion
facilities recommends Colony Square Motel,
Travelodge Central, and Georgian Terrace for
their patient’s friends or relatives when it is
necessary to stay overnight? On their brochure
they state: “When making your reservations,
please mention that you are with a patient
at These hotels have special
arrangements for rates with us.” They also
suggest that letters to Congress and State
Legislatures be written while waiting for their
friend or relative, claiming abortion rights are
continuously being challenged. The receptionist
gladly provides paper and envelopes.
*****
Communion in Hand . . .
ATLANTA - 1 write in objection to the
article by Man C. Maher, “How Can I Nourish
My Spiritual Life?” Ms. Maher states that
“People are afraid to feed themselves the bread
of life” and, “Attitudes such as ’Do not touch
the host’ take a long time to readjust.”
We were instructed that Communion in the
Hand was an OPTION, not the ONLY, or the
BETTER way. Ms Maher seems to condemn
some of us for our backwardness. She assigns
motives to those who follow the old customs.
There may be many noble motions for one’s
choice of manner for reception of the Body of
Christ.
Jesus tells us to approach him as children.
Forty years ago as a child of six I was taught to
humbly approach and receive the Sacrament in
the only approved manner for that time. Over
the ensuing years I learned to understand and
appreciate the Sacred Reality of the Body of
Christ more and more.
Father John A. Hardon, SJ, author of the
Catholic Catechism, has enthusiastically
endorsed Father Robert Fox’s book “Catholic
Truth for Youth,” which I reviewed several
months ago. He states that Father Fox has
brought two things together: solid content of
the Faith and a simple, easy method of
presentation. He recommends this book to
parents who are teaching religion to their
children at home.
Another favorable endorsement comes from
Monsignor Eugene Kevane, Professor of
Catechetics, St. John’s University, New York
and author of “Child & Catechetics.” He
writes: “Catholic Truth for Youth offers the
stated and formulated doctrine of the Catholic
Faith in the context of devotion to Our Lady.
This is both loyal instruction and true
formation at one and the same time and will go
far toward helping Catholic young people to
recover their heritage.”
You cap order this 464-soft cover book from
Ave Maria Institute, Washington, New Jersey
07882. Single copy: $5.75 - 12 or more, $3.45.
1 know that to the sophisticated and the
analytical individuals, taking Communion by
hand is undoubtedly more esthetically pleasing.
But I keep hearing Jesus telling me to come as a
little child. I feel that I come in the same
manner as I did as a child when I choose the
older manner, and 1 feel such joy, especially
now that we have the choice.
1 have no objection to Communion in the
Hand and feel that for some people it is the
better approach. And further, I have no fear of
touching the host; 1 had the priviledge of being
an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist in a
former parish.
1 have been grieved at the arrogance of some
persons who would snatch the host out of the
hand of the priest, back before the newer
manner was approved. How can anyone stand
before God, or approach Him with arrogance?
CHARLES L. HATHEWA1Y