Newspaper Page Text
«
4
r
v
Man Of The Year
BY MICHAEL MOTES
His love of music goes back as far
as anyone can remember. Probably it
stems from his mother, who, fresh from
the Julliard School of Music in New
York, arrived in Atlanta a number of
years ago and has been an important
part of the musical life of the city ever
since.
As a student at Christ the King
School he was always the one serving as
Master of Ceremonies at major High
Masses when it was still an altar boy
duty.
In early post-Vatican II days, when
there was little in the way of practical
music for a Catholic congregation to
rely on, he combed the Protestant
hymnals and wrote his own
arrangements of the old religious
standards.
If he found nothing that he liked
for a special occasion, such as the
funeral of the late Archbishop Hallinan,
he would simply write his own original
compositions and they always filled the
bill. Many of his works are still in use
and found in “The Worship Hymnal,”
published by the Gregorian Institute of
America.
If any parish in the Archdiocese is
in doubt as to what type of organ would
best fit its particular need or seeks a
suggestion on Liturgical musical
programming, he is the first person to
whom one would turn.
Yet this paragon of musical
expertise is NOT by profession a
musician. He is a banker.
SURELY ALL HAVE GUESSED
by now that he is H. Hamilton Smith,
Choir Director par excellence of the
Cathedral of Christ the King and named
1978 Man of the Year by the
BULLETIN.
Ham grew up in Cathedral parish,
son of the late Howard C. Smith and
Mrs. Helen Reiley Smith. Following
graduation from Marist, he attended
Emory University as a history major. In
the US Navy, he served as an Air
Intelligence Officer and was assigned to
the USS Forrestal.
Following his discharge, he
attended graduate business school at the
University of Pennsylvania, where he
earned his Masters Degree in Business
Administration. After a few years with
insurance firms, his last position as an
efficiency expert, he joined the Trust
H. Hamilton Smith
Company Bank, where he now serves as
senior vice president of new business
development in the trust department.
Monsignor John McDonough has
known Ham for more than 30 years.
Long before he was a monsignor, Father
McDonough was impressed with altar
boy Ham’s musical interest and talent.
“Ham is dedicated and thoroughly
convinced that Church music is a most
worthy instrument whereby we give
praise and glory to God,” Monsignor
McDonough says. “He has been
unselfish in his service to the Cathedral
and to the entire archdiocese.”
IN RECALLING THEIR 30-year
relationship, the Cathedral
administrator said that Ham is “and
always has been a very dynamic
person.”
It was Monsignor McDonough who
appointed Ham as Choir Director when
he became Cathedral Administrator in
1964.
“He has such a great rapport with
members of the choir and is able to get
them as enthusiastic as he is,”
Monsignor says.
Under Ham’s direction, the
Cathedral Choir has produced a very
fine recording entitled “The Cathedral
Sings: Music In Catholic Worship,”
which contains some of the director’s
original works.
Ham was responsible for the
Cathedral installing the magnificant
Fratelli Ruffatti organ, built to
specification in Padua, Italy, several
years ago.
He and Cathedral organist Keith
Langworthy travelled extensively to
listen to great Cathedral organs before
deciding that the Ruffatti was best for
the Cathedral. Today, Ham is involved
with several parishes seeking the proper
organ for the local need.
WHEN A PARISH IS IN the infant
stages of developing a Liturgical music
program, it is Ham who is on hand to
give advice. Among the many priests
who vouch for his reliability are Fathers
William Seli, SM, of OLA and Paul
Reynolds of Saint John Neumann, one
of the archdiocese’s younger parishes
which owes a lot to Ham for helping
begin a musical program.
The Archdiocesan Liturgical
Commission has often tipped its hat to
Ham for long hours of volunteer work
at planning sessions. And even the TV
Mass has benefited from suggestions
ranging from musical arrangements to
the selection of an organ.
And these are just a FEW examples
of the Man of the Year’s helping hand.
(Continued on page 3)
Tfttyi. "Hoil
18ctn£en4&<iw-
The Heart Of The Year
Man of the Year, says TIME
MAGAZINE, is Teng. Teng, if you have
not heard is top dog in the new
democratic loving China. His late
emergence was the proverbial “God
send” to TIME, as 1978 timidly closed
without glamour.
The choice must have been
horrendous. You can see the editorial
executives, on bended knees as
December appeared, begging for a full
front color hero.
1978 produced
few, while it struck
down many.
No one
appeared to replace
Golda or Hubert.
We hated to lose
Rockwell and his
everyman’s
Americana. Charlie
McCarthy went
silently to the
Smithsonian forever. And Paul VI, the
lioneering pilgrim Pope, made his final
journey.
Old heros did not rekindle their
glitter. Jimmy valiantly tried at Camp
David. And the Begin-Sadat duet, so
sweet sounding in ‘77, fell miserably in
the charts in ‘78. Rumor has it that this
duo may rally and return in a new year.
But which one?
Among those almost making it was
surely Howard Jarvis with his
n on-subtle, God-fearing Proposition,
and Richard Nixon, forgiven but never
wanting to be forgotten. Bonnie Prince
Charles, refusing to stroll down the
aisle, lost out and the first non-Italian
Pope in centuries must wait in the wings
to be beckoned another year.
So, we are back to Teng. His
efforts to awaken the sleeping giant of
the east to twentieth century ways,
earns him the loudest applause. As
miserable as the thought is, he is the
only bequest of 1978.
But think again. Go back to a final
day in August. The silent thunder of the
masses in St. Peter’s square in Rome
anxiously awaited the little procession
onto the central balcony. Who was that
man in white? No one knew. And no
one cared. The smile was enough. That
warm, unique grin became a Papal
stamp for a watching, universal world.
Penetrating the borders of every nation
and the walls of every home, the
Luciani smile melted the fears of high
and low to give the Papacy a new day.
His song was sweet and
refreshingly new. But it was only a
September song. Wistfully, it wooed and
won. Crusty disbelievers, critical
international editors and dusty
dignitaries of the Vatican - all responded
spontaneously and gladly shared the
laugh, that all too soon was gone. With
the helpless frustration of a forbidden
child, we angrily pleaded that the
passing was most heartless and
downright unfair.
Now, TIME picks Teng. After that
September heartbreak, this opinionated
weekly picks Teng. Teng Who? For one
brief shinning moment, that has
indelibly branded the minds of the
world, John Paul I must be the only
choice as international Man of the Year.
Because, 1978 - he was your heart.
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Vol. 17 No. 1
Thursday, January 4,1979
$5 Per Year
NORTH GEORGIA
SKIS FOR THE POPE -- Pope John Paul II smiles as he accepts a
new pair of skis from members of a Sulmona, Italy, ski school at his
weekly audience. The pope was an avid skier before his election.
1978—Year Of The Popes
WASHINGTON (NC) ~ The papal transition, from the death of Pope Paul VI
through the 34-day reign of Pope John Paul I to the election of Pope John Paul II as
the first non-Italian pope in centuries, was the overwhelming choice as most significant
news story of 1978 among 38 Catholic editors who voted in a poll conducted by NC
News Service.
That story received 372 out of a possible 380 points among the editors; the only
other stories receiving first-place votes were John Paul II’s statements on
intercommunion, priestly celibacy and other issues, and the human rights violations in
Latin America.
Pope John Paul II was voted top newsmaker of the year with 168 out of a
possible 190 votes, but Pope John Paul I followed closely behind with 148 points.
The editors voted for 10 top news stories, and five top newsmakers of 1978. The
votes for top news story were weighed with 10 points for first place, nine for second,
etc. For top newsmaker, a first place vote got five points, second-place four points,
etc.
These were the votes for the top 10 stories, with total points in parentheses:
1. Papal transition: Paul VI dies, John Paul I elected, John Paul I dies, John Paul
II elected. (372)
2. Tuition tax credits remain an issue despite defeat; Carter accused on reneging
on campaign promises. (171).
3. Birth of world’s first test tube baby in England causes bioethical reflections
worldwide. (161).
4. Church-state issues raised by Supreme Court case on Chicago and Fort
Wayne-South Bend. Ind., schools; IRS rulings on schools and publications; and Labor
Department ruling on unemployment compensation. (153)
(Continued on page 3)
1978 —A Very Good Year
BY MICHAEL MOTES
North Georgia Catholics joined the peoples of the world
during the past year in mourning the death of two Popes,
shaking their heads in disbelief at the horrors in a remote
Guyanese settlement called Jonestown, and lamenting IRS
intervention with a would-be free Catholic press.
But they also rejoiced as white smoke rose again in The
Vatican; basked in the prospect of peace in the Middle East, and
began applauding the visual delights of the celluloid
“Superman.”
Elsewhere in this issue we find accounts of the top stories
of 1978 concerning the nation and the world - but what about
some of the major happenings in our own domain?
The Archdiocese of Atlanta has had unparalled growth
during the past 12 months. We’ve seen a “local boy” become
Bishop and four other local clergy receive Vatican honors. The
welcome mat has been put out for world-renown religious
leaders. And an arsonist’s bomb almost destroyed one of our
most historic churches.
Chronologically, here are some of the major news events
that occurred in our archdiocese:
JANUARY
The year began with Monsignor Patrick J. O’Connor,
“priest, Georgian, Vocation Director,” being named “Man of
the Year” and the nation’s top Catholic news story of 1977
being Communion in the Hand.
Another honor came for Monsignor R. Donald Kieman
with his appointment as Archimandrite of the Melkite Diocese
of Newton by Melkite Bishop Joseph Tawil, “In recognition of
his service over the years to the Melkite Community of
Atlanta.”
Christ the King School celebrated its 40th anniversary and
Father Richard Lopez began his first year as Director of
Vocations.
The death of Hubert Humphrey was editorialized, as was
the importance of generously supporting the annual Charities
Drive, which had as its goal $350,000.
Archbishop Donnellan joined in the search for a new
President of the Catholic University of America, by
appointment to CUA’s Presidential Search Committee, and
Sacred Heart Church was taking on a new look during extensive
renovation.
Governor George Busbee paved the way for Catholic
Schools Week by signing a proclamation in praise of our schools.
FEBRUARY
After years of work, the new $3 million St. Joseph’s
Hospital was dedicated, with Archbishop Donnellan placing a
time capsule at the cornerstone and Senator Herman Talmadge
delivering the key-note address.
Joining Bishop William R. Cannon of the United Methodist
Church and Bishop Bennett J. Sims of the Episcopal Church of
Atlanta, Archbishop Donnellan signed a formal statement in
support of the Panama Canal Treaty.
Top religious figures were visitors: Apostolic Delegate
Archbishop Jean Jadot to address members of the National
Organization for the Continuing Education of Roman Catholic
(Continued on page 3)
BREAKING GROUND ON SUNDAY, December
17 for the $217,000 addition to St. George’s Church in
Newnan are, left to right, Father Joseph O’Donnell,
Father John Lerhinan, CSSR, Bill Headley, Margaret
Stefanchick, Joe Carrasco, Lynn Dombrowski, Mike
Stefanchick, Eileen Muzio, Regina Mansour, Charles
Mansour, Taft Mansour, Sr. Dick Weber, Mrs. Michael
Norman, Rob Muzio and Jim Rogers. (Story Page 2).