Newspaper Page Text
Dublin’s Fair City
It could only happen in
Dublin.
On St. Patrick’s Day, the
bands will march proudly
through the broad main street.
The national tri-color flag of
green, white and orange will
flutter in the March wind.
It will probably rain.
If you follow that main
street south it snakes it’s way to
the foot of a steep hill. That’s
Lord Edward
Street. Two
hundred years
ago the
valiant rebel
Lord laughed
at the edicts
of the crown,
sided with a
swift rebell
ion and lost
his dashing
head for the
cause. His martyrdom along
with his name venerably
mingles in that hilly street
sacred to his memory.
But climb the hill and feast
your eyes on majesty. It sits
perched, matriarchly watching
over the Norman city below. It
demands respect and a holy
quiet as you pass it by. Out of
lush grounds it splenderously
rises to the distant belfry above.
It is the city’s Cathedral of the
Holy Trinity, called Christ
Church by the locals.
Christ Church is a symbol of
Ireland in its moments of
highest glory and its hours of
dreadful deep despair.
The Normans built it in
1038. The gracious structure
has been restored many times
since, but some nucleus of the
original still stands. For five
hundred years monks and
hooded priors rose up to offer
the morning prayer of Lauds
within the sacred sanctuary,
spend their day in service to the
growing busy seaport, ending
their evenings within the
cloisters of the Cathedral on
top of the hill. But, change was
at hand.
In 1500, King Henry ordered
an end to the Roman ways of
the natives as the Reformation
swept through the British Isles.
The monks were chased from
their ancient enclosure, and the
reformed clergy of the crown
sedately settled into the new
benefice. It became THEIR
Cathedral on the hill.
Another four hundred years
rolled by. In 1922 after a few
nasty and most unfriendly
encounters, the crown troops
sailed forever from port of
Dublin. With them went the
good wishes of the war-tired
natives but also went the
subsidy for the grand old
hill-top Cathedral. Now who
would support that lavish old
watching lady? Clearly - no one.
Without parishioners or
pound power in the collection,
doom settled upon those sacred
walls. The roof rotted, the
praying stones Sagged under the
weight of destructive pollution
and the sparkling rainbow
colored windows definitely
became an endangered species.
Dean Thomas Salmon,
pastor of Christ Church, had
the answer. He informed the
population of Dublin last year
that “their” Cathedral was in a
disgraceful state of disrepair.
The peeling bells, so renowned
through the city, would soon be
silent. And he needed one
million dollars to revitalize the
sacred grandeur. Further, he
was ready to do the work for
them.
The Catholic citizens, most
of whom have never set foot
within the walls of Christ
Church, agreed, and quickly
responded. A half-million
dollars was immediately sent to
the Protestant pastor for his
plan of restoration. The rest, he
feels sure, will follow.
And so the gothic beauty,
overlooking the much musically
remembered “Dublin’s Fair
City,” will enter a new life on
top of Lord Edward Street hill.
They still say in certain parts
of the world that in Ireland
Protestants and Cathlics
categorically cannot get along!
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Vol. 18 No. 11 Thursday, March 13,1980 $6.00 Per Year
Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan
Of Atlanta
Charities Drive
Much Success...
With the return of nice weather to
the area and people to the pews, the
parishes of the Archdiocese racked
up another Charities Drive success.
By noon Monday, March 10, a total
of $500,940 had been collected.
Approximately $475,000 of that
amount would go toward the
$550,000 goal, the remainder being
the amount that parishes collected
over and above their goal.
Father James A. Miceli, Vice
Chancellor, pointed out “The people
and priests in the parishes did it
again. We’re at 86% of goal now and
the rest will come over the next week
or so. All in all it represents another
demonstration of the people’s
generosity, especially with this year’s
goal being our first ever over one-half
million dollars.”
The annual cash Drive is an
essential funding component of the
Archdiocesan budget which funds
programs in education, social
services, mission development and
pastoral concerns.
... Many Thanks
Again this year, despite inclement
weather and though our Drive Goal
was the largest ever, the people of
the Archdiocese have demonstrated
the kind of generosity that has
become their hallmark over the
twelve years of the Drive’s history.
To each one who contributed any
amount whatsoever, my deep and
prayerful gratitude. To each one who
worked with the priests of the parish
helping to make this year’s effort a
success, my sincere appreciation and
congratulations. To all, heartfelt
thanks and the assurance of my
prayers for God’s continued blessings
upon you and your families.
4.
Most Reverend Thomas A. Donnellan
Archbishop of Atlanta
U.N. Worker
Found Guilty
WARSAW, Poland (NC) - Alicja
Wesolowska, a U.N. employee,
pleaded guilty to spying charges and
was sentenced to seven years in jail
by a Polish military court, according
to PAP, the Polish state news agency.
She was arrested Aug. 10 while
visiting her parents in Poland. Several
world figures, including Polish Pope
John Paul II and U.N. Secretary
General Kurt Waldheim, expressed
sympathy for her situation.
Ms.. Wesolowska was charged with
spying for an unnamed NATO power
and was sentenced March 7, PAP
reported.
Polish authorities refused
Waldheim’s request to allow U.N.
officials to visit her and to attend her
trial, which was held in private.
The U.N. Staff Union,
representing U.N. employees,
appealed to Pope John Paul during
his U.N. visit Oct. 2. At the time, the
pope expressed sympathy and said he
would look into the matter. After
Ms. Wesolowska was scheduled for
trial, another appeal was sent to the
pope.
Ms. Wesolowska worked for the
U.N. Development Program.
Action Follows Two Previous Conciliatory Attempts
The Catholic Bishops of the
Province of Atlanta (and Diocese of
Richmond) “endorsed the consumer
boycott of the J. P. Stevens products
as sponsored by the Amalgamated'
Clothing and Textile Workers Union”
(ACTWU). This action follows upon
two earlier statements by the same
bishops expressing concern over the
employer-worker conditions in the
textile mills of their area and an offer
by the bishops to assist in resolving
differences between the company
and the union.
The bishops’ statement indicated
that at this time they felt “compelled
to endorse the consumer boycott”
and do so “with the hope that their
action will serve to promote the
workers’ right to bargain
collectively.”
In a special reference to J. P.
Stevens Co., the bishops said that
“the anti-union activities” of the
company “persuade us that the
Company has chosen to prevent the
formation of employee organizations
that can lead to collective
bargaining.”
They indicated that their support
of the boycott would continue until
“the Company can demonstrate that
it has eliminated the mood of fear
and retaliation from its plants,
bargain in good faith in contract
negotiations and responds to the
rights of the workers to organize.”
“We believe,” the bishops said, “the
boycott is a legitimate and effective
instrument toward the promotion of
justice.”
In an earlier statement (March
1978) the bishops appealed to the J.
P. Stevens Co. to “rearrange its
priorities and make social justice and
the needs of the worker a matter of
primary concern.” An even earlier
statement (June 1977), which
pointed out that both parties in the
dispute had met with the bishops,
urged “positive support for the rights
of workers to organize” on the part
of the Company and a “spirit of
cooperation and good faith” on the
part of the union.
The present boycott endorsement
referred to the recent record of the J.
P. Stevens Co. which has “averaged
almost one decision a month against
J. P. Stevens” by the courts or the
National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB). The bishops referred to this
as “a pattern of lawlessness.”
The statement also spoke directly
to the union, the ACTWU, calling
upon them “to represent fairly and
equitably the workers,” give
attention to the employment of
minorities and women and provide
educational programs to allow full
participation of workers in union
activities.
The bishops indicated that the
boycott would be supported by all
diocesan offices in the respective
dioceses, and urged religious agencies
and pastors to study the statement as
a guide to their action in the present
situation. They further offered the
statement, which represents “the
practical judgment of the bishops,”
as an assistance in forming the
conscience of all members of the
community on this subject.
“Rights Are Not To Be Taken Lightly 99
More than two years have passed
since the Catholic bishops of the
Province of Atlanta and the Diocese
of Richmond first called to public
attention our concern and anxiety in
.f ! . •. urtfh tt. ^ ^ PPrvvtn
CUIliltMJ HUH WIL11 U1C OUWAVO
workers to organize at plants of the
J. P. Stevens Co. in our area. During
this time, we have watched for
developments which would indicate
some change in the anti-union
position taken by the Company and
the use by them of practices in
violation of the rights of these
workers. To our disappointment, this
intervening period has
been used to aggravate existing
unacceptable situations and to create
new ones threatening to the basic
rights of the employees.
This attitude, regrettably, has
been evident for some time. Between
March 1978 and February 1980, no
less than twenty
decisions have been adjudicated by
the National Labor Relations Board
or agents of the Federal Courts
finding J. P. Stevens guilty of
continued violation of the law and
the rights of workers in their plants.
The record for this recent period
alone has averaged almost one
decision per month against J. P.
Stevens. These decisions do not
Official Text
relate only to past failures, they
relate to very recent incidents that
continue to follow what can
reasonably be called a pattern of
lawlessness. Since 1963, the
Company has been involved in
almost 1,000 violations of the law.
These violations have involved more
than 2,000 employees and relate to
more than 140 individual cases.
We call public attention, once
again, to the words of Vatican
Council II: “Among the basic rights
of the human person must be
counted the right of freely founding
labor unions.... Another such right
is that of taking part freely in the
activity of these unions without the
risk of reprisal.” (Gaudium et Spes,
No. 68)
These rights are not to be taken
lightly or easily dismissed. They are
discarded only at the risk of
upsetting the fabric of a social order
that places the highest priority on
defending the dignity and worth of
the human person. The anti-union
activities by the J. P. Stevens
Company persuade us that the
Company has chosen to prevent the
formation of employee organizations
that can lead to collective bargaining.
Now we too must choose. We feel
compelled to endorse the consumer
boycott of all J. P. Stevens products
as sponsored by the Amalgamated
Clothing And Textile Workers Union.
We do so with the hope that this
action will serve to promote the
workers’ right to bargain collectively.
Until the time when the Company
can demonstrate that it has
eliminated the mood of fear and
retaliation from its plants, bargains in
good faith in contract negotiations,
and responds to the rights of workers
to organize, we believe the boycott is
a legitimate and effective instrument
towards the promotion of justice in
this matter.
Furthermore, we again encourage
workers, throughout c r region, to
consider carefully the reasons for
forming unions. Since we are all
members of the human family our
reasons must be based not only on
our self-interest but the good of the
entire community. We suggest,
therefore, that organizing into
collective bargaining units may be in
some circumstances an objective
duty of each worker to his or her
co-workers. At present, this may be
an effective way of assuring the
protection of human dignity and
(Continued on page 6)
Lenten Living
BY MSGR. JERRY HARDY
Choosing To Forgive
Clearly the Prodigal Father (squanderer of
mercy) chose to forgive his Prodigal Son
(squanderer of money): “no matter what
you’ve done, you’re mine,” he must’ve said to
himself. The point of the parable lies in the
contrast between this choice on the father’s
part and the non-choice on the part of the
other son who never went away at all. The
second son is the key figure for us to reflect
on. Put yourself in his place.
The father runs the risk of being criticized
as unfair: a kindly but reserved “I forgive
you” would be okay, but a festival? Listen to
the dialogue between them: “We HAD TO
celebrate and rejoice.” The key words are
HAD TO and they tell the other non-prodigal
son “there’s no other way to forgive - only
totally, with a festival; I’d forgive you the
same way.”
The brother on the other hand has the
choice to join in but we don’t know if he does
or not. Does he overcome his hurt feelings of
pride and resentment enough to forgive or
even to be glad that the father forgives? Does
he walk away from the celebration with his
own heart embittered over the non-punitive,
unretaliating forgiveness of his father that
fails to give the prodigal son “what he
deserves?” The answer to those is yet another
question of choice. It’s up to us; we are the
second son as well as the first.
Implications For Us:
How do we forgive? Are we quick or slow?
Do we set requirements that “have to be
met?” Does the other person’s apology have
to be in place before we forgive? Do we
forgive even when we know they are not
sorry? What do we do with our memories:
keep them hanging, let them heal? Do we
forgive ourselves? All those questions flow
out of this picture of prodigality and so do
some answers. This parable is to be the
blueprint of forgiveness for Jesus’ followers:
believe in me? then forgive as my Father and I
do. Even “reasonable prerequisites” are out:
no check list before forgiving. Forgiving
doesn’t mean forgetting: it means
remembering and CHOOSING not to be
influenced by the hurt of it. It means
choosing to seek healing for that memory and
its hurt feelings rather than harboring a
grudge. We must also CHOOSE to forgive
ourselves, letting go of the craziness that
comforts us in saying to ourselves, “I’m really
rotten” - we’re not, not after He has forgiven
us. *
Bishop Raymond W. Lessard
Of Savannah
What To Boycott?
J. P. Stevens is the second
largest Textile Company in the
nation. With a gross sale of
over one billion dollars,
Stevens employs over 40,000
employees in 83 plants
throughout the Carolina’s,
Georgia and Virginia.
Much of the business
generated by the J. P. Stevens
Company is in the sale of raw
materials. The raw material is
sold to other companies and
refabricated into clothing and
industrial products which is
then sold under national brand
names. It is not legal for any
Union or citizens group to call
a secondary boycott on
Companies using J. P. Steven’s
raw materials.
So, what exactly are the
Bishops along with the union
boycotting?
They are endorsing the
request of the union that the
public not buy products directly
sold bearing the Stevens name
or registration number. The list
is as follows: BLANKETS sold
with the brand names of Utica
and Forstmann; CARPETS
sold with the brand names of
Gulistan and Pinehurst.
TOWELS sold with the brand
names of Tastemaker,
Utica-Fine arts or Snoopy.
SHEETS AND PILLOWCASES
sold with the brand names of
Utica, Tastemaker, Fine Arts,
Meadowbrook. And also
DESIGNER LABEL SHEETS
AND PILLOWCASES bearing
the names of Dinah Shore,
Suzanne Pleshette, Yves St.
Laurent, Angelo Donghia,
Hardy Ames and Leonard
Fisher.
Leaders Appeal
For Refugees
MIAMI (NC) -- Catholic,
Protestant and Jewish leaders have
appealed to President Carter to grant
political asylum for south Florida’s
almost 10,000 Haitian refugees.
More than a dozen clergymen
signed a letter to the president.
Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy
of Miami, who has repeatedly urged
asylum for the refugees and last
January sent President Carter a letter
drawing his attention to the
situation, also added his support.
Archbishop McCarthy said,
“Ample evidence has been given to
our government that these people
have a well-founded fear of
persecution should they be forced to
return to their country. The time for
our president to act is now. Once
before our government turned away
refugees seeking asylum in Florida.
Many died in Hitler’s concentration
camps.”
The archbishop was referring to
Jewish refugees who waited for
several weeks in a boat off Miami
Beach in 1939, were refused entry,
and went back to Holland where
they later became victims of the
Holocaust.
The archbishop has stressed that
the refugees need political asylum as
well as social services which he
believes the federal government
should provide.
Haiti, the poorest country in the
Western Hemisphere where most
people earn an average of $100 a
year, is ruled by Jean-Claude
Duvalier, president for life.