Newspaper Page Text
BY GRETCHEN REISER
Three choral works, including the American premiere of a Scottish
composer’s “Requiem”, will be performed by the Atlanta Singers at the
Cathedral of Christ the King at the beginning of Holy Week.
The program chosen by Kevin Culver, music director and conductor of the
24-member group, combines works by three 20th century composers,
reflecting their differing musical interpretations of the events of the Passion.
It is the first concert in 1981 by the Atlanta Singers, a performing group
formed four years ago and made up primarily of soloists from churches and
institutions throughout Atlanta. It is also the first time the group has
performed at the Cathedral.
The program will open with Francis Poulenc’s “Four Motets for a Time of
Penitence,” described by Culver as a depiction of the psalmists’ interpretations;
the second work will be Benjamin Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb,” a cantata
with organ accompaniment orchestrating a text by poet Christopher Smart.
The concert will conclude with the premiere of Iain Hamilton’s “Requiem,”
composed in 1979 and first performed in Scotland last spring. Hamilton, a
49-year-old composer, is well-known in England, but just beginning to receive
recognition in the United States, Culver said.
Culver said that in creating the program he knew that he wanted it to be
performed in a church, but had not seen the Cathedral until it was suggested by
a friend and member of the parish.
“When I walked into Christ the King for the first time, I was bowled over,”
he said. “I immediately decided this was the place.” The acoustical
environment, the comparatively small size of the church, and the sacred setting
will magnify the effect of the concert, he said.
The Atlanta Singers last year premiered a composition by Culver, “Credo
(Out of the Shadows)” inspired by the Nicene Creed. A composer and
conductor, he was formerly personal assistant and aide to Robert Shaw,
conductor of the Atlanta Symphony.
The performances at the Cathedral, 2699 Peachtree Road, will take place at
8:30 p.m., Saturday, April 11, and 2 p.m., Sunday, April 12. Admission is free.
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Vol. 19 No. 14
Thursday, April 2,1981
$8.00 per year
EVANGELIZATION
REAGAN SHOOTING
Off And
Preaching
BY MSGR. NOEL C. BURTENSHAW
It was a beautiful spring Saturday
in Atlanta. Just the right day to take
the family along with a kite and
joyfully fling it into the cool breezes
and the blue sky.
But over 170 North Georgians
made a different decision. They came
together at St. Pius X High School to
discuss methods of bringing the
Gospel to their neighbors.
“It was a most successful
conference,” said Father Dan
O’Connor, Archdiocesan Chairman
for Evangelization. “And those who
came said so. They gave up a nice
Saturday, but were well rewarded,”
Father O’Connor was speaking of
the Archbishop’s Conference on
Evangelization. From every parish,
along with their pastors and parish
staff, they came to listen and share
the successes some had achieved.
Father Dick Morrow told of Home
Visitation out at St. • Jude’s.
Transfiguration parish has its
Neighborhood Outreach program
that forms “base communities” in
neighborhoods. Father Bob Poandl
from Dahlonega told of his renewal
weekend. Distinctive evangelization
in the black community was outlined
by Father Giles Conwill.
Communications was highlighted
along with many other programs that
reach out with the Good News of
Christianity.
The speakers and workshops were
brought together by the
Archdiocesan Evangelization
Committee. George Clements, a
member of the committee,
introduced the day’s events.
Afterward, he expressed great
optimism for evangelization in
parishes. “It was a very practical
experience,” said Clements. “Each
one could take an actual program
idea back to the parish as a
suggestion for implementation.”
Lunch was enjoyed on the grounds
of St. Pius in the glorious sunshine.
Ideas were exchanged and
enthusiasm was obvious. “They have
the springtime and summer to
organize,” said Father O’Connor. “In
the fall they will be ready to go to
work. That’s our hope anyway.”
Beautiful music and singing was
provided by the folk group of Holy
Cross parish. The day was clearly a
success for all who came and for the
ministry of evangelization.
LARRY MELEAR has attentive listeners as he
holds a workshop on Evangelization and
Communications. All together a total of 10
workshops were held out at St. Pius during the
Conference on Evangelization.
A TOTAL OF 170 registered for the of the participants as they prepare to attend the
Conference on Evangelization. Pictured are some many workshops offered.
Church Leaders
Express Sorrow
BY JIM LACKEY
NC News Service
The attempted assassination of
President Reagan March 30 brought
reactions of shock and sadness from
church leaders, some of whom said
the tragedy was a reminder of the
need to control the availability of
handguns.
At the Vatican, Pope John Paul II
telegramed Reagan the day after the
shooting to express “my continued
prayers for your well-being, for the
recovery of the other victims and for
the welfare of the American people.”
The pope said he learned “with
great sorrow” about the attempt on
Reagan’s life and the injuries to three
others in the presidential party.
“As I assure you of my sentiments
of solidarity and support, I join in
denouncing all manifestations of
violence and terrorism and every act
that violates human dignity in any
individual,” wrote the pope.
He also said he was asking God to
restore Reagan “to perfect health.”
Archbishop John R. Roach,
president of the National Conference
of Catholic Bishops and U.S.
Catholic Conference, said the
assassination attempt was saddening
and disturbing and was a time for
prayer and refelction.
In a statement released about two
hours after Reagan was shot,
Archbishop Roach called for prayers
to restore Reagan and members of
his staff to full health.
“The attack upon President
Reagan today deeply saddens and
disturbs me just as it does all men
and women of good will,” said
Archbishop Roach, “As in so many
other crises, it is a time for prayer as
well as reflection.”
(Continued on page 6)
SURPRISE APPOINTMENT
Pope Chooses
Rural Bishop
VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope John Paul II named Polish-American Bishop
Edmund Casimir Szoka of Gaylord, Mich., the new archbishop of Detroit
March 28.
In a highly unusual move indicating that Archbishop Szoka was his personal
choice, the pope called the new archbishop to Rome to meet with him the
morning of the announcement and to convey the appointment to him in
person.
Archbishop Szoka, 53, succeeds Cardinal John Dearden, 73, who last July
resigned as archbishop of Detroit but has continued to administer the
archdiocese while awaiting a successor.
The new archbishop moves from a small, largely rural diocese and the
smallest See city in the United States (population 3,000) to the fifth-largest
city in the United States and an archdiocese with a See city of more than a
million people who are almost completely urban and industrialized. Total
population of the Gaylord Diocese is more than 400,000; total population in
the Detroit Archdiocese is 4.4 million.
The last two archbishops of Detroit have been cardinals, making it likely
(Continued on page 6)
r '
St. Patrick’s 4 Church House’
BY THEA JARVIS
In the third century, it was
customary to call the local place of
worship the “domus ecclesiae” or
“church house.”
This tradition of a large “home”
to accommodate the church
community has been revived by St.
Patrick’s parish in Norcross as it has
sought to expand its facilities and
provide an adequate place of
worship and fellowship for its
members.
“The new building is like a large
house for our people, where a sense
of closeness characterizes our parish
family,” said Father Joseph
Meehan, pastor of the 12-year-old
Gwinnett County church. “We have
tried to understand ourselves as a
community and make decisions
accordingly.”
The initial problem faced by the
Norcross community was one
besetting many parishes throughout
north Georgia. A growing Gwinnett
stretched the limits of the little
white-framed church that seats 220
l people. With 630 active families on
the parish rolls, alternatives were in
order.
The new complex, on a 10-acre
site just two miles distant from the
present church, harmonizes parish
goals with an expanding Catholic
population.
From the outset of the building
project three years ago this month,
parish input has been the basis
upon which decisions have been
made.
“At a parish meeting, we decided
to replace what we had with
something that was better in every
aspect,” Father Meehan said.
A liturgical push from the 1978
bishops’ document on “Art and
Environment in Catholic Worship,”
and Father Dick Vosko’s
workshops on contemporary
currents in the use and decoration
of worship space enabled St.
Patrick’s to forge ahead, calling on
as much parish expertise as was
available.
“We consulted a parishioner who
is an interior decorator about our
color scheme. Another parishioner,
a teacher of medieval art, helped to
coordinate the interior. For
structural questions, we had the
help of a church member who is a
civil engineer,” said Father Meehan.
“We pulled in all the parish
resources.”
The backbone of the planning
team was a 10-person building
committee which distributed parish
questionnaires, chose an
architectural firm, and continually
sought parish feedback. To be
certain their plans were
appropriate, the committee
submitted them to liturgical experts
in and out of the United States.
“Comparisons indicated that our
plans seemed to reflect the mind of
the Church and the preferences of
the local community,” Father
Meehan said.
What has evolved from the hard
work, planning and patience of the
parish is a structure unique in its
blend of natural materials and
substances and confident in its
expression of what a parish
community is called to be.
“We thought it desirable to have
(Continued on page 6)
CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEW “church
house” is carefully supervised by St. Patrick’s
pastor Father Joseph Meehan, who makes a
daily visit to the construction site, just two miles j
from the present Norcross facility. Watch out
for loose cinderblock. Father Joe! Jarvi*