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Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Vol. 19 No. 22
Thursday, May 28,1981
$8.00 per year
BOATLIFT DOCUMENTARY ~ “Against Wind
and Tide: A Cuban Odyssey” takes a documentary
look at the dramatic exodus of thousands of
Cubans from their island homeland to the United
FATHER THOMAS ROSHETKO
States one year ago. The “World” special,
examined the impact of the Cuban boatlift on
participants and observers alike.
A Special Ministry Ends
BY FATHER
VINCENT BRENNAN, S.M.
Father Tom Roshetko lost his last
battle Thursday afternoon, May 21, as
the result of two consecutive heart
attacks while a patient at St. Joseph’s
hospital, where he had checked in for
a urinary tract infection.
Father Thomas Roshetko, S.M.,
was bom in Cleveland, Ohio, March 7,
1912. He was ordained priest in the
Society of Mary by Bishop Michael J.
Keyes, S.M., retired bishop of
Savannah, June 11,1938. After a few
years in parish ministry, he entered
the U.S. Army as a chaplain, and
served in the European theatre of
operations until 1946, when he was
Senate Vote Tightens
Abortion Restrictions
discharged with the rank of Major.
Later, he continued his interest in
veteraans and the American Legion
and was named American Legion
Department Chaplain, State of
Georgia, in 1961.
Earning his degree in philosophy in
1947, he taught at Immaculata
Seminary In Lafayette, La., and later
at Notre Dame Seminary in New
Orleans.
His parish ministry took him to
Brunswick, v Ga., New Orleans,
Wheeling and Richwood, West Va.,
and in 1959 to Atlanta as pastor of
Sacred Heart church. After Marist
School had completed its move to
Fr. Thomas Roshetko S.M.
North Atlanta, Archbishop Hallinan
assigned the Marists of Sacred Heart to
(Continued on page 3)
WASHINGTON (NC) - The
Senate, in one of the first votes on
abortion in the 97 th Congress,
approved new rules May 21 allowing
federal funding of abortions only in
cases where the life of the mother is
endangered.
By a vote of 52-43 after two hours
of debate, the Senate voted to go
along with the House in eliminating
previous regulations which also
allowed abortion funding in cases of
incest and of rape reported within 72
hours.
The action came during
consideration of a supplemental
appropriations bill to keep the
government functioning through the
end of the current fiscal year on Sept.
30.
The previous appropriations bill,
which allowed for rape and incest as
well as life-of-the-mother abortion
funding, was scheduled to expire June
5.
Debate on the issue centered not
only on abortion but also on whether
such “riders” should be attached to
appropriations bills or enacted in
separate legislation.
Sen. Mark 0. Hatfield (R-Ore.), the
new chairman of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, had
succeeded a week earlier in getting the
committee to eliminate the abortion
rider traditionally tacked on by the
House.
The vote by the Senate came on a
motion by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C-)
to restore the rider.
In previous years, the House has
passed and sent to the Senate
appropriations bills with only the
life-of-the-mother abortion language.
The Senate traditionally then has
adopted more liberal restrictions, such
as in cases of rape, incest, or
long-lasting physical health damage to
the mother.
Differences always have been
hammered out in conference
committees.
“We cannot tolerate the kind of
excess baggage and encumberances
that have been placed on the
appropriations process in recent
years,” argued Hatfield in calling for
elimination of the riders.
But for the most part the debate
centered on abortion, with each side
accusing the other of imposing its own
morality.
Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.)
decried a “growing feeling of
intolerance in this country, almost of
religious moralism,” in arguing against
the abortion rider and the tighter
restrictions.
But Helms responded that the
question was one of the “deliberate
taking of an innocent human life” and
said there was “a set of instructions
that came down from Mount Sinai”
governing such action.
Since the appropriations bill only
covers the period up until Sept. 30,
the same debate and vote will have to
take place again this fall to extend the
abortion funding restrictions another
year.
Camp Promise Needs
Vans, Guest Rooms
BY GRETCHEN KEISER
As the opening date, June 8, nears, staff and plans for three day camps at St.
Anthony’s, St. Paul of the Cross and Ss. Peter and Paul are coming together.
A joint meeting for the full-time staff of all three centers was held last
Saturday at the Catholic Center. The coordinators are Merlin Todd and Karen
Stroud at St. Paul of the Cross, Rosina Seydel at St. Anthony’s and Alyse Holland
at Ss. Peter and Paul. Each site should have at least six full-time workers, in
addition to the volunteers who will be coming to work, according to Sister
Margaret McAnoy, who is coordinating the Camp Promise program for the
archdiocese.
Among the developments and needs surrounding the program are:
* A van is needed for each of the three sites, to provide daily transportation.
“Even if people know of vans we could rent inexpensively, that would be great,”
said Sister Margaret. The smaller, 15-seat type of vehicle is what is needed. A
contract has been worked out to provide inexpensive use of MARTA buses for
field trips, thanks to the help of a Ss. Peter and Paul parishioner.
* Housing is needed to provide a home away from home for college students
coming from Virginia and South Carolina to work at the camps. The students,
about 40, have been attracted through the work of sisters at their Newman
Centers, who talked about the program. The students are coming for at least two
weeks. Anyone able to house a student should contact Sister Margaret at
881-1419.
* About 45 sisters, coming from out of town, will be taken in at convents and
residences of sisters in the Archdiocese, who have opened their doors to those
helping at the camps.
* A number of parishes have asked to work with a specific day camp, clustering
volunteer, prayer and financial support. Among them are the Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, with St. Anthony’s camp, Holy Family parish in
Marietta with St. Paul of the Cross camp and the Cathedral of Christ the King with
St. Anthony’s Camp.
The camps will vary in size with St. Paul of the Cross, the largest, expected to
serve between 300 and 350 children. St Anthony’s will serve about 150 children
and Ss. Peter and Paul in Decatur about 250 children.
Cubans: Men In The Middle
BY THEA JARVIS
The Cuban detainees in the United
States Penitentiary in Atlanta, some
of whom have refused food to
highlight feelings of futility and
frustration, are men caught in the
middle.
Flanking them on either side is a
Reagan administration still involved in
defining policy with respect to the
over 1,700 Cubans held at the “Big A”
and a prison authority which must
adhere to federal guidelines regarding
such detainees. Joining the Cubans
somewhere near the center of the triad
is the United States Catholic
Conference which, despite odds, is
attempting to aid in the processing of
the Cubans, now one year into
confinement.
About 125,000 Cubans entered the
United States during the “Freedom
Flotilla” a year ago. Although most
have been released into American
society, the Atlanta Penitentiary still
lays claim to 1,763 men, over 1,400 of
whom have been ordered out of the
States because of criminal acts
committed in Cuba.
Prior to February of this year,
ongoing processing of the Cubans,
though slow and tedious, had resulted
in the release of slightly under 100 of
the detainees. But a federal order
issued last week has tentatively halted
further releases.
Manuel De la Torre Rodriguez, the
Cuban inmate who ended a hunger
strike May 22 after 21 days without
food, received assurances from
Atlanta Penitentiary warden Jack
Hanberry that help would be sought in
the seemingly dead-end dilemma.
In Cuba, where his family still
resides, De la Torre was in the army
. and gave away a truckload of food to
some of his hungry countrymen. This
was one of the reasons for De la
Torre’s imprisonment in a Cuban jail,
according to Tom Stavran, program
coordinator for the United States
Catholic Conference assigned to
Atlanta.
Stavran describes De la Torre as
“very determined, very sincere, and
not off in the clouds” about his
commitment to seeking freedom. He
stated that De la Torre was recently
contacted by a prospective sponsor in
Miami who came to the prison and
“was impressed by him and what he’s
trying to do.” Federal regulations,
however, prohibit resettlement for the
detainees in the Florida area because
of the already large influx of Cuban
refugees there.
Another Cuban inmate who opted
to join the hunger strike was Mario
Solano Vasquez, author of the
CORPUS CHRISTI
“freedom of flowers” slogan -
liberation or death.
In a letter to Martha and Tomas
Antona, Our Lady of Assumption
parishioners who have worked
unstintingly on behalf of the Cubans,
Solano announced his decision to
draw attention to the plight of the
detainees.
Martha Antona described Solano as
a “plantado,” a Cuban who opted to
fight the Castro-imposed communism
rather than betray allegiance to his
homeland. He spent 11 years in Cuban
prisons clad only in underwear - he
refused to wear prison garb.
According to the Antonas, the
Cunan population in the Atlanta
Penitentiary includes political
prisoners who opposed Castro’s
communist rule, as well as mentally
disturbed individuals who “shouldn’t
be there.” Some Cubans who have
already been released to sponsors were
freed because their crimes in Cuba had
only been “minor offenses,” Tomas
Antona explained.
A spokesman for the USCC in
Atlanta has indicated that his
organization will proceed under the
assumption that all the Cuban
detainees will be released.
The legal ambiguities of the Cuban
problem abound. The status of the
detainees alone is a complicated issue.
According to Bill Noonan, spokesman
for the United States Penitentiary in
Atlanta, the Cubans are not refugees
but “entrants who have had exclusion
hearings.” Under normal conditions,
they would be deported to their
country of origin. Cuba, however,
refuses to accept them.
“We’re at an impasse,” said
Noonan. “People get stuck in between
these things.”
Federal policy on the Cubans is still
in the process of formulation. Most
recently, the United States Attorney
Genera! put a hold on the release of
any more Cubans from the Atlanta
Penitentiary until the Reagan
administration comprehensively
defines its position.
“Any decision with regard to the
Cubans must be made on the national
level,” said Tyrus E. Minnix, District
Director of the United States
Immigration and Naturalization
Services in Atlanta. “The Department
of State is in diplomatic negotiations
with the Cuban government and has
been for a considerable length of time.
At this time we have no way of
knowing what the outcome will be.”
Meanwhile, said Minnix, exclusion
hearings are still being accorded, but
(Continued on page 6)
... Men At Prayer
BY MSGR. NOEL C. BURTENSHA W
As the giant gates clang shut, strange thoughts go through your head. Suppose
a riot breaks out. Suppose you’re taken hostage. But that’s just movie stuff. You
walk on with the rest to prepare for this Sunday morning Liturgy.
You are in the Federal Penitentiary. And it sounds like “Little Cuba.”
Everyone is speaking Spanish. They shout and wave from windows and locked
doors. With Father Richard Kieran, you wave back. And they grin. They are
happy you are here. They are happy to see you. 1
Father Kieran (Spanish spoken with an Irish accent) has been leading a Sunday
morning team into the Atlanta Penitentiary for three months. “When we
started,” says Father Kieran, “only a few came. Now it’s up to 150.” He’sright,
although this Sunday many do not show up. “There is a lot of tension,” says John
Shoemaker, a married deacon who assists at Mass. “Things could get rough. Those
men are getting very impatient.”
There are 1,700 Cubans in the Penitentiary awaiting clearance by the Federal
Government. These are men who came from Cuba as boat people, refugees from
persecution. However, very many of this group came to the U.S. directly from
Cuban prisons. “By their own admission,” says Rev. Charles Riggs, who is
regional chaplain for federal prisons, “many of these men were in prison in Cuba.
Of course, some were there for political crimes or very non-violent simple crimes.
We are waiting for Washington to act.”
Over in the chapel, as Father Kieran prepares the altar, hymns are practiced.
Men like Raul Delgado and Miguel Morales go into action leading the singing. It
sounds strong - if not always on key. Beside the altar is the Israeli flag, reminding
one and all that the chapel is a center of many faiths. On the wall is a vividly drawn
picture of the Cuban Madonna - Virgen de la Caridad - which one of the inmates
painted.
(Continued on page 6)
10th Year For School And Its Fathers
Since Corpus Christi’s School of
Religion began 10 years ago, three
men who are husbands, fathers and
businessmen have also given a decade
of service as teachers. The three, Ben
Gross, Bob McKinnon and Syl
Schulte, have helped plan courses for
the Stone Mountain parish, aided new
teachers and remained as teachers
themselves with the adolescent age
level from the 7th to the 12th grades.
They were honored recently, as the
parish also marked the anniversary of
its School of Religion.
Ben Gross works for the federal
Department of Labor and travels
frequently. He is the father of eight
children, ages 13 to 25. He is an avid
jogger and has run in the Boston
Marathon and is deeply involved in
youth sports. He is a lector and
Eucharistic Minister.
Bob McKinnon has his own
business which grew out of his hobby
as a magician - Eddie’s Trick Shop. He
is the father of seven children, ages 13
to 29. He uses magic not only in
religion classes but entertains for
parties for underprivileged and parish
groups. Bob is a lector at Corpus
Christi.
Syl Schulte is president of Future
Adhesives and Chemicals and is the
father of nine children, ages 8 to 23.
He is a member of the choir and is
interested in music and gardening. He
and his wife Betty have opened their
home for four years for the Search
Extension weekly Monday night
meetings.
Plaques honoring these three men
were presented to them by Father
Thomas Kenny, pastor, at the annual
Teacher Appreciation Dinner.
CELEBRATING the 10th anniversary of Schulte, Ben Gross and Bob McKinnon, with
Corpus Christi’s School of Religion, and their own pastor, Father Thomas Kenny,
involvement for a decade, are from left, Syl