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Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Vol. 23. No. 42
Thursday, November 28,1985
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Synod Survey Largely Positive;
Church 'Intensely Alive' Say Bishops
BY JOHN THAVIS
VATICAN CITY (NC) — Rejecting “pessimism” and
declaring that the church is “intensely alive,” a major
report at the extraordinary Synod of Bishops has presented
a largely positive picture of the post-conciliar church.
The report is based on answers the world’s bishops gave
to a questionnaire from the Vatican.
The report by Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels of
Malines-Brussels, recording secretary for the synod, was
given Nov. 25 at the first working day of the extraordinary
Synod of Bishops, called by Pope John Paul II to evaluate
the results of the Second Vatican Council.
A summary of the report, which synthesized the presynod
questionnaire results, was made available by the Vatican.
Positive aspects of the post-conciliar church most fre
quently cited in the bishops’ replies were liturgical
renewal, better understanding of the Gospel, clear church
witness in human rights and social problems, a more
dynamic missionary spirit and dialogue with Christians
and non-Christians, the report said.
Negative points included a “subjectivism,” regarding the
liturgy and church teachings on morality, a “crisis” in the
sacrament of penance, “superficial and ideological” inter
pretations of the church and religious indifference in rich
countries.
The report said the bishops were unanimous in finding
hope in the Second Vatican Council and called for a
“perspective of faith” in judging the 20 years of church
history since its close.
“An objective look does not authorize pessimism,
resignation or discouragement,” the report concluded.
“The post-conciliar church is alive and is intensely alive.”
The report said it would be a “fundamental error” to con
clude that problems which came after the council were
caused by the council. It also said it would be a mistake to
approach the problems by making “sensational contrasts.”
The response to these problems, it added, “must not be
reduced to disciplinary and administrative measures. Post-
conciliar needs cannot be met by preconciliar measures.”
Under the heading, “negative points,” the report said
that “ecclesiology constitutes the nucleus of the crisis.”
It said the bishops reported “unilateral, superficial and
ideological interpretations” of the council’s view of the
church as the “people of God” and a tendency to oppose
(Continued on Page 7)
Advent
1: Seeds Of A New Parish
BY RITA McINERNEY
Parishioners of the new
Catholic Church of Doug-
lasville may or may not
celebrate midnight Mass at
Christmas in their tem
porary place of worship.
But they are encouraged
this Advent season that
their long wait for a parish
is coming to an end.
On the first Sunday of Ad
vent, Dec. 1, they will wor
ship together as a parish in
the chapel of the Whitley-
Garner Funeral Home at
7034 W. Broad St., Doug-
lasville. This will be the
first Sunday Mass for the
Catholic Church of
Douglasville since Arch
bishop Thomas A. Don-
nellan established the
parish on Aug. 8 of this year
and named Father Edward
O’Connor first pastor.
The chapel is being made
available, Father O’Connor
said, by State Sen. Wayne
Garner. Mass will be
celebrated there until the
end of January when
Father O’Connor expects
the new parish will move in
to a facility at Spring and
James streets now oc
cupied by the Harvester
Presbyterian Church.
When Harvester relocates
seat at most 150 people.
to its new church the
Catholics will move in and
begin to structure their
parish life around several
weekend Masses. The
space, the pastor said, will
There are two small
nursery rooms as well.
For the core group of
parishioners, it will be hard
to break their ties with St.
John Vianney in Lithia
Springs, Cobb County.
Eleanor Brown has been a
parishioner since 1967. For
most of those years she had
three children to drive back
and forth to CCD and
Masses. Transportation,
Mrs. Brown said, has been
the “biggest problem.”
It’s the same for Dick and
Diane Vots who live about
10 miles from Lithia
Springs. With their involve
ment there “were many
times when we spent every
night over at church,” he
said. “We have a lot of
friends there,” she said.
“Most people work in
Atlanta, drive back and
forth each day and then
spend over 30 minutes driv
ing to church,” Jim Kroch
mal said. He and his wife
Brenda have been living in
Douglasville since 1978
when the area, according
to Jim, was a “cow pas
ture.”
There has been a great
deal of growth in the area
especially in the last five
years. There is “a pre
dominance of young
families looking to get as
much house as they can for
the price,” Ray Lavoie,
property man for the arch
diocese, said.
In the fall of 1984, accor
ding to Krochmal, a group
(Continued on Page 13)
KITCHEN CABINET — Father
Edward O’Connor, pastor, and
four parishioners of the Catholic
Church of Douglasville, in the kit
chen of the rectory. From left are
Eleanor Brown, Dick Vots, Jim
Krochmal and Diane Vots.
Waiting For New Life
Dedication Day
NEW CHURCH — Pastor Father Robert
Dyer, M.S. turns over a key and a decree of
dedication to the new sanctuary at St. Thomas
the Apostle in Smyrna to the archbishop. More
photos of the dedication day are on page eight.
