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About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1987)
PAGE 10 — The Georgia Bulletin, July 23. 1987 Papal Itinery: Columbia Northerners Swell South Carolina Catholic Population STADIUM SERVICE - The 75,000-seat Williams-Brice Stadium at the University of South Carolina will be the site of an ecumenical service when Pope John Paul II visits Columbia. S.C. on Sept. 11. (NC Photo bv Mike Okoniewski) Native Son Bernardin Aided Quiet Campaign For Visit BY BARB FRAZE COLUMBIA, S.C. (NO- Pope John Paul II’s visit to South Carolina is the result of the quiet diplomacy of the state's bishop, the per sistence of a Polish Catholic provost and the influence of a Chicago cardinal. Frank Borkowski, Uni versity of South Carolina provost, said that in 1978 when university officials were discussing bringing important people to the campus, he jokingly sug gested the pope. The university’s president, James B. Holderman, told him "Why don’t you go to work on it?” Borkowski said. The provost made an ap pointment with Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler of Charleston, S.C., and told him his idea. The provost said Bishop Unterkoefler immediately contacted the Vatican and confirmed the pope was planning to visit the United States. However, Vatican officials said they thought the itinerary for the 1979 trip had been set, at least tentatively. Borkowski contacted the Vatican's apostolic dele gate in the United States, who told him than-Arch- bishop Joseph L. Bernardin of Cincinnati also might be helpful, since he was born in Columbia. Borkowski contacted Archbishop Ber nardin, who agreed to give the pope the provost s in vitation, written in Polish. It was too late for that trip, but the idea never died, Borkowski said. Bishop Unterkoefler said that in 1983, when he was talking about the diocese to the pope, “he showed great interest in the fact that there are so few Catholics here." Catholics form only about 2 percent of the Diocese of Charleston, which includes the entire state. When he heard the pope was planning a second visit, the bishop immediately sent him a formal invita tion. Members of the U.S. Catholic Conference's papal visit committee previewed potential sites for the pope, and “they were sold on Columbia because of the stadium, which seats 75,000 people. Bishop Unterkoefler said. Holderman said he thought that at that point the influence of Cardinal Bernardin, now of Chicago, was "implicit" 'The fact that Joe Ber nardin had been born in Columbia and baptized at St. Peter's, that this was his hometown, went. I think, a considerable distance in influencing the Holy See to determine to come to South Carolina.' Holderman said Holderman, who also credited Bishop Unter koefler. said it helped that the university had ex perience dealing with big events. He noted that Presi dent Reagan has visited the campus twice and that the university had been the site of a 1984 conference of Caribbean nations. PRESIDENT’S HOUSE - The residence of James B. Holderman, president of the Univer sity of South Carolina, is shown. Here Pope John Paul II is expected to meet with about 30 religious leaders during his visit to Columbia. (NC Photo by Donald K. Woolley) BY BARB FRAZE CHARLESTON, S.C. (NC) - The small Catholic population in the Diocese of Charleston faces poverty, illiteracy, pre judice — and a tremendous potential for growth. When Pope John Paul II visits Columbia, S.C., Sept. 11, he will find a statewide diocese in which Catholics form only 2 per cent of the nearly 3.4 million population. Three of the state’s 46 counties have no Catholic churches, and 11 counties have no pastor. Although the largest percentage of the state’s population is Southern Baptist, about one-third of the people have no church affiliation. “We have a tremendous opportunity for evangelization, of sharing the message of the Gospel with our fellow citizens" said Msgr. Thomas R. Duffy, vicar general of the diocese. By 1995, the diocese expects to see an in crease of 100,000 Catholics — more than double its current total of 74.000, said Charleston Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler Much of the growth is expected from Northern Catholics migrating South Although ’you don't know really where the great numbers are going to settle.' the coastal area between North Carolina and Georgia already has seen tremendous growth, he said. Bishop Unterkoefler said that when he came to the diocese in 1965, Hilton Head was "almost a bare is land. On Sundays some one would celebrate Mass at one of the island's few hotels, and the weekly collection was about $30. Recently, the bishop broke ground for a $2 million. 1,200-seat church for Hilton Head. The diocese plans to turn the cur rent church into a parish hall. A second parish has been set up that "hasn't any buildings yet." he said, and the diocese owns land for a third parish. The South Carolina seaboard has three new types of Catholics, or "immigrants" said Holy Ghost Father Egbert J. Figaro, episcopal vicar of the coastal vicariate in the diocese. One type of newcomer is in his late 50s or 60s and retiring from employment. Coastal cities offer "tremendous retirement ad vantages,” he said. Military personnel in their 40s and 50s retire and remain in the area with their families, he said, forming a second group. A third type of immigrant includes younger people, "service personnel" such as doctors, dentists and lawyers. Northern Catholics coming South sometimes change their involvement with the church. Father Figaro said, citing a friend of his as an example. When his friend was in New York “he was a checkbook Catholic," paying tuition for his children, contributing to the Sunday collection, Father Figaro said. When the man moved to Myrtle Beach, S.C., he found there were no altar boys or lectors. He became “totally involved,” the priest said. “I see that a lot,” he said. “The growth and development of the laity in the Diocese of Charleston because of the needs of the church are really amazing." Bishop Unterkoefler said many North erners move to the South from areas of large Catholic populations and are not us ed to what they find. “In Greenville they come in and demand a high school.” he said. "We're lucky to have the number of parishes we have without spending $6 million for a high school.” Catholics raised in South Carolina “are used to opposition and having to defend their faith,” the bishop said. For instance, he said, in Greenville, "our most vociferous antagonist is Bob Jones” of Bob Jones University. “His basic theme is that the Roman Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon in the Book of Revelation,” Bishop Unterkoefler said. Jones considers the pope the anti-Christ, the bishop added. "Bob Jones has a following, but it’s a very limited constituency" he said. Peggy Sookikian, head of the diocese s Commission for Ecumenical Affairs, said that being in an area where people challenge Catholicism makes “you do some thinking as to why you are a Catholic." Prejudice against Catholics is not the only kind of prejudice found in the state “Racism is well and alive in South Carolina," said Msgr. Duffy. “There's just as much racism among blacks as there is among whites, and I think we have to address that, and we have to challenge that," he said "I don't think we have to solve it." The worst problem is "the racism that exists in the hearts of people who see t hemselves as good. honest. fair. God-fearing people and are not really aware of their racism, he said People can help alleviate the problem "by getting to meet one another, by talk ing to one another, Msgr Duffy said Poverty is another issue facing the diocese, said Father James Parker, director of diocesan Catholic Charities. The Catholic Church is “limited” in terms of "practical assistance" Father Parker said, but it constantly makes its views known to state legislators. "In many ways that can be more impor tant than immediate support for somebody who certainly needs it," he said. Statewide, unemployment is nearly 7 percent, but rural counties have a higher unemployment rate. One rural county has a 17.5 percent unemployment rate, another has 15 percent, while Richland County — home of Columbia, the state capital — has less than 4 percent unemployment. In rural Saluda County, most people travel 30 miles to Augusta, Ga., 40 miles to Columbia or 50 miles to the Savannah River power plant to find good jobs, said Wallace Rodgers, a member of St. William Parish in Ward, S.C. Unemployment in the county is only 7 percent, but "literacy is a problem," Rodgers said. About 17 percent of Saluda County's 16,000 residents are illiterate, said Philip Vagnoni, another parish resident who heads a program to get parish residents in volved in teaching people to read. Vagnoni said the problem is not restricted to Saluda County. "There used to be a lot of farms." Rodgers said. "A lot of the children just didn't go to school after the fourth or fifth grade." Franciscan Sister Maigread Conway works with illiterate adults and children in Charleston. Sister Conway directs a sum mer program for children — now in its 22nd summer — as well as training people to tutor adults. “We just train everyone we possibly can." she said. Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler
