Newspaper Page Text
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Vol. 26 No. 32
Thursday, September 22, 1988
$15.00 Per Year
SATURDAY’S HUNGRY — In a drizzling
rain, dozens of men line up outside the Shrine
of the Immaculate Conception on a recent
Saturday for the soup and comfort provided at
St. Francis Table.
Panel Debates Use
Of Aborted Fetuses
BY JULIE ASHER
BETHESDA, Md. (NO — Recognizing the “moral
relevance” in decisions to use human fetal tissue in
research, a federal panel in a tentative vote said Sept. 16
the practice was acceptable but called it “imperative” that
safeguards be developed to respect “the principled view
points of all affected parties.”
The 21-member panel, charged with studying the scien
tific, ethical and legal questions surrounding the uses of
tissue obtained from aborted fetuses, met at the National
Institutes of Health in Bethesda Sept. 14-16.
The first two days were opened to public testimony, most
of which focused on the abortion issue.
The U.S. bishops, the Knights of Columbus and other
abortion foes condemned the practice of using fetal tissue
from deliberate abortions and said the abortion and fetal
tissue questions were morally linked and could not be
discussed independently of each other.
(Continued on page 15)
Parishes Rally
To Help Jamaica
BY GRETCHEN REISER
St. Francis Table At The Shrine
Feeds 600-750 Men Weekly
BY RITA McINERNEY
Sept. 5, 1988, Labor Day, St. Francis Table fed 750 of
Atlanta’s hungry and homeless people.
The following Saturday, Sept. 10, more than 620 people
were served at the Table in the large downstairs space at
the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. 48 Martin Luther
King Jr., Drive, in the shadow of the golden-domed Georgia
capitol.
The increase in the number of people fed exceeds by 200
New Shelter At The Shrine
Gainesville Chickens Make Soup
Stories on page 7
percent those served when the Saturday meal center open
ed April 10, Holy Saturday, 1982. Then, anywhere from 85 to
200 men, women and children gathered at the Table for
nourishing food each Saturday.
Holiday openings were added a year ago to ease the
gnawing hunger of people faced with the long weekend on
empty downtown streets while luckier brothers and sisters
relaxed at family picnics and barbecues. The Table serves
on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, all Mon
day and government holidays.
The funding for this ever expanding corporal work of
mercy is catholic. The food is hearty. The volunteers are
faithful and hardworking.
The Table has a number of dependable donors. Tithes are
given by students from the Catholic Center directed by
Father Mario DiLella, O.F.M., at Georgia Tech. The alms
committee of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers
sends a monthly check and weekly supplies bread from its
bakery. The Particular Council of the Saint Vincent de Paul
Society of the archdiocese has voted to give support
monthly, as one of several regular contributions supported
through the Five For Food fund.
The archdiocese of Atlanta is a contributor. Women’s,
men’s, singles groups, SVDP conferences from the parishes
give time and money. Approximately 70 individuals send
monthly checks.
Marilyn Smith, one of the core volunteers and keeper of
the books, is optimistic that the Table will benefit substan
tially from the Metro Atlanta Hunger Walk on Sunday,
Sept. 25. Everyone at the Table has been signing up walkers
and sponsors for the 6.2 mile trek.
The budget expands according to the need, Brenda Grif
fin knows. “You can figure spending one dollar for every
person served,” she said. In the early years the soup kit
chen operated on about $12,000 annually. Now, $35,000 is
needed to keep it going.
Back in the winter of 1981-82, Brenda and Buck Griffin,
Shrine members, dreamed of broadening the “ritission of
mercy and justice” begun the year before when the
neighboring church, Central Presbyterian, opened a night
shelter for homeless men.
( Continued on page 6.)
Several Catholic parishes and a Miami charity with a
history of involvement in the Caribbean are trying to re
spond to the drastic effects of Hurricane Gilbert on the
island of Jamaica.
Sts. Peter and Paul in Decatur, St. Paul of the Cross in
Atlanta, and the Catholic Center of the University of
Georgia in Athens, all of whom have personal connections
to the devastated island, are trying to help stricken
Jamaicans. All Saints parish in Dunwoody and St. Helena’s
in Clayton were also involved.
Father Bob Menard, O.F.M., who had been campus
minister at the University of Georgia in Athens until June,
was believed to have flown into Jamaica two days before
Gilbert struck to begin a year of work with his order on the
island.
Sts. Peter and Paul parish has a covenant relationship
with a Kingston, Jamaica parish, St. Pius X, and has hosted
Jamaicans in Decatur and sent groups of parishioners to
Kingston to build ties between the two. St. Paul of the Cross
parish recently welcomed four Jamaican sisters, member^
of a native Jamaican order, to serve in the parish. Pastor
Father Thomas Brislin, C.P. has also served as a mis
sionary on the island with the Passionist order.
Barbara Lee Hing, a Sts. Peter and Paul parishioner,
said the parish was collecting canned food and clothing to
send to the island. The University of Georgia campus
center was also encouraging donations, according to
Father Tony Gigliello, O.F.M. St. Paul of the Cross
parishioners were advised to give donations to the
Jamaican sisters, who would be able to channel it, Father
Brislin said.
Through All Saints parish in Dunwoody, over 1000 cans of
baby formula and 4000 jars of baby food, plus 30 cases of
canned food were collected over the Sept. 17-18 weekend.
Joyce Hall said the plight of babies shown on television
touched her, and the parish concentrated its efforts on col-
. (Continued on page 8)