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s The Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Vol. 28 No. 20 Thursday, May 17,1990 $15.00 Per Year Mexican Catholics Pope Woos Lapsed BY AGOST1NO BONO MEXICO CITY (CNS) — Much of Pope John Paul II’s May trip to Mexico was an effort to reconvert the growing number of Catholics lost to Protestant fundamentalism and sects. “Nothing would make the heart of the pope happier, dur- Archbishop's Rx: Exercise, Rest Exercise and rest are among the prescriptions Arch bishop Eugene Marino, SSJ, is having to follow, according to his colleagues who have spoken briefly with him on the telephone. Marianne MacNeill, one of his secretaries, said the arch bishop telephoned her May 11 to work out a business matter and told her he was getting ready to go running. “He said we were all in his thoughts and prayers and that he missed everyone,” she said. Gerard O’Connor, his assistant, assured him that he was getting a stack of cards and well- wishes at his office. Several secretaries are responding to the many people who have sent letters and notes to the archbishop’s office since he was announced as suffering from exhaustion and in danger of cardiac stress. (Continued on page 7) ing this pastoral visit, than the return to the breast of the church of those who have wandered astray,” the pope said near the end of his eight-day trip. The antidote offered by the pope was Catholic popular religiosity, especially the strong Marian devotion of Mex icans, principally through Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the country and the Americas. He also told bishops and priests to end their “timidness and indifference” in combating sects. “Their methods, their economic resources and the in sistence of their proselytizing work have an impact, above all on those who migrate from rural areas to the city,” the pope said. The importance of popular religion is seen in the fact that millions of Mexicans annually make pilgrimages to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, many doing part of the pilgrimage on their knees. Mexico also has five other regionally important Marian shrines where local devotion is equally fervent, especially among poor Indians and mestizos — people of mixed Spanish and Indian heritage — vulnerable to conversion by Protestant groups and sects. The pope visited one shrine at San Juan de los Lagos, where tradition says that in 1623 a 20-inch-high Marian statue brought back to life a dead child. A year after, a shrine was built to the statue. The statue symbolizes the humble, indigenous faith of the Indians who believe in its power. It is made out of corn husks and grain. Throughout the trip, the pope stressed the importance of Marian devotion to counter fundamentalist evangelization (Continued on page 11) Survey En Route To Our Readers We want to know your opinion. In the next week, 2,000 readers of The Georgia Bulletin, chosen at random, will receive a survey in the mail. Enclosed will be a postage-paid return envelope to send the survey back to us. This readership survey, which will be received by every 17th person on our mailing list, is a thorough, professional effort to gather data that will help us produce a better Catholic newspaper. It is the first time in many years that a comprehensive effort has been made to talk to our readers and seek their opinions and input. Results will be tabulated by a professional researcher and written about in the paper. The survey has several parts and will gather data to help the writers and editor and also to help the advertising component of The Georgia Bulletin. Advertising support provides a financial base for the paper that is essential in keeping the cost of the newspaper affordable. All information given through the survey is anonymous. When the form is returned no individual’s responses can be identified. All the material will be used to help draw up a composite pic ture of our readers to strengthen the paper. If your home receives one, please assist us by fill ing it out and returning it in the enclosed envelope. It will take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete. We thank you for your support. IT’S ‘THUMBS UP’ — Megan Durden and Jamie Quick approve of the Thursday evenings they spend with members of St. Joseph’s Youth Group, like Catherine Shertenlieb, right, one of the teens who helps with child care for Cobb County’s Project Self Sufficiency. St. Joe's Youth Have A 'Good Name' In Cobb Co. BY PAULA DAY They are a group of teens with a reputa tion, but, in this case, it’s a good one. The high school youth group at St. Joseph’s parish in Mariettta has been recognized for “outstanding volun- teerism.” Under the guidance of youth ministers Molly and Kevin McCarthy, the group has become well known to Cobb County social service agencies for its work with the poor and homeless. The teens have a reputation for being “on call” when needed, even in emergencies. In February St. Joseph’s high school Youth Group received Cobb United Way’s “Heart-In-Hand Award” for its volunteer efforts. The work cited included rounding up clothing and a baby basket complete with pillow and linens for a newborn, clearing years of undergrowth from an elderly woman’s yard, and cooking eve ning meals in a winter night shelter. Par ticularly unusual is the group’s 18-month involvement with Cobb Emergency Aid’s Project Self Sufficiency for single parents trying to better their lives. “I’m crazy about these kids,” exclaimed Tammy Skinner, social worker for Cobb Emergency Aid. “It’s wonderful to be able to rely on them and to know they’re there and dependable.” Every other Thursday, while Mrs. Skin ner helps the group of single mothers im prove their job skills, the teens take care of their children. This care is fine-tuned to meet the needs of each age level, whether it be helping a preschooler with language skills, or a fourth grader with his reading, or an older girl with a school report. “We are able to have our meeting in peace, knowing (the children) are in good hands,” said Garnie Quick, whose eight- year-old son, Jamie, looks forward to the Thursday evening sessions. Originally the meetings were held in a county building that offered no room for the children to be separated according to activity. One of the teens initiated an ef fort to move the meetings to St. Joseph’s parish center, where there is enough space to provide an enjoyable and appropriate experience for each age level, Molly Mc Carthy said. The relationship between the teens and the children is close. One youth helps a previously withdrawn child open up. Another recognizes and nurtures the ar tistic talents of an eight-year-old. Another listens carefully as a fourth grader with a reading difficulty reads aloud. Molly Mc Carthy says simply, “They have become family.” (Continued on page 6)