One Man's Opinion
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn doesn’t realize it but she’s just writ
ten more sense than she’s written in years for the Daily Worker.
Miss Flynn is one of New York’s leading Communists, she
writes regular articles for the Daily Worker. One of her most
recent articles is an attack on Monsignor Sheen but it winds
up being, for Christians, the realest kind of praise.
She’s mad because several com
munists have left the Communist
fold and became Catholics. Mon
signor Sheen doesn’t bother with
the ninety and nine who are m
the fold, wrote Miss Flynn. In
stead he goes looking for the lost
sheep. Now Miss Flynn doesn’t
know her Bible or she wouldn’t
use this to attack the Monsignor.
What she says Monsignor Sheen
is doing exactly what Our Lord
told men to do.
Attacks Monsignor
Then Miss Flynn thinks that the
people who are becoming Catho
lics are undesirable people. “Ap
parently no sin is to great to be
forgiven,” she says, again think
ing she is attacking the Monsig
nor. But again she is right, there
is no sin to great to be forgiven.
But then Miss Flynn makes her
strongest attack — and again it
becomes not an attack at all. With
a bitter pen she writes, “You can
do any low-down, dirty, contemp
tible tum-coat, stool-pigeon action
despised of honest people—but
Monsignor Sheen loves you and
saves you.”
And if all men were truly Chris
tian then what Miss Flynn says of
Monsignor Sheen could be said of
all men. For the Christian loves
all men, loves and prays for
them.
And for Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
among them.
The ability to relax in ease is
not a Virtue for a militant per
son called to action by Christ’s Vi
car.
Extension Society Gives
$42,302.85 To Raleigh
Diocese Missions In '48
RALEIGH. — The Diocese has
been the btneficiary of the sum
of $42,302.85 during the past
fiscal year from the Catholic
Church Extension Society of Chi
cago, it was revealed by the
President, The Most Rev. Wil
liam D. O’Brien. This sum in
cluded funds for chapel building
and repairing, subsidies to mis
sionary priests, and theological
students, for church supplies
and goods, and other miscellan
eous necessary donations.
This large sum contributed to
the missionary diocese of Raleigh
was made possible by the Char
ity of Friends of the Extension
Society and subscribers of Ex
tension magazine, which regular
ly publishes the urgent needs of
our home missions and cbmmends
them to the charity of Catholics
throughout our country.
The grants and subsidy alloted
to the Diocese of Raleigh was al
most half of the sum to total allot
ted to the province of Baltimore.
Within the archdiocese six dioceses
were beneficiaries to the sum of
$88,196.90. Raleigh leading in this
beneficary the other Dioceses were
as follows according to gifts dis
tributed. Charleston, S. C.,
$20,395.50; Richmond, Va., $10,
335.00; Savannah, Ga., $9,808.80;
St. Augustine, Fla., $5,052.45;
Wheeling W. Va., $302.30.
Parochial Schools As Well As Public,
Deserve Federal Help; N.C.W.C. Says
WASHINGTON. — With the question of Federal aid to ed
ucation again occupying the attention of Congress, the Depart
ment of Education of the National Catholic Welfare Conference
has reiterated its position that the parochial schools, as well as
the public schools, are eligible claimants for help from the
national government.
In a statement released here the
N.C.W.C. department declared that
“at the very minimum” federal aid
to non-public school children
extend to such school services as
transportation, and health should
extend to such school services as
transportation, and health and
welfare services.
The text of the statement fol
lows:
2,500,000 Enrolled
Approximately two and a half
million pupils are enrolled in
10,088 Catholic elementary and
secondary schools in the U. S.
Each year Catholics contribute ap
proximately $200,000,000 to fin
ance the current expenses or this
large school system. If the cost of
maintaining these schools were
shifted to tax payers, the nation’s
tax bill for education would be
increased by over $400,000,000.
The replacement value of Catholic
school property is in excess of
$1,000,000,000.
The graduates of these schools
are full-fledged American citizens,
qualified to vote, eligible for pub
lic office, subject to military serv
ice. They represent a cross-section
of American life, bright and dull,
rich and poor, colored and white.
It is a caricature to portray Catho
lic schools as “exclusive private
schools.” They are as typically
American as the public schools.
Mindful of this danger, the N.C.
W.C. reiterates its long standing
position that federal funds should
be made available to all schools
that are in need, both public and
nonpublic. The sole criterion of
eligibility for public educational
funds should be ‘service to the
public” and not “public control.”
Any school to which parents may
send their children in compliance
with compulsory education laws
does serve the public.
Federal aid is needed. However,
rather than accept a bill that de
nies bus rides and textbooks to
thousands of nonpublic school
pupils, it would be better to have
no legislation at all.
In summary:
1. The N.C.W.C. reiterates its
position that public and parochial
Leaders of Resettlement
Program To Discuss D. P.
Problems Here, Feb. 8
FAYETTEVILLE—At the invi
tation of the Most Rev. Vincent S.
Waters Bishop of Raleigh, regional
directors in the Catholic Resettle
ment Program from Maryland,
Virginia, North and South Caro
lina, Georgia and Florida and the
District of Columbia will meet at
Prince Charles Hotel here, Feb
ruary 8 to formulate plans for
expediting processing and recep
tion of displaced persons into the
United States.
The Rev. Aloysius J. Wycislo,
Assistant Director of War Relief
Services-National Catholic Wel
fare Conference, states that the
agency felt too many obstacles are
placed in the processing of Dis
placed Persons. “The Commission
at Washington,” he stated, “has
corrected some of the faults, but
they are being urged at this time
to streamline some of the faults,
but they are being urged at this
time to streamline the whole pro
cedure.”
The Rev. J. Stanley Ormsby, As
sistant to the Executive Director
of the National Catholic Resettle
ment Council, says that “we need
these displaced persons for the
welfare of our own Country-” “The
Government bureau of informa
tion at Washington has been hard
pressed,” he said, “to defend
America against its critics. We
have been accused of ‘dollar di
plomacy,’ imperialism and world
conquest. The greatest and quick
est answer to these charges is to
admit the homeless displaced per
sons into the United States. We
need them as they need us.
“Besides that,’’ Father Ormsby
observed, “it Will be cheaper for
Americans to bring these people
here and let them support them
selves than to send money and
food over there to feed and sup
port them. Large sections of agri
cultural America are begging for
these people. Because they are not
already here, our Resettlement Di
vision at New York has been re
ceiving complaints every day.
RALEIGH—The Cathedral Latin
High School football team, here,
was recipient of a benefit party
staged by the Father Thomas F.
Price Council, No. 2546, Knights of
Columbus, in the Council Chamb
ers at Nazareth, January 13. Dur
ing the course of the evening Bill
Streb, Master of Ceremonies, pre
sented the annual K. of C. awards
of two white letter sweaters to
Pete Tola and Dick Keyes as the
outstanding players of the season.
Also, Coach “John” Norell was in
in turn, introduced the members
troduced to those present, and he,
of the team as he presented them
with their letters.
schools are both eligible claimants
to federal aid. ,
2. The N.C.W.C. maintains that
at the very minimum federal aid
legislation must include a manda
tory provision that funds be ap
propriated to furnish school ser
vices to nonpublic school pupils,
fails to include the above provision
3. Federal aid legislation that
is unjustly discriminatory and
should be defeated.”
NOTE FOR NON-CATHOLICS
If you’d like to know more about the Catholic Church just
send a request to the Pamphlet Department, North
Carolina Catholic, Nazareth, N. C., and we’ll
send you a selection of booklets explaining
the Catholic Faith.
COMMAND DECISION
(Family) M-G-M
The William Wister Haines play,
tremendously successful on Broad
way has been vastly improved
upon in this M-G-M version.
The roar of American bombers
and their daylight missions over
Germany, merely mentioned on
the stage, are shown in realistic
fashion on the screen. Barrack
room profanity, heavily featured
in the play, has been cut from
the screenplay. There is some
great writing by Haines and his
movie adaptors William R. Laid
law and George Froeschel.
The story shows a U. S. Air
Force headquarters in England
during the softening up of Nazi
Germany. Brigadier General K.
C. Dennis (Clark Gable), despite
frightful losses orders his bombers
to maximum daylight missions
over vital Nazi plane factory tar
gets. His superior, Major Gener
al Kane (Walter Pidgeon), orders
him to cease. He needs only a
further day or two to demolish
factories producing a deadly new
Nazi plane. A couple of Congress
men (Edward Arnold and Moroni
Olsen) arrive at base on a tour of
inspection. Highly-placed “brass”
wishes to call off the offensive
and keep losses low in order to
impress the politicians. “Casey”
Dennis knows that any such sub
terfuge may cost more lives in
the long rim and probably lengthen
the war. He risks his career, car
ries through the offensive, defies
politicians and pandereTs and wins
victory.
There are some wonderful per.
formances in the picture. Pidgeon
particularly may win an Academy
nomination. Gable, Van Johnson,
Brian Donlevy, Charles Biskford,
John Hodiak, Clinton Sundberg
and Marshall Thompson are espe
cially fine and Sam Wood’s diree
tion makes the best of every dra
matic situation. There are many.
The conflict of ideals is skillfully
presented so as to uphold the dig
nity of the service and fair re
spect for discipline. There is to
be a whole cycle of war films of
this type, but it is difficult to
imagine any of them surpassing
this one for dramatic power and
literary integrity. It is a man’s
picture most of the ladies are sure
to like.
Miss Madill, Legion of Mary Promoter
Finds Cordial Welcome In Diocese
NAZARETH. — During the past week, Miss Delphiao
Madill, contacted twenty-one pastors in her effort to interest
parish groups in becoming affiliated with the Legion of Mary
program. Using the Catholic Orphanage here, as her head
quarters, the enterprising promoter made flying trips to par
ishes largely located in the Raleigh deanery. She is very much
enthused over the process of establishing the Legion in parishes
where it is conducive to do so.
“All the pastors have given a
gracious welcome to me when I
come ringing their doorbell to in
terest them in the Legion’s activi
ties. I have made arrangements
to return and meet a few parish
ioners with their pastor in many
places,” said Miss Madill. “The
past week has been quite memora
ble for me, for North Carolina is
certainly keeping up with tradi.
tion of gracious hospitality. That
was what I met at every doorbell
I rang.”
The activities of the Legion of
Mary appeals to any adult regard
less of his Catholic background. All
the legionnaires I know are Catho
lic lay people who have a busy
schedule of daily activity yet, they
seek to honor the Blessed Virgin
Mary by a few hours of devoting
their efforts in her behalf each
week. The obligations are not too
demanding for the ordinary busy
person to belong,” commented Miss
Madill.
J
Two meetings have already been
held in Raleigh which were direct
ed by Miss Madill. One at Cathe
dral and the other at St. Monica’s.
Towns in which Miss Madill con
tacted pastors, are as follows:
Smithfield, Goldsboro, Kinston,
Greenville, Farmville, Wilson,
Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Roanoke
Rapids, Henderson, Wake Forest,
Durham, Chapel Hill, Newton
Grove, Dunn, Fayetteville, Clay
ton.
Elected President
NEW BERN—At a recent meet
ing of the Senior Women’s Auxil
iary of St. Paul’s Parish here, Mrs.
Philip A. Fecher, Secretary-Treas
urer of the North Carolina Cath
olic Layman’s Association, was e
lected President for the current
year.
' —V
CAROLINA
RIM & WHEEL CO.
Graham at 6th St.—Charlotte
821-325 S. Blount St.—Raleigh
United Automotive Service
118-124 N. Main St.—Winston-Salem
SPECIALIZED AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE