Lauds Encyclical
As Most Dynamic
NOTRE DAME, Ind. _(NC)—
The Encyclical Mater et Magistra
“is the most dynamic and effective
anticommunist document ever to
come from the Holy See,” a priest
editor said here.
This is true because of the En
cyclical’s “dominantly positive ap
proach to the life-and-death chal
lenges of our times,” said Father
Benjamin L. Masse, S.J., associate
editor of America, national Cath
olic weekly review. He spoke
(May 6) at a symposium sponsored
by Notre Dame University’s econo
mics department.
The Jesuit editor told some 200
persons attending the symposium
that part of the “turbulent scene”
of this era is the tremendous im
pact of science and industry on
agriculture, plus the “twin threats
of communism and nuclear war.”
See Encyclical, page 6A
Congratulations!
Our Sunday Visitor
Today marks the 50th an
niversary since the first issue of
Our Sunday Visitor appeared.
Read the story of Archbishop
Noll’s little Sunday Bulletin
which became the national
Catholic weekly with a circula
tion of 1 million. (OSV, p. 1)
Also (OSV, p. 4) read the sec
ond installment of the life of St.
Martin de Porres; it’s almost a
revelation.
BISHOP’S RESIDENCE
600 Bilyeu Street
Raleigh, North Carolina
April 30, 1962
One of the most beloved words in any language is the name
of “Mother.” With the sounding of that word there comes before
the mind’s eye all those dear relationships between mother and
child, and the response of the child to the love of the mother.
Fathers and mothers are unique gifts of God, and planned es
pecially for each of us by His own Infinite Intelligence and In
finite loving Heart. According to a very wonderful custom, this
year on the 13th of May we celebrate in this country Mother’s
‘ Day, on which we think of our own mothers here on earth or
vthose who have already gone to God. Among these mothers, of
course, is the Mother of us all, who became so by giving birth to
the Eternal Son of God. She is the greatest gift of Our Blessed
, Lord to the world and the Ideal of every virgin and mother on
earth.
On this day in North Carolina, we think also of the needs of
our Bureau of Catholic Social Services which is trying to supply
*or the needy families and children of those families the love,
J %e direction, the supervision, and the idealism possessed by a
ood, human mother, with all the spirituality which we try to
nitate in the Mother of God.
Monsignor Begley, our Diocesan Director of Catholic Social
Services, with the help of Father Donohue, Sister Amadeus, and
the other Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity are
kept busy the year around, providing foster homes, maternity
' care, counseling, and actual clothes, food, and support, for many
hundred cases of needy people throughout the Diocese of Raleigh.
Even with the small figure of 1% among the general population,
we Catholics, through the work of the Catholic Social Services,
are trying to give a service that would be worthy of some of the
larger Archdioceses of the country.
You, the people of this diocese, have been generous to this
needy expression of God’s love through our priests and sisters.
We hope that again this year, on the day on which we remember
our mothers in a special way, you will remember the agency
which is trying to be the mother of the poor and the needy in
i the Raleigh diocese, and be generous in your contribution to the
L collection which will be taken up in all the churches on May
13th, Mother’s Day.
Wishing each and every one of you God’s choicest blessings,
f remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,
l
Bishop of Raleigh
Council Seen
As Means
For Rebirth
OTTAWA, Ont. — (NC) — Cath
olics should not look upon the com
ing Second Vatican Council as a
“summit conference” among all
Christian religions but as a means
for the interior rebirth of the
Church, the administrative board
of the Canadian Catholic Confer
ence said here.
At the same time the 10 mem
bers of the hierarchy composing
the board said that priests and
laymen should not hesitate to give
their bishops suggestions in regard
to things they would like to see
discussed at the council.
The Bishops on the board of the
CCC, which is the secretariat of
the Canadian Hierarchy, stated
that Christian unity will undoubt
edly be an important concern of
the council. But they stressed that
the council must first consider a
preliminary question: “the interior
renewal of the Church.”
The statement first explains
what an ecumenical council is. It
then discusses the forthcoming
council and its relation to Chris
tian unity and the modern world.
It concludes with an explanation of
the duties of Christians in regard
to the council.
“An ecumencial council,” the
Bishops state, “is an assembly of
all the Bishops of the Catholic
Church who, in union with the
supreme head of the episcopal
body and under his authority,
gather to study questions of faith,
of morals, of discipline, of govern
ment, of ecclesiastical organization.
Besides, should the occasion arise,
they may define dogmas, enact
laws, and lay down directives for
the Christian way of life and for
the apostolate.”
In the council opening October
II, the statement continues, “the
Church will consider its own im
age, reaffirm its faith, and adapt
certain elements of its legislation
and sanctifying action to modern
circumstances.”
“The approaching council,” it
adds, “will facilitate the disclos
ure and application of appropriate
measures for the salvation of the
modern world.”
In speaking of the council’s ap
proach toward Christian unity, the
Canadian Bishops say:
“When discussing the council,
the Holy Father, Roman officials,
and the news sources of many
countries have stressed this idea of
the reunion of all Christians. At
the same time, without lessening
their concern for Christian unity,
these same authorities point out
that there still remains a prelimi
nary question, namely, the interior
renewal of the Church.
MONSIGNOR FREEMAN, pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church
in Greensboro, seen with Bishop Vincent S. Waters and Fr.
Charles O’Connor, pastor of St. Mary’s Church, Wilmington,
attended the dedication of St. Mary’s in 1912 and preached at
the parish Golden Jubilee last Tuesday evening. (Photo, cour
tesy SECO)
Ilf' I_• J_ I 1
Wilmington Jubilee
Recalls Church Growth
WILMINGTON — As a young
seminarian the Reverend Mr.
Arthur Raine Freeman attended
the dedication of St. Mary
Church at Fifth and Ann on
April 28, 1912. This past Tues
day, May 1, Monsignor Free
man, new Vicar General of the
Raleigh Diocese, preached at
St. Mary’s Golden Anniversary
pontifical Mass, offered by
Bishop Vincent S. Waters.
“Today,” quoted the Monsignor,
“salvation is come to this house.”
He recalled the history of Catho
licity in this port city of North
Carolina: St. Thomas Church was
built in 1847; in 1868 Vicar Apos
tolic James Gibbons came to min
ister the scattered flock of 700
Catholics in North Carolina; Thom
as Frederick Price, founder of
Maryknoll, was ordained in St.
Thomas in 1886; in 1888, now as
Cardinal, James Gibbons preached
in St. Thomas at the installation of
Bishop Leo Haid, O.S.B., Vicar
Apostolic of North Carolina and
Abbot Ordinary of Belmont Abbey.
Again in 1912 Cardinal Gibbons
returned to Wilmington to preside
at the dedication of the new St.
Mary Church.
It was likewise in St. Thomas at
Wilmington that Cardinal Gibbons
in 1876 started writing his famous
exposition of Catholicism, “Faith
of Our Fathers.”
At the parish banquet which fol
lowed the Jubilee Mass, Bishop
GOLDEN JUBILEE for St. Mary’s Church, Wilmington, coin
cided with the Centennial of the Belmont Mercy Sisters who
arrived in the Tar Heel port in 1862 to nurse war and yellow
fever victims. They stayed on to take up the cause of educa
tion. Fr. Charles O’Connor, pastor of St. Mary’s, is shown giv
ing a check for $1,000 to Mother M. Benignus, a gift of thanks
from parish societies towards the Belmont motherhouse build
ing fund. Sisters Hildegard and Kathleen smile approval.
Parishioners of St. Mary’s gave hospitality to the many Mercy
teaching sisters who returned for the jubilee April 28. (Photo,
courtesy of SECO)
Vincent S. Waters congratulated
the Catholics of Wilmington for
their long tradition of loyalty,
faith, and devotion to the Church.
“Possibly,” said the Bishop, “the
first Mass in North Carolina was
offered a short distance from here
at one of the early Spanish settle
ments on the Cape Fear.”
For many years during the co
lonial era, the bishop continued,
this area was administered by the
Diocese of London, until the estab
lishment of Baltimore as a diocese.
In 1820 the Carolinas came un
der the newly founded episcopal
see of Charleston whose bishops
in those early days frequently
visited Wilmington.
“Finally the day came,” said
Bishop Waters in reference to the
appointment of James Gibbons as
Vicar Apostolic, “when a bishop
was sent to Wilmington. Then
Wilmington really was Catholic.”
Bishop Gibbons stayed on at
Wilmington, administering the
See Jubilee, page 7A
Clergy Meets
Scheduled
RALEIGH — Priests from
throughout North Carolina will
meet at four regional centers May
10 and May 17 for two-hour Educa
tion Research Institutes.
Following by two weeks the Na
tional Catholic Educational Con
vention in Detroit, the diocesan
wide workshops will aim at brief
ing the clergy on latest educational
techniques and problems.
Fathers James McSweeney, vice
chancellor, and Robert Wilken,
NCC editor, will conduct the May
10 institutes at Greensboro and
Raleigh.
Greensboro area clergy will meet
2—4 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace
Auditorium. At Raleigh the work
shop will be held in the Nazareth
Orphanage Auditorium.
Monsignor Edward Gilbert, di
ocesan superintendent of Schools
and his assistant, Fr. Rod O’Connor
will conduct the respective work
shops at Goldsboro St. Mary
School Auditorium, and at St. Ga
briel’s center in Charlotte.
25 Years In
The Vineyard
Fr. Stephen Sullivan,
pastor of Holy Angels
Church, Mt. Airy, ordain
ed May 22, 1937. Fr. John
Brown, pastor of St. Eu
gene’s Church in Ashe
ville, ordained May 22,
1937. Ad multos annos!