The Catholic times. [volume], February 11, 1955, Image 1

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Vol. IV, No. 19
Orphanage Begins
81st Year Serving
Community’s Needs
Saint Vincent’s Orphanage is entering its 81st year of
service to the community.
Eighty years ago, early in February, 1875, the doors of the
institution first opened when ten little girls were received at
Saint Vincent’s and placed under the care of the Franciscan
Sisters. Three Sisters had arrived in Columbus on February
22, 1875 to take charge of the home.
Father J. O. Goldschmidt was ap-‘
pointed the first director and chap
lain of Saint Vincent’s Orphan Asy
lum, as it was then called, in De
cember, 1876. Writing to he
priests of the diocese. Father Gold
schmidt appealed for their coopera
tion in helping to meet the needs
of the orphanage.
“There are at present sixty-five
children at the Asylum.” he wrote,
“and it will be impossible to keep
up the institution and provide the
necessaries of life for those dear
little ones of Christ unless we have
your hearty cooperation and the
efficient aid of your congrega
tions.”
Father Goldschmidt's appeal was
based on a letter Bishop Rose
crans had sent to the priests in
which he announced the opening
of the Orphanage and asked that
help be given through spontane-
Education Is
Precious Right,
Prelate Says
WASHINGTON, D. C.—(NC)
Freedom of education is
one of this nation’s most pre
cious rights, closely allied to
the freedoms of religion,
speech and assembly. Bishop
Lawrence J. Shehan of Bridge
port, Conn., said here at the
annual Red Mass.
Like all freedoms, the Bishop
told a congregation which included
Chief Justice Earl A- Warren of
the U.S. Supreme Court, freedom
of education can be hampered and
even destroyed by a lack
tice. He declared:
“Justice would seem to
recognition of the public
involved in all properly qualified
educational programs carried on
by private groups and voluntary as
sociations.”
of jus-
require
service
It cannot be denied that the
State has a legitimate and neces
sary concern with education, the
prelate told the congregation in
St. Matthew’s Cathedral here.
"Yet it seems to many of us
that the exclusive support by th*
government of a state system of
education of ever-increasing cost
liness can in the long run ser
iously hamper and ultimately de.
stroy real freedom of education,"
he stated
in some places today, the Bish
op declared it seems that freedom
of education is already threatened.
This is #o in the case of the man
of moderate or small means who
wants to give his child an educa
tion which includes religious in
struction and makes this an in
tegral part of the course of studies.
He is hampered in exercising
(Continued on Page 2)
ous gifts and bequests and through
the Orphans’ Societies which the
congregations were asked to estab
lish.
During World War I, the Sis
tars at St. Vincent's were caring
for more than 300 children living
at the home. As late a* 1945 the
orphanage cared for more than
225 youngsters.
Following the establishment of
the Catholic Welfare Bureau, the
number of children cared for at
St. Vincent’s was reduced. The fos
ter^home plan was developed and
it was found, too, that in many
cases the parents or other relatives
of the children
for them.
were able to care
growing needs of
additions to the
To meet the
the institution, _______ __
original building were constructed
on three separate occasions. The
first addition was completed in
1876. Later, in 1883 and in 1893,
the final dormitories and school
rooms were built. The auditorium
gymnasium was added in 1911.
The Sisters of Saint Francis of
Penance and Christian Charity
have conducted, the institution
since its founding and their Chron
ical lists some of the difficulties
which were encountered in the ear
ly years of the orphanage. The lack
of water was a serious problem.
When water was needed on the
fourth floor, it was carried in buck
ets.
Pot-bellied stoves were used to
heat the original building and coal
was carried in buckets from room
to room.
For the first few year* after
th* orphanage was opened, th*
Sisters and youngsters enjoyed a
country life. There was an or
chard on the Bryden Road side
of the institution where smell
herd of cow* grezed. The Sisters
did the baking, repaired shoes,
cut hair and performed many
other similar tasks.
For a number of years prior to
the founding of Saint John the
Evangelist and Holy Rosary parish
es, the chapel at St. Vincent’s was
used as a parish church and more
than 100 children from the immedi
(Continued on Page 2)
Ike Seeks 87 Billion
For Public Schooling
WASHINGTON—(NC)—President Eisenhower has recom
mended to Congress a $7-billion emergency public school
building program over the next three years and fixed the fed
eral government’s contribution to the program at $1,100,000,
000.
In a special message to Congress, the President outlined
a four-point program, involving:
1. $750-million for use in the
next three years for purchase by
the federal government of school
bonds issued by local communities
handicapped in selling such bonds
at a reasonable rate of interest.
2. Expansion of the state-wide
school building agencies and au
thorization by Congress of the nec.
essary federal participation in this
plan so the state agencies can
build within the next three years
$6-billion worth of new schools.
3. Authorization by Congress of
$200-million for a three-year pro
gram of grants for school districts
which proved need and lack of lo
cal income.
4 A total authorization of $20
million with an appropriation of
$5-million for the *irst year of a
three-year program of grants for
administrative costs of state pro
grams
The President emphasized in his
message the cursnt and critical
needs of the nation’s public
schools. He said:
"The latest information sub
mitted by th* States to th* Of
fice of Education indicates that
there is a deficit of more than
300,000 classrooms, a legacy—in
part—of th* years of war and
defense mobilization when con
struction had to be curtailed. In
addition, to keep up with mount
ing enrollments, tti* nation must
build at least 50,000 new ele
mentary and high school class
rooms yearly." It must also re
place the thousands of class
rooms which become unsafe and
otherwise unusable '.ach year."
The President said that during
the current year some 60.000 new
classrooms are being built and that
the capital outlay for public school
construction will reach an all-time
high of $2-billion this year He said
over the last five years, there has
been more than $7-billion expend
ed in new construction for 6,750,000
public school pupils but that dur
ing these years more than 5,500.000
additional pupils have enrolled in
the schools.
“Thus the rate of construction has
more than kept pace with mount
ing enrollment,” the President
said. “But it has only slightly re
duced the total classroom deficit.
“As a consequence, millions of
children still attend schools which
are unsafe or which permit learn
ing only part-time or under condi
tions of serious over-crowding To
build satisfactory class-rooms for
all our children, the current rate
of school building must be multi
plied sharply and this increase
must be sustained.”
The President stressed that fun.
damentally the remedy lies with
the states and their communities.
orse Than Communism
It is generally conceded that the
masons are not as strong now as
they were two decades ago, but
their strength remains considerable.
It is estimated that 15 per cent of
all the professional men in Guate
mala are Masons. They are said to
be particularly well entrenched in
the legal and political professions
and in the army. Total membership
is estimated at no less than 10,000.
Reportedly President Castillo’s
NCCW Asks Senators
About Bill Authorizing
Aid to Public Schools
WASHINGTON (NC) A letter asking several point
ed questions about Senate Bill No. 5, authorizing $500-millions
a year for the next two years to help States erect public
schools, has been addressed to every member of the U.S. Sen
ate on behalf of the members of the board of directors of the
National Council of Catholic Women.
The letter, which will become a
part of the record of hearings on
Senate Bill No. 5, pointed out that
most of the NCCW members, who
number eight million, are mothers
of school children, and said:
“We share your concern, Sen
ator, about the need for more
teachers, new buildings and equip
ment. We know how much these
items cost because we are paying
high taxes for public schools and
then we pay again to take care of
our parochial schools. We feel we
know a
cost of
good deal about the high
modern education.”
letter pointed out that
Th.
Bill No. 5 forbids the
Senate
States to use any federal money
for any kind of a nonpublic
school building regardless of how
badly it may be needed or for
what service it may render in a
particular city or town. The let.
ter then asked these questions.
“We have noted that the bill au
thorizes an appropriation not to
exceed $500-million a year
Where may we find the evidence
to show that approximately $500
million are needed to help the
States meet their emergency build,
ing needs? Frankly, we cannot es
cape the impression that $500
million may be a ‘round figure’
chosen at random as a means to in
itiate a much larger program of
federal spending, perhaps much
larger than needed, for public
school buildings. Is this impression
correct?
“S. 5 would allocate funds to the
States on the basis of their total
school-age population, ages 5-17.
This would mean that non-public
school children would be ‘counted
in’ for the purpose of giving fed
eral money to the States but would
be ‘counted out’ by the States when
they spend the funds for public
schools exclusively- This arrange
ment would permit States with
many children in nonpublic schools
(Continued on Page 2)
The ^ainolic Times
Columbus 16, Ohio, Friday, February 11, 1955
New Holy Name School
The new Holy Name School, pictured above, was opened officially this past week pro
viding facilities for 320 students in grades one through eight. Designed by Floyd F. Glass,
Columbus architect, the one-story structure is located at 154 E. Patterson Ave., the site of
the old church school. The general contractor was Sever-Williams Co. of Washington C. H.
Masonry in Guatemala Blocks
Spreading of Christian Ideals
By Elmer Vonn Feldt
(S'/aff Writer N.C.W.C. News Service)
The author of the following article is a member of the N. W. C. foreign news desk and recently
returned from a visit to Guatemala, where he talked to civil and Church officials, including the Papal
Nuncio and the Archbishop of Guatemala.
Freemasonry in Guatemala now presents a greater block than communism to the ex
pression of Christian ideals in the country’s new constitution.
This appraisal of masonry in the Central American country was given by a number
of well informed persons.
Archbishop Mariano Rossell of Guatemala City empia,
America differs greatly from that in the United States.
"Guatemalan Masonry," the
prelate declared, "is actively sec
tarian. It is opposed to the
Church, the clergy, Christianity
and all religion. It is determined
to exclude the Church and re
ligion from public life."
Masonry has been dominant in
Guatemalan politics since 1870. It
practically controlled the country’s
government from that time until
1945, when tty= last distatorship
was overthrown by a leftist coali
tion.
friendly gestures to religion and
the Church during and immediate
ly after the revolt prompted some
Masons to start a whispering cam
paign charging that the Church was
trying to use Castillo to establish
a “clerical dictatorship.”
The campaign took on such pro
portions that Archbishop Rossell
felt compelled to issue a public de
nial of these charges less than two
months after the revolution.
"The Church in Guatemala
does not seek privileges," the
Archbishop declared. "She seeks
only an atmosphere of freedom
for the spread of her religious,
moral and social doctrine
“The Church in Guatemala has
never taken over the power of the
state. On the contrary, it has been
the state which has systematically
robbed the Church of her goods,
sought to interfere in the appoint
ment of her ministers, prohibited
her from exercising influence in
labor questions, and even dared to
impose on her rules for preaching.”
One high Church official pointed
out that even Catholics who mis
takenly believe they are still loyal
to the Church have joined the Ma-
Though there have been several
minor difficulties which have at
times led to a lack of confidence in
the government, the general po
litical situation of the country has
shown a definite improvement—
something that seemed impossible
after the elections of June, 1953.
There Is reason to think that
the stability and efficiency of the
government has caused a weak
ening of the Communist Party in
Italy in its rank-and-file member
ship not among the party lead
ers as some mistakenly think.
The past year has seen an im
provement in the national budget,
a decrease in the national debt, a
growth in savings and deposits, and
a wider use of American aid.
The credit for all this goes first
to Premier Scelba who, because of
his strong and sincerely democrat
ic convictions, has been the man
of the hour. He has succeeded in
composing the differences that
have cropped up among the four
parties represented in the coalition
government.
It can now be said that the Chris
tian Democratic party has definite
ly recovered from the internal
crisis it suffered as a result of the
June, 1953 election setback. There
are still some tensions, and inner
contradictions, but the party is now
again well organized and disciplin
ed. Its members have a healthy
spirit of unity
sponsibility.
and personal re­
important factor
present compara-
The second
explaining the
lively healthy state of Italian po
litical life is the relative growth
of democratic labor unions and
the corresponding decline of the
communist-controlled unions.
ized that masonry in Centra]
sons in Guatemala. These Catho
lics are persuaded to do this, he ex
plained, because they receive a Ma
sonic promise that it will help
them in their career.
It was also noted that many
Catholics in Gutemala are taint
ed by the "liberlistic" ideology
of the Central American Masons.
This ideology has dominated all
state institutions for most of the
*past century. It has two basic
traits:
In the religious field it is anti
clerical and anti-religious, choosing
to regard the Church as a natural
enemy which tries to obtain a
stranglehold on the country’s intel
lectual and cultural life.
In the economic field this liber
alistic philosophy espouses a self
ish, individualist capitalism which
completely disregards the common
good.
There appears no doubt that ma
sonry is still a potent force in
Guatemala. The full extent of its
power and its anti-clerical bias may
be revealed in forthcoming debates
and votes of the constituent assem
bly now’ trying to frame a new con
stitution.
Italian Political Situation Held
Better Under Premier Scelba
The author of the following article is a member of the editorial staff of Osservature Romano,
Vatican City daily. K
By Federico Alessandrini
ROME__(NC) When the coalition government headed by Premier Mario Scelba
came to power on February 10, 1954, most observers of the stormy Italian political scene
predicted its existence would be brief and difficult. Today, a year later, the Scelba govern
ment is still in power, and, barring unforeseen troubles, will remain at the helm at least un
til the presidential elections in May.
more that the communist-dominat
ed trade union federation is much
more interested in political action
in favor of the Communist Party
than in strict trade unionism in
the workers’ interest.
Such external factors as the Par
is agreement to rearm Germany,
and the general impression that
the Western World has taken the
initiative away from the Soviets
have had a negative effect on the
Italian Communist Party. If this
‘Strolling Priest9
Dies At Latrobe
LATROBE, Pa. (NC) They
buried St. Vincent College’s belov
ed “strolling priest” in the college
cemetery here following a Requiem
Mass in the St. Vincent Archabbey
Church.
He was Father Walter Stehle,
O.S.B., 86, who had been a priest
for more than 60 years. He was
emeritus professor of English at
the college and had occupied many
high posts at the institution. He
died here (Feb. 4) as the result of
injuries received in a fall and com
plications.
A native of Bodnegg. Wuerttem
berg, Germany, Father Stehle was
ordained on July 11, 1894. He serv
ed at parishes in Carrolltown, Pa.,
Baltimore and Pittsburgh before
coming here to the college in 1910.
He became known as “the stroll
ing priest” because of his habit of
taking walks to nearby towns such
as Johnstown and Greensburg and
back—a custom ne continued until
shortly before the fatal fall. He al
ways was remembered by his stu
dents for his much repeated advice
Workers are realizing more and i —-“Never any gains without pains.1
ious damage
Father Ellis, who is professor of
American Church History at the
Catholic University of America and
secretary of the American Catho
lic Historical Association, asserted
that “nothing is to be gained by de
nying the fact” that Catholics dif
fer with a large segment of other
Americans on such quesions as di
vorce, birth control and censorship
of the films and magazines. “What
is important.’’ he said, “is to keep
in mind that Catholics hold these
views from deep religious convic
tions.”
Despite these very real differ
ences, he said, "the fundamental
principle of separation of Church
and State has always been ac
cepted by the American hier
archy from the time of Arch
bishop
Carroll to our own day."
where the controversy is
he said:
depends entirely upon the
As to
headed,
“That
temper in which it is discussed.” A
calm and deliberate approach to
the problem will redound to the
benefit of all concerned, he added.
"But if the matter is left in
the hands of those whose out
look is obscured by prejudice,"
he continued, "we can look for
ward to nothing better than an
increase of the bitterness and
hate which have divided men on
this question during the past
decade. Unfortunately, we Amer
icans have never learned, as one
of the keenest of our foreign
critics has said of us, to discuss
delicate issues of this nature on
any other level than at the top
of our voice."
In tracing the development of
the Church in recent decade*. Fa
ther Ellis asserted that “one of the
most significant and enduring ef
fects of 'World War I” was the
foundation of the National Cath
olic War Council, later NCWC.
Father Ellis said that of the five
original N.C.W.C. departments, the
Social Action Department is “the
one that has probably’ impinged
more than any other on the nation
al consciousness.” This, he indicat
ed, was due primarily to the late
Msgr. John A. Ryan, longtime di
rector of the department.
In instances of Monsignor Ry
an's influence, he said, was
pamphlet on social reconstruc
tion issued by the Bishops of
the administrative committee in
1919. It presented a detailed set
of principles and suggestions on
effect should become more evident,
it would be extremely significant.
The picture in Italy today seems
one to justify prudent optimism.
Church-State Question
Needs Calm Approach,
Top Historian Asserts
CHICAGO (NC) One of America’s top Catholic historians declared that if the solu
tion of the controversy over U.S. church-state relationships is left to those whose outlook is
“obscured by prejudice,” only bitterness and hate will result.
Father John Tracy Ellis, in the last four addresses at the University of Chicago, declared
that persons who impute “base motives” to Catholics for their opinions and actions do “ser
Im 1c /'Inmnrtn
1
such subjects as the need for a
minimum wage, unemployment,
sickness and old age insurance,
legal enforcement of the right of
labor to organize, and the need
for a public housing program.
Father Ellis said that “these mat
ters are today so much a common
place in American life that it is dif
ficult to comprehend the reaction
which this document aroused But
he noted that some thought it “so
radical” that the president of the
National Association of Manufac
turers protested to Cardinal Gib
bons against “partisan, pro-labor
union, socialistic propaganda under
the official insignia of the Roman
Catholic Church in America.”
In the course of his lecture. Fa
ther Ellis made these other points:
"That in proportion to their
numbers, American Cath o I ice
since 1900 have exercised no
where near the leadership and
influence, or attained the nation
al prominence, that might be ex-
In answer, Bradbury, a member
of Holy Cross parish, wrote:
"There has never been a pub
lic contention made by decent
people that these schools are not
American. Religious e edom,
Tacheii Evacuees
Aided by Catholic
Relief Workers
TAIPEI, Formosa—(NC)—Ameri
can Catholic relief workers got
quickly into action in Keelung, port
city near here, as the first batch
of civilian evacuees fleeing the
threat of Chinese communist inva
sion arrived from the Tachen Is
lands, 200 miles north of Formosa.
As the first thousand evacuees
arrived in the port, they were pro
vided with food and clothing ship
ped here by War Relief Services—
National Catholic Welfare Confer
ence.
“A shipment of clothes donated
during the American Bishops’
Thanksgiving drive came in the
nick of time,” said Fathet Frank
J. O’Neill, War Relief Services’
representative in Formosa. He was
referring to a consignment of 12,
000 bales of clothing and shoes.
Oldest Printed Bible
Among th* many displays of old Bibles exhibited during Bible Week is the rare Constance Missal, a
recent acquisition of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. It is one of three recorded copies ex
tant. Printed some time around 1450, scholars after year* of debate concede that it precedes the famed
Gutenberg Bible by six years and is believed by some to be th* work of Johann Gutenberg. Printed in
red and black ink, th* Morgan Library copy was originally owned by the Capuchin Monastery, Romont,
Switzerland.
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pected of thorn." This ho attrib
uted to preoccupation with immi
grants the "non-intellectual" en
vironment of America, and with
it, "the absence of an awareness
among prominent and wealthy
Catholics of ths value attaching
to intellectual achievement" and
"discrimination against Catholics
to keep them out of posts of
leadership, regardless of their
merits."
“As a result of large-scale immi
gration, the American Church
finds its racial and national strains
the most varied of all the branches
of the Universal Church, while nu
merically it is the third largest
body of Catholics in the world, ex
ceeded only by those of Brazil and
Italy.”
“Official Catholic population fig
ures in the United States are un
derestimated. and instead of the
31,648.424 given out last year, the
figure mav indeed be nearer to
40.000,000.”
Ohio Editor Defends
Catholic School System
GLOUSTER, O (NO “I send my children to a
Catholic school to better prepare them spiritually for their
journey through life to the ultimate goal of everlasting happi
ness in the life hereafter.”
With these words, Carl P. Bradbury, editor and publisher
of the Press, a local newspaper here, defended his religious
freedom and the Catholic school system from an attack of an
anonymous “Reader of the Press.”
Incensed over Bradbury’s posi
tion on an issue involving proposed
consolidation of Glouster and Trim
ble Township Schools, the reader,
taking no stand himself, attacked
the editor for having removed his
“children out of our American
schools” and sending them to
“schools whose executive head re
sides in Rome.”
the right to worship as one sees
fit, is still a guarantee of the
Constitution of the United States,
a fact which makes America
great."
The Press editor stated that hi*
decision to send his children to St.
Bernard’s School in Corning
not based on a dislike for
Glouster schools. “I think
Glouster and Trimble schools
fine as they are, but would be bet
ter if consolidated,” he said. “And
a good many local people agree.”
was
the
the
Chiding the reader for his “in
tolerant comment,” Bradbury add
ed:
“It’s people like you who like to
stir up religious trouble in a town
and try to put one group in conflict
against another.”
After the letter and rebuttal had
appeared, the Press editor com
mented that “there are many,
many people here of all faiths
who complimented me on my
stand.”
o-------------
Beatification Cause for
Pius IX Progressing
VATICAN CITY (Radio, NC)
—The seventy-seventh anniversary
of the death of Pope Pius IX (Feb.
7, 1878) finds the cause of his be
atification progressing very satis
factorily, according to informed
persons here.
Last December, the Sacred Con
gregation of Rites unanimously ap
proved the introduction of the be
atification cause of Pius IX. During
his pontificate the dogmas of the
Immaculate Conception (1854) and
of Papal Infallibility (1870) were
formally defined.