Protestant· Leaders for School Aid PROVIDENCE (NC)-Nine Protestant church leaders have issued a statement urging "the Protestant community to stop acting as though its only concern was the destruction of the Roman Catholic school system and starting acting in trust toward our Roman Catholic brethren." The Protestant churchmen suggested to the R. I. General Assembly that public funds could "become available for the education of all the children within the state" in' accordance with the U. S. Constitution. In Boston, meanwhile, Rev. Paul L. Sturges, executive minister of the Massachusetts Baptist Convention, told the State Legislature: "We cannot oppose 'I< * >I< public monies being used for the support of non-public or religious schools, provided that the leaders of schools seeking such
Cha rities ApP'ea I Initial Phase Is Underway A dedicated volunteer group of Special Gift solicitors, numbering over 600, is in the midst of the first phase of the Catholic Charities Appeal which ends Saturday, May 3. Over 2,225 contacts will be made with professional, business, fraternal and industry leaders who have been' afforded the opportunity of contributing to 31 agencies of the Catholic Diocese of Fall River' which render social and charitable ser· vices for all people of the community. Attorney James H. Smith of Falmouth, Appeal Lay Chairman said today: "The first returns of Special Gifts are heartening. This indicates a cordial reception to the solicitors and a generous response to the needs of charity by the donors." Atty. Smith noted that every year the generosity of the do'''''''''''''"''''''"'''I1II'''U''''''''''"II'''' 1111111111111110'"
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nors to the Special Gifts serves as a barometer for the expected increased giving when the second phase, the House-to-House Appeal, is made on Sunday, May
4. The special gift solicitors, making returns speedily, hope to have their contacts made and their returns filed at their respective area headquarters by Saturday, May 3. The slogan of the 1969 Appeal is: "Every gift makes a difference." The solicitors find this theme appealing to the contributors thus far approached in the Special Gifts campaign. Each gift counts to the thousands of people who are helped in the 31 appeal services. Efforts for an increase in giving must be made to meet ris,ing maintenance costs and to provide new services to be started by the Most Rev. James L. Connolly, honorary chairman, who is planning a new St. Vincent's Home in fall River, a functioning Nazareth School for the exceptional 'children in Attleboro, a new camp in Mashpee for the Turn to Page Fourteen
support are willing to accept the obligation involved in the acceptance." The Rhode Island Protestanf leaders said their statement was made "to deny any impression that Protestants are united in
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their opposition" to a bill in the State General Assembly, which would provide salary supplements to non-public school teachers. Under the bill, the state would pay about one-third of the sal-
aries of non-public schoo! teachers of exclusively secular subjects. Father Edward W. K. Mullen, superintendent of Providence's financially troubled Catholic school system, believes passage of the bill will slow
-- City Asks Church Help
QUINCY (NC)-A rift between a Wollaston pastor and the religious community which staffs an elementary parochial school may result in the closing of the educational institution-a result that has municipal officials-and, particularly Mayor -J. Vincent Smyth -screaming. The city fathers are taking no sides in the tilt between Msgr. Walter J. Leach and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. The Mayor's concern is for
the financial and educational crisis if the 900-pupil school
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ANCHOR Vol. 13, No. 17, Apr. 24, 1969 Price 10c $4.00 per Year © 1969 The Anchor
closes. The Mayor's feeling is indicated by his request for an immediate meeting with Richard Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston. The future of the school has been in doubt since late December, when the nuns notified Supt. of Schools Dr. Lawrence P. ICreedon that they would be leaving at the end of the current academic year. Supt. Creedon said the nuns told him the reason they were leaving was "the lack of coopTurn to Page Fourteen
New Unity Moderator The Most Reverend Bishop today appointed Rev.· Cornelius J. O'Neill, assistant pastor of S1. ,Pall! Church, Taunton, as the Moderator of the Diocesan Commission for Christian Unity. Father O'Neill succeeds the Rt. Rev. Henri A. Hamel, pastor of St. Jean-Baptiste Church, Fall River, who has served as chairman of the commission and who will remain a member of the same group. The Taunton priest was ordained a priest on June 3, 1950. He is the son of the late Patrick J. and Sarah J. (Coogan) O'Neill and the brother of Rev. Patrick J. O'Neill, Diocesan Superintendent of Schools. A graduate of Sacred Heart
fRo CORNELIUS J. ONEILL
School in Fall River and of Msgr. James Coyle High School in Taunton, he studied for the priesthood at St. Charles Seminary in Catonsville, Md. and St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. Ordained to the Priesthood by Bishop Connolly, then auxiliary bishop of Fall .River, he has since served at St. Margaret Church, Buzzards Bay; Sacred Heart Church, Oak Bluffs; Holy Ghost Church, Attleboro; St. Joseph Church, Taunton; and St. Augustine Church, Vineyard Haven. Father O'Neill is also the Taunton Area Moderator of the DCCW; the Taunton Moderator of the Particular Council of St. Vincent de Paul; Pro-Synodal Judge of the Matrimonial Tribunal; and Judge of the Diocesan Tribunal.
Chaplain Chief Backs Vietnam Policy SEATTLE (NC)-"This world is not now and never will be a flower garden," Msgr. (Maj. Gen.) Francis Sampson, Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army, told 400 delegates at the Military Chaplains Association convention here. "War goes on continually," he added "wars· against individuals, against forces of injustice, against forces of graft and against forces of corruptions. Although we don't like to fight, this is all the more reason we don't lie down and let these forces take over." The monsignor said "I'm satisfied the Vietnam War is a just policy." In an interview, he praised today's military men and compared them to the soldiers of World War II and Korea. Today's men are better educated, he said, and are "better led," They take to military life "with much less moaning and groaning than did the men during World War II and Korea."
Msgr. Sampson declared: "Chaplains are neither drum beaters for the service, nor recruiters. We are not designated as national policy exponents and we're not propaganda agents. We're chaplains because we want to give men the opportu-
See Serra Story - Page Three nity for free exercise of their religion," he said. Msgr. Sampson said the dissidence of today's youth is nothing new. "We've always had a violent segment relating to the military establishment," he said, recalling desertions during the Revolu-
Ordination The Most Reverend Bish· op has announced that at the ordination to the priesthood which will take place in St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River, on Saturday, May 3, all priests who are present at the ceremony may celebrate the Mass with the Bishop and the six newlyordained priests. Those who concelebrate are asked to bring amices, albs, cinctures and stoles and will concelebrate from their places in the Cathedral.
tionary, Civil and Spanish American Wars. "Sometimes there weren't enough men left in an outfit to fight a battle." "But," he added, "I can't conceive of today's dissidents representing any sizeable proportion of their age groups, because today's men in ojJr services adapt them selves so well." Highlight of the four-day convention was presentation of the National Citizenship Award to Turn to Page Fourteen
down, though not halt, the retrenchment of parochial schools in Rhode Island. The statement of the nine Protestant clergymen followed one by Episcopal Bishop John S. Higgins of Rhode Island, longtime opponent of aid to parochial schools. Bishop Higgins said the salary supplement bill is "immoral" legIslation, because some private schools it would benefit do not need assistance, noting there are about six private schools in Rhode Island that are financially independent and would not need state funds. "We believe the argument being raised about the 'Immorality' of teacher-support to certain 'rich' private schools to be nothing more than a 'red herring. '" the nine Protestant leaders stressed. They also took issue with another argument made by some Turn to Page Fifteen
30 Philosophers Deplore Church Unity Thr'eat NEW YORK (NC)-Thirty Catholic philosophers attending the American Catholic Philosophical Association's annual meeting here have issued a statement pledging their allegiance to the Pope and deploring what they described as current threats to Church unity. The statement said: "We reaffirm our allegiance to the Pontiff. We support h.im in his efforts to bring about internal peace in the Church and to promote a greater degree of orderly freedom. "Despite the present turmoil, we are confident about the final outcome. The oldest institution of the Western world may be undergoing a crisis, but we do not believe it is destined to succumb to current ephemeral winds of doctrine or to a rebellious minority of its children." The signers are convinced that Pope Paul is trying to expand freedom within the Church and added that such an effort is "imperiled by disruptive forces." The four past presidents 'who signed the statement are: Father Leo R. Ward, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame; Dr. Vincent E. Smith of Columbia University; Dr. Francis E. McMahon, lecturer in Philosophy at. Roosevelt University in Chicago and Dr. Vernon Bourke ofSt. Louis University.
Conference President Says Meeting, Positive, Realistic HOUSTON (NC)-At the closing session of their semiannual meeting here, the U. S. bishops approved issuance at the earliest possible date of a statement reaffirming their commitment to retain priestly celibacy and restated with "strong conviction and growing concern our opposition Dearden of Detroit, National to abortion." The bishops Conference of Catholic Bishops president, was asked at a closalso urged Congress to ex- ing news briefing about the tend the Nation\ll Labor Relations Act to agricultural workers, pointing out the farm workers' strike is now entering its fourth year, and heard Auxiliary Bishop William E. McManus of Chicago discuss Church and education. Cardinal-designate John F.
"tone" of the meeting. He said: "Generally, it has been very positive and I think we can say it has been realistic. Basically we have accomplished most of the things we set ourselves to do." Turn to Page Eighteen