Catholic Interracialist 1949-06: Vol 9 Iss 2

de PORRES * i" a
HIP HOUSE

ATL. 0518

THE CATHOLIC INTRRRACIILISE=:

Formerly HARLEM FRIENDSHIP HOUSE NEWS

Vel. 9 Ne. 2

JUNE, 1949

New York, N. Y.

10 Cents

New Theatre Policy
in D. C.?

By Jacquelyn Crawford
HEN THE LITTLE The-'er, St. Vincent de Paul. It

atre

Washington recently adopted|ment of

in downtown was achieved through agree-

its stockholders,

— |
a policy of non-segregation, it | doubtless precipitated by the

widened a bit

further the! fact that one of the Catholic}

HOLIER THAN THOU

It Is Just As Bad to Be Anti-Southern
As It Is to Be Anti-Negro

NTIL I WENT to live in
North Carolina I had

breach in the wall of the color | Churches in Washington made|peen under the impression
barrier which had initially a request that colored people/ that “damyankee” was.an ob-

been broken by the Dupont | be allowed

to attend the

Theatre, situated in the center) showing of “Monsieur Vin-
of one of Washington’s reput-/| cent.”
Although both the Dupont

edly more exclusive sections.

The hitherto accepted prece-|

dent of segregation
downtown theatres of Wash-
ington has been challenged
both on a moral and a business
basis by the management poli-
cies of these two theatres.

in the}

The Dupont Theatre had|

been built by its former own-

er, J. Daniel Weitzman, with)
the idea of admitting both col-|

ored and white people. It is

understood that the Dupont)

had been an experiment in
race relations by Mr. Weitz-
man since the race issue was
especially bitter at the time

'
|
|
}
}

(Continued on page 6)

solete word. It seems I was
mistaken. Though I was born
and raised in Washington,
which, as everyone knows, is
below the Mason and Dixon

By VIRGINIA SOBOTKA

line, I had not been in the
“real” South very long before
I had been called a dam-
yankee several times. It usu-
ally went something like this:

“You damyankees are always |

coming down here and trying
to tell us how to treat the
niggers. Why don’t you let
ius handle our own affairs, etc.,
| etc. ?”

a man, they meant it when
| they said, “Why don’t you let
|us handle our own affairs?”

it may seem odd, even child-
'ish, to the northern mind for
a people to still be harboring
|}resentment over a war that
was fought over eighty years
ago but what the average
northerner cannot or will not
| bear in mind is that it is a
| great deal easier to be a good

The tone ranged from |
| pure banter to pure wrath but |
there was little doubt that, to)

southern neighbor is com-
pletely unjustified.

The white southerner’s at-
titude toward the Negro has
always been at once con-
descending and affectionate.
The white northerner’s inter-
ference has not removed the
condescension but it is turn-
ing the affection into bitter
resentment.

It is not my purpose here to
try to justify the southern at-
titude nor to advocate a com-
plete “hands off” policy on the
part of northerners. There are
still not enough southerners
(though more than you think)
in favor of needed reforms to
accomplish the job without
outside help. But if the north-
erner is to be a help rather
than a hindrance he will have
to drop his superior attitude.
To accomplish this it might

the theatre was built in winner than it is to be a good help . he would specs mes a
March, 1947. When the pres- loser. It is a whole lot easier a CCRC; OF Nene =
ent management, Lopert 'to forgive than it is to ask to ©° lective conscience of the

Films Incorporated, took over
this theatre in
1948, they continued a policy
which had already been prov-
en (atid is continually prov-

November, |

ing) from a human and busi-|

ness standpoint to have been
completely successful.
Significantly enough, the
policy of the Little Theatre to
admit Negroes began with the
showing of the movie “Mon-
sieur Vincent,” the life of the

great Christian social reform- |

| Capitalism

Atheistic! |

In an editorial appearing in
L’Osservatore Romano, Vati-
can Newspaper, editor in
chief, Count Giuseppe Dalla
Torre said that the spirit of
capitalism is fundamentally
more atheistic than “com-
munism which, as an economic
system, does not run counter
to the nature of Christian doc-
trine as strongly as capital-
ism.”

He went on to state that
capitalism “is atheistic in its
structure; gold is its God.”
Significantly, the editorial was
published simultaneously with

a meeting of Catholic Employ-

ers in Rome.

It was written as an attempt
to refute the widespread con-
tention that the Catholic
Church favors and supports
capitalism. The editorial as-
serted that nothing could be
farther from the truth and

that, in the eyes of the church, |

“capitalism is a social disease
and a pestilence.” Proof of

|

MEE

ST. PAUL

| beseech you, brethren, that you present your bodies

A living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God.

MISSION PRESS IN SOUTH
HITS HARD

‘Colored People led with 10
out of 18.

Catholic Mission publica-
tions in the South hit hard and
often the problem of Ameri-
can race prejudice. A high

is given to forthright discus-
sion of racial discrimination
and segregation.

To take a fey examples:
St. Augustine’s Messenger,
published by the Society of
the Divine Word, Bay St.

No account of interracial
activity in the South would

'be complete without mention
percentage of space in them

‘The North Carolina Catholic,

Louis, Mississippi, ran 9 ar- |

ticles out of a total of 16 ina
recent issue on _ interracial
justice with no holds barred.

The Colored Harvest, pub-
lished by the Josephite Fa-
thers, ran 8 articles out of a

*. XII on social questions,

of that vigorous weekly paper,

published by the North Caro-
lina Layman’s Association. In

every issue an editorial, news '

or feature article is devoted to
the cause of complete integra-
tion of the Negro in American
life.

These periodicals give cov-
erage to everything from dis-
crimination in medical facili-

ities to news of recent injus-

tices to Negros and advances

tin race relations in both Cath-

this, it stated, could be had by | total of 17 and Our Colored)

reading the papal encyclicals| Missions published in Ten-|

as well as the speeches of Pius|nessee by the Catholic Board
for Mission Work Among

a

Resneeeitenmaaee

|

olic and secular institutions,
with plenty of sound editori-
alizing on the Catholic Doc-

trine underlying interracial |

justice.

| be forgiven, especially if you
| have not been convinced that
| you owe an apology. Neither
|can he seem to remember that
‘his section has not been a
| very good winner. The way
| the South has been deliberate-
| ly held down economically is
| common knowledge The

“holier than thou” attitude
| which the northerner almost
‘invariably takes toward his
|

people of his section.

HILE LIVING in North

Carolina I attended sev-
eral retreats. Southern re-
treatants behave pretty much
the same as all retreatants ex-
cept that they took longer to
say their prayers. Most of
them kept the silence very
well. Some didn’t. But dur-
ing the periods when it was

(Continued on page 6)

THIS IS THE ANSWER!

By John Gavin Nolan
a FIRST INTERRACIAL | are still being studied to de-

monastery ever attempted

in the South
make progress.

Sponsored under Catholic
|auspices, the monastery will
_be a place where chosen men
, of both races can devote their
|lives to prayer and teaching,
}according to the monastic
| Rule.
| Four members of the Bene-
| dictine Order from St, John’s
Abbey, Collegeville, Minn.,
since last fall have been lay-
ing the foundation of such a
monastery at the small Mis-
‘sion of St. Dennis here. Of
the four men, two are Negro
and two are white.

Father Harvey W. Shep-
herd, a Negro native of New
Orleans, and Father Alexan-
der Korte, a native of Farm-
ing, Minn., arrived: in St.
Dennis last fall. In January
they were joined by two lay
brothers, Brother Stephen
Thell of Krain Town, Minn.,
and Brother Henry Young of
Charlotte, N. C., a Negro.

The four religious
sent to St. Dennis

continues to

by

of Bishop Francis R. Cotton of |
Owensboro, Ky.
At present, St. Dennis is the

‘site of the foundation. Plans!

were |
St. |
John’s Abbey at the invitation |

termine whether it would be
| better to erect the new monas-
| tic institution on a farm near
|St. Dennis or to occupy a
'group of institutional build-
|ings near Bowling Green, Ky.
|The priests are caring for the
; mission at St. Dennis.

| The interracial monastery
|is being established as a prac-
| tical example of race problem
jamelioration, Abbot Alcuin
| Deutsch, O.S.B., of St. John’s
/abbey, pointed out.

“In view of the situation in
the United States,” he de-
clared, “the foundation in
| Kentucky is intended not only
as a means to the teaching of
the Church to the Negroes,
but also as a means of rap-
prochment between the races
in the spirit of the Gospel.”

The monastery will have
about equal numbers of white
and Negro members, the Ab-
bot said, and will be as self-
supporting as possible. Out-
| side assistance, of course, will
be required for the foundation
to become permanently estab-
lished.

It is expected that it will
grow into an_ independent
priory and in time will be-
come an independent abbey. -

Platform of the
Catholic Interracialist

WE BELIEVE in the sublime doctrine of the Mystical
Body of Christ—for He is the Mystical
Vine and we are the branches. He is
the Head and we the members.

WE BELIEVE that the fruit of the Incarnation and
the Redemption is the Brotherhood of
Man under the Fatherhood of God.

WE BELIEVE that we are our brother’s keeper and
have a personal responsibility, there-
fore, hefore God, for the welfare of that
brother in Christ and this embraces all
men, irrespective of Race, Nationality or
Color .. . for Christ died for ALL man-
kind.

WE BELIEVE that a lasting social order and peace will
be achieved only by a Christian Social
Order based on Christian Social Justice
which includes Interracial Justice.

Editor, June, 1949.

Aggressors, Not Victims!

In the Extraordinary Consistory of the College of
Cardinals on February 14th of this year, Pius XII said
that the Catholic Church ‘“‘accepts any and every form
of civil government provided it be not inconsistent with
divine and human rights. But when it does contradict
these rights, bishops and the faithful themselves are
bound by their own conscience to resist unjust laws.”

This statement was made on the occasion of the ex-
communication of those persons involved in the arrest,
trial and imprisonment of Josef Cardinal Mindszenty,
Primate of Red Hungary.

The application of the Pope’s directive is clearly uni-
versal. The pattern of municipal and state laws
throughout the South limiting the freedom of the
minority Negro group in such matters as voting, health,
education and marriage is definitely a case in point, for
these laws are based on the denial that the Negro as
a human person is fully equal to every other human
person and thereby violate a fundamental principle of
justice.

We must make of ourselves the Christian aggressors
in this godless society, not its victims! Resistance to
unjust laws means primarily the courage to practice
Christian principles in the market-place. It means that
those Catholics who happen to be in a region where
unjust laws are enforced must place themselves at the
side of the persecuted in the back of the bus, in the jim
crow train, etc., and cheerfully accept the consequences,
for as St. Paul says: “In all things we suffer tribulation :
but are not distressed. We suffer persecution: but are
not forsaken ... always bearing about in our bodies the
mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may
be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”

It is easier to obey man rather than God. The woods
are full of conformists hiding the Face of Christ and
His Church from the world. Pius XI in his Encyclical,
Caritate Christi compulsi, has said it well: “Often the
children of this world are wiser in their generation
than the children of light.”

Our obligation “to resist unjust laws” is not merely

a passive one. .We must be active resisters of aggres-

sive good-will. Our interest will be in justice rather
than in personal safety. The Christian technique of
non-violent direct action is founded on the Gospel
tenet of counseling the wrongdoer rather than the
pagan precept of retribution. It is a technique as old
as Christ and as contemporary as Gandhi.

“In the clash of selfish interest, unleashed hate...
nothing could be better or more powerful to heal, than
loudly to proclaim the new commandment of Christ.
That commandment enjoins a love which extends to all,
knows no barriers nor national boundaries, excludes no
race, excepts not even its own enemies.” (Pius XI],
Encyclical to the Catholic Priesthood, 1935.) a

CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST

Negro Press Comments
Editorial— ;

(66° THE ANNOUNCEMENT
the other day that more
‘than 8,000 Negroes had joined
'the Roman Catholic Church
last year probably came as a
‘cause of much wonder to
‘many people. It is even under-
standable that it may have
come as something of a shock
to some others, ministers and
church leaders among them,
who had come to smugly as-
sume that the Negro was a
Baptist or Methodist, and
‘would stay that way.

| These people might well
stop and wonder. If they will,
they will find that there is
much cause for the increasing
number of colored worship-
pers who seek the sanctity of
the Roman Catholic Faith for

these causes, they will very
likely observe much that they
can emulate, and had better
emulate unless they are pre-
pared to see more and more
of their members leave them.

The Roman Catholic Church
in this country in recent years
has been taking the lead in
the fight to break down racial
barriers. From time imme-
morial there have been a few
colored worshippers in most

Ke

| PENTECOST

I will not leave you orphans;
I go, and | come again to you
And your heart shall rejoice!

‘Catholic churches, even in the
deepest South where the
white Protestant churches in-
dignantly refused the black
worshippers of the Lord any
access to the Lord’s House.
/_When the number of these
worshippers has grown large
‘enough, the Catholic Church
‘has operated Missions or
'Churches for them with wide-
ly-spread welfare programs
that the non-Catholic popula-
tion could not help but see—
.often with very frank envy.
More lately, Catholic colleges
and universities have wel-
comed Negro students, and
have given them scholarships
and other assistance away out
of proportion to what some of
'their Protestant colleagues
\ever felt called upon to offer.
| In the very latest days, in

‘the midst of the whole Ameri- |

can struggle to accord recog-
nition to all men on an equal

‘and brotherly basis, the role |

of the Roman Catholic Church
has been open, commendable,
and pretty nearly universal
from the Louisiana parishes
to the college and hospital in
Burlington, Vermont. In
simpler words, while some
faiths have been preaching
the Word of God, the Roman
Catholic Church has _ been
putting the Word to work.

\People are seeing a lot of |
'things nowadays that they |

ihad been missing before, and
| this is one of them.
Cleveland Herald.

their Church Home. Studying |

Readers Write

Dear Friends:
We are all one in Christ and

Dear —-——
We are enclosing herewith |

$2.00 to buy a couple pounds | ; :
of coffee or something at the work you are doing is

Friendship House. very dear to us. For the last

We are not in a position to two years we have had an
give any amount of money to Interracial Committee in our
good causes such as yours, but Sodality and have achieved a
after having read the story of small degree of success with
Friendship House my husband God's halo. hi
and I decided whenever we | 7045 Help. Most of our stu-
entertain a few friends we dents are from the South but
would send you the money we their attitude toward the
receive for refunds on Coc Negro is gradually changing.
and beer bottles, which would The greater number feel that
perhaps buy a few cups of we should accept Negro girls
coffee occasionally .. . into our Academy and Con-

Mr. & Mrs. H.S.K. vent. May the courage of God

Westport, Conn. help us to meet the persecu-
tion of man when the first
Dear applicant arrives.

Please accept this little do-| Here is an item that might
nation. Two weeks ago my prove of interest to you. On
husband was very unexpect- March 10 of this year Father
edly replaced while ill with Daniel A. Lord conducted a
the flu. It seemed an act of one day Sodality Rally here
great injustice and I must in Fort Smith. For the first
confess I was extremely bitter time in Fort Smith history
and reluctantly resigned my- colored delegates were in-
self to cutting our comfortable vited and were present. Due
way of living. to discrimination in the cafe-

During this two weeks I terias downtown where the
have had opportunity to re- other Sodalists were to eat
flect on the fact that I was lunch they were invited out
becoming very material to St. Scholastica Academy.
minded. I received thirty- Four of our Interracial Com-
five dollars from my husband mittee asked to bring them
that he had earned unknown Out, ate lunch with them and
to me and I felt that I should took them on a tour of Bene-
share a little of it... dictine Heights.

Mrs. F.B. | Sr. MS.
Chicago, III. Fort Smith, Arkansas

The Church Speaks

Monsignor Ancel, Auxiliary! Father Gillis in The Catho«
Bishop of Lyon, stated recent- lic World writes that “It would
ly that “the communists who not be fair to lay all the blame
remain workers, who have not | for the de-Christianization of
yet been ‘trained’ and ruined the world at the door of non-
by politics, are often better Christians. We Christians are
than their doctrine. For us it | scarcely less guilty. Christian-
is just the opposite. We never ity has been left untried not
completely measure up to our,on'y by secularists but by.
doctrine. One day a commu- | Christians the original
nist said to me: ‘What L re-| Christianity has been diluted
| proach you Christians for is| and adulterated to such a de-
not that you are Christians, gree that observers from with-
| but that you are not Christian out, looking at us, see little or
| enough’.” no difference between our

words, deeds, life and those of
| atheists. Christianity has not
Canon Cardijn wrote re-| failed us, we have failed Chris-
jcently in a French publica- tianity.”
| tion that “if Pius XII landed ——
|in South America and devel-| Father M. M. Coady in the
| oped his social teaching there,| Maritime Co-Operator pointed
he would surely be arrested as | out recently that “People who
a communist and deported to | talk against materialism are
a concentration camp at the! very often the worst material-
other end of the country.” _| ists. Their materialism is re-

vealed in their attitude to-

wards education. They go to

In The Irish Catholic pub- | colleges and into the so-called
lished in Dublin appeared this: higher professions for eco-
pertinent quotation from nomic reasons ... but in the
Bishop Bossuet written in the|experience of this writer,
18th Century: “Christ would | higher education means a lib-
be well content to see in His\eration from the economic
|'Church only those who bear|drudgery of farming, fishing,
| His mark—only the poor, only | industry, or what they are dis-
|the needy, only the afflicted, posed to look upon as the low-
only the distressed ... the rich|er callings. This is a perver-
are aliens; but they are natu-|sion of our whole Christian
ralized by service to the poor.” philosophy.”

ee” Vol. 9 June, 1949

CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST

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f

Ts |

is

a en

The voice of the poor is
body of the poor is the body of Christ; the life of
the poor is the life of that Christ, who although

rich, made himself poor,
His poverty.

|

the voice of Christ; the

in order to enrich us by |

Pius XI |

Nov. 10, 1947

CHRIST AND MONEY |

By REV. R. P. RIQUET

What was Christ’s attitude |
in a world characterized by |
the primacy of money and
human exploitation? He is im-
mediately presented to us as
a man of the poor and we find |
him inculcating his disciples |
with the necessity of disen-|
gaging themselves from the
fascination of money.

Christ then becomes the

murmur and turns his face
and hope to God alone.”

The Messiah came for these |
men. Who could doubt this, |
listening tu his Mother’s joy at |
the thought of the coming lib-
eration of the oppressed and
of God’s constant predilaction
for them:

“He has showed might in
his arm: he has scattered the |
proud in the conceit of their
heart.

champion of the poor. Better) He has,put down the mighty
still he becomes one of them.| from their seat and has ex-
Recall his birth in a rustic|alted the humble.
shelter where the first ones to| He has filled the hungry

with good things: and the rich

reet him were _ shepherds.
3 bep he has sent empty away.”

For they who saw him grow| ;
up in these peasant surround-| _ The poor man, according to
ings, he remained a carpen- | the Bible, will find God, free-

ter, son of the carpenter and| dom, salvation and happiness
of Mary who weaved and!
spun as all of the other wom-|
en in the village. His first in- |
timates and disciples were)
chosen from among the fish-|
ermen of the Genesareth lake, |
whose only fortune was their
fishing boat and their work-
hardened hands.

In a world divided on the| more easily than will a rich
one hand between a few im-| man because it is less difficult
mensely wealthy privileged for him to free himself from
and on the other a mass of toil-| the tyrannic hold of money.
ing working men, Christ took) For the greatest obstacle to)
the part not of the exploiters| love of God and of neighbour,
but of the exploited. This can! and therefore to love of one’s |

be better understood if we!
clarify the meaning of the
word poor as it is employed in
the Gospels and in the Bible. |

It is not a question here of |
the indigent, the destitute, the |
vagabond or the door-to-door |
beggar. Other words are used |
to designate destitution. The}
words used in the psalms and |
echoed in the Sermon on the
Mount, i.e. the word “ani,”
which could be rendered in}
Greek only by substituting
three different words for it,
does not mean precisely poor |

or indigent but rather op-|rich fall into temptation, the is not a

pressed, humiliated without
resources, or abandoned. “It!
is the defenseless man, a vic-|
tim and plaything of the tyr-
anny of the powerful who ac-|
cepts his pitiful lot without a/

The Catholic Student, Apostle
of Interracial Justice

By Betty Prevendar

It is almost midnight in|
Heaven.
Seven-thirty Chicago time.

All is still at midnight in|
Heaven
for that is the time
the Father ;
watches most surely
over His children who aban-
don themselves.

At seven-thirty Chicago time |
the Four Roses sign on|
Michigan Boulevard
shoots into color;
the next morning editions
shout about
Chinese communists
Milwaukee murder
Joe Louis. turned pro-

‘moter;
a AG

fellow-man, is the love of
money.

As expressed in the Bible
the poor man is the exact
anti-thesis of the rich man; he
is not necessarily a penniless
man, but he is one who cares |
little for money; one who pre- |
fers God, justice and charity |
to wealth; he is one who, like |
St. Paul, is satisfied with hav-
ing simply enough to clothe,
feed and lodge himself: “For |
the love of money is a root
from which every kind of evil |
springs. Those who would be)

Devil’s trap for them; all
those useless and dangerous |
appetites which sink men into)
ruin here and perdition here-|
after.” ,

Translated by L. K.

|

the last shift shuffles into |
General Electric;

the Lake Street el

rumbles through “Nigger |
Town”
where men are jailed |
and cry and curse.
Where Christ is jailed.

Christ is stripped...

“Negroes not served.”
Beaten...

“No Negroes allowed.”
Nailed...

“Back section for Negroes.”
Crucified ...

“Burn them out!”

Conditions exist
everyone knows.
They must be corrected
almost everyone says.
Conditions exist
the. Catholic. student should |
wake ri tung’ 3 : ;

‘

|The difficulty

inot of Negroes
|but of whites.

‘| crucify

know. |
They must be corrected
the Catholic student should |
say
with his prayer |
with his study ‘Seeds of Contemplation.
with his action. | Thomas Merton. New Di-
Intelligent action. | rections, New York. 201 pp.
Begotten by | $3.00.

observation
judgment -The genius of Father M. Louis
|Merton, O.C.S.O., (for he was
It is Catholic student’s job |
to know
in order that
he may articulately ries
discuss ‘ulate the hidden aspirations
sound the Gospel of Love of the masses of mankind, that
in the ears of the deliber- | he fires thought into action,
ately deaf. ‘that he fills with marrow the
But first idry bones of the catechism.
it is the Catholic student’s job Seeds of Contemplation is es-
to pray. isentially an extension and
A spiritual insight is needed development of recurrent
to see | themes in both his poetry and
and end prior prose works.
the crucifixion All that Father Louis here
called discrimination. ‘says is, of course, fundamen-

| Thursday, May 26th) lies in

The spirit of prayer tally sound and the basic
must burn | premise of any genuine spir-
within us ‘itually—of man’s happiness

as rooted only in doing the

the Flame of Calvary
Will of God—both introduces

for without the Life

the limbs are cold and and concludes the book. In
numb.

In “An American Dilemma”
Myrday says

\the intervening pages is a
mass of material for medita-
tion. Some of what is written

He who does not bellow the truth when he knows the truth makes
himself the accomplice of liars and forgers.

Charles Peguy

|needs to be unfolded from the
‘envelope of aphorism, some of
it startles because of the use
of sharp paradox, some of it
‘races like a forest fire through

“The American Creed is
liberty, equality, justice,
and fair opportunity
for everybody.”

But Americans

believe ‘the mind, some of it smolders
according to A like swamp fire in mystery— |
behave all of it demands the attention
according to B. of any Christian strong enough
And so to take his first stumbling

the essence of the inter- steps in a world of reality
racial problem (“reality” is a word much
is favored by Father Louis)
that the “conflicting valua- where all mundane values are
tions” turned topsy turvy, where
are held by a same person; many spiritual values are
the struggle, dyed in a new light.
within people It was noted above that the
not only
among people.
There is hope no other recent Catholic work
where there is struggle within. is the “Imprimatur” more
The “Negro Problem” |reassuring — at times its
“Negro” problem, |presence is almost anxiously
verified. For example, the
|startling sentence “Even
‘saints, and sometimes the

at all.
The difficulty
is not

slums saints most of all, waste their |
restrictive covenants lives in competition with one
Jim Crow. another, in which nothing is |

half way in

is b .
ttitudes, y segregation.
That way
mental Desks ais 4
spiritual it takes six hours

instead of three.

Interracial justice
is not

Today
wrong attitudes

tolerance
must be replaced ;
by right aoe sunny Sunday morning
: : complacency.

We have been given
right attitudes
that we may replace

Christ said
“What you do to these...”

wrong attitudes. and not :
We have been given the T 7 you do not do.
Sermon on the Mount . is ties

to replace wrong attitudes. |. ™Y romers keeper

| implies ‘me
“... to take Christ into our

'The interracial problem arms
is as well as

into our hearts,”

the challenge.
says Eric Gill.

It looks for us

to reconcile our practice To be
with our doctrine. my brother’s keeper
There are those of us implies

positive action

a working apostolate.
Pope Leo XIII declared

in Rerum Novarum

who would not

by discrimination
who pound the nails

»

Our Bookshelf

‘ordained priest on Ascension |

|the fact that he makes artic- |

‘book is fundementally sound; |
|it should also be noted that on |

4A ——— |

‘found but misery” (p. 45) is
certainly an example. of (a)
sloppy writing or (b) of a
|thought so convoluted as to
‘have lost its pristine meaning.
Again, in the extraordinary
last chapter, which is a de-
scription of the mystical
apotheosis, he attempts to
describe the apex of this (lit-
erally) unimaginable trans-
| figuration in the following
| words: “What happens is that
the separate entity that was
_you suddenly disappears and
| nothing is left but a pure

freedom indistinguishable
from infinite Freedom, love
identified with Love.” Fortu-
nately, we are soon told (on
'the same page): “Words are
stupid. Everything you say
‘is misleading—unless you list
|every possible experience and
say: ‘That is not what it is.’
‘That is not what I am talking
about’.” Since Father Louis
has just finished describing a
possible experience (the mys-
tical transformation men-
tioned above) the reader very
sensibly is set to wondering
whether or not the description
was foredoomed to failure. It
is almost as though the author
is telling the secrets of the
King—and the King, in His
infinite Wisdom, garbles his
speech.

It is all in all a wondrous
book, a source book of high
spirituality, leavened with an
uncommon common sense and
in places with a delightfully
subtle humor. Beautifully
bound, an outstanding ex-
ample ofsprinting as an art
(and priced with a dignity
_that respects both the pub-
lisher and the public), its
,strong paper will wear well
the constant usage of those
who value the rarely beauti-
ful. .

George A. McCauliff

—

“When there is the question
of protecting rights of individ-
uals,
the poor
and helpless
have claim to special consid-
ation.”
In the student’s apostolate
“to restore all things...
the poor
and helpless
the cursing
and crying
crucified Christs
have claim
to special consideration.
The first step
of course
is self-conversion
which gives birth
to the fire of
| strong

deep
conviction.

The next step
is action.
/When Christ said
\“As the Father hath sent Me
I also send you,”
He laid His Cross
for us —
to take
to complete.

'

|
Ours is the job °
of prayer
of study
of preparation.
It takes more
than a bebop whiz
or an all-star center.
(Published by the Loyola Unl-
versity Unit of the Catholic
Interracial Council)

CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST

Around the Fri

The B Jots It Down

By Catherine de Hueck Doherty

(Continued from last month)

One of the primary ends of
Friendship House is this first
fruit of justice, the abolish-
ment of these ghettoes.
Friendship House sees _ its
work as a two-way street. The
first direction is the white
group living with the segre-
gated Negroes, entering their
midst in deep humility and
gratitude for being permitted
to share their lives and learn
of their needs first hand so
that togetlier, white and col-
ored, they can work out the
above described apostolate to
satisfy these just rights and
needs.

The second direction of
Friendship House “street” is
its final one, and what it con-
siders, the fruit of its aposto-
late . . . namely the abolish-
ment of the ghetto and the
reign of Interracial Justice in
USA. Of course this is a long
range apostolate, and Friend-
ship House well knows this.
Yet it is always on the look-
out for ways and means to, at
least partially, implement this,
its vision of the Brotherhood
of Man under the Fatherhood
of God. In the Rural Apos-
tolate it has found ONE such
means. This does not mean
that Friendship House wants

to branch out in a completely
new field.It simply means that
it hopes, through «accepting
future invitations of Ordi-
naries of various dioceses for
rural Friendship House
branches to bring Negro fam-
ilies out of these terrible
ghettoes to areas of lesser ten-
sion where their human rights
would be safeguarded and
their supernatural destiny
would have an opportunity of
being fulfilled under proper
and normal conditions.
Another very’ important
reason for Friendship House
branching out into the Rural

COMPLINE
By Margaret Schimpff

Into Thy holy hands,
0, Lord,

That smooth the sky,
and stir the winds to
motion,

Within Whose cupped
calm,

Fearless the least of
feathered folk,

Nestle with lightnings,

Before Whose awful ten- |
derness adoring an-
gels tremble,

Laying my weary heart |
to rest,

May I, 0, Lord,

Commend my spirit—

into Thy Hands?

Apostolate is the hope it cher-
ishes that some day it may
penetrate into the south of the
United States which is still
predominately rural.

Corporal Works

The SEVENTH SEGMENT
is devoted to the Corporal
works of Mercy. Palliatives
in the general sense, and yet
part and parcel of Christian
Faith and Tradition. To feed
the hungry, to clothe the
naked is one of the biggest
works of Friendship House
and always will be, for the
poor we shall have always
with us.

Spiritual Works

The EIGHTH SEGMENT,
like the seventh, is part and
parcel of our Catholic herit-
age, the Spiritual works of
Mercy.

Way of Life

The
SEGMENT of _ Friendship
House is its way of life in the
market place, the spiritual
foundation and work of its
whole. By that way of life,
which is Primitive Christian-
ity or Franciscanism brought
to the twentieth century,
Friendship House brings to
bear on the social apostolate
the fullness of lives rooted and
lived day by day in Christ.

Such then briefly is Friend-
ship House. I hope it answers
at least in part the many who
constantly ask about it.

Wisconsin
Reporter

By GRACE PRATT

T. JOSEPH’S FARM is a

regular beehive of activity
these balmy Spring days! The
warm weather brought not
only the beauty of trillium
blossoms and pussy willows,
but also the inevitable “spring
housecleaning.” Innumerable
tasks like wall paper cleaning,
varnishing floors, washing
windows, and re-finishing old
woodwork have really kept
our noses to the grindstone
this past month. We were
lucky to have our work made
a bit lighter during the “Work
Camp” which was held here
one Saturday in May; some of
Marathon’s teen-agers came
out from the village and spent
the afternoon washing the li-
brary walls.
ning the first “Cook-Out” of
the season was held down by
the river while the staff and
“volunteers” shared in a wie-
ner roast and a bit of com-

munity singing around the big

bonfire.

NINTH AND LAST |

That same eve- |

Those of you who have been

reading this column regularly
will be happy to know that on
May 13 the Wisconsin legisla-
ture gave “The Governor’s
Commission on Human
Rights” a generous appropri-
ation of $18,000. Our staff-
workers are indeed joyous
about this good news, for now
we can be assured that the

|

Commission will be even more
effective than ever in its ef-
forts to solve minority prob-
lems in the state of Wisconsin.

Grace Pratt recently spoke

at St. Thomas College in St. |
Paul, Minnesota, and also to |

The Catholic Women’s Club in
Stanley, Wisconsin, on “The

Responsibility of the Lay Per- |

son.”
was represented at Madison,
Wisconsin, at “The Institute
on Human Rights” held on

May 14; the Urban League,

Also, Friendship House |

NAACP, Anti-Defamation |

League, the Madison Council
on Human Rights, the Nation-
al Conference of Christians
and Jews were some of the
organizations who sent repre-
sentatives to participate in an
afternoon and evening of lec-
tures, panel discussions, and
roundtables. Such conferences
are encouraging!

“The West Memphis News,” |

an Arkansas newspaper edited
by Jack Coughlin, has been
doing a splendid job of expos-
ing the deplorable conditions
in the segregated West Mem-
phis School for Negro chil-
dren. St. Joseph’s Farm staff
wrote to him commending his
crusade and were pleased to
receive a prompt reply of
gratitude from this courage-
ous “southerner.” Won’t you
join us in praying that the
West Memphis School Board
will snap out of its lethargy
and take some action fitting to
the dignity of those littlest
ones of Christ?

We are still very poor here
on the farm... lacking in ac-
tual material goods, that is,
for our blessings are manifold.
The chief item on our thank

you list this month is a bless- |
ing indeed, for Alice New- |

man, our House Mother, is

home from the hospital al- |
ready and is recuperating al- |

most miraculously from an
emergency operation which
she experienced a week or so
ago. Gifts of canned goods
and other foodstuffs are still
reaching us from our many
generous friends, too.

Tomorrow the annual
Friendship House “I.C.” (In-
formation Center) will begin
here at St. Joseph’s Farm.
Mabel Knight, New York
“F.H.”s wonderfully able Di-
rector, will teach the courses
which will be geared to equip
about fifteen of our new staff
workers for intensive work in
the Lay Apostolate “Friend-
ship House style.”

The “I.C.” will last a month
after which the “Kids Camp”
will begin. The “Kids Camp”
is being held from June 25
through July 5 this year and
will accommodate about six-

teen of Milwaukee’s colored |
children, aged 8 to 12 years. |

The children will come from

St. Benedict The Moor parish, |
and for many of them it will |
be their first visit to a farming |

community. Meanwhile, we

are making extensive plans |
for our “Summer School For |

Interracial Living” in

the |

hope that each and every one |

of the students who attend it
this year will be inspired to
do something in his own home
environment to break through
Restrictive Covenants and
Segregation and place in their
stead a shining beacon of
Love.

|

Washington
Reporter

By MARY HOUSTON

ASHINGTON SEEMS to

be made up of people
from all over the U.S.A. Na-
tives are as hard to find
around here as in my beloved
(bong) California. You can
imagine with what joy we re-
ceived our newest staff work-
er, Beth Ann Cozzens, a na-
tive Washingtonian. We don’t
use her merely for display
purposes either...“Our Na-
tive,” proving we have struck
roots or sompin...She is a
most capable, attractive young
lady and came already
equipped with the FH spirit
which is one of joy in being
able to work for the love of
God and neighbor in the in-
terracial apostolate. Joe Gilli-
gan, our next-to-newest staff
worker, excels not only as a
Spanish teacher on Friday
nites but also in organizing
the newest project of St.
Peter Claver Center, a work
camp where volunteer work-
ers are helping neighbors to
scrub, plaster, and paint their
dwelling places. Believe it or
not, the landlord in one case
furnished the paint! It’s quite

a change from Harlem where |

the actual owner of a tene-
ment apartment house is as
hard to uncover as the pro-
verbial needle in a haystack.

“Whoever heard of white peo- |
ple washing windows and do- |
ing the cleaning for Negroes?” |
exclaimed one lady. The pat- |

tern
But they are our neighbors in

is usually the reverse. |

Christ and that’s enough for |

us.
Last month Dr. Eva J. Ross

of Trinity College and Eng- |

land gave us a fine talk about
the apostolates in Europe,
well punctuated with interest-
ing details she gleaned frem
actually living with the va-
rious groups. Mr. George Hol-
land, as fine a speaker as we’ve
had, told us about the prob-

lem of getting information to |

veterans concerning the bene-
fits to which they’re entitled.
Fewer community groups are

concerned about the Negro |

veteran .who has the same
problems as the white vet-
eran, plus several more be-
cause he is a Negro, Mr. Hol-
land told us that on his own
“horse back” survey he discov-
ered that only about 1,000
widows out of some 7,000 are
receiving the pensions they
should receive simply because
of ignorance. While the VA
distributes benefits freely to

those entitled to them, it is

not authorized to conduct a
campaign to advertise those
benefits. That’s up to the
newspapers and
organizations.

community |

Tonight we're going to hear |

about the first priest in the

history of the Church to have |

the stigmata, Padre Pio the
Italian Capuchin.
was not a priest as a lot of
people think, but a deacon.
Our volunteers are planning a
picnic supper meeting next
Wednesday in Rock Creek
Park, but we have an idea that
the meeting will be tossed
overboard and energies will
go to roasting wieners and
playing ball and taking care of

St. Francis |

June, 1949

Sf venees

at

eee

CHE KInGEDOL
LET US EXT

FRIENDSHIP
4233 South India
Chicago, Ill

“Let the earth also r4foice Tilun
dent rays; and enlightened with
eternal King, let it feel that the
world is dispersed.” = .

(Blessing of the Pasc

The Paschal Si

Dear Friend in Christ:

“The last to be hired—the first 1
just an idle phrase, Day by day
ingly real to us. Three millic
March is just a figure in the new
to be written in the lives around
see, for we live in a Neggo comm

Men are coming often now, lc
and asking for a meal. Jobs can
Hours at the plant have been cut
pay the rent and buy the grocer
to stave the gap. It’s said that
present a serious national proble1
is no cushion of savings to fall ba
always been low here. And it «
cause the Negro always has more
fering.

Now more than ever before —
realize it is necessary for us to co
terracial justice. We MUST helt
the cup of water in Christ’s name.
must redouble our prayess and ou
ployment Practices Commission,
FOR THAT CHANGE OF HE
MAKE US SEE CHRIST, OUR
MEN.

In this joyous Paschal season,
friends. We come begging. We
our efforts with those who face th
lems, born of the heresy of racisrr
little chance to know Him, we 1
Christ. =

Our humble bank account doesn
ing “kids” to camp or dreams of
the yard next,door. It deesn’t ev
May. And somehow we still have
to tell an anxious mother we ca
food, sad as the checkbook looks.
ing, trusting God, and you, His fr:

Thank you from the bottom o
constant kindnesses. May God b.

In the charity of the Risen Chri
The Staff of Friepdship H
Betty

Dr. John J. O’Con- {mont}

children.
nor of Georgetown Universfty South
and Dr. Herbert McKnight of | segre;

Freedman’s Hospital have) trans;
planned to come with theirpgroup
wives and families and 80/and |
that’s eight children already.| beaut
It is good in Washington| ing br
(which one Negro speaker this! dren |

19 June, 1949

CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST

a

oa

Stately

KINGDOM OF GOD
US EXTEND IT

NDSHIP HOUSE

South Indiana Avenue
Chicago, Illinois

also roice Tilumined with such resplen-
enlightened with the brightness of the
t it feel that the darkness of the whole
od,” e °

ssing of the Paschal Candle)

The Paschal Season
Christ:
‘hired—the first to be fired” is more than
ise. Day by day it is becoming disturb-
s. Three million unemployed during
figure in the newspapers, until it begins
the lives around you. That is what we
in a Negyo community.
ng often now, looking vainly for work
1 meal. Jobs can’t be found these days.
nt have been cut and the budget doesn’t
d buy the groceries. We’re called upon
». It’s said that unemployment isn’t at
s national problem. Here it is... there
savings to fall back upon... wages have
vy here. And it all seems so unfair be-
always has more than his share of suf-

an ever before in the past years, we
ssary for us to continue our fight for in-

We MUST help where we can, giving
‘in Christ’s name. At the same time, we
ur prayess and our efforts for a Fair Em-
ices Commission, and, MOST OF ALL,
HANGE OF HEART WHICH WILL
~* CHRIST, OUR BROTHER, IN ALL

; Paschal season, we come to you, our
me begging. We must continue joining
those who face the baffling human prob-
e heresy of racism. To a world that has
know Him, we must restore the risen
ank account doesn’t fit our plans of send-
mp or dreams of fixing up a play-lot in
yor. It deesn’t even cover our needs for
*how we still haven’t developed courage
us mother we can’t help her out with
checkbook looks. So we continue help-
d, and you, His friends.

om the bottom of our hearts for your
kses. May God bless you for them.

of the Risen Christ,
ff of Friepdship House,
Betty Schneider, Director.

} J. O'Con-jmonth proclaimed to be
Universfty Southern in every pattern of
Knight of| segregation except public
ital have| transportation) for interracial
with theirpgroups to get out in the open
bs and so|and be seen enjoying God’s
n already.| beautiful country and break-
ashington | ing bread together as the chil-
peaker this! dren of God.

| ery,

Harlem
Reporter

By MABEL KNIGHT

UR HARLEM FRIENDS
are specially delighted

that the

long - dreamed - of |

home in the country seems to *|
be coming true. Several spe- |

cial donations have enabled
us to make a down payment
on what we call Blessed Mar-
tin’s Farm. By June 15 an-
other $1,000 will have to be
paid to take possession. Then
we will need the help of many
people to furnish it with the
many essentials needed in
housing any large number of
people. Single or bunk beds,
sheets, blankets, towels, cook-
ing utensils, dishes, chairs,
tables, and benches, paint,
farm machinery, tools, seeds,
and farm animals would glad-
den the hearts of Nathan Lin-
coln and Jim Halloran, who
are working to get the place
in shape to house and feed
people who will come for
study weeks, retreats, or rest.

F YOU LIVE in the vicinity
of Newburgh, Walden or
Maybrook and have any fur-
niture to give away please
send us word. We hope to
have a telephone listed under
“Blessed Martin’s Farm.”
Through the kindness of the
Trappists in Valley Falls,
Rhode Island, we have a
panel truck with which we
can takg things to the farm,
the old Scofield place, on Bar-
ren Road, town of Montgom-
near Coldenham and
Maybrook. Or you might
bring the things up and pay
us a visit.
EVERAL STUDENTS and
seminarians have
clared their intention of
working at Friendship House
during the summer. In addi-

de- |

tion to giving a part of their |

lives some are paying their
own room and board. They
will learn a. great deal about
the lay apostolate and condi-
tions in Harlem and should
receive new zeal. We would
be glad to have more people

come to help during the sum- |
mer to help bring the world to |
Christ, especially in the in- |

terracial field.
HE LAST TIME we saw
Peter was the day we
paid our down payment on
Blessed Martin’s Farm. We

dropped in at the Catholic |

Workers’ Maryfarm at sup-
pertime and it was Peter’s
birthday. He was like a good

child doing what people told |

him to do, detached even from |
his old brilliance of mind. A |

special cake was

prepared |

with red decorations, prob- |

ably

in honor of the Holy |

Spirit who has guided Peter |

in his career as one of the
most influential

men in |

changing the lives of countless |

numbers of people
countries. Many of us at
Friendship House owe much
of our interest in the

in many

lay |

apostolate to his clear, simple |

exposition of the opposition

between Christian principles |
and the state of the world to- |

day. We felt privileged to be |

under the same roof with him
and count on his kind help in
heaven. May his soul rest in
peace,

|
|
|

Chicago
Reporter

By BETTY SCHNEIDER

AY WAS really the
month of our Lady.
From the first day on we
could recognize blessings in

Friendship Houses

IN GOD ALL IS POSSIBLE

|

which Mary is sure to have |

had her part. We had been
struggling along, shortstaffed,
counting as God’s gifts the

volunteers who have pitched |

in so well, and our new staff-

workers, Ann Sisco, Wilfred |

Mische, and Gregory Robin-
son (Jeep to all of,us). The
latter doesn’t seem to mind
our corny humor. We keep in-
sisting we prayed for a car
and got “Jeep.”

With all, however, we have
found it hard to be detached |

from the tremendous loss of
what was once a family of
fourteen. It started when
Mary Houston and Jean Lang
began St. Peter Claver’s in
Washington. Then Betty Big-
gers joined the vigorous Ca-
nadians at Combermere. Rose-
mary Boyle went back to St.
Cloud to .help start the St.
Cloud Book Shop, a new lay
apostolate. Paul Fant went to
Brooklyn, Mary Calloway left
to be married, Mary Clinch to
work in a factory, and Trax

left for home because of ill |

health. Knowing that ours is
a fluid vocation and that God

will call people to other apos- |

tolates, we realize that the

| seed is being sown only far-

ther. We are happy in that.
But humanly speaking, it was
hard.

Then the joys came. On
Sunday, May 1, Lorraine,
Lulu and Ramona were bap-
tized. Lorraine had been com-
ing around FH since our 43rd
street days. When a work crew
began going to homes to help
redecorate them, the Fulths

were among the first they |

contacted. Lorraine became a

member of the crew and in a |

short time its versatile chair-
man. With Lulu, Ramona, and
several other friends they

have been on the pail and |

ladder crew each Saturday.
Several months ago they be-
gan attending instruction

classes at St. E’s. The day ar- |

rived and several were enthu-
siastic godparents. As you can
well imagine, there have been
few meals more joyful than
the dinner Teevy prepared for

us all on that Sunday evening. |

Sunday the eighth was a
day of First Masses. We had

to divide our group so that we |

could attend them all.
good friends Fathers Karl
McNerny, Bob Carroll and
Rollins Lambert were or-
dained’at Mundelein and had
their Masses on the same day.
Realizing their zeal and the
tremendous opportunity they

Our |

will have to further the apos- |

tolate makes interracial jus-
tice seem all the closer. Fr.
Lambert is, incidentally, the
first colored priest to be or-
dained from Mundelein Sem-
inary.

OWN IN THE OMAHA

diocese, Father Frank
Kubart was ordained and we
offered his~ first Mass with
him in spirit on May 4. Father
Frank werked with us all last
summer as a visiting volun-

By Mabel C. Knight

For years we have felt that
we are living in the bottom
of a dry well with people who
can’t get out. Those of us who
are white can leave but many
of our brothers in Christ find
it almost impossible. The com-
pany. is good but it is un-
healthy down here in the well
of Harlem. The air is full of
smoke: and dust. We are over-
crowded. There are rats and

teer. In the week’s vacation
before his ordination, he
helped fix up the De Porres
Center in Omaha too, quoting
Mildred Heifner of that cen-
ter, “look more like a Friend-
ship House.” All of which
makes us hopefully wonder
what will happen to Fr.
Frank’s parish.

I don’t think any of us real-
ized just how much we had
missed Ann Harrigan — now
Mrs. Nicholas Makletzoff, un-
til we sat around her in the
FH Library on a Monday
night listening to all she had
to tell us about personalism

|

|
|
|
|
}
}
|
|
}
|
|
j

and the weapons of the spirit. |

It was so real too. Those of
us who know and enjoy the
FH we have,
equipped building and the
warmth of many friends know

the well- |

just how much of Ann’s sac- |

rifice, her prayers and her

tears went into the making. |

That night was one of the high
points of our month.

Father Claude Heithaus was
down to visit. He spoke to the
Monday night forum group on
Action. With the NFCCS
Congress just over and a
series of important interracial
resolutions adopted, Father
really had something to talk
about. The Marquette group,
under Father’s guidance, put
through the resolution that all
Catholic educational institu-
tions stop or repudiate all stu-
dent organizations having re-
strictive policies or clauses.
And _ it

was the work of |

Father Heithaus among others |
that recently made the Wis- |
consin National Guard a non- |

segregated organization.
Dorothy Day of the Catholic
Worker came to lunch one
noon. We started out having
lunch with just our staff and
Ann Makletzoff. Then Father
Fehrenbacher arrived from
St. Cloud on a visit and the
news spread among the vol-
unteers that Dorothy was to
be with us. Thanks to Teevy
and Blessed Martin the meal
stretched far enough and we
all shared the wealth of
knowledge, experience and

Christian love which Dorothy |
had to give us. The discussion |

reminded me of the Baroness’

stories of her first visits to |

Mott Street.
Worker of New York City and
Friendship House of Toronto
began about the same time.
How happy the two groups
were to find one another and
to find that they shared a deep
interest in the liturgy, in pov-
erty and in bringing Christ to
the marketplace. Workers be-
came acquainted. They agreed
and disagreed on ways of ap-

The Catholic |

plying principles. A common |

bond was there and continued
to be. Dorothy’s time with us
renewed it for us.

other vermin and germs.
There are no healthy, green,
growing things. About 35%
of the people are now unem-
ployed. In the summer when
the rest of Manhattan seems
to be deserted, Harlem streets
are crowded with people try-
ing to get a cool breeze out-
side their brick oven-like flats,
People spend all their lifetime
here never knowing the beau-
tiful world God made for them
to enjoy. Friendship House
is with them until all barriers
between children of God are
destroyed by the love of
Christ.

Now we have found after
long search a wonderful coun-
try place. There are forty-
seven beautiful acres, a nine-
room house and about five
farm buildings in good repair.
We can imagine our Harlem
children sailing boats on the
pond, climbing the hills,
sleeping in the big barn in the
fresh, clean air after a happy
day. We can see the old and
convalescent people sitting on
the porch or the lawn admir-
ing the beautiful view. We
can watch our young people
growing food, making the
place into a beautiful and
Catholic home, having study
weeks and retreats to help us
to learn how we can bring our
poor world to Christ, starting
with ourselves. All of us
could find a quiet spot to read
and .meditate. Young fam-
ilies might make their own
little homes on their own part
of it. It would become a free,
healthy, growing part of the
Mystical Body of Christ.

This wonderful season of
the Resurrection of Our Lord
makes us hope that some of
the people may be able to rise

out of Harlem and that all of .

us may rise to living as broth-
ers in Christ. God has sent us
many young, generous work-
ers. Will you, His good stew-
ards, help us to raise the
money needed for this place?
How much has He given you
above your needs? Are you
one of the five who can invest
$1,000 where neither moth nor
rust corrupt? Or are you one
of the thirty who could spare
$100 by sending $10 a month
or $2 a week for a year? Or
one of the hundred who can
spare $10 (a dollar a month
would do it). Or are you one
of the thousand who can spare
a dollar? Or do you know
someone who has a place to
give us? We'd welcome the
help of all of you. Please join
us in our novena to all the
saints that we may get a coun-
try place if it is God’s will.

BLESSED MARTIN'S FARM
R. D. No. 1
Montgomery, N. Y.

NEEDS
Sheets, blankets, towels
Beds and chairs
Food
Live chickens

Seeds, small trees
Tools for farming

serene eT ET EA PL LT LI COE DE LLL LDL LL LLL

Ss. tes eatin Ms
oe <a

an aloes

'

:

|
:
!

f
'

‘

eee a aati naga Tas ee ae Se en

CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST

HOLIER THAN THOU

(Continued from page 1)

permissable to talk although
there was the usual amount

of worldly small talk I never |

heard an uncharitable word
spoken against Negroes or
any other minority group.

It was a different story
when I attended a retreat
composed, except for myself
and a companion from
Georgia, entirely of wealthy
women from New York City.
On the second evening of the
retreat when everyone should
have begun to benefit spiritu-
ally the dinner table conver-
sation consisted of a many-
voiced harangue against the
Jews. It seems they were be-
ginning to move into Park
Avenue or some other ritzy
neighborhood. “But what can
- do?”, asked one woman
n a well modulated but indig-
nant voice. “You can’t just
move out!” They didn’t know
that my friend from Georgia
had had a Jewish mother but
that is beside the point. May-
be it is also beside the point
that this woman from the
deep south had spent the bet-
ter part of her adult life in
trying to see that the Negroes
in her state got a decent break
in medical attention.

The South looks upon the
Negro as a “problem.” The
North, which has few Ne-
groes, looks upon this as ab-
surd and backward. But the
South, which has few Jews,
does not look upon them as
a problem. New York, which
has many, apparently does. I
also seem to remember hear-
ing of a good bit of.anti-Semi-
tism in Boston, that strong-
hold of Irish Catholics. This
is the same Boston, where
within the memory of some
yet living, help wanted ads
often ended with the words,
“No Irish need apply.”

It was a gentleman from
Massachusetts whom I heard
remark that he left Truman’s
Inauguration parade, “because
I got tired of watching the
niggers.” A southerner (at
least in North Carolina)
rarely uses the word, “Nigger’
unless he is telling off a “dam-
yankee.” The word he uses
is “Negra,” which is not, as
some would have you believe,
an insulting compromise but
simply the soft southern way
of pronouncing Negro.

EW YORK probably has

a larger Negro population
than any other northern city.
New York laws do not dis-
criminate against the Negro
but nowhere in the South will
you find such tight segrega-
tion in housing as exists in

ly rhetorical questions,
| understand,
Geographically, Washington
is a southern city but the fin-
ger of blame for the segrega-
tion which exists here cannot
ibe pointed at her southern
‘citizens. For one thing the
population of Washington is
|made up of people from all
over the nation. For another,
Washingtonians have no voice
in their own government (a
fact which none but the na-
tives seem concerned about).
The laws and policies of the
District of Columbia are de-

you and Little Theatres are under| shown at these theatres is less

NEW THEATRE POL

(Continued from page 1)

‘the operative direction ofjattractive to those people
'Lopert Films, Inc., along with} with little education, to those
the Playhouse, another down-/ whose opportunity to develop
town Washington theatre, the|a sense of art appreciation has
policies of each theatre are set| been restricted by economic-

by their respective stockhold-
ers. The Dupont Theatre’s
policy of non-segregation had
been integral to the building
of the theatre itself, but the
primary factor in determining
whether a theatre shall fol-
‘low a policy of non-segrega-
tion is a consideration of the
effect it. will have on business.

Victor J. Orsinger, general

ally and spiritually poor en-
vironment and quashed incen-
tive due to social ostracization.

Therefore, the percentage of|ored patron.

Negroes in the audience
ranges from one per cent and
two per cent on foreign lan-
guage films to thirty-three
per cent on a film with a
broader appeal such as “The
Red Shoes.” Yet in temper-
ing the social ban by their

cided by the Federal govern- | anager of the three theatres,

,ment. If restaurants and the-
atres discriminate against Ne-
groes they are simply follow-
ing the lead of the nation’s law-
makers, a good percentage of
whom are elected from the
north. Segregation in Wash-
ington is singing its swan song
now but isn’t it a little late
considering it is the nation’s
capital?

I could go on and on citing
examples of prejudice and
social injustice which exist in

the north toward one minority |

group or another but every
northerner knows about them.
He just hasa terrible tendency
to forget about them when he
meditates on the faults of

the South. Every southerner |
is aware of them and will be}
only too happy to point them |

out to any “damyankee” who
starts telling him what a back-
ward, prejudiced creature he
Ss.

To get back to the basic
causes for the southern at-
titude toward the Negro: Eco-

nomieally the-south is much}

poorer than the north. As
everyone knows this condition
dates back to the Civil War.
If, in struggling to provide for
her population the south has
wrongfully neglected the Ne-
gro she has taken the course
human nature usually takes.
She has said, in effect, to the
critical North, “All right. You
freed him. You feed him.”
This attitude is acknowl-
edgedly wrong but would the

, North have done any different
in similar circumstances? Are |

'the German people more evil
‘than the British because they
tried to grab in the twentieth
'century what the British suc-
‘cessfully grabbed for them-
|selves in the fifteenth, six-
; teenth and seventeenth?
Economically the South is
beginning to become stronger.
'With this improvement the
|condition of the Negro is also
| beginning to improve slightlv
| but there is much work: still
to be done. If and when the
‘northern white who hates
| prejudice against the Negro re-

pg | :
idiscriminate among customers| number those who oppose it.

logical for a theatre, which! pressions of

cially in Washington, the cap-| realization, one aspect of in-

expressed the approach of the|non-discrimination and show-
management to the problem] ing a better type of film, these

June, 1949

ICY

theatres is based on the er-
roneous belief that they will
not act properly, the testi-
mony of both the Dupont and
Little Theatres would further
disprove this. Miss Jean Im-
hoff, who manages the Dupont
Theatre, could only recall one
strained incident with a col-
This, however,
involved the question of a re-
fund of money on a ticket
purchased for a performance
two weeks prior to the date it
was returned. The manager
was accused of being a
“Southerner” because she
couldn’t refund the money,
although she agreed to honor
the ticket. The number of

unpleasant incidents with
white patrons is somewhat
greater. Those objecting to

of segregated theatres by say-|theatres are working along

ing that they were trying to| two lines to provide the Negro |
prove that it was not only ri-|} here in Washington a better

diculous discrimination—espe-| opportunity for complete self-

ital of a democracy—but irra-| terracial justice.

tional from the standpoint of | The experience of the Du-
business. Since he felt that
Washington department stores | those who favor their policy
and some restaurants do not/ of non-discrimination far out-

in offering their goods and)]t regularly receives letters,
services, he said that it is il- telephone calls, and vocal ex-
v commendation
also offers a type of service, to| from both white people and
ae among its pa-| Negroes. It is significant that
rons.
owners has been: would they | their identity.

lose more whites than gain| 1 the limited time that non-
Negroes? The experience of| ..¢regation has been followed

pont Theatre has been that)

The issue for theatr e| those who berate never reveal |

New York. Why? Is it be-/alizes that his own sins are by
cause the Negro prefers to|no means “as white as snow”
live in the wretched slums of , and that it is just as bad to be
Harlem? Could he live on anti-southern as it is to be
Park Avenue if he could af- | anti-Negro maybe he will be
ford to, and if he can’t afford able to help in the work that
to, why not? These are pure- is to be done. Not until then.

We are altogether brethren who are born again
and received in Christ Jesus. Our advantages
flow from that new birth and adoption into the
household of God, not from the eminence of

our race,

Our dignity arises from the praise

of truth, not of our blood.

St. Chrysostom

,amiable graduate of Catholic

the Dupént and Little The-
atres has been that there is no
noticeable loss of white pa-
trons. Mr. Orsinger, young,

University, further stated that
he felt the change would come
gradually with the setting of
a new precedent, that there|
was much of the crowd in-
stinct in the retention of a seg-
regated theatre policy among
downtown Washington the-|
atres.

ECAUSE THE DUPONT)
and Little Theatres em-|
phasize the art cinema, which |
is dedicated to showing better

films, their responsibility to
make these facilities available |
to all patrons is greater than
if they were showing a type of

| discrimination,

movie that could be seen any-
where. .
Ironically, the kind of movie

|

jat the Little Theatre there
have been few unpleasant in-
cidents of patrons objecting to
the admission of Negroes. As
in the case of the Dupont,
those who are opposed to it
are small in proportion to)
those who favor it.

In connection with this it is|
essential to point out that the,
type of white audience at-|

| tracted to the art cinema may |

be less moved by strong prej-|
udice, having had the oppor-|
tunity of a liberal education. |
Yet it is difficult to definitely
establish this because it is,
generally conceded that edu-
cation is not always nor)
wholly a deterrent to racial |

INCE THE OBJECTION

of many white people to
the admission of Negroes. to

Negroes present in the audi-
ence invariably refuse to ac-
cept a refund of their money,
yet refuse to sit next to col-
ored patrons. There would
seem to be a taint of exhibi-
tionism in this type of be-
havior.

One incident by way of ex-
ample will illustrate how the
management deals with such
a problem. A woman who had
purchased a ticket found that
she was sitting next to a col-
ored person. When she object-
ed, the manager explained the
theatre’s policy to her and
suggested that she get her
money back. She insisted on
seeing the picture and did
eventually, through the proc-
ess of hit and miss, obtain a
seat that suited her. How-
ever, the management re-
fused to guarantee that she

| would not have to sit next to

a Negro.

Perhaps consistent with its
uniqueness in being the first
|downtown Washington the-
|atre to admit Negroes, the
Dupont Theatre has an art
gallery which exhibits both
Negro and white art in the
form of paintings, ceramics,
| photography, jewelry, graphic
arts, and others. Selecting its
showings is an able art com-
|mittee comprised of: Mr.
Alonzo Aden, who is Negroid
and owns the Barnet Aden
Gallery; Mrs. Beatrice Rudes,
Dean of the Institute of Con-
temporary Arts, an interracial
school in Washington; Mr.
Kurt Weiner, an art connois-
seur; and Mr. Jacob Kainen,
| Curator of Graphic Arts at the
| Smithsonian Institute.

Answering the query of
whether they permit Negroes
in their theatres with the
statement that their theatres
are open to ladies and gentle-
|men, the Little and Dupont
are stressing the importance
of the individual personality
and less color difference. They
make no claim to being a par-
ticular type of theatre—Ne-

(Continued on page 7)

All who enter the
Church, regardless

of origin or speech,
must know that they
have equal rights, as

children in the

House of the Lord.
Pius XII

Summi Pontifiea-

tus 1939

ea s

‘
ae a gy Seni. th pin PS

’
re hanens 8

June, 1949

CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST

ETER MAURI

By STANLEY VISHNEWSKI

ETER HAS GONE home.
Peter Maurin, self-styled “Apostle on the Bum,” and
founder of The Catholic Worker Movement died May 15 at
Maryfarm, Newburgh, New York. He was 72 years old.

His death marks the passing of a man who, by living up
to his own doctrine of personal responsibility, “that we are our
brother’s keeper,’ was instrumental in changing the lives of
thousands of young men and women.

At one time The Catholic Worker, the paper he founded, :

attained the circulation of 175,000 monthly, and the 13 Farm-
ing Communities and 40 Houses of Hospitality throughout
the country were taking care of 5,000 men a day. Peter ‘lived
to see his work spread to England, Canada, Australia and

India.

He was born of French
Peasants at Oulet, Lanquedoc,
May 15, 1877. He was one of
23 children. He received his!
early education from the)
Christian Brothers. At an|
early age he came to Canada}
where he farmed for a while. |
When his partner was killed |
in an accident, Peter came to
the United States where he
became one of the army of
migratory workers, and for
many years traveled from one
back-breaking job to an-
other.

But Peter was not just con-
tent to work—he wanted to/|
know why things were the
way they were, and how a
path could be made from
things as they were to things
as they should be.

And to this aim he devoted |
his spare time. While his fel- |
low migratory workers were |
carousing, Peter would quiet- |
ly slip into a library where he |
would laboriously study books |
on economics, philosophy, his- |
tory. He felt that he had to
acquire an education if he was
to become articulate in carry-
ing out his program for social
reform. By careful reading
and deep thinking Peter slow-
ly acquired the vast historical
background which was al-
Ways a source of amazement
to those who knew him.

ETER did not find himself |

socially acceptable at
first. People looked upon him
as a mad man and laughed at
the very idea of voluntary
poverty and the works of
mercy as techniques of action.
But he refused to let himself
be disturbed by their short-
sightedness and lack of char-
ity. He wrote an essay on the!
way he felt:

The other fellow says

that I am queer:

and that he is normal.
When he says that I am queer |

he means I am queer to him.
I may be queer to him;

but he is queerer to me,

than I am queer to him,
he hasn’t a chance
to make me normal.
'So I am trying to make him
queer
so we can both be normal.

But Peter, who had seen the
vision of a new Christian Or-
der, was not easily discour-
aged. If people would not
take the time to listen, he}

' would write down the ideas in |

an easy style and mail it to!
them. It was in this fashion |

that Peter’s famous Easy Es-|
I have in my

says were born.
possession. a broadside that
Peter wrote some fifteen years
ago in which he explained the

| purpose of his Easy Essays.
Readers of the Catholic Work- |

er must ask themselves
what I am trying to do with
my essays.
I am trying to tell the Clergy
how to talk to the Bolshe-
vists

so as to make the Bolshe-
vists

eat from the hands of the
Holy Father.

If the Clergy has not suc-
ceeded

in making the Encyclicals

click
the reason must be found
wn a lack of historical back-
ground.

When in 1899 Thorstein

Veblin wrote:

“The Theory of the Leisure
Class,”

students of economies began
to realize that there were

no ethics in modern society.

R. H Tawney, an Oxford stu-

dent, asked himself:
“Were there no ethics in
society before?”

He learned that there were
high ethics in society
when the Canon Law was

the Law of the Land.

Peter soon came to realize!
that if his message was to
make an impact upon society
| that it was necessary to found |
|a propaganda organ. Peter en-
|visioned it as a paper whose

as well as to interpret it in
the light of history.

E REALIZED his lack of
journalistic ability and
looked about for someone who
| would be capable and willing
Ito start a paper dedicated to
| social reform. He was im-
‘pressed by the style and sim-
plicity of the writings of
of Dorothy Day who at the
time was writing for The Sign
and the Commonweal.
| It was a happy moment for
the history of Catholic Social
Action when Peter got in
‘touch with Dorothy Day.
Dorothy was sympathetic to
Peter’s idea, for she realized
| the great need there was for
a paper which would be ded-
‘icated to bringing the teach-
|ings of the Church in regard
|to social matters to the man
lon the street.
| ceernemsenmneleitetiiiciteiitnaeiemianamatnediataastaaeaatdaaeeemeemmemmeee

F,

|

}
|

|

said “of a new social order and |
not a denouncer. We must
create a new society within
the shell of the old using an
old philosophy, a philosophy |
so old that it looks like new.”

HE COMMUNISTS SOON |

got the point. The Aug.
18, 1934 issue of the Daily '
Worker came out in a four
column spread exposing the
Catholic Worker!

“Why do you lie so steadily,
Peter Maurin?” the Daily
Worker wrote. “You know
that. you want no ‘new’ so-
ciety; you want a _ society
even older than the one we
have. You want to go back
to Medievalism. The Catholic
Worker is against both Capi-
talism and Communism, it
says, and thus the more easily |
it attacks the working class
while blustering harmlessly

\

|

s

}

|

JOHN THE BAPTIST

|

There was a man sent from God,

Whose name was John.

This man came to bear witness of the light,

To prepare unto the Lord a perfect people.

| It was not to be an ambi- | against ‘injustice’ and ‘usury’.

tious paper. None of them had
any money.
ing at a boy’s camp while

‘Dorothy was doing research |
work for a woman’s organiza- |

‘tion. At first, they planned to

bring out a mimiographed |
prove to the Communists that

and he being queerer to-me 'funetion was to create news, sheet which was to be distrib-

ever race and condition.

It was Christianity that first proclaimed the real
and universal brotherhood of all men of what-

claimed by a method, and with an amplitude
and conviction, unknown to preceding centuries;
and with it she potently contributed to the aboli-
tion of slavery. Not bloody revolution, but the
inner force of her teaching made the proud Ro-
man matron see in her slave a sister in Christ.

This doctrine she pro-

Pius XI
Encyclical 1937

ae

‘uted on the streets of New
| York.

| When the promised mimeo-
graph machine failed to ma-
terialize, Dorothy planned on
a printed edition. The printer
offered to print 2,500 copies
for $45. With the money she
received from the sale of
articles and a donation of $10
'from Father Ahearn and $1
'from Sister Peter Claver
‘which Father Purcell, then
‘editor of The Sign, collected
‘for her, the first issue of
|The Catholic Worker was
i launched.

“I am an announcer,” Peter

,”

Peter laughed when he read |

Peter was work- | that article. He was pleased |
‘that his message was being |

even if in a_ derogatory
manner. He took a copy of |
the attack to Union Square to |

spread by the Daily Worker, | |

only in the Catholic Church

i'was true Communism to be

found: the Communism of the
Religious Orders.

“You are not building Com-
munism in the U.S.S.R. he told
them, but Socialism. You are
not even on the road to Com-
munism.” An angry protest
came from the crowd but
Peter waited until the protest
died down and then engaged
a representative of the Com-
munist Party in a discussion.

His technique was not to
get on a soap box and preach,
but to engage someone in the
crowd in what he called an
er ~r-tonversation: “T Will give

you a piece of my mind, and
you will give me a piece of

‘your mind, and then we will

both have more.”

The discussions in Union
Square would last all through
the night and Peter was never
at a loss for words no matter
which way the discussion
went. Peter thought that the
discussions were “an excellent
way for me to gain a historical
background.”

66H ISTEN,” HE TOLD me,

“to the questions asked
and see if you can answer
them in your own mind. Then
go to the Catholic Encyclope-
dia and read up on the subject.
In this way you will build up
a synthesis of thought.”

* *” *

It is hard to do full justice
to Peter. He had a great charm
‘and one felt perfectly at ease
‘in his presence. It may be an
‘indication of his personality
‘that no one ever thought of
‘calling him Mr. Maurin. He
was Peter to those who knew
‘and loved him.

He was completely detached
from all worldly goods and
personal ambitions. He cared
| nothing for personal glory or
fame. For many years he
never had a room or a bed
that he could call his own. He
was completely charitable and
everyone loved and respected
him.

One day when a visitor
asked Peter why didn’t he put
to work the homeless men who
came to the Catholic Worker
for hospitality. Peter replied:
“We do not seek to exploit the
poor who come to us seeking
aid.”

There was the time that
Peter was invited to a dinner.
When Peter arrived, dressed
in his shabby clothes, the peo-
ple thought that he had come
to read the gas meter and sent
him down to the basement.
Peter obediently went and
stayed there until the host
returned and corrected mat-
iters. Peter didn’t*think any-
‘thing of it. It gave him an
‘opportunity to read.

Once Peter was introduced
from a lecture platform as
| Dr. Maurin. When asked from
| what university he graduated
Peter replied, “Union Square.’
And he laughed when he said,
\“And never again have they
‘called me Dr. Maurin.”

It is hard to realize that
Peter thas gone home. But he

|has fought the good fight and
has kept the Faith.

“The souls of the just are
in the hands of God and the
torment of malice shall not
touch them. In the sight of
the unwise they seemed to
die, but they are at peace.”

NEW THEATRE
POLICY

(Continued from page 6)

gro, white or any other class-
ification—but only a theatre.

They have started a new
precedent which vies strongly
with the long-outdated one of
segregation. The latter is
slipping gradually and will
doubtless be eliminated when
the owners of other theatres
find that the greater number
of their regular patrons do not
object to the admission of col-
ored patrons. Though we
might wish the business fac-
tor would be secondary to the
moral factor, if the complete
change is eventually achieved

_we can recognize that it is pos-
sible for business to serve its

Christian purpose.

Seed

|
i
|
i
i}

er a

.S
Sole es

Se

ak,

Dore + _
= =
<= aad
See

Sos

? pe is se ig en ai

GREAT NEGROES

Mary McLeod Bethune—
“Because I have not given
hate in return for hate, and
because of my fellow-feeling
for those who do not under-
stand, I have been able to
overcome hatred and gain
the confidence and affection of
people.” And that is why a

bia, South Carolina, and pub-
licly put her arms around |
Mrs. Bethune after she had
heard her speak about the,
problems of her people.
After 74 years, Mrs. Bethune
says “I know that effectual,
fervent desire does not go un- |
rewarded ... I am stronger |
today because, as I have taken |
the steep, hard way, I have)
taken time to be faithful, |
persevering and_ hopeful.” |
And this “steep, hard way” is
no figure of speech. She was
born July 10, 1875, in a 3-room |
log cabin, one of a family of
17 children, about three miles |
from Mayesville, So. Carolina.
At 11 years, she was sént to
school several miles away.
Then a dressmaker in Denver,
Mary Chrisman, offered a
scholarship to the “best
upil,” and she was sent to
Scotia Seminary, in Concord,
No. Carolina. Mrs. Bethune
has never forgotten that her
great opportunity came
through a working woman.
After that came Moody Bible
Institute in Chicago and then
several years of teaching in
Georgia and So. Carolina.
After her marriage to Albert
Bethune, also a teacher, she
had two years of quiet home
life in Savannah, Ga. But the
needs of her people were ever
pressing upon her. In 1904 she
came to Daytona, Florida, and
on October 3rd, opened a
“school.” Five little girls sat
on 5 dry-goods boxes, and
Mrs. Bethune had $1.50 to
start with.» When she asked |
J. N. Gamble to be “trustee,” |
he asked: “of what?” as he)
looked in at the door. She
said “Of what I have in my
mind to do.” She had in mind
the Daytona Normal and In-
dustrial School for Girls of
which “Faith Hall” was so
named because. it came to
them “by faith.” Three years
later, a 4-story frame house
was “prayed up, sung up, and
talked up.” By 1909 the school
had, acquired a 6-acre farm
with live-stock and _ vege-
tables, and outdoor training.
By 1914 there was a Model
Home, and by 1918 an audi-
torium. The school was turn-
ing out teachers, seamstresses

CATHOLIC INTERRACTIALIST

Formerly Harlem Fri

34 West 135th Street
New York 30, N. Y.

YES, I want to support Friendship House and receive
its CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST regularly. as

I gladly contribute $5*

Name
Street .ccccccccsescces
City ccccccscecesserees
State
[1] Check enclosed

Mail immediately to Harlem FRIENDSHIP HOUSE,
34 West 135th St., New York 30, N. Y.
*Of which $1.00 is for a Bundle of 25.

*Of which $1.00 is for an annual subscription to
CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST. oe

white woman, daughter of a,

former “master,” could walk |
up to the platform in Colum- |

Ph Baek cain Satie os

ee a Sica RI ig le

Pn at AR = Aap 0 aS et nat a ee pment 7

Pa eae ce Ns ne gr

cot otenaad ena
=

CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST

and has seen that not one

“fervent desire has gone un-
: rewarded.” She can count her

depend only ao ny gifts : | friends by the thousands, and

|A visitor noticed their fine | NOt only we ot 2

‘strawberry beds and re- pee seegpntey Pr iro ee :

= , white and Colored people who

marked how they must enjoy | came from Southern! Flor!
«“ : orida
them. “But strawberries sell | t, hear her and Mrs. Rocse-

‘for 50 to 60 cents a quart!| 4, :
‘Soup made with a good bone! imited’ by color or creed,
feeds many—and costs a few They believe her when she
cents. A quart of berries SUP- | says “I believe that the
plies only a few—and we can |thanksgiving which is con-
make. the money go & long |tinually in my heart and upon
way. my lips is the source of my
By 1912 there was the Mc-| power and growth in person-
Leod Hospital and Training} ality development. Any time,

| and_ cooks.

As the Jim

RELIGION

An interracial monastery is
to be established near Owens-
boro, Ky. Benedictine monks |
of all races will live there to-
gether and be ruled by Rev.
Harvey Sheperd, O.S.B., a
Negro.

x

During the month of Janu-
ary, St. John’s Seminary was
formally opened and dedi-
cated at Queenstown, South
Africa. The ceremony was
conducted by the Most Rev-

June, 1949

Crow Flies

POLITICS

Gov. Schricker of Indiana
has signed a bill prohibiting
racial segregation in public
schools beginning with the
elementary school term of
September, 1950. The bill also
applied to state supported, in
whole or in part, colleges and
universities.

ms a we

Gov. Chester Bowles, of
Connecticut, has signed a bill
which kills racial segregation
in the National Guard in that

School for Nurses.” There | any place, I can hear myself
was also a turpentine camp/saying: Father,
nearby. There the senior class} Thee,” or “Thank Thee, Fa-
of the Training School con-/ther.” It is no wonder that
ducted a summer:school and! she has gone so far.

playground for children of H. Hronek
Daytona. iat

It was no wonder that Pres- |
ident Roosevelt called her a IT CAN WORK
“great woman.” Also that he) DOWN SOUTH

believed in her “because she’
has her feet on the ground;}|
not only'on the ground, but HE TOWN IS a southern
deep down in the ploughed | resort place, and when I
soil.” In Ocala, Florida, she; found myself invited to a
established a Home for De-| Communion Breakfast, I also
linquent Colored Girls, and in| found that my curiosity was
1923 her school in Daytona! far outweighing my charity.
was merged with the Cook- | Reason: It was to be held in
man Institute of Jacksonville,|the Negro mission church,
Florida, and became the co-ed | and this in a town where only
Bethune-Cookman College. | the previous day a small item
She was president of the| appeared in the paper stating
Southeatern Federation of that the police had broken up
Women’s Clubs, and the Na-|an interracial dance held in
tional Ass’n of Teachers in another part of the city.
Colored Schools 4nd is now! About eighteen white
the President of the National| people had been asked, most
Council of Negro Women/|of them daily Communicants.
which represents 850,000 most; That morning found us driv-
cultured women in the world| ing into the heart of the col-
and is trying to enroll white ored section, where we found
women also. She is active in|the church of St. Francis
the Interracial Council of)! Xavier, mestling* among
America and in 1934 was the small, crowded-together
chosen by President Roose-| houses. Entering the church,
velt for the Office of Minority we whites sat in the back.
Affairs of the National Youth Father was hearing confes-
Administration program for sions.

her “tact, common sense, and High Mass began, and when
courage to work out difficul-|the mixed choir poured forth
ties in the South.” In 1944 a the Kyrie Eleison, all else
congressional committee was|ceased to exist. Only the
ready to eliminate the $100,-| Presence of God and His wor-
000 fund set aside for this|Shippers pleading for mercy
Office, but she demonstrated | filled my mind. Funny...
that this fund was salvation|! thought ... only beautiful!
to Negro young people. In| As the Mass progressed we
1943-44 it was her pleading S'ew more edified at the de-

By Marion Luckner

I thank}

erend Martin Lucas, Apostolic | state. ™.. State Adjutant
| Delegate to South Africa. The | General has immediately or-
event is quite significant be-|qered a!’ commanders to en-
cause of the very few semi-/ jist men “regardless of race,
naries for native clergy in| ¢reed or color.”

Africa. x oe &
| me m ms

: : ; Citizens of 11 states whose

Bishop Sheil of Chicago has} jegisiatures meet in 1949 are
eg as “ridiculous the | campaigning for state laws
charges that the proposed | johibiting discrimination in
state FEPC law now before employment
the Illinois legislature repre- | ©?’ #

isented a tendency towards :
Communism. In a public| ,Thirty-one Negroes were

'statement, Bishop Sheil point- | elected tq national or state
year. Among

ed out that the Catholic Bish-| Offices this y«
ops of the United States had | them Democratic Representa-
approved fair employment | tive Dawson, of Illinois, is
‘practices legislation three Chairman of the House Com-
| years ago. | mittee on Expenditures in the
| Declaring that the need for Executive Department. He is
‘such legislation is “obvious” | the first Negro to hold such a
and “long overdue,” he said | P°St-

that “The Roman Catholic)

Church in the United States,| Lake County, Michigan,
through its official body, the elected its first, and the state’s
‘National Catholic Welfare|first, Negro county prosecutor

Conference, composed of all| while Delaware put its first

the bishops of the country, | Negro state assemblyman into

has spoken unequivocally in office.

favor of FEPC legislation. |

od me

% ws

et * ge

A Federal court ruling that
Father Robert E. O’Kane of segregation of Negroes in
Richmond, Virginia, on Sta-|dining-cars is legal because
tion WRNL deplored the re-| eight per-cent of dining-car
cent burning of a cross-in the | seats are allowed to Negroes,
yard of a Negro’s home. He} who make up only four per-
pointed out that the mother|cent of the patronage, was
}and father of the Negro fami-| vigorously attacked by the
‘ly both hold Bachelor of Arts | Louisville Record, a Catholic
degrees. The father is a|diocesan weekly.
teache and their home is on; “It so happens,” stated the
|Richmond’s Barton Heights. | Record, “that we don’t live in
| Father O’Kane said white|a merely legal and mathemat-
ineighbors, whom he inter-|ical universe. The funda-
were shocked. He | mental question is not wheth-

| viewed,
/quoted one woman as saying,/er the existing laws are being
\“They’ve given us no trouble; | precisely observed, but wheth-
er these laws, or more exact-

'why should we tolerate any-|
ly, the social attitudes respon-

‘one giving them trouble.” An-

eeee ee ee eeeeeeeee

eeeeeeeeeeeee eeerreeee eevee eeeeeeee eeever

with the President that made Voted attention of the people. |
hjm instruct General George Even the two little dark chil- |

C. Marshal that there was to/ dren in front of us, continu-|
he no the ally dropping their collection |

segregation in
army’s rehabilitation program | Pennies, were reverently rest |

’ sc!
and no “separate” hotels were | *€SS-
set up in New York or Chi-, Now, the sacred moment, |

cago for Negro overseas vet-| the Consecration is at hand. |
ae 6 |The priest holds aloft the;
Mrs. Bethune knows the| Sacred Body to be adored. |

secret of peaceful living. She “My Lord and my God.” |
looks back over “the steep, | Funny, I thought again...
hard wav” she has come from | S° ™any people would shud- |
the overcrowded log cabin, | der if asked to attend a Negro |

}church .. . Slowly and rever- |

‘ently the Ladies’ Altar Socie- |
|ty approached to receive Our |

congregation followed. Race’
prejudice was non-existent in |
'this holy place! My thought |

endship House News

‘this time was how unimpor- | Ship problems in that state. accorded him. .

tant our color on the outside, |
long as our hearts beat |
with love for Him.
Breakfast followed in
hall, served by the women of |
the parish, and the purpose of
the gathering was explained.

It was hoped that the round-
work would be laid right
there to form a group to fos-

ter attendance at daily Mass
and Communion. A commit-
tee was then selected to fur-
{ther those plans. But most

| significant, I think, was the
|functioning of the Mystical
Body of Christ—Negro and
white—with one common

J Love and one common Father.

RO Bee eas iS etka camtigtae

eee eereeere eeeeeevee eevee

akivhiw'ocwe : nS occes

C) Bill me

* 4 :
ala

other said that white people
would aid Negroes in helping |
them to improve themselves
by allowing them to have
good home sites and other
opportunities. Another, whom |
the priest described as “thor-
oughly Virginian” expressed |
the opinion: “It was a very
unkind thing to do.” A)
fourth neighbor attributed |
the incident to teen-agers,
* A ae

Monsignor Joseph Brunini

and other members of the
Southern Regional Council

up a bi-racial board to study

sible for these laws, respect
the inherent dignity of the
human personality.”

The article continues to say
that if the food and service in
the Negro section of the car
are as good as those in the
white’s: “If all this is true,
then we may conclude that
the satisfaction of his animal
instincts has been equitably
provided for. But his human
dignity has been outraged. He
has been treated as something
less than a man, not to add, as
something less than a free

Lord, and then the general | instigated action by Governor | citizen of a democracy. Some-
Wright of Mississippi to set |

thing other than his rational
nature has been made the

Negro education and citizen-

Return Postage Guaranteed
FRIENDSHIP HOUSE

basis of the rights which are

”

the 34 West 135th St. New York 80, N. Y.

‘