Critics Praise Priest's 'Primitive' Art [ Seminarian Led Dangerous Life In St. Joseph's Church of Leadville in Beigian Underground in War Member of Audit Bureau of Circulation 'contents Copyrighted by the Cath^ic Press Society, Inc., 1948—Permission to Reproduce, Except on Youth Now Student Articles Otherwise Marked, Given After 12 M. Friday Following Issue. In St. Thomas' for DENVER CATHOUC Service in Santa Fe By Robert G. Hoyt Life in the Belgian underground was dangerous, but it was never dull. And despite the vileness of war, veterans of the underground sometimes feel a twinge of nostalgia for those days of high adventure, when every stranger was a po­ REGISTER tential enemy, and every step might be your last The National Catholic Welfare Conference News Service Supplies The Denver Catholic Register. We So testifies Arthur van Damme, Have Also the International News Service (Wire and Mail), a Large Special Service, Seven Smaller 23, a student for the priesthood in Services, NCWC and Religious News Photos. Price of paper 3 cents a copy. the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, now in his first year of philosophy at Nun Saves St. Thomas’ seminary, Denver. An VOL. XLIV. No. 22. DENVER, COLO., THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1949. $1 PER YEAR. ardent promoter of Catholic Ac­ tion—“and let it be action”—van Damme has recaptured the under­ 5 7 P u p ils ground’s spirit or dedication in the apostolate Crusade Official to Be Guest Despite his youth, van Damme From Fire has a background that includes years of experience in the Belgian A former Denver nun is cred­ underground and in the Jocist ited with saving the lives of 57 At Mission Week Observance (Young Christian Worker) move­ children in the blaze that razed ment. He has vivid memories of the mission school in Lakeland, Ga. The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Denver will wild escapades under the Nazi rule, Mother Marie Catherine, the observe their 25th annual Mission Week under the auspices of narrow brushes with death. daughter of Mrs. Sarah Walsh of *^Christ and the Young Man,'’ a mural in St. Joseph's church, Leadville P re ss M eet of the Catholic Students’ Mission Crusade Jan. 23 to 28. The ■Van Damme was part of what 1314 Lipan street, Denver, su-' he calls the “public’’ underground. pervised the evacuation of all the Very Rev. Monsignor Ferdinand A. Evans of Cincinnati, students to safety and then braved assistant secretary-treasurer of the CSMC, will be the Mis­ The members of this branch of the Vivid Murals anti-Nazi brigade lived apparent­ the flames to search the cloak­ To See Test sion Week guest of honor. He will arrive in Denver in time ly ordinary, submissive lives— rooms and washrooms for possible for the quarterly meeting of the local Crusade conference at went to work or school, complied stragglers. She also led a group Executed by with the Gestapo regulations, of older students in rescuing boote St. Joseph’s high school, W. 6th and Fox streets, at 10 a.m. and furnishings from the fire. Sunday and will remain to speak at the Crusaders’ Masses avoided any word or action that In Speaking would mark them out for special Mother Catherine krent to South Fr. Trunck in,the Cathedral and Loyola church Friday morning, Jan. 28. attention Georgia in 1947 as superior of a By Rev. Clement A. Green Final arrangements for the 16th Mission Week, a Denver institu-' band of Franciscan Sisters sent to cess of the annual Holy Childhood annual convention of the Associa­ tion, is intended to focus the at­ BUT BENEATH this framework staff the new Queen of Peace Last summer the Rev. George tion of Catholic Schools Press Re­ Christmas seal campaign, and the Spehar, pastor of St. Joseph’s par­ tention of' all the students of the of submission, these “public’’ reb­ school built by the Oblate Fathers lations at Loretto Heights college, continuance through the years of at their Negro mission at Lakeland. ish in Lead'ville, was threatened schools of the archdiocese on the the activity of the Crusade local els lived a separate, secret life Denver, Feb.' 18 and 19 were an­ crammed with conspiracy and ex It was this one-story, five-room with a charge of vandalism if he nounced Monday. An unusual fea­ missionary program of the Church. conference, have all conspired to structure that was completely de­ persisted in his plan to repaint the ture of this year’s convention will All the schools are registered by give Denver the rating of a first stroyed by fire on the afternoon interior of the church. be a joint final meeting and ban­ the Archdiocese Mission office as class-Crusade city. of Jan. 3, while school was still in Artists come from distant point* quet for delegates to the Loretto The effectiveness of the educa­ session. ^— to study the primitive painting* Heights Speech contest and to the tional program of the Crusade is Winds Sava Convent adorning the walls of the church. Press convention, at which the reflected in the constant g;rowth of On the morning in question a Hon. W. Lee Knous, Governor of returns in the Missionary Co-op The blaze, which leveled the group of painters from New York Colorado, will make the awards. eration collections taken up an­ school in half an hour’s time, for had stayed so long in the church Organized for the first time this nually in the Denver churches. a while threatened to spread to the that Father Spehar decided that year by the Rev. Edward A. Ley­ Most middle aged persons in Den­ adjoining convent. All the furni­ he should investigate. Their volu-; den, archdiocesan superintendent ver who received their education in ture was removed as the terrific hie enthusiasm changed to shocked of schools, for -students of Cath­ the local'Catholic schools learned heat cracked window glass and indignation when the pastor sug­ olic high schools throughout Colo­ of the missionary program of the buckled the aluminum wall. ProV' gested that it might be about tim* rado and adjoining states, the Church and its ne^ of their sup­ identially the winds shifted in time to redecorate the church in a mor* speech contest will epen Feb. 17 port through the activities of the to save the sisters’ residence. conventional way. on the Loretto Heights campus. CSMC. Mother Catherine’s reaction to “You will be a vandal if you do. The contest will cover three phases The Rev. John J. Considine, M the disaster was characteristic of Genuine primitive paintings of of public speaking: A debate on M., one of Maryknoll’s recognized her determined energy. As soon as the fire was over she was organiz­ this type are rare,” one of th® the subject, "Resolved, That a leaders, who had expected to be a artists insisted. world federal government should Denver Mission Week visitor, has ing the transfer of the salvaged school equipment to the church, No redecoration plans are in th* be establishedoriginal oratory; had to postpone his visit to the immediate offing. and extemporaneous dramatic, and city because of urgent business at where classes were resumed on the The paintings, which cover ev­ interpretative .speech. the headquarters of the society. next morning. ery available inch of sp^cq |n the Committee heads for the Press The absence of Bishop Lane, Mary- The lower grades sharff the Gos church,. the choir loft, the vesti­ Relations convention were chosen knoll General, who has been in pel side of the church, and Mother bule, and the sacristies, are th® at a joint meeting of the Loretto Guatemala for some time, has com­ Catherine’s sixth grade is crowded work of the former pastor, the Rev. Heights-Regis Press clubs plicated Father Considine’s sched­ into the sacristy. -School sessions GeCrge Trunck. Father Trunck, ^the Heights last week. Dorothy ule in such way as to make a visit will be held in the church until now retired and living in San Whelan of Denver was chosen to Denver impossible for the pres­ Arthur van Damma necessary funds can be raised for Francisco, celebrated ms golden chairman of the college sessions ent. X a modern fireproof structure. anniversary of ordination with a and Pat Doyle of Ft. Collins will citement. They gathered and Strength Becomes Legendary Solemn Mass in St. Joseph’s church Very Rev. Migr. F, A. Evant brought supplies to the “secret” act as leader of the combined col­ In the meantime the 120-pound on July 29, 1945. lege and high school sessions Sat­ units of the CSMC. In many in­ underground, distributed under­ The word, ^‘primitive,” a> ap­ Course Shows ground newspapers, channeled in­ nun’s strength bids to become leg­ urday, Feb. 19. Ed Schaded, Regis stances the student’s participation endary in Lakeland. As the fire plied to Father Trunck’s art, does college, will head the radio jour­ in the Crusade’s triple program of formation to the saboteurs, aided not imply that he strove to imitate Allied flyers who crashed in Bel­ was advancing on her classroom. nalism sessions. study, prayer, and sacrifice for the W oy to Happy Mother Catherine was determined ancient pictures. Technically, missions is concentrated princi­ gium. primitive painters are those ■with­ Round table discussion leaders to save the sixth grade’s new black­ St. Joseph's.church in Leadville -(Photo by Fr. C. A. Green) and topics were also announced. pally in the activities of Mission Most of van Damme’s under­ board. out scientific, systematic training Feature writing sessions will be Week.