Thursday, April 6, 2006 FEATURE Southern Cross, Page 3 comes to Dublin, c. 1911 ichard Russell, campaigning for U.S. senator, was seriously injured Rnear there in 1932. In 1944, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled as a boy of 14 to Dublin and won an oratorical contest there with a speech entitled ‘The Negro and the Constitution’.” Decades earlier, in the same place— Dublin, Georgia—a pioneering group of Catholics set up a dining room sideboard in one of their homes every other week for a visiting priest to use as an altar. Catholic Church, built in Dublin in 1911, stands today as a marker to the faith of these early Catholics. Said to have been named for his aid from citizens of other cities, hometown, Dublin, Ireland, by a with architect Frank Seeburger certain Jonathan Sawyer at the donating his plans) and its capacity behest of his Catholic wife, the city (“about 100,” but with a gallery to (2004 pop.16,689) is the seat of provide more seating). John Kelly Laurens County and is located in was the church’s contractor and T. the heart of the state. Its early pop- C. Fountain acted as foreman. On ulation, like that of many Georgia June 23, 1911, the newspaper an- towns, was a meld of nationalities. nounced completion of the church During the days when a sideboard and its upcoming dedication. became a temporary altar, hardy Bishop Benjamin J. Keiley dedicat- priests arrived from Milledgeville ed the Immaculate Conception courtesy of the Diocesan Archives. Photo and elsewhere to offer Mass for Church on Sunday, June 25, 1911. Immaculate Conception Church, Dublin Dublin’s handful of Catho- First five families Ludwig, who later remembered the quent decades. lics. It was Father Richard The first five families who church in her will. Philadelphian Mills and factories of various Hamilton, serving Sacred formed the nucleus of the Martin Marquis Malone provided kinds moved in and near Dublin Heart parish in Milledge- parish were those of M. V. the carved marble statues that now and so did those who worked for ville, who fostered the Mahoney, C. F. Ludwig, W. stand in niches on the exterior of the them, some of the workers Catho- dream of giving Dublin a F. Schaufele, H. E. Kreutz church. lics. As early as the time of the Catholic church of its own. and Louis Thomas. Shortly Priests Cuban Missile Crisis, Spanish- The story begins afterwards, the Lebanese fami- Over the years, many priests have speaking families began to arrive in Here, the story of what Rita H. DeLorme lies of Mose Jepeway and tended the parishioners of Imma- Dublin, bringing with them the was to be Immaculate his nephews Gus and culate Conception Church, and warmth of their Catholic faith. Conception Church begins. Blessed George, arrived. Other names include, among others: Fathers Da- Sisters Mary Gerald Keily, Jane not only by loyal parishioners and appearing early on the roster of niel J. McCarthy, T. J. Morrow, T. O’Connor and Loretta Soltis, worthy clergy, it was to experience Immaculate Conception Church James McNamara, and James E. MSBT, provided Dubliners with the good fortune of having well-to- were: F. M.Nash, John Bascila, King; Father L. L. Toups, SJ, and examples of the work of women do and well-connected benefactors. Louis, John, and George Shehan Fathers Walter Donovan and Ro- religious in the church. Notable among these was the and their cousin,Tom Shehan. Soon bert F. Brennan. Starting in the Today, Immaculate Conception daughter of Governor E. L. Lowe added to the growing group of 1960s, the Missionary Servants of Catholic Church is still “in busi- of Maryland, Victoria Stubbs, wife Catholics were families of Louis the Most Holy Trinity assumed ness” at 204 N. Church Street in of Colonel John Stubbs. When she Benchina, Mark Pournelle, W. E. care of the Dublin parish, with Dublin, with Father Richard Hart moved to Dublin, Mrs. Stubbs ded- Page, John Duff, B. D. Lafferty, W. Father Cajetan McDyre M.S. SS.T. now serving as its pastor. Masses icated herself to obtaining a church P. Roche and Charles Mahoney. becoming pastor and Father Myron are offered on Saturday evenings for the small Georgia town. Once the Church of the Immacu- Bateman M.S. SS.T., his assistant. and Sunday mornings, and through- Victoria Stubbs’ commitment was late Conception was built, parish- Later, another member of the order, out the week at various times. Mass no passing fancy. Recruiting aid ioners began to concern themselves Father Toner, M.S. SS.T., is also said in the chapel of the from friends and family in the north, with beautifying its interior. Over the was pastor of Immaculate Concep- nearby Veterans Administration she joined Father Hamilton in the years, the generosity of those who tion Church for 20 years. Hospital and at William campaign to erect a church building attended Mass there resulted in gifts As far back as 1907, Victoria Church, Sandersville, a mission of on land contributed by her husband, both tangible and intangible, but Stubbs, who continued to be a Dublin. The vibrancy of Immacu- Colonel Stubbs. On February 2, equally valuable. Stained glass win- benefactress of Immaculate Con- late Conception parish is attested to 1911, the cornerstone for the church dows were the gift of the L. J. ception even after moving away by the full schedule of events and was set into place. The new church, Cullens family of Horseshoe Bend. from the area, envisioned the role services outlined in its bulletin noted the Dublin Courier Dispatch An air conditioning unit, donated in the Catholic church in Dublin each week. The parish has a Web concerning the structure, was to be the name of W.P. Roche by members might play in the future. “A church site: http://www.immaculate-con- of red brick and “its interior decora- of his family, served to block out the would attract many enterprising ception-church-.net. tions will be very elaborate, as all intense heat of summer. Soon, to and helpful Catholics from the The availability of Mass and the Catholic churches are.” glance around the building was to north and abroad to aid in the up sacraments and the increased num- The Courier Dispatch eagerly see a benefaction: the large crucifix building of Dublin,” she wrote, ber of Catholics in Dublin, in addi- followed the progress of the new given by John J. Duff, the Louis coming close to predicting changes tion to having their own place of church building, giving its cost Benchina family’s gift of the gold to be wrought by war and shifting worship, is more than the families ($5000), its provenance (financial tabernacle; gold vases from Louise population demographics in subse- who transformed their sideboards into altars for visiting priests nearly Catholic Cemetery price increases approved Correction a century ago could ever have wished for. he members of the Catholic Cemetery Advisory Board, with the ister Kristen Lancaster’s last name was misspelled in last approval of Bishop Boland, have voted to increase prices of burial S Columnist RITA H. DELORME T week’s photo caption on page 3. spaces and several other related fees as of July 1, 2006. If you would like is a volunteer in the Diocesan The Southern Cross regrets the to purchase burial spaces or columbarium niches before the price increase, Archives. She can be reached please contact the Catholic Pastoral Center at 201-4100. error. at [email protected].