The first Lay Congress in the history of the archdiocese will take place in May, 1966, it was announced today. The purpose will be to provide a true channel for lay opinion, initiative and participation. The congress will precede the Archdiocese Synod by six months.

About 30 men and women met to discuss the idea of a Lay Congress in June. The meeting was called by Archbishop Hallinan who named Fathers Donald Kiernan and Conald Foust as consultants for liaison between laity and clergy.

Mr. Herbert Farnsworth was elected chairman of the group. A Steering Committee was named, with Mr. Furman Smith as chairman. The members are Mrs. Thomas Bockman, Edward Fechtel of Athens, Dr. Charles Goosby, Mrs. George Gunning and Mrs. Harry Horsey.

The Steering Committee has chosen three areas for study: catholic education; administration--parish and archdiocese; and future planning. Each subcommittee will include members of the original group of 30.

“The spirit of the Vatican Council is certainly the inspiration of this important step,” Archbishop Hallinan said. “The consecration of the world -- the prime responsibility of the layman can hardly take place unless priest and laymen really share in the prophetic, priestly and ruling tasks of the Church, each according to his calling.

“Chapter IV of the magnificent Constitution on the Church clarifies two points on which this collaboration is built. One is that “the laity should promptly accept in Christian obedience the decisions of their Spiritual Shepherds since they are representatives of Christ, as well as teachers and rulers in the Church.” The other is that bishop and priests should “recognize and promote the dignity as well as the responsibility of the laity...willingly employ their prudent advice...confidently assign duties to them in the service of the Church allowing them freedom and room for action...encourage lay people so that they may undertake tasks on their own initiative...consider with fatherly love the projects, suggestions and desires proposed by the laity.” “The Lay Congress is a historic step toward this collaboration already evident in so many places of life in the archdiocese: for example, liturgy, education, journalism, ecumenism, racial order and vocations. The old adage that the laity’s duty is “pray, obey and pay” has never rung quite true in Georgia. The missionary struggles and the forty year record of the Catholic Laymen’s Association are only two examples of lay and clerical cooperation.”

“If the Lay Congress fulfills the hopes of its founders, it can mobilize the efforts of 45,000 Catholics and 80 priests to “grow up in all things in Him who is head, Christ,” the archbishop concluded.

Preparing For The Congress

The procedure, since the plan is new, is being worked out by the lay group, and the full program will not be ready until the beginning of Lent. It is expected to include detailed studies of the three areas, the selection of delegates from all the parishes, the drafting of recommendations to be adopted, amended or disapproved by the delegates, and Congress itself.

The last national Lay Congress held in the United States was in Chicago in 1891, preceded by another in Baltimore two years before. Cardinal James Gibbons and Bishop Richard Gilmour of Cleveland supported them enthusiastically, and Archbishop John Ireland’s confidence inspired laymen like Henry Brownson and Charles Bonaparte. However, no similar Congresses were held after 1891; various lay organizations began to use their conventions to express lay opinions.

Georgia figured in the long period in which Bishop John England (whose diocese then included this State) brought together his annual convention of priest and lay delegates to share responsibility for the administration of the Church. These were continued from 1824 to 1842, but no other diocese adopted the plan.

Now the Constitution on the Church calls for “instruments erected by the Church for this purpose; so that laymen by reason of their knowledge, competence or outstanding ability may be permitted and sometimes even obliged to express their opinion on those things which concern the good of the Church.”

The Lay Congress of 1966 has this as its chief purpose.