Sunday evening the Exhibition Hall of the Biltmore Hotel was the scene of a rapid and back-stretching exodus by the delegates to the Lay Congress. The concelebrated Mass which marked the closing of the Congress had climaxed with the presentation to Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan of the resolutions of the Congress by James W. Callison, president. The delegates left tired from their long sessions and hard work but satisfied and optimistic about its results.

Seventy-two delegates from 32 parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta had met at the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel over the weekend of May 20 to 22 to speak as “the authentic voice of the laity,” as the meeting was described in the episcopal directive of Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan. Another 72 alternates to the delegates were also in attendance, along with numbers of visitors from Catholic parishes and many guests from other churches.

The occasion was the First Congress of the Laity, described by observers as not only the first in the archdiocese but possibly the first in the world.

The documents published following the Second Vatican Council set the tone of the meeting. Very Reverend John L. Hein, S.J., consultant on conciliar documents to the Lay Congress, had supervised several courses of instruction for the delegates. Four participants in the Congress had played important roles in the Council at Rome: Archbishop Hallinan, Auxiliary Bishop Bernardin, The Reverend Dean William Cannon of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and Martin Work, executive director of the National Council of Catholic Men in Washington, D.C. The latter two were auditors by invitation at the Vatican Council.

Dean Cannon delivered the keynote address at the Congress on Friday night. He stressed the role of laymen in the Church, reminding his audience that laymen were no longer in the Church, but rather that they were the Church. He also indicated his pleasure at being invited to speak -- as a Methodist in a Roman Catholic Congress -- as an indication that the ecumenical spirit of the Council was being made a reality in Atlanta. Like other speakers to follow, Dean Cannon urged laymen to take their proper place in the Church. With an obvious reference to exponents of the “God is dead” theory, he made the point that amateurs should not be dabbling in theology.

Archbishop Hallinan also reminded the laymen that they were components of the Church. He described the Congress as an effort to rebuild the Church in Atlanta, opening doors and windows where necessary and revamping the structure. At both the beginning and the end of the Congress, he expressed his confidence in the laity, guided as they were by the Holy Spirit. The archbishop made the further point that laymen would suggest changes and assume their own duties, but that the Church “was not under new management.”

Several speakers during the three days emphasized the point of the Lay Congress: to offer suggestions to the Synod of priests which meets this Fall, and not to write a new set of rules.

At the banquet on Saturday evening, Martin Work discussed the three crises of the Church: dialogue and communication, identification in the modern world and relevance to the world. He pointed out that the Church is indeed concerned with the griefs, anxieties, hopes and joys of all people, and the Congress was tackling the three crises on the local level.

The Congress began its deliberations on Friday night, continued for 14 hours on Saturday, and again for ten hours on Sunday. Essentially, its deliberations were based on reports by committees which had been at work for many months. The full report of the decisions of the Congress will be published as soon as a transcript can be made. In general, these were the areas: Future Expansion and Development

Henry deGive, chairman. Divide parishes into local committees with a priest and one or more Religious assigned to the neighborhood. Seriously consider tithing as a means of financing parish activities. Development of the liturgical movement and ecumenism, with specific activities in the parishes. Develop dialogue between hierarchy, priests, Religious and lay people; stress training of all the people; expand the Church’s role in the economic and social life, again, of the Parish’s own community.

Education

Sam McQuaid, chairman. Develop an archdiocesan board of education to supervise all efforts in this field. Develop parish boards of education. Laymen would be on these boards in substantial number. Emphasis on schools of religion. Emphasis on adult education and the work of Newman Clubs in colleges. Many of the recommendations were concerned with efficient administration.

Administration

G. Albert Lawton, chairman. Establish a department of administration to coordinate administrative and financial affairs, with laymen in the majority. Establish departments in such areas as development, pastoral affairs, communications, education and youth. Parish development of administrative councils. The intent was to use the appropriate skills of laymen and thus release pastors for the spiritual duties for which they were educated and to which they devote their lives.

Steering

Furman Smith, chairman. Establish an appraisal committee to evaluate the work of the Congress.

Rules

Felmer Cummings, chairman. Presented six items not on original agenda. Typical was the recommendation that more attention be paid to the needs of young adults.

Reverend Conald Foust and Reverend R. Donald Kiernan were priest consultants to the Lay Congress.

James W. Callison served as president. The Congress suspended its rules and voted him commendation by acclamation. Mr. Cummings was vice president, Mrs. E. P. Faust, Jr., was secretary, and P. E. Sauerberge was treasurer.

Planning committees included: Banquet, Mrs. William T. Dennon, Mrs. H. T. Mellon; observers, Mrs. Thomas Bockman, Mrs. George Gunning; seating, Mrs. Paul Smith; registration, Mrs. Foster Hotard, Miss Mary Wells, Miss Lynda Schladenhauffen; floral arrangements, Mrs. Furman Smith; parliamentary procedure, Mrs. John Flack and program, Mr. Frank McBrearity.

Herbert Farnsworth, chairman of the ad hoc committee made the address of welcome, and Mrs. John Kesler responded. A Bible service was conducted by Father Hein, S.J., on Friday evening. Mass on Saturday was celebrated by Fathers Foust and Kiernan. Paul Smith introduced Martin Work at Saturday’s dinner. Pontifical Mass on Sunday was celebrated by Archbishop Hallinan and Auxiliary Bishop Bernardin, with Bishop Bernardin delivering the homily. The formal recommendations were presented to the archbishop by Mr. Callison, and the archbishop assured the delegates that the recommendations would be evaluated and discussed openly at the Synod, with lay auditors in attendance. The choir from Sacred Heart Church sang at the Pontifical Mass.