By Marie Mulvenna

A dynamic step in the sphere of service to all people was taken this week by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan of Atlanta and Bishop Gerald L. Frey of Savannah, who jointly announced the formation of the Georgia Catholic Conference. The brand new organization will function as a witness to spiritual values in public affairs and will, as well, provide an agency for corporate Catholic service to the statewide community.

Father M. Anthony Morris of Atlanta has been named executive secretary of the conference with offices in the Catholic Center here. A native of Atlanta and director of the office of religious education, Father Morris also serves as vice-president of the priests’ senate. In discussing the new organization, Father termed the formation of the Conference a very positive step by the Church in Georgia “to broaden its perspective of service to the people on a statewide basis. By taking this step, I believe, the Church is saying that it wants to be of service to all the citizens of the state, not simply its own community.”

The objectives and functions of the new office as announced by Archbishop Donnellan and Bishop Frey will be fivefold. First, to formulate policy positions with reference to state governmental programs, legislation and policies which effect the common good and interest of the Church. Secondly, to represent and speak officially for the Church before all governmental branches as well as before statewide voluntary groups and organizations. Third, to help identify the needs of the citizens of Georgia in areas of morality, health, welfare, education, human and civil rights and to seek information in order to plan for the orderly development of resources to meet these needs.

Fourth, the Conference will work alone and in cooperation with others to meet these needs and to prevent and eliminate conditions which cause moral and social problems within the community. Fifth, to foster public understanding of the Church’s social teaching and concern about the human condition of all citizens.

The newly formed Conference will consist of a Board of Governors, composed of Archbishop Donnellan, Bishop Frey, the vicar general of both dioceses, Very Rev. Eusebius J. Beltran, V.G. of Atlanta and Msgr. Andrew J. McDonald, V.G. of Savannah, as well as the two chairmen of the Diocesan Pastoral Councils, Eugene Shelton of Atlanta and Thomas Coleman of Savannah.

Fr. Morris told the BULLETIN he felt the Georgia Catholic Conference would, hopefully, “give us a more effective vehicle to help people understand the Church’s social techniques and why we are concerned about all those areas which effect the dignity of human life.”

“Sometimes we are criticized,” Father stated, “because we express an interest in legislation and governmental policies only when they effect our own internal or in-house concerns. I think the step, such as the establishment of the Georgia Catholic Conference indicates that the Church is aware that it does not exist in a vacuum but that it is effected in great manner by what goes on in the community of man and also that it would hope to show its spiritual values existing in every area of life.”

As an example of the kind of involvement to be expected of the fledgling Conference, Fr. Morris told the BULLETIN he had met this week with Ellis MacDougall, state corrections directors, on the topic of prison reform.

In addition to his post with the office of religious education, Fr. Morris has served on the executive board of the Office of Urban Affairs as chairman of the Archdiocesan Task Force on Labor and as a member of the executive board and secretary of the National Federation of Priests’ Councils.