By Marie Mulvenna

Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan told members of the Archdiocesan Bicentennial Committee that the "Liberty and Justice for All" program selected by the American Bishops for the Bicentennial celebration in the Catholic Church has been called "an act of courage on the part of the American Church." The archbishop said such courage and faith should sustain the local committee and will be the key to the successful involvement of the people of the archdiocese in the program.

He said it was important to hear the message from other people in what he said was sometimes a shocking form. "But we must hear it and heed it," the archbishop said.

The local bicentennial effort, he said, was not merely an historical recollection of the past, but a definite look at where we've come from, what we are and where we are heading in terms of Catholic contributions to the nation. The bicentennial can be an authentic method of renewal and reawakening as well as a commitment to the basic traditions of the American Church and will call for considerable dialogue and reflection so that all can be more aware of the Gospel message. "We have a great contribution to make to the future of the country," the archbishop stated.

Archbishop Donnellan told members of the committee that the success of the local program would help put the social teachings of the Church into practice and would bring about an awareness of social doctrine as well as arouse personal concern for its application. "It can do nothing but good," he said, adding that the quest for justice must always be of primary importance for Catholics.