June 10, 2016

What was in the news on June 10, 1966?

A new archabbot for St. Meinrad, criticism for stifling dissent against the Vietnam War, and racial equality in purchasing

Criterion logo from the 1960sBy Brandon A. Evans

This week, we continue to examine what was going on in the Church and the world 50 years ago as seen through the pages of The Criterion.

Here are some of the items found in the June 10, 1966, issue of The Criterion:
 

  • Participate in Project Equality
    • “LANSING, Mich.—Four Michigan Catholic dioceses—Grand Rapids, Lansing, Marquette, and Saginaw—will commit their purchasing power to promoting racial justice and equal job opportunity. … The four dioceses announced their intention to implement the Project Equality program of the [National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice], which requires companies doing business with the dioceses and their institutions to adopt equal employment policies and practices.”
  • Editorial: Guns and glitter
    • “President [Lyndon B.] Johnson has demanded that his Vietnam critics quit being ‘Nervous Nellies’ and stand united ‘until the gallant people of South Vietnam have their own choice of their own government.’ ‘I do not think that those men out there fighting for us tonight think that we should enjoy the luxury of fighting each other back home,’ he said. We seriously doubt that stateside differences of opinion about the Vietnam War have any measurable effect on the morale of American battle forces, all the outpourings of Washington-inspired propaganda to the contrary notwithstanding. There was a far deeper cleavage of public opinion in the Korean War. … Efforts to stifle dissent … continue to take curious turns. … Telling the truth has never damaged public morale. Hiding the truth has.”
  • Prior Gabriel Verkamp elected new Archabbot of St. Meinrad
    • “ST. MEINRAD, Ind.—Father Prior Gabriel Verkamp, O.S.B., who was born a few miles from the 112-year-old Benedictine monastery here, was elected as the sixth abbot of St. Meinrad’s Archabbey on Friday, June 3. The 66-year-old native of Ferdinand will succeed Archabbot Bonaventure Knaebel, who resigned as monastic superior on May 10, 11 years after his election. Archabbot Gabriel, who will be solemnly blessed in the office later in the summer, brings to the position 37 years’ experience as a monk, seminary professor and official, pastor and religious superior. Since 1963, he had served as prior of the Benedictine community at St. Meinrad.”
  • Appointed rector of seminary
  • Corpus Christi rites set at three sites
  • Rev. Peter D. Fox, Jesuit ordinand, sets Mass June 19
  • Visit to a Czech village: A rainy day in Suchdol
  • Vatican experts drafting guidelines for ecumenism
  • Church seeking to serve Latin social revolt, cardinal says
  • Laity polled on new bishop
  • Leon Cathedral swept by blaze
  • Sees ‘crisis of obedience’
  • Back right of religious to teacher’s certificate
  • Future superiors of mission society will be elected
  • Proposes co-op vocation film
  • Cadet kickball crown annexed by Holy Spirit
  • Varied summer slate on docket for CYO
  • 1,000 churches on drawing board
  • 11 on Woods faculty given study grants
  • ‘Reasonable to expect’ life on other worlds
  • Institute speaker: Urges new approach in alcoholism laws
  • Summer study set for Marian faculty
  • La Leche League sets convention
  • Recollection set for women’s group

(Read all of these stories from our June 10, 1966, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

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