June 6, 2014

What was in the news on June 5, 1964?

Retired priest for the archdiocese remembers tending to his flock on horseback

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 5, 1964, issue of The Criterion:

  • Don’t let the facts obscure truth, Catholic press told
  • Statements on pill hit by cardinal
  • Retired priest, 91, once made his parish calls on horseback
    • “One of the oldest readers of The Criterion is a 91-year-old retired priest of the archdiocese who is spending his twilight years at St. Paul Hermitage, Beech Grove. … [Father John H. Scheefers’] remarkable longevity is believed unmatched in the history of what is now the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. He has lived under eight popes and 17 presidents of the United States, beginning with U.S. Grant. … Father Scheefers was ordained by Bishop Silas Chatard in the old St. Meinrad Abbey Church on June 8, 1897, which means that next Monday he will mark the 67th anniversary of his ordination. His was in the last class ordained for the old Diocese of Vincennes. … After a brief assignment as assistant pastor of Old St. Mary’s, Indianapolis, he was appointed to St. Henry’s Church, Henryville, in sparsely populated Clark County. ‘You were the pastor?’ we asked. “Pshaw,’ came the reply. ‘It would be more accurate to say I was the missionary.’ While his rectory was, indeed, at Henryville, his ‘parish and missions’ covered a four-county area of hundreds of square miles, much of it uncultivated wilderness. Commuting was by horseback. ‘I had a faithful horse named “Dick,” ’ he explained. ‘That horse had a lot of stamina.’ ”
  • To study in Peru: Joseph Stephens … lad with a mission
  • Expert clarifies views: The theology of
  • parenthood
  • No early ruling on pill seen from pope, council
  • Second residence hall set for Latin School
  • Terre Haute plans Corpus Christi rite
  • Men will visit Episcopal church
  • Laymen and the council: Change in fundamental thinking
  • Don’t push poor products, nun tells Madison Avenue
  • Pittsburgh experiment: Unique Oratory serves thousands of students
  • Cardinal protector title, rank dropped
  • Cardinal declines to run
  • Pope speaks on relation between Mary, Church
  • St. Catherine’s and St. Matthew kickball queens
  • Pope lauds discipline in sports
  • Lay catechists are likened to lay deacons
  • CYO plans ‘self study’
  • ‘From Russia with Love’ is pornographic trash
  • From cop to Latin teacher
  • Nun’s role slated as topic on TV
  • Sees new timeliness for Legion of Decency
  • Foreign students seen lacking in direction
  • ND sets institute for nun-superiors
  • All U.S. birth control pills seen condemned
  • Urges Catholics attend state graduate school
  • Boston’s shopping center chapel thriving
  • Marian will offer 18 summer courses
  • Five-year plan: Aussie Cardinal orders sweeping changes in Catholic school system
  • Raps ‘confusion’: Answer critics fully, educators are told

(Read all of these stories from our June 5, 1964, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

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