Archbishop v. Redhead

Redhaired, 20-year-old Sue Simone Ingersoll (5 ft. 6 in., 123 Ibs., 37-24-36) is a hairdresser at the Hilton Hotel in Albuquerque, N. Mex. She is also a Roman Catholic--a fact that was giving sweet Sue Ingersoll something to worry about last week.

Sue had won the statewide beauty contest, which entitled her to compete for the Miss Universe title this week at the international beauty contest in Long Beach, Calif., and her archbishop had said that if she did, he would deny the sacraments of Communion and confession to both her and her mother (her father is not Catholic) for "an indefinite period of time." Philadelphia-born Archbishop Edwin Vincent Byrne, 67, like many another prelate, feels that females should be well covered in public. At his insistence, the beauty contest won by Sue Ingersoll held its bathing-suit judging in private, with only members of the contestants' families and the judges present. But Long Beach would not hear of such undercover proceedings; the brightest day is barely light enough for the glory of Miss Universe in a bathing suit.

The archbishop was adamant. Sue's mother said she was against Sue's going to Long Beach. Sue said she would go anyway. "If I go against mother's wishes, it doesn't seem a bit fair that she should be denied the sacraments, too," she said. "I have all the respect in the world for the archbishop and am sure he feels he's doing the right thing. But after all, it's 1959, and it's not going to be indecent or shady, and he should realize that."

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