Alvernia High School - Alvernian Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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THE ALVERNIAN Che Sodalitg Assemblg VERY student a sodalist is the slogan of the Alvernia Sodality and the large percentage of Alvernians who are members of this organization show how well this slogan is carried out. Early in September the Students' Spiritual Council-Genevieve Healy, prefectg Rosemary Cella, vice prefectg Mary Alice Schowalter, treasurerg Marian Daley, secre- tary-met to outline the plans for the year's program and to appoint committees to carry on the work of the Sodality. Assisted by the tireless and sympathetic moderator, Sister M. Edelwalda, these ofhcers prepared monthly meetings, held in the school auditorium on the Wednesday preceding the first Friday of every month. Frequently outside speakers were engaged to address these meetings, as it was believed that talks furnished by priests would be instrumental in advertising and spreading the Catholic faith as well as teaching the true doctrine. In fulfillment of its function as a student religious organization, the Sodality sponsored noon-clay religious exercises in the school chapel during October, the month of the Rosaryg November, for the poor soulsg December, in honor of the Divine Infantg and May, in honor of the Blessed Virgin. At the conclusion of May, white-veiled students moved slowly down the aisle of the chapel, each pausing before the shrine of the Blessed Mother to whisper a prayer and to lay bouquets of Spring flowers at her feet. Through the channels of the committees-the Eucharistic, Apostolic, Catholic Literature, Social Action-the Sodality supplies the spiritual, intellectual, and recrea- tional needs of its members, and contributes to the spirit of enlightened activity that has come to be known as Catholic Action. PAGE 99 MARCH 19 ALVERNIANS SENT THEIR MOTHERS T0 SCHOOL TO ATTEND THE FACULTY

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PAGE 98 THE ALVERNIAN l Che Annual CRetreat ROM her beginning Alvernia has held tenaciously to the sound principle that religion and education should go hand in hand, that neither should be segregated from the other, and that together they make for the certain welfare, both of the individual and the community in which he lives. With this as an ideal, the School Sisters of St. Francis fostered regular religious instruction as well as the establishment of religious societies. To them religion became an integral part of a systematic education and as indispensable to the young lady as her academic studies. So important did the founders of Alvernia deem religious training in conjunction with a broad intellectual education that in 1925, during Holy Week, one year after the school cornerstone was laid, Sister Mary Archangela, then principal, invited the Reverend George Thomas, CssR., to conduct the hrst retreat. Traditionally, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week are the three days during which all thoughts of class routine and school activities are entirely for- gotten, for on those days approximately 630 students give themselves up to contem- plation and meditation in keeping with the annual retreat, conducted this year by the Reverend Edward Mangan, CSSR., of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. To further the keeping of silence during the intermissions--a prime requisite of a good retreat-spiritual books as well as pamphlets were placed at the disposal of the students. By employing their time in reading matters pertaining to their faith, the girls were better able to keep silence and fulfill the requirements of the retreat. The three days did not lag. The aid of the Reverend Edward Mangan, the sympathetic director, made the time so helpful that all were sorry when the days were ended. THE CLIMAX OF STUDENT LIFE WITHIN FOUR WALLS. TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY, ON

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PAGE 100 THE ALVERNIAN Slanding flrfi Io righij --Mary Alice Schowalter, Rosemary Cella. Srufed Qlefl fo rigblj -Virginia Preglow, Genevieve Healy, Marian Daly. Soclalitg Officers O PROMOTE the Cause of Christ in the hearts of the socialists by inculcating the four loyalties: Loyalty to the person of Christ, Loyalty to the Church of Christ, Loyalty to the social reign of Christ, and, Loyalty to the cultural reign of Christ, the Student Spiritual Council, composed of Genevieve Healy, Rosemary Cella, Mary Alice Schowalter, and Marian Daley, referred much of its work to four standing committees. These committees provided and sponsored programs of appropriate activities or projects. There is not space for more than mention of the various committees--the Eucharistic Our Lady's, the Apostolic, the Literature, and the Social Action-directed by Sisters Digna, Lois, Edelwalda, and Paraclita. The Publicity Committee kept the Sodality bulletin board attractive and worth While, acquainting the students with Sodality activities and publishing these activities outside the school when necessary. The work of the Social Action Committee lay in caring for the poor and sick by offering them whatever help it could in the line of food and clothing. The Catholic Literature Committee aimed to interest the students in good literature, and to recom- mend and place within their reach the best books and magazines. The Braille Com- mittee, active enough at Alvernia to be a separate organization, worked quietly and generously to provide reading matter for the blind. The periodic magazine, stamp, and tinfoil campaigns, conducted by these committees of the Sodality, met with tremendous success as did the annual medicine, textbook, and candy udrivesf' Food, clothing, and toys brought delight and comfort to countless homes at Christmas and Easter. ST PATRICK PARTY. ROOM 203 MUST HAVE SPENT THAT DAY GATHERING STAMPS