Blessed Sacrament Academy - Silva Yearbook (San Antonio, TX)

Page 29 text:

IH me S W BPL-WR fields in order that Christ's divine teaching be brought to the ends of the earth. the realization of the reign of Christ by working for souls in union with Bishops and priests. To the clergy he issued a reminder that they must be the salt of the earth and the light of the world , setting forth again the Christian ideals of sanctity, zeal and learning which they must attain. In order to demonstrate to the world that his teaching is not mere impossible theory but that the Church over which he reigns as Christ's Vicar justly claims sanctity as one of her distinctive marks. he saw fit to enroll formally a number of her sons and daughters among the saints in heaven. To a world which unfortunately has degraded marriage to the level of paganism. he explains the beauty and efficacy of the Christian ideal of marriage. stressing its permanency and divine purpose against the pagan practices of divorce, contracep- tion and sterilization. To a world in which education has deteriorated into mate- rial experimentation he clearly propounded the Christian principles and objectives to be borne in mind in the training of youth. Echoing the words and genius of Leo XIII. he speaks to the worshippers of Mammon. reminding that by their greed they have seriousley impaired the structure of society and brought about the present day industrial collapse because they enslaved the workingman and the poor in a manner most brutal and unchristian. Fearlessly he defended the rights of the Church against encroaching governments. For the Holy See he demanded only such restitution of temporalities as would be necessary for Vicar of Christ to preserve his immunity in order to carry out his spiritual mission unhampered. Finally the Lateran Treaty was signed between the Holy See and the Italian Govern- ment, thus solving a problem which for 59 years had occupied the minds of churchmen and statesmen. But there was much I0 sadden the heart of our Holy Father, Pius XI. In certain countries not only were children persecuted because of their Catholic Faith but there arose open defiant campaigns against God. W must face the terrible social and economic upheaval throughout the world. Nations are ready to go to war because of the intrigue and unscrupulous greed for power of international politicians. Above all the din and confusion of the world, the voice of Pius XI fearlessly denounced the building of armaments, the oppression of the poor and the open defiance of the moral law. And if today we hear from all sides that God took him from our midst just when his wise counsel and guidance were needed most. it is because as the Vicar of Christ he towers far above his fellowmen to the very throne of heaven, as the sole authoritative bulwark of truth against error, of the moral against the inmoral, of the cultured against the vulgar. of the op- pressed against the tryants of greed and power. In brief, he was the sole authori- tative bulwark of Christian civilization against pagan barbarism. His noble O O O 2' T 'i TI? . H I r V ,' He reminded the Catholic laity that they too have an obligation to bring about I O O O O O O O Q spirit fought bravely against bodily sickness because it behooved the Vicar of Christ to fight to the very end for the honor and glory of his Divine Master. With the genius of Leo XIII. the holiness of Pius X, the tact of Benedict XV and the courage of Gregory VII he has won the undying admiration and gratitude of the world. His last mortal words were a prayer for peace. The designs of Divine Providence in his regard are now fulfilled. He died as he lived, a recon- ciliation in the time of wrath. We who are now his orphaned children in deep sorrow offer our tribute of filial love. devotion and obedience. But the throne of Peter cannot remain vacant. Very soon there will be another Vicar of Christ. We implore Divine Providence that he may continue what Pope Pius XI has be- gun so well, that he also may be. as was Our Holy Father. Pius XI, a reconcilia- tion in the time of wrath. U. S. PRESIDENT FELICITATES POPE PIUS XII HIS HOLINESS POPE PIUS XII VATICAN CITY It is with true happiness that I learned of your selection as Supreme Pontiff. Recalling with pleasure our meeting on the occasion of your recent visit to the United States, I wish to take this occasion to send you a personal message of felicitation and good wishes. ROOSEVELT Page Twenty-Five

Page 28 text:

-YP' it ,.u 'vc the representative of Benedict XV wouldn't leave but remained to pray with a stricken people. Prophetic of his future Pontificate, he stood for the first time face to face against atheistic invasion. Bravely he stood with the Christian armies in the most desperate hour, until the tide turned and the Polish military leaders finally emerged victorious. Achilles Ratti had been tried in a dangerous crisis and was not found wanting. He was pleasing to God and was found just. 1921 his mission to Poland was successfully completed and within the next twelve months the designs of Divine Providence worked in great haste. Benedict XV appointed Achilles Ratti to the vacant Archbishopric of Milan and made him a member of the Sacred College. Then suddenly and unexpectedly came the end for the Holy Father, Benedict XV, the strain of the World War had broken his physical frame and after a very short illness the news of his death on January 22 1922. shocked a war-torn world. But the throne of Peter cannot remain vacant. What happened is now .matter of history. The Sacred College assembled in Conclave elected Achilles Cardinal Ratti as the 26lst successor of St. Peter. He accepted the election and than said There is something else. I protest before the members of the Sacred College that I have at heart the safeguarding and the defense of the rights of the Church and all the prerogatives of the Holy See: that being said I wish that my first blessing should go out, as a pledge of that peace for which humanity is longing not only to Rome and to Italy but to the whole Church and the entire world I shall give it from the outside balcony of Saint Peter's No longer was he Achill es Ratti, but he was Pius XI by every title, divine, legal and historic the 26lst successor of Peter, the 26lst Vicar of Christ upon earth. In this new capacity as Vicar of Christ he pledged himself to peace, he offered himself as a Ureconcilia tion in the time of wrath.' On the 23rd of December 1922. less than ten months after his election Pope Pius XI issued his first Encyclical letter known as the Ubi Arcano Dei In language severly simple and clear itself. All efforts to obtain that active fruitful peace which all desire had come to naught. In the near East there were fresh threats of War: in Europe, although the weapons of war had been laid aside, the old jealousies had not died down but the victors were still at war with the vanquished and were mutually hostile among themselves. In every rank of society, the minds of men were restless. embittered and sullen. Womanhood was given way to levity and trasgressing the limits of moral decency. Everywhere apathy idleness and thirst for luxurious living were rampant. Human society seemed to be turning back to the savagery of barbarism. And whence all this evil? B - cause man has apostatized from God. God's will has no longer a place among men in public affairs and in public life of nations. God is banished from that pact which is the very foundation of all society, namely marriage, thus allowing life and civilization to be poisoned at their very source. God has no longer his due place in education which concerns itself chiefly with the matter of a successful career while religion has become secondary. And whence the remedy? In an age of shallowness when too often whatever is novel receives the Stamp of approval merely because it is novel, the Holy Father proposes nothing new but stands by the ancient truth. Touchingly he pleads that man once again faithfully accept the teaching and commandments of Christ in matters of public life no less than in private life of the individual. Or Christ reigns over the minds of individual men, over the family, over the nations and over the Church. i'We shall strive, he said, A'With every effort to seek the peace of Christ in the reign of Christ . Pax Christi in regno Christi! Thus in the first year of his Pontificate he proclaimed himself as a reconciliation in the time of wrath. During the seventeen years of his reign he strove valiantly against world- wide odds to bring to the nations this peace through the reign of Christ. He instituted the feast of Christ the King to remind the human race that all men are subject to Christ's spiritual reign. He gave new impetus to the foreign mission Page Twenty-four W 5. I 'H A ' - fi , A s Ewa 'mlm Hlliwi. hope but in God. Did Archbishop Ratti flee? No, the Archbishop of Lepanto, q O In I I I C i O 1 I ' 0 0 , , Q I ' 0 b y , A e '

Page 30 text:

fi 1 Q A Q I ww fr' ,t 1889 - 1939 GOLDEN IUBILEE GREETINGS to SISTER STANISLAUS ABBIN We are indeed delighted to avail of this third number of our High School Annual to convey to you our heartfelt and sincere con- gratulations on the auspicious occasion of your Golden Iubilee. Now it is true We cannot Wish you many Golden Iubileesp however, We certainly do wish you many more happy years to continue your noble and zealous work in the service of the dear lncarnate Word. From the numerous presentations and congratulations you received on this memorable occasion We learn of the noble Work you have done and the high esteem in which you are held by your students and your friendsg our only regrest being that your friends and ad- mirers have said everything and left us nothing to say but to endorse their congratulations and good Wishes which We most certainly do. Golden with hope be each hour of your life, Golden with love each deed, Golden with grace be the Words you'll speak To each soul in its hour of need: Golden with peace be the ways you'll Walk, And when all of your paths are trod Gracious and glad be your welcome home At the Golden Gate of God. -The Seniors. Page Twenty-Six O O O I O I I O X