Elms College - Elmata Yearbook (Chicopee, MA)

Page 18 text:

Father ' s guileless nature meets the world with boyish grin and jaunty, lighthearted step; seeking to remedy all minor ills by cheerfulness. If Father ' s life has known much of shadow, it has been lightened to a point the world may not see, or even guess it there, except that all men know it. We see only lightness there, perhaps, only per force of this same cheerfulness. An outstanding characteristic of Father Pierce is his sincere interest in people — all people. It is not strange then that Father ' s favorite pursuit is furthering the know- ledge, practice, and love of the liturgy. For here in prais- ing God he knows all people meet. Those he knows and holds dear, those he ' ll never meet, those he has yet to meet someday. Here he finds a common ground to know them all a little better. Father meets and talks with everyone quite easily; for it is not easy to talk to a person, when you have just been talking, as he has, to God with him?

Page 17 text:

We will not remember every Truth you have ever taught us. And we doubt that this Was your intent. But of one truth You may be sure. We will Remember. We will recall that it was you Who gave us our example in all things — In study; recreation; and in prayer. We watched you walk through the Exact same halls as we, and Yet there was a difference, for you Always did remember who you were And what should be our role. Because we were allowed. If only for a little while To know you and to see you day to day. We gained enough in memories to last Us for a lifetime. For this we pray, Laus tibi, Christe!

Page 19 text:

Father Burke is like the swiftly flowing stream. It laughs and sings quite merrily, but beneath the surface lies deep and still. Father has made many a day more pleasant for us by the sunshine of his ready laughter. In between his pleasant quips he has given us a deeper joy, more steady, to cling to if we will, a joy to walk with us in all the paths we will ever have to tread, bumpy or smooth. It is in these moments that one sees the beauty of the deep silence of his soul. One glimpse of this silent reservoir and you perceive that it is the source of all that Father is. You know why the keeness of the sparkle in his eye, why the happy, ready laughter. It accounts too for the seeming boyishness of his manner and appearance. Paradoxically it is maturity that causes the boylike exuberance and radiating cheerfulness of soul. Having put first things first , he helps us, too, to build a strong reservoir of faith.