Mount St John Academy - Veritas Yearbook (Gladstone, NJ)

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Um ' em ' As the wondrous beauty of Shuberts Ave Maria , sung by Roberta Skelly, filled the hall, the curtains parted slowly and spontaneous gasps of delight sounded from the audience. Before them was a tableau of the hrst apparition of G'The Lady to Juan Diego at Gaudelupe. This was the beginning of the entertainment for the end of the lVIarian Year, presented by the high school students of Mount St. John Academy. For weeks the girls had worked on the productiong learning lines, interpreting them, and adorning the already beautiful Marian Tribute with choral speaking, and hymns so that Our Lady would be pleased with their gift. The play itself, written by Marilyn Dolcey, was more beautiful because of the devotion with which the girls prepared and perfected their token of love for Mary at the end of her year. All too soon, it seemed, the moment arrived and backstage echoed nervous whispers of last minute advice. Then the lights dimmed and the play was on! After the first few moments of apprehension, the play took on, for both the actresses and the audience, a sort of grace and loveliness that could not be entirely the result of human effort. lt was a simple tale, the story of the coming of the Queen of heaven to Juan Diego, a humble Mexican Indian, the lowest of the lowly, and his sub- sequent sufferings and struggles to fulfill her desire to have a church built in her honor on the hill of Tepeyac. He is first abused by his affectionate, but highly critical Aunt, Maria, and then consoled by his crippled friend, Thomas, who beseeches Juan to ask the Lady to cure him, and then begs Juan not to ask, but to tell the Virgin, uthat l love her, and that I believe. The climax comes when .luan's beloved Uncle, Bernardino falls deathly ill, and Juan is sent, to the mission to call a priest to his Uncle's side. He tries to avoid Our Lady, in order to save time. Our Lady stops him and, on his request, heals both Bernardino and Thomas, she then gives Juan a bouquet of roses, blooming in mid-winter, as a sign for the Bishop. When Juan opens his tilma to show the Bishop, the roses fall out and reveal a miraculous picture of Our Lady painted on the rough cloth. After the last scene of the play, the high school girls, dressed in their customes formed a procession that wound through the corridors and up to the chapel for' Benediction. They were joined by the greatly moved members of the P. T. A. Benediction followed, a fitting close to our Marian Tribute, and, as the magnificent words of the Marian Year Prayer rang through the chapel, we felt sure that Our Lady was pleased with the offering of her children, for a great peace and deep joy filled the hearts of the congregation, as the chapel echoed the phrases: Thou art the glory, Thou art the Joy, Thou art the honor of our people. Amen.