Mount St Joseph Academy - Yearbook (Brighton, MA)

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mandments. They will know that although some creeds, some doctrines, some customs change, human nature is fundamentally the same, cherishing rights and privileges as old as the human race. Thus they can act in accordance with their just rights and corresponding duties. Another great function of our Catholic Press is to break down the prejudice and bigotry of those not of the Faith, by making them more fully appreciate the depth, beauty, and wisdom of God's holy Church. It has won from them recogni- tion of the scholarship of Catholic stu- dents in all fields. Thus, in making in- roads into the minds and hearts of these outsiders, the Catholic Press engages in the apostolic work and conversions. Until all the sheep are gathered into one fold under the leadership of the Pastor of Souls, until all become members of the body of Christ, the Catholic Press will continue its noble work. Its task is tremendous, its scope is limited only by the horizons of place and time. It has succeeded in the past, it is flourishing in the present, it will be vigorous in the future with your help-and so-God bless our Press! HELENA Ckowu-iv, '4o. Lead Kindly Light Q6 F WE could agree to be atheists, we could all live peaceably together as Christians. Peace at the price of truth, peace, and still seeing a fellow-being ignorant of the existence of the Son of Man, peace, while depriving a non- believer of the gift of faith, peace, and more mortals rebelling against, arguing against, even denying that there is such a person as the God-Man, peace, and His command being unfulnlled. All who still retain a sense of attainment realize more and more that our spiritual life cannot be built on the quicksand of contradictory human opinion but must stand firm on the marble of stable dog- 81 mas. Any spiritual structure has a pre- destined downfall if it lacks the rock foundation of basic truth. Only one Religion, one church, one spiritual body can offer sound doctrines, doctrines that have and will withstand the tests of all centuries, persecutions and even govern- mental extinction, but still the rock of Peter stands and will continue to stand, a staunch defender of all that is good and just, striving for an everlasting peace, founded on the Brotherhood of Man, on the principles of Social justice, and in the teachings of the Eternal Founder. Among the body of the Church Mili- tant are numbered souls that late in life have found the true faith, souls that were born into the faith, but later in life were numbered with the outstanding de- fenders, clergy, martyrs and saints of their Religion. The term f'convert is generally ap- plied to those who later in life have changed their religion, but in a sense, all Catholics are converts, for no one is born a Catholic although he may be born of Catholic parents with a Catholic heri- tage and environment, he is born on the threshold of the Church but he himself must foster his faith, live up to his baptismal vows, and guard the precious heritage. A conversion is more than an intel- lectual sequence, it is primarily and fundamentally the work of the grace of God, which no mortal can fathom, much less describe. In a conversion, there are entailed great personal sacrifices, prolonged mental sufferings, social ostracism, and sometimes the actual loss of livelihood. These obstacles are a stumbling block to a prospective convert. Another great hindrance is the bad example of luke- warm and renegade Catholics. The effect of these Catholics is startling lim t 1 ff I 1940 ,. fm m-a

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0 T I ..- .--i .....- ,Ediftlf-HEI.lTN.K Ckowuay we can look into our skies of blue, and, if we see clouds, know that they are not war clouds, but rain clouds. And when the rain begins to fall, and we hear the sounds of patter on the leaves, we can talk with Kilmer of trees which inti- mately live with rain , we can talk of trees which look at God all day and lift their leafy arms to pray. Dear God, my heart flows over with gratitude for our Catholic poets who can state our faith so beautifully. Now, we too can look into the rose and see Christ's blood, we can see His words in rocks. Catholic literature from its very incep- tion has been the herald of truth and beauty. In early Christian times, it saw fit to cull from pagan literature its fairest blossoms. Legend has it that St. Paul himself regretted that Vergil, the noblest of pagan poets, could not have been born in the Christian era, for he was acclaimed by the universal testimony of early Christian authors as an anima naturaliter Christiana. The literary treasures of the past have been preserved through the ages by the forerunners of the Catholic Press, the monks of the middle ages. The Catholic Press can claim as its founder Almighty God Himself. Through the mouths and pens of His prophets and X t8o1 L Apostles, He gave us the hrst book, the Book of Books, the best best-seller, the Bible. In it we find the truths of God presented in various literary forms. where can we find a more perfect short story than the Prodigal Son? Wliere shall we find a nobler record of family life than the story of the Flight into Egypt? There is no mockery of truth, no breach of moral codes, no lapse of etiquette in true Catholic literature. There is no overshadowing by the dis- regard of ethics and convention, such as we find in the modern novel. The product of the Catholic Press is the only beacon light in a world dark with de- pravity. Though it has drawn from the rich stores of the past, Catholic litera- ture itself is not of the past. Books, magazines, periodicals, all types and form of literary expression, are as modern as the times and places which produce them, for they are witnesses to the truth, and the truth is ever old yet ever new, eternal, unchangeable, universal. They are protagonists in the only just war ever waged, between truth and error. Mfhen secular magazines and newspapers have men on fire with hatred and malice to- ward their fellow man, when greed has grasped the brothers of Christ and made of them brute beasts subservient to the god of war, the Catholic Press has pre- sented unflinchingly the picture of man's true dignity as sons of God, co-heirs with Christ. The written word is such a vital force that many accept anything as truth as long as it is in black and white. What is a stronger force than the Catholic written word! It combats materialism by foster- ing a reverent fear and love of God: it combats communism by presenting prin- ciples for guidance in the social and economic order. It has fixed deep in their hearts a love of neighbor and deep in their minds a sense of truth and justice, these qualities cannot but show themselves in the daily lives of true Catholics, reaping a closer bond of good fellowship and Christian brotherhood among the children of God. VVhen they serve in the civic duty either of electing a man or being elected themselves into public offices, they will have before them the staunch counsel of the Ten Com- The Mount

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S l .flssistanl Edilor-CA'1'1fmR1xr: Mc1DuR1x1o'11' upon the non-Catholics, men will hght for religiong argue for itg write for it: even die for it, do anything but live for itg outsiders are always inclined to judge the Church by her bad members, and these bad members are the cause, in very many cases, why non-Catholics, on the brink of coming into the Church, are repelled by the example of these rene- gades, and are returned once again to the sea of doubt. The leakage during the past decades must not be minimized. True it has de- creased, but even a few are still far too many for the effect they can produce. The unwelcome influence of rationalism and materialism, the declining spiritual values following the last Mfar, the social insecurity of the masses, their floundering about for some safe harbor, their be- wilderment, the promising and satanic propaganda of Communism and Na- tional Socialism greatly augmented the number of renegades. Impartial study and zeal for the cause of God may lead men out of Protestantism, but never out of Catholicismg out of falsity, but never -u. out of truth. The failure of the promises made by these radical groups has caused the influx of many to the Church, the tyranny, hatred, and partiality shown in other lands have caused an ardent faith to bloom in other hearts. Since the death of the greatest convert from Anglicanisin, Cardinal Newman, more than goo Protestant clergymen re turned in England alone to the Mother Church and became members of her clergy, and in the world no less than 3,000 Protestant clergymen resigned their pastorates and became Catholic laymen. Among those who withdrew from the Anglican clergy to become Catholic priests is the Reverend Father Paul, the founder of the Franciscan friars of the Atonement, and among women who left the Anglican cloister to become as- sociated with Religious life is Sister Marianna, foundress with Father Paul, of the Franciscan Sisters at Graymoor. Both of these were Anglican religious, and their former religion did not meet the standards required by some of their parishioners, and the questions of those humble people seeking truth aided their instructors in finding it also. One of the most startling conversions in the last decade has been that of Heywood Broun, at one time a Communist suspect. A visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadaloupe in Mexico and the influence of Msgr. Sheen are responsible for the conversion of this man. He was envied by many of his fellow columnists in his new found peace and happiness of spirit, soul, and mind. The most Reverend Duane G. Hunt, bishop of Salt Lake City, a former Methodist, was one of twelve converts elevated to the Episcopal dignity in the United States. Joyce Kilmer's frequently expressed sentiment was I like to feel that I have always been a Catholic. This most The Mount