Our Lady of Lourdes High School - Knight Yearbook (Marinette, WI)

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WEQ aww. a ssi' JB. DANTE-Tl-IE POET OF CATHOLIC IDEALS King that hast reigned six hundred years and grown In power and ever growestf' Dante is truly the ideal of poets. Only a Dante could have written that im- mortal poem based on Catholic philosophy and theology. Reared at the Fountains of Holy Scriptures and the Fathers, fairly saturated with the teachings of the angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, Dante produced that wonderful diary, that pilgrimage of the human soul from the wood so wild and rude to the Love that moves the sun and every star, the loftiest and loveliest literary expression ever molded by the lips of man, the Divine Commedia. Even in our unheroic times, Dante has become the most heroic figure of the last six hundred years and his supremacy in literature is solidly securedg never was his inliuence so deeply and widely felt in the world at large. His voice was that of the Middle Ages, and yet it is heard to the uttermost bounds of the earth, whilst his poem, the Divina Connnedia, stands matchless and unapproachable in literature today. Today, more than ever before, the world lacks faith in the Supernatural. Dante took that faith, set it to the music of his lyre, and sent its sweet strains breathing through the world, and, in consequence, he has become the greatest poet of Catholic ideals. With most realistic descriptions, well depicted characteriza- tions, and in the most beautiful and choicest language, he describes for us heaven, hell, and purgatory. The beauty of the language now singing as the stormy sea, now soft as the evening breeze is unsurpassed for its pictorial power, intensity of feeling, infinite pathos, a haunting personality and the onward march of right- eousness to its hnal triumph-truly a great poem, a fountain forever overflowing with the waters of wisdom and delight. In order to understand Dante, however, and the reason why he is placed on the highest pinnacle of literary genius, why he is called the Poet of Catholic Ideals, one must study the age in which he lived. Little of this man's life is knowng yet we know that he learned the art of writing poetry from French poets and devoted much time to profound study. He also saw military service and joined in the recreations of that time. At the age of thirty-two he married, then on account of political difficulties was exiled from Florence and went on his lone- ly way, a penniless wanderer. Yet this very sad and weary exile gave us the im- mortal epic. He lived in the thirteenth century, a period usually designated as the Dark Ages, but it was really one of the most illustrious centuries both in the men it produced and the deeds it accomplished. Among the most brilliant of men during this period can be noted a St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Louis, Pope Innocent III, and countless others that have made this age illustrious. The most striking thing of this age was the mental attitude, the religious glow, the real Christian ideals, Time was the vestibule of eternity. Besides this fervent faith, chivalry was the outstanding feature, a watchword of the age. Under the influence of the Church, culture was instilled and woman was receiving the reverence due to her, since the Blessed Virgin was ever an in- spiration to the man of that age. Thus arose knighthood a glorious tribute to chivalry. YN ... . - , '- ' --QP'-f 5 --,, -A ., 0 461 .5-MiI ' f'fL', es-Sift, 39 as ses 5. - - Page 46 1 Q 'xg

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fd? -. - , xi'eWK .s'. 9sB- 1 N if they had been mutilated in divers ways and had to be repaired by attaching wires as bracesg they are being cruelly treated by Allen. . judge: Serious, indeed. A. Diamond shall perform acrobatic stunts ten hours daily for the next two years. Limber up his rheumatic tendencies. The clock was next in line. He accused Francis Reinhart of trying to bribe him to gain or lose time, at the same time stating that Francis hourly hurled threatening glances at him for not hurrying away the hours. judge: A deplorable situation. F. Reinhart shall be condemned to the alarm clock factory-to test alarm clocks from 6 A. M. to 6 P. M. The waste-paper basket showed its crippled condition, due to the overflow and overstufling of paper by Lawrence Camps. Judge: Penalty for L. Camps to manufacture paper from rags as a means of livingg that he may learn to value even waste paper. Two starved-looking shorthand manuals appeared next. They accused the VVeiler twins of camouiiage, that their makeup was terribly distorted by these two. Judge: Sentence: T he Weiler twins shall be obliged to report all the court proceedings in so rapid a manner that sparks will issue from their pens or pencils. F risky Miss Gregg Writer comes next with her tale of woe. She accuses Ethel Butler and Doris Allard of scratching up her whole face and hands and neck by their scribbled transcription notes. An inexcusable crime in the classroom. judge: They are sentenced to a pilgrimage to the land of ancient hiero- glyphics to learn from the savages how to appreciate the wonderful art of short- hand. Patsy Speller and Reddie English now bring their suit against Cecile Camps, Eva Desjarlais and Marion Liptack for various attacks on their good name. Judge: Solitary confinement for them for a period of one month, during which time they must spell one thousand words without error and write a 1,000- word theme every day. Bookkeeping Text men had their case against Margaret O'Connell and Gene- vieve Hearty in readiness. Stuffing Trial Balances, making no distinction be- tween debits and credits called for a severe penalty. judge: Condemned to the bookkeeping job for life. Dame Arithmetic accused Helen Redman and Carroll Russell of slighting their duties in regard to taxes, interest and notes. judge: Grave case. They shall give all their money to the poor and beg their living henceforth. Judge: And now for my complaintsg I have a bill to settle myself with Ber- nice Plante and Lucille VVeiler. Ignorance of the law excuses no man g they've failed to consider this and therefore shall be obliged to spend most of their life in court, as reporters or lawyers, or judges until they've heeded the above advice. Church History: To show the Graduates that shall leave from these halls that we bear them no ill will, in spite of their transgressions for which they will pay heavily enough, we shall celebrate their leave-taking by a little party. T here- upon followed such a whirl-wind kind of dance, that my senses seemed to leave me and I grew dizzy and fell asleep, not waking till six the next moming. I rose and looked about me in a dazed manner-everything seemed to be in its place, but I know better-it was no dream. I don't dream with open eyes. As soon as the doors were opened I hastened home for my breakfast, eager to get back to relate my night's experience. MARION LIPTACK, CATHERINE CROWLEY, MARGARET O,CONNELL, ETHEL BUTLER, DORIS ALLARD. L KD Page 450'

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R V 9' R . e -1 ,- A fi wiireim .41'. 'fs'-3' Q ., - .few Another trait of this age was the great desire of men to give expression to their thoughts and ideals in the realms of art. The beautiful Gothic temples, the wonderful paintings and sculptures, the magnificent architecture are the monu- ments that show the wonderful influence of Catholic ideals. It was in this age of fervent faith that Dante lived and died, and above all left us his immortal work, the Divine Comedy. This work is divided into three parts, Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso. In his Inferno Dante divides hell into nine circles, meting out punishments according to the evils chosen. The Purgatorio shows the repentent soul expiating its faults. Thus far in his journey through hell and purgatory Dante is led by Virgil who is the symbol of Human Reason. But here Virgil leaves, for Human Reason can travel no farther. From now on Beatrice, the symbol of Divine Revelation, leads. She guides him through the various heavens until they reach the Empyrean, where Dante is transfigured and beholds the Beatific Vision. In the Paradiso, Dante reaches the sublimest height of his poetic nature where human thought and human speech can mount no higher. Dante, the poet of Catholic Ideals! How exquisitely these few words por- tray the man who has given to the world an imperishable gift, the man whose life was an exemplification of his ideals. All Christians must unite in gratitude to the Florentine who, on the banks of the Arno, first beheld his eternal Beatrice and raised his voice in the sweet new style, a style like a light that had the power to transfigure whatever object it fell upon. How appropriate the words written by Michael Angelo: VVhat should be said of him, speech may not tell, His splendor is too great for men's dim sight. JOHN DORANI, ,27. Illustrations and etchings were drawn by the artists: FRANCIS P1-'IESTER DoR1s ALLARD FRANCIS MONROE BERNADINE SLIGER 'N 6 to' N7 O -wi'-ff a Af-we O f S25 C' eve 0v'mKv. 01:55 dawg A 8531 i Page 47