Roger Bacon High School - Troubadour Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 13 text:

When Francis was 24 years old and was trying to decide on a direction for his life, he met a man suffering from leprosy. Instead of rearing his horse, tossing the man a couple of coins, and galloping away in disgust - as he had probably done several times before- Francis instead dismounted, gave the man some money, and kissed his hand. That day Francis won a tremendous victory over him- self. In Francisis day, society shunned the unfortu- nate victims of leprosy; Francis, however, chale lenged that attitude and prompted a few more peo- ple to reSpect these victims as sons and daughters of God. Francis continued to care for these people, and so did the young men who came to follow him. Shortly before his death, Francis recalled that day on the road outside Assisi and told his followers that the sight of those suffering from leprosy once nauseated me beyond measure; but then God him- self led me into their company, and I had compas- sion for them. When I had once become acquainted with them, what had previously nauseated me be- came a source of spiritual and physical consolation for me tTestament of St. Francisi. Roger Bacon High School tries to reflect the charity of Francis. In the 1981 school year, the Spartans donated canned goods, marched for life, raised money through faculty-senate volleyball and basketball games, gave blood, bowled for breath, and volunteered their time in various Sen- ate and National Honor Society service projects. This past year the alumni donated over $115,000 to help keep Bacon's tuition affordable to all. The incident on the road outside Assisi constitut- ed a victory over his selfecenteredness; it prepared him for a life of generous service of God and the human family. Today there is probably no one suf- fering from leprosy in Cincinnati. There are, how- ever, many men and women Who are not treated with the respect they deserve as sons and daugh- ters of God. A Roger Bacon education should cer- tainly challenge the attitude that some people don't deserve a Spartants respect. Hm Dre wings b y Sr. Kay Francis Berger, O.S.F. There is a prayer which is commonly attributed to St. Francis but which was probably written very early in this century. It certainly reflects the vision of Francis and captures what Roger Bacon High School tries to do: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; where there is hatred let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon,- where the: is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. 0 Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love,- for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.