Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing - Carmen Sylva Yearbook (Allentown, PA)

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4555 Sacred Heart German Sylilecq IFJ will have a heart full of pity, love and kindness. From your lips will fall a word of comfort to the desponding, a word of encouragement to the faint-hearted, of sympathy to the bereaved, of consolation to the dying. A spirit of philanthropy, of altruism, spurs many on to the doing of similar deeds. But you, dear graduates, have a worthier, nobler incentive before you: For God. You have the example of Him Who went about doing good ever forgetful of self, always mindful of others. Therefore, as a nurse you will walk with God, Along the path that Our Master trodf' He, your Model, will be the well-spring of your love, and your charity will How from a good heart, looking beyond the skies for approval and reward. Your love will be a disinterested one, for Charity seeketh not its own. Striving to imitate your divine Model, you will glide about, an angel of mercy, visiting the sick, soothing the pillow of the dying, dropping a tear with the mourner, and burying the dead-all this, and inhnitely more- For God. Charity begins at home. The Hrst and richest fruits of your benevolence-fruits, both spiritual and material-will come back to you, the donor. If you follow your high ideal, which is the greatest, your lot here on earth can be no other but one of happiness, of contentment, lose sight of your motive, and uneasiness and dissatisfaction will be the result. All this does not by any means exclude your material reward, no, rather, you have a manifold right to it. During the three years' training you have voluntarily relinquished many a pleasure, you have preferred hard work and study, and many a sacrifice to comfort and amusement. More- over, you must have a means of subsistence and livelihood, for without these you cannot go about helping others. Yet, what a difference there is between her who has chosen to be a nurse because this, as a rule, proves to be a profitable employment, and her who is incited by more worthy motives. The latter will gladly serve, even for little gain, whereas the former will always calculate on pecuniary income, on a return of gratitude. The unselfish nurse may reap but little fruit from her labors, materially considered, yet she will always be satisfied, yes, even cheerful, the self- seeker, not finding the expected remuneration, will grow gloomy, cheerless, 9

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Mm Sacred Heart German Syl0e.. ,EI Q Batting worn Dear Graduates: Three years ago you stood at the portals of this, your beloved Alma Mater, to which you are now bidding farewell. What was your aspiration, your heart's desire, your goal then? To be a NURSE-this thought was foremost in your rnind on awakening, and still lingered with you going to rest, this was the goal you had set yourself. A high aim this, and a noble one, indeed. And now you can say, Stilled at last is my heart's longing, the goal is reached, I am a GRADUATE NURSE. Yes, dear graduates, what have long been happy thoughts and pleasant dreams to the Class of '28, what you have long visualized as in the vague future, today flnds its fulfillment. By your unrelenting efforts of the past years you have reached the climax of your training career. You are now standing on the threshold, about to be GRADUATED as NURSES, prepared to go forth giving your generous, whole-hearted, magnanimous service For God and Country. Pro Deo et Patriaf'-Let us, at this turning point in your life-time, wisely pause to consider the meaning of this, your class motto, which shall henceforth be your beaconlight when you launch out into the deep of the unknown Future. Reverse your maxim, and it reads thus: For Country and for God , not that so it will imply anything different, but simply because it will help you to understand better that your service is only a means to an end, that by helping your suffering neighbor you come nearer to your God, that the glory of your Creator and God should be your only motive, no matter what you do. As a nurse you will serve your Country, Great, truly great, is the range your kindly deeds may take. It is as wide as the world of suffering, deep as the heart of sorrow, extensive as the wants of creation, and bound- less as the kingdom of need. For the love of Him Who has said, As long as you did it to one of these, My least brethren, you diclir to Me, you will stand unflinchingly by the side of your afflicted brother, you will soothe the achings of human pain, you will do lovingly the kind deed, hand a glass of water to one in need, on a fevered brow lay a tender hand. You 8

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MT Sacred Heart Gzxrmen Syl0a.. and will be dissatisfied, her kindly deeds, if such they can be called, will he meted out only in proportion to the material prosperity and well-being of him who asks for them. The suffering and afflicted are quick to sense a situation of this kind. They will turn with confidence to the one, for they know that in her heart they occupy a large place, and will not be sent away unassisteclg only with fear and trembling, and when help is nowhere else to be found, will they petition a little service from the other. Go forth, then, dear graduates, on your sweet mission of charity. May the principles you have here imbihed ever guide you, and may your generous heart grow ever larger in its magnanimity, as has done that of a Father Damien, the Apostle of the Lepersf' Like the good St. Elizabeth of Hungary, that heroine of true Christian charity, commence your work of love, and spend your life in doing good to your neighbor, with a charity that has a heart and hand open to allg like her you will experience a peace and a joy that are not of the earth, for The quality of mercy . . . . . . is twice hlestg It hlesseth him that gives and him that takes. Our good wishes, clear graduates, accompany you, and our prayers assist you, wherever you are, spending yourselves Pro Deo et Patrian- QQ 77 For God and Country. THE SISTERS OF TI-IE SACRED HEART. 10