Saint Benedicts Academy - Benedicta Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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- B ENEDIC TA A::::::::v :::: In considering the forces that have influenced democracy, religion is most im- portant. Great leaders everywhere and in all ages have recognized the need of religion in society. President Washington, in his Farewell Address spoke these oft- quoted words, Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political pros- perity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. President Coolidge was not merely uttering a pious bromide when he said, The greatest need of America is religion, the religion that centers in the home. Christian religion teaches a real reverence for personality. It gets one into the habit of regarding the rights of others. It makes people more considerate. Its outstanding qualities are kind- ness, obedience and respect for law and authority, and honesty in social relations. Thus, it differentiates itself from all other religions. Religion stabilizes the family because it teaches the finest kind of teamwork and develops christian character in the process. Religion has exalted the individual and fostered the rise of democ- ra-cy. Consider the difference between the people of this country and those in the countries run by dictators. , . Religion teaches the moral necessity for cooperation and the home is the basic laboratory-where this teamwork is first learned. Without it, society cannot save itself from being controlled by other nations. If democracy is to survive, its salvation is not to be found in its universities nor in the halls of Congress, but in principles learned and developed in a suc- cessfully wholesome and truly Catholic home. MARY F OERSTER, Editor Our Democracy American Democracy, you are graciously kind For helping me to be what I wish to be, For permitting me to say what I Want to say, And for allowing me to pray when I want to pray. Without thee, I would probably be a slave Under some tyrant, falsely brave, You keep dictators across the sea Who rob free people of their liberty.A - RITA HAFFNER, '42,

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'iiiifiiffiifiiifiiiiifiiiiifiiiffiiffi The Home and Democracy Democracy is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It is a form of government in which the people have the right to express them- selves freely. In it, five great freedoms are exercised, freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition. The success of a democracy is predicted upon the character of its citizens. Under other forms of government, under the rule of one man, or of a very few men, the superiority of the rulers is all important. lf, under such governments, the quality of the rulers is high enough, the nation may for generations lead a brilliant career, and add substantially to the sum of world achievement. However, the average citizen is an almost negligible force in working out the final results under this type of national greatness. But with democracy the case is quite different. Success or failure here is con- ditioned upon the way in which the average citizen performs his duties. The average citizen must be a good citizen if democracy is to succeed. The stream will not permanently rise higher than the main source, and the main source of national greatness in a democracy is found in the average citizenship of the nation. Democracy is born in the minds of men just as the plans of a ship or a build- ing first take shape in the mind of the architect. Freedom and liberty of the mind originate in childhood and increase in their scope as life progresses. Hence, the necessity for an institution in which training of this type is emphasized. What more suitable institution than the home, for teaching the principles of freedom and democracy? In the home, the rights of all the members of that democratic group, called the family, are safeguarded by the consistent cooperation and mutual love of parents and children under the leadership of father and mother. There, the homely virtues of the household, the ordinary workaday virtues which make the woman a good housewife and mother, which make the man a hard worker, a good husband and father, stand at the root of character. No amount of education, or of keenness and subtleness of intellect, in any way makes up for the lack of the great solid qualities of self-restraint, self-mastery, common sense, the power of accepting individual responsibility and yet working in conjunction with one another. lt is in the home that the child learns and de- velops trustworthiness by being trusted. He learns responsibility by being de- pended upon. Freedom, full respect for one another's personality, and loyalty to the accepted rules are ideals of the home group. Thus, family democracy becomes a working reality, an active fellowship, in the exhilarating enterprise of mutual living. Democracy has its complicated difficulties in the home as elsewhere, yer the cure for the ills of democracy is never found in a dictatorship, but in a fairer and better principle of government of, by, and for the people.

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1, ' -fH'mars.wt .f-fqi U NW Alsgifgfi il A 'Ll , ,fs ' ' Line of First Defense Qfln Ajzpreciation to Our Parentsj Graduation opens to us Seniors the door to a new world. lt is at all times a hard world to conquer but at the present time it is doubly difficult for today it is a stage upon which is being enacted one of the most bloody struggles of history. The old order of things is crumbling and so it will be our task to build a new and better world from the shambles of the old. We can succeed in this task only because you, dear Father and Mother, have helped us to build a lofty set of standards and a true sense of values. You have made countless sacrihces so that we might have the benefits of a thorough Catholic education, for you realized of what inestimable value it would be to us in our future lives. We know only too well our inability of ever repaying you in full measure for all you have done for usp but we also realize how much even our smallest gesture of gratitude will mean to you. Perhaps the best way to repay you is to be true to ourselves and to the principles which you have helped us to build up. We shall put forth every effort to succeed in this and thus find content in the knowledge that we have not failed you, dear Parents. We know that this payment cannot cancel our debt to you, but it is our first dividend from the principle which you have helped us to accumulate. Dear Parents, yours has been a steadfast and true friendship, an unselfish and loving devotion through our school years. Now we promise to be loyal, devoted daughters. VVe promise to be as steadfast friends to you as you have been to us. We, the Seniors of '42, hope this pledge will in some small measure express the love and the gratitude we feel for all that you have done for us. May God bless you! May He reward you as we cannot! Mary Elizabeth Patterson Associate Editor Home To me a home is made of gold That in reality ne'er grows old: It holds its memories, joyous and sad, And shares its treasures boundless and glad. To me a home is made of gold Where dreams are dreamed by young and oldg Dreams here dreamed of future life Are usually accomplished not without strife. To me a home is made of gold My fondest memories it does enfoldg Memories of childhood days gone by X'Vl1iCl1 will always inspire me with ideals high. MARY HEYL our-e+.0.p.0.0.g-0.0.4 -0-0-:soo-asa-0-0.4-.0-.4