St Andrews Seminary - Mapav Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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S A T O R Saint John Fisher It is necessary to lose in order to win! A seemingly absurd statement, but after a little though perhaps not so absurd as it seems. One only need glimpse the annals of history to dis' cover that man has always yielded or surrendered something to attain a truly progressive end. There is no achievement, no real progress withf out sacrifice. It is primarily due to the sacrifice and efforts of such men as Saint John Fisher that the Catholic Church exists in England to' day. We are now seeing more than ever the fruits of the labor of such individuals, inasmuch as there is evident in England today a revival of Catholic principles and thought. john Fisher, as a martyr, willingly sacrified his life in order that Church, at least to some degree, might retain its footing in the British Empire. His wish was granted, but the price was his life. Many lessons may be gleaned from the heroic deeds of this recently canonized saint, but one in particular, may be mentioned here. Our own lives are absolutely not too much to sacrifice, that Almighty God's institution on earth, the Roman Catholic Church, may survive. Born at Beverley, Yorkshire, England in the year 1459, John Fisher passed his childhood and received his early education in his native town. When he was about twenty years of age, he took up his residence at Cambridge as a university student. After a few years of study he received both a B. A. and M. A. degree. Possessing a genuine love and zeal for learning, he was at' tached in particular to the classics. It seems that during the period when his chief interest was Cambridge University, Cxford became hostile to the teaching of Greek and removed it from its curriculum. Erasmus, a Dutch scholar, and theof logian, claims that only because of the efforts of john Fisher was Greek retained at Cambridge. About the year 1500, he became involved with the court of England through his position as chaplain and confessor to Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII, who was then reigning. Little did john Fisher realized at this time that Margaret's son, the future King Henry VIII, would one day sentence him to death. In Cctober of the year 1504, Fisher was consecrated Bishop of the See of Rochester. Continuing his connections with the court, he became Prince Henry's tutor. Queen Margaret and Henry VII thirty ROBERT EDELMAN, '40 died in 1509. John was asked to preach both eulogiesg on these occasions he demonstrated his ability as orator and writer. When the question of Henry VIII's divorce from Queen Catherine of Aragon arose, Fisher became the queen's most trusted friend, counf sellor, and supporter. Henry VIII desired a di' vorce because of his violent passion for Anne Boleyn. Fisher appeared in the legate's court in defense of the queen and astonished his audience with the announcement that he was willing to die on behalf of the indissolubility of marriage. The whole question was eventually referred to Rome, ending john's personal interest ii. the matter. However, Henry never forgave him for his attif tude. The King secretly went through the form of marriage with Anne Boleyn. In 1634, Parliament passed the Act of Succession by which all who were called upon to acknowledge Henry and Anne as rightful heirs to the throne were com' pelled to do so under the pain of treason. john Fisher refused the oath and was sent to the Tower of London, where in his confinement he endured great sufferings and hardships. In the year 1535, Fisher was appointed a Cardinal by Pope Paul III. Apparently the Pope hoped that by elevating John he would dissolve the hostile attitude of the English government toward john. However, Henry forbade the Carf dinal's hat to be brought into England, and prof claimed that he would send the saint's head to Rome instead. john received a trial by jury with the charge that he refused to acknowledge the King of England to be the legitimate king and also the head of the Church of England. He was condemned to be hanged, but the mode of exe' cution was altered to decapitation. His headless body was stripped and left on the scaffold until evening when it was thrown naked into a grave. Afterwards it was removed and laid beside that of Sir Thomas More. It must be understood that a defense of Cathf olicism in England was imperative in Saint john Fisher's time. Both the Sacrament of Matrimony and the Primacy of the Pope attacked by the governmet of England. In our own times there is prevalent an entirely erroneous concept of mar' riage and another saint, martyr, and scholar such as Saint John Fisher is needed.

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1 9 3 9 The Resurrection of Spain JAMES CALLAN, '39 O joy that in our embers ls something that doth live That nature yet remembers What was so fugitive. . Cn the twofthousandth anniversary of that first and greatest of conquests culminated in the early hours of that Hrst Easter morn, Christ has again conquered. Not again nailed to the Cross which made forever sacred that hill outside the walls of Jerusalem, nor from the opened tomb, but through the shambles of a warftorn and bloodfstained country. No, it was not the Crucifixion of the flesh, but the Crucifixion of the spirit, of the very bride of Christ, His Church. No, Christ did not again suffer that shameful death, suspended between heaven and earth. No,,he did not again take flesh and endure another Gethsemane, an' other Holy Thursday night, another crown of thorns, another threefhours agony. The beautif ful words of the Canticle of Solomon turn to ashes as we see that same Spouse being defiled and abused in the streets of Spain. Cf what good, seemingly, were the fruits of Calvary when His Church was being desecrated and def spoiled by the very creatures for whom it was instituted? It is truly a joy that in the embers was something that did live and did remember that which was being swiftly dissipated at the hands of a few empowered tools of an atheistic govern' ment, or, as it might better be called, misgovernf ment. That something was the faith of a country which had kept its heritage down through the centuries from the days of its first saint. That faith has been tried in the crucible of persecution and trial, and not found wanting. The Catholic Spain of yesterday has not and will never be betrayed by the Spain of today. For three long years the good fight has been fought and the battle is Hnally won. Once more shall the Catholic Spain of Isabella and Ferdi' nand flourish. Cnce more shall the land resound with the Gloria and Hosanna instead of the deadly monotonous boom of exploding shell Once more shall Christ occupy that throne which has been hallowed by the blood of Spain's martyrs. It is easy for the historian to dismiss a war by a brief stroke of the pen, but those few brief lines on the pages of history fall far short of tell' ing the story of that war. They do not record the treachery and deceit used by one group to insinate itself into power, they do not tell of the ruthless and savage use of that power against the very people to whom it was entrusted. They fail to record the violence and cruelty which, incredible as it may seem, was not the result of the excesses of a few and widely separated inf dividuals, but the concerted movement of the sofcalled Loyalists to stamp out every vertige of religion and morality. To them we owe the inf troduction of one of the newest and possibly the most horrible forms of mass slaughter, the bombing of innocent civilian populaotions. To them, too, now that the war is over does the Spanish nation owe a depleted treasury, monies that have been stolen and carried off to support an impending Communist uprising in one of our friendly neighbors, Mexico. Now the day appears, once more the sun of peace shines over Spain. Franco has restored the government to a working basis wherein Spain takes on a new aspect, both economic and ref ligious. Economically, Spain emerges from this war, a modern nation, which has finally broken the bonds so long holding it captive to outmoded and almost medieval conditions. In religion, Spain has not made any such change, that of cast' ing off the old and taking up the newg but rather, she has made a retreat, a retreat to the faith of her ancestors. As of old Christ rose from the dead to the confusion of his accusers and executioners, so Spain, condemned to die by the harsh and mercif less hand of what may one day be called Antif Christ , rises from the dying embers of godless tyranny to a state justly proud of its Catholic heritage. There has been born a new and even greater lineage, a Spain which has taken its warning and inspiration fromf Those shadowy recollections Whicli, be they what they may, Are yet the fountainflight of all our clay, Are yet a masterflight of all our seeing. twentyfriine

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