St Andrews Seminary - Mapav Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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1 9 3 9 SCHOLA CANTORUM Front Roivn Left to right: Paul lvlurley, Louis l-lohman, james Collins, Edward Foy, Ignatius St. George, Donald Miller hliddle Row Left to right: Jerome Schiiferli, Robert Mttiig, Daniel Davis, Vincent Porter fChoirmasterjg Frank Miielliier, Thomas Borrelli. Buck Rott' Left to right: Francis Donovan, joseph Leahy, blames Callan, -lohn Kennedy, Francis Davis, Charles Vxfolfe, QAssistantjg Charles Langworthy, fOrganistJ. Cantate Domino No one can deny the position of honor that Sacred Miisic should occupy in a Seminary. It the Church has seen fit to attach such importance to music as to make it an integral part of her solemn Liturgy, surely the future priests of the Church, the future custodians of that Liturgy, must feel an ohligation to perfect themselves in this divine art. They must realize how their attitude toward Church Miisic and their own singing of High Miiss and other sacred functions will exercise an unconscious influence upon the faithful under their care. It has ever heen the concern of the Church that the music heard at liturgical services should he worthy of the Liturgy. In recent years an even greater vigilance has hegun to he exercised over the type of Sacred Music that is rendered in our churches. A movement for progressive reform is Cnaimrzs WOLFE, '40 afoot today. As concrete examples of that move' ment, we read accounts of congregational singing hy school children in the various dioceses of the country, and we remember with a touch of pride what an important role Saint Andrews Seminary played in the congregational singing at the annual Mission Vespers of the past two seasons. But the history of musical progress here at Saint Andrew's dates hack much farther than these past two years, and includes much more than the singing of a few vespers during the early months of the school year. Yes, we have come a long way since the days when the entire student hody used to gather on Sunday morning in the chancel of old Saint l'atrick's Cathedral to assist at High Mass. Those were the good old days when Professor Bonn, and his son, john Paul, after him, used to preside at the organ: when, sixlyfninc

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S A T O R The Saint John Bosco Society In the early fall of 1935, a group of seminf arians in the upper years of Saint Andrew's Seminary met at the Saint Andrews House to discuss the formation of a catechetical society. For this group of seminarians had taken part in the work of the Diocesan Summer Vacation School and had thereby been imbued with a def sire to carry on a similar work throughout the school year. This meeting resulted in the forma' tion of the Catechetical Society and in the elecf tion of the society's first president, Mr. Charles Bauer. Father Lyons very graciously accepted the position of moderator of the society. Under Mr. Bauer's leadership, the society began to put its principles into practise. Accord' ingly, the society was soon doing active work under the direction of the Trinitarian sisters. Due to the zealous visiting work of these sisters a sizeable enrollment was obtained. The program of these Friday night meetings of the Merrimac Center Boys' Club consisted in a halffhour of religious instruction and another full hour of recreational activities. The attendance at these Friday night meet' ings so increased that in january a very necessary campaign for catechists was conducted. The new members were instructed by the president in the history and purpose of the society and were gradually drafted into the work at the Merrimac Center. Since then membership campaigns have been conducted regularly. As time went on there arose the problem of financing the society's activities. To solve this need social events were promoted among the studentsg these produced sufficient revenue to finance the work. In spite of these rather mundane efforts, spiritual activity was by no means neglected. A novena was held in preparation for the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, the patroness FRANCIS Davis, '39 of the society. To close the novena properly all the members gathered at the Saint Andrew House for lvfass and Holy Communion. The members then boarded the New York Central train to Buffalo on a sight-seeing trip with the intention of visiting Father Baker's famous instif tution. Thus the trip was educational as well as recreational. On their return home, one and all agreed that the excursion would provide many pleasant memories for the years to come. Similar to this history of the first year has been the history of the society's activities every year down to the present. Some notable additions and a few changes have, of course, been made in this scheme. For instance, a yearly triduum was inaugurated in honor of Saint John Bosco, the Italian saint, who by his apostolic and priestly labors immeasurably benefited the youth of his country. In the years following, interest in his life and work so developed among us that under Charles Mockevicius, the third president, the name was changed to the Saint John Bosco Socif ety. Mr. Mockevicius also opened a new center in the Seminary building, which new field of labor was dedicated to Our Lady Help of Christians. Great thanks are due to him since in the very next year the society suffered the loss of Merrif mac Center, since under the new plan of finanf cial aid from the Community Chest Fund, the Center had to be nonfseetarian. During this past year President Davis inaugurated among the members of the society a new devotion. Each member of the society says a particular decade of the Rosary every day, thus making one or more living Rosaries which are offered for the success of the society's work and of catechetieal work in general. This brings the history of the society down to the present whence we hope and trust that God will continue to guide its steps. De Arte Poetica I think that I shall never see What teachers jind in poetryg In using words that you don't mean, Words that are not what they seem. Much more difficulty have I found With Arnold, Gray, and Keats profound. I can't enjoy great Vergil's verse Nor value Browning's style so terse. sixty-eight ANTHONY Rossi, '39, But when it comes to great Carlyle Or rugged Ruskin without guile, Then let me pause and stop awhile To meditate on their grand style. I can appreciate Cicero's scope, And the prose of Alexander Pope, With chemistry I seem to cope, But for English verse, I've lost all hope.

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S A T 0 R despite such able accompaniment, we invariably went wretchedly flat on the alternate phrases of the Crcdog when the student director would wave his arms with much gusto and wear a desperate countenance because we never produced the proper volume. Today, we no longer occupy the stalls behind the altar of Saint Patrick's Cathe' dral, for that venerable edifice is no moreg inf stead, our schola cantorum is relegated to a choir' loft, and a few voices are made to do what once a whole student body did. But, no matter where we sing, whether it is a Gothic chancel or a bal' cony transformed into a choirfloft, we are making progress. Today, we are adding to the musical inheritance of our predecessors in this seminary. Cn every Sunday of the past two school years, a few select members of the schola cantorum have sung High Mass at Saint Patricks Church. Cn special occasions, when it was necessary to prepare music on short notice, the schola has successfully carried the entire burden successfully and ade' quately. Such was the case on four closelyfoccurf ring occasions when we sang the Te Deum, and the Introits Statuit, Vultum Tuum, and Resurf rexi. Today we enjoy a more than passing ac' quaintancc with Sunday Vespers, having sung them for the past two years. And during this last year, a few members of the choir were introduced to the singing of another part of the Divine Office, Cornpline. All these accomplishments should be a source of pride to our number and should encourage the future scholae of Saint An' drew's Seminary. And whom have we to thank for our musical advancement? Father Ehmann, for his constant effort to improve the quality of our singing and for the work he has done to restore Sunday Vesf pers to the seminary, holds the Hrst claim to our gratitude. Nor can we let go unmentioned our student director of these past two years, Vincent Porter. Upon his able shoulders were thrust num' erous responsibilities, such as conducting weekly rehearsals, providing music for the Sunday High Mass at Saint Patricks, preparing the choir for Holy Week services, and directing Vespers every Sunday. And not an insignificant part of the sue' cess of the choir was that played by our student organist, Charles Langworthy. Suflice it to say that we should have missed his accompaniment sorely. Eschewing any further mention of personal' ities, let me say that the choir and especially the chanters have shown a great amount of interest in their work and in the improvement of their own technique. In this they have met with conf siderable success. Indeed, I do not think it would be rash to say that their rendition of Gregorian Chant is superior to that of most choirs in' our diocese. Saint Andrews may well be proud of them. May we look to all future choirs to perpetf uate the noble task so well enhanced by the efforts of the choir of 19584939. CLOUDS I love to see the clouds A beautiful milky whiteg They seem to change to shrouds During the deep blue night. Beautiful during the day While grazing through the sky, They never chance to stay, But always seem to fiy. Of the clouds I am very fond, And I love to sit and view, Knowing they are a bond 'Twixt heaven and me and you. seventy DONALD MILLER, '41