St Andrews Seminary - Mapav Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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S A T O R Catholic Literature Society One of the leading forces in shaping the policies of a nation, particularly if that nation is ruled by 'a democratic form of government, is public opinion. But the public is really quite an ignorant group, everything being taken into conf sideration, since it follows whatever line of thought it considers fashionable fe. g. technocf racy completely absorbed the oneftrack mind of the nation just a few years agoj. Government, law, and, in general, most of the important things in this country are left to Congressmen, whose activities are guided to a great extent by the publicity given them in the newspapers and magazines, an inadequate but effective indicator of their grasp on the public sentiment. lt seems inconceivable that a nation even as great as our own United States could be conf trollcd by such a factor, but that is actually the case. Whcii we turn to the consideration of religf ious declining position in the eyes of the state, it is with only a mild surprise that we note that the majority of newspapers ni this country, if not violently antifCatholic, are nonpartisan and owned and operated, as many of them are, by gentlemen whose political credos are a deep pink. These publications present viotal current facts through rosefcolored glasses-to make the facts match their editor's distorted political and social ideals. It is to rectify this situation then, that Cathof lic Literature Societies have been established in most Catholic Schools and Universities. These organizations hold the key to the dissemination of Catholic thought in America: it is their re' JoH'N MCCAFFERTY, '39 sponsibility to blow the dust off Catholic truth and place it before the public gaze in the form of books, pamphlets, and papers to be made available for a nominal sum, it is their responsif bility to read Catholic literature and themselves become informed on the modern problems of the Church and thus be prepared to meet intelli' gently any criticism to which their faith may be subjected. And yet, this is still not enough,--for if the Catholic Press is to be really effective, it must contrive to present its case to the opposif tion in a manner forceful enough to jolt them into thinking, and convincing enough to arouse in them at least a mild curiosity which, if inf telligently and intelligibly satisfied, may easily lead to a better understanding between the Church and her enemies and thus further the kingdom of Christ upon the earth. lt was our privilege in the middle of the current school year to see the beginning of a Catholic Literature Society in Saint Andrews which at present boasts ot about thirty members. As the first meeting Mr. James Collins was elected vicefpresidentg Mr. James Callan, treasf urerg and Mr. Vincent Porter, secretary. The president of this society, the author of this acf count, had been selected previously to organize the society. The chief activity of the year has been the inauguration of a plan whereby two pamphlets a month are placed in both the High School and College Libraries. We sincerely hope and justly expect that this is the beginning and the begin' ning only of an organization destined to become a vital part of Saint Andrew's Seminary. Ceremonies of the Church fContinued from Page 711 stitution. Underlying the performance of each function is the beautiful symbolism, which brings home forcefully to the Catholic mind the fact that his Church is the real representative of Christ on earth. The Church, following her Founder's example, encourages exterior as well as interior worship, As priests, we hope some day to perform many of the sacred functions of the Church-f offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, conf ferring the Sacraments, and many other ceref .SC'UCTlfy'flUO monies which attend the performance of the priestly office. As seminarians, we can prepare for this in two ways. First, we can gain a true appreciation of the meaning of the ceremonies by research. This may be accomplished with very little effort, because our Catholic libraries furnish us easy access to such information. Secondly, we can perform the ceremonies required of us in the seminary, accurately and reverently. There can be no excuse for any carelessness in the perform' ance of ceremonies, since ceremonies form an important part of the priest's duties for which we should prepare.

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1 9 3 9 PONTIFICAL CREW Seated, left to right: Francis Donovan, Harold Bestor, john LcVeque, tlvlastcr of CTt'I'ClUfJI1lC5,1 Edward Buckley, fAssistantj1 john Leicht. Standing, left to right: Rohert Meiig, Thomas Could, .Icrome Schifferli, Raymond Ivioore, john Kennedy, Donald Leahy. Ceremonies of The Church The word ceremony, applied to the church service, may he defined as an external action, gesf ture, or movement which accompanies the prayers and public exercises of divine worship. The Counf eil of Trent further defined it as that with which the prayers are pronounced, eg. hlessings, lights, incense, vestments, and so forth. Ceremonies are, therefore, the accompaniment to the prayers of Holy Mcitliei' Church. Ceremony is the necessary outcome of the twoffold nature of man, intellectual and sensihleg on account of this, as St. Thomas Aquinas says, he must pay Cod a twoffold adoration, one spirf itual, which consists in the interior devotion of the soul, the other corporal, which manifests itself in the outward form of worship, There is no inward sentiment or feeling which man is not accustomed to express outwardly hy some suitahle gesture or action, Ceremonies are employed to emhcllish and adorn sacred functions: to excite in the faithful sentiments of respect, devotion, and religion, hy which the honor of Cod is increased, and the sanctification of the soul is ohtained. To lead the unlearned more easily to a knowledge of the 'Ions LEViioiui, '39 mysteries of religion: to indicate the dispositions necessary to receive the Sacraments worthily, and to induce the faithful to fulfill with greater dof cility the ohligations which the reception of the Sacraments imposes on them all these constif tute the principal ohject of all liturgical acts. Some ceremonies owe their institution to purely physical reasons or necessity, e.g. the lights used in the catacomhs, which were retained hy the Church for the mystical reason that they represent Christ, the Light of the Vsforld. Others are founded on mystical or symholical reasons, e.g. all the ceremonies at Baptism which precede the pouring of the water on the person to he haptized. Finally, many are founded on historical, natural, and mystical reasons at the same time, eg. the mixing of wine and water at lvlass ref calls to our mind what Christ did at the Last Supper, and represents the hlood and water that flowed from His side on the Cross, as well as the union of the faithful with Christ. Catholic ceremonies, therefore, are not super' stitious practices, meaningless ohservances, or relics of heathen or jewish customs, hut regula' tions of Divine, Apostolic, and ecclesiastical inf .XCl't'llfvV'UllC

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1 9 3 9 Omnia Christo The Saint Joseph Catholic Worker Society was organized at Saint Andrew's Seminary in the Fall of 1935 with the help of Fathers Lyons, Vogt and Ehmann, under the patronage of Saint joseph. The work of the Society consists in teachf ing the Negro children in the Ford Street section of Rochester, in the distribution of the Catholic Worker paper, and in the study of various social questions. Inspiration for this movement came when Dorothy Day, the militant editor of the Catholic Worker spoke in Rochester in 1937. Soon afterward, a social program was held at Blessed Sacrament Hall where Father Vogt and Father Ehmann spoke, as did several students, who attempted to stir up the enthusiasm of the student body in studying the social questions. At that time plans were laid for the formation of the society, they were outlined and submitted to Father Lyons who gave his permission for the organization of the group under the title, Cathof lic Workers. In December, 1937, Father Vogt put at the disposal of the society about fifty books treating of history and social problems, and suggested that a study be made of pagan man as found in the classics and his advance to Christianity. A study of the papal encyclicals on modern social problems was also begun. At the first meeting, john Hurley, prime mover of the society, was elected president. He was succeeded in the years following by Eugene MacFarland and John Widf man, both of whom are now at Saint Bernard's Seminary, and Edward Foy. In the meantime, a negro center was instif tuted in a home on Ford Street where religious class was held each Sunday afternoon. Through the work of the seminarians, a number of chil' dren have since received their first holy Com' munion and have been connrmedg likewise two adults have been confirmed. Since 1936, the Catholic Workers have held a summer school for four weeks during July and August. At these sessions in rented houses on Clarissa and Ford Streets the colored children Qusually about thirty in number, were taught catechism, handicraft EDWARD FoY, '39 and the like. Small libraries were also formed of religious and secular books. One of the most interesting features of the society has always been the conferences given by Father Vogt during the school year. In these conferences he has discussed such subjects as Communism, Modern Europe, Quadragesimo Anno and the Liturgical Movement. He has likef wise considered the Church's social action and reform as effected by the Catholic Workers in Nova Scotia, Georgia and New York City, where local Hback to the farm movements have been started to lighten the burden of workers op' pressed by present conditions of society. Another important aspect which might be considered dry and unattractive is the Sunday afternoon classes. There is an interesting side to it, however, for by this contact with the colored people we have learned much. For example, there is an aged colored woman, who, although now nearly eighty, earns her own living and that of six dependents by scrubbing floors in downtown offices. She can tell with little urging some interf esting stores of her life during the Reconstrucf tion Period and of her parents who were slaves. And she also relates some pitiable details about how she lives in a ramshackle house with her children, subsisting on a very modest wage. Now what is to be said of the Negro Quesf tion which has occupied so much space in the public press lately? Social workers seem to think that the problem can be settled through extensive investigations and hearings. So far, all that has been uncovered is the fact that living conditions among the negroes are most wretched and that the colored workers are being exploited by our local industrialists. Monsigiior Freking said in a talk to the seminarians recently, that there is a wide field for action among the negroes in Roch' ester. But the first step is obviously the applicaf tion of Christian principles, and then such Hnanf cial and social assistance as we may be enabled to provide. For we must remember that what you do unto the least of them My brethren, you do unto Me. seventyfthree