St Francis College - Motus Yearbook (Biddeford, ME)

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of Saint Francis of Assisi, the man who saw God in every aspect of creation. It is impossible for the student to delight in this beautiful country without being influenced by its traditions. Only familiarity with the struggles that shaped an area can fully satisfy the mind and heart. Today is iust a moment in Time, a bridge between the long past and the veiled future. The historical essay has eprOred the past in order that we can at least appreciate the import of the bridge of Time on which we stand. For the student at Saint Francis this means the opportunity of be- coming a citizen par delegation in the early Franco-American world. Biddeford and Saco, beyond Kennebunk and the only two large cities in southeast Maine, are always thought of and spoken of together. Al- though they are separate cities on opposite banks of the Saco River, they form an industrial complex, most of the industries being in Bidde- ford, while Saco is predominantly residential. The chief industry is the manufacture of cotton goods, and the largest mill is the Pepperell Man- ufacturing Company. Though there are modern shopping and service centers in Biddeford and Saco, these two cities are in the throes of a cultural lag. The class of 1963 hopes that a group of people at Saint Francis will follow the lead of Mr. David DeTurk, who saw all too clearly that it was the duty of the College to initiate the surrounding community to the arts. Mr. DeTurk worked on behalf of the Cultural Affairs Committee in an endeavor to bring performers of a classical calibe-r to the city. Aware of the burgeoning interest in folk song within the New England area, he sought to stimulate interest in folklore in Biddeford. His weekly radio program over WIDE, the performers he invited to Biddeford, the folklore course which he taught at the Col- lege; all of these were endeavors to cultivate appreciation of the beautiful in art. It has been frequently pointed out that Bidde- ford and Saco, settled in the 1630's, are actually wealthy in folklore. In 1615 Samuel de Cham- plain landed and explored the property on which Stella Maris Hall is now built. The Historical Society at Saint Francis has repeatedly unearthed arrow heads and other items of archeological interest on the site. Colonial Saco impresses the eye by the gra- ciousness of its old houses and the peace of its tree-arched streets. The old Saco Jail, built in 1653, still stands and is a museum today. On Main Street in Saco is the York Institute, housing a goodly collection of Colonial costumes and furnishings, paintings, Maine minerals, Indian relics and historical documents. The first court in Maine-and some say in the United States- was originated in Saco during 1640. All this territory was explored by Richard Vines during that winter he Spent at Fortune's Rocks near Biddeford Pool. Both locations are now summer colonies, rather quiet and aban- doned during the winter. The graduates of 1963 realize that their Alma Mater enjoys ideal geographical and historical postures. At the onset of the 1963-64 academic year the physical aspect of our campus will in- clude Saint Francis Hall, Stella Maris Hall, the Student Center, a gymnasium and two new dormitories. By the following year the number of dormitories will have risen to five. In the past, the task of blending these constructions in with nature and tradition has been assigned to Brother Bonaventure, who has spent many long and busy hours on the campus. To him we are thankful, and we are hopeful that in the future Saint Francis College will bring to full fruition the tremendous potentialities inherent in her soil. - FRANCIS P. LEBEAU. 27

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GqKAiDUACES A cantor spoke to me and I turned asking him, What does this mean? I have found myself wondering while my mind is attacked and pummeled. This, he said: 'Among men there are good and evil and among the good there are those who try to excel and those who can do no better. But both live with their souls. And among the evil, there are those who create vileness and revel in it, and those who do evil yet woe and gnash their teeth weeping their weakness, Beware this last man, for he is indeed evil for he makes a mockery of conscience and secures his weakness by boosting,of a greater weakness. The cantor was gone. And I ran from that place. 29