St Ignatius High School - Ignatius Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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omecoming . . . by PAT NAVIN, '48 The shrill, high-pitched note of the New York Flyers whistle blared warningly down the track, as the wind, whistling past my window, rose to a howling crescendo. A fitting night for my arrival, thought l. Me! Bob Adams, once a carefree college lad of twenty and now one of the many derelicts of World War Two. l-lelpless, you ask? Well, no, not quite, l still have two arms and two legs if that's what you mean. After all, a guy can always get himself an artifi- cial arm or leg, but who ever heard of him getting a new pair of eyes? Yep, you've guessed it. l'm blind. An exploding gren- ade tossed by some German over in France caught me when l wasn't looking, at least that's what they told me when l woke up in a hospital back of our lines. But to get on with my story. After l had recovered from shock and had been shipped stateside, the doctors sent me to a place called Avon in Connecticut which was the Army Convalescent Hospital for the blind. Here they helped me to develop my second sight- the age-old sixth sense of the blind -now known as facial vision or sound per- ception. This facial vision, once developed to its fullest extent, will enable me to virtu- ally see objects that are as much as thirty feet distant. Naturally, this system is not infallible and doesn't mean that l can get about as well as ordinary folks, but as soon as l am able to become acquainted with the surroundings, l should be capable enough to walk about under my own power, without bumping into everything. The train is gradually slowing down now and l guess the next stop is mine, it'll surely feel good to get home. Well, a weeks gone by since my return and everyone has been swell. l'm getting around now as well as anybody and natur- ally my confidence has been given a tre- mendous boost, for l've been paid no more attention than my younger brother Ioey, age ten. Yesterday, however, l met my first problem which, as it turned out, gave me a completely new outlook on life. loey's boyfriend, little limmy Blake, came over with a new football to play catch with loey and l happened to be in the yard when he came in the driveway. Before l could make a move, he had thrown the football at me with the cry l'Catch ringing in my ears. The ball hit me squarely on the face before l was able to put up my hands and the unexpected blow staggered me. limmy stood silent, twisting his cap, but finally blurted out, l didn't know you were blind. l'Son, l replied, whether you know it or not, that's about the nicest compliment l've received since l have come home.

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ng ay on Mfanf... by LAWRENCE COX, '48 tlHis eyes-how they twinlcled! His dimples, how merry, His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry, His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard on his chin was as white as snow. On the night of December 23, l822, Clem- ent Clarke Moore, a New York professor of Divinity, wrote his immortal The Night Before Christmas. How well this poem de- scribes the character we know as Santa Claus, but who throughout the world is known by a different name in every country, Nevertheless the individual Santa Claus of every nation has but one predecessor, Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Lycia. Saint Nicholas was the youngest bishop in the history of the Catholic Church. After his death and canonization, December Sth was designated as his feast day. ln Asia Minor and Southeastern Europe, his feast was celebrated by the election of a boy bishop who paraded through the streets and sometimes took possession of the churches. From December Sth until the feast of the Holy lnnocents, there was much feasting on the part of the children but in general there was an atmosphere of solemnity. However Nicholas still remained the childrens saint. ln Holland and Belgium his feast is cele- brated with local variations. He rides a white donkey and is fully clad in red and white episcopal robes. lf the children have been good, their wooden shoes are filled with gifts, but if they have been bad, a bundle of switches is left in admonition. Protestantism frowned on the honoring of saints, but custom prevailed and St. Nicholas became assimilated in church festivities. Our Dutch ancestors brought their custom from Holland to New Amsterdam where the lonely English colonists borrowed the leg- end and festivities surrounding the feast of St. Nicholas to brighten the cold and bitter nights of barren New England. Confusion or lack of information found the colonists celebrating the Saint's feast toward the latter part of December instead of on the sixth. lust how Saint Nicholas became as- sociated with Christmas is probably due to his imitation of Gods generosity to man at that particular season of the year. The jovial saint is known only in America as Santa Claus. ln early New England, ex- cited children repeated the Dutch words San Nicholaas very fast, and hence the name became Santa Claus. However, the saint did not acquire his reindeer until he came to America. The belief must have come from Norway where the reindeer is comparable to our dog. And it wasn't until 1822 that the animals received their present names from Dr. Moore. Instead of going directly from the Eu- ropean mainland to England where he is known as Father Christmas , Santa Claus went via the American colonies. English children picture Santa Claus as a small fat gentleman, dressed in average British clothes, who toddles down the street on Christmas eve leaving gifts for the children to find the next morning. Probably no other saint enjoys so wide a field of popularity as Saint Nick. And no other country has welcomed him more than America, where children agog with wild an- ticipation eagerly await the annual arrival of their beloved idol, who for them, makes Christmas what it is.

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Sf. splwmcia of .fgfsaifsi Troubador of Christ by DICK WILLIAMS, '48 Note: Dick Williams represented St. lgnatius High School at the symposium in honor of St. Francis of Assisi given at Mount Alvernia High School, October 4, l947. His speech, which won first place, is reprinted here. Francis Bernardone, known to the world as St. Francis of Assisi, first saw the light of day in the year ll82. Of his childhood we know little. But was Francis to remain obscure, to be a backward boy, a shy, un- expressed, forlorn youth, or a unique person- ality, clothed in fine garments, sguandering money wantonly, captivating every girls heart with his poetic talents, crowned the king of the youth of Assisi? This was Fran- cis Bernardone, singer, dashing youth, po- etic minstrel of Assisi. But this was the age of chivalry, of manly interests and Francis had knightly aspira- tions. He desired to win acclaim and honor in the glory of war. Thus, Francis proudly rode through the gates of Assisi hand- somely attired in the regalia of battle, with the proclamation, 'll shall return a prince. Crestfallen, broken-hearted Fran cis dragged himself back into Assisi only two days after his glorious exit. He had had a divine vision. He was not to battle now. He was to await his vocation from God. While under this cloud of uncertainty Francis was nonchalantly riding down the road on a beautiful morning, when he raised