St Josephs University - Greatonian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY I-IIGI-I obove the Potomoc, overlooking the city of Woshington, stonds Georgetown University, the oldest Cotholic college in the country, founded in I789 by Archbishop Carroll, Its Low School hos ottoined o notion-wide reputotion for excellence, the Schools ot Arts, Dentistry, ond Medicine hove ottoined o like renown, The ostronornicol ond seismo- Iogicol observotory, situoted on the Cornpus, hos ottrocted the worId's ottention to its work. O L L E G E

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History of St. JOS2Pl'l,S College ISTORY is a paradox. lt is something narrow, yet brood, something extensive yet confined. The realm of the historian is warm with life and meaning- - 'Z -eff' z - -' ,rf lil . . , . .,. , gifti- -,- i, X ' iii! ' it-Wifi if , ,,.,,, . ,ir,., 2 . J 'F F13 M5..z1,.- ,. ' si ft, still, he must make cold facts the objects of his purpose. J, tw, His is the role of recorder rather than interpreter. But ,. 1,.u Al .L',ffif',,f'i,, , despite the principle, sound though it is, the recorder of the . - . ', , V. 'N history of St. Joseph's College cannot help but tinge on facts ,ku mrfd'1?Qr, lgg, with a bit of colcr. As he gazes back upon the past life of .' Vli. Our College in perspective, there is imposed upon his vision, 3354 A , ' and forcefully enough, a certain imaginative and colorful fl' j, i f gg rbl , 4 ,i A glamor, a certain romance of progress and greatness, a cer- F ' 'I',- f ,Twp j,,:,t tain edifying and inspiring background, which is inseparable ' 'H uff . ,cggbgz- , from the cold facts which he is to reproduce He is im- . H f ' .-A-fuii21f?l'iS pressed and reacts: to ignore is to be incomplete, and yet to recognize is to default in principle, Better to face both demands and call himself historian-interpreter. Father Greaton's Residence First, the spark, then, the feeble flame that faltered though pressed by howling winds which sought to snuff its breath, that cowered before chilling rains which fell upon it, beat upon it, slashed it and made it sink back toward death. Then the winds died, the rains ceased. The flame took courage. Higher and higher it leaped, stronger and stronger reared its column, brighter and brighter shone its light. ln the end, a glowing, pulsating, breathing shaft of Goa-given light was fixed forever in the world. as it fought for life, that grew stronger So was born St. Joseph's College. Eighty-three years have passed since the day that Father Barbelin opened the doors of the first CGllWOllC COHGQG in Philadelphia, two hundred years have passed since the desire for that opening first came into the heart of a Jesuit priest. lt is given to one man to sow, another to reap -so also we may say that it is given to many men to first make ready the ground upon which the seed is to foll' The lliffml College slumbered in the hearts of many pioneer Jesuit Fathers, nursed with a con- tinual desire, strengthened with an unswerving trust, before it was brought to realization by a courage that would not be denied. Far back in l733, when Pennsylvania was but one of the English Colonies, still smarting under the latest of the Navigation Laws, the Rev. Joseph Greaton, S. J., the first Jesuit to be Philadelphia, founded his church, still standing today as the famed Old St. Joseph Street and Willings Alley. His was a vision and a hope-a vision that Catholic faith established in 's, at Fourth and Catholic education were to be initiated and sustained in Philadelphia, a hope that God would give him the means whereby to carry out his plans. The first was not long before realization, the time for the latter had not yet came. His was a battle against overwhelming odds. From the very start he was beset by religious prejudice and outspoken hatred, and he was forced to rest content with his one monumental work, Yet the ground was broken, and the first in a long line of toilers had done his work. ln the one hundred and eighteen years that followed before the actual founding of the College, rector succeeded rector, priest succeeded priest, and in the heart of each was the same thought-a Catholic College for Philadelphia, But theirs was to struggleland to die. Every passing day of the elQhteenth century uncovered new toils and hardships for the Jesuit priests stationed in Philadelphia. But with the close of the warfare, in the ODGNHQ of the old school where studies of a seed that was planted upon the scarred ground, Of future years. ' Carefully the seed was nurtured, carefully Thirteen very year of the Battle of Yorktown, we read of the very elementary character wee taught. This was the this was the spark from which was to come the light the spark was applied to the waiting, tinder, shielded