St Marys High School - Blue Mantle Yearbook (Milford, MA)

Page 14 text:

THE SHAMROCK BLOSSOM Its beauty astounding Its swe e tne ss o ' er b ound ing Yet despite its highness Manifests a shyness Which Christ in subjection Shone forth in perfection. Wonder you at the sigh When to it I draw nigh? o-o-o-O-o-o-o We clamber up the highest heights Of Pride— We sing a song where maids and knights Elide- In lures of love and laughs of ruth Wo stray- And play the lofty harp of youth Away—- But weak is human nature priced In sin- And kind the one who shows us, Christ Again] LOVE Ah, love has come and bore me to A land. The land of sacrifice-a new Demand] My life, my friends, my love, my heart It yearns Away from all the world apart I learn. Softly, gently, slowly did I see This love of Christ so sweet, so dear To me. Mary Read ' 37.

Page 13 text:

In the year of 1835 a few Catholic pioneers est¬ ablished their permanent homes in the town of Milford. These people were forced to endure many hardships and privations but they paved the way for our present-day Catholicity in this vicinity. In the humble home of Edward McGavein (deceased) the first Mass ever said in Milford was celebrated by the Rev. James Eitton of East Boston. This was in 1836. Soon after this Fr. Boyce of Worcester commenced holding regular services. He was assisted by Fr. Gibbon. Together these two priests raised enough funds to build a Church. A site was purchased in the neighborhood now known as ’’The Plains 1 .’ A wooden structure was erected. It was of unpretentious architecture and stood on a rising slope. When completed the Church was dedicated in 1848,as St. Mary’s by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Fitzpatrick, and Fr.George Hamilton was named first pastor, who took over his duties in March 1850. The building served the parishioners until Fx • Cuddihy became pastor. Under this good priest’s direction was projected and brought to completion our present beau tiful edifice. A very appropiate time was chosen for the opening of this stately Gothic Church, Christmas Bay, 1870. The good seed sowed by Fr. Cuddihy was carried on ably by the Rev. Fr. Canavan and then by Fr. McGrath. Fr. McGrath came to Milford, October, 4, 1904. To this beloved pastor we can look with sincere appreciation when we gaze at the beautiful stained glass windows of our Church which de¬ pict so many happenings in the life of Christ. We also can thank Fr. McGrath for our cemetery which he made the most beautiful in the State. After Fr. McGrath died,the Rev. Fr. Grace was ap¬ pointed pastor. In his capable hands the work of his prede- cessor was carried on ably and smoothly. It was under this priest that our present High School was erected. Then came our present and most beloved pastor,Fr, Riordan. He not only carried on ably the work of his prede¬ cessor but made vast improvements in the Parish, especially in the School. In the span of years that have passed from 1835 to 1937, St. Mary’s Church has grown from a small house of wor¬ ship where a few heroic Catholics adored their Maker, to our present-day structure wherein hundreds worship. We of St. Mary’s Parish realize what we owe to our first priests and parishioners. It was their foresight which made St. Mary’s Church possible, as well as the convent ' for our teachers, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the rectory for our priests and the schools for the children.

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There are times in Heaven when God pauses midst the endless artistry of creation to breathe the breath of life into a being that’s markedly different and markedly su¬ perior to the average ebb and flow of weak, erring humanity. There are times when God chooses to imprint an indelible character, of spiritual aloofness on an immortal soul that distinguishes it from others and covers its beauty,-to shine forth with peculiarbrilliance in life. A smile of omniscient confidence must play upon the Countenance of . the Godhead when He places a holy priest, a minister of His holy love, on this earthly habitat. Father Murphy of Uxbridge has constantly borne the torch for a fundamental Catholic education. From his first year in that town, St. Mary’s High School located in Milford, has stood forth as a veritable oasis of Catholicism in a barren desert of materialism. It is to Father Murphy that a good number of Uxbridge students who are now attending or who have grad¬ uated from St. Mary’s, owe an unpayable debt of gratitude. It is through his efforts and his goodness that they have been granted the opportunity of acquiring one of life’s most precious heritages, something of which they can never be de prived-a Catholic Education. Speaking for the Class of 1937 and for those in our ranks who hail from the town of Uxbridge, may we take this opportunity to express our humble and sincere gratitude and to state that as long as God sees fit to spare him to his sacred earthly duties, St. Mary’s High School and Catho¬ lic Schools in general, will have a true, loyal and lasting friend.