St Michaels High School - Michaelinian Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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'L How Catholic Students Con Aid The Catholic Press The Catholic press is carrying on in a world at war- a war that is bottnd to mean either victory or defeat for the allied forces. Does this itnply that will be either victory or defeat for justice and morality? The enemy of innocence is lurking in what we see and read. Don't be one of those who soothe their con- sciences with I can read anything, because it implies I will read anything. Books are life-real life: and love is a part of life. Most students realize that love is built on sacrifice and trust, not emotions. Therefore, so-called love maga- zines , which slowly but surely introduce poison into the mind, by depicting love scenes mingled with the sugar of pleasing language and fascinating narrative. should not even attract ottr attention, must less tetnpt yott to read thetn. As Monsignor Sheen says: Radio serial stories and love magazines contain more triangles than a geometry book. The same tnay be said for comic books, which are not, as the title would sttggest, fttnny at all. Rather they are the utterly ridiculous adventttres of a man who came to earth from another planet, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men . They show the clever dealings of tlte underworld, in which evett children partake. We who are so determined to keep ottr lives safe from bombing, in reality stand near a keg of dynamite with lighted matches in our hands, when we read such cheap matter. We American students pride ourselves on ottr culture and learning. Yet more than one hundred of the maga- zines printed here are banned in Canada attd Attstralia. In the United States, sixteen million copies of this erotic filth leave our presses every month, three-fourths of these launched since 1930: and approximately thirty- six million so-called, bttt completed miscalled, intelli- gent individuals read these publications. America is a free country, but liberty is not licenseg get that straight! You are not free to steal your neigh- bor's automobile. Rotten magazines are Public Enemy Number One . and should not be allowed to trample under foot the chastity of American youth! If students refuse to btty these publications-if they go even further and refuse to patronize the merchants who sell them-these dealers will soon realize that we are not being fooled into reading such spicy stories, and will cause them to be removed from their stands. And you wouldn't be missing a thing by having these foul magazines taken out of your life. Aunt Hetty had tlte right idea when she said, What does it profit you to know how a skunk smells?', You won't be considered a sissy or a holy crusader if you refuse to poison your mind or to insult your fire with sttch trash. The great essayist Bacon once said: Some books are to be tastedg others to be chewed, and some few to be swallowed and digested. Even the taste of such vulgarity is bitter. What will happen to tts if we try to digest it? Would you consider Comntandcr john Shea, a hero of Mlord War II, a sissy? His letter to his live-year-old son, jackie, was brought before the world when Com- mander Shea went down with the Wasp . Be a good Catholic, and you can't help being a good American. Did anyone ever call Elmer Layden, the coach of Notre Dame, a sissy? He states: You can't win any more in life than you can on the gridiron, ttnless your ideals are higher than those played up in cheap magae zines. A sound body is useless, unless it is backed by a sound mind. These great men remetnber the words of beloved Pope Pitts XI: Anything that you do for the Catholic press, I shall consider as having been done for me personally. A book written by a Catholic author and having a Catholic backgrotmd would never be accepted by the public reading audience. Because of this thought, it took Franz NVerfel, a jew, to make the Catholic' novel, The Song of Bernadette a best seller. In your reading, direct your attention to one book in particular, to the most sacretl of all books! It is the Heart of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. which was opened upon the Cross. Of this book, you can never read enough. There is an inscription upon It in letters of gold: Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of Heart. Then you will be strengthened in your determination to help in this crusade against indecent literatttre. You will not he ready to give up or to sttr- render, but like one of our great naval heroes. you can and will answer: I have ll0t yet begun to light. lxIII.DRFD ltlmtcas, '43 THE DURATION 'Tomorrow you shall march away As all ottr soldiers of today. 'l'o fight for all we pray to keep Within our hearts so close and deep. It's hard to smile and bid adieu To those who are so dear to you. But give that cap a jaunty air. And grin to hide how mtlch you care. Your troop will make you carefree-proud To thrill with hope a foreign crowd: And yet if fear should frighten you A song will shake it-a laugh would do. And when this mortal storm has passed And you are homeward bound at last, What a consolation it will be ' To know you've gained our VICTORY.

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remember those Thousand Dollar Rallles they had when we wore blue uniforms and wore out the bricks on Pius Street? He has pushed things along so fast since he became pastor that, instead of a raffle a month, they now have one every week. The old parish debt is completely gone, but Father still keeps the bingos going. While we're on the subject, I lllllst tell you about some other friends. Last June Father Bene- dict was elected Superior General of the Passionist Order. Walter and I expect to go to Europe next springg and if I get nowhere else, I'll manage to go to Rome to pay him a visit. Father Wendelin is now Provincial. His Passion Play in Union City equals Oberannnergau any day. Father Walter is Rector at St. I'aul's Monastery and First Consultor to Father Wendelin. Busy as he now is. he still takes time to go to the high school basketball games. When the varsity won the national championship last winter, Father brought the whole team to New York for a week. We had the boys spend a day with us and they almost ate us out of the house. Then you remember Father Raphael, who gave our last two retreats. Guess where he isl Don't you remember he went to China the year after we graduated? He did grand work among the poor Chinese. Two years ago he was named Papal Nuncio to China by the Holy Father. Aren't you two ever going to be ready for dinner? asked Rosemary. Instead of standing there, suppose you come into the dining room and we'll check up on the rest of the class. Bernard has been keeping in touch with most of the boys, and I believe I can tell you about some of the girls. Where shall we start? There's Marie Settelmaier. She is now Mother Mary Michaela, Superior of the Franciscan Sisters at Millvale. She's a nun with plenty of courage. Since her election, the community has built three large hospitals-one in Butler, another in Beaver Falls and a third in Johnstown. YVhen I go home to visit the folks, I always manage to spend as much time with her as her busy life will allow. Next we'll tell you about Mildred Meyers. She is Superintendent of St. Francis Hospital, Pittsburgh, and a grand job she's making of it. She has just installed a 5lli50,000 X-ray department there. Our old pal, Ruth Bushmeier, one of the greatest X-ray experts in the country, has charge of this department. Mayo X-ray Clinic has nothing over the new unit at St. Francis since Ruth took charge. What about Lorraine Grimm? asked the prima donna. Lorraine and Teresa Schultz conduct a large art school in Cleveland. Their pictures are exhibited every year in the New York, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland art galleries. That was a class, wasn't it? A pretty hard crowd to manage, but it seems they turned out well, com- mented Walter. I won't keep you long with the rest of my story, said Rosemary. There are just a few more on my list --Marian Immekus. Catherine Hirt, Gertrude Moeller. Betty McKibben and Eleanor Kolczynski. Marian mar- ried a grandson of NValter Damrosch. She lives in Washington, where she conducts the most swagger majorette school in the country, while her husband Walter Damrosch III, directs the Marine Band. I met her at President Smith's Inauguration Ball last janu- ary I4. Catherine Hirt is now Mrs. John Salava. These two old friends of ours conduct a lirst-class dude ranch near Denver. Bernie and I spent last july and August at their place, and they showed us the time of our lives. There are just four more-Gertrude, Betty, Bernadette and Eleanor. After leaving St. Michael's, Gertrude took a course in fancy cooking and Berna- dette studied homemaking at Margaret Morrison School, while Betty attended Duquesne University Business School. Now they're in business, making a grand suc- cess of Hotel Biltmore, the swankiest hostelry in Chi- cago. Gertrude sees to the cooking, second to none in Americag Bernadette keeps the guests' rooms spotless, and Betty sees that all the bills are paid and that her customers come across, too. But I saved the biggest surprise for the last. After Eleanor left St. Michael's, she worked for a year or two in Dr. Green's office. She took such a liking to the work that she finally per- suaded her parents to send her to Pitt for a medical course. After graduation, she went to India with Dr. Anna Dengel, then head of the Catholic Medical Mis- sionaries. The last we heard was that she was in full charge of all Catholic Medical activities throughout India and China. I always thought Eleanor would do great things. So much for the girls. For goodness sake, I'm glad that lineup is Hnishedf' said the rather impatient Symphony Director. Now for the rest of our gang. Let's see there's Bittner, the man with a form. He and Robert Bosle are running a smart shop for playboys over in Cleveland. Bittner models the latest styles. When he's finished dressing the boys in the brightest colors, he hands them over to Curly, who then finishes them off with the cleverest hair wave man ever devised. Their shop is lined with customers from noon until Inidnight. Next we have William QBillj Fisher, the wild boy from Hays Borough. He's down in Kentucky raising Blue Grass thorough- breds. Last summer a year ago, his horse Ginger- snap won the Kentucky sweepstakes. And can you imagine who's his star jockey? Eugene QGenej Polus- zny, known all over the country as Kentucky Pete. I never dreamed that little chap would ride to fame as he has done. Then there are joe Anthony, Jim O'Con- nor, joe Trinlbur and Raymond Mysliwczyk. Don't you remember how they built model airplanes even as youngsters? Now they are in business in Lowell, Massachusetts, turning out the finest passenger and freight planes that can be bought. Pfister and Panasko came back home from Germany after they had helped rid Europe of the Nazi terrors. These two fellows are at present with Barnum k Bailey's Great Circus, taming African lions and tigers. The antics of Hairbreadth Harry are tame in comparison with the stunts of these two braves. What ever happened to Stanley Bielewicz? asked Walter. Oh, I almost forgot about him. 'Star' is coach of the crack basketball team at Notre Dame. They toured the country from coast to coast the past winter. beating even the Army and the Navy teams. I always thought he'd made use of his ability as a basketeer. I believe there's just one more-Herbert Hartman. After leaving school, Herbie worked for a while in Honus Wagner's Sporting Shop. Then one day Gene Tunney came into the store and got rather smart. Herb stood it as long as he could. Finally he up and handed Gene an upper cut. Tunney's manager recognized Herb's pugilistie ability and insisted on taking him over. Herbie is now heavyweight champion of the U.S.A. Quite a change from the good old days when he tapped for our socials. And some crowd it was! commented Wvalter, the accompanist. Suppose you people now make yourselves comfort- able, then said Rosemary, while I see that the dinner is rid away. I'll soon join you out on the lawn. With that the history of the Class of '43 was tinished. The visitors left the dining room to look over the beautiful estate of their host and hostess. ANTOINETTE Scocuo, '43 Acmzs Kluufrwrts, '43 1 fl. I 'ir-4 5! ilk.

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