St Sebastians School - Arrow Yearbook (Newton, MA)

Page 28 text:

REVIQREND JOHN F. Culfrfrz Profmpror of Greek am! lMcIfl76lIZLlffC.l' REVEREND JOSEPH A. BEATTY Profcffor of Elzglifb

Page 27 text:

Reverend Charles D. Mclnnis, Headmaster We would be entirely devoid of grateful appreciation, if we did not at least at- tempt to record publicly the debt of gratitude which we owe to our beloved Headmaster. Most of us have known him now for four years, and in his regard that passage of time has served us as a bridge spanning the world that divides ac- quaintance from friendship. It was Fr. Mclnnis who received us personally when, in the company of our fond parents, we came to inquire about the new school the Cardinal is opening . We liked the simple, direct way in which he outlined the features of Country Day School Education, and it was an agreeable surprise to find that his explanation was addressed to us as well as-to the elders in the group. When the die was cast and we had been enrolled in the new school, it was reassuring and encouraging to feel the grip on our shoulder and to hear his parting words: You'll do, boy, but come prepared to work! We saw him again at the altar of God, offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and his presence in the sanctuary brought home to us graphically the fact that he was to impart to us the truths of Eternity as well as the maxims of Time. Each succeed- ing school day gave us the opportunity to come to know him better as we grouped ourselves before him in class, or sat at table with him, or were favored by a per- sonal interview in his room. Those personal interviews were something! He never relied on the Elizabethan axiom that the best teacher was the greatest beater , yet he was direct, forceful and outspoken whenever the occasion demanded. Some- how or other he had the knack of making us see ourselves as if for the first time, and his frank salutary counsels were steeped in the lore of boyology . After surviving several such interviews, we gradually fell into the habit of seeking him out whenever there was anything special to talk over. He was always accessible and willing to listen to our problems, and then his cryptic remarks could always be relied upon to clarify the issue. How many times has he not heard this familiar introduction: I'll be 18 soon, Father, and I don't know what to do . If we did not know what to do, he certainly did, and we left his presence with a compre- hensive grasp of the situation. We are leaving St. Sebastian's now, but you may be sure that we shall come back time and time again to cement a friendship too valuable to lose, a friendship that mirrors, at least to some extent, a similar relationship between twelve pupils and their Teacher, nineteen hundred years ago.

Page 29 text:

REVIQREND CHARLES R. FLANIGAN Profeffor of Efzgfifll RLvuR15ND JAMES T. Co'r'1'uR l'rufe.r.m1' of Plgyfirf and Cllflfifffij'