St Sebastians School - Arrow Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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ARROW STAFF Standing: Boles, O'Donoghue, McCarron, Fichtner Seated: O'Shea, Kirk, Fr. Flanigan, Bullock, Griffin the fact that we were returning as juniors did much to enhance the occasion, and hence it was that we were quite content to resume the scholastic yoke in Sep- tember 1945. Our first view of the grounds was a charming one with the flower beds a riot of color under Eddie Linnane's careful tending and the new statue of Our Lady seeming particularly benign as we trudged by it. The Mass of the Holy Ghost and the Headmaster's talk that followed struck a familiar chord and we climbed to our third-floor classrooms with poised self-assurance. Appraising the new scenes in a glance, we noted the absence of some familiar faces and the compensation provided by the arrival of new comrades who proved to be jack Cremmen, George Ford, Bill Harwood and Dick Watson. From a Faculty angle, we were gratified to find that all the members of the previous year were still with us, although this complacency was upset when, just after School began, it was an- nounced that Fr. Cuffe had been transferred to the chaplaincy at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. While we had never been his pupils, we had always admired his priestly character, devotion to duty and efficient management of the athletic program. As a token of abiding affection, the students presented him with a set of Breviaries, Myron Bullock expressing our sorrow at parting with him. To fill the vacancy in the Faculty ranks, Fr. Joyce arrived as a Freshman instructor, and Fr. Flanigan took up residence at St. Sebastian's to become Faculty Director of Athletics. With 165 boys on its roster, the School settled down to what was now for us a normal routine. On October Sth we were pleased to be relieved of classes in order to permit the Faculty to take part in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of St. john's Seminary. Later in the month, on October 15th, we joyfully partici- pated in Fr. Mclnnis' observance of his Silver Anniversary in the Priesthood. The Cenacle convent was the scene of the Solemn High Mass which he celebrated with us in assistance and all the members of the Faculty had an active Part in the cere-

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each month. At the year's half-way mark, we enjoyed the Annual Retreat preached by Reverend joseph Hart, C.S.C., and the three-day exercise provided the necessary time for much prayerful reflection. The after-dinner recitation of the Rosary in honor of Our Lady during May and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament twice each week of Lent were always impressive occasions. To associate us most intimately with the Holy Sacrifice, the Dialogue Mass was introduced on First Fri- days and V-E day was fittingly observed by a fervent Mass of Thanksgiving. The tempo of the Spring chapter of our Sophomore year was accelerated by our deep personal interest in the Baseball exploits of Classmate Bob McNabb and by the anticipation of St. Sebastian's first Graduation Exercises. Making his debut as a Red and Black hurler, the 15-year-old rookie not only triumphed over Browne and Nichols 15-0 but also gave a Hall of Fame performance by turning in the first no-hit game in School history. After that start, he lived up to our expectations by achieving victories over formidable nines like Belmont Hill, Middlesex, Cranwell and Noble and Greenough. For the first time, the Varsity enjoyed an undefeated season with nine wins in as many starts and we felt that our Sophomore mounds- man deserved much of the credit. The J.V. diamond season also kept many of our members busy with daily practice sessions under Fr. Flanigan that pointed to games with Mission, Roxbury Latin, St. joseph's of Wellesley and other local schools. Once again, Dick Griffin was j.V. boxman and his supporting cast in- cluded Bullock, Ford, McCarron, McGarty, O'Leary, Quirk and Shannon. The School year drew to a close with a week of Senior activities that cul- minated in the graduation of St. Sebastian's first class. Beginning with a class outing at Scituate and a Senior Prom at the Hotel Puritan, the exercises included a Fathers' and Sons' Day Baseball game with Belmont Hill and a musicale at john Hancock Hall the night before Graduation. On Friday, june lst, the Headmaster celebrated a Baccalaureate Mass at the Cenacle and afterwards addressed the gradu- ates and their parents. In the afternoon the Graduation Exercises were held at the Archbishop's House, a most beautiful and impressive setting. With hundreds of people present as his guests, His Excellency, Archbishop Cushing, presided over the occasion and paid a signal tribute to St. Sebastian's and its first graduates. The student orators of the day were Ed Courtney and Dick Shea while Doctor William Marnell of Boston Latin School delivered an impressive eulogy of classical educa- tion. When the diplomas were presented to the graduates by His Excellency, Mrs. Murphy received the award for her son Ed who was serving in the Navy. The exercises were closed by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament given by Arch- bishop Cushing who afterwards greeted all who were present and invited them to an inspection of his home. Thus our second year at St. Sebastian's ended in most impressive fashion and we could not help but reflect that we were halfway to the goal achieved by the Class of 1945. In the time intervening, much remained to be done if we were to be ready for College, but we had high hopes of emulating the complete success of the School's first class that had attained a 100'Zp acceptance from College au- thorities. At the moment, however, we could put aside sober reflections and revel in the prospect of the Summer pleasures that lay before us. Before we returned to Nonantum Hill, the exultation of V-J day had light- ened the heart of the nation and incidentally had freed us from the threat of hav- ing our scholastic careers interrupted by a call to military service. In addition,

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SENIOR CORNER OF THE REFECTORY BROTHERS MCAULIFFE Andy and Larry mony. Monsignor Wright, Secretary to Archbishop Cushing, delivered the An- niversary sermon and, at the end of Mass, Myron Bullock expressed the School's congratulations to the Headmaster and presented him a Spiritual Bouquet in our name. Meanwhile we had become familiar with the features of our new scholastic program and had thrown ourselves into it with a seriousness born of prudence and maturity. Chemistry was a new addition to our curriculum and its assignment as our first period occupation each morning was enough to jolt us out of any leth- argy customary to that time of day. From Fr. Cotter's Paradise, the Chem Lab, we tottered back to be stimulated by Fr. Flanigan's forceful insistence on perfection of style and appraisal of American Literature. After the all too brief recess, Cicero's orations had to be translated to Fr. Redding's satisfaction before the study period respite ensued. Dinner over, Algebra reared its ugly head with Fr. Hannigan's legerdemain and the day came to a close when we parted for French or Greek. The Greek class put us directly under the eye of the Headmaster and the result was that its demands were the first to be fulfilled each night. In keeping with democratic processes, the Class of 1947 went to the polls early in the year and selected officers to lead it. Divided as it was into two A and B sections, our group impartially alternated its favors, conferring honors on two