St Thomas High School - Thomist Yearbook (Rockford, IL)

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igii .... 222 fkla cc E ..a ggggoggggggggg C ... - ments, he is the center of Godfs work on earth. He receives the soul at birth, guards and directs it through life, and at death, sends it with certainty and in safety on its journey back to the Master who created it. The Priest stands a glory to his Church and to his country, a splendid figure holding the key of Eternity. In a much greater degree is all of this true of a Bishop, for the consecration of a Bishop gives the plentitude of the Priesthood. The ceremony of consecra- tion is one of the most splendid and im- pressive known to the Church. From that distant day when our Lord said, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, from that day, the Apostles, and their successors, the Bishops, and their dele- gates, the Priests, have made up Hthe fearless army of the Catholic Priesthood which goes striding in undying vitality across the centuries, standing in un- broken ranks from the crucified St. Peter on the Vatican Hill to the prisoner Pope of the Vatican today, holding the divine force that vivines and directs mankind, carrying through every land God's mes- sage to man. Wheilce comes the strength for these more than human achievements? There must be some hidden source or fountain of help? True, there is. Let me speak of it by giving a concrete example. To- day the world rings with the praises of that great priest, Cardinal Mercier, who in radiant patriotism and fervent piety stood by King Albert and led Belgium, towering a veritable Colossus above his stricken country, and rousing the world by his words of fire. VVhence the source of the strength that made utterance such as his possible, that makes possible the lives and achievements of all priests? The answer is found in a letter which Cardinal Mercier wrote to his priests on the eve of his death and which was for- warded to them after his death. I quote it in part: My dear Brethren in the Priesthood: 'fDuring my hours of self-com- muning, the while I was seeing human hopes fade away, finding my- self alone with God, my thoughts re- verted to you and I lived intimately close to you in uninterrupted spir- itual intercourse. It was the Priesthood that I per- ceived in you. Deprived of the hap- piness to offer up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, I associated myself all day long with the Mass which the Great High Priest, Our Lord Jesus Christ, offers up every instant, through His ministers, upon all the altars of this terrestrial globe. The celebration of the Mass is the greatest act of every one of your days, and it should' be the central act of every single one of them. Veri- tably, it behooves you, to live over daily in your lives the sentiments ex- pressed in the words of Urban VIII: If there is anything divine upon earth to be envied by the citizens of Heaven, in the supposition that envy were possible to them, it is the Holy Sacrince of the Mass. Through it men enjoy here below an anticipa- tion of Heaven, since they behold with their eyes and touch with their hands, the very Author of Heaven and earth l Thus, we have, in the inimitable words of one of the greatest men of our time, the secret of the power that makes pos- sible such lives as that of the saintly statesman, and of the one whom we proudly and affectionately honor today- OUR BISHQP. The Priest Sentinel of the Eucharist, close to the Heart of Christ, the alter Christus, the Mediator between God and man, that is what our Bishop has been to us and to many. And may he long be spared to us is the hope and prayer of every pupil of St. Thomas High School. ,a f - '-'1. I Itl 122 I llia K cccc l6Sl

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The Tgiylzolbk jubilee at St. Thomas Among the many beautiful memories of our days at St. Thomas, we hold most sacred those in which our Bishop had a part. His talk on the occasion of the Mass of the Holy Ghost, which formally opened the school year, made us feel his vital interest in the high school, his love for it, and his confidence in our co opera- tion with the Sisters in the work of the school. His word of encouragement or his kindly criticism whispered to each of us as he handed us our report card made a lasting impression. His talks after a program, even the simplest, made us realize how very near to the Bishop was every interest of ours. And the Re- treat during Holy XVeek! Every student must carry away something that will be a vital part of the days to come. But, somehow, we prize more highly than any of these days that afternoon in early june, in 1926, when the Bishop per- mitted us to offer our greetings in honor of his Silver Jubilee. It was a unique privilege, indeed, and the memory is pre- cious. In the midst of a hall banked with flowers, the Bishop, the Sisters, the speakers, the Glee Clubs, and the student body gathered. The program was as follows: 'Ecce Sacerdos' ................ Boys' Glee Club Greetings to Our Bishop ........................ Elizabeth Sullivan Tribute of a Priest-Poet ........................,. Albert Saporiti O Quam Dilecta ..The Girls, Glee Club 'VVho ln His Days Pleased God .......... Bryant Ave Maria ...................... The Glee Clubs john Evans, '29. GREETINGS Given by Miss Sullivan on the Occasion of the Bishop's Silver jubilee Reception at the School Right Reverend and Dear Bishop: Into the lives of most of us there come, at times, certain culminating experi- ences, the memories of which endure to the end of our days. One such experi- ence comes to me today when I find my- self. the bearer of a message of greeting, full of proud affection, from the students of St. Thomas High School, to one whom the nation delights to honor, and whom we glory in calling our Bishop. This is a golden day for us because we can add our bit, humble though it be, to the chorus of grateful and affectionate praise which rises here and everywhere that your name is heard. ln the splendor of our reception we may not be able to compare with others, but in the heartfelt sincerity of our greetings, we yield to none. It is our singular privilege to say to you with peculiar tenderness, words mellow with the heart-tones of the ages --- Ad Multos Annosw UUR BISHOP! Only prayers and silver-tongued bells can littingly express all that we would say, and we are only children, unskilled in the expression of our thoughts. But we feel that in your kindly patience you will 'fsuffer the little children to come unto you because we want to tell you from grateful hearts of our realization of all that we owe to you,-so much of all that has been brightest, best, and holiest in our days in dear St. Thomas High School: so much of what is most precious that we shall carry with us as we go forward, with your blessing, along the untried ways. The exalted ideals of the Priesthood, as exemplified in your life, have been an edification and an inspiration to us that will be an asset for life. Through your influence and example we have realized and pondered this truth-that the Priest is raised to an office that places him between God and man as an 'alter Christus,' and, as such, he holds in the hearts of Catholics a place that is unique upon the earth. The Priest is the guardian of the life of the world. As the dispenser of the sacra- l67l

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W. -.117 ' ' ' - 1 - p, M. ,M -if ' ' '5' ' ' ll ' All ' ' l A it i l -- 1 .ill 'imli' .QQIlllII5Q5Qsaga,g!,sgs,,,,.,f4lll1' 1, 1,,l,1,il,,,1 lvl, L gg' L. V i,,l,,m'1 n ' ,HIMW ,,'g,lg4' ,,l,,,l 1 ' ll III gm ' ,gli 1lU,,IHlIlii' 1 V 1 i'?i? 'i'-lilzll. - usiaiailg I I M rar It U !,,2' mi Af..,,f- -A-, .1.fQ:g if-Y -, , ,, l Spiiiiuul Bouquet 'KWHO IN HIS DAYS PLEASED GODH Preyentuliofz of Spiritual Bouquet by MR. LLOYD BRYANT Trlday-twenty-live years a noble self- sacrilicing' leader in the Catholic Episco- pate-twentylive years Christ's sacred sentry. Today-forty years a chasubled soldier beneath the Standard of Christ, lifting on high a Host with a chalice, a light for men's battle-scarred souls in their needs-to last till the story of time will have ceased. Truly this is life in a sin-worn land: Few there are, Right Reverend and dearly loved Bishop Muldoon, who are permitted to round out a career as hon- orable and as enviable in its record of work done for God's great glory and the salvation of immortal souls. Far beyond the limits of Rockfod diocese your merited fame is heralded, and your name held in benediction. Your works angel hands have engraveng your piety, able service to man, faithfulness to principle, uprightness of priestly life-above all, your devotedness to Ciod and His interests. Yes, on this unique and happy day of silver jubilee, congratulations will pour in from those who esteem true worth, at- tested by personal merit, unswerving de- votion to high ideals-to THE IDEAL. ln this peon of praise, a tender yet jubilant refrain rings out, whose tones, sincere and spirit-thrilling none other surpassesfthat of your devoted children, the pupils of St. Thomas High School. VVith child-like presumption, we deem ourselves of the inner-circle. lt is said with all reverence-the natural conse- quence of your gracious ways, your kindly visits to the class room with their evidence of keen interest in our true de- velopment of mind and heart. Standing high above all these is your charming condescension in giving of your valuable time to conduct personally our annual re- treat-that minting time of soul-refresh- ment and priceless light. XVe know that the truly great are al- ways characterized by simplicity. Yet, now and again there comes to us a sense of bewilderment at your affability in stooping to us, the wee ones of your Hock. Marvelling, we 'ask ourselves if any- where, even in this wonderland of Amer- ica, High School pupils have the privilege of such a retreat. You will receive your reward, dear Bishop, only when the veils .ii at g. l69l