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

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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

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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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'VVith filial respect and devotion, we are lifted in the light of Eternity and you see the priceless powers and graces showered on our souls, as we listen to your vigorous and luminous conferences. VVe determine anew to heed your urgent appeal to take our place, loyally, under the Banner of Christ our King, to carry into our lives the supernatural, to be enthusiastic heralds of Christ-always speaking and acting for Him. Truly yours is a spiritual and moral leadership holding its lamp high: Be it ours to remember! lt is a pledge of our gratitude for the past, joy in the present, and hope and expectation for the future. Heartfelt prayers, felicitations loving and true, we bring to you today. May the happy light from your well- spent years Shine soft and warm o'er your way. May the fruit of unselhsh service meet The ripened sheaves of a light that cheers, Bring their harvest of peace and joy to you offerbto you, dear Bishop, the homage of our heartfelt greetings. We beg you to accept our spiritual garland, which dur- ing the past month, we have woven near the light of the Tabernacle-roses of love, lilies of prayer, and shy violets of sacrifice. Through many more beautiful years. And may we, the youngest reapers, keep before our minds your lessons of faith and love that we may have with your ETERNAL JUBILEE. QKKSNS QNSQYZQ ABOUT THE DAVENPORT . TOURNAMENT St. Thomas went down to the Davenport games, And I'm sure they're not sorry for taking such pains, Because they brought home the most wonder- ful sight, Three nice looking trophies of silver so bright. One was a cup for gaining fourth place, Another for showing best sport in the pace And lastly John Green who took in great man- Thellilophy for being best man of their banner. Russell Meads, '27. l70l