St Thomas Military Academy - Kaydet Yearbook (Mendota Heights, MN)

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♦ Ihts IBook to. Very Reverend Vincent J. Flynn Not often do people such as we have the privilege of becoming ac- quainted with as great a man as was Father Flynn. In retrospect, we remember the pleasant smile, the warm greeting, and the fatherly advice he had for everyone. Although many of us did not know him personally, we gained a sense of serenity merely through his presence on the campus. No greater tribute can be paid to a man so revered than to recall what has been said of him by those before us. Let us contemplate on these words and with them dedicate this book to our memory of him. From our four years of association with men like Father Flynn we have, let us hope, garnered certain firm and basic principles about life, which will contribute to the up- building of our characters and react upon our habits of living. —Kaydet 1954 May we not, as his own sons, point with pride to Father Flynn as a man not only to be admired but to be emulated? -Kaydet 1951 His administrative genius has secured St. Thomos a position of high rank among schools; his personal accomplishments have knighted him a nonpareil among scholas- tics. —Kaydet 1952 Finally having been graduated from the life of this world, you will be freshman again, altogether, let us hope, in heaven, where, as St. Thomas More put it, we shall see each other full merrily.' —Father Flynn, in a letter to the graduating class of 1950 Page »e»er

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Me Seittcate M Archbishop John Gregory Murray Archbishop Murray's lifelong habits of practicing simplicity and austerity endeared him to all his flock. He will be long remembered by Catholics and non-Catholics alike for his courage, humility, and charity. And particularly here at St. Thomas, he will always occupy a place in our hearts. For without his unfailing guid- ance, his inexhaustable energies, and his infinite patience, St. Thomas could not possibly be what it is today. To him we are forever grateful. Again, recalling what has been said of him, to show a portion of our grati- tude, we dedicate this book to our memory of him. His Excellency has shown youth the way to spiritual perfection by helping it in its quest, through Catholic education. —Koydet1953 We have been the beneficiaries of the fruits of Archbishop Murray's deep inner life, a spiritual power which has fought to pressure the ideals of youth in a time when they are treated with scorn and threatened with extinction. -Kaydet 1952 His Excellency will be remembered by all of us for his deep humility and spirited power, by which, through his clergymen, he has guided the faithful to greater love of their Catholic Faith and Christian ideals. — Kaydet1955 Page tix

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Father Flynn— A Short Biography Father Flynn's first association with St. Thomas was in the fall of 1915 when he entered the Academy as a freshman. Upon graduation he en- tered the St. Paul Seminary and was ordained a priest in 1927. In the fall of that year, he was appointed to the faculty of St. Thomas Military Acad- emy. He paralleled his teaching ca- reer with one of research, concentrat- ing his studies in English literature and the Renaissance. In 1942 he was awarded a research fellowship for the development of this topic. On April 27, 1944, Father Flynn for- mally was installed as the new presi- dent of the College of St. Thomas and St. Thomas Military Academy. At a critical time in the history of both the College and Academy, he made key decisions which successfully carried the institutions through the crisis of that period. In the years immediately following his inauguration, he served as a member or officer of many promi- nent national organizations such as the Association of American Colleges and the National Advisory Committee on Selective Service. But above all these interests which he had on local, state, and national levels. Father Flynn always held the welfare of St. Thomas closest to his heart. He strived to promote a personal friendship with everyone attached to the school and conveyed to all the ideals of St. Thomas and his hopes relating to its future. A brilliant career has ended. But for years to come cherished memories will remain of the man whose immense contributions made St. Thomas much of what it is today. We solemnly salute Father Flynn—a wonderful man, an excellent president, and an outstand- ing priest. Page eight