Thomas More College - Triskele Yearbook (Crestview Hills, KY)

Page 8 text:

D!OCESE OF COVENGTON 1140 MADISON AVENUE. COVENGTON. KENTUCKY To the 1962 Graduates of Villa Madonna College; There is no better challenge Which I could present to you at this time than that framed in the familiar phrase; cultivate a sense of responsibility. This is a well-worn advice that I give you; so much so, that its real meaning seems to have been lost in the passing of the years. A responsible person is one who can and who is ever prepared to give a proper account of his actions. He is one who knows and understands that no matter how far he advances in the esteem of men, he is still the servant of God. Realizing this, he cultivates wis- dom: that virtue Which inclines the Christian to appraise his every deed by the standard set by the Master and constantly proclaimed by His Church: HWhat shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his immortal soul?H A responsible man is one who knows how to coordinate the trivia of life with the serious, believing that as all things were cre- ated by God, so must they also serve Him. He never confuses the ac- cidental With the essential and he is quick to recognize sham wherever it resides. The responsible man has an instinctive sense of eternal values; he will never sell short his God or his fellow man. It is in this sense that we desire and pray that all of the graduates of Villa Madonna College will be responsible men and women. With such at our side to share in our toils and labors, we can hope to build the better world desired by men of good will every- where. With a. paternal blessing and every be st wish, Faithfully yours in Christ, Bi shop of Covington.

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VILLA MADONNA COLLEGE COVINGTON, KENTUCKY OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT There are few things in life that give us the peace and satisfaction that come from a well-developed sense of personal responsibility. This should not surprise us since our relationships with ourselves, our neighbor and our God are unfailingly correct if we have a sense of responsibility and use it. Unfortunately we often observe irresponsibility. To turn away from God, to break up a marriage, to ignore the duties of one's state in life, to fail to utilize talents and opportunities as a student, to ignore the needs of others--all of these result from a failure to act responsibly. Those who act in this fashion are most usually the unhappy, the dissatisfied, the restless and unfulfilled. In an era such as ours when we live in such a highly organized social structure, there may seem little opportunity to practice personal responsibility. This is the age of automation, mechanization, technology. The world is bound together by a million interlocking relationships so complex that the individual often feels rather helpless to control his own destiny, much less that of the world. A tiny feudal state in far-off Africa groans and the New York Stock Exchange feels the effect. Building blocks cut off streets in Berlin and youth in China and Scotland and Alabama take up arms. To many, the civilization which man has created appears as a. Frankenstein ready to destroy him. History tells us that in times of danger and cultural Change, many men turn their backs on the future and desire for the past that is gone forever. Some try to escape the responsibilities of a new age by literally or figuratively running away from the world and claiming they are powerless in the face of the new. This has never been the solution for the Christian. He sees that in crisis there is challenge, in the new there is opportunity, in the difficult and hazardous there is place for courage and hope. The world of tomorrow will undoubtedly be different from today and yesterday. But God has not changed and will not. His Church Will remain, so will man's importance and his dignity and his supernatural goal. There can be no retreat from those positions that are basic, and we must understand and live by these convictions without compromise. HOWever, We must be prepared to test and experiment with the new in order to insure its service to man and, ultimately, to God. The Class of 1962 can be enthusiastic and confident about the future if each member is faithful and constant in the demands of personal responsibility. Very sincerely yours in Christ, Rt. Rev. Msgr. John F. Murphy