University of San Francisco - USF Don Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

Page 8 text:

Exactly a century ago—on Christmas Day. 1854 —a frontier San Francisco dedicated its first St. Mary's Cathedral. From that day until now. the tower pictured here has been an integral part of the joys and the sorrows which have marked our history. We now know and love this church as Old St. Mary's on the fringe of Chinatown, but too few there are who know this structure to have served as our first Catholic Cathedral, 1854-1891 Yet another singular distinction attends upon this ancient yet ever youthful House of God: we would recall it here and in this place as we celebrate the Marian Year on the Hilltop. It would appear that this first St. Mary's Cathedral was also the first Cathedral in the entire world to be dedicated to the Blessed Mother under her title of the Immaculate Conception. On July 17. 1853, the corner stone of the cathedral was laid and within its recesses there lies a document which testifies to the fact that the building is to be dedicated to the Almighty God under the title of St. Mary, Ever Virgin and Conceived Without Sin and Christmas Midnight Mass in 1854 saw the Cathedral dedicated to Our Lady under this same glorious title Wc of San Francisco's own University have thought it appropriate that here and in this place wc should thus speak forth the Glories of Mary as found in San Francisco's First Cathedral. 4

Page 7 text:

There is a world-wide struggle to capture the mind of the youth. Through youth movements foreign dictatorships aim to perpetuate their pernicious doctrines. In our owncountry youth is exposed to these poisons which can destroy our hard-won liberties. Protection should come from the leading universities, but many of these universities will or dare not take a stand. The University of San Francisco refuses to subscribe to the doctrine that academic freedom may be used as a pretext to teach systems which destroy all freedom. We proudly boast that we have always taught and will continue to teach the following creed: We believe in God. We believe in the personal dignity of man. We believe that man has natural rights which come from God and not from the State. We are therefore opposed to all forms of dictatorship which are based on the philosophy that the total man (totalitar- ianism) belongs to the State. We believe in the sanctity of the home— the basic unit of civilization. We believe in the natural right of private property, but likewise that private property has its social obligations. We believe that Labor has not only rights but obligations. We believe that Capital has not only rights but obligations. We are vigorously opposed to all forms of racism — persecution or intolerance because of race. We believe that liberty is a sacred thing, but that law, which regulates liberty, is a sacred obligation. We believe in inculcating all the essential liberties of American Democracy and take open and frank issue with all brands of spurious democracy. We believe, briefly, in the teachings of Christ, who held that morality must regulate the personal, family, economic, political and international life of men if civilization is to endure. 3

Page 9 text:

s4 “Dedication of U ‘7fear oo6, to THarcf, our 7 totHer, an tide ( eutenary of tile Definition of “%er 'Immaculate (Zoncefitiou. Now a century has passed, Grinding along the gory tracks that Men in their darkness, ignorant, Striking in anger with clashing of arms have made. And all of it was thine; this space Of a hundred years, O Mary, was thine. Prelates and paupers (ah, sinners and sensuous, too) — All of our races of men in their agony, Hopeful and hopeless have called on thee, Mary Immaculate, sinless conceived, And dedicated all of their works — All of the waste and blood and hate — to thee. But still in the man-recessed goodness of heart — (In the innermost place of the soul, hidden well) — This century was thine. These pages will pass Into the tender, forgotten, lost places Where all the fresh deeds Spun out of youth and of faith One day pass — Quietly, giving way to the fullness of Wisdom and age (how wise are the old!). But we pray, Standing before the abyss — On the brink of dread horror — stench of death — Bred up by wisdom and age, Ah we plead that as These few young pages are thine, All those later, more wise years of ours May hold to the wisdom of youth. And in the century to come — May be thine.