Good Evening, I am honored to be here tonight.
When I was called from St. Mary’s to consider giving a keynote address , I immediately said to myself what will I say? Having been a student of St. Mary’s Academy, and a Sister of the Holy Names these past 47 years, I knew that before I responded I would need considerable help from one of my past English teachers, Sister Jane Ellen Burns. I have found in my ministry, it is not only what you know, but who you know that is very very important. I called Sister Jane Ellen and she readily said she would help me, so I then said yes. Thank you Sister Jane Ellen. I have to think that Sister John Marion-who was principal when I was in high school, would be puzzled about your choice, but that’s all right, because I am too. However, it is no puzzle that I am very proud of St. Mary’s and that I am a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy. Whenever I hear Christina Friedhoff or anyone speak about St. Mary’s Academy, it sparks wonderful memories for me.
I was very fortunate in the family God gave me,-loving parents, six brothers and a sister all of whom were and are my good friends as well as siblings, a fine grade school (St. Philip Neri), but St. Mary’s Academy made a unique contribution to my life. Besides the opportunity I had to take part in the sports I loved so much, I made life long friends, I was impressed by the dedication and for want of a better word “holiness” of many of the faculty members and (every once in a while I even enjoyed a class). The values my family had instilled in me were reinforced and have served me all through my life as a religious, a teacher, an administrator, and a Development Director. (My business cards will be given to you as you exit the auditorium this evening)
As I have mentioned, all of us are products of various elements-family, education, group affiliations, friends, even of, those who don’t approve of or like us. In my own case, the field of education has engaged me all of my life. Early years with the Sisters of the Holy names encouraged my attitudes towards teaching. In grade school I helped with the CCD classes on Sundays and continued with that into my high school years. Education, however, was more than classroom situations, as I can remember my mom taking us with her, when she and our family brought food to those in need. At St. Mary’s my sister Coral Rose and I belonged to the Sodality and the Legion of Mary and we continued the values we learned at home by visiting rest homes and gathering with other teens to gain strength in prayer and action. This value of Catholic Education was instilled in me by my parents. They wanted the help of the Catholic School to pass on their values, so they sold their car to buy a house in Ladd’s Addition near St. Philip Neri Church and School. After that my dad walked to work until they were able to purchase a car.
Catholic education, as you well know, is a marvelous blend of a strengthening of belief systems, strong academic involvement, and the formation of friendships- plus a lot of hard work and some just plain fun. When I was in the third grade I decided I wanted to be a teaching sister, not that my teachers were perfect, but I admired the example of many of these women, and in later years I came to see and appreciate the contribution they made in my formation and other choices in life. I have said at other times and in other places how strongly I believe in the value of Catholic education. First of all, and most importantly, education is God-centered, and this just doesn’t mean that hurried Hail Mary before the geometry test. (Although that’s not such a bad idea) I digress to say that the other day I was replacing in a third grade classroom, and at my age I just wanted to wrap up the day and have our children go home. I said to an eight year old boy, Gabe will you lead us in a Hail Mary, and we’ll give the handshake of peace to those around us and then we’ll be out of here. He looked at me and said Remember sister , I don’t pray Catholic and so I said, then, make it an Our Father Gabe, we’ll shake hands and we’ll be on our way.
This concept of a God Centered education infuses, regulates and moderates all school activities. Students develop gifts-whether they are concerned with academics, athletics, leadership or social life, from a God centered perspective that ideally promotes peace, love and cooperation. As you know, adolescence can be a time of turmoil and confusion, and an environment that promotes a concern for other, whether it’s for classmates, a neighborhood, a city, a nation or a global community can help them rise above their emotional concerns. This translates to helping in our churches, the St. Vincent DePaul and similar societies, Meals on Wheels, etc or just mediating conflicts. Nowhere is this more evident that at St. Mary’s.
One beautiful example tells us of two sophomores here, concerned with the kind of violence that renders girls and women, particularly their peers, helpless and at the mercy of predators, they devised a video program that demonstrates how to care for yourself in demanding situations. This program has aired on commercial television and has been and will continue to be of help to many. Students here are interested in local issues, bringing to them the justice and peace values they have learned and discussed in class and clubs. They visit nursing homes and care centers, they help to distribute goods to those in need; they tutor, they mentor, and in short, they put to use what they have learned at home and at school.
However, it is in the daily round of class, homework, getting to and from school, that we find places where the student interacts on a daily basis with others who may or may not share the same ideals and goals as she does. This school is a place to learn to” get along,” to learn self control, and to deal with conflict. A graduate of St. Mary’s will attempt any endeavor that brings positive results, and see that others have a better life.
In my present day work at Holy Cross School in North Portland I always am sure that when a graduate of St. Mary’s is on our committee, the work will be accomplished with little or no supervision and it will be of the best quality and beyond many of my expectations. With the example of the tremendous women receiving awards this evening, St. Mary’s Academy’s faculty and staff need to be proud for helping to establish the very foundation for their successes. We are grateful to gather annually to honor and recognize alumnae excellence. I believe it is accurate to say, “That what happens at St. Mary’s Academy, does not stay at St. Mary’s Academy, but goes out to the whole WORLD’
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