Graduation 2012 (Pt. II)

Fr. Robert J. Araujo, S.J., the fine gentleman we met in Chicago who gave our Capstone students a superb primer on the Natural Law, delivered the commencement address at Saint Agnes School on Friday, June 1st. He is a regular contributor to "The Mirror of Justice" a Catholic legal blog. In a recent post, he wrote the following of his address at Saint Agnes:

Commencement and the Road not Taken On Friday night I had the honor to be the graduation speaker at a coeducational Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I had many weeks to think about what I ought to say to the young men and women, most of whom will be attending college later this summer. As I prepared my words, I thought it prudent to relate the lives of these young and energetic people to those who have preceded them in faith and wisdom. Although the students have accomplished much, they really are just beginning to learn about life, its meaning, and who and what they are. The same questions are suited for law students as they graduate. The same can issues apply to the rest of us as well. As I mentioned in the address, these questions form a part of who the human person is, for they never go away. For those who might be interested in the full address, here it is: Download Graduation Address at St Agnes. A blessed Trinity Sunday to one and all. RJA sj

Download the commencement address here.

Graduation 2012

Below, senior and Valedictorian of the Class of 2012, Rose, sits in glory after finishing her Capstone oral exam. (We let the students sit in the dean's chair during orals!) This fall, Rose will head off to Creighton University to major in Biology/Pre-Medicine. She has made the faculty of Saint Agnes School very proud. Above (left) students process into the Church of Saint Agnes for the Baccalaureate Mass. At right, seniors listen to Fr. Ubel's final K-12 school homily.

The Thought and Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins

Part 1: Part 2: Part 3: Part 4: Part 5:

Fr. Walter J. Ciszek, S.J.

Man was created to praise, reverence and serve God in this world and to be happy with Him forever in the next. That is the fact of the matter; you believe it or you don't--and that is the end of it.---Fr. Walter J. Ciszek, S.J.

I can think of no other priest of the 20th century who is a better intercessor for us during the very difficult time in which we live. Indeed, that is one of the reasons why we chose to read He Leadeth Me as part of our reading list this year. Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J. was a tough Jesuit who survived many hardships and suffered tremendously but kept his faith amidst seemingly insurmountable difficulties. I will likely offer some more reflections on Fr. Ciszek as our class proceeds, but by way of introduction, I offer for your edification this short 4-part video interview of Fr. Ciszek. It was filmed in 1984, several months before his death.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:

"The Ethics of Elfland"

It is a great joy to read G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy with our seniors.

Today we discussed Chapter IV: "The Ethics of Elfland" which is quite possibly one of the richest 20 pages of non-fiction text one may ever encounter. One will find himself pleasantly surprised, laughing, agreeing, imagining, remembering, nodding and feeling an overwhelming gratitude toward God and His goodness.

I found myself on the verge of tears: tears of sadness for those who have lost - or are in danger of completely losing - the wonder of childhood (people like me!), that wonder which allows us to see the world as it is: a fairytale (e.g. "God chose to paint the grass green and the sky... well, He's changing it all the time!" vs. "Photosynthesis, a very predictable and knowable scientific process, has caused the grass to be green through..."); and tears of joy at Chesterton's golden line: "...perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony" (pg. 65 of the Ignatius Press edition).

The chapter reminds me of the wonderment of my own little ones and how I'm often "so busy" and serious about the work of the house or my school work... I have no time to stare at the moon with two-year-old Jude! No, Jude's right: work can wait; gazing at the moon for this fleeting moment cannot.

It is fun to see you, dear seniors, mull Chesterton's words of wisdom. Only he can say such things as:

"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors."

"Fairyland is nothing but the sunny country of common sense."

"The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore."

New Saint Agnes School video!

Kudos to our Admissions staff for producing this great, new video.

Mr. DeJak's latest: "Living a Catholic Life: What the Ratzinger Family can Teach Us"

March 1, 2012 saw the publication in English of Msgr. Georg Ratzinger’s new book My Brother, the Pope. Media outlets have widely reported this ultimate insider’s view of Pope Ratzinger and have published excerpts from the book. Of particular interest to this writer was Msgr. Ratzinger’s recollections of his childhood with his younger brother. The traditional piety with which they practiced the faith may strike some of us modern Americans as strange, but it is instructive. This type of traditional piety is something that we must rediscover if we wish to grow in holiness in our own families; and it is an essential to prepare for the dark clouds of persecution that gather day by day.

Though we are in the season of Lent, dear readers, indulge me as I quote Msgr. Ratzinger’s recollections of Advent and the Ratzinger family’s participation in the rich liturgical life of the Church:

Generally speaking, our family made a big thing of Christmas. The preparations already began with the First Sunday of Advent. At that time, the Rorate Masses were celebrated at six in the morning, and the priests wore white vestments. Normally violet is the color of the vestments in Advent, but these were special votive Masses that were supposed to recall the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Mother of God and her words, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38). That was the main theme of these “liturgies of the angels,” as they were also called, in which the appropriate passage from the Gospel of Luke was read. After we started school, we used to attend these Masses in the early morning, before classes began. Outside it was still night, everything was dark, and the people often shivered in the cold. Yet the warm glow of the sanctuary compensated for the early rising and the walk through snow and ice. The dark church was illuminated by candles and tapers, which were often brought by the faithful and provided not only light but also a little warmth. Afterward we went home first, ate breakfast, and only then set out for school. These Rorate Masses were wonderful signposts leading us to Christmas.

Read the rest of Mr. DeJak's article at The Wanderer Forum Foundation.