'
*7<4e Record
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY AND ORGAN OF THE ALUMNI
VOLUME 67
COLLEGEVILLE, MINNESOTA, FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1954
NUMBER 11
Excavation Complete For Monastic Wing
#There has been a steady increase of activity on the new monastic
building for which excavation was begun on May 20. In the space of four and a half days the bulk of the earth was removed by two Le Tourneau earth movers, one pusher and one dozer. Since then a drag line has excavated a deeper channel down the center for housing sewer and heating pipes.
A regular crew of fathers and clerics has been assisting the other workmen in erecting temporal buildings for materials and in digging to lower levels -for the footings. Concrete pourings will probably begin about June 28.
The new building will be longer and wider than St. Mary's Hall, being 288 feet long and 60 feet wide. St. Mary's is 278 feet long and 46 feet wide. It will be similar to St. Mary's in that it will have a flat top, that brick will be used for the exterior walls, and that extensive use will be made of glass. The new monastic wing will have a reinforced concrete skeleton. There will be a basement and three floors.
The basement will contain space for the brothers, their recreation room, and general storage space. The first floor will contain the Abbot's office, the fathers' recreation room, eight guest rooms and two rooms for visiting prelates and bishops. On the second floor there will be forty rooms for fathers. The third floor will be devoted to the clerics—their study hall, dormitory and recreation room. On the first floor there will be space for the new sac'risty and also for the monastic archives.
Supplement
A special supplement of the Record has been prepared by the publicity committee on the building- plans of the abbey. It contains a letter by Abbot Baldwin, history of the building plans, an article on church architecture, planning principles, photographs of the new wing and church, and letters from interested people. This issue will be mailed out to anyone who writes to the Record office asking for it.
Reservations Still Open For Lay Retreats
#St. John's Retreat Office announced this week that the maximum quota of reservations had been filled for the retreats for older married couples in August. However, because of the enthusiastic response to these particular retreats, Rev. Vitus Bucher, OSB, Retreat Director, pointed out that more retreats for older married couples will be planned next year. While none of the other retreats are closed to further registration, except the Aug. 6-8 and 13-16 retreats, reservations can be more easily made for the young couple's retreats of June 26-27. There are also some vacancies yet to be filled in the July 5-7, 23-26, and Aug. 27-29 laymen's retreats.
CLASS OF '64 follows the color guard into the auditorium to receive degrees.
Thirty-Two Receive Major Orders In Abbey Church, June 5
0Four deacons were ordained to the priesthood, along with 28
other young men who were given the major orders of deacon and subdeacon, in the Abbey Church, Saturday, June 5. Most Rev. Joseph Annabring, DD, Bishop of Superior, was the ordaining prelate in the ad limina absence of Most Rev. Peter Bartholome, DD,
Silver Jubilees Celebrated
•Rev. Dunstan Tucker, OSB, professor in the English department, celebrated his 25th anniversary to the priesthood with a solemn high Mass in his home parish at St. Gall's Church in\ Tintah, Minn. In conjunction with this, his father and mother celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Rev. John Denery was the deacon for the Mass and the sermon was preached by Msgr. T. Leo Keaveny, both cousins of Father Dunstan.
Two other classmates of Father Dunstan are observing their silver jubilees this month. They are Rev. Ambrose Wittmann, OSB, who will celebrate his anniversary in the Bahama Islands, and Rev. Oyril Ortmann, OSB, pastor of St. Martin's Church, in St.' Martin. Abbot Baldwin Dworschak, OSB, preached the sermon at Father Cyril's celebration at St. Martin on June 20.
Bishop of St. Cloud.
Rev. Hilary Thimmesh, OSB, Rev. Aidan McCall, OSB, *and Rev. Francis Studer, .OSB, were ordained priests for St. John's. Rev. William Wenninger was ordained for the Diocese of Superior. Ordained as deacons were Rev. Frs. Hugh Witzman, OSB, Simon Bischof, OSB, Edwin Arceneau, OSB, Gilbert Tarlton, OSB, Adolph Ayd, OSB, Germain Loeber, OSB, and Patrick Okada, OSB.
Eight subdeacons for the Abbey and 15 for the various dioceses were also ordained. Monks of the Abbey who received subdiacon-ate are Frs. Wilfred Theisen, OSB, Daniel Durken, OSB, Brice Howard, OSB, Robert Blumeyer, OSB, Theophilus Brown, OSB, Canute Anderson, OSB, Alfonso Mavarrete
ORDINATIONS—Continued on page2
120 Graduate At Commencement
• Rt. Rev. Abbot Baldwin Dworschak, OSB, Abbot and President of St. John's, celebrated a Pontifical High Mass
in the Abbey church on Monday, May 31, Memorial Day,Jto open the 97th Commencement Day activities. The 120 members of the graduation class received Holy Communion at the Mass, as did many of the parents and friends.
The Baccalaureate sermon was
then presented for their degrees
preached ¦ by Rev. Emeric Lawrence, OSB, professor of French and religion in the college. Calling to mind that Pope Pius X had been canonized in Rome just two days previously in this Marian Year, Father Emeric took that as his- starting point for indicating how deeply this saintly man had influenced the lives of the graduates and of the faculty at St. John's.
"Pius X himself chose a phrase from St. Paul that was to give unity to all aspects of his pontificate: 'To restore all things in Christ.' "
In concluding Father Emeric recalled what Pius X said is most necessary in the world today: "What is most necessary at the present time, is to have in each parish a group of laymen at the same time virtuous, well-instructed, determined, and really apostolic." After the Mass the graduates and their parents were served breakfast in the college refectory. In the early afternoon the University Band under the direction of Mr. John Faith provided light concert music for the parents and graduates. This was followed by induction into the Alumni Association by Father Walter and Mr. George Durenberger on the auditorium lawn.
The academic procession formed in front of the abbey church, and the professors and graduates then filed into the auditorium where Rev. Philip Hughes, prominent Catholic historian, addressed the graduates. Father Hughes delivered a moving eulogy on the life of St. Thomas More, martyr in England under Henry VIII. Father Hughes held up the great virtues of this layman to the graduates and insisted that the knowledge and imitation of St. Thomas More can play a vital role in the lives of Catholic college men today.
Waldemar H. Wenner, valedictorian and philosophy major from St. Cloud, spoke for the senior class on the implications of and need for community living in our day. The seniors were
by Rev. Arno Gustin, OSB, dean
of the college. In addition to
conferring the degrees, the Rt.
Rev. Baldwin Dworschak, OSB,
briefly expressed his gratitude
to the parents and the faculty.
For the first time the graduates
this year wore bachelor's hoods
and the honor students were
distinguished by honor cords.
After the graduation there was a
reception for the faculty, students
and parents in the day student
study hall and in the lounge.
Father Gervase Gets Doctorate
On June 1 at Kiel Municipal Auditorium, in St. Louis Rev. Gervase Soukup, OSB, professor of economics at St. John's, received the degree of doctor of philosophy in economics from St. Louis University. Father Gervase received his Masters Degree from the same institution in 1951 and has been working for his doctorate since that time, along with teaching duties in the department of economics here. The sub-j ect of his dissertation was a descriptive analysis of producers supplying the St. Louis milk market from 1946 to 1951.
Rev. Gervase Soukup, O.S.B.
PRE-1900 ALUMNI GATHER JUNE 29
Rev. Jerome Simmer, OSB, '28, is very ill at the abbey. Rev. Raymond Basel, OSB, '92, is hospitalized in St. Cloud as the result of a fall: Sacrifices and prayers for both of them would be appreciated.
•Tuesday, June 29, has been designated as "Old Timer's Reunion" day at St. John's, Rev. Walter Reger, OSB, national alumni secretary, announced this week. On that day, a large number of alumni— those registered at St. John's before 1900—will return to campus for a day-or-two visit and to reminisce about the first half-century of St. John's existence. Father Walter has explained that "this reunion, somewhat unusual in our history, will give us a chance . to give well-deserved recognition to the early Johnnies. They witnessed and co-operated in the efforts of the pioneer Benedictines in Minnesota to serve the neighboring areas. We are setting aside this special day to acknowledge our debt to all our "early alumni who aided in building the fine traditions of learning and liturgy which have helped to raise the spiritual and cultural level of the TJpper Midwest."
To make the day a memorable occasion but to avoid a heavy program of activities, only two events are fixed. Father Walter will celebrate a memorial High Mass at 10 a.m. in the Abbey church. At 12:30 an alumni dinner will be held
in the student refectory at which Rt. Rev. Baldwin Dworschak, OSB, Abbot-president of St. John's, and Mr. Herbert Adrian, '29, national alumni president, will be speakers. Mr. Al Knaeble, '00, will act as toastmaster for the dinner.
The remainder of the day will be spent visiting old friends, recounting experiences and recalling pranks which usually involved "pulltights". Father Walter said,' "I am especially gratified that so many of the older alumni responded to the questionnaire that we sent."
A tabulation of the questionnaire received thus far indicates many interesting facts. It was discovered that St. John's two oldest living alumni are none other than two of the abbey's oldest monks, Rev. Thomas Borgerding, OSB, '83, and Rev. Roman Homar, '90, OSB, former missioners now retired at the abbey. Father Thomas entered St. John's back in 1875 and Father Roman in 1883. Besides these nonagenarians, there are 34 octogenarians among the living pre-1900 alumni.
