The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-06-25
The Valedictory.

Robert J. Pope, the senior member of
the graduating class. speaking on their
and his own behalf, took leave of his
Alma Mater, Faculty and FELLOWSHIP
dents in the following pathetic address:
I'VE have come to the parting of the
ways The paths of our childish feet SO
lately trod have broadened. until now
just before us lies that mighty vista to
which our hopes and aspirations have
so often turned in years gone by.
Full we'll we realize the Importance
and magnitude of this final step, this
severing of ties, this turning from the
portals of Alma Mater into the broad
highway of life But with an abiding
faith in those principles which have
been instilled into our minds and which
even now are. and ever shall be. a part
of our very being. we calmly and
trustingly await the mighty problem
of life, knowing full well that our fu
ture success will be in proportion to
the efforts we make to carry out the
ideals of Christian life and manhood.
BE it ours always to wage with
renewed energy and manly, honest
purpose the battle of life. We who
have so long been a part of the reserve,
are now ordered into the thickest of
the fray, and God grant that we meet
as helpless recruits. Our Alma Mater
has equipped us with every instrument
of success. We have had continuous
ly before us examples of the beautiful,
unselfish lives of men who have conse-
Grated themselves to the upbuilding of
mankind, to the furtherance of those
lofty principles which must shine forth
in us as their representatives, those
principles which none of us doubt are
the foundation of that mighty force
which must prevail for the common
good of the human race.
And yet tonight we turn aside
from the contemplation of all this from
the greetings and plaudits of friends
and classmates, to bid fond adieu
to those who are near and dear to US.
Perchance we may never meet again,
never again renew those friendships
contracted under the loving protection
of our Alma Mater; they are but fond
memories now, the struggle and con-
quest, the something attempted. the
something gained. And thus with
hearts filled with gratitude and burn
ing with desire to prove worthy of
your teachings, we bid farewell to our
Very Rev. President, the guardian of
our youth. Dear Father Guinan, we
shall miss you far more than words
fostering kindness shall abide with us
forever
TO you, Rev. Fathers of the Fac
ulty, we owe a debt of gratitude which
cannot be cancelled. Through your
untiring efforts and noble example we
have imbibed those lofty ideas and
aims which shall form our armor in
the great battle of life.
Fellow classmates, we must sever
the golden chain which so long has
bound us together, sever those ties of
friendship which seem almost the
heart-beats of existence And tonight.
standing on the Threshold of Alma
Mater, while others throng to fill the
places we called ours, we feel that all
is well. Be it theirs to preserve the
hallowed traditions which cluster
around her walls, be it theirs to fondIy
cherish all we so reluctantly relinquish.
and TO perpetuate those grand lessons
of truth and valor which are the step
ping-stones of life.
To you Rev. Father Guinan. Rev
Faculty, our teachers, dear classmates.
one and all, and TO dear old Alma Ma
ter a long and fond. farewell.