Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-30
ADVICE TO GRADUATES.
Father Creagh's Address at Trinity
College Commencement.

Rev. John L. Creagh, D. D., member OF
the faculty of the Catholic University of
America. who delivered the baccalaureate
sermon at Trinity College last Sunday
morning. as stated in The Star of yester-
day. is known as one OF the distinguished
men of the university. His remarks were
listened to with interest by both pupils ana
preIates. The topic he spoke to was wis
dom in Education
Father Creagh began his remarks with
resume of the significance and moment or
graduating exercises and of the great pos
sibiities which lie in youthful souls ina.
have been trained to love what is nopiest
and highest in life "Yearnings for good
are the motives of all human activity" said
the speaker. Because man Is not sahsned
with his condition he stretches forward IN
the pursuit of real or fancied good. 10 en-
courage these warnings, to enl1ghten them
and direct them Alright Is to confer the
highest benefit on humanity and enable 1t
to fulfill its destiny.
I'm every soul is demand for intellectual
growth. To realize how fundamental Is the
need for the bread of doctrine we have only
to look at the populations whose common
heritage is ignorance. We see how much
. of the beauty and wholesomeness of life Is
absent where there is no wish for knowl-
edge no qualification of that wish In
telleCtual poverty is more degrading than
physical. Mental food must be supplied ac-
corning 10 man s needs ana opportunities
or he VIII carry a starved. a dying soul In
a living body. The more generous is the
satisfaction of mans wish for learning the
greater meaning comes into life, the richer
blessings to ourselves and to others. Our
wisdom will, therefore, be manifested in
our quest for soul-riches. BY striving for
whatever can strengthen and ennoble char
acter we shall be proving our humanity
The right to the satisfaction of the nobler
warnings which spur the human soul are
not the peculiar prerogative of any sex or
condition of mankind. Woman. too. knows
hlgh desires for spiritual and intellectual
betterment. She may hope. we'll as man.
for the fullest delights of scholarship. If
there he degrees in education its every de-
gree should be hers according to her needs
ana opportunities. Made. truly as man.
10 the image and likeness of God. with a
mind to perceive and a heart to appreciate
she may walk the ways of learning untram-
Hlt!eu ny any sense of incapacity or unfit
ness she has no lack of equipment for in
teIiectual pursuits When admitted to COM
petition with her brethren she does more
than demonstrate absence of mental in
ferlorlty She is acknowledged to have a
special aptness for teaching and teaching
surely demands a thorough intellectual
preparation. And If we admit that inesti-
mable benefit and elevation of soul comes
rom converse with great minds and from
communion with high truths woman even
more than man. should be deemed worthy
OF the fullest opportunity for enlighten-
heht' gwen freest scope, since she furnishes
9"'IS lHelf nrSt instruction in good
ness and greatness of life
what folly 1t is to speak of enualizinp
me seAeS-of opening every field of activity
10 woman! She is not destined by nature
vi pE religion to be the equal of man or
20 90 those ruder tasks from which God
mas saved her by making her not an equal
put queen. with queenly dignity power
ana privileges. Not the quality of woma n
with man. but the maintenance in her of
the real causes of her dignity and power
ana superiority must be the ideal of those
who would have Gods all-wise plan find It's
Iuii 1ruition. She must be carefully trained
TO keep alive her love for all that is true
and good and beautiful in life. Her virtue
is the keystone of society. She must have
her highest warnings encouraged and slim
ulated, her vision must be purified and ele-
waited. and she. above all human beings.
must be taught that to listen only to the
souls cry for physical happiness and COM
fort, or for mere knowledge is to debase
her. to tear the crown from her brow and
place her where virtue and honor are words
of little meaning
LAS you are about to go forth from The
college, look back today on the pleasant
years that you have spent In this garden
set apart You have learned much from
books; you have learned greater and more
valuable lessons from God You have
wished and there has been given to you
understanding; you have prayed and there
has come to you the spirit of wisdom
Wisdom has come to you through Open
tangible influences. and perhaps most Of
all from the eloquent example of teachers
irrevocably devoted to every high womanly
virtue"