The Irish standard., 1905-07-08
GOLDEN JUBILEE
st. hary's Academy, South
Bend, Ind, Renowned.
Was Planted in the Wildwood
Fifty Years Ago.


Fifty Years Ago.
A recent issue of the South Bend,
Ind, Tribune, contains the following
in reference to st. Mary's Academy
at that place:
Fifty years have elapsed since the
now world-renowned Institution for
the education of girls, st. Mary's acad-
emy. was planted in the wildwood on
the banks of the lovely st. Joseph
river near this city, and the celebra-
tion of its golden jubilee forms lead.
ing feature of it's annual commence.
ment exercises held under the most
auspicious circumstances this week.
Wonderful progress has been made
by st. Mary's during this eventful
half century. 1t has gone through all
the rough experiences of the pioneer,
starting with practically no advan.
tages, and earning her way as she
went along. She can truly boast of
having succeeded admirably through
great trials, yet this success was not
achieved except by much privation,
much self-sacrifice on the part of the
Sisters of the Holy Cross, who have
carried on the work with that spirit
of constant endeavor and devotion to
details characteristic of all their la.
bors.
st. Mary's at this time has many
acres of the original territory, so
years ago an undisturbed forest. trans.
formed into lovely pleasure grounds
with walks, drives, flower beds, rustic
! retreats, tennis courts, athletic fields
and massive buildings for study halls,
dormitories, chapels for worship, halls
for public entertainments, gymnasiums
refectories, and all the varied facili.
ties found in first class institutions of
learning. Nothing has been left un-
done in the building up of st. Mary's
to make it of the first order in the
planning of it's many noble structures
, and in the laying out of its naturally
! attractive grounds. There is not only
,, an air of refinement and classic beau.
ty as we'll as grandeur all about, but
the spirit of enterprise is there visible
also.
Certainly the good sisters of St.
Mary's are to be congratulated upon
their achievements and the great in
! fluence they have exerted in the cause
,, of general education of women. Bet
ter than building empires, than ac-
cumulating riches, than gaining vast
estates, than acquiring fame through
strife and the humiliation of others, is
the quiet work in which they have
been so successfully engaged for the
past so years in imparting useful
knowledge to young women, so that
the thousands of pupils of st. Mary's
scattered all over this land and other
lands have ever been a credit to this
noble academy of learning.
st. Mary's academy has entertained
many notable men, some Catholics and
others Protestants, among them such
men as Hon. James G. Blaine, Gen.
Lew aWllace, Hon. Schuyler Colfax,
Orestes Brownson, Edwin Booth, Gen.
W. T. Sherman, Mgr. Falconio, Car
dinal Martinelli, Cardinal Satolli, Car
dinal Gibbons, Archbishop ireland,
Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Keane,
Archbishop Riordan. Archbishop Glen
non, Archbishop Christie, Bishop Spal
| ding, of Peoria, ILL.,, is frequent WIS.,
itor and lecturer at the academy.
The expenses of student at st.
Mary's vary according to her habits
and the amount of money at command.
All pupils, whether of large or limited
means, are urged by the management
of the academy to cultivate habits of
economy and parents of students favor
the academy by restricting the per.
sonal expenditures of their daughters
to the actual requirements. The
matriculation fee is $40. Board and
tuition, including Greek, Latin, French,
German, Spanish, physical culture,
painting and washing in the senior de-
partment is $175 each semester; in
the junior $3.50 and in the minim de.
partment $3.50. Pupils may have pri-
vate rooms, If desired, the charge be-
ing from $50 to $75 per semester, ac-
cording to the location.
The 81. Mary's of to-day, a golden
to-day, is known. The st. Mary's OF
tomorrow is unknown, but not doubt
: ed. The knowledge of the past is a
promise of the future; the achieve.
ments that give suggestion of what
is to be. The light that has burned for
half century is just beginning to
burn brightly. It's glow is as perpetu-
al as the undying flame before the sac
red altar, but who shall say when its
brightest light has been reached?
Perhaps it will be at ST. Mary's cen.
tennial so years hence. but no man
knows.
The golden jubilee is a time of re-
joicing. To-day one declares st. Ma
RVS in the acme of it's power, the ze-
NTH Of tic p1orv tho hoiuht IF itS