Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-28
AT TRINITY COLLEGE
BACCALAUREATE DISCOURSE BY
DIR. EDWARD A. PACE.

commencement week at Trinity College
was opened yesterday morning, when a SOL
emn high mass was celebrated in the chapel
of the institution. The college faculty. stu
dents and a number of invited guests were
present. the latter including a number Of
the Catholic University faculty. Right.
Rev. d. j. O'Connell, rector of the Catho-
lie University of America, was the celebrant
of the mass, assisted by Rev. DR.. John
Creagh of the Catholic University as dea-
con, and Rev. DIR. ]. w. Melody of the same
institution as subdeacon. Rev. George
Dougherty, assistant treasurer OF the
Catholic University, was master of cere-
monies assisted by students of the Holy
Cross College.
The baccalaureate sermon was preached
by Rev. DR.. Edward A. Pace, professor of
psychology at the Catholic University. He
said, in part:
The church, in COMMUNICATING the
events that preceded the day of Pentecost.
emphasizes the need that the world has
and that each of us has of the divine guild
ance which prompted the apostles to I'M
dertake their great work and made that
work a success. We need no less. after
centuries of progress and of widening civ
iization, the spirit of God. Or, rather. we
should say that our need in this respect Is
the greater just Because of the manifold
changes In thought and purpose, in social
ries have brought about. The very fact
that our knowledge Is so much wider and
deeper; that we have penetrated SO far
into the hidden recesses of nature and
learned so much of natures laws only y in
tensifies our human desire to know what
the ultimate reality is and what it's inner
most meaning.
And. on the other hand the more we
learn of our own minds, of their activities
and aspira tons, the greater is our need of
a standard by which to judge largely and
accurately whatever may possess or seem
to possess a value for life. We need, more
than ever, perfection. And this means
finally that we need to look at all things
from the viewpoint which was attained by
the apostles through the outpouring and
indwelling of the spirit of God.
Similarly. in our social and public rela-
tons, In order to secure and maintain the
genuine elements of progress, we must I'M
derstand their significance, not simply in
the light of their momentary Importance or
of our personal advantage, but also in view
of the universal and eternal order which Is
the expression of the Holy Spirit.
Now. the spirit of God Is essentially
spirit of law, calling indeed for our free
obedience, yet calling for it with sovereign
right. If, then, the worlds advance has
brought us. as a people and as individuals,
a larger liberty of action in all directions
this very fact requires that in our observ-
ance OF law IN our respect Tor authority
and in our respect for the rights of our fell
lowmen, we should be influenced and
guided by the spirit of God
This is especially true of those to whom
the sacred work of education is intrusted.
However the organization of our schools
may be perfected. our methods improved
and the number of our teachers increased,
we can never afford to lose sight OF the SUI
preme purpose of education. Our aim, on
the contrary. must be to prepare the minds
of those whom we instruct for a fuller
share in the inspiration and guidance OF
Gods spirit to the end that as the mind de-
velops it may also grow stronger in its love
of truth, of law and of order.
This assuredly must ever be the purpose
of an institution like Trinity College. The
ideal of the Christian woman who has been
educated under Christian auspices is sug-
gested by the fact that the apostles who
awaited at Jerusalem the coming of Pente-
cost spent these days OF prayer in the COM
pany of Mary. the mother of Jesus, and the
other women who had followed the Savior's