The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-11
ALUMNAE REUNION
E~LIZABETH'S "GRADS"
ASSEMBLED AT ALMA MATER.
Present Purse Of Gold to Honored Di-
rectress, Who Also Observes Ami
versary-Newark Women Present.

st. Elizabeth College Alumnae held their
twelfth annual reunion at the college, Con-
vent Station, Saturday. and a larger at
tendance thar nsunl marked the event.
Members from Brooklyn. New York, Phila-
delphia. Boston and the local New Jersey
cities focked to their alma mater in re-
spouse to her call, and spent a most en-
joyable day amid old haunts. Tn noon
train brought the ladies' to Convent. and
they were met at the college door by the
esteemed and venerable mother superior,
the sister directress and the several mem-
bers of the association who have become
sisters OF charity. They were escorted at
cnce to the new college building. santa
Rita Hall, where the collegians. In royal
spirit, welcomed them to the old home.
The business meeting was held IN the new
oratory, dedicated to our lady under the
title Of Virgo Fidells.
AS In the. case of all the other improve
ments made at the college In recent years,
this beautiful oratory was not formally
opened until the lumna had first given 1t
over to the students. The oratory furnish
ings are the gift of the classes, and the
dainty affairs, the beautiful statues, the at
tractlve prize, deus, are highly creditable
to the young women who have taken upon
themselves the honor OF equipping the hall
dedicated especially to Virgo Ffdelis.
The meeting was opened by the mother
assistant, Sister Pauline, who Is also the
president of the college. This meeting
marked her thirtieth anniversary as diree-
tress of ST. Elizabeth's and the thirtieth
anniversary of the death of the first
esteemed directress, Sister Mary Agnes
O'Neill. After the preliminary work of the
meeting, the member discussed the adj
visibility of substituting a reading of
"Parsifal' at the Waldorf-Astoria, instead
of the usual alumnae dance. and Inc
proposition was warmly seconded. 1t was
agreed to engage the celebrated Mrs.
Isabel Garghill Beecher, an international
reader of repute, to produce "Farsifai,
with musical accompaniment, and plans
were decided upon for the circulation Of
the tickets and the time for holding the
recital.
The annual retreat to be given to the
alnmnae was also considered. With sew
eral other items of local interest to occupy
the remaining time of the meeting, the
business matters were disposed of, and at
the suggestion of the presiding sister the
members sang "Holy God and a hymn to
Our Lady" From the oratory all re-
turned to the main building for the BAN
quet. The dining hall of the collegians
was festooned with college colors. and
~ LIZ ~. PCAiAaAAtb CfCAJ ~ AoaACo IA
the breeze of the perfect auturnnal day.
At the close of the banquet toasts were
responded to by Misses Lucie A. Dolana
'08; Corinne Jennings, A. B., '05, N. A.
(Columbia) '06, and Mrs. Agnes Kerr
Denner, 80, respectively. Miss Dolan's
subject, "Old Home Week." was a pleas
ant reminder to the alumnae that they had
been called home by alma mater. and
that she had been deputed to act as escort
to show them the Improvements made
during the past years. She recalled the
changes among the members themselves,
the roll, as 1t were. of the brides, moth
ers and the religious. That Miss Dolan's
speech satisfied all who listened was at
tested by the general appreciation mani
tested as she made some telling points,
or revealed some of the secrets of the mem
bers. In closing, she paid a graceful
tribute to the members who are now fill
ing positions in high schools, and be-
spoke for her own class, the girls of '0S,
the honor of college teachers ere another
reunion of the alumnae was announced.
Miss Jennings took for her subject 20
Times l." and dwelt on the honors that
have come to alma mater in the estab-
lishment of the college course, n the
ump she has hared In the eight years
of her existence. Miss Jennings said in
part: I'm the year 1899. here In this fruit
full soil, a twig was planted. 1t was cut
from the old academic trunk which had
taken deep root In the same spot long
years before, and, nurtured tendefly, lifted
its head proudly above Its sister schools,
diffusing knowledge through its broad
branches and embracing within its loving
fold matriculants from every part of the
country. Nothing but life and vigor could
emanate from such a sturdy onk-stronger
and more enduring than the elms OF Yale.
The transplanted twig has lived and
fourished, yielding good fruit for years to
the number of eight times one.
psychologists tell us that in a period
of yea-s the human body u~ndergoes an
entire change; its tissues, bones, nerves
and blood are completely renewed. So with
the College of st. Elizabeth; after eight
years of prosperous existence, having
emerged in triumph from the experimental
stage, 1t begins a renewal of life. 1t is
still a small college, but we ove 1t, as
Webster said of his e old Dartmouth.
we look back today with pride and
Joy upon the achievements Of our alma
mater during her eight years. Some Of
her students nave taken higher degrees
in the great universities, others are still
working successfully for their attainment.
Her commodious buildings rise up In ma
JeSty DeT0re US, enduring munuitehlS "
the toll and zeal of the good Sisters Of
Charity. Go on with your collegiate work,
We guardians of our tender yearsI Let
the towers of st Elizabeth's touch the
clouds. Let the truths OF her philosophy
Hume the paths Of error; to her geologists,
let the earth disclose gems hidden from
the foundation of the world; to her OBJ
servatory, let the armament reveal its
splendors, while tho melodies Of her An
gelus shall in grateful hosannas transcend
the starry realms. Let her q with
the centuries, until 800 times L will be
| offered as q toast, and responded to by an
alumna more gifted in oratory than l, but
proudly do l proclaim it-who will not
| hold within her breast greater love, greater
loyalty, greater zeal for the welfare of
the college now only 8 times L years old"
Mrs. Denner's tribute, Anniversaries
was a feeling and grateful word of praise
for the two great spirits who for the past
ferty-eight years directed ST. Elizabeth
"ad aspera"-the first beloved direetress,
the late lamented Sister Mary Agnes
O'Nelll. and the presiding guardian OF the
interests of st. Ellzabeth's students, ths
esteemed Sister Mary Pauline. Mrs Den
ner spoke with a voice tremulous with
emotion, and her words fell upon ears that
were almost reverent In attention. Will
a word Of introduction the speaker went on
to say:
AS we passed along the chapel corridor
this morning our eyes rested upon the
tablet ommemorating our loved dead, tbs
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