The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-07-02
ST. AIMS ORPHANAGE.
Closing Exercises-Good Showing
Awarding of Medals.


The commencement exercises of
the above institution took place on
last Wednesday evening. Commence
ment exercises are dear to parents
and to the public, for the parents see
the children whom they love so well
exhibit the moral and physical train
ing which self-sacrificing teachers
give them, and the public are happy,
too, because they see good material
for the future welfare of the state
and the nation. The little orphans
came upon the stage, the most OF
them have no parents. We are sure
that these little orphans often feel
their loss, for to us a fathers strong
hand means something; a mothers
embrace and kiss means everything.
Though, as we have said, these little
orphans feel their loss, still on Wed
nesday night they were happy, be-
cause they felt and feel that the great
and the good men and women of Salt
Lake City are to them a father and
a mother. In this age of rush and
push, self-interest and graft, 1t is
sweet to think that men and women
are still left to us who are ever
mindful of the Christ and His inf
nitely merciful words: Il was hungry
and you fed me, 1 was naked and you
clothed me, was stranger and you
took me in" Yes, these little orphans
were without parents, but great and
good men, seeing in them the Christ,
built a home for them, clothed them
and gave them to eat. The nation
honors these men and will while the
stars and stripes float from the At
lantic to the Pacific; honors them for
the virtues which distinguish their
private life, but it honors them most
of all for their charity. The eXer-
cises began with a song of welcome to
Bishop Seaman, and then one or the
orphans, on behalf of her brothers
and sisters, told His Lordship in
touching words how they loved and
revered him. Yes, standing there
with the weak and the helpless and
the good and the pure clinging
around her skirts, she told His Lord
ship in loving, quivering tones, how
his faithful Catholics loved and re-
spected him because of his zeal and
his struggles on their behalf. The
splendid monument of faith and hope
and charity which stud his wide do
cese have sprung from a hand that
worked for God and the elevation of
his fellow man. Yes, Bishop, the lit
tie reader went on, the Catholics of
your diocese love and respect you for
your struggles in the interests of re-
ligion when enormous difficulties
stood in your way, difficulties and
privations which are written in no
human book, only in the Book of
God. Your faithful Catholics, Bish-
op, love and admire you for your
strength and zeal and simplicity. We
your little orphans, we forget all
your works and we remember only
your charity. With your name we
will ever associate charity, and our
prayer through all our ways and
days will be God bless our good
Bishop"
An elaborate program, drama in
four acts, was rendered, in which all
the little ones took part, to the great
enjoyment of the large audience. AT
the conclusion of the play public
examination in stenography took
place. Miss Jennie Cosgriff, teacher,
took the children through all in
tricacies of short hand science and
found ready answers to all her ques-
TONS To give a practical illustration
of what they knew, Father Brennan
dictated a letter, which all took down
on the blackboard. Four little girls
went with their notes to the type
writer's, producing the letter in full
Copies of the letter were distributed
among the interested audience.
Medals were given to all the children
Four special gold medals were
given to the most proficient. Gold
medal for catechism, donated by
Right Rev. L. Seaman, was awarded
to Jack Giacomo. Gold medal for
conduct, donated in perpetuo by Pat
rick Phelan, was awarded to Mary |
Young. Gold medal for general i'm
provement in all studies, donated by
Rev. w. K. Ryan, was awarded to |
Ladart Sorenson. There was a con-
test for the medal donated by the |
knights of Columbus for stenogra- |
ply and typewriting. Cecilia Whelan |
won the prize.
The large classroom was crowded.
Right Rev. L. Seaman, Dean Harris,
Fathers Roster, Kelly, w. K. Ryan
and 7. Brennan were present.