Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-06-09
St. EL|zABETHS
COLLEGE JUBILEE
ATTRACTS THRONG
Notable Exercises Today in Con-
nection With Graduation of
Pupils-Mgr. Whelan Speaks.
Especial to the Newark star.1

Especial to the Newark Star.1
CONVENT STATION, June 9.-There
was an unusually large attendance at
the annual commencement exercises at
ST. Elizabeth's College today. They
marked the beginning of the golden
Jubilee of the institution.
Among those present were members
of many prominent families from this
and nearby States and many of the
South American republics. There was
also a large number of clergymen pres
ent, as the college is the recognized
leader of educational institutions for
Catholic children n young m
The centre of attraction today, be-
sides the graduates, was the Reverend
Mother Mary Xavier Michigan, the head
Of the order of the Sisters of Charity
in New Jersey. n who. with six other
sisters, organized st. Elizabeth's
Academy at Madison fifty years ago.
Mother Xavier received the congratu-
lations of all the former graduates pres
ent and was also the recipient of many
telegrams and letters from those who
u IL lilipoocloiC ~ bS plCotIiLs TIC
Right Rev. Monsignor 1. P. Whelan,
rector of st. Patrick's Cathedral. New
ark, delivered the address to the gradu-
ates, and in it reviewed the history of
the institution. n mentioned the
nalnes of Mother Mary Xavier and the
late Sister Mary Catherine Nevins and
Sister Mary Agnes O'Neill, who rem
dered such valuable aid in building up
n helping to maintain h splendid
reputation of the institution during
their lifetime. The exercises today were
held in Alumni Hall, which was elab-
orately decorated for the occasion.
Monsignor Whelan's address was as
follows:
ut is indeed a great pleasure to be
here today and witness the browning
Of your academic work, which, judging
by what we nave seen n heard, is
well done and worthy of the approba-
ton Of your teachers and of us.
"what we see and lear in the very
atmosphere Of the perfection of these
exercises, the ftress of the honorst that
have been conferred Upon you, that
your diplomas have been approved by
the highest secular authorities of this
State, leaves no doubt of your claim
to be numbered among the scholars OF
the land, possessors of that intellectual
culture that will make you agreeable
companions, and leaders in the circle
in which you will move, and at the
same time will make you, If need be.
successful and disappearing; but
while we congratulate you upon the
intellectual efficiency you have OBJ
tanned, there is another and more i'm
portant reason for congratulation, and
that is the development Of Christian
character, Christian virtue, that has
been wrought among you.
Character Most Essential.
Character Is more than mere eff
cheney; what you are is more than what
you know; what kind of a you
will be is more vital than how INTEL
lectually cultured you will be; char
acter Is the upbuilding Of the actions
and habits of life into a permanent uni
fled structure under he influence OF
principle. Where you have this unity
YOU have stability of character; where
1t is lacking you have no character.
Now it Is principle that gives a basis
and unity of stability Of character.
"The Catholic Church holds that re.
Iigion tends to and furnishes the prin-
ciples of the upbuilding of noble, we'll
ordered, consistent lives n characters
These principles are taught In tho
schools, and habits in conformity with
them are developed, and as a good
teacher is a great help developing char
acter you are indeed to be congratu-
lated in the possession of those who
have true womanhood. This Is what
st. Elizabeth's stands for.
''This is the very reason Of its exist
ence. that it may sen you out, not
merely equipped efficiently for intel
lectual life, but with your characters
formed so hat they will meet the de-
mands Of the future, not only in a way
to win the applause of men, but more
so that they may be approved of by
that you may be the very flowers
of culture. the true Christian oma
who will receive the crown Of eternal
glory from the great searcher of souls
at the final examination. This Is the
reason for the existence OF this Chris
tian school, and as we celebrate the
glory of its golden jubilee it will be
profitable to go back to It's birth n
see what 1t has stood for during these
fifty years.
How st. E%lixabeth's Was Born.
est. Elizabeth's was born of Bishop
Bayley's belief that In this country
more than in any other h prosperity
OF the church depends upon the educa-
ton given the children. EVIL infiu-
ences that meet us on every side are
so destructive that h Catholic re-
ligion must disappear as quickly as 1t
has spread unless we transplant 1t In
the soul by the training with all pos
sible care of the children in the faith OF
their fathers.
There was but one thing for him to
do, to establish a diocesan order to take
charge of the work, M here certainly
God came to his help in sending him
a of his condescension
kindness in a woman of zeal and piety
in the person of Mother Mary Xavier.
This religious order had its begin
ming in ST. Mary's, Newark. but on
July 2, 1860, moved to and took pos
session of the Chegary mansion, at
Madison. How small the seed, how
great the fruitage.
Mother Xavier, with six other sis
ters, opened a school with seventeen
pupils in a building of nine rooms, two
of which were used as a chapel& Since
then how wonderful has been the
growth; over $4,000 girls have passed
the academy, over 5000 boys
have received their early education In
st. Joseph's Preparatory School. The