The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-10-23
Archbishop Addresses Alumni

MOST REVEREND AUSTIN DoWL
ING RECENTLY WROTE THE
FOLLOWING STRONG LETTEF
TO THE. ALUMNI OF ST. THoM
AS COLLEGE IN THIS ciTY-AP
PEAL TO LOVE OF ALMA MATEF
AND TO REAL LOYALTY.
To the Alumni of st. Thomas College:
This, year should mean much to st
Thomas College, for determined eff
fort will be made to state it's case tC
the Catholics of 1.-The Archdiocese OF
st. Paul and to secure from them the
funds that are vitality necessary fol
it's development. Every alumnus OF
st. Thomas must be an enthusiastic
supporter of the Archbishop Ireland
Educational Fund, a. campaign for
which will begin in the month of DC.
Der and continue till the end of Nov
ember. Every Catholic in the Arch.
diocese will be approached and sole.
tied for contribution to this great
Educational Fund. This is diocesan
work full of promise, full of great pos
sibilities if the opportunity is seized
by the Catholics of this archdiocese,
for it covers every phase of Christian
education, unifies all the existing edu-
cational activities, quickens them with
radiating life through it's combina-
tons, inspires them with a central mo-
tive, and impels them to be satisfied
with nothing short of the best in every
detail of education.
A Clarion Call.
But for the Alumni of st. Thomas
this campaign calls like bugle note
to rally to the cause of the old Col
lege. 1t is most inspiring challenge
to put forth their best efforts in be-
half of Christian education as ST.
Thomas will embody that IDEAL 1t is
an invitation to take part in that which
is relatively namely, the rails
ing of adequate funds for the present
needs of the College, as preparation
for that Which in proportion to it's
difficulty and it's delicacy may proper
ly be described as a mans job. Chris
ton education must be sustained in
the future as it has never been in the
past by the loyal adhesion, the en-
thusiastic interest, the enlightened and
constructive criticism of the laity, of
men of education and influence who,
not through cajolery nor compulsion
nor human respect nor Indifference.
give their time, their thought, and
their money to it's upbuildipg.
So far Christian education has been
the work of devoted ecclesiastics and
religious. They have done wonders
with what they had. They have been
the first to see the trend of modern
education which so many are ready
now with alarm to protest against.
Without encouragement, without cap
ital, without everything that secular
colleges possessed in abundance, with
out the backing that non-Catholic col
leges usually received from their CO.
religionists, these Catholic colleges Of
ours staggered on, meeting the new
exactions of changed Conditions with
new economies, sustained by the
thought of religion, upheld by. a, sense
of duty, and holding their posts in the
fond hope of relief.
\ Baptism of Fire.
St. Thomas like other Catholic Col
leges has lived through this period of
trial and probation. 1t has had its
baptism of fire. 1t has ever been
'blighted with "a sense of it's poverty
It has always been kept back from
the ambitions it cherished by the in
adequacy of it's funds, by the insult
ficiency of it's equipment, by the en-
barrassment Of it's mounting indebt
edness. Yet st. Thomas, as none know
better than it's Alumni, has in spite
of every obstacle achieved a great rec.
ord. 1t has been a maker of men. II
has trained one hundred and eighty
three students who are now priests in
various dioceses. The whole North
west is full of its graduates, profes
SIGNAL men, business men,-efficient
men usually wherever they are found
They smile as they think of the ole
College and confess how many thing:
worth while there are in education
which are not confined to architecture
which arg not dependent upon endow
ments, Which are not procurable b.
money. Manliness, simplicity, indus
| try, and thoroughness are the thing
of the spirit which, fortunately, ST
Thomas never lacked.
| And, in a measure, it aid not lac
a material development that scenes
to display financial backing that wa