Jrarr = December, 1964
SALVE REGINA COLLEGE, NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND
Guests, Hostesses Rejoice At Sodality Christmas Party By MICHOL BESTOSO Glorious, green-robed and h oll ywreathed , the kindly Ghoslt of Christmas Prese nt lifted his rorc h in Mercy Hall gym and smiled with satisfaction. "God bless us," he murmu red , " but t hese soda lists do have the t rue Christmas spirit. " Below him twe nty eager children , encircled by six protective mothers each , were awaiting th e start of the Dece mber 9 Christmas program. One li t tle bo·y, quite at e-ase, held his fo ot and wi ggled back and forth on his ch,Jir, neve r ta kin g his eyes fl·om 'the bright pile of presents before him . The li ghts dimmed and all heads turned to the back door. A funny clown stumbled in with a suiltcas·e; the children watched in awe. Now the Ghost became engrossed in the play . A flash of golden curls distracted him as a little girl, delighted by a dancing do ll, turned ecstatic-a lly to her circle of mothers .
" Is i t a real one? " an excited voice called out When a lumpy brown horse bobbled onto the stage. "The robbers took them; they went that way!" the child ren yelled, as Mr. Frumpkin s moaned over the disappearance of his dolls. And so the play moved to a close, the Ghost no ting with s•atisfaction t he happy particip-a tion of th e children. No-w, one thin g was paramount in each child 's mind: th e presents. Santa gave the word and all restraint was lif'ted. Ribbons popped , paper tore, and boxes opened. Toys, clothes, good ies piled up beside each boy and girl. The Ghost of Chri stmas Present rej-oiced in the genero-sity of the soci alists; and, as he snuffed his 'torch in the darkened gym at the end of the day , he uttered an ancient wish: " God bless the Sodality- moderator, mem bers, one an::! all. "
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Father Dtttoe 's Message
The Why of Christmas
In a few short days, t he word s "Merry Christmas" will be fallin g from our lips in gay ab undance. As th e snowy whiteness covers the velvety green, these words come naturaily and a1lm ost •a utomatica lly. Our minds and our hearts, even no·w, are ilurn·ed to the ·time of h•appy clays and pleasant memo·r ies, whe n we almost envy the simplicity of children. We look forward to a renewal of joyous days, clays of gift-givi ng and gift-receivin g, clays of expressing love and bein g loved, clays of happiness and carefree livin g away from ~he burdens of academics. Fo-r , Christmas is a holiday~a n d Christmas is a holyday. To o often we remember 'Vhe ho'liday and for get 'to remember the holyday. In our endeavor t o rejoice we neglect the on·e 'thin g that will t rul y brin-g joy. As we read St. Luke's account of the coming of the Chris't, we are fi lled with deep emoltion, fo•r there is no more beautiful story. The good doctor, Luke , tells us in detail how God came to :this world - t he homel essness, the stable, the manger, t he swaddlin g cloth es , th e ecstatic youn g Mother, the caroli ng angels, t he humble shepherdst hese are all a thi ng of be'a ulty.
Bishop Notes Important Aspects Of the Second Vatican Council "Ebb Tide" is deeply indebted to the Most Reverend Bernard M. Kelly, Auxiliary Bishop of Providence, for the gracious interview he granted to one of our staff in order that our readers may hear his views on the Second Vatican Council. Bishop, the Second Vatican Council was convoked by Pope John XXIII to bring about an "Aggiornamento." What does this mean? In one of His parables, Our Lord comp·arecl the Church to yeast, which a wo man puts in flour. The yeast permeates ali the fl our, causing i t to rise. The yeast is a symbol of 'the Church , which Christ established to permeate every area of hum an life and act ivity with th e principles of the Go-s pel. For many centuries the Church d id profound ly influence Wes1tern civilization and set the keyno-te and to ne of society as a whole. Sin ce the Protestant Reformation , however, the Church has eith er withdrawn or been forc ed lo wit hdraw from many areas of life, first from politics, later from economics, learning and the arts. Christendom has been supplanted by an immense secular culture which denies not on ly the authority but also the relevance of the Church . In view of the present
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But it is St. John who tells us why all this 'too k place, why God came into t his wo-rld , why there is a story. Out of His love, infinite and 'tend er love , love 'to extremity for t he fooHsh, feeb!e creatures called man who have erred, Who have sinned. "God so loved the world as to give us His only-begoVten Son." Here, truly, is love beggin g for love. In no blazing glo ry did th e Christ c-o-me. Ra,th er did He come as a beggar, never demanding only asking and pleadin g in helplessness. Here is incomprehensible ge nerosity •askin g for gentle reception and slight return. Oan man be so foolish and so fe eble as nolt to accept "Love" offered him ? The how •o f Christmas never &trays far from our minds; the why o.f Christmas must not be allowed to slip from our min ds and our hearts. So , in a few clays let us t'Oo go over to Bethlehem and find lthe cave .a nd the man ger , the radiant Mother and the crying Babe, crying for our return of love. And let us offer our simple and meager hearts in return. This is my wis'h for you, and this is what I really mean when I S'ay to each of yo u : Merry Christmas!
SINGERS AND THESPIANS UNITE: In the Christmas splendor of Ochre Court, the Queen's Players joined the Queen's Choristers for the presentation of the annual Yule-tide program last Sunday. Left: Normand A. Gingras, director, is seen conducting a selection from t he
Vol. 19, No. 3
MOST REVEREND BERNARD M. KELLY, D.D., J .C.D. Auxiliary Bishop of Providence dangerous spread of secularism , the Chu rc h feels impelled to call attention to herse lf and to seek to re-enter the main tide of hum an affairs. This, I think, is what Pope John mea nt by "Aggiornam ento.'' Bishop, what has the Council done so far to achieve this "Aggiornamento?" Before settin g out to speak to mod ern m1n, the Church first had to examine herself, to see wheth-
Freshmen Elect Officers; Terry Hodgens President Fo·r all intents and purposes, Mercy Hall has become Convention Hall for the dura'tion of fr eshman class electioneering. President: Terry Hod gens, an O·chre Courter. On election, she professed to be "typic•a lly happy." Asked about futur e plans for froshes, she rep-li ed, "Well, we need money. " For whalt? RalH es, alleviation of the mixer situation. She was vice-president of her freshman class at Our Lady of Victory in Platts burg, N. Y. Vice President: Kathleen Healey, a commutor fr'om Middletown . Vee p Healey acquired t he r ecord on which she stands at S1t. Catherine's Acad emy in New po·r t. Resident Student Council Representative: Paulette Rit0hey, Mercy Hall dorm presid ent. Ohio~born , she cho-se Salve Regina because
she " wanted to come Eas.t. " At Galion High, she was a consotant committee and chairwoman . Non- Resident Representative: Elizabeth Herterick of Newport. At St. Cath erin e's she was Student Council President. Secretary: Mary Lou Ross, ano•ther one•time student-council or at St. Mary's in Manhasset, Lo ng Island. She's a resident at St. J oe's. In her sp1re ti me, Officer Ross surveys milita ry balls. Treasurer: Ochre Court resident Deidre Fields , from Branford , Conn. Deidre was a s'tucl ent r ep at St. Mary's in New Have n. One Social Committee Chairman: Leslie Ca ll anclra , an at hletically-inclin ed grad ua te of Bristol Hi gh ; she commutes from Bristol. Nomi nees for Social Chairman No. 2 are: Mona Spililne, Mary Graham , an::! Mary Fran ces Lau.
club's exciting, tender, multi-languaged program. Right: The camera catches Joanne Curcio, Ginnie Ko ehler and Donna Adcock in a moment from Robert Hugh Benson's "Mystery Play," adapted and produced by the freshman apprentices.
er any reform was necessary in order 1to make her message more in,telli gible. First the Coun cil Fathe rs decided that a reform of the Liturgy, or worship of t'he Church , was needed , in o·rd er that all Catholics might become more acti ve participants in the life of the Church. This refo-rm was embodied in the Con&titution on the Li1turgy which was promu lgated in December 1963. We are no·w beginnli ng to enjoy the fruits of the lit;.;r-gical reform throug'h the gre1a1ter use of Engli sh in Holy M3ss and the administration o.f the sacra ments. Bishop, the Third Session also produced a decree on Ecumenism. Was this also in the nature of a reform? It's more a comp·lete change of att.itucle toward all those who are outsid e the Church. Ever since the Council of Trent, our attitude toward our sep .u atecl brelthren has been cautious and somewhat defensive. But no w the Church without chan ging her doctrin e, i~ ta kin g a great step toward re-establishing dia logue and cooperation with all church es and commun it ies separated from the Holy See. How will the "Aggiornamento" of the Church affect college students? To mak e her voice heard in the world the Church mus-t rely primarily on the laity. It is th eir responsibility to make known and to apply a Christian solu'tio n to Vhe prob lems of the world in whabever environm ent or field of ac!Jivity they may be engaged. Oatholic college stud ents h ave a speci·al responsibility in this regard , because their trainin g and professional competence will give them a respected and influ ential role in the various fields which 'they wi ll enter. What, specifically, does the Church expect from college students? First, that the college stud ent be convin ced of hi s responsibility. The college stude nt has a vocaltion just as surely as t he priest or re li gio us to be a witness to Chris-t in the world. This requires holiness of life, competence in th eir parti cular field and a n appreciation of their work, not simply as a live lih ood , but as a call to represent Chri&t in the world. The college stud ent ca nno t be content to live hi s private life without getting involved in th e great social pt·ob lems which cry out for a Christian solu tion . It has been sa id by some that (Continued on Page 2)
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Ebb Tide, Salve Reg ina College
Let us 8o and search for Him and offer Him g,ifts. Ave, Christe; Ave, Maria _ With angels and shepherds we greet you_ With them we humbly adore your gentle Majesties_ We have travelled a weary way in spirit to your feeL And now our happiness is great in that our Advent journeying has brought us purified before you_ Not that we claim our own sufficiency . R a ther, we acknowledge and praise the merits of thi s Child, who, through your intercession, Mary, has so blessed our efforts a s to make them worthy _ We draw closer in awe to the manger_ The peace_,breath of your sleeping s on dispels whatever fatigu e we have experienced on the way_ One by one we lay down our gift, the gift pleas ing above all to Jesu s : that of our common, daily duty done with love _ See, He stirs - He opens His eyes! This is our Communion, our Christmas confrontation with Christ! Let us not hesitate to embrace Him though our gift be poor, yes though it be nothing but eontrition for a fruitless Advent_ If effort ha s not, let contrition empty us to receivP- the graces Christ longs to give at this moment. Each one knows, and this Child who is God knows that personal-s•w eet is this intercourse, and we retire healed, strengthened and inflamed_ Were it not for the magnanimity of your Son, good Mother, we would stand confused in the company of His ancient adorers: shepherds, kings and angels. We ought to have followed more closely their gifts, recorded for our benefit in the pages of the GospeL All years may we approach this mystery Simple as Wise Men who bow before a Child, Daring a s shepherds who, poor, yet draw near, Zealous a s angels whose gifts are fire-f orged Humility, confidence, accomplishment: help us to these, Ma ry, and to the spirit of your own great love_ Amen _ -M.B.
. . way. Keep travehn g th e hi gh Push on , you 're losin g time. Elbow your way- that's it' Clear your own path. You'll only travel once over this road . Hold on t o your own li ght. Guide your own ste ps. Don 't stumble or £•allTh ere's no time. Crasp all you can get before Others snatch it all. Ke ep busy- don't let people Clu tter your life . Everyman for himself. Don 't stop NOW for them! i must leave you. Here's my road and 'there is yours Have a nice trip , and , by the Way, Merry Christmas. - Si ~ ter Maria Crucis, R.S.:\1..
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Sodality On December 2, Rev. William Brennan of St. Luke's parish , Barrington, opened a series of lectures on "The Christian Commitment." The series will continue through January when Father Brennan's spe cific topics will include Christian Commitment and the Church, The Mass, and How a Christian Becomes Committed_ Studen ts and friend s are welcom ed to attend. Watch th e bulletin bo•a rd for details of time and place. On December 12, Rev. Joseph B. Co•Joeman of Holy Name parish , Providence, conduc•t ed the sodalists' day of recollection. On that day, 25 students were formally received into >the sod•ality.
This Nativity Scene , consisting of twelve hand-carved figures was sent from the Holy Land to Rhode Isl a nd by Russell Wright, brother of Ann , '67. - Ph o l'ognaph ed b y :-lun PS
Look Article Stimulates Thought 1:
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Our generation has been called Lost, Beall, and Silent, and •o ur age has been called A:tomic and Space; now Look magazine's current issue presents •a n anaiysis of hidden meanin'gs in 'tod'ay's dance trends and calls us "The Twisted Age." In a thought-provoking miticle bound to cause widespread re,action , Samuel Gmfton avoids sensationalism while touching on such su'bjedts as marriage, commitment and isolati'on. R1ather than summarize here , our purpose is to motivate you to read the repo-rt yourse'lf- cl11ances are, you'll react most strongly, as did the following people: "Articles like this are needed to poin1t out and focus atten•tion on the great problems of our society and to stimulate •t hose who
still believe in the old Jdeals of integrity, marriage, love, and f•amHy. We need these values to •figh1t against the materialistic, apathetic wave which threatens to engulf our society." Ingrid Kokbo·rg. "I support the reporter's claim ~ha<t the American youth feels alone, in spite of people and activity all about him. I think it comes f11om his inability to know who he is , and face up to it A permissive attitude has grown up among 'the American people, expressed by the often -remarked , ' Whatever you d'o is your own business!' " Joan Scarrit. Without a doubt, the a·rticle is !timely •a nd well worth -reading. Do it now! Sallyanne Noel Deimantas
Correspondent R efutes Clique Charges Dear Editor: In the November issue of Ebb Tide, you published an article entitled "Do You Dare To Be Counted? " As one of the many Salve Regina students Who so dares , I wish to challenge the t ruth of the st•a temenlts exp!'essed by the author. She has made sweeping allegations ~hat contain many fa'Uacies. While a real small minority may be guilty of the charges made by 't he writer iit is evident that the maj'Ority of our students d!are to stand up and accept 1tthe challenge. Let us first consider the definition of the word clique. According to Mr. Webster, a clique is a small set or cotede, especially one associJated for some exclusive or intriguin•g purpose. It is actuated by petty party spirit. Does 'that word then apply to our sltudelllts? We must admit tha.t people gravitate towards those with similar interests. In 'this respect we see groups at Salve just as we see them in all social g•r oups .
December, 1964
Are these groups formed for a spiteful, intriguing purpose ? Scarcely. During my :f1our yea-rs at Salve Regina , I have •become acquainlted with most of the girls, commuters and residenlts. I have found them to be friendly , kind , humo·rous •a nd sincere people. '!\here are exceptions, bult they are few. Kindness i·s perhaps 't he outstanding virtue ·a ssociated wi'bh >these students. The newcomer to our campus will be:~r witness to this assertion. Ask the freshmen, lthe transfer •s tudents, the new members of the faculty fo.r their judgment. F1ar from the isolated "Httle girl" image, portrayed by our wri:ter, is the typical S•a lve Regina College student. She is a mature young lady, a conscienltious student, a friend to her neig'hbo,r , someone wllo, in her daily living, exemplilfies Catholic virtues. She dares to be counted among the elite. (Signed) Ellen J. Donnelly
E B B T I D E - Salve Re gina Colle g e, Ne wport. R. I. Editorial Board: Michel Bestoso, Marianne Bizzinski. Janice Che naiL Kathleen Dillon, Ann G ibbons, Jane Horan, Nancy Huling, Margare t Niem iec, Barbara Sherry, Margare ta Swart. Eleanor Woods, Anne W right, Mothe r Mary Catherine, O.L.P. Photoqraphv : Manue l Nunes
Bishop Kelly . (Continued fr om Page 1) devotion to Our Lady was diminished by t he Council. Is t his true? No. The Fathers did decide not to make a formal statement on the proposed doctrine of M·a'fy as Media'trix of all graces, because this poin1t is not sufficiently mature_ But the Council has extolled Our Lady as Mother of the ChUTch and the model for us all. The last chapter ·o f the Consti1tution, On The Nature Of The OhUTch, is a magnificent stattemelllt of Our Lady's exalited po,siHon in the Mystical Body, and a solemn invitaltion to deepen our love for Mary.
Beauty and the
To The Christmas Tree W hy, mos t of all abo ut you, Is it your fragrance that p leases me? More than your tinsel O r your colored paper-r ings and popcorn strings More t han the star that glows From the top of you? These thinl!s I know o nlv w hen I look at you, · B ut your fragrance fi lls the w hole ho use A nd becomes the still awareness of your p resence_ T here's the clue then ; Your frag ra nce is most like love_
-Sist er Mary Edward, O.L.P.
B~easts
By GUINEVE RE, CRESSIDA and ISEULT Once upon a day of drear, there lived three maids in a castle dea-r. '/ They were as all may well recallMaids "in waiting." In all the land there never were three, who could "wailt " as t'hese'-SO f, patiently. Expecting at the point of four, a gentle knock upon the door And arrival of their gallant three, the maids they wai't ed p'atienrtly. The hour struck and the maidens three, their armo·r ed knights they did not see. The two retired to a chamber near, to play a game tlhey held s·o dear_ Throughout the castle, sormw reigned, for maid number three in her heart was pained. This night was she required to sing, befove her elders in the court of the .A f _A .i "''.. ./·' king, \ : I I ' .. And to the knights was forced to send, a very close and faithfu l friend. I" ' I ~ :\l.l An hour past, then 'two, then ·t hree, and •on they played not hunge1-r free. I •· A messenge-r to them arrived, 'to repor1t 'the plot the knights had contrived. ' ' Here and in, a banquet was pianned, in :a Hilltop Inn so close •a t hand . ' I ·--,, .- - · f; ; ! : The gallant knights at last appeared and i n the cast1e the maidens oheiered. Out in the cold and drea-ry eve, 't he six departed, ltJhe maids deceiV1ed_ . / \' /' 'i; Arriving at the inn at hand, the kn ights ' budget wlas loath <to expand _ From courtesy mme tha n requ·est, •tJhe maids ate •a t the knights' suggest. Leaving the inn, quite sa!lisfi·ed, for a pl•aoe close by, t he knights inquired . Lo, t!he knights yielded to the maids' request 1and near the sea they went ' .I .) with z;est. While at this dre:amy, dazzling ball, a deafening boredom filled the hall. And as the gentry cha-chaed and rumba·ed, the wimp'ring knights cried, "the shillings are numbered." So the maids again yielded to the gentle hi nt , and watched with caution the health of ~he mint. At last it all ended with sighs of relioef, this skimping and saving >that was the maid 's grief. But then , with a flourish and no Hittle surp-rise, a fifty pound note was flashed 'fore thei-r eyes! Shocked and dismayed by the evening's deception, the maid,e ns bemoaned their ]1a ck of percepti'on _ Upon the return to their glorious castle, the maids they kept silen1t for fearr- ·o f a hass:el. To Mass the next morn, the knights did invite; the maids accepted still fearing a figM_ The singing maid, the original third, wait·e d breathless to hear the events that occurred. The story was told , and the singer did say, she would take he-r friend's place the fo.Uowing day. So off to 'the Mass, again ·s ix deprurted; with the thought of free breakfast, tlhe maids were bigchearted. The Mass was over, the newspaper bought; about breakfast the knights gave naory a >thought. And back to the castle, they drove in hast·e, and not even coffee was given a 'taste_ Insulted and ired by this lack of genltility, >the maids planned revenge to restore their tranquility_ Into the Mead Hall the maids went to dine, while up in the Green Room •the knights we-re to piJ11e. After the meal, they fled to their gate; leaving the knights to sit there and wait. They waited and waited while the maidens made merry, unltil it was known they no 1onger could tarry. An hour they waited and then cloS>e on two; they inquired of each other as to what they should do_ The maidens had leflt them, forsook them eve long; a beautiful ditch was now their sad song. Now from the Castle, the knights stalked out hissing-"these fine maids know not what they're missing!" And " hark" sang the maids as they danced on th1e ir lawn , " we are saved, we rure free, those knights they have gone. "
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