From Sister Patricia Hayhurst, Class of '67
I truly believe there is enough “
CRUSADER”
IN ALL
OF US
to want to be “continually” connected in some way to the strong and amazing
THREAD
we all took hold of while associated at St. Bernard’s High School and to this day have never let go of!
I use the “image” of a
thread
to speak of the proud heritage St. Bernard’s gave us and while we realize the school has undergone changes over the years (as they should) there is still that “marvelous” green/while thread that has inner-connected us no matter where we have gone or what we have accomplished. This
thread
of which I speak, this “strand” of strength, this fiber of hope has been in each of our hands for many a year now! It’s softness of touch, lightness of weight, and lasting durability suggests it might not be there at all, yet, one’s eyes and life experiences tell a different story! This simple, uninhibited
thread
has been in our hands and at times wrapped around our fingers. It has been there all along! How is it that this
“thread”
can be distinctly mine and yet distinctly yours? Where it’s origin, it’s beginnings, it’s sustainability, and….. where is it going? This strand of warm hospitality; caring for others, contagious spirit, and a host of other qualities seems to strengthen it’s amazing purpose!
This
thread
is the “way”; it is how it “goes!” It goes among things that have changed, but the essence of the thread never changes! There is something “uniquely special” about this
thread
! While we hold on to it, we can’t ever get lost! Hard times will happen; people will come and go; there will be disappointments; setbacks; joys; sorrows; time for celebration and life’s renewal, for nothing stops time from unfolding; however, one thing is for certain,
NO TRUE CRUSADER
ever lets go of the thread!
This
thread
of which I speak holds all woven history of a beautiful tapestry! It has embraced advocates for truth and seekers of justice! It has been admired and inspired by acts of courage, bravery, and unyielding faith! It has rejoiced in life’s
simple miracles and has witnessed the depths of human compassion, empathy and healing. It has shared the intimate ponderings of one’s heart and provided shelter for the forgotten and lonely among us! It has experienced the breath of love as friend and has given it away! So much more can be said of this “amazing”
thread
! Our one, common, unique,
thread continues on…. Witnessing to life’s “generative possibilities”
and we
“FAITHFUL CRUSADERS”
must always remember….
No matter what happens in life……
“We never let go of the thread!”
