A Letter From the Class of 1973 to 2023 Graduates

Dear Class of 2023,

“You can’t go home again,” author Thomas Wolfe wrote speaking of the changes that occur as we move through life. We are here now as the class of ‘73 proving you can come home. We are back home with each and every reunion or homecoming talking more about who we have become than who we were 50 years ago. We share our milestones. Our families. Our accomplishments and our failures. We share the joy and the sorrow each of us has gone through. Through each of these journeys, there is one single thread. Our classmates are and have always been there for us. Some of us moved away and some have stayed nearby. Some have gone away and returned. A few have just gone away.

You too will move on, even if you stay here. Either way, you will stay friends forever, or on your graduation day, it may be the last time you will ever see them. Every 5 or 10 years you will meet and ask about him or her. Some may just fade away. Some may become famous and some infamous. Some fulfilled and some simply wander through life. Either way they are your people.

There is great happiness in your future. There will be jobs and there will be careers. Some will go on to get degreed, some in the trades, some will marry money, some lives will be full and hopefully, none will be empty. Realize if that is the case you need to be there for each other. The high school friends you have can be your best support, so share your accomplishments and disappointments as they will listen to you and offer their best to you.

In the 50 years that have flown by for us, we have seen the seventh Abbot installed, and the school rejuvenated to become a tremendous facility. We learned with slide rules. Ancient history was called current events. Nearly every teacher was a priest. We saw the horror of the Vietnam War brought into our homes on TV. We were raised by the Greatest Generation. The Class of ‘72 said in their letter, “We are proud to be the last all-male class.” We, the Class of ‘73, are proud to be the first class having graduated with women. As freshmen, we were known as “minims.” We learned and earned our rights as upperclassmen over time. We forged our moral compass in our four years at the Academy and take pride in our years here. St. Bede prepared us intellectually and morally for what lay ahead. Perhaps that is not correct. St. Bede allowed us to become who we are. We were given the freedom to think, to express ourselves, to grow into the people we have become. Your foundation is strong. Build upon it. Your parents have given you a great opportunity to attend the Academy. Keep up your direction.

You will always be welcome here at St. Bede. You have teachers you will seek out to visit and get them up to speed on what you are doing. In a few days you will belong to a storied group of St. Bede alumni. This is a select group of approximately 10,000 members; men and women who have their foundation in science, arts and morality.

Some words to go by from poet Stapleton, “Nobody wins afraid of losing. The hard roads are the ones we’re choosing. Someday we’ll look back and smile and know it’s been worth every mile.”

We now know Mr. Wolfe is wrong. You can go home again and St. Bede is your home where all are welcome.

Your education is the best. Go use it.

Sincerely, and best wishes,

Clss of 1973