This yearbook to all of the loyal and hardworking people who spent a part of their lives reopening John Bapst Memorial High School. The student body. their parents. and the staff of John Bapst suffered a tragic loss in April. 1980, when Bishop O'Leary announced the necessity to shut down our old school. Many tears were shed and news coverage was extensive, detailing the conflicts around the constitutional seperation between the church and the state. The Crusaders rose to the occasion forming committees. rallies and organizations to "help save John Bapst." Four dedicated persons. Mr. Joseph Sekera. Mr. William Lindsay, Mr. Earl Hannigan and Mr. John MacKay were given the decision to determine the future of John Bapst. On Friday. June 13, these men chose to create a school by September 1. A brand new hope to continue alternate education in Bangor. The summer followed, packed with legal procedures including the lease of the building from the Diocese of Portland, the state approvals and licensures and the incorporation as a non-profit institution. Thanks to the dedication of these four men, their stalwart determination to withstand all tensions, John Bapst Memorial High School opened its doors as a private, non-sectarian and non-profit preperatory day school. The Crusader spirit told these people that they had one shot at success, one opportunity to survive. John Bapst Memorial High School is a living memorial to the work of people who knew there was a purpose to Bapst for Bangor. Thank you for making survival successful! We are proud.
"A Force" Every institution, whether it be academic, business, or otherwise; has forces which tend to mold it, and make it unique. John Bapst High School is no exception. Since its founding in 1926, many people have influenced the dynamic growth and progress of the School. This year's Crusader is dedicated to one such person. Sister Mary Luanus, a Benedicta native, received her B.A. from St. Joseph's College in Portland in 1956...There are several traits which all leaders must possess, Sr. Luanus exhibits them all. She is caring, concerned, and committed. She is self-confident but not self-conscious. One of a leader's most valued characteristics is their ability to relate to others. Sister has no trouble communicating with the students, faculty, or parents of the John Bapst family. There is no doubt that she has instilled these qualities into all those who she has come in contact with. Her marks of leadership will never be erased from the record of John Bapst High School. Besides her duties as Latin instructor, Sister Luanus teaches religion and can also be considered a god-parent of the student body. She is constantly involved in our religious services, masses and devotions. She is a model of good Christian and moral example. John Bapst benefits from her mere presence in our halls and classrooms. She is a force! Sister Luanus we salute you, and thank you.
The 1979 Crusader is dedicated to an outstanding group of people who comprise the John Bapst Golden Anniversary Fund Drive Committee. It is dedicated to each and every member with special note to Mrs. Josephine Profita, General Chairperson, and the Very Reverend Richard Harvey, Chairman of the Board, for their unending loyalty and dedication. Because of their efforts, thousands of dollars were raised for renovations, salaries, instructional supplies, a new heating and plumping system, and all around support of the school. This yearbook is dedicated to them not only for this reason, but also because through their generos-ity and unselfishness they have ensured the continuation of John Bapst as an institute of higher education and more importantly as an institution of Catholic education in the greater Bangor area.
The 1978 CRUSADER staff dedicates this yearbook to the graduating classes of John Bapst High School. Throughout the 50 years that Bapst has been standing, forty-eight classes have graduated leaving the traditions of the past, memories of the days shared and expectations of the future years which have grown to become a part of us... What distinguishes one group of classes from another? Students will come and go leaving empty desks for new students to fill. Many faces will be remembered, but how many will be forgotten? Memories, happy or sad, will separate our span of years from others. Whether one may recall the LTC championship, freshman inistions, the girls PVC-B track championship, loyalty song, the remorse felt after losing a game, the retreats; they are ours to keep and hold to remind us of our high school years. Our span of years is unique and is different from others. We will be remembered for what we did in our four years at Bapst. As we have watched other classes graduating, sometimes we may have thought what it would be like to graduate, to decide what college to go to, to make decisions, to be on our own. As we now look forward to our future we feel that our years at John Bapst have built a solid foundation with which to face whatever challenges our lives may hold. We leave one chapter behind with all the necessary information to move on to the next.
Frank J. Murray began his teaching career along with the class of '77. Already familiar with the John Bapst community, he soon became one of the most respected members of the staff, by both teachers and students. He was also the one called upon whenever any job had to be done. To merely list the positions Mr. Murray has held during our four years at John Bapst would be an injustice to him. For it is with his extra dedication that he established himself as a true leader, an educated teacher and a respected friend. His courage has been undaunted, his honesty has been impeccable and his integrity has been faultless. He will truly be an in-spiration for us, the graduating class, in the years to come. So, Mr. Frank J. Murray, teacher, track coach, football and basketball coordinator, S. A. C. moderator, Key Club advisor, and friend, we, the class of '77, would like to dedicate this edition of the Crusader to you for all the things you've done for us during our years at John Bapst.
The graduating class of 1976 proudly dedicate this volume of the "CRUSADER" to MISS ELIZABETH HOULI-HAN. Miss Houlihan was a graduate of Mt. Mercy Academy in Waterville and furthered her education at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. Better known to all as "Miss Betty", she keeps a watchful eye on the library daily. Her quest to hold the school record for catching smokers in the second floor bathroom has yet to be matched. Her tireless efforts have encour-aged her softball teams to "keep a stiff upper lip" and to do their best. Miss Betty has been an everpresent influence in our days at Bapst, always making sure (in her "soft, gentle voice") that we had sent in all our applications and ordered our announcements. Although this is our final year at John Bapst, we will always remember Miss Betty for the long, trying, hours she put in preparing us all for that one big dayGRADUATION! (and believe us it wasn't easy!) In light of this, we would like to take this time to thank her properly for all her help and let her know her actions do not go unnoticed and are appreciated. THANK YOU MISS BETTY!
It is with great pleasure that the Class of '75 dedicates the 1975 CRUSADER to Miss Elizabeth Houlihan, our yearbook advisor. Better known as "Miss Betty", she is familiar to all John Bapst students; either for her fine teaching ability, or for her firm belief in the necessity of firm discipline in the library. We take this opportunity to acknowledge her tireless efforts in preparation for commencement exercises, and thank her sincerely.
Each year it has become traditional for the graduating seniors to dedicate their year-hook to a person who has been an inspiration and a guide throughout our high school years. In keeping with this tradition, The Class of 1974 wishes to honor Mr. Harlow Floyd with this edition of the yearbook. It is indeed rare in such a short time as four years to become completely mystified with any person. It is not so rare, however, when that person is as unique a man as Mr. Floyd is. Harlow Floyd is a man like none we have ever met before. In him, every student can find a model of what we should try to become once we have left John Bapst. His courage is undeniable, his intelligence extraordinary, and his honesty unquestionable. John Bapst is lucky indeed to have such a man; the Class of 1974 is lucky to have been able to learn from him. We must now leave our beloved John Bapst, and in doing so we leave behind these next pages as our final tribute to this school and to the people we shall always hold dear to our hearts. The memories we have will always be cherished; and we thank Mr. Harlow Floyd for making them so.
Each year it has become traditional for the graduating class to dedicate their yearbook to a person who has been both an inspiration and a guide throughout their maturing high school years. And so, in keeping with tradition, the class of '73 wishes to dedicate this yearbook to the memory of Sister Claude Marie. Many years from now Sister will be remembered as the teacher whose greatest contribution to our class was that she believed in us as individuals, each possesing the unique capability to succeed in life. She will also remain in our memories as one of the most stubborn individuals any of us shall come across again... Sister Claude Marie once said that we were the class she had always searched for. With us she could become her real self, dropping all protec-ive shields. She believed in a great, hidden potential within the limits of our class and she was determined to put that potential to work. We now depart from the halls of John Bapst, leaving the following pages as a final testimony to the achievements of the class of 1973. It is with great sorrow to many of us as we go out into the world that Sister Claude Marie will no longer be there to push us on. We must now believe in ou-selves as she once believed in us. We can only that in the years to come, when we have each found our vocations in life, we will be able to sit back with confidence, sure that Sister would have been proud of us, as would all those who likewise believed in the spirit of our class, taking pride in proving that their faith was not mislaid.
In the past few years during which the future of John Bapst was in jeopardy, there have been several dedicated and concerned people who have fought to maintain this great institution. Many times, the people who contribute the most to a cause are the ones who are underrated and their accomplishments go unrecognized. We the students of John Bapst do not wish to underestimate the work of the John Bapst Quarterback Club. Since its formation, this organization has performed valuable services for the school. In the past, they have been responsible for the purchasing of football equipment, a whirlpool bath, Girls' Basketball uniforms, a washer arid dryer combination, and the new gymnasium floor. Everything this club does is for the benefit of the students at Bapst. The money that they raise through their dances, the Annual Boxing Show and other projects, is continually being put to good use. This year one of their most successful ventures was the 1971 Homecoming which attracted hundreds of former Bapst alumni to the festivities. It is with great pride that we say "thank-you" to the hard-working members of the Quarterback Club.
Through the years it has become customary that the editors of this annual leave a few words to the remaining students at Bapst. We eagerly use this privilege to look to our past and Bapst's future. Our four years at John Bapst have been a tremendous experience; it has been a great joy and yet it ends upon a note of sorrow--Looking back, we find that we have been provided with a superior education, surpassing any readily available. It was more than academic schooling, though, for we were engaged in a lesson in life. Making new friends, changing ideas, facing crises, all were part of our education. We would wish to leave this treasure for those who follow also to experience, yet we find this inheritance endangered. Our school, like our country, is embarking upon a new era, an era which shall determine whether or not it shall survive. The future is bright, but there are many pitfalls along the way. Only you who follow can make the foggy dream of a continuing John Bapst a reality.
In Memoriam: Daniel J. Feeney, Bishop of the Diocese of Portland. September 12, 1894-September15, 1969. The death of a man of such great dignity and determination, compassion, and concern, is always a shock to those with whom he was in contact. But rather than expressing sorrow for his departure, let us thank God for the life he gave us. In twenty-three years of dedicated service to his diocese, he proved a true proponent of Christian education with the founding of some twenty Catholic schools in the diocese. To his most valuable possessions--his many accomplishments as head of this diocese--we, the students of John Bapst High School, 1969-70, would like to add love and esteem. May he rest in peace.
We are members of a unique generation surrounded by changes and constantly attempting to change them... We not only know that we shall change tomorrow, but also that tomorrow will be changed by us.
We at Bapst like to think that every issue of the Crusader that rolls off the presses is somehow a special issue. But those of us who have worked on the '67 issue know that it is more special than usual for it marks the passing of our "Bapst generation". And indeed these years have been colorful, intense, sometimes bewildering but utterly invaluable. Some say that we are not merely a new generation but a new kind of generation, armed as we are by science and the knowledge explosion with more tools with which to choose our life patterns than we can always use. All this knowledge, then, presents us with our challenge which makes us realize our place is in the world knowing for a fact that we like it here-then making the one more effort, doing the one more something to help make it a very nice place to be.
The Senior Class of 1966 introduces you, the reader, to the wonderful world of JOHN BAPST HIGH SCHOOL, with a special tribute to some of those who are so devotedly dedicated to making this world such a wonderful one for Catholic men and women.
Dedication: you are "a cool guy". The flippant term masks respect--but never fear, Brother in Christ though you are, he remains unawed by your garb. The solemn smile as the sign of friendship and authority. The look of him when speaking of you has me thinking I have missed something valued. I have missed "a cool guy". --Anne Spruce
Dedication: To His Excellency MOST REVEREND DANIEL J. FEENEY, D.D., BISHOP OF PORTLAND, under whose patronage the SENIOR CLASS OF 1964 introduces ... 1964 Crusader.
Dedication: On his coronation day, John XXIII said exactly what kind of Pope he wanted to be: "Some hope to find a skilled diplomat or a statesman, others a scholar or an organizer or one whose mind is in touch with every form of modern knowledge. None of them is on the right track. The new Pope has before his mind the wonderful picture drawn by St. John, in the words of the Savior Himself, of the Good Shepherd." In fulfillment of this desire, our Holy Father soon issued the encyclical, MATER ET MAGISTRA, a social doctrine which outlines in detail the duties of the Catholic Church as Mother and Teacher of all nations. As students of John Bapst Regional High School, we have the special duty of being the tools through which Holy Mother the Church may work. In prayerful appreciation of his guidance, we, the students of John Bapst Regional High School, dedicate this, the 1963 CRUSADER, to His Holiness, Pope John XXIII.
Passing forth from our classrooms, we look back to the un-forgettable past and look ahead to the unpredictable future for which John Bapst has prepared us. We have experienced the satisfaction of a task completed and march forth with confidence into the world of Christian living.
In Appreciation: Students at Bapst are fortunate in knowing Brother Benilde and Sister Mary Irene. Each enjoys the respect and confidence of the student body and each is equipped for the task of molding and directing those who come under their separate guidance. Their working together for the school gives us an example of what can be accomplished by teamwork.
We Dedicate: To Reverend Sister Mary Cecile the 1960 issue of the Crusader. For the four years we have been at John Bapst, we have known her as a guide and friend. An energetic teacher, Sister has labored with untiring zeal for our benefit. For her devotion to our interest we wish to express our gratitude and appreciation.
The class of 1959 proudly dedicates this issue of the Crusader to Brother Valerian C.F.X. who in his nine years of service at John Bapst High School has been an inspiration to us all and has won our lasting regard.
Caught up as we are in a "New World," we decided to "face lift" our Annual. This is no reflection on the past. The name Bapstonian, which identified our Annual for years, is an old and highly revered one. The substitution of The Crusader will undoubtedly cause some pain (and comment) from alumnae and alumni. We offer no apology, however--though the Girls' Department may not look kindly upon what looks like a "steal" of the name of the school paper--for over the years the name The Crusaders has become synonymous with school activities to such an extent that it seemed logical to us to replace the name of our Annual. Strong agitation on this point in recent years crystallized us in this decision.
