Our "Newest" Old Boys

On May 22, 42 eighth graders completed their stay at Western, and what a group they were! The morning began with Mass beautifully celebrated by Fr. John Boles with hymns sung by the faculty choir accompanied on the organ by Benedict Saylor (’22).

In his homily, Fr. John related the unusual story of the day’s saint, St. Rita, the “Saint for Impossible Cases.” Then, he led the boys in a quiet thought experiment, considering dreams they have for their lives over the next decade.

He went on to comment on today’s gospel (John 15: 9-11), "‘If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.’ God never stops loving us, even when we fall to sin. He is not mean or unjust because he tells us what we can and cannot do, his rules are not arbitrary or unreasonable. Following God’s law guarantees true human happiness in this life and forever in heaven.”

“‘I have told you this so that my joy might be in you, and your joy might be complete.’ Obeying the commandments of God gives us the joy of the Lord Jesus, the only reasonable way of living and remaining in the love of the Lord. Boys, go forth from Western with these words of Our Lord echoing in your ears and resonating in your hearts for the rest of your lives. ‘Remain in my love, keep my commandments.’”

After Mass, the boys processed into the Barn with their teachers, wearing house stoles for the Commencement. Mr. Hebert opened the ceremony first commending the fifteen grads who are “Lifers,” attending Western for all six years. “And among you, we have Gabriel Aycock, who is the fifth and final Aycock brother to attend Western. And they hold the record!”

Mr. Hebert confessed that, more than any other class after fourteen graduations, “I’m going to miss this class, and I think that’s because they are friends. They are mutually after good, in an authentic way. They are comfortable in their own skin, they are highly competitive but not to a fault, they are extremely talented. My hope is that you keep this spirit throughout your whole life.”

“Today you are here to make a step in your lives," he said, "a step out of boyhood. Western is not a place you became men, it’s a place you began your journey toward manhood. To celebrate this, we will hand you a diploma and a walking stick, neither one of these are going to be very useful to you, but I hope they serve as a reminder of your time here and that you are still on your journey.”

“For the journey to manhood is rooted in boyhood. You will draw memories in your lives from the stories, games, bards, capture the flags, the hard conversations, the bear crawls, the pushups… and all those moments of mental insights. But most of all, I hope they remind you of your friendships, which have the potential to last a lifetime, since they were formed in a place of truth, of realness. Congratulations gentlemen. Well done!”

Student speakers selected from the two homerooms this year were Bennett Pearson (8A) and Dominic Creech (8B).

Bennett Pearson related that he learned most "from the mistakes I made at Western, not just on tests and quizzes, but in many different things. And each time we learned from them, we’ve grown into better men. We wouldn’t have grown in the way we did, if we hadn’t made them.” He remembered challenging incidents on the trip to Moab and the memorable day he was sorted into his House of Raven. “I am so grateful to Western for giving me all those opportunities to grow. This school is unique in all the best ways.”

Dominic Creech thanked his classmates for making so many incredible memories together and for welcoming him back when he returned to Western in 6th grade. His commended his “strong group of friends that I could count on to be there when I needed them. Western has a community of people who are always trying to make friends. Western helps us grow in our faith with the Mass, confessions, Christian instruction and chapel periods.”

“Sports at Western, like football, with its high expectations, made us offer suffering, build a stronger will, sacrifice for the sake of the team, and push ourselves beyond our goals. Teachers constantly showed us what it means to be a man and helped us learn to overcome adversity, to lead through hardship and be generous to others. Mr. Hebert’s motto this year, ‘Real men don’t give up,’ I saw reflected in my peers all year long. Western has given us many gifts and helped us grow into close friends, a bond we will carry wherever our lives lead us.”

As each graduate was called to walk the stage to receive his diploma and walking stick, Mr. Hoff gave a thumbnail sketch of the boy’s personality and accomplishments, all wrapped in a little affectionate humor.

At the end, the boys processed out for photos at the Great Oak, and then on to their Gentlemen’s Brunch in the Music Palace. One at a time during the brunch, boys and teachers told fun stories about their time at school. Before leaving, the boys promised to return to campus to play yet another game of Basil Ball, a game they had created and played in recent months.

Graduates tell fun stories in their final gathering after brunch. Above are Drake Leder, Marc Orendain, and Aaron Ball, who shared a memory book all the boys and teachers signed

Graduates will attend these high schools in the fall:

* Lifers attended Western all years, 3rd -8th grade

It’s a wrap… our new graduates regroup at the Great Oak