St Stan Illustrated Story

37 I n 1654, John completed his philosophy course at Rawa. This was as far as a lay student could advance at a Jesuit College. The day of his departure dawned, and with sincere and deep gratitude he bade the Jesuit Fathers farewell. They had given him most of his higher education, and in their colleges he had received the treasures of the spiritual life – a deep and abiding faith, true piety, and sound Catholic morality. As he said his goodbyes, he must have both felt and expressed the sentiments that he was one day to put into writing: “I wish here to offer my sincerest thanks to all those who instilled into me the knowl- edge of God and virtue and who, by their teaching, dispelled my ig- norance. Whether they did so by word or example, I beg Jesus to grant them an eternal reward.”