Mary Star of the Sea High School 'Mary Star is about the Education of a Soul'

Dr. William Bennett (center) is greeted by Msgr. Patrick Gallagher, pastor (left), and Father Norbert Wood, principal at the time.

Video Tapes Available

Full and summary videos of Dr. Bennett's presentation are available through the Campaign Office. Anyone interested in borrowing one may contact the office at 310-833-3861.

Quotes From Dr. Bennett's Keynote Presentation

"Thank you so much for having me. I am not a circuit speaker. A circuit speaker goes where he is paid to go and whoever pays the wage. I go where I am asked to go and where I want to go. And I want to be here since we got your letter and I thank you for inviting me. I'm very happy to be here."

"This is a wonderful project. This is a wonderful thing you've done. This is a wonderful thing you've done already, and it's an even more wonderful thing that you're about to do." "Talk about turning swords into plowshares. What a good idea! Good for the Navy. Congratulations to all of you. Thank you for letting me be part of it."

"We are here actually in important ways because we believe in things such as families; because we believe in things we call schools. And many of you are here because you believe it is important to get the kind of education that your children are getting at Mary Star of the Sea High School or 'Mary Star' as I've heard it called lovingly, familiarly, tonight."

"You asked me to talk in the invitation about moral education and I'm very happy to do so. I find myself talking about it even when I'm not asked to talk about it. And I think that is our biggest challenge." "We can get everything else right, but if do not get what are sometimes called the values issues, sometimes called the moral issues, sometimes called the issues of responsibility right, then we will not be the kind of success that we want to be."

"It strikes me that this is what Mary Star is all about. Mary Star is about a lot of things, as you saw from the video. But is seems to me that Mary Star is about the education of character, the education of right and wrong, the education of a soul, the architecture of a soul, if you will, ultimately and preeminently and most importantly."

"It is time again, in the words of the old hymn, to raise them up, raise up our standards, raise up their intellectual standards, raise up - yeah - their moral standards, raise up their standards of discourse, their standards of civility. And raise us all up in the same way. If that occurs, and I think it is the biggest challenge we face, it will be because of the strength of institutions like Mary Star, and your support tonight, before, and tomorrow."

"I think you are doing one of the most important - THE most important thing - to strengthen this country. To strengthen character forming institutions, because that is where the work is going to have to take place. We know what those character forming institutions are. They are not television. They are not politics. At least not how it's practiced now. They are families, they are churches, and they are schools."

"For that work of raising up the next generation, I thank you, I'm delighted to be in your company and midst."

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