Page 72 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 72
each ward is covered by one to four boys to contribute more than £2,000 to the
depending on the attendance. The number hospital last year.
of patients a boy sees depends on his style Membership of the Conference comes
of visitation and the number of boys who from 4th, 5th, and 6th years. The main
are with him in the ward. bulk at the moment is from 4th year. The
The Tuesday visit only takes place in average attendance at the meetings is from
term-time but boys are encouraged to visit twelve to twenty-four depending on the day.
in their own time throughout the year. The involvement of the boys at the
The visit of the sick is the primary and Christmas party and the Easter Dance is
most important work of the Conference. wider and more general than the weekly
There are two other activities worth visits.
mentioning. At Christmas the boys John Moylan SJ (Chaplain)
organize a simple party for the patients.
They buy a simple present for each patient,
and while carolling around the wards they THE FIFTH YEAR PROJECT
distribute the presents with the help of
Santa Claus. It need hardly be mentioned It was Fr Murray who first aired the idea of
that the quality of singing on these a Fifth Year gesture towards those who are
occasions would make Mozart and not as privileged as ourselves. After much
Schubert envious. In addition to this the deliberation it was decided to raise money
boys also carolled in Grafton St this for selected charities by pushing a barrel to
Christmas in an effort to collect money for Athlone, This was in 1979. Since then the
the poor. Fifth Year has kept this social endeavour
A major undertaking of the Conference going. Each year the search goes on to find
is the yearly St Vincent de Paul dance in the something to push that is more unusual and
College on Easter Thursday to collect funds eye-catching than previous years.
for the Conference. In the last few years the The popular destination is Limerick. This
proceeds of this dance have been given to is because Limerick is: (a) at the end of a
the Royal Hospital to help them acquire major route with much traffic on it, which
equipment to alleviate the lot of the sick. gives a better opportunity of collecting on
The Fifth Year Project has also been the road: (b) there are many towns on the
extremely generous to the Conference and way close enough to give average daily
intends to continue this practice this year. walks of about twenty miles: (c) we can
Combining these two sources we were able more easily arrange overnight
Vincent de Paul Society Officials 1984- 5 S. Higgins, A. Maree. Rev. J. Moylan. SJ, B. Keogh, S. Dun ne
64
depending on the attendance. The number hospital last year.
of patients a boy sees depends on his style Membership of the Conference comes
of visitation and the number of boys who from 4th, 5th, and 6th years. The main
are with him in the ward. bulk at the moment is from 4th year. The
The Tuesday visit only takes place in average attendance at the meetings is from
term-time but boys are encouraged to visit twelve to twenty-four depending on the day.
in their own time throughout the year. The involvement of the boys at the
The visit of the sick is the primary and Christmas party and the Easter Dance is
most important work of the Conference. wider and more general than the weekly
There are two other activities worth visits.
mentioning. At Christmas the boys John Moylan SJ (Chaplain)
organize a simple party for the patients.
They buy a simple present for each patient,
and while carolling around the wards they THE FIFTH YEAR PROJECT
distribute the presents with the help of
Santa Claus. It need hardly be mentioned It was Fr Murray who first aired the idea of
that the quality of singing on these a Fifth Year gesture towards those who are
occasions would make Mozart and not as privileged as ourselves. After much
Schubert envious. In addition to this the deliberation it was decided to raise money
boys also carolled in Grafton St this for selected charities by pushing a barrel to
Christmas in an effort to collect money for Athlone, This was in 1979. Since then the
the poor. Fifth Year has kept this social endeavour
A major undertaking of the Conference going. Each year the search goes on to find
is the yearly St Vincent de Paul dance in the something to push that is more unusual and
College on Easter Thursday to collect funds eye-catching than previous years.
for the Conference. In the last few years the The popular destination is Limerick. This
proceeds of this dance have been given to is because Limerick is: (a) at the end of a
the Royal Hospital to help them acquire major route with much traffic on it, which
equipment to alleviate the lot of the sick. gives a better opportunity of collecting on
The Fifth Year Project has also been the road: (b) there are many towns on the
extremely generous to the Conference and way close enough to give average daily
intends to continue this practice this year. walks of about twenty miles: (c) we can
Combining these two sources we were able more easily arrange overnight
Vincent de Paul Society Officials 1984- 5 S. Higgins, A. Maree. Rev. J. Moylan. SJ, B. Keogh, S. Dun ne
64
