Our President desires that the members of our honest Society bend their spiritual life to the various feasts of Holy Mother Church. Earlier this week, on those days designated for rogation, we met to pray the Rosary and the Litany of the Saints. For the occasion of the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Iacobus and Iosephus discerned an opportunity for a somewhat more unique spiritual action, and, after submitting their plan to the President, did creatively commemorate Our Lord’s Ascension.

After hearing early morning Mass, these two hardy souls took a motorcar from Ithaca to Lake Placid, and embarked upon an actual ascent of Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in the state of New York, to plead to Our Lord for His help one last time, even as he rose into heaven, albeit liturgically. Although this mountain is not among the most challenging peaks in the Northeast, the 7 mile climb to the summit offered the hikers numerous occasions of suffering. Moreover, the hike provided an opportunity for the singing of various religious hymns, the recitation of the Rosary, and a brief foretaste of the coming pilgrimage to Chartres.

The pilgrims, having begun rather late in the day due to Mass and the long drive, summitted at approximately 6PM. Upon conquering the mighty peak, the same recited the Te Deum in Thanksgiving for their success, and then proceeded to the main event: a final Litany of the Saints. Returning to Ithaca very near to sunrise this morning, Iacobus and Iosephus finally slept after an exciting and rewarding day in the service of our happy Society.