[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 140 (Thursday, October 8, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1959]]
 CONGRATULATIONS TO FATHER DUENAS MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL AND THE ACADEMY 
             OF OUR LADY OF GUAM ON THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 7, 1998

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, fifty years ago, Bishop Apollinaris 
William Baumgartner' dream came to fruition. Firmly believing that the 
growth of Guam's Catholic Church depended on the establishment of the 
local clergy, he worked to ensure that young men on Guam had the 
opportunity to receive religious vocation training and to pursue 
university level education. Upon contacting the Stigmatine Fathers at 
Waltham, Massachusetts, work commenced on a minor seminary 
accommodating young Guam men aspiring to the priesthood.
  It was an uphill battle. At the time, the church in Guam was in the 
earliest stages of self-reliance. It was a challenge to survive with 
meager funds and at the same time support the goal of an institution 
that will foster Guamanian clergies, bishops and priests. Money was not 
the sole problem. Time and energy also went into clearing the land upon 
which the school was to be built. Fortunately, efforts from dedicated 
followers make the building construction possible.
  In the summer of 1948, five Stigmatine Fathers, considered pioneers 
and Founding Fathers, arrived on Guam. The Father Superior, Rev. Joseph 
Morgan, C.P.S., was accompanied by the Revs. Charles Egan, C.P.S., 
Geral O. Goggin, C.P.S., Leo James Garachi, C.P.S., and Elisworth 
Fortman, C.P.S. to form the nucleus of the teaching staff. A total of 
17 Stigmatine Fathers instructed at the school until 1959 when local 
clergy were able to administer and staff the school. Capuchin 
Franciscan Friars, who were pastors of most of the parishes in the 
Marianas in those days, took over the school's administration.
  Father Duenas Memorial School (FDMS) was named after a local priest 
martyred by Japanese Imperial troops during World War II for 
sympathizing with the Americans. FDMS opened its doors on October 1, 
1948. To usher in the school's first year, a solemn high mass was 
celebrated in the presence of Bishop Baumgartner and attended by the 
parents, relatives and friends of students. Among those who filled the 
chapel to maximum capacity were representatives of the Guam Department 
of Education, Mr. Norbert Tabery and Mr. Simon Sanchez. The presence 
bears testimony to the good relations which have always existed between 
Catholic Schools, FDMS being the first, and the Government of Guam.
  To attract more students, Bishop Baumgartner decided to admit non-
seminarians, classified then as ``day-students,'' to FDMS. Considered 
as a college preparatory High School, day students attended classes 
during the daytime while seminarians boarded at the school. A total 
enrollment of less than fifty students doubled in 1949 and has since 
steadily increased.
  Around the same time of Father Duenas Memorial's inception, Bishop 
Baumgartner laid the foundation of yet another of Guam's premier 
educational institutions. Named after Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the 
Academy of Our Lady of Guam (AOLG) is a female-only Catholic 
educational institution delivering Catholic educational service based 
on the Gospel values of love.
  With the assistance of my aunt, Sister Mary Inez Underwood, the 
Academy opened its doors to 36 freshmen on September 8, 1949. First 
housed in a section of the Agana Cathedral Activities Hall, the 
students learned about developed skills in the sciences, mathematics, 
language and fine arts as well as the life and example of Christ.
  Under the guidance of the future Archbishop of Guam, Monsignor 
Felixberto Camacho Flores spearheaded the construction of a permanent 
structure for the Academy in 1960. In 1974, the school received its 
first accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and 
Colleges. It has undergone the accreditarian process successfully four 
times after this, the last being in March of 1996.
  From an initial enrollment of 36 students in 1949, the student body 
now consists of over 400 young women. Under the direction of Sister 
Mary Inez Underwood, Sister Mary Roberta Taitano, Sister Marie Pierre 
Martinez, Sister Evelyn Muna, Sister Mary Mark Martinez, Sister Mary 
Francis Jerome Cruz, Sister Mary Helene Torres, and Sister Mary Angela 
Perez, the Academy has distinguished itself as one of the finest 
college and career-bound preparatory schools on Guam. Sister Mary 
Francis Jerome and Mrs. Daphne Castillo continue this tradition of 
excellence today.
  While AOLG students are recognized islandwide for their outstanding 
scholastic achievement, participation in Academic Challenge Bowls, Mock 
Trials, and the Debate forums, AOLG is also recognized locally and 
regionally for its strong interscholastic sports program, such as 
previous Far East Volleyball Tournament championships, tennis and golf 
tournaments, as well as an array of other youth athletic activities.
  October 14, 1998 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of 
Father Duenas Memorial High School and the Academy of Our Lady of Guam. 
I commend and congratulate the founders, administrators, faculty, 
staff, students, alumni and alumnae of these two fine Catholic schools.
  For fifty years, the schools have generated men and women who have 
made great contributions toward the transformation of Guam from an 
island ravaged by war in the forties to its present state as a 
political and economic center in the Western Pacific.
  I wish FDMS and AOLG continued success. I am confident that these 
fine institutions of faith and learning will continue their commitment 
to excellence by providing a valuable educational opportunity to the 
sons and daughters of Guam.

                          ____________________