News - Corpus Christi School

Corpus Christi School
CHRONICLE
The Newsletter for Alumni and Friends of Corpus Christi School
Spring 2014 Volume 5
Issue 2
Corpus Christi School Honors Rev. Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J., Class of ‘48
at the Annual Spring Benefit
On May 14th, Corpus Christi School
held its Annual Spring Benefit on the
35th floor of the Mutual of America
building on Park Avenue. Over 165
guests attended the event which included
a silent auction, raffle, and most importantly, renewing old acquaintances
and making new friends. In past years
our guest speakers and honorees have
included George Stephanopoulos of ABC
News; Sen. George Mitchell; George
Bodenheimer of ESPN; former NFL
Commissioner, Paul Tagliabue; Emily
Rafferty of the Metropolitan Museum of
Art; and noted columnist and author, Pete
Hamill. This year, Corpus Christi’s own,
Rev. Leo J. O’Donovan, S. J., Class of
1948 joined these illustrious honorees.
Fr. O’Donovan regaled the audience
with stories of his early years at Corpus
Christi, remembering one of his favorite
teachers, Sr. Meinrad, who was present at
his ordination in 1966 and his inauguration as President of Georgetown University in September 1989. He also spoke of
Fr. George Barry Ford, who was appointed pastor of Corpus Christi in 1935 by
Cardinal Hayes. Father would again
have close ties with CC through Msgr.
Ford, who did not retire until
1958.Taught by the Dominican Sisters of
Fr. O’Donovan’s official Georgetown University
portrait
Sinsinnawa who adopted a progressive
education system based on John Dewey’s principles, Father learned in the
spirit of, ―cooperation, collaboration
and competition.‖
In speaking of Corpus Christi
today, Father remarked that, ―I am
filled first of all with gratitude…I am
grateful with you – for so many things:
for the parents, who gave us life; the
teachers, who helped us to understand;
the doctors, who cared for our health;
the business people, who built our
CORPUS CHRISTI SCHOOL
economy; the writers and artists, who
fired our imaginations; the men and
women of politics, who shaped our
societies; the pastors, who gathered us
in search of God. Our lives are gifts.‖
He went on to say that, ―Nothing is
more important in our lives than gratitude and generosity…Gratitude awakens generosity and generosity …renews
gratitude.‖ Father thanked all the supporters of Corpus Christi who have
provided much-needed funding for programs and scholarships for so many
years. Many parents who truly want
their children to have a Catholic education, just cannot afford to pay full tuition and rely on the generosity of our
supporters and friends to help them
keep their children in CC from Pre-K
through 8th grade.
This year, the Benefit raised over
$150,000. The administration, faculty
staff and of course the students, thank
each and every one who contributed.
For as Father O’Donovan always says,
―It’s all for the children.‖ He concluded his remarks with a heartfelt,‖ I thank
you all, with all my heart, for your great
generosity to the little school where, for
me, it all started.‖
535 West 121st Street New York New York 10027
Phone: 212-662-9344 Fax: 212-662-2725 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ccschoolnyc.org
2014 Annual Benefit continued
The evening was a stunning success both socially
and economically. Many friends of Corpus Christi
were able to renew old friendships as they sampled
the heavenly cuisine provided by Mutual of America.
With a marvelous view of Park Avenue that only
New York City could provide, the guests marveled at
the brilliance of the sunset as they gathered for the
formal presentation. Chairman of the Advisory
Board, Eleanor McGee, also a Corpus Christi graduate, welcomed everyone to an evening of ―great fun
and friends.‖ She opened the Silent Auction and
Raffle and encouraged everyone to bid on the fabulous items donated by our outstanding Benefit Committee. Mrs. McGee introduced Emcee and co-Chair
of the event, Michael Rankowitz, a long time friend
of Fr. O’Donovan who regaled the crowd with stories and anecdotes of Father O’Donovan.
These annual Benefits have raised over $1.35
million for Corpus Christi School and its students.
The Advisory Board, Pastor, administration, faculty,
staff , and parents thank you ever so much for your
support of our wonderful school!
Our students, many of whom join us each year to
sell raffles, hand out programs and sing with our
choir, also thank you. Although they are still relatively young, they do understand that you are here to
help them and their school and they know that
through your efforts and donations, many of them
and their classmates are able to call Corpus Christi a
their ―second home‖ for nine or ten years! They
know what you do to help them and they truly appreciate it.
A very special thank you goes to Mr. Thomas
Moran of Mutual of America for providing us once
again with this beautiful venue for the event, and to
Mr. Ted Dawson who donated his time and talent as
a graphic designer to make our beautiful invitations
and programs.
Please see our list of donors and more memorable
photos on page 3 and 5.
Eleanor McGee,
Chairman of the
Advisory Board,
opens the evening
Mike Rankowitz,
Co-Chair and
emcee, shares
stories and
memories of
Fr. O’Donovan
Mike Rankowitz,
welcomes Fr.
O’Donovan to the
podium
(left to right)
Father O’Donovan at an
early age with his parents;
his First Holy Communion
photo from Corpus Christi
School and his picture on the
occasion of his ordination to
the priesthood—his favorite!
2014 Annual Benefit continued
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Annual Spring Benefit, May, 2014
A Special Thank you to His Eminence,
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan for his
donation in honor of Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, S. J.
Summa Cum Laude ($10,000
and more)
Mrs. James E. Burke
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Rankowitz
Magna Cum Laude ($5,000 $9,999)
Anonymous
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Fitzgerald, III
Mary Kresky
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Landegger
Martin J. McLaughlin
Cum Laude ($2,500 - $4,999)
Mr. & Mrs. Lee Bass
Emily Chen
Helen T. Lowe
Proud Graduate ($1,000 - $2,499)
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Aiello, Jr.
Mrs. Richard M. Cashin
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Cognetti
Joyce B. Cowin
In Honor of Didi Burke
Mr. & Mrs. Justin Garbaccio
Irwin Jacobs
In Honor of Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, S. J.
Mr. & Mrs. John Michael Joyce, III
The KAT Foundation
The John R. Kennedy Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Kinney
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Lafranchi
Sarah Marie Martin
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald McGee
Mr. Vincent McGee
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Moley
Shannon Mullen & Peter Karches
Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Murphy
Mr. & Mrs. James Quinn
Mr. & Mrs. David Schwartz
The Shoreland Foundation
Carmen Stanley
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Stebbins
Mr. & Mrs. John W. Sullivan
Carol Toolan
Mr. & Mrs. George Wellde
Friends ($500 - $999)
Susan Braddock
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Buckley
In Honor of Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, S. J.
Mr. & Mrs. James Cognetti
Mr. & Mrs. James D. Farley
Mary Kay Farley
Michael Gellert
In Honor of Renee Landegger
Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Hardy
Mr. & Mrs. Werner Kramarsky
Joseph Kroth
Chris Landon
Mr. & Mrs. Sean Mullen
Stephen Paluszek
The Schiff Foundation
In Honor of Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, S. J.
Bradley Simon
Sponsors ($125 - $499)
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Ball
Susan Barba
Louise Basbas
Gene Bay
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bejgrowicz
Mr. & Mrs. John Berkery
Merilee Bostock
In Honor of Didi Burke
Mr. & Mrs. James Brennan
Felix Calabrese
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Carrajat
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Carry
Drs. David and Jean Case
Mr. & Mrs. Dino Cavanna
Michael Chepucavage
Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Coleman
David M. Curtin
Joseph Demas
Rosemary Deslodge
Mr. & Mrs. Frank S. Dinger
Maren Dinsmore
Robert Disch
Bryn Dolan
Jessica Donahue
Mr. & Mrs. Harold Elish
Philip Erard
B.J. Finneran
Edward Finneran
Brian D. Fix
In Honor of Carl & Renee Landegger
Macy Foley
John Foye
Mr. & Mrs. William Frank
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Gannon
Mr. & Mrs. Justin Garbaccio
Jeanne Brooks Gunn
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Hanley
Bill Harvey
Norman Horowitz
Abe Jacob
Suzanne F. Kelley
Genevieve Kinney
Mr. & Mrs. Ray Kinstler
Jeffrey C. Lee
Bro. Thomas Leto, CFC, Iona Prep School
Barbara King Lord
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Luciano
Alice Lustig
Rocco Magiotto
Kevin McGee
Mr. & Mrs. Raymond G. McGuire
Frank Oveis
Mr. & Mrs. Louis P. Pietronuto
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Piscitello
Kathleen Plunkett O’Connor
Rev. Raymond Rafferty
Meg Riley
Raymond W. Riordan
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Schilling
Scott Shea
Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Shafer
Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Shields
Dr. Richard Spagnuolo
Melvin Stecher
Mr. & Mrs. Derek Stoldt
Kelly Vaughan
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Webber
In Honor of Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, S. J.
Marie-Helene Weill
In Honor of Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, S. J.
James Welby
Gretchen Werwaiss
Mr. & Mrs. John A Werwaiss
Thomas A. Wong
Contributors ($1 - $124)
The Bresnihan Family
Cathy Callendar
Mr. & Mrs. Alan Feldman
Brigitte Linz
Alexandra MacDonald
Dalton MacDonald
Sr. Eileen Martin, SC
Mrs. John Cullen Murphy
Robert Reilly
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Revitt
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Rowland
Mr. & Mrs. David Sekeres
Nydia Serrano-Soler
Robert A. M. Stern
Silent Auction & Raffle Donors
With special gratitude to
Mr. & Mrs. Lance Weaver
America Magazine
Tanya Bastianich
George Bodenheimer, ESPN
Susan Braddock, Metropolitan Opera Guild
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Bullard
Diane W. Burke
Roberta Burrows
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Carrajat
Cellini’s Restaurant
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Cognetti
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Cooper
Philippe Delouvrier
The Disney Company
Felidia’s
Mr. & Mrs. William Frank
Mr. & Mrs. Justin Garbaccio
Peter Karches
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Kinney
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Lafranchi
Renee Landegger
David Lees
Helen Lowe
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Luciano
Vincent McGee
Martin J. McLaughlin
Mr. & Mrs. Sean Mullen
Shannon Mullen
Neary's Pub
Fr. Leo J. O'Donovan, S. J.
Campbell & Patrick O’Shea
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Rankowitz
Chris Riccobono
Mr. & Mrs. Jake Robards
Roche-Bobois
Karen Schineller, The Discovery
Channel
Mr. & Mrs. Derek Stoldt
Karina Strobl
Carol Toolan
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the details of this list are accurate. If your name was omitted or
listed incorrectly, please accept our sincere apology and notify Mary Ann Lynch at [email protected]
Benefit Gallery continued
Our Supporters Celebrate
Corpus Christi School
Advisory Board Corner
by
Eleanor McGee,
Chairperson
Once again, Corpus Christi School completed
another successful year for all the students – and
the year ahead will be both challenging and rewarding. The graduating class was large and
highly successful: excellent high school acceptances across the board! The new students,
most from recently closed Catholic schools nearby, were welcomed by all and found an inviting
home here. The Corpus Christi Advisory Board
worked closely with Principal Dorothy Valla and
with Rev. Daniel O’Reilly, and we look forward to
continuing our work with Corpus Christi’s new
Principal, Christian Mariano. The Advisory
Board’s objective is to help ensure the school’s
current financial and educational security and long
-range future viability. An important part of our
job is to help raise the funds to make that objective
possible. This year our Annual Benefit, which
honored Rev. Leo O’Donovan, S.J – an outstanding Corpus Christi graduate - was a big success;
the 170+ attendees helped raise over $150,000.
Another excellent CC graduate, Harry La Rosiliere, the Mayor of Plano Texas, came back again,
this time to be the guest speaker at the graduation
ceremony. He was an inspiration for all of us:
teachers, parents, fellow graduates and especially
the students. The Advisory Board’s commitment
is to strengthen Corpus Christi School’s purpose
in providing the very best and most affordable
educational opportunities to its students – those
with us this year and well into the future.
Principal’s Corner
It is with sadness and nostalgia that I write
this column. Principal Dorothy Valla will not be
returning to Corpus Christi in the Fall.
During the six years that Ms. Valla served as
Principal, Corpus Christi saw many positive
changes and advancements in its efforts to give
every student the best Catholic education. Enrollment went from 174 in 2008-09 to 223 in the
2013-14 year. We have new windows and stair
treads, new security gates, and other capital improvements, thanks to her diligent effort at securing grants for our school. Technology has been
constantly monitored and updated: new computers, wi-fi, security cameras, and SmartBoards
were installed.
The curriculum was enhanced by the installation of a new Science Lab. Italian language classes
have been in place for four years, and through a
partnership with Price Waterhouse, a ―Financial
Literacy Day Camp‖ was held. Under Ms. Valla’s
leadership, Corpus Christi students placed first,
second and third in the District Speech Contest—
an unparalleled feat.
I have known Ms. Valla for many years and
have worked with her at Corpus Christi for the last
four years. I have never known her to be without
a smile for anyone entering her office. Students
respected her, not just for her title, but because
they knew that she cared about each and every one
of them. The students were always the focus of
her day—they came first. She strove for excellence and instilled this desire in faculty and staff.
Corpus Christi School will miss her and all
that she stood for and taught our students over the
years. Please join me in wishing her well as she
goes on to new endeavors and certain success.
As we begin a new era at Corpus Christi, let
us welcome Mr. Christian Mariano, our new Principal. I look forward to working with him as we
continue the excellence that has, and always will
be, Corpus Christi School.
Mary Ann Lynch
Director of Development
Students’ Corner in Photos
CORPUS CHRISTI SCHOOL
535 West 121 Street
New York, NY 10027
Students from the
Corpus Christi
Choir perform for
our supporters at
the school’s Annual
Spring benefit, held
May 14th at Mutual
of America on Park
Avenue