Roman Catholic High School

TH
Empire
Summer 2015
The Official Magazine for Alumni, Family, and Friends of
Roman Catholic High School
A Year to
Remember
2
Roman Catholic High School
Catholic High Alumni
125 Years of Tradition
Table of Contents
Roman Catholic High
School Alumni Association Day at the Bay Save the Date........................pg. 4
President of the Alumni
Association
Mr. Joseph J. Flaherty ’56
Director of Institutional
Advancement
Mr. Patrick Plunkett
Director of Institutional
Development
Mr. William Stangler
Class of 2015.............................................pg. 5
125th Anniversary Celebrations....................pg. 6
Dine on Vine..............................................pg. 8
Sports Hall of Fame...................................pg. 12
Roman Team Stood Up Against Racism.........pg. 13
Roman Basketball.......................................pg. 15
Thoughts While Lining the Field..................pg. 17
Mock Trial.................................................pg. 18
Mr. O’Neill Retires......................................pg. 19
Coordinator of Events & Alumni
Patron of World Meeting of Families............pg. 20
Relations
Mrs. Samantha Angelone
Alumni Profile: Michael Varga ’70................pg. 21
Coordinator of Development
Services
Ms. Jade Perry
Coordinator of Financial
Services
Mrs. Maria Rivera-Aviles
Letters to Roman........................................pg. 23
The Usuals
A Message from Father Bongard.................pg. 3
A Message from the
Alumni President.....................................pg. 4
Director of Admissions &
Communication
Mr. Adam Gault ’08
Around Roman........................................pg. 10
Contributors
Spring Sports Recap.................................pg. 16
Chris Gibbons ’79
Daniel DiBerardinis ’05
Andrew Banecker ’16
Vincent Capitolo ’16
Michael Schwoerer ’15
Jim Brennan ’97
Joseph Cunningham ’70
Editor:
Adam Gault ’08
Jade Perry
1 25th Anniversary and
SHOF Logo designed by
Gene Burns ’81
Thank you to all Alums
who send in their class
notes each issue!
Winter Sports Recap.................................pg. 14
Class Notes..............................................pg. 22
Roman Catholic High School
301 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
For more information, contact
[email protected]
To have your intentions included at daily Mass at
Catholic High, contact
[email protected]
Please contact the Alumni Office regarding
omissions or additional deceased alumni, family
and friends at
[email protected] or
215-627-5487
In lieu of flowers,
memorial gifts can be made in the
name of your loved one to
Roman Catholic High School.
Necrology
(as of July 13, 2015)
Alumni
Joseph A. Anglin ’65
Bernard J. Gantert ’49 Joseph J. Ruggiero ’58
Eladio E. Gonzalez ’72 Charles J. Devlin ’42
Philip J. Friend ’51
Shane M.
Thomas Lydon ’44
William T. Shields ’39
Montgomery ’11
William E. Taber ’48
Thomas D. Paul’80
William J. Berkley ’42 John J. O’Connor ’44
James W. Donlon ’54
Gerald S. Smith ’56
Ihor B. Chyzowych ’51 Thomas C. Hellwarth’57
Henry Plonski ’50
John P. McGuinn ’35
Joseph S. Rutkowski ’50
Joseph Kleschick ’47
Howard K. Krick ’47 Paul P. Cahill ’46
Lawrence W.
Frederick M.
Joseph T. Maggiano ’77
Avington ’68
Eichenhofer ’54
Henry Malinowski ’63
Thomas R. Martinka ’50 William F. Ballantine ’49 Michael J. Massey ’57
Eugene C. Fittery ’60 Kieran L. McDonnell’95 Charles Pitchalonis ’52
Kenneth J. Rogers ’46 Alexander Scherneck ’45 Walter Boyko ’63
V.F. Ratkiewicz ’43
John A. Kauffmann ’48 Edward Devine ’51
John A. Lieb ’45
Joseph D. Petrone’61
Pasquale Gorni ’43
Joseph J. Sweeney ’46
Louis D. Recchiuti ’59 William English ’44
Roman Staszko ’58
Joseph G. Ferro ’47
Eugene McCormick ’54
Edward Harkins ’51
Edmund L. Kane ’66
Lawrence McManus ’60
Harry J. White ’50
George Petrellis ’61
James Lloyd ’44
James J. Martin ’45
Kenneth McKinney ’57 Michael Cahill ’53
Joseph M. Haley ’36
Furman J. Nagle ’58
Friends & Family
Margaret Braunstein - Wife of
Joseph Braunstein ’48
Anne Stoffere - Mother of John
Stoffere ’78, Christopher Stoffere ’81,
Daniel Stoffere ’86 and Thaddeus
Stoffere ’92. Grandmother of Matthew Stoffere ’11 and Nicholas Stoffere ’13 and Jonathan Stoffere ’15.
Kimberly Gallagher - Sister of
Christopher Gallagher ’04 and
Matthew Gallagher ’06.
John Ferere - Father of Louis
Ferere ’71.
Anna Mae Blackmore - Mother
of Stephen Blackmore ’73, Joseph
Blackmore ’76 and James
Blackmore ’80.
Elizabeth Flood - Mother of Michael
Flood ’81.
Regina Sinclair - Mother of Joseph
Sinclair (Faculty Member). Grandmother of Robert Sinclair ’07 and
Thomas Sinclair ’09.
Elizabeth Broughton - Mother of
Michael Broughton ’86 and Robert
Broughton ’89.
Peggy Amodei - Mother of Nicholas
Amodei ’15.
Joseph Brehony - Father of James
Brehony ’70.
Joseph Colonna - Father of Joseph
Colonna ’93 and Michael
Colonna ’92.
Charles Blatz - Father of Jonathan
Blatz ’96 and Matthew Blatz ’99.
Sophia Madrak - Mother In Law of
Kevin Weber ’74, Grandmother of
Ryan Weber ’06 and Sean Weber ’09.
Mary Rose Doyle - Wife of Joseph
Doyle ’44.
John Beecroft - Father of John Beecroft ’71 and Robert Beecroft ’72.
Peter Valach - Brother of Edward
Valach ’54 and Frank Valach ’52.
Maryanne Rambo - Mother of Louis
Rambo ’79.
Kathleen Keenan - Sister of Walter
Keenan ’71 and William Keenan ’67.
Mary Kay Gibbons - Sister of
Thomas Kearney ’58, Seamus
Kearney ’60, Francis Kearney ’61
and Michael Kearney ’64.
Eileen Kling - Wife of John
Kling ’54.
Ian Blundin - Son of Robert
Blundin ’76.
Marie F. Hart - Wife of Daniel
Hart ’49.
Margaret McShea - Grandmother
of Patrick McCourt ’14 and Joseph
McCourt ’01.
Verna Tietjen - Mother of Michael
Tietjen ’71 and Lawrence Tietjen ’74.
Daniel Corcoran ’47
John Dunne ’53
David Farnin - Father of Joseph
Farnin ’07 and David Farnin ’10.
Anne Conroy- Wife of Charles
Conroy ’45.
Water Ryan- Brother of Christopher
Ryan ’63.
Carol A. Storm - Wife of Charles
Storm ’63.
Helen Pinkos - mother of William
Pinkos ’72.
3The Empire
From the Desk of the President/Rector
Father Bongard ’77
Dear Alumni and Friends of Catholic High,
As the school year has drawn to a close, and our attention is focused on September,
I extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to you for your continued support of the
mission of Roman Catholic. All of you can take pride in the fact that Roman is
an urban Catholic School success story! We are now attracting some of the
brightest and most talented young men from across the Delaware Valley. Because
of our recent increase in enrollment, two additional teaching positions are being
added to our faculty for the 2015-16 school year.
The Class of 2015 garnered over 23 million dollars in grants and scholarships. Our
men are being sought after, and accepted to, some of the most prestigious local
colleges and universities as well as those throughout the nation.
I extend best wishes to Mr. Robert O’Neill as he begins a new chapter in his life. Mr. O’Neill served the Roman
Catholic High School community for 22 years—nine as Assistant Principal for Student Services and 13 years as
Principal. Throughout his years in Catholic Education, Mr. O’Neill influenced the lives of countless young men.
His personal witness to the Catholic faith and his love for the Church was evident in all that he did. We are grateful
for his leadership and friendship!
Accolades are also extended to Mr. Thomas ‘Ace’ McCann who announced his retirement after graduation.
Mr. McCann served on the Roman faculty for 25 years. During his time here, Mr. McCann demonstrated a passion
for, and a commitment to, Catholic High that is nonpareil. We wish him the best and are grateful for his years of
service.
As a supporter of Catholic High, you share in the success of our young men. Without your financial support, many
of our students would be unable to afford a Catholic education. Your gifts, through the annual fund, planned giving
and memorial opportunities are directly affecting the lives of the young men entrusted to our care. For that, we are
extremely grateful.
Wishing you and your family an enjoyable and relaxing summer, I remain,
Sincerely,
Father Joseph Bongard
(Rev.) Joseph W. Bongard, ’77
President/Rector
4
Roman Catholic High School
A Message from the Alumni President
At the time of the last Empire I had said that the Alumni and Advancement office had lost several employees. I
am pleased to say that as of June 29, we are at full staff. Patrick Plunkett is the Executive Director of Institutional
Advancement and William Stangler is the Director of Development. Samantha Angelone, Jade Perry and Maria
Rivera-Aviles are in support positions on the staff.
The first half of 2015 was memorable because of the events held to celebrate the 125th Anniversary. On
March 7, 2015 we hosted a banquet at “Celebrations” in Bensalem to honor the 125 Persons of Distinction. The
event was attended by over 600 people who saw a slide presentation of the 125 Persons. The photos used were
done by Lou Ferrero ’68 and the narration was by Chris Gibbons ’79. The annual Cahill Club awards were also
presented that evening by Mike Finnegan ’75, President of the Cahill Club.
On May 30, 2015 we celebrated “Dine on Vine” which was a block party event with Vine St. closed from 13th St. to Broad St. We had
an attendance of close to 700 people and it was a great day. Several people had such a good time that they have suggested we host the event
again.
The final event of our 125th Anniversary is the annual Memorial Mass and Communion Breakfast. The date is Sunday, November 29,
with Mass at the Cathedral at 9:30 a.m. with breakfast to follow at the Sheraton Hotel. The November 29 date is a change from the
November 15 date in the last edition of The Empire. United States Senator Pat Toomey will be our guest speaker at this year’s breakfast.
Our goal for attendance at this year’s breakfast is 1,000.
Please remember to be generous to Annual Giving as it is from those funds that we award academic scholarships to the students coming
out of 8th grade. Also, consider a donation to the Adopt-a-Student Program which helps students with financial hardships.
This year’s Day at the Bay is scheduled for Sunday, August 2nd, at Keenan’s in North Wildwood. I hope to see you there.
Have a wonderful rest of the summer.
Joseph J. Flaherty
President, RCHS Alumni Association
Day at the Bay 2015
Join us for our
annual Day at the
Bay Reunion!
Sunday, August 2nd
at Keenan’s Irish Pub
in Wildwood,
New Jersey
Register online:
RCHSalumni.org
For more information
contact the
Advancement Office
215-627-5487
5
Roman Catholic High School
Congratulations to the Class of 2015!
On Friday June 5th, for the 122nd time,
Roman Catholic High School held its Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises as the Class of 2015 graduated from
Catholic High. Both the mass and ceremony
were held at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints
Peter & Paul, as they are every year, on the
Benjamin Franklin Parkway just blocks
away from campus. This year a total of 249
young men graduated and 95 percent of
the class will be attending postsecondary
institutions across the nation. This year’s
class was awarded a total of over $23 million
in scholarships and grants.
Both the class’s valedictorian, Michael
Schwoerer (resident of Roxborough), and
salutatorian, Anthony Nguyen (resident
of South Philadelphia), reminded their
classmates of the opportunities that Roman
has afforded them, the responsibilities of
Cahillites and celebrated the impact that
they have had at Broad and Vine as well
as in the community. Schwoerer, whose
grandfather and brother also graduated
from Roman, will be attending the University of Pennsylvania and Nguyen will be
attending Stanford University in the fall.
The Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior,
Auxiliary to the Archbishop of Philadelphia also congratulated the young men for
their achievements and recognized three
graduates who will be entering St. Charles
Borromeo Seminary to pursue the vocation
of the priesthood.
Roman also presented its Loyalty Awards
to four individuals who embody the spirit of
the school’s founder, Thomas E. Cahill. This
year’s recipients were: Dick McMillen, Chief
Executive Officer of the Sunday Breakfast
Rescue Mission, Steve Paul ’83, the current
second Vice President to Roman’s Alumni
Association, Chris McNesby ’95, current
head coach of Roman’s State Championship
Basketball team and was also awarded the
USA Today and the Associated Press Sports
Writers Pennsylvania Coach of the Year, and
Maureen Dougherty-Brown, the school’s
SHALOM counselor for the past 20 years,
adjunct faculty member and club moderator
to many of the most active organizations at
Roman.
Honorary Degrees were awarded to three
individuals: John Joseph Murphy, Andrew
Crawford and Robert O’Neill. Murphy was
a student at Roman and would have graduated in 1948 but had to leave school to provide for his widowed mother and younger
siblings and then joined the military. Crawford would have graduated with this year’s
class, but unfortunately passed
away in November 2013 due
to complications of juvenile
diabetes. Andrew’s parents and
sister were present to honor
him and accept on behalf of
their son and brother. O’Neill
is retiring this year as principal of Roman after 22 years
of being at Roman, both as
Principal and Disciplinarian
and 46 years total with the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
The Class of 2015 now joins Roman’s
prestigious alumni network. The class has
already demonstrated their love and devotion to the future of Catholic High with
134 members of the class making senior
pledges totaling to $7,910 over the next
five years. Congratulations and best of luck
to Roman Catholic High School’s Class of
2015!
Michael Schwoerer speaks about the many times he
was “proud to be a Cahillite.”
Pictured Left to Right: Mark Negro (resident of South Philadelphia,
will attend Temple University next year), Kyle Westerfer (resident of
Port Richmond, will attend LaSalle University next year), Nicholas
Moctezuma (resident of Somerton, will attend Indiana University of
Pennsylvania next year).
Anthony Nguyen gives his Salutatory
address to his fellow classmates.
Proud Roman graduates celebrate after the ceremonies.
6
Roman Catholic High School
Celebrations
This past spring, the Roman Catholic High School
community celebrated 125 years by holding a banquet
honoring both the 125 “Persons of Distinctions” and
the annual Cahill Club Award winners. The event was
held at Celebrations in Bensalem, Pa and, like most
Roman events, current Cahillites were present to help
out. The following articles were written by students
reflecting on the night and the individuals honored.
Catholic High Honors 125 “Persons Of Distinction”
Oh! What a Night
By Andrew Banecker ’16
March 7, 2015 is a night that many people who are affiliated with Roman Catholic High School will not soon forget. On that Saturday
night over 600 people attended an event to honor 125 “Persons of Distinction” who have made important contributions to our school or to
their community over the past 125 years. The list includes: major student athletes, coaches, teachers, priests, bishops, famous authors and
an Attorney General. Of course, the list is full of alumni who are, or were, successful during and after their time at Roman. However, that
is not the most important criteria to make it on the list. Rather, it is that the individual was or is an advocate for the legendary legacy that is
Roman Catholic High School.
During the event, there was an indescribable feeling in the air. During the drive home, I felt an incredible sense of school pride to a degree that I have never felt before. As a student, I am constantly surrounded by others who love Roman as much as I do. However, that night
I was around many honorees or families of honorees who devoted themselves to Roman or spent years in service supporting the school (in
many cases both were true) because they love Catholic High. It is a comradery unlike any other. This convocation, held at the beautiful
Celebrations Banquet Hall, was created not only because we believe that “the Roman Experience” is something special but because we know
it is.
There is an endless amount of people to thank for the event. As a student who experienced a memorable night, I would like to thank all
those who were involved. Special thanks go out to those at the forefront of the planning and development, including the editors who determined the 125 “Persons of Distinction.” Most notable among the large committee for their contributions to the Banquet were: Jim Marino,
Chris Gibbons, Lou Ferrero, Ed Keenan and our Alumni Association President, the tireless Joe Flaherty. Hurrah!
Charles Fuller,
Class of 1956 and
Pulitzer Prize
winner, was honored
as one of the
Persons of
Distinction.
Dr. Richard Vassallo
’59 poses with the bust
of Thomas E. Cahill
awarded to each Person
of Distinction.
7The Empire
Teaching Core
By Vincent Capitolo ’16
At the heart of every great school, students strive to learn. These students come to school every day prepared to read, write and think
critically. The common denominator among these students is none other than the teaching core. Here at Roman Catholic, our teachers
mentor and support every student, thus making the heart of our school grow in faith and knowledge.
For 125 years, the teaching core has been crucial to Roman’s success as a Catholic Institution. These teachers, both clergy and laypeople,
have dedicated countless hours to help prepare their students for life after high school. The teaching staff serves as an exemplary model not
only inside the classroom but also outside of school.
Roman student Joshua Picciotti ’18, sees the teaching core as the most important aspect of any school. Joshua feels that Mr. McKeever
has played a tremendous role at Roman for him.
“Mr. McKeever is a funny teacher who knows how to welcome everyone,” Picciotti said.
Mr. McKeever has been a teacher at Roman since 1968, teaching subjects such as Algebra, Calculus, Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry
and Business Math. Mr. McKeever was chosen to be one of the People of Distinction for the 125th Anniversary for Roman. Other teachers
who were given this same honor include Father Bongard, Mr. Conroy, Mr. Durkin, Mr. Dunas, Dr. Mecherly, Mr. McCann, Mr. Pensabene, Mr. Sfrisi, Mr. Tarducci and Mr. Verbrugghe. We also commend William Bell, Father Brandt, James Flynn, Rev. Joe Gleason, Rev.
Ron Jakows, James McNulty, Lou Nicastro, Victor Hugo D’Ippolito, and Anthony Greco for having been awarded this same honor.
We sometimes forget to appreciate our teachers, but we must recognize their importance in our lives. While the student body forms the
heart of our school, the teachers act as the many blood vessels, keeping the heart pumping, carrying a constant flow of knowledge to each
student.
This year marked
Mr. Robert
Durkin’s 50th
year of teaching
at Roman.
Mrs. Nancy Legradi
reflects on being
awarded “Teacher of
the Year” the same year
she celebrates her 25th
anniversary at Broad
and Vine.
Congratulations to the 125 Persons of Distinction
and the Cahill Club Award winners!
Thomas E. Cahill Award
Barry Howard
Distinguished Alumni Award
Brain Conroy ’91
James McSherry ’40
Appreciation Award for Service
Pat Conville ’76
Teacher of the Year
Nancy Legradi
Student of the Year
Jesse Evans ’15
Student of the Year, Jesse Evans ’15 offers
words about his experience at Roman.
Pat Conville ’76 accepts the
James McSherry Award for service.
8
Roman Catholic High School
The epic “125” blocks Vine Street for the festivities.
Dine on Vine
On Saturday, May 30th, Roman’s Alumni Association held “Dine on Vine,” a 125th anniversary
celebration block party. Vine Street was blocked
off as hundreds of alumni, faculty, staff, family
and friends of RCHS gathered to celebrate the
school’s jubilee year.
Thank you to the multiple committees for
their work in organizing the 125th anniversary
events, especially Jim Marino ’75, - the Chairman of the 125th Anniversary Committee, Ed
Keenan ’54, Chris Gibbons ’79, Thomas Johnston
’72, - Chairman of the Dine on Vine Committee
and Joe Flaherty ’56 RCHS Alumni Association
President. These Cahillites guided the Alumni
Association and the Executive Committee for 18
months and successfully executed the 125th
anniversary events.
Please make arrangements to be present at the
final 125th Anniversary event, the Annual Alumni
Mass and Communion Breakfast on Sunday,
November 29th, 2015.
To advertise “Dine on Vine” Roman’s name shined bright above the city on the PECO building!
9The Empire
“Dine on Vine” Committee members, Tom Kearney ’58 and Anthony Popolo
’10, take a break from the busy day to pose for a photo.
Louis Frattari ’08, (front left) of Polish American String Band plays his heart
out to entertain the Roman community at “Dine on Vine.”
Roman alums enjoying their day at “Dine on Vine!”
What Have You Been Up To? Let Us Know!
The Empire
Roman Catholic High School, 301 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
[email protected]
10
Roman Catholic High School
AROUND
State and City Recognized State Champion Cahillites
On June 11, 2015, Roman’s State and City Champion Basketball team had a day of celebration and recognition. In the morning, the team
received a proclamation from City Council at City Hall during a City Council meeting. In the afternoon, they received their championship
rings and a proclamation from the State of Pennsylvania from State Representative, Michael Driscoll. Representative Driscoll’s father, Joseph
Driscoll ’42, a former basketball player at Roman, was thrilled to be present for the ceremony as he cheered the team on all season.
The Student Body
Celebrates the
125th Anniversary
On Wednesday, May 20th, Roman’s
student body celebrated the 125th
Anniversary of their school. The day
began with Mass at the school.
Afterwards, the over 900 students
traveled down the Benjamin Franklin
Parkway to pose for a photo on the
steps of the Philadelphia Museum of
Art (which can be seen on the cover of
this edition). The photo was captured,
the students sang “The Purple & Gold”
and then walked across the street to
River Field, one of Roman’s athletic
facilities. At River Field, the students
were treated to lunch and engaged
in multiple sporting events, games
and other activities for the rest of the
afternoon. It was truly a great day to be
a Cahillite!
ROMAN
11
The Empire
Roman Students Produce Perfect Scores!
Congratulations to Class of 2017 students: Justin Frye,
Nicholas Bishop, Luke Hrushanyk, Luke McParland and
Michael Johnston for earning a perfect score on the
National Latin Exam. Fewer than 1,000 students of the
140,000 who took the exam world-wide earn a perfect
score.
Roman Welcomes the Class of 2020!
On Thursday April 16, Roman welcomed nearly 300 seventh graders to Broad & Vine for Visitation Day. It was a great day that
included informative classes, the battle of the purple and gold and even a dunk contest!
Roman’s Fall Open House will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2015, 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Always know what is going on “Around
Roman” on our social media platforms!
Like Us on Facebook: Roman Catholic High School
Alumni Association
Follow Us on Twitter @RomanCatholicHS
For additional information on
admissions, contact our
Admissions Office
215-627-1270 ext. 146 or 159
[email protected]
Follow us on Instagram: @RomanCatholic_HS
Use the hash tag #RCHS125 to commemorate our
125th Anniversary!
12
Roman Catholic High School
This year Roman’s Sports Hall of Fame
celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Congratulations to this year’s inductees!
Roman Catholic High School
Sports Hall of Fame
2015 Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
Agates McKeever ’25
(Posthumously)
Basketball
Jim Conway ’60
Football
Steve Schaffer ’66
Basketball
Quinton Mason ’84
Cross Country & Track
2000 Varsity Quad
Coach Tom Henwood
1968 Soccer Team
Coach William Dunas
John Spino, Jr. ’90
Football
Charron Fisher ’04
Basketball & Track
Rob Lawton ’83
Basketball
Mike O’Leary ’00
Football
“Lost Boys” of World War I Project Update
By Chris Gibbons ’79
Four more names of Cahillites who gave their lives in World War I have recently been found. They are:
• John J. Boyle from the Class of 1914
• Walter J. Spearing from the Class of 1909
• Joseph F. Murray from the Class of 1908
• Michael R. Leonard (Class being researched)
Newspaper articles from that era indicate that the number of Roman alumni who died during The Great War is 32, and this recent
discovery raises the total number of names found thus far to 12. Again, if anyone has information that could lead to the discovery of
more names, please contact Chris Gibbons at [email protected].
13
The Empire
In 1902, Roman Team Stood Up Against Racism
By Chris Gibbons ’79
(This article was originally published in the 2/20/15 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer)
ering the racial discrimination that was common for
that era, this stance was not
unusual, but how the team
responded definitely was.
Team captain John
Corkery was the first to stand
up and speak: “If Johnny
Lee doesn’t play, then I don’t
play.” One by one, each of
the players stood up and said
that they wouldn’t play as
well. As he watched each of
the boys pledge to stand with
their teammate, Billy MarkRoman Catholic’s 1902-03 team included John Lee (left), John
ward, the coach who always
Corkery (holding ball), and Maurice Corkery (on floor at right).
stressed the importance of
Coach William Markward is at left in the back row.
how to live over how to play,
It was the late autumn of 1902, and
beamed with pride. When
twenty-four year old coach William “Billy”
Roman informed the league officials that
Markward gathered his Roman Catholic
Catholic High would not play if Johnny Lee
High School basketball team together in the couldn’t play, the league eventually backed
3rd floor gymnasium of the imposing gothic down.
school building at Broad and Vine streets in
From that moment on, a special bond
Philadelphia. Markward, a Spanish-Amerformed between Corkery and Lee. Through
ican War veteran, was starting his first year
the years, both men remained active in
of coaching at Roman and had just received
Roman’s Alumni Association, and their
a disturbing letter from the scholastic league friendship grew. Lee would never forget the
that Roman played in during that era.
courageous stand that Corkery and his other
Although his initial reaction may have been
teammates took for him, and when Corkery
to respond to the league on his own without died, Johnny Lee was heartbroken. Corkdiscussing with the team, Markward also
ery’s niece fondly remembers the touching
recognized the importance of teaching life
scene that took place at her home every
lessons, as well as basketball, to his players.
year on the anniversary of her uncle’s death.
The team was primarily comprised of
“Growing up in the Port Richmond area of
poor Irish-Catholic boys from the inner-city Philadelphia in the late 20s and early 30s,
neighborhoods of Philadelphia, and most
my world was white-mostly Irish Catholic,”
were the sons of immigrants. But there was
Patricia Corkery recalled in a letter to Roone boy among them whose background
man. “Only one African-American crossed
was very different. John “Johnny” Lee was
my path. It was once a year (John Lee)
the son of a former slave, and he was the
came to our house and I had to be on my
first African American to play basketball in
best behavior. Always, I had to be dressed
that scholastic league.
up and with my best manners for this visit.
As the boys sat, Markward, a former
John Lee came to our house on the anniverpro basketball player himself, towered over
sary of my Uncle John’s death…and paid a
them and began to read the contents of the
tearful visit to the pictures of Roman’s team
letter. It stated that the league was notifystill on our walls.”
ing Roman that they were forbidden to have
Over the ensuing years, Billy Markward
a “Negro” player on their roster, and that
would consistently turn down numerous
Roman would be banned from the league if
college coaching offers and remained at
Lee remained on the team. Sadly, considRoman from 1900 to 1942, winning an
incredible 20 championships. He achieved
legendary status not only at Roman, but
in the entire Philadelphia region, and the
prestigious Markward Award is presented
annually to Philadelphia’s top Catholic
League scholar/athlete.
As for Johnny Lee, breaking down racial
barriers became something of a family
trait. Johnny’s granddaughter, Sister Cora
Marie Billings, became the first African
American to enter a community of nuns in
Philadelphia, and the first to join the Sisters
of Mercy. She also became the first African
American in the U.S. to serve as the leader
of a Church parish as pastoral coordinator
for St. Elizabeth’s in Richmond, Va.
Another of Lee’s lasting legacies at
Roman is readily evident when reviewing
the success that the school has achieved
in basketball since 1968. Largely due to
the contributions of many great African
American players during that span, Roman
won an unprecedented 18 Catholic League
championships, and their current team is
nationally ranked.
When we look back upon this incident
from 1902, we can appreciate just how far
our nation has progressed in eliminating
discrimination. However, the social unrest
resulting from the recent incidents in Ferguson and New York are sobering reminders
that far too often our society has a troubling
tendency to split opinions along racial lines.
Our inability to determine the reason why
we continue to divide this way leaves us
angry and frustrated, and we blame each
other for this failure. Perhaps, before we can
find an answer and move forward, we need
to look back and remember the pledge that
was made in that 3rd floor gymnasium at
Broad and Vine streets over 100 years ago.
For what the Roman Catholic High School
basketball team understood back then, but
what many of us fail to realize today, is that
the primary reason for our failure is ignorance, and the first step in defeating it is to
stand together and confront it.
Chris Gibbons ’79 is a Philadelphia writer.
He can be reached at [email protected]
14
Winter Sports Recap
Roman Catholic High School
Indoor Track
Swimming
Bowling
The Bowling team had a fantastic season
in which they finished first in the Philadelphia Catholic League regular season with
a record of 46-10. The Cahillites bowled
their way to the PCL Championship but
unfortunately they did not capture the title.
Matthew Mayfield ’17 was named Philadelphia Catholic League MVP. In post-season
play, the team finished 13th out of 35 teams
in the state tournament.
Basketball
The basketball team had a historic season
in which they won the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship, District XII
Championship and Roman’s first ever State
Championship. View the next page for a
complete season recap by Athletic Director,
Daniel DiBeradinis ’05.
Ice Hockey
Roman Ice Hockey had a strong season
with varsity finishing with a record of 13-43 and junior varsity finishing 12-5-1. Both
teams had turnaround seasons after having
losing records the year before. The coaching
staff credited solid senior leadership for the
improvement in both teams. Major season
highlights included the JV team winning the
prestigious Sammartino Cup, and varsity
skated their way to the Philadelphia Catholic League final. The Cahillites lost a close
game and finished second in the league.
Swimming
The Swim team finished a respectful
sixth place at both the PCL and District 12
competition. A total of 10 Roman swimmers qualified for District competition. The
majority of the team recorded personal bests
in the pool throughout the season.
Ice Hockey
Indoor Track & Field
The Indoor Track & Field team saw
seniors Jordan Jones ’15 (400 meters in
states, 4x200 in states and Nationals), Jordan Coles ’15 (4x200 team), Calvin Dennis
’15 (4x200 team) and Colyn Todd ’15 (60
meter hurdles in states and Nationals and
4x200 team) qualify to race in states and the
emerging elite national New Balance Games
in New York.
Colyn Todd placed 10th overall in the
hurdles at states, while Jones ran the 400
and placed 10th best runner in his respective race. The 4x200 team also made an
incredible comeback in their race. Trailing
by 15 meters with 100 left to go, Jones not
only closed the gap, but took the lead and
helped his relay team land the 13th overall
spot in states gaining a victory over all PCL
teams that raced that day.
Todd’s victories and the 4x200 team
would gain them a spot at the Emerging
Elite New Balance National Games. Todd
ran the 60 meter
hurdles where he
placed 14th and
was a part of the
4x200 meter relay
that finished 14th
in the Emerging
Elite race with
fellow runners
Jones, Coles, and
Dennis.
Bowling
Wrestling
Wrestling
The wrestling team had a strong season
on the mat thanks to a team consisting of
hard working young athletes and senior
leadership guiding the way. The team placed
first in the Cadet Invitational at Valley Forge
Military Academy. This was the program’s
first team tournament win since 2007. In
the individual post-season, Roman placed
fifth in the Philadelphia Catholic League,
ninth in the District and had six All-Catholics, seven District Qualifiers and four Regional qualifiers. The four regional qualifiers
were freshman, Mike Leyland ’18 who led
the team in wins with a 25-15 record mainly
in 182lb weight class; 15 of those wins were
pins. Senior, Josh Mitchell ’15 who had
a record of 21-15 with 12 pins wrestled
170lbs in the post-season. Only a second
year wrestler, Senior Joar Dahn ’15 posted
an impressive 20-17 record in a tough 160lb
weight class. Tyler Ricco ’15 wrestled at 145
lbs and had a record of 17-9 with 8 pins.
Wrestling Team: Champions of 2015 Cadet Invitational.
15The Empire
2014-2015 Roman Basketball: A Historic Season
By Daniel DiBeradinis ’05 Athletic Director
The 2014-15 Basketball team will be remembered throughout
Following the PCL title game, Roman faced Martin Luther King
history at Broad and Vine. Led by head coach Chris McNesby
High School in the District XII title game for the third consecutive
’95, the Cahillites started their season with a lot of promise. The
year. In a true battle the team pulled out a 2-point victory and seCahillites stormed out of the gates to a 9-0 record before league play
cured the number one seed heading into the state tournament. The
and won two very prestigious tournaments in the DC Gonzaga Clas- Cahillites have struggled in the state tournament since going PIAA
sic and Stop DWI Tournament of Champions. However, after the
in 2009, with our longest run bringing them to the quarterfinals.
early season success, the team took a huge blow when their leader
The first round of the state tournament Roman faced Downingand glue that held the team together, senior and team captain Trevtown West, in a back fourth game, the Cahillites pulled away down
aughn Wilkerson ’15, went down for the year with an MCL tear.
the stretch to a cruise to a 68-52 victory. Next up was Cedar Crest
Despite losing Wilkerson for the
of District III – our boys trailed early, but came out firing in the
season, the team battled through
second half to pull away to a 52-35
one of the toughest leagues in the
victory. In the quarterfinals, Roman
country, the Philadelphia Catholic
squared off against District I power,
League, to finish with a 11-2 record
Pennsbury, and in a back and forth game,
and a second place overall finish. In
our Cahillites advanced to the final four
the quarterfinals, the team matched
with a 58-57 win. In the semifinals, Roup with one of their regular season
man met another District III team in JP
losses, Archbishop Wood. The secMcCaskey High School. Much like most
ond time around, Roman reversed
big games this season, the team fought
the scripts and won the revenge
hard and showed great desire and dedicagame in front of a huge crowd at
tion to win 69-66 to bring Roman to its
Philadelphia University. In the
first ever state title game. In the finals,
semifinal game the Cahillites went
Roman matched up with a familiar foe in
up against Archbishop Carroll and
Martin Luther King High School. Unlike
PG, Tony Carr ’16 leads the
highly touted recruit Derrick Jones.
the first meeting, the Cahillites took conCahillites down the court.
Roman started slow out of the gate
trol from the beginning and never looked
and fell behind to face a 16-point
back, coasting to a 62-45 victory at the
deficit. The team showed great resilience and heart by rallying beGiant Center in Hershey, PA.
hind senior big man Manny Taylor ’15 and junior point guard Tony
This was truly a great season in which
Carr ’16 to battle all the way back and lead the Purple and Gold
the team made history by winning the
to the PCL Finals. In the finals, Catholic High faced their rivals,
first state title ever for Roman Catholic
the Saints of Neumann Goretti, who had won 6 straight PCL titles
High School. This team embodied what
including last year’s win over the Cahillites. This year was a different our school is about, brotherhood, hard
story though. The Cahillites led from start to finish in an intense
work, and determination. It was truly a
battle that brought the hubcap back to where it belongs: on Broad
victory not only for the players, but one Gemil Holbrook ’15, shoots
and Vine. This victory took place in front of a capacity crowd at the for all members of the Roman Catholic a three point shot in the PCL
Palestra as Roman students, alumni, and families packed the best
community, present and past.
Final. Holbrook will play for
venue for basketball in the city.
Rider University next year.
The team in the main entrance of school with all the Championships
won in the 2014-15 season.
The team stands in front of the loud and proud student section before the PCL
Championship game begins.
16
Spring Sports Recap
Roman Catholic High School
Baseball
Crew
Baseball: After returning to the PCL
Championship in 2014 for the first time
since 1992 the Cahillites graduated 12
seniors. The 2015 season began as a retooling year with many sophomores and juniors
playing key roles along with the seven
rostered seniors. The Cahillites finished the
season 10-8 with a loss to LaSalle in the
quarterfinals 4-2. But the season was yet
another successful one as Roman took on
the top teams in PA, NJ and DE. Roman
earned a top 25 ranking in Southeast PA
six out of the eight weeks the rankings were
released. The Cahillites produced 4 All
Catholics, 3 All City and 2 All-Southeast
players. With many players who played key
roles in the 2015 season returning, Roman
baseball should once again be one of the top
teams in the area and the state.
Crew: Roman Catholic Rowing had a
historic spring season. Lead by a strong
senior group, and promising young rowers,
Roman dominated the local racing circuit
and found themselves competing against the
best in the country.
The varsity quad had an undefeated
scholastic spring season winning the Triple
Crown title (Philadelphia City Championships, Stotesbury Cup Regatta, and Scholastic Nationals). This was the first crew to
achieve this title since 2001. They went on
to compete against the best club teams in
the country at the Youth Nationals Regatta
held in Sarasota, FL where they placed 7th,
winning the petite finals.
Roman’s depth was also showcased this
spring with wins in the JV and lightweight
quads, and second place finish by the
varsity double and the freshman/novice
double at the Philadelphia City Championships. The lightweight quad also went on
Lacrosse
Rugby
to win a bronze at the Scholastic National
Regatta. Roman also repeated a victory in
winning the Dr. V. Horvat Men’s Sculling
Team Points trophy for the Manny Flicks,
a five week racing circuit that occurs on the
Schuylkill before the championship season
that scores all boats raced by the program.
Six seniors will continue to row in
college and have received financial aid for
their contributions. Bill Schmidt and Ben
Weaver will move on to row at the University of Pennsylvania. Joe Leyland, Joe Wellein
and Tyler Judge will move on to compete at
Temple University. Tim Kutchner will be
rowing nearby at Drexel University.
Lacrosse: Coach Brennan had a young
team to work with in his final year coaching
Lacrosse. The team struggled in league play
and did not make the play-offs, but they
did post a 10-8 record overall with many
victories over non-league teams.
Rugby: Still being one of Roman’s newest
sports (founded in 2011), Rugby is building
a better program every year. The team went
2-4 this season, one win included at 22-0
shutout of Father Judge. The team
was also invited to compete in the
prestigious Neumann University
national high school tournament at
PPL Park at the end of May. The
team gained great experience that
will carry over into next season.
Tennis: The team started slowly
with a 1-5 record. But thanks to
continual improvement and dedication to practice, Roman started
winning and defeated Carroll in an
important match which ultimately
allowed Roman to finish 3rd in the
Tennis
Volleyball
PCL. Roman looked strong in defeating
O’Hara in the quarterfinals, however they
could not overcome the higher seeded St.
Joe’s Prep in the semifinals. After that slow
1-5 start, the team finished the PCL at 5-3
and 7-7 overall.
The team’s top player, junior Sebastian
Lipinski was voted 2nd Team All-Catholic.
He then teamed with Junior Mike Hopkins
to finish as the Consolation Bracket winner
of the PIAA District XII doubles tournament. Another bright spot in the season
was when Junior Mario Millares accepted
a try-out invitation after Coach watched
him playing ball in the school yard. Mario
quickly picked up the sport and got better
each day, making valuable doubles contributions to the team.
Volleyball: In the second season of Roman
Volleyball, Coach Ping and her staff coached
the Cahillites to an 8-9 record and a league
record of 6-6. That record gained Roman
a playoff spot where they defeated LaSalle,
who had beat them twice in the regular
season, in the quarterfinals but then lost in
the semifinals to Wood.
Roman Crew’s Varsity Quad is the program’s first triple crown
since 2001.
17The Empire
Thoughts While Lining the Field
Jim Brennan ’97
After this season,
Coach Jim Brennan ’97
retired as head Lacrosse
coach, below is a reflection
on his time coaching.
Alumni and current student athletes after the annual Lacrosse Alumni game.
So for 14 seasons, from mid-February to
When I first started coaching, I was 22
stead of accepting what they are. I rememmid-May, I have the enjoyable task of lining ber my group of North Catholic boys, who
and just a couple of years older than the
Riverfield for lacrosse games or practice and
boys I was coaching. I felt like a big brother.
went through a difficult transition when
calling the fieldhouse my home away from
Over the years, as I got older this changed,
they came to Roman, and showed me that
home. I never had to paint the field alone
from big brother to bigger, older, grayer
Catholic morals are instilled at more places
though. Each year, I got a new group of
brother. Now as the lacrosse alumni start
than just Roman. I remember Coach Kev’s
players to help.
to show up to Riverfield for the game, guys
conditioning sessions and the infamous
While lining the field, I could meditate
from a long time ago, and start to put on
“Why ya walking?” I think about our jug
on the practice plan for that day or the
their helmets and pads from various colleges
runs. I think about Dave Kedra and Shane
game-strategy for our upcoming opponent.
Montgomery who played for the name writ- or their old Roman gear, I feel like I’m
At the end of this past season, while lining
catching up with a friend that I haven’t seen
ten across the chest of their jersey. I think
the field for what would be my last time
in a long time.
about all the parents over the years that
preparing for the annual varsity vs. alumni
John Wooden, the legendary UCLA
stood on the sideline and cheered and were
game, I found myself being nostalgic and
basketball coach, said, “Sports do not build
supportive of Roman lacrosse regardless of
thinking of all the players and coaches who
character. They reveal it.” Over 14 years of
the outcome. I think about all the assistant
have affected me over my career.
standing on the sideline, “My Boys” revealed
coaches who helped me with the team and
When I first started coaching, I thought
mine.
how they became my cloest friends.
it was all about winning. Over the years
though, I could see the impact I was having
on the boys regardless of our record. It’s
funny, when I reminisce about my time
coaching, it’s not what happened on the
field that stands out to me, but the people
who were on it. I got the opportunity to
watch my boys grow from scared freshman
into confident seniors. No matter how bad
things got, they always found a way to make
me laugh.
Each season, the team left some type of
impact on me. I remember one playoff game
when we had about a 300-yard walk to the
game field. The team sang together from the
moment they stepped off the bus the whole
trek to the field. I think about the various
Roman coaches for all the other sports and
how I tried to emulate how they get their
Student Athletes representing all 17 sports offered at RCHS.
players to believe in what they can be inFor updates on athletics follow @RomanAthletics on Twitter.
18
Roman Catholic High School
RCHS Mock Trial: A Powerhouse for the Decades
Michael Schwoerer ’15
RCHS Mock Trial: Back-to-Back City Champions!
Roman’s Mock Trial team had another tremendous season in
which, for a second straight year, they won both the City
Championship and advanced to the State Finals in a field of
over 300 teams. Below, team captain and Class of 2015
graduate Michael Schwoerer reflects on this season and his
experience with Roman Mock Trial over his four years.
“My friends and I have been accused
of causing the overdose of a track star, the
crushing of two people (with a construction
crane, no less), and the extinction of a helpless
population of bog turtles. We’ve even been
blamed for the stoning of a single mother, the
shooting of a minor, and the drowning of a
young bride. We’ve been called evil, villainous,
degenerate, and even unconstitutional, but
never guilty.”
This is how I started my essay for the
Common Application, a forum for college
admissions, my senior year. Now, before you
start worrying about the number of potential
felons in Roman’s student body, I should let
you know that this essay was not about actual
crimes, but fictitious cases in mock trial.
Mock trial is a competitive activity that,
as David Nugent ’15 puts it “tiptoes the line
between acting and debate.” The Pennsylvania
Bar Association, an organization of the state’s
lawyers, publishes a case annually in autumn.
This fictional storyline revolves around a legal
incident, either civil or criminal, to be argued
in the court of law; the cases are complete with
witness statements, exhibits, stipulations, and
legal precedents. Students analyze this case,
taking on the roles of witnesses and attorneys.
Witnesses assume the persona of a character in
the case, be it a homeless eyewitness, an aged
expert, or a seedy defendant. The attorneys
write direct and cross examinations, deliver
opening and closing statements, and make the
ever-exciting objections. Plaintiff/prosecution
and defense teams from different schools verse
each other in simulations of the trial, with the
winner determined by the quality of the ora-
tions and the cogency of the arguments.
Over the past few years, Roman’s mock
trial team, led by head coach Steven B. Patton
’08, has been a powerhouse. Over my four
years at Broad and Vine, the team brought
home countless trophies from tournaments
held at The University of Pittsburgh, La Salle
University, The University of Pennsylvania,
Yale and NYU; however, the team was experiencing a 4-year drought in the city tournament, with the last win occurring in 2010.
That is, until 2014 rolled along.
As a member of the A-team in 2014, I can
truly say that we had a magical ride. Captained
by George Zindel ’14, we faced Girard College
(the same team that had knocked us out the
year before) in the City Championship. We
defeated them handily, and broke the drought,
taking the title for Roman. Riding that
wave of enthusiasm, we made it to the State
Championship round in Harrisburg, where we
were defeated in the closest final round in the
tournament’s history. Regardless, that was our
most decorated season we had ever had.
This year, it was the class of 2015’s turn
to take control, with Kyle Westerfer ’15 and
I serving as co-captains. Quite frankly, I was
worried. We had lost four great individuals
from the year before, and I was concerned that
my senior year would be nothing more than a
rebuilding year for the program.
I could not have been more incorrect.
Though we had to work out many things
during the season (an outfit here, an accent
there), by the time the city tournament began,
things clicked. We defeated school after school
– Masterman, Nazareth, Central, and more
– all to get back to the City Championships,
where we versed none other than St. Joseph’s
Prep. In true Cahillite fashion, we shut them
out by winning all nine ballots from the jury.
We were back-to-back city champions, and
it was fantastic. And for the second time in
a row, we were named the second-best team
in the state of Pennsylvania. Though it was
disappointing to have lost in the championship round twice, no team in the state has had
a more successful two years than ours.
Our team would be nothing without the
immense outpouring of support it receives
from the Alumni Association. All of our
coaches (with the exception of John Pensabene, our faculty moderator and bastion of
rhetoric) are alumni from the past decade who
have come back to help their school thrive.
Countless alumni, several of whom went
through the mock trial program themselves,
have come to support us at our trials. And
most notably, the Alumni Association has
assisted the program by funding the purchase
of championship rings for the students on the
City Championship team. Having experienced
all these things, I truly appreciate all that the
Alumni Association has done for me and the
mock trial program.
So will the class of 2016 step up to the
plate? Will they defend the city title a third
year in a row? I don’t doubt it. With the
concerted effort of more than 40 brilliant
students, the dedication of several alumni
coaches, and the tremendous backing of an
outstanding alumni association, this year’s
team has a bright future ahead of them indeed.
19The Empire
Farewell to a Friend and Leader
Mr. O’Neill retires as Principal of RCHS
Mr. O’Neill graduated from North Catholic High School in June of 1965 and
enrolled in LaSalle University, majoring in English. He began his teaching career at
Bishop Egan High School, in Fairless Hills, and entered the hallowed halls of Catholic
High in September of 1993. His first position was that of Assistant Principal of Student
Services, commonly known as the Disciplinarian. In this role, Mr. O’Neill immediately
went to work, bringing stability and consistency to in the application of law and order at
Broad & Vine. Yet, while enforcing the rules, Mr. O’Neill was always concerned about
the ‘students as people’ who were dealing with difficult issues in their lives. He would
set high standards, was fair and equitable, and yet would assist struggling students with
compassion and understanding. In September of 2002, Mr. O’Neill was named Principal
of Roman Catholic High School. It was obvious to all that Mr. O’Neill loved this new
position. He never missed an opportunity to speak at the various sports banquets and
parent and student assemblies.
His daily reminders on the PA system “to tuckyour-shirttails in and to wear your ID’s around your
neck” are legendary. As all of us know, Mr. O’Neill
loves to tell a joke, and actually thinks the ones he tells
are funny!
In January, Mr. O’Neill announced his much deserved retirement. Having worked for 46 years in the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and spending the last 22
years at Catholic High, thousands of students are indebted to him for his commitment to Catholic Education, his genuine concern for the students entrusted to
his care and for the fine example of a faith-filled son,
husband, father, and Catholic School administrator.
Thank you Mr. O’Neill for all you have done for Roman Catholic High School and enjoy your retirement!
20
Roman Catholic High School
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, Patron of World Meeting of Families,
and her impact on a Roman alumnus
By: Joe Cunningham ’70
Joseph W. Cunningham, B.A., M.A., J.D., ’70, teaches Latin, French and Theology at Roman.
He is the Founder and President Emeritus of the Society of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.
Catholic Standard and Times newspaper. I
ended up calling the home of Blessed Gianna and began a life-changing relationship
with the husband of the saint, Mr. Pietro
Molla. Mr. Molla sent me relics, photos,
and books about his wife which resulted
in my second article for the CS&T for
Mother’s Day of 1998. Then the invitations
to give presentations on her life and holiness
started to come in.
Photo from Gianna from Canonization.
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla and Saint
John Paul II are the patrons of the World
Meeting of Families to take place in Philadelphia in September. Here are some bullet
points about her:
• Saint Gianna was the last of 480 plus
saints canonized by Saint John Paul II.
• She is the only female medical doctor ever canonized by the Catholic
Church.
• She is the first mother of a family, who
was not a religious, to be canonized
by the Church since the Middle Ages.
Indeed, her unique title at the canonization was “Mother of a Family.”
• Her husband and three children attended her canonization.
I am blessed to have known her husband
and to be close to their children. I led a
pilgrimage of people from the United States
to the canonization at the Vatican on May
16, 2004. Our archdiocesan shrine to Saint
Gianna in Warminster, Pennsylvania is the
only one dedicated to her in the USA.
In 1998 I learned of then Blessed Gianna
Beretta Molla. Intrigued with this Italian
wife, mother, and pediatrician who died in
1962 at age 39, I wrote an article for the
Mr. Pietro Molla and Joe Cunningham.
November 1, 2007.
I formed the Society of Saint Gianna and
began giving talks on her life throughout
the country and in Canada. I appeared on
Mother Angelica Live (Eternal Word Television Network), and on many national radio
programs. I even served as host of my own
radio show for 16 months over Holy Spirit
Radio of Doylestown. I wrote a chapter
in the book Amazing Grace for Mothers,
authored numerous articles in newspapers
and magazines throughout the world and
was national spokesman for Ignatius Press,
promoting her biography.
Saint Gianna’s daughter, Dr. Gianna
Emanuela Molla, went to the second World
Meeting of Families in Brazil with her sister
Laura. At that time, she addressed the
convention with these words, “Thank you,
mom, for having given me life two times:
when you conceived me and when you
permitted me to be born, protecting my
life…And so, my life seeks to be the natural
continuation of your life, of your joy of living, of your enthusiasm, and it finds its full
meaning in the dedication to whoever lives
in suffering.” As you may know, Saint Gianna died within a week of giving birth to
this daughter. This daughter will be attending the WMOF with her siblings, Pierluigi
and Laura. Our Society of Saint Gianna
will have a booth with the Molla family
at the entrance to the Convention Center.
Hope you can come too! For more information about the life and holiness of Saint
Gianna, please look at our website:
www.saintgianna.org.
Saint John Paul II and Saint
Gianna have been chosen
as the two worthy Patron
Saints to guide all in
preparation and
participation of this
international event as they
fully embody the
history, mission and theme
of the World Meeting of
Families 2015.
– Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
21The Empire
Alumni Profile: Michael Varga ’73
From Broad and Vine to a Career Abroad
Michael Varga would not settle for one dream. He had two: writing and traveling.
The writing bug bit this Philadelphia Catholic boy back in elementary school when he stood
before his class and read a story he had written, watching his classmates wait in anticipation for how
the story would end.
The desire to travel came from listening to his father escape to the basement of their house and
tune his shortwave radio to the strange sounds of other languages, broadcast from unknown corners
of the world. Michael’s family was poor, so there was no money for traveling. But listening to that
shortwave radio, they could escape to Europe, the South Pacific and other exotic locales with hard-topronounce names. Michael also greatly enjoyed his French classes at Catholic High in the 1970s and
remembers legendary teachers in social studies, like Mr. Sfrisi, having a great influence on his interest
in traveling the world.
Varga would go on to achieve his dreams and, ironically, find a way to combine the two.
After graduating from Roman in 1973, Varga continued his education at Rider College (now
Rider University). Graduating in 1977 and earning his K-through 12 teaching certificate, the pull of
Varga’s dreams intensified. Varga felt the Peace Corps would be his ticket to travel while also providing him a chance to do good for others.
Three weeks after graduating from Rider, Varga left for his two year Peace Corps stint in the middle of Africa. There, Varga fell in love
with his new home, Chad, and its people. All went well with his Peace Corps duties until civil war broke out and all Americans were evacuated from the turbulent nation. There are no Peace Corps Volunteers in Chad today because of the continued threats to security.
After a variety of jobs upon returning to the States, Michael landed at the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN) where he earned
his Master’s in Development Economics in 1985.
While living in South Bend, Varga used his experience abroad to write a play, Payable Upon Return. The play had been published by the
Juniper Press at the University Of Notre Dame in 1983. The play centers on a group of friends, one of whom returns from the Peace Corps.
Payable Upon Return won first prize in The Acting Ensemble New Play competition in 1985.
Longing for more travel, Varga passed the Foreign Service Exam to become an American diplomat. During his career as a Foreign Service
Officer with the U.S. State Department he served in the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Morocco and Canada. He also served in Washington, D.C. in the Economic Bureau and as the desk officer for Lebanon when the last American hostages were released in the 1990s. He was
also a Pearson Fellow at the World Trade Center, Miami.
During his time as a diplomat, Michael wrote a short story, Collapsing Into Zimbabwe, which won the Toronto Star’s annual contest in
1995. His honors were not limited to his writing. Varga earned a Meritorious Honor award for individual accomplishment in Casablanca,
Morocco and another one in Toronto, Canada. As part of a team, he shared in another group Meritorious Honor award for Foreign Service
Officers who worked behind the scenes at the G-7 (now
the G-8) Summit in Halifax, Canada in 1995.
Since his retirement from the Foreign Service, Michael
is committed to various volunteering projects, his writing
and enjoying his family. His first book, a novel, Under
Chad’s Spell was published late last year and he is currently
working another novel about the Foreign Service.
Varga now resides in Georgia, but still often travels and
found himself back in Philadelphia this past May. Varga
received a tour of Roman and was impressed to see how
Catholic High had evolved since he had last been there in
the 1970s.
(The majority of the this information is from Michael Varga’s
personal website)
(photo credit to www.MichaelVarga.com)
To find out more about Varga and his works visit:
www.MichaelVarga.com
Varga as a vice-consul in Dubai during his first tour in the U.S. Foreign Service.
22
Roman Catholic High School
Class Notes, Reunions and More!
1980-Dr. John Beach ’80, a current faculty
member, is serving as Chairperson of the
Secondary Mathematic Committee for
the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. With his
Algebra II classes, Dr. Beach also organized
the donation of 21 oversized cartons of
canned food to the Lazarus House in North
Wildwood.
1999-Congratulations to Joseph Rudic ’99
who got married on October 11, 2014 to
Danielle Wiest. The couple is expecting
their first child this summer.
2004-Glenn Ochal ’04 ,who won a bronze
medal at the 2012 Olympics, won gold in
June at World Rowing’s World Cup II in
Varese, Italy, with the United States’ men’s
four boat. Ochal will compete in the World
Championships in six weeks as he continues
to prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games.
2007-Congratulations to Tim Gonzalez
’07 on his marriage on May 23rd, 2015 to
Shawn (Doherty) Gonzalez who is a sister to
three Cahillites: John ’11, Patrick ’14
and Joseph Doherty ’17.
Congratulations to James Casey ’07 on his
engagement to his finance Colleen Larmour.
Casey popped the question while on
vacation in Dublin, Ireland.
Bradley Wanamaker ’07 is now one of the
top guards playing basketball in Europe.
His team won the German A league and
Wanamaker was named MVP.
2008-Congratulations and best of luck
to Matt Anderson ’08 who is working for
Grosvenor Capital Management LP in their
Private Equity Valuations Group in the
Assistant Vice President role.
Congratulations to Dan Loftus ’08 on his
marriage in April to wife Maria (Mendez)
Loftus.
Mike Haughney ’08 married Allison
Pohl on June 5, 2015. The wedding was
held at Presentation B.V.M. in Cheltenham, PA and the reception at the Manor
House at Commonwealth in Horsham,
PA. Alli and Mike met during their freshmen year
at Penn State. They look forward to the years ahead!
2009-Pete Dudek ’09 graduated from
Temple University last year with a degree in
Civil Engineering and is commissioned as a
Second Lieutenant in the National Guard.
2010-Congratulations Stephen Purcell ’10
on earning a full-ride scholarship to Drexel
University’s Thomas R. Kline School of
Law. He begins classes in the upcoming Fall
semester.
Roman alums are making an impact in the
Polish American String Band. Steve Miller
’02 is the band’s theme chairman, Nick
Magenta ’06 is the captain, Louis Fratarri
’08 recently became the music director and
Tim Magenta ’10 is the band’s designer and
painter.
The Class of 1964 reunion.
Congratulations to faculty member, Dr. Michael Bell on being
ordained a Deacon on Saturday, June 6th, 2015. Above is a photo of
fellow faculty members with Dr. Bell on the night of his ordination.
Roman’s faculty is strong in supporting each other both at Broad and
Vine and in life!
Class of 2005: 10 year reunion.
Class of 2010: 5 year reunion.
Start planning your reunion!
Contact 215-627-5487 or [email protected] to get involved!
23The Empire
Letters to Roman
The following are portions of letters from student teachers and faculty members
expressing the impact that being part of the Roman family had on them…
Dear Faculty & Staff of Roman Catholic,
We wanted to take this opportunity to not only thank you
for the support we have received from all of you, but also to
let you know just how significant an impact you had on our
brief time working at Roman. When we entered the school
full time in January, any doubts we had of feeling left out, or
not fitting in were wiped away completely by the amount of
support, warmth, and welcome we received from all of you.
We are certain that had we not been placed at Roman, not
only would our semesters have been very different, but we
might not be the same teachers that are leaving. We consider
ourselves extremely blessed to have been able to call Roman
our home for the 3 months, and the memories that we have
made here we will cherish for a long time to come. We
cannot thank you enough for welcoming us into this
wonderful, caring, and loving family.
Sincerely,
The La Salle University Student Teachers
(Jeff Lucia, Matthew Roche, and Emily Aagesen)
I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my thanks
and utmost gratitude for all of your advice, wisdom, tips and
tricks, and most importantly your friendship (both new and
continued). This past semester was more than I could have
ever hoped it would be for my student teaching experience.
The lessons that I learned and the experiences that I have had
this semester are ones that I will truly treasure and always take
with me wherever I go. You have given me the confidence,
guidance, and tools necessary to truly succeed in this life as
an educator. I know I have been trying in this letter to express
my thanks and gratitude, but, in all honesty, words cannot
truly express these feelings. I hope that in the future I can return to Roman Catholic and work alongside you once again.
Thank you again for all that you have done for me as both a
former student of the school and an educator in training.
The three LaSalle University student teachers with their mentors:
Mr. Corrigan, Mr. McAndrew and Mr. Azzara.
Ms. Mary Kate Reilly, a Masters student in St. Joseph’s University’s
Alliance for Catholic Education program, taught American Government at Roman this past year. She also taught at Hallahan and will
be teaching at our sister school full-time for the 2015-16 year. Below
is a portion of her letter reflecting on her time at Roman…
Dear Faculty & Staff of Roman Catholic High School,
I don’t think I’ll ever truly be able to express the depth of my
gratitude for the kindness you’ve shown me over the course
of the last year. I began the school year intimidated and overwhelmed; I finish it confident, capable, and so, so proud to have
been, even for a short time, a part of this incredible school.
Thank you for your friendship, your patience, your support, and
your willingness to advise and guide me through the moments
that challenged me most. Thank you for sharing your wisdom,
for welcoming me into the RCHS family, and for teaching me
every day, in word and deed, what it truly means to be a Catholic
educator.
Sincerely,
Matthew McShane ’11 (Student teacher from Temple University)
Pictured left to right: Father James Casey, Ms. Reilly and Mr. McShane.
Roman Catholic High School
The Empire
301 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
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SAVE THE DATE
Alumni Memorial Mass and Communion Breakfast
As our 125th anniversary is coming to an end, we would like to extend an invitation to all Roman Catholic Alumni to attend the
Alumni Memorial Mass and Communion Breakfast.
The annual Communion Breakfast will take place on November 29, 2015. The memorial mass will held at the Cathedral of Saints Peter
and Paul at 9:30 a.m. Immediately following the mass, breakfast will be served at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel. This year, we would like
to welcome our guest speaker United States Senator, Pat Toomey.
To honor our 125th Anniversary one final time, we ask that you help us to make this our biggest year yet. Our goal is to have 1,000
attendees at this year’s event. Over the years, Roman Catholic High School has been able to provide young men with a challenging academic curriculum in a faith based environment. The last 125 years would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication of our
alumni. As always, we thank you for your support and we hope to see you on November 29th!