Letter from the President Dear Friends of Northwest Catholic, “True happiness is found in unselfish love, a love which increases in proportion as it is shared.” — Thomas Merton Those present in the Cathedral of St. Joseph at this year’s commencement exercises were riveted by the words of Rev. Rick Frechette ’71. For more than two decades, Fr. Rick has been giving his most precious resources – his time and the love in his heart — to the poorest of the poor in Haiti. By giving all he has to offer, he brings dignity and hope to the impoverished and uneducated. During his talk, he impressed upon our graduates that, when he was a senior at Northwest Catholic, his future was no differ- ent from theirs — he began his life’s journey from the same pews in which they were sitting that evening. The power of Fr. Rick’s message lies in the beautiful expression of his inner self. To be in his presence is to under- stand that he gives completely of himself to others. This manifestation of giving of self is the thread that runs through this issue of Logos. The faculty, students, alumni, and parents in our community are endowed with many gifts. In different ways, and in varying degrees, we witness every day how these individuals share their gifts with others. The stories in this issue demonstrate how people adopt the values they’ve learned here and carry them out into the world. I urge you to read the article by Wilder Leavitt ’82, in which he describes how he assisted a helpless individual in dire need. Read the remarkable commencement speeches of Sarah Schwartz ’07 and Kimberly Oaks ‘07, two teenagers who were honored for their academic achievements yet chose to speak about the way their community service shaped their careers at Northwest Catholic. Then I respectfully ask you to send me an email ([email protected]) and let me know if these pieces did not bring a tear to your eye. There are students at Northwest Catholic who will follow the road taken by Fr. Rick. Many others will come to understand that their daily expressions of love, shared with friends and neighbors right here at home, can also trans- form lives in meaningful ways. Within the fullness of our community percolates the hopes, desires and joys of peo- ple whose happiness is found in the multifaceted ways in which they share their gifts. In this issue, you will also find our Annual Report – which seems only fitting, since it is the financial gifts from our many donors that make the present possible for our current students. These gifts, too, are expressions of love and hope for the future of our School. And, we — faculty, staff, volunteers, and Board members – are grateful to give ourselves in service to them as well. Sincerely, Matthew O’N. Fitzsimons President 2 LOGOS THE MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL CONTENTS FALL 2007 4 HOME FROM HAITI, AN ALUMNUS TELLS GRADUATES: “THE WORLD NEEDS YOU” 8 STUDENT PERSPECTIVE “One measure of success is how much you do for others” By SARAH SCHWARTZ ‘07 10 STUDENT PERSPECTIVE “Live with gratitude and enthusiasm” By KIMBERLY OAKS ‘07 12 ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE “Strive constantly to make a difference” By WILDER J. LEAVITT ‘82 The Magazine of Northwest Catholic High School 14 FAITH IN ACTION Service Projects Build Community – On Campus and Off LogogosoFALLs 2007 The Greek word or logos (pronounced lo-gaas) is defined as “word” or “meaning.” St. John’s gospel opens: “In the beginning was Logos (the Word), and Logos was with God, and Logos was God.” The phrase “Word (Logos) of 17 ANNUAL REPORT,2006-07 God,” found in John 1:1 and elsewhere, shows God’s desire and ability to “speak” to the human. The Dominicans (the founding Order of Northwest Catholic) have been noted for their effective ability to preach the word. The mission of the Dominicans is to provide intellectual formation, social commu- nication, and service through word and action. Our publication, Logos, con- veys our mission and values through this medium of the word. Logos is published three times a year by the Communications Department of Northwest Catholic High School. Please send comments or suggestions to: Departments Michelle M. Murphy Director of Communications Northwest Catholic High School NEWS FROM 29 WAMPANOAG 29 Wampanoag Drive 48 West Hartford, CT 06117 860.236.4221 x133 [email protected] 51 SPORTS NEWS Editor: Michelle M. Murphy President: Matthew O’N. Fitzsimons Photography: Art Rich Studios; Congregation of the Passion; 54 ALUMNI NEWS Mark Dodd; Michelle Murphy; Nancy Taylor Design: GO media Contributors: Wilder J. Leavitt ‘82, Kimberly Oaks ‘07, Sarah Schwartz ‘07, John Shukie THE MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL FALL 2007 3 HOME FROM HAITI, AN ALUMNUS TELLS GRADUATES: “TheWORLD NeedsYou ” Because he can’t always build new schools, Fr. Rick also creates schools in the areas where the children actually live. These Cover Story “street schools” may look like they’re about to fall down, but inside they are an oasis for children who otherwise have no place to go for a daily meal, clean water,and a sense of belonging. aiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, sits just a few hundred miles off the coast of the richest. H Here in the United States, there is one doctor for every 500 people; in Haiti, it’s one for every 15,000. The infant mor- tality rate is staggering: 20% of all Haitian children die before they turn five. This is the environment in which Rev. Richard Frechette ’71, Northwest Catholic’s 2007 commencement speaker, has labored over the past 20 years – a labor of love that so captivated the 139 graduates and their families, you could hear a pin drop. Fr. Frechette arrived in Hartford late on June 5, the night before graduation. He couldn’t leave Haiti, he said, until he’d completed one of his most gruesome, yet grace-filled, daily chores: burying the children who’d died overnight. “I bathe them, anoint them with scented oils, wrap them, and bury them in papier mache coffins we make ourselves,” he said. “[Because] there isn’t enough wood left in Haiti for them to have wooden Fr. Rick Frechette returned to West Hartford in June to coffins.” address the Class of 2007 at commencement. He would be back in Haiti in time to perform the same task the next day. Despite the stunning sadness of these images, Fr. and God. His thread had led him, he said, to Mexico, to Frechette bore an amazingly peaceful mien as he addressed the Honduras, and then to Haiti, when he joined a charismatic bright and hopeful young adults seated before him. priest, Fr. William Wasson, who was building a home for Haitian children orphaned by the ravages of disease and vio- “I remember when I was a student, reading 1984, and how it lence. seemed so far away,” he said, adding that the unexpected death of a classmate was another vivid memory from his high school Richard Frechette’s personal “golden thread” is remarkable. years. “You see how short our life is; how fast it goes. How are At Northwest Catholic, he was actively involved in the commu- we going to spend the precious amount of time we have togeth- nity, participating in the Mission Club, the Dramateurs, Ski er on this earth?” Club, Junior Achievement, Up with People, Great Books Club, NOWECA, and the Spanish Club. He was also a member of the He urged the graduates to follow a “golden thread” they’d National Honor Society. received at baptism, the metaphorical link between themselves One in five Haitian children dies before age five; tender and respectful care of their bodies is one of Fr. Rick’s most sacred duties. THE MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL FALL 2007 5 Cover Story A graduate of Assumption College, Fr. Frechette went on to dition continued to deteriorate; today, Haiti has an 80% pover- earn two Master’s degrees in theology from St. John’s University ty rate. The “brain drain” that occurred caused many profes- in New York before being called to the Congregation of the sionals to flee the country. The need for professional health care Passion, a Catholic order of priests commonly referred to as the providers was urgent, and in the 1990s Fr. Frechette believed his Passionists. After ordination, he went to Mexico to study power to serve the people of Haiti had reached a plateau. To Spanish and begin his ministry work. From Mexico, he went to meet the overwhelming need for adequate health care, he deter- Honduras for four years to open and run an orphanage for chil- mined that he must leave Haiti for a short time to earn a med- Feature dren. ical degree in the United States. In 1987, when Fr. Frechette and Fr. Wasson began their work Twenty-five years after graduation from Northwest Catholic, with Haitian orphans, mortality of children accounted for half Fr. Frechette’s “golden thread” was taking him in a new direc- of all yearly deaths. The children served by their orphanage and tion. He trained to be a physician at the New York College of in the surrounding areas were so afflicted with AIDS, tubercu- Osteopathic Medicine of New York Institute of Technology in losis, starvation, and other problems that it was necessary to Westbury, New York. The school’s newspaper called him “one of establish a hospice, as well. the brightest stars of the class of 1998.” Fr. Frechette’s “golden thread” led him back to Haiti, where he helped to establish a Throughout the 80s and 90s, Haiti’s social and political con- Eager to learn, more than 3,000 children arrive each day at one of Fr.