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ST. RITA OF CASCIA HIGH SCHOOL TOLLE LEGE THE MAGAZINE FOR ST. RITA OF CASCIA HIGH SCHOOL

TRUTH UNITY LOVE Veritas Unitas Caritas COVID-19: EDUCATING STUDENTS IN THESE JOE ‘87 & SUE ALLEN UNCERTAIN TIMES Caritas Valentine Dinner Dance COUPLE OF THE YEAR ADMINISTRATION

President TRUTH UNITY LOVE James Quaid, Ph.D. Chairman of the Board VeritasUnitas Caritas Ernest J. Mrozek, ‘71 Vice President of Academics Wes Benak, ‘81 Vice President of Student Life CONTENT Josh Blaszak ‘02 Vice President of Finance Eileen Spulak SCHOOL NEWS OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Director of Institutional Advancement page 1 | A Message from Jim Quaid Jim Juchcinski ‘97 Director of Annual Appeal and Major Gifts page 2 | Covid-19: Educating Students in these John Schmitt ‘84 uncertain times Director of Marketing Laura Fleck page 6 | Winter Sports Wrap-up Database Manager & Director of Special Events Mary Gal Carroll page 8 | School News Director of Alumni & Donor Relations Rob Gallik ‘10 page 14 | Faculty Spotlight: 25 things with Kieran Kellam ‘98 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ernest Mrozek ‘71 (Chairman) Victoria Barrios ALUMNI NEWS James Brasher ‘71 Bernard DelGiorno HON page 16 | St. Rita Says Goodbye to Hall of Lawrence Doyle ‘68 Famer Ed Farmer James Gagnard ‘64 Thomas Healy ‘83 Catharine Hennessy page 18 | Alumni Spotlight: Marcus Belin ‘05 Nicholas LoMaglio ‘04 Donald Mrozek ‘65 page 20 | Alumni Spotlight: Mike Kafka ‘05 Clare Napleton Charles Nash ‘71 page 22 | St. Rita Featured Family: The Tracys John O’Neill ‘79 Fr. Anthony Pizzo, O.S.A. Timothy Ray ‘87 ADVANCEMENT NEWS Br. Joe Ruiz, O.S.A. Stephen Schaller ‘83 Fr. Bernard Scianna, O.S.A. ‘83 page 24 | A Message from Jim Juchcinski ‘97 Dina Scianna Ronald Skwarek ‘70 page 25 | 1905 Guild Renee Sykes Charles Volpentesta ‘92 page 26 | Caritas Valentine Dinner Dance 2020 Andrew Youpel EMERITI BOARD OF DIRECTORS page 28 | In Memoriam Ronald Abramowicz ‘60 Anthony Colosimo ‘63 Dr. John Donahue Michael J. McArdle ‘54 Fr. Thomas McCarthy, O.S.A. ‘83 Donald A. Petkus ‘58 Arthur Velasquez ‘56 A Message from the President Dr. James Quaid, Ph.D.

Dear Alumni and Friends,

My first four months as the president of St. Rita High A third objective is to reach out to the Latino School haveas been interesting. December 2, 2019 was Community. Although the Catholic Hispanic my first official day of work. On December 7, 2019, 139 population continues to thrive in the City of , eighth grade students sat for the high school entrance the percentage of Latino test takers at St. Rita has exam at St. Rita, far fewer students than would typically declined in recent years. Our Vice President of yield our ideal freshman class size. We responded to Academic Studies, Wes Benak, and I will be attending this challenge by working together to enroll as many The Latino Institute at the University of Notre Dame to of these students as possible. I am pleased to say gain some insight as to how we can better serve this that, currently, we have 114 registered freshmen for community. the 2020-21 academic year. This is an amazing yield percentage. Members of our staff in Admissions did a Although we have been faced with some challenges, great job, along with the help of faculty, staff, coaches, I have also witnessed the amazing generosity of time, the Fathers Club, and the Mothers Club. talent and treasure of the St. Rita family. Two events I was introduced to since I arrived were Winterfest Of course, we had to ask ourselves why we had (January 27, 2020) and the Caritas Valentine Dinner such a low turnout for the entrance exam. After Dance (February 8, 2020). Both were very impressive on some research, we concluded that there are several so many levels. St. Rita High School can throw a party! contributing factors. First, we need to bring back our academic support program. Since the 1960’s, St. This community can certainly come together to do Rita was an educational leader in offering a complete some great things. We will need to because recently, college preparatory program that included a course of we were faced with another challenge. The Coronavirus studies for students who needed additional support in has forced us to shut down the school building and the classroom. This program allowed for anyone who utilize remote e-learning. We will face this by doing all desired a St. Rita education to succeed and be college- we can to continue to provide our students with an ready upon graduation. Next year, we will begin to outstanding education, to serve our community and to bring it back, and the 2021 incoming freshmen will stay stable financially. With your support we will make have the option of enrolling in this program. this work.

Second, we need to welcome more people into our Thank you for helping us carry on an incredible building. The more people who experience St. Rita, the tradition. more will learn what makes us unique. We will share our great campus with elementary schools, alumni and St. Rita, Pray for Us! friends interested in using our facilities for their own events and projects. In addition, our faculty and staff welcome opportunities to work with the faculty and students of elementary schools. James Quaid, Ph.D. President of St.Rita High School

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Covid-19: Teaching Students in these Uncertain Times

Recently, Vice President of Academics, Wes Benak answered our questions on how St. Rita is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and how St. Rita had prepared for educating students remotely.

When did you begin developing the plans for learning experience and not a substitute for electronic learning? teaching. Our teachers have also been very good We started electronic learning, or e-learning, with about working with each other - sharing best the students about 5 years ago, shortly after we practices and teaching each other the ins and outs went 1:1 with of the latest the iPads. technological During the tools and Apps 2014-2015 available to school year them for their we began classrooms. transitioning to e-textbooks Two years and, at this ago, during time, more the 2018-2019 than 90% of school year our textbooks we began are electronic encouraging texts. It was some of also at that Student Government holds their weekly meeting online via Zoom. the juniors same time that our students began submitting their and seniors to take an approved online class in assignments electronically. Over the course of the exchange for a free period during the day. We past 5 or 6 years we have done a significant amount have almost 30 students taking online classes in of Professional Development with our teachers so Principles of Business, Psychology, Media Literacy, that they feel comfortable and are adept at using Concepts of Engineering, Forensic Science, Marine different forms of technology in their classrooms. Science, Space Exploration, and Information We see technology as a tool that enhances the Technology. Almost all of the classes that the

2 students take online cannot be taken at St. Rita because of their specialized nature. For example, we may have one or two kids that are interested in Marine Biology but we can’t offer that at St. Rita because of the low number of students interested in that specific area. They now have the opportunity to study something that they really enjoy and a good number of the students have taken to this learning style. The number of students taking online classes from the 18-19 school year to the 19-20 school year almost tripled. Online learning is not for everyone but some students really enjoy it. Math Teacher Katie Palmer teaches Algebra on YouTube. We have used e-learning in place of having a snow day when there has been a need for it since the 2014-2015 school year. Our teachers are expected to have online lessons at the ready in the event a snow day is called. Using e learning on snow days saves us from having to tack on days at the end of the school year to make up for lost time. No need to do that when you can call an e learning day. What really helped us in our transition to e-learning were the snow days that we had over the last couple of years - especially during last year’s winter vortex - whoever thought something good would have come out of that!

How/when did you share the plans with the faculty? The STEM Club virtually built and programmed electronic We began thinking about the possibility of circuits. They did this using an introductory design software called Tinkercad. The circuits they built are having to transition to (full-time) e-learning based off of a microprocessor architecture called Arduino. a few weeks before it actually happened. When we heard that there was the possibility of a stay-at-home order coming we began organizing for this transition. Teachers were already accustomed to planning electronic lessons and most of the students are still better at navigating technology than we are, so the biggest hurdle that we had to face was trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in a time of stress and uncertainty.

E-learning has his own set of challenges for both teachers and students. Teachers are also accustomed to interacting with their students face to face and so many of them are finding cont. Conlon Angus ‘20 works from his home classroom setup. 3 school news

creative ways to continue their teaching which working hard, working with the teacher, working includes large and small group electronic meetings with each other, working out the kinks, working with with their students.. Teachers are also meeting with tutors, all to keep their grades up and to continue their students one-on-one for special help and for their education. I think we see in a different way, the tutoring purposes. importance of connection.

Can you share any innovative plans that teachers The main thing that we are evaluated as we entered have come up with? our second week of e-learning was trying to find that balance of classwork and homework given that Most of our students learn best by having that face to now it’s all done at home. Teachers are continuously face contact with the teacher. In order to accomodate reworking their lesson plans and rethinking what they this learning style almost all of our teachers will do might be able to reasonably cover for the remainder Zoom ( or another group meet App) meetings with of this semester. Our teachers are to be commended their students where they can invite the whole class to for the work that they have done to make this participate in a class session electronically. This way, all happen as smoothly as possible. It takes an they can see the teacher, interact with the teacher, unbelievable amount of patience and understanding and as importantly, interact with their classmates. to be a teacher under normal circumstances; what Some teachers have their students working in small they are doing here and now is just incredible. groups from their homes and the teachers can meet with the small groups to watch them present their findings and to assess their progress. Some teachers also have their students working on discussion boards ST. RITA LIGHTS UP DOYLE and other outlets for communal types of dialogue. STADIUM ON FRIDAY NIGHTS These types of activities are really important because they keep the students interacting with each other in On Friday, April 10, St. Rita joined several positive and productive ways. other Catholic League teams and schools with #LightsForTheFight - when schools turn Was there anything that surprised you about the on their stadium lights as a sign of support remote learning experience so far? for our medical personnel, first responders, essential workers and all who are battling After the first week of e learning ended we sent COVID-19 in our world. St. Rita stands with out a survey to all the students asking them for you and thanks all involved in keeping us safe. their feedback on how the week went for them. We Schools will continue Friday Night Lights on a received some really helpful information from the weekly basis during the stay-at-home order. students and were able to implement some changes going into the second week of e-learning. There was also a free response section on the survey where the students could speak freely about their concerns. A number of the students just wanted to know when we thought they would be able to come back to school. One student wrote “just get us back as soon as possible.” I think he said it best for all of us!

What has gone well so far - was there anything that went wrong? It’s encouraging to see so many of the students trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Students

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to the essential workers Thankin our St. Rita family. you!

We salute our first responders, health care workers, maintenance workers, and all essential workers. We are thankful for all of the men and women who continue to work for the good of our great city, state and nation. school news WINTER SPORTS Wrap Up HOCKEY The varsity The varsity hockey basketball team team, led by head under the guidance coach Brian Coleman of first-year head ‘98, finished the season coach Roshawn (23-26, 12-8) which Russell ‘08 won earned them the #5 the Catholic seed in the Kennedy League White Cup Playoffs. In the championship opening round, the for the second Mustangs upset fourth- consecutive seeded Carmel Catholic season. Overall, the two games to none “Running” Mustangs advancing them to the finished with a semifinal round against (21-11) record and top-seeded Providence. advanced to the In a hard-fought series, Proviso West IHSA the Mustangs fell to the Class 4A regional Celtics two games to championship none, dropping game game before losing one at Arctic Ice Arena to Sun-Times Player 4-3 in an overtime of the Year DJ Steward and Whitney Young 63-51 after leading thriller. 29-22 at the half. Senior Luke Napleton led the way all season long for the The Mustangs opened the season by winning the Riverside- “Skating” Mustangs earning first-team All-CCL honors as Brookfield Thanksgiving Tournament as seniors Alec Millender well as first-team All-State honors. Joining him on the All- and Connor Serven earned first-team all-tournament Catholic League Team was senior defensemen Ryan Cleve. recognition while junior Christian Henry was named the Senior Captain Andrew Capuano won the Chicago Blackhawk tournament MVP. Alumni Association Scholarship which recognizes excellence both on and off the ice. Many players earned post-season honors with senior Wayne State (NE) signee Alec Millender leading the way earning The JV hockey first-team All-CCL team captured honors as well as the DiCristina fourth-team all- Cup as area honors in the champions of Chicago Sun Times the Chicago and third-team Catholic League. all-area honors They finished the in the Chicago regular season Tribune. Senior (17-3) and swept Kevin Murney was thru the playoffs named fourth- knocking off team All-CCL Marmion, Providence and Marist on their way to the title. and senior Connor Serven was honorable mention. Junior Christian Henry was also named to the Prep Hoops Junior All- State team. 6 school news

SWIMMING BOWLING The varsity swim team enjoyed their best season in recent memory finishing fourth overall in their sectional. During the regular season, the Mustangs won the Evergreen Park Invite and the Sun Warrior Invite in dominant fashion while they also defeated Brother Rice for the first time in school history. They also finished third at the TThe varsity bowling team finished 3rd this past season in the loaded Riverside- Catholic League South section. They were led by senior first- Brookfield Invite team, all-conference selection Jayden Edwards, who averaged and second at the 195 with a high game of 265. The team finished 3rd overall in Dare Devil Relays their regional, qualifying them for the state sectional at Maine East. On tournament. Other standouts for the “Striking” Mustangs this the season, the season were junior Mykhai Harris (188 avg), junior Ronnie Mustangs were Carone (185 avg), junior Alex Tenorio (178 avg), and junior led by seniors Jake Tyler Smith (176 avg). Kuska, Sebastian Chiadez, Chris Jiminez, junior Spencer Ryan, sophomore Homer Olivares and freshman John Masiliunas. ST. RITA BASKETBALL PLAYS AT THE UC WRESTLING The varsity wrestling team, led by first- year head coach John Anderson ‘12, finished with an overall (11-15) record. Senior Marty Larkin lead the team with (39) wins, and he was featured as wrestler of the week in the Daily Southtown newspaper. Griffin Duffin was recognized as wrestler of the week in the Beverly Review. Senior Eric Anderson was the team’s lone qualifier for the individual state tournament in Champaign where he finished with a record of (1-2). St. Rita played their matchup against Marist at the this year. Fans who purchased tickets For all your for the Wednesday afternoon game were allowed Mustang news visit stritamustangs.com to stay for the Bulls warmup and the evening’s Bulls game.

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WhatBefore the ’s Covid-19 been Executive happening Order to Stay-at-Home closed school, St. Rita students were busy!

GET BEHIND THE VEST St. Rita’s Junior Class Student Government Officers along with Vice President of Student Life Mr. Josh Blaszak presented Mrs. Kelly Sweeney of Alderman Matt O’Shea’s Office with a $1300 check for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. The donation was made possible by a Spirit Day Dress Down and is part of the fundraising efforts associated with Alderman O’Shea’s Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast which took place at St. John Fisher.

L to R: Ryan Fidler ‘20, Justin Stawczyk ‘23, Luke McCormick ‘23, Nick Stawczyk ‘22, Maxwell Sun ‘22, Conor Aguilar ‘21 - Not Pictured: Andrew Capuano ‘20, Brendan Martin ‘22 ANDREW SMIALEK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS On Thursday, March 5th, recipients of the 2019-2020 Andrew Smialek Memorial Scholarship joined the Smialek family for dinner and prayer to celebrate the life of Andrew Smialek '08 and the accomplishments of the recipients who strive to "live their lives as Andrew did his". The Andrew Smialek’08 Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to recognize students pursuing an education at St. Rita. Each year, the JUNIOR LEADERSHIP & RING MASS Smialek family hosts an essay competition in which students from all levels are able to “Juniors were always my favorite class.” That’s what Fr. Bernard Danber, apply. Students submit a reflection discussing the importance of a St. Rita of Cascia High O.S.A. ‘68 told the class of 2021 at St. Rita’s Junior Ring Mass on Sunday, School Education and how they try to live their lives like Andrew lived his. March 1, 2020 in the St. Rita Shrine Chapel. He talked about how juniors have gained maturity and leadership skills in the almost three years they Andrew loved St. Rita of Cascia High School, and it was through the generosity of a have been on campus. He also gave them advice on not becoming overly- donor that Andrew was able to continue attending St. Rita despite the financial impact confident as they head into their senior year. After the homily, St. Rita of his medical treatment. Congratulations to this years' winners and continue to work juniors were called to the altar to receive their newly-blessed class rings or hard and keep alive the loving memory of Andrew Smialek '08! medals from St. Rita President, Dr. Jim Quaid and Vice President of Student Life, Mr. Josh Blaszak ‘02. Following Mass, the entire congregation was treated to a full breakfast in the St. Rita Dining Hall, by the hardest-working Fathers’ Club on the South Side of Chicago.

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ANNUAL MOTHER-SON DANC E Unseasonably warm temperatures and bright sunshine—that set the tone for Saturday, February 22, 2020. Over 300 St. Rita students and their moms attended Mass at the St. Rita Shrine Chapel with Fr. Bernard Danber, O.S.A ‘68 as the celebrant. The traditional blessing of the St. Rita roses took place at Mass. Afterward, the large crowd headed to Barraco’s Vineyard for dinner and dancing.

STUDENTS HOLD MOCK SCOTUS TRIAL Mr. Kellam’s AP US Government and Politics Class held a SCOTUS Mock hearing in February. The case was “New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. City of the New York.” The official hearing was held on December 2, 2019. The constitutional question at hand was “Does the regulation that prohibits the transportation of a licensed handgun to a home or shooting range outside of New York City violate the Second Amendment, the Commerce Clause, or the constitutional right to travel?” Additionally, the Court also determined the mootness of the case. “Our mock SCOTUS trial held a hearing on a case currently before the court. It is the first case they have heard on the 2nd amendment in 10 years.” Kieran Kellam ‘98 stated. “We determined that, based upon precedent rulings, a NYC gun control regula- tion is unconstitutional and the case is not moot.” Mr. Kellam added, “Our AP Government students did an excellent job as attorneys and justices.”

9 school news MUSTANGS VISIT NORTHWESTERN The minimester had a great trip to Evanston and —thanks for being great hosts as always, and the ‘Cats. It was a great experience for our Ritamen.

ST. RITA STUDENTS, FACULTY & STAFF RAISE MONEY FOR ST. BALDRICK’S FOUNDATION & CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH On Friday, March 6, St. Rita hosted a shave day in conjunction with an out-of-uniform day to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. As has become tradition, several Ritamen had their heads shaved to raise funds for the charity, which go to help find cures for children with cancer. Students also paid $3 for the privilege of dressing out of uniform for the day. In total, St. Rita students raised more than $14,000 with Logan Kelly ‘23 (St. Gerald Grammar School) being the top fundraiser.

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ST. RITA HOSTS CLINICS FOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL STUDENTS St. Rita’s strength coach, John Griffin, with help from from several head coaches held a Spring Igniter Camp for 5th, 6th, and 7th graders to help them condition for their spring and summer sports seasons. Young athletes were taught proper strength, speed and agility exercises.

THE JAZZ BAND DOES ITS ANNUAL FEEDER SCHOOL TOUR A Catholic Schools Week highlight is when the St. Rita Jazz Band goes on tour to the southside grammar schools to play some of their fan-favorite hits!

BASEBALL PLAYERS MAKE COLLEGE COMMITMENTS Six seniors signed letters of intent to continue their careers in college! Luke Napleton (St Francis Xavier) - Quincy University Luke Carroll (St. Christina School) - St. Ambrose University Chris McDevitt (St Cajetan) - Indiana State University Brett Panick (St Cajetan) - Quincy University Justin Valdez (OLHMS) - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE MUSTANG RAFFLE Winston Hill (Sutherland) - Eastern Kentucky University St. Rita President Dr. James Quaid, Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. ‘83 and Br. Joe Ruiz, O.S.A. chose winners for the Mustang Raffle Hawaiian Getaway at this year’s Winterfest Party.

The grand prize winner was Hill Torres, father of St. Rita freshman Jacob Torres. The raffle raised over $100,000 for St. Rita High School including a $1000 tuition credit for the top student seller, sophomore Wayne Conley.

Thank you for your support and generosity to all who participated in this years grand raffle!

117 school news ANDREW CAPUANO '20 HONORED AT 33RD ANNUAL BLACKHAWK ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON

WINTERFEST ANOTHER SMASHING SUCCESS FOR ST. RITA!

Recently, the Blackhawk Alumni Association hosted their 33rd annual Keith Magnuson Blackhawk Alumni Scholarship Luncheon at the United Center, honoring some of the state’s top high school hockey players and awarding a trio of scholarships to high school seniors headed to college in the Fall.

Andrew Capuano (St. Rita), Evan Wurzbacher (Hersey) and Olivia Turman Winterfest was held at St. Rita on Saturday, (Lake Park) each were awarded scholarships as the most deserving January 25th, 2020. Thank you to our high school hockey applicants - determined from a candidate’s academic incredible chair couple, Brigid and Terry achievements, community & volunteer service, financial stability, charac- Hixson who did an amazing job organizing ter and leadership. Each will receive an annual $7,500 scholarship for four the event. And, as always, thank you to our years of college tuition. amazing parents who spent countless hours planning and decorating to transform St. As part of the celebration, Blackhawks captain was named Rita, bringing us back through the decades the Alumni’s Blackhawk of the since 1940. Guests were entertained by The Year - the first time the long- Chris Weaver Band, straight from Nashville, time captain has taken home as well as local St. Rita favorites, The Larkin the award. He joins the likes of and Moran Brothers and SunFallen. Over 600 (1988), Doug Wil- tickets were sold raising more than $20,000. son (1989), (1995) and Keith Magnuson (2004), along with teammates (2010, 2014, 2015, 2019), Duncan Keith (2008), (2016) and Alex De- Brincat (2018) to be named Blackhawk of the Year.

He congratulated the scholarship recipients on their achievements, both on and off the ice.

“A big congratulations to the recipients,” Toews added. “We as players try to be model citizens and be examples for each other and for other people. You guys are doing that every step of the way, so (I) wish you guys all the best.”

Capuano (Queen of Martyrs) was captain of the Mustangs hockey team. He led them to another successful season, notching a Kennedy Cup semifinal appearance and retaining the Southside Cup for St. Rita.

12 school news school news RITAMEN LIVE OUT THEIR CORE VALUE OF

In Latin, the word Caritas is translated to “Love”. It’s a word often seen throughout the halls of St. Rita or heard as one of the three core values of the school - “Veritas (Truth), Unitas (Unity), Caritas (Love)”. As a Catholic community, students at St. Rita are called to participate actively in their Christian identity by serving those most marginalized. We’re proud of the work our Ritamen do in the community and continueCaritas to support them in their quest to become positive agents of change.

#OPERATIONVALENTINE The St. Rita Spanish Club, led by Mrs. Colleen Earley, participated in “Operation Valentine” by sending Valentine’s Day cards to the oldest living Marine, Major Bill White (Ret.). Maj. White is 104 years and lives in an assisted living home in California. What started as a small Facebook ask from the assisted living home Maj. White resides at, Operation Valentine went viral resulting in Maj. White received thousands of Valentine’s Day cards from across the country.

RITAMEN CHEER ON SPECIAL OLYMPICS GYMNASTS Each year, St. Rita teams up with Special Olympics Chicago/ Special Children’s Charities to volunteer at different events. Our Ritamen traveled to McCormick Place to cheer on the ath- letes at the Chicago Style Gymnastics Meet, the largest women’s gymnastics invitational meet in the world, which features a unique exhibition for Special Olympics Illinois gymnasts!

JV HOCKEY SUPPORTS LaRABIDA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL The JV Hockey team spent two hours after practice creating over 80 Valentine’s Day cards for the children at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. They then went on to beat Marmion 8-0 to advance to the semifinals of the Dicristina Cup two days later. These guys truly exemplify what it means to be a Ritaman on and off the ice.

MUSTANGS “KICK IT” AT CPS SOCCER SKILLS CAMP Another group of Ritamen volunteered at the Chicago Indoor Sports facility for the Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children’s Charities CPS Soccer Skills Camp. They had an opportunity to organize different soccer drills and have a fun afternoon with CPS athletes from all over the city!

MUSTANGS TEAM UP WITH SOUTHSIDE OCCUPATIONAL ACADEMY FOR FIRST UNIFIED BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT St. Rita teamed up with Southside Occupational Academy to compete in the first ever IHSA/Special Olympics Illinois Regional Unified Bas- ketball Tournament. The “Southside Buckets” first met a month prior at a meet-and-greet and then met for weekly practices leading up to the tournament, which was played at Andrew High School in Tinley Park with coinciding regional tournaments being played at three other locations. After a strong performance winning game one, the Southside Buckets lost a hard-fought second round game eliminating them from the tournament. However, the tournament committee selects 3 additional teams to compete in the state tournament based on their level of play and sportsmanship and the Southside Buckets was one of the three invited to continue on! St. Rita team members: Patrick Cahill ‘20, Jack Nolan ‘20, Thomas Hixson ‘20, Lorenz King ‘20, Brayden Windham ‘20, Michael Gaughan ‘21, Daniel Dargan ‘21, Jack Griffin ‘21 and Frank Schmitt ‘21. Southside Occupational Academy team members: Fabian Bains, Dwayne Bangs-Brown, Carnell Creamer, Dayquan Haywood, Joseph Holloway, Darius Mann, Emanual Rodriguez.

13 school news school news FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

25KIERAN KELLAM, things A 1998 GRADUATE with OF ST. RITA, IS THEKieran CHAIR OF THE SOCIALKellam SCIENCES DEPARTMENT. ‘98 KIERAN HAS BEEN ON THE FACULTY OF ST. RITA SINCE 2009 AND HAS A BACHELOR’S DEGREE FROM ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY AND A MASTER’S DEGREE FROM NATIONAL LOUIS UNIVERSITY. HERE ARE 25 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT KIERAN KELLAM.

1. Before I understood my vocation as a teacher, I worked in the legal field 19. My go-to cocktail is an old-fashioned. for 5 years and considered becoming an attorney. 20. Every election day, I wear a rather loud American flag suit to school. This 2. I dropped a tree at my father-in-law’s house once…it landed in the also means I wear it when I go to vote first thing in the morning. I get pool. some looks, some thumbs up and the occasional sneaky picture taken of me in line. 3. I can juggle. (3 is my max. Nothing on fire or sharp.) 21. My fellow ’98 alum, Michael Carr, stood up with me in my wedding. 4. I married my college sweetheart nearly 14 years ago. 22. Rome, Jerusalem & Kenya are places I 5. My favorite hobby is fly-fishing for trout. would love to visit.

6. A few of my favorite movies are Tombstone, Royal Tannenbaums, and 23. When I was five, I was obsessed Swing Kids. with the Lone Ranger. My dad would drive around our block until 7. I love the Harry Potter series. For my fellow fans, I’m a Ravenclaw. the William Tell Overture was done playing on a tape in our car. 8. My favorite rote prayer is the Memorare.

9. My brother, Bob Kellam ’92 is the varsity soccer coach at St. Rita. (They won their first regional title since 1990 this past season!)

10. My dog, Margot, is cuter than yours.

11. My parents, Bob and Joanice Kellam, are amazing people that have always been supportive, loving examples. They also paid Catholic grammar and high school tuition for my sister, three brothers and myself.

12. My oddest job was a minor stint as a power ranger at kids parties/events.

13. My classroom (Room 200) has the best view in the school. I oversee the north courtyard and can see entire chapel every morning from my desk. 24. My wife is from the It’s always beautiful. Champaign, IL area. We are down there quite a bit. 14. I believe James K. Polk is the most underrated American president. Even though I am a proud Illinois State grad, U of I has grown on me. 15. The sound of a crinkling water bottle drives me insane. I-L-L-…

16. One of my highlights every year is helping lead a Kairos retreat, sharing 25. I absolutely love teaching the young my faith with our students and witnessing them grow so much in a few men of St. Rita of Cascia High School days. Live the fourth! and can’t wait to share my classroom with them again. 17. I make a pretty good chicken curry. (At least, my wife thinks so.)

18. My favorite books to teach are Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and To Kill a Mockingbird. 14 school news school news FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Ritamen Outside the Classroom 25 things with Kieran Kellam ‘98 St. Rita continues to provide opportunities for students to learn beyond the walls of 77th & Western. ST. RITA MUSICIANS JOIN NATIONAL CATHOLIC HONOR BAND Four St. Rita musicians were part of the National Catholic Honor Band hosted on February 7 and 8 at the University of San Diego. Those Ritamen were DJ Luckett ‘21 (Percussion), Mel Gade ‘21 (Trumpet), Justin Stawczyk ‘23 (Tenor Sax), and Peadar Walsh ‘23 (French Horn). They joined the best musicians from Catholic bands on both coasts and the heartland to put on a spectacular concert.

ABC CLUB PRESENTS AT UBS Ritamen joined members from two other schools (Mother McAuley and Carmel Catholic of Mundelein) to visit UBS and PepsiCo as part of the Advice Beyond the Classroom program, which is by Mr. Nick LoMaglio '04 and Mr. Dave Conrath. They were responsible for giving a presentation on a specific business topic which qualified for points in their ongoing competition.

STUDENTS MAKE “SHARK TANK” PRESENTATION ELECTIVE CLASS WITH ST. XAVIER The long list of potential elective classes for St. Rita juniors and seniors range from Irish/American Authors and the Politics In Sports to Apple iOS App Development and Hip Hop & Poetics. Faculty members are channeling their passions and creativity every year to allow students to break away from the standard curriculum into a class that is designed to look more like one you’d see at a college than on a high school schedule.

Eight juniors and seniors took advantage of a new partnership this fall with Saint Xavier University and their Graham School of Management. These students travelled to the SXU campus once a week to take part in their Introduction to Business course before returning to St. Rita for the normal school day. The course was led by Dr. Suzanne Cromlish, an Assistant Professor in the Management and Marketing Department in the Graham School of Management at Saint Xavier University. The dual-enrollment course, which counts towards one credit hour for the high school student’s college transcript, covers a wide variety of business topics such as entrepreneurship, globalization, business structures, ethical management skills and job interviewing skills.

One part of the course is the “Shark Tank Presentation” which is the research, development and implementation of a product that a group of students design. When St. Rita students, Zach Carroll ‘21, Michael Capilla ‘21, Kyle James ‘21 and Evan O’Neill ‘20, designed and presented a product called “The Night Swimmer” to SXU faculty members, Dr. Cromlish saw the potential in this product and wanted the Ritamen to present it to the entire school after a weekly all-school mass. With the help of the Graham School of Management, the group will continue to explore options of the potential product in the form of patents if possible. This partnership with Saint Xavier University is just one of the many opportunities St. Rita gives their students to get a closer look at life after high school.

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THE ST. RITA FAMILY SAYS GOODBYE TO HALL OF FAMER ED FARMER ‘67 by Ed Leiser ‘04

On the morning of April 2, 2020, the Cincinnati the St. Rita High School Family Reds. In August of learned of the sad news that Ed 1980, Ed earned Farmer, a 1967 St. Rita graduate, the in a 2-0 had passed away. Ed had a victory against the legendary career in the game of Blue Jays, baseball, but beyond that, was while another St. considered a kind, generous and Rita graduate, Jim thoughtful man by all who knew Clancy, took the him. loss for Toronto. That was indeed For nearly 30 years, Ed was the a proud day for voice of the on all radio broadcasts. Whether it was the cold, rainy days all in the St. Rita of April, or the hot and community, to see humid Chicago summer two Ritamen pitching days of August, Ed was a at the Major League companion for Chicago level in the same baseball fans and would game! Ed would also take White Sox fans for a spend time pitching ride each and every day. for the Indians, Tigers, When listening to a White Phillies, Orioles, Sox game, it was common Brewers, Rangers and Athletics and recorded 75 saves over for Ed to mention his days at his 370-game career, with a 4.30 . his beloved alma mater, St. Rita High School. He was proud of his south side roots and Starting in 1992, Ed his days in Mustang red and blue. began his career in radio with the White Before his nearly three decades in the broadcast booth, Ed Sox. He spent 14 starred for the Mustangs and was one of the best to ever years as the radio play at 6310 S. Claremont (St. Rita’s original home). A gifted color analyst, and 14 athlete, Ed also was a star basketball more as the play-by- play man. player, but would turn to baseball, his love. His No. 13 hangs on the right field wall at St. Rita’s baseball field, and Ed would frequently go above and beyond while working he was a 1987 Hall of Fame inductee to St. Rita. for the White Sox. It would be common for Ed to get special seats or He would go on arrangements for Sox to have an 11-year fans, especially ones career pitching in the with St. Rita ties. One Major Leagues, and St. Rita alumnus in spent 2 ½ seasons particular, recently with the hometown shared that for his Chicago White Sox. sons’ 5th birthday, he In 1980, Ed made the called the White Sox All- and asked to meet Ed Star team. During the Farmer before the game. Not only did Ed return the call and game, Ed pitched 2/3 of an inning, and induced an inning- agreed to meet with the St. Rita graduate and his young son, ending play off the bat of the famous , of but he took them onto the field before the game, introduced 16 alumni news advancement news alumni news

them to White Sox players, and had them sit inside the dugout during the game. That is the kind of man Ed Farmer was. Save the Date Current St. Rita varsity baseball coach, John Nee ’93, had this The 44th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing to say about Ed Farmer, “Ed never forgot where he came from. He had great pride in St. Rita, and he will always be Friday, July 17th, 2020 remembered as being one of the best to ever wear red and Gleneagles Country Club

blue.” Even in recent years, Ed still made trips to St. Rita’s campus when he had down time and would help St. Rita in any way he could, with tickets and special gifts from the White Sox.

Perhaps the greatest contribution Ed ever made, was through his involvement and support in organ donation At this time, the 2020 Golf Outing is scheduled for July 17, 2020 as planned. and raising awareness. Farmer was afflicted with polycystic Updates will be posted to stritahs.com/alumni as they occur. kidney disease, which took the life of his mother when Ed HOMECOMING was only 17-years- 2020 old. In the early 1990’s, Ed received a kidney transplant from his brother and would be a champion for the state of Illinois’ organ donation program throughout his life. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White called Farmer a hero in his organ donation awareness campaign.

Ed Farmer will be missed by many: his thousands of friends from the south side of Chicago and St. Rita, the members of the Chicago White Sox organization, his colleagues and friends in media and broadcasting, and the baseball and sports world in general. Ed Farmer contributed so much to the world in his 70 years, and was the epitome of a “Ritaman.” Eternal rest grant unto him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. FRIDAY, OCT. 2nd

vs. Providence Catholic 9 alumni news alumni news ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Marcus Belin ‘05 Recently, we caught up with Marcus Belin ‘05, Principal of Illinois District 158’s Huntley High School. Marcus was named the first African American Principal of Huntley in 2018 when he was only 30 years old. This year, Marcus was named Principal of the Year for the Illinois Principals Association Kishwaukee Region.

Why did you choose St. Rita? I chose St. Rita because I was enrolled in a private school from K-8 and having the opportunity to continue this education was available. I recently moved into the neighborhood prior to starting my freshman year. I did a visit day and enjoyed my time so I took my opportunity to become a student.

Who influenced you the most during your time at St. Rita and why? I had several people I connected with. Mr. Jeff Timms was a counselor and a track coach during my time at St. Rita. He was my go-to. He kept me focused and locked in and was a resource to make sure I stayed the course when I wanted to veer off. He was monumental in helping me to become a better version of me.

Share a favorite St. Rita Memory I was in the band all 4 years. During the centennial celebration, we traveled to Italy and visited many historic landmarks including Cascia, Italy. We went to the shrine of St. Rita and held several concerts around Italy. It was one of the greatest experiences I have had.

Did St. Rita help influence you for what you did in college and are doing today? St. Rita gave me an opportunity to explore what I wanted to do. I had some great teachers. I knew education was a field I wanted to be in before coming to St. Rita, but being in school I was influenced by the teachers who poured knowledge into me while I was there.

What is your greatest professional accomplishment? I have a couple of great accomplishments that I have made. I became a principal at 30 and I will be receiving my doctorate in June of 2020. My goal was to receive it by 35 and I am well ahead of my goal just being 32. I am also President-Elect for the Illinois Principals Association. I have had many “first” including First Black Administrator in Huntley School District and First Black President of Illinois Principals Association. It is an accomplishment that I am super proud of.

What activities or sports were you involved in at St. Rita? I participated in Band, playing trumpet and was the drum major for 3 years. Drama club stage manager. I also ran track all 4 years.

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What advice do you have for current students to make DID YOU GRADUATE IN the most of their experience at St. Rita? Make the most of every moment. I took a hold of every opportunity that came my way and I have benefited greatly by creating strong relationships in my time at Rita. Create those defining moments that will catapult you into life after high school. Be true to yourself and write YOUR story. No one else can write it for you unless you let them. St. Rita has a 1980 GREAT deal to offer. You have OR BEFORE? to step up and accept it. You will be surprised IF SO, JOIN US AT THE MONTHLY at where it will take you. RITAMEN LUNCHEON!

What is ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EACH something MONTH, THOSE ALUMNI WHO HAVE people may GRADUATED 40-PLUS YEARS AGO ARE not know INVITED TO ATTEND LUNCH AT ST. RITA. about you? My ultimate goal in life is to become the Secretary of Education of the United States. I want to lead and make meaningful change for our country.

Tell us about your family! I am happily married to Monique Belin. We have been married for 7 years in June. We have 3 beautiful kids. Maliyah (6), Makenzie (4), and Mekhi (1).

Anything else you would like to share? I would like to shout out to the class of 2005. We had a lot of great HEAR FROM SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS moments and there are some Ritamen that are doing AND COACHES ABOUT THE LATEST ST. amazing things. Fr. Cook, Fr. Danber, Fr. Tom, Fr. McNicholas, RITA NEWS AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, Bro. Gary are just a few people who were instrumental ENJOY CAMARADERIE WITH YOUR during this time period. ST. RITA BROTHERS.

$10/person includes: “To all Ritamen past, present, and future, keep lunch, dessert, beverages and raffle moving forward! We are stronger together and no one can take the bond that we have all RSVPs ARE APPRECIATED. created during our time. Tradition runs deep! CALL 773.925.5029 OR EMAIL #BeGreat” MARY CARROLL AT [email protected].

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team, he was a part of back-to-back Catholic League North ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT championship teams in 2004-2005. The 2004 team was also the first baseball team in St. Rita history to earn a trip downstate as the Mustangs defeated Hinsdale MikeBy: John Nee ‘93 Kafka ‘05 South at Standard Bank Stadium in the Super-Sectional to earn On Sunday a trip the Class 2A quarterfinals February 2, 2020, in Geneva. He started both his Mike Kafka ‘05 junior and senior seasons in right became the field making dazzling catches and second St. Rita throws on a daily basis. Mustang in history to earn On the gridiron, Kafka split time a between and ring as a player his junior season of 2003 as the “Fighting” or coach as his Mustangs advanced to the Class 6A Semi-finals before Kansas City falling 20-7 to Bloomington at Doyle Stadium. As a senior, Chiefs defeated he took over the reins full-time under center as he paired the San Francisco with Wade Weyer to make one of the most 49ers 31-20 to potent one-two punches in St. Rita Football history. The capture Super 2004 season would end in the 1st round of the Class 6A Bowl LIV. Kafka state playoffs in an overtime heartbreaker to Mt. Carmel. is the quarterback’s coach for and the and was recently promoted to passing game Kafka earned a coordinator. He has been on the Kansas City staff for the scholarship to past 3 seasons, the last 2 of which were as the quarterback Northwestern University coach for NFL regular season and Super Bowl MVP Patrick after Head Coach Pat Mahomes. Fitzgerald came to St. Rita on a cold, dreary day Kafka, who comes in April and witnessed from St. Mary Star of Kafka throw an absolute the Sea Parish located missile from right field in the West Lawn in pre-game warm-ups neighborhood, starred before a St. Rita baseball in both football and game. baseball at St. Rita. As a 2-year member of As a redshirt freshmen in Evanston, Kafka started a handful the varsity baseball of games for the Wildcats, but he would have to wait until

20 alumni news alumni news his 5th and final season in purple to showcase his talents at FORMER MUSTANGS WHO quarterback full-time. During his memorable senior season at Northwestern, Kafka would lead the Wildcats to a berth in PARTICIPATED IN 2019-2020 the where he set numerous passing records in a heart-breaking loss to SEC power Auburn. NCAA BOWL GAMES KEMPTON SHINE ‘19 Mike Kafka was drafted in the fourth round (122nd overall) QUICK LANE BOWL of the 2010 NFL draft by the . He spent 2 EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY seasons in Philadelphia before stops in New England (2013), DEFENSIVE BACK Jacksonville (2013), Tampa Bay SEAN COGHLAN ‘17 (2014), Minnesota RED BOX BOWL (2015), Tennessee UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS (2015), and LINEBACKER Cincinnati (2015) before entering MARC MONDESIR ‘17 the coaching RED BOX BOWL profession. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS DEFENSIVE LINE In 2016 Northwestern KEEGAN O’HARA ‘17 Head Coach FIRST RESPONDER BOWL Pat Fitzgerald WESTERN MICHIGAN welcomed INTERN Kafka home as a graduate assistant on the Wildcat coaching staff. The following year, Kafka’s first NFL head coach, Andy JAKE STOVER ‘17 Reid, hired him on his staff with the Kansas City Chiefs as an RED BOX BOWL offensive quality control coach. After the hired UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Chiefs coach Matt Nagy to be their head coach OFFENSIVE LINE in 2018, Kafka was promoted to that position and that season helped guide second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomoes TIM ZALESKI ‘17 to the NFL MVP award. Many suitors came calling for Kafka ARIZONA BOWL following the Chiefs 2020 Super Bowl championship season, UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING but ultimately he decided to stay with Kansas City after being PUNTER promoted to passing game coordinator. Mike Kafka is the odds-on favorite to be the next for the BRANDON WILLIAMS ‘16 Chiefs when current CAMELLIA BOWL OC Eric Bienemy ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY finally gets his chance CORNER BACK as a head coach in the NFL. Kafka is also one ERIC PONIO ‘13 of the hottest young CURE BOWL names on many lists LIBERTY UNIVERSITY to one day soon GRADUATE ASSISTANT - DEFENSE become an NFL head coach. DAN COLLINS ‘10 OUTBACK BOWL This year Kafka will be UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA inducted into the St. SENIOR DEFENSIVE ANALYST Rita Hall of Fame in his first-year of eligibility. MARTIN HOPKINS ‘09 HOLIDAY BOWL UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOOTBALL ANALYST 21 alumni news alumni news SR FEATURED FAMILY The Tracy fourFamily generations of Ritamen

By: Rob Gallik ‘10

Words like “tradition” and “legacy” are brother were both very active in school including playing commonly heard throughout the halls of St. Rita High for the football team. (As generational stories have been School. For St. Rita, the history of the school has been passed along, it’s been said that George Sr. palled around well-documented. The founding, growth, and expansion with some notable Chicago neighborhood figures prior are etched into the St. Rita 100-Year Museum, which sits to gaining their popularity as well.) George Sr., who in the front foyer of the building near the Mustang Store. would’ve graduated in 1929 if not for being diagnosed The school’s partnership with the City of Chicago has with Rheumatic fever during his time at St. Rita Parish, seamlessly woven together through the joyous times graduated in of Prep Bowl victories at and more solemn the spring of moments when love, support and community are needed 1930. most in the St. Rita Shrine Chapel. And when Nate Tracy enters St. Rita next fall for his freshman year, he too will be George Sr. joining a family tradition as a Ritaman that started nearly joined the 90 years prior by his great-grandfather. Army after graduation In 1905, St. Rita Parish became the first Augustinian where he community in Chicago when Fr. James Green founded the served in the community. Work was quickly done and the church and 88th Division high school were opened in 1906. The original number in Italy during of families in the parish was 700. In 1909, St. Rita was World War expanded and gained three mission churches, which II. Like many others returning once the war was over, would later become the separate parishes of St. Gall, St. George Sr. moved from his family two-flat on Rockwell Nicholas of Tolentine, and St Clare of Montefalco. Two to a new Mt. Greenwood house in St. Christina Parish years later, St. Rita and joined the Chicago Police Department where he Parish became its own served for over 30 years. George Sr. and his wife, Julia, identity, separated would have five children, including a baby boy named from the High School. George Jr. It wouldn’t take long for George Jr. to join the In 1915, George Tracy family tradition either. He knew he wanted to follow his Sr. moved with his father’s footsteps so he began at St. Rita High School. family from Bridgeport Some fond memories George Jr. had during his time at into a two-flat building St. Rita include being the section officer during freshman on 59th and Rockwell and sophomore year and all the fun they had during near Gage Park where Mr. Jefferies’s business section and Mr. Buckley’s gym he and his brother, class. George Jr. graduated in 1965 and continued on his Daniel, both attended father’s path joining the Army, as well, where he served St. Rita High School. for 3 years including a year in Vietnam with the 35th During their time at St. Engineers Battalion. He, too, returned home to join the Rita, George Sr. and his Chicago Police Department before retiring after 32 years of service and have three sons of his own, Vic, Mike and 22 alumni news

Joe and a daughter Katie with his wife Gloria. and Nora, in St. Rita’s Shrine As the boys were growing up in Mt. Greenwood, the St. Chapel. Rita connection was prominent with all three. Joe said As the Tracy family ushers in the next generation of family members, Joe felt it was necessary to allow his oldest son Nate, currently an eighth grader at Mt. Greenwood grade school, to choose the high school he feels he fit best. Nate, who plays hockey with the St. Jude Knights and has been competitively boxing since age 5, decided this past December he wanted to attend St. Rita to become the first fourth-generation Ritaman in the school’s history. “It was a some of his favorite memories growing up were the ones special feeling when he decided to go to St. Rita. It’s a lot with his Dad, his uncles and brothers heading to the different from when I was there. The tradition is great and old “Snake Pit”, St. Rita Stadium on 63rd and Claremont. the facilities are amazing now.” Nate’s not the only Tracy During the early 1990s, St. Rita High School was going child to join the St. Rita family on their own, either. Mike’s through a transition period. The school had moved from its oldest stepdaughter, Rebecca Orrico, was a member of original location to a new building on 77th and Western, the famous Ritanettes and captain from 2006-2008. Joe formerly Quigley South Seminary School. Although Vic and plans on a similar approach to his next son Joey, a current Mike both attended school at the original campus, Mike sixth grader, but I’m sure he’ll be persuaded the same way graduated with the last “old campus” class in 1990, along as Nate was, a steady mix of St. Rita sports games and the with current St. Rita head football coach, Todd Kuska. Joe stories of tradition that uphold as much history as St. Rita attended the “new campus” all four years and graduated in High School itself. 1996. As a St. Rita community, we want to thank the Tracy family Joe and Mike, like their father and grandfather before for their support and dedication to St. Rita High School for them, both served in branches of the military. Joe so many years. Their story of family, tradition, and service continued down the Tracy family path into the Army and to others exemplifies what it means to be a Ritaman and Mike, for a reason unbeknownst to Joe, enlisted in the what St. Rita strives Navy. Joe admitted that Mike joining the Navy did add to achieve with some fun to the traditional Army-Navy rivalry game every every student for year. It wasn’t long for the Tracy boys to fulfill their next 115 years. “St. Rita duty upon returning home taught me what from service as both boys it means to be a worked with the Chicago man and how to Police Department, Joe as be a person who a patrolman and Mike as a gives back to his dispatcher. Like many others community. My in the St. Rita community, character and the Tracy family’s spiritual desire to help and life is heavily influenced by serve others were St. Rita’s Fr. Tom McCarthy, as developed at St. well. Fr. Tom presided over Rita.” With Nate’s the wedding ceremony of Joe first step at St. Rita and his wife Kim, with plenty in the fall, he’ll etch of Ritamen in attendance, and his place in the same tradition and legacy as the three christened all four of their generations of Tracy before him. children, Haley, Nathan, Joey

23 A Message from the Director of Advancement Mr. Jim Juchcinski '97

St. Rita Family,

I hope that this letter finds you well. I’m excited to share with you all of the great things that we have been experiencing here at St. Rita over these past couple of months. As we find ourselves in such uncertain times, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect back on the tremendous winter we had this year at St. Rita.

We held our annual Winterfest here at St. Rita on Saturday, January 25, 2020 and our Chair Couple, Brigid and Terry Hixson, did an amazing job with both the organization and the decorating of this outstanding event. The school was once again transformed for one evening to have themes in certain themes throughout the school, with this year’s theme being Through the Decades. This year’s event had over 600 tickets sold. As we have for the past couple of years, we also pulled the winning ticket for our Mustang Raffle, which raised over $100,000.00 this year and had a trip to Hawaii as its grand prize.

On Saturday, February 8, 2020 we held our annual Caritas Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. As has been for the past 30 years, our Caritas Dinner has been our flagship event and will continue to be for years to come. I want to thank our chair couple, Diane & Ernie Mrozek ’71, as well as our entire Caritas Dinner committee. Without the help and hard work of this tremendous committee we would not have been able to make this year’s event as successful as it was. This year we had a sold out event with more than 460 guests and had a record breaking Fund-a-Cause which raised more than $180,000.00 in one evening.

In alumni news, our very own Roshawn Russell ’08, who not only serves as our Athletic Director but also as our Head Basketball Coach, set a record for most wins by a varsity basketball coach in his first season with 21 victories. Also, congratulations to Mike Kafka ’05 who won Suberbowl LIV as the quarterbacks coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. Job well done Ritamen!

As we find ourselves in such times of uncertainty moving forward due to the pandemic of COVID-19, I reflect on the family, pride and tradition that makes up St. Rita. For the past 115 years we have been fortunate to have had 25,000+ Ritamen call St. Rita home. Without hesitation these Ritamen have continued to support St. Rita, so it gives me great confidence that St. Rita will come out of this stronger and better than ever. Having family ties this strong we find ourselves operating from a point of prosperity and not disparity.

I ask that you please continue to support St. Rita through our annual appeal and our 1905 Guild. These programs are two tremendous ways to ensure that young men will have the same opportunity you did to share in the St. Rita family, pride & tradition for years to come.

St Rita, Pray for Us!

Jim Juchcinski, ‘97 Director of Institutional Advancement

24 advancement news Leave a legacy

1905THE PLANNED GIVING SOCIETY GUILD OF ST. RITA HIGH SCHOOL

The 1905 Guild honors alumni and friends who have committed to leaving a legacy through their estate plans to the next generation of Ritamen.

This honorary society celebrates the traditions of St. Rita of Cascia High School and its legacy to the future. It is comprised of generous benefactors who have provided for St. Rita in their estate plans in the way of a will, life income agreement, charitable remainder trust, gift annuity, life insurance policy or remainder interest in a residence or a farm – just to name a few.

By remembering us this way, friends of St. Rita are able to remain perpetual partners with the school while also being involved in its contemporary work during their lifetime. The 1905 Guild is named to celebrate the year our tradition of excellence began on the southside of Chicago. That year, Fr. James F. Green, O.S.A., brought the Augustinian core values of Truth, Unity and Love to 63rd and Oakley. During the 115 years since, more than 25,000 men have benefited from these core values.

We honor and thank all those individuals who are a part of the 1905 Guild. We are grateful for their commitment to the ideals of Augustinians and St. Rita High School’s mission of excellence that continues to thrive today.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on including St. Rita High School in your estate plans, please call JOHN SCHMITT Director of Annual Appeal & Major Gifts at (773) 925-5029

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On Saturday, February 8, 2020, hundreds of St. Rita faithful packed the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago for the 31st Annual Caritas Valentine Dinner Dance, St. Rita’s largest fundraiser. The event, chaired by Ernie ‘71 and Diane Mrozek raised more than $350,000 to directly benefit student tuition assistance. St. Rita is grateful to the Mrozeks, the Caritas Valentine Dinner Dance Committee members and the honorees of the evening for their generous support of St. Rita and our community.

COUPLE OF THE YEAR JOE ‘87 & SUE ALLEN

A 1987 graduate and St. Rita Hall of Fame member, Joe was a first team Adidas/Scholastic prep All American as a Mustang. He received a full scholarship to Notre Dame where he played on their 1988 National Championship team under Coach Lou Holtz. He has been consistently loyal and generous alumnus, serving on the Valentine Dinner Dance Committee. Joe and Sue have regularly attended the dance and Winterfest as well as hosted St. Rita recruiting events in their home to share the benefits of a St. Rita education with prospective St. Rita families.

Joe and Sue’s twin sons, Tommy and Charlie are members of the Class of 2019. In addition to their generous support of St. Rita, Joe and Sue give their time, talent and treasure to many local and national organizations, including Christ the King Church and School, Collision Repair Education Foundation, the Archdiocese of Chicago, Christmas Without Cancer, Live Like John Foundation in support of Pediatric Brain Tumor Research, Friends of the Forest Preserve and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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CREST OF ST. AUGUSTINE AWARD FR. TOM McCARTHY, O.S.A. ‘83 Fr. Tom graduated from St. Rita in 1983 and then attended Villanova University and graduated in 1987. He was ordained a priest on June 11, 1994. He began his career in education at Providence Catholic High School as a Theology teacher in 1993. He then came home to St. Rita in 1994 as a campus minister, a job he held for five years before he was named President of St. Rita in 2000. In 2002 he took on the dual role of principal and president until 2012. Fr. Tom has been a primary face of St. Rita for the past two decades. His hard work and dedication in the local parishes promoting the mission of St. Rita High School has been very influential in the sustained success of our school. However, he is perhaps best known for his almost round the clock availability offering compassion and comfort to those in severe need. Fr. McCarthy has served as an Augustinian priest for over 25 years, including nine years as Vocation Director for the Midwest Province, during which time he helped foster a surge in young vocations to the Order. His dedication to leading retreats and parish missions has gained Fr. McCarthy renown both locally and across the country.

TOLLE LEGE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD ED ‘83 & AMY McNICHOLAS

Ed is a proud member of the St. Rita Class of 1983. He and his wife Amy have long been enthusiastic verbal and financial supporters of our school. Their eldest son, John, was a St. Rita sophomore in 2011, when he tragically succumbed to a brain tumor after a long and spirited battle.

In his short time with us, John had a profound effect on his fellow Ritamen and the entire St. Rita family. So much so that the new baseball clubhouse is named in his honor. Ed and Amy now devote significant time and effort to the cause of eradicating pediatric cancer, and have raised significant funds toward that cause through the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR BRANDENBURG INDUSTRIAL SERVICE CO.

Brandenburg Industrial Service Co., established in 1968, is one of the nation’s premier firms specializing in demolition and environmental remediation. Brandenburg has seven regional offices located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, a staff in excess of 600 full-time permanent employees, and a fleet of equipment valued in excess of $150,000,000. Brandenburg is committed to providing a safe work environment for their employees and their customers.

With over 49 years of experience, Brandenburg has completed projects for a wide spectrum of customers varying from small businesses to elite Fortune 500 companies. Brandenburg has donated a variety of demolition, excavation and abatement related services to St. Rita over the last several years, often at short notice. 27 In Memoriam The St. Rita High School Office of Institutional Advancement has been notified of the deaths of the following alumni, family and friends. Our sympathies are expressed to their family members and friends.

1941 William Doyle 1944 John W. Dombrowski 1944 Kenneth R. Schuster The practice of requesting gifts to a 1946 Ronald B. Heaney favorite charity to commemorate the death 1947 Robert J. Dytrych of a loved one is very thoughtful. Such 1949 Timothy J. Mahoney requests have resulted in gifts that benefit 1950 Richard C. Kopecky St. Rita High School. We thank those 1954 David G. Bank benefactors and their families, and ask that 1954 William J. Coyle you remember them in your thoughts and 1955 Joseph J. Jochheim prayers: 1960 Joseph A. Drap 1960 Norbert J. Lasky David G. Bank ‘54 1963 Robert T. Micetic 1963 John S. Pieza 1964 John T. Ryan 1965 William B. Shiliga 1967 Dale Muller 1970 Richard D. Micetic 2014 Michael F. Martin

MONTHLY NOVENA TO ST. RITA OF CASCIA Perpetual Novena to St. Rita takes place at 7:00 p.m. (Confessions available starting at 6:00 p.m.) on the first Thursday of every month at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel, 7740 S. , Chicago, IL 60620

In the event of a continued Covid-19 shutdown, please visit stritahs.com/novena for online viewing possibilities.

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St. Rita of Cascia High School 7740 S. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60620

The St. Rita Family is resilient and we look out for one another. So it’s not surprising that several members of our St. Rita Family have asked how they can help in these difficult and uncertain times. If you find someone who is in need of assistance and you are unable to help, please let us know at [email protected]. We will do everything we can to connect him or her with someone who can be of assistance.