VIBRANT! Our Future, While Living This out in “Catholic High” As Well As to His the Present
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NowadaysMontgomery Catholic Preparatory School Fall 2016 • Vol 5 • Issue 1 Administration 2 Faith 3 School News 5 ON FAITH, FAMILY AND TRADITION! Building Faculty News 10 Student Achievement 11 Building on Faith, Family and help us move forward and enhance Alumni 16 Tradition! This is the theme for our mission. I am also reminded of our capital campaign; however, the many great people that have Memorials 19 this is really our lived reality since been instrumental in building our Advancement 20 our inception in 1873. What a school family. Ed Clark is such an ALIVE & beautiful way to tie our past to individual. Ed gave tirelessly to VIBRANT! our future, while living this out in “Catholic High” as well as to his the present. Montgomery Catholic Preparatory school is alive and vibrant! It Montgomery Catholic athletics. We have approximately offers outstanding education and Preparatory School is grounded 125 students in grades five through formation to our young people, in our Catholic tradition, one twelve participating in one of our preparing each student to succeed that welcomes all creeds, band programs. Chorus and drama in their life’s goals, and to be nationalities, and ethnicities. Just are budding programs and we hope men and women of strong faith. A walk around our campuses, and to grow them over the next few Catholic school is unique in that you will witness the universality years. This increased participation it has the ministry of educating of our faith through our students. necessitates space, which the the whole student: academically, Visit us any day and see the new gym and renovation of the Fr. socially, culturally, athletically, living out of Christ’s teaching Delhauty Gym will provide. and spiritually. through prayer, works of mercy, This is an exciting opportunity and charitable works. Observe This is an historic moment in the for families, alumni, friends, and our faculty gently guiding life of our school. Montgomery benefactors to come together our students, holding them Catholic is poised to significantly to make this building initiative accountable for their actions, augment its facilities. We begin happen for Montgomery Catholic, and modeling what it is to be this year a capital campaign to not just for the present students, Christ for others. raise the funds to construct a but for those who will be part of new gym and to transform the Family is foundational to our this historic school fifty or so years present gym into performing arts parish, to his community, and to all from now. I ask you to join me in school. The Sisters of Loretto Alabama. This title did not happen classrooms. This is the opportunity that met him. You can read more making this dream a reality. The were the foundational family for by accident. We have continued to to enhance the impressive work of about Ed below. Our families and time is now! our school and they modeled love, evolve to meet the ever-changing Montgomery Catholic by providing supporters forever bless us. loyalty, and perseverance. The educational needs of our students. Please remember to keep our new facilities which will foster the families of MCPS are witnesses One of the greatest joys of my This evolution continues. Building capital campaign, Building on efforts of the school to provide to these traits. No matter if they job is the telling of our history, on Faith, Family and Tradition! will Faith, Family and Tradition! in your cultural and athletic development are here for a year, a decade, steeped with rich tradition. It address the spatial needs of our prayers, and know that you and and enrichment. or generations, we are forever is not the norm to boast about athletic and fine arts programs. your family remain in mine. changed by their presence. I am Montgomery Catholic is already your age; however, at 143, we Presently, more than 65 % of reminded of a special family that Anne Ceasar, President, known for the outstanding spiritual are looking pretty good. We are our high school students, 55% challenged many things at our Montgomery Catholic formation of our young people. the oldest continuously running of middle school students, and school, but they always did it in a Preparatory School Similarly, it enjoys a reputation for non-public school in the state of 35% of our elementary students loving, positive manner in order to strong academics offered in our are involved in some form of classrooms and labs and for its diverse extracurricular activities which contribute so greatly to a Edward Paschal Clark “Dado” peoples. Each and every one of us Dado, it seems, young person’s social formation. Funeral Mass March 12, 2016 will one day pass on from this earth. would spend his The athletic and cultural A funeral, such as we celebrate life making sure My dear friends, we are gathered THE components are likewise strong, today, is a stark reminder of this people living here to praise our gracious God for and these new facilities will be a reality. Isn’t God good to share the in a number the gift of salvation. We are here blessing to our young people as victory of Jesus Christ, raised from of challenging to thank our blessed Lord for his these additions to the campus the dead, with us. We boldly say circumstances plan to save us all. We thank him MAN will move to a new height the today that death is not the end, would know that he made a way for our beloved cultural and athletic formation of and we look forward to eternal something besides the tears of Ed Clark (’39) built his Ed Clark, whom his family calls our students. life. We thank God that Dado was sorrow. First of all, he served for “Dado,” being the Lebanese name life on faith, family, and well prepared to meet his maker, 40 years as the Executive Director As stated above, Montgomery for holy grandfather, to live with him and we have great confidence that of the City of St. Jude; there he tradition making a lasting Catholic Preparatory School forever in heaven. This is something Dado will one day join the saints was able to help many, many impact at Montgomery educates the whole student: to celebrate, even as we mourn in heaven. underprivileged children and academically, socially, culturally, his loss. It is particularly a cause families. Dado was also one of the Catholic Preparatory athletically, and spiritually. This for celebration when the man in Furthermore, Isaiah tells us that founders of COPE (Counseling, School and in the general capital campaign will strengthen question so wonderfully drew near one day God will wipe away the Outreach for Pregnancy Emergency) all that MCPS offers. I ask for both through faith and works, to our tears from all faces. God does not and the man most instrumental community. The heritage your support. heavenly Father and the Father’s want his children to suffer. In fact, in keeping COPE alive through of our school was formed children. I have the privileged task he tugs on the hearts of each one Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi the years, according to Mrs. Lori today to both preach a homily and of us so that we are a blessing to by people like Ed who Archbishop of Mobile Mullins, COPE’s current director. add some personal memories our neighbors. This is something He hired employees, raised money, lived for the faith and about Dado since the family has that Dado knew well. Dado was paid bills, and did whatever was chosen not to have anyone speak at adopted along with his brother, and necessary to serve the clients. service to others. the end of Mass. Therefore, please at the young age of twelve, due to Speaking of the issue of life, Dado bear with me if I am a little longer intolerable conditions in his home, was a fighter for the unborn which than usual and little more informal. he moved out. During this time, is evident not only through COPE he lived in a boarding house and Even before the time of Jesus, but also because he was an original worked in a gas station. The mother Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, member of Alabama Citizens of a friend helped look after him. could beautifully speak of how for Life. Finally, Dado visited the Yes, I am sure Dado shed a few one day, God would destroy death prisons for as many as 50 years. tears of his own over this situation. forever, that web that is woven over He taught the men there about our And yet, he did not let this challenge all nations, the veil that veils all overcome him. Continued on page 10 FROM THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Michele O'Mara Chairman Moving Forward Holy Family Catholic Community, Maxwell AFB Representative The 2015-2016 school year has been The Steier Group was hired to conduct Ryan Beesley Vice Chairman exciting for Montgomery Catholic a feasibility study, which determined High School Campus Representative Preparatory School. This year, we the financial support for our capital Tia Levanda, Secretary completed our strategic plan and campaign. The study was completed Holy Spirit Campus Representative conducted a feasibility study, and we in April, and we are now in the process Anne Ceasar are now moving forward with our Capital of moving forward with the capital Montgomery Catholic Campaign: Building on Faith, Family campaign. The advisory committee Preparatory School President and Tradition! These accomplishments fully supports this initiative and sees Rev. Msgr. William J. Skoneki will go a long way in building a strong this as progress in building a strong Episcopal Vicar foundation for the future of our Catholic foundation of faith, family and tradition Pastor, St.