The Pallotti SUMMER 2019 Magazine St. Vincent Pallotti High School Laurel, Maryland HALL OF FAME CONGRATULATIONS ALUMNI IN THE NEWS Page 28 CLASS OF 2019 Page 34 Page 38 Mission Statement We aspire to remain true to the spirit of our patron, St. Vincent Pallotti, to educate and form young men and women “to revive faith and rekindle charity in the world.” St. Vincent Pallotti High School TABLE 2018-2019 Board of Directors Off icers Mr. Daniel Florenzo ’80, Chairman of contents David Creech, Vice Chairman Bobby Henry, Esq., Treasurer Mrs. Amy Falcone, Secretary Members Message from President/Principal 4 Mrs. Sharon A. Bagley ‘66 Sister Diane Bushee S.A.C. Campus Ministry 6 Major Paul L. Campbell USMC Ret. ‘65 Around the Campus 8 Mr. Lino V. Cressotti Mrs. Cynthia Faust Faculty News 14 Delegate Mrs. Barbara Frush Sister Stella Holisz S.A.C. Pallotti Athletics 18 Mr. Ronald Jackson Mr. Bill Leishear ‘87 Hall of Fame 28 Sr. Karen Lester, S.A.C. ‘55 Congratulations Class of 2019 34 Mrs. Janell Ray Mr. G. Rick Wilson Alumni Spotlight 38 Corporate Members Class Notes 41 Sr. Mary Grace Barile, S.A.C. ‘64, Provincial Sr. Terence Wall, S.A.C., Vice-Provincial Honor Roll of Donors 46 Sr. Diane Bushee, S.A.C., Council Member In Memoriam 50 Ex-Off icio Members Sr. Karen Lester, S.A.C. ‘55, Sponsorship Director Mr. Jeff Palumbo, Principal/President Mr. David Tenney, Assistant Principal for Academics Ms. Cathy Cross, Comptroller/Business Manager Ms. Elizabeth Curran, Director of Advancement St. Vincent Pallotti High School 2018-2019 Parents Guild Off icers Adele Merritt, President Bobby and Karen Whiteside, Co Vice Presidents Matt Merritt, Secretary Greg Smith, Treasurer Adress: 113 St Mary’s Place, Laurel, MD 20707 Phone: (301) 725-3228 Web site: www.pallottihs.org Message From Our President/Principal OUR TEACHERS ARE THE HEART OF PALLOTTI HIGH SCHOOL. THEY ARE PROFESSIONALS WHOSE DEDICA- TION TO OUR STUDENTS GOES WAY BEYOND WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM. Greetings to our Alumni, Parents, Students, and Friends of Pallotti This summer my wife Theresa and I had the oppor- Sisters in Rome. Sister Isabella, the Provincial of the order, tunity to travel to Italy, where we toured Rome, Tuscany, and took hours out of her busy schedule to give us a private tour Florence. It was remarkable to see both the natural beauty of of the Vatican Gardens, the tombs, and the Basilica. Sisters the country as well as the spectacular artistry and architec- Maria, Magdalena, Justina, and Bozena went out of their ture that have influenced the world for thousands of years. way to make certain that our stay was perfect. Meeting such joyful women doing the work of the Church and fulfilling the Amidst the history, beauty, and culture of the areas we vis- Pallottine mission was an encouragement to me and a beau- ited, the most meaningful experiences were truly Pallottine. tiful aff irmation of our work here in Laurel, Maryland. Theresa and I had the pleasure of staying with the Pallottine Sisters at their Missionary House located just a few minutes’ While we were in Rome, we also had the opportunity to visit walk from the Vatican. The view of St. Peter’s Dome from our the Church of San Salvatore in Onda. It is in this Church that balcony was breathtaking, but nothing could compare to St. Vincent Pallotti worked and lived for the later years of his the love and hospitality that we received from the Sisters. life. The sarcophagus of the incorrupt body of Vincent Pal- Through my work at St. Vincent Pallotti High School, I know lotti is located in the church’s altar. Upstairs, in a separate many of the wonderful, dedicated Sisters here in the United area, are the living quarters of Father Vincent, just as it was States. Having also had the honor of meeting many of the when he lived there over 170 years ago. It was as simple as it Sisters in Belize, it was a special treat to get to know their could be—a bed, a kneeler, his books, and his private altar. 4 St. Vincent Pallotti High School Seeing the remains of St. Vincent Pallotti and standing in the tion and will lead to the 100th anniversary in September of room where he slept, studied, and prayed was a humbling 2021. It will be a year of celebration with exciting events and experience. projects that are designed to strategically place Pallotti in a position for a second century of success. My visit to Rome was inspiring. Visiting the Vatican, spending time with the Pallottine Sisters, and visiting the place where As you continue through these pages you will read of note- St. Vincent Pallotti spent his days has bolstered my commit- worthy accomplishments by current students, revisit alumni ment to fulfilling the Pallottine mission here at St. Vincent who have been honored by their inclusion into the Athletic Pallotti High School. Our students, faculty and staff are very Hall of Fame, and learn of those alumni who have been rec- excited to have another school year underway. However, ognized outside our walls for their accomplishments since this year is diff erent from those in the recent past. There are graduating from St. Vincent Pallotti High School. Finally, you no major programs being introduced to the curriculum such will read about current and former members of our faculty as the Arts Academy, Robotics, or Engineering. There are no and staff . These are the people who are the heart and soul of major facilities projects such as the Sister Lucy Lobby or con- Pallotti High School. I hope you enjoy the magazine. verting the Pallotti Early Learning Center into our Arts wing. And thankfully, the reaccreditation process with AIMS and Jeff rey Palumbo Middle States is well behind us. The focus this year is sim- President / Principal ple—strive for excellence in all of our programs and contin- ue off ering a faith-building experience for our students that honors the Pallottine mission. While there are no major programs or projects to unveil this school year, this is just the calm before the ( joyful) storm. As you may or may not know, St. Vincent Pallotti High School was founded as St. Mildred’s Academy in 1921. Next school year 2020-2021 will be the 100th year of our school’s opera- St. Vincent Pallotti High School 5 Campus Ministry Helps Students to Search for God in All Aspects of Their Lives St. Vincent Pallotti said, “Seek God, and you will find God.” Sophomore Service Day in September, 130 students and staff Taking these words to heart, the Department of Campus Min- traveled to the D.C. Armory and helped with Project Homeless istry helps students to search for God in all aspects of their life Connect, a resource fair for those experiencing homelessness with the goal of helping them grow in their faith. in the DMV. Thanks to the investment of our students, staff , and the entire The junior class went on Kairos, a three-day retreat where Pallotti family, the campus ministry at St. Vincent Pallotti High students focus on God’s friendship. Many came back and ex- School has been vibrant and active! God’s presence is appar- pressed that they felt closer to God on this retreat than at any ent every day on Pallotti’s campus. We begin each day with other time in their lives. The senior class made their retreat in prayer and pray together again midway through the day. Stu- October at River Valley Ranch, where they reflected on God’s dents and staff participate in monthly liturgies, and we were call in their life. During this time, our seniors demonstrated blessed by two campus ministry speakers who came to talk remarkable strength and resilience, as well as a strong com- with our students during the 2018-2019 school year. mitment to each other. These attributes made an impact on the staff at River Valley Ranch, who sent the class a card a few Retreats are always a highlight in the campus ministry depart- weeks aft er their retreat. ment. In November, our freshmen participated in a day retreat held on campus. More than 40 upperclassmen also commit- Throughout the year, our students also participated in a va- ted their time to help the freshmen experience the Pallotti riety of service opportunities. In January, eight students and family and the love of God on their first Pallotti retreat. For two staff members went on a mission trip to Belize. This group 6 St. Vincent Pallotti High School helped at an elementary school in Punta Gorda, and was able power of divine grace.” Please continue to pray for our stu- to forge relationships with the community there and with each dents, faculty, and staff and know that we are praying for you. other. On April 4, students, faculty, staff , families, and even some of our retired teachers came together from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for our annual Pack and Pray event. Together, we packed 40,000 meals to be sent to countries in Central Amer- ica. Thank you for your support of campus ministry, especially for the prayers that you have off ered on our behalf. St. Vincent Pal- lotti once said, “As a servant of God, do not trust yourself and your strength completely, but put all your trust in the infinite St. Vincent Pallotti High School 7 AROUND THE CAMPUS Committed to educating the whole person and developing well-rounded individuals, Pallotti off ers a wide variety of extra-curricular enrichment activities to our students.