ALUMNI Volume 2 | No 2 MagnificatSaint Mary’s College Preparatory High School Alumni Association Magazine | Winter 2008 COMING HOME AGAIN 16th Annual Don Monti Memorial Golf Classic Who Says You Can’t Go Home? Fall Reunion Highlights SCHOOL NEWS Students to Watch Windows on Saint Mary’s IN THE SPOTLIGHT Gaels Society Members Double Your Money, Take the Siedlick Challenge Wishing you and your families a very blessed Christmas season. contents sections alumni association | 5 February 26, 2009 Young Alumni Night student profiles | 6 6:00 PM Bar 9 807 Ninth Avenue, NYC For more information, please in the spotlight | 11 & 20 contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 516 627 4605 or visit www.stmaryalumni.ws school news | 13 March 19, 2009 coming home | 17 Ladies’ Night Out: Fashion Show & Dinner Leonard’s - La Dolce Vita reunions | 23 Cocktail Hour: 6:30 PM Dinner: 7:30-10:30 PM All alumnae and mothers of in memorium | 38 alumnae are invited to attend and reconnect with Saint Mary’s. Make this your mini-reunion in 2009! Please contact Alice Evans at [email protected] for more information and reservations. On the Cover: Shannon Farley '97, Eileen Symmons '86, and Kristin April 23, 2009 Lynch Graham '88. Photo by Constance Brukin. For story, see page 17. 4th Annual St. Mary’s High School Alumni Hall of Fame Induction & On the Web! Spring Alumni Reception 6:00 PM Please visit the high school website www.stmary.ws/highschool for New York Athletic Club, NYC the Spring Athletic schedule. Alumni are invited to attend night For more information, please games and BBQs to reconnect and see the current teams in action! contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 516 627 4605 or visit www.stmaryalumni.ws Alumni Updates Wanted... We are currently restructuring our Gael Winds section. We would love to hear from you and publish your news and photos in the next issue September 24, 2009 of Magnificat. Please submit your entries to [email protected]. 17th Annual Don Monti Golf Classic & Fall Alumni All digital photos must be hi-res for quality printing. Reception Visit our website for the latest updates, news, and events for the Plandome Country Club For more information, please Alumni Association and Saint Mary’s College Preparatory High School contact the Office of Alumni at www.stmaryalumni.ws or call the Alumni Relations Relations at 516 627 4605 or visit Office at 516 627 4605. www.stmaryalumni.ws calendar of events contents MagnificatALUMNI EDITORIAL Editor in Chief | Kristin Lynch Graham ‘88 Editor | Jay McDonnell Creative Director | Eileen Symmons ‘86 Contributing Authors Eileen T. McMahon Terry Laughlin ‘68 feature stories 16th Annual Don Monti Memorial Golf Classic 7 & Fall Dinner Reception ADMINISTraTIVE Pastor | Rev. Msgr. John J. McCann ‘57 Principal | Dr. Kevin McBride Director of Development | Kristin Lynch Graham ‘88 Gaels Society Members Director of Alumni Relations | Jay McDonnell Director of Communications | Eileen Symmons ‘86 11 SAINT mary’S Alumni ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President | Andrew DellaRatta ‘88 Windows on Saint Mary's Vice President | Thomas Smyth ‘86 Secretary | Janet Barth McHale ‘69 Treasurer | Robert Pennachio ‘86 13 Chaplain | Sr. Marylin Grosselfinger, IHM ‘61 Moderator | Sr. Mariette Quinn, IHM Board Robert Anastasia ‘71 Who Says You Can't Go Home? Alice Phillips Belmonte ‘84 Judi Annibale Betts ‘59 Thomas Clifford ‘99 17 Robert Dunphy ‘93 Melissa DeRosa Johnston ‘94 Gary Leli ‘00 Larry Siedlick and His Call to Action Mary Beth Welsh ‘84 20 GAELS SOCIETY Chairperson | Sr. Barbara Jablonski, IHM ‘59 Chairperson | Br. John Klein, FMS ‘65 Co-Chairs Fall Reunion Highlights Anthony Bonomo Francis J. Coughlin, Jr. ‘73 Donald Denihan ‘79 23 Margaret Grace Teaching the Gospel Values Stephen Hannan ‘80 John Idol ‘76 Rev. Msgr. John J. McCann ‘57 30 Daniel Nolan Arthur & Caroline Monti Saladino Silvana Scotto Zangri ‘88 33 2008 Annual Fund Donor Listing www.stmaryalumni.ws | 3 The 2009-2010 school year marks the 60th Anniversary of the founding of St. Mary’s College Preparatory High School. When the Class of 1949 entered as freshmen, the legacy of St. Mary’s High School education began. Sixty years later, St. Mary’s continues to provide excellent and accessible Catholic education 60th to young men and women. Plan to join us for a year of Anniversary anniversary celebrations. Details to follow. If you have a piece of St. Mary’s Celebration history to share, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 516 627 4605. All stories, photos and memorabilia are welcome. "Joyful, Loving Service." "To Jesus, through Mary." Saint Mary's College Preparatory High School ✟ Founded 1949 www.stmaryalumni.ws alumni association Association is planning two alumni social, networking receptions in Manhattan. The first is on February 26th at Bar 9, and plans are underway for a July date. We will return to the New York Athletic Club in April for our Hall of Fame Induction Reception. We will gather to honor those that have given selflessly to their profession, communities and have made your Alma Mater so proud. Finally, Tom Smyth ‘86, has been hard at work planning a theater night in Manhattan. We hope to have tickets available for a Broadway play next year. I hope you will make an effort to attend and enjoy these events with family and fellow alumni. As you may know, St. Mary’s High School was founded in 1949 by St. Mary’s parish pastor Monsignor John K. Sharpe, and was encouraged by Bishop Thomas E. Molloy of Brooklyn. Monsignor Dear Fellow Alumnus, Sharpe was an early benefactor to our school, donating $2,000 of his personal savings to help make our school a reality. Two It is a pleasure to serve as the Saint Mary’s High School Alumni thousand dollars was quite a large sum in the late 1940s, Association President for the current term. I am a graduate of the especially for a man of the cloth. In that same spirit, I hope Class of 1988, celebrating our 20th reunion this year. I attended you will consider giving to St. Mary’s High School to continue St. Mary’s High School by following in the foot steps of my brother the Catholic education and development of young men and John ‘82, and my sister Regina ‘84. Our parents were married in women. Make your donations personal; give in honor or memory the parish church and we were all born and raised in the parish. of a teacher or classmate. Remember, your donations are tax The parish and our high school have always played an important deductible, which will benefit you while benefiting our school. and central role in my life and family. Finally and on behalf of the Alumni Association and St. Mary’s Our Alumni Association is over 13,000 strong with members High School, I extend my deep gratitude to past president Frank serving in all walks of life. From teaching our future leaders in the Coughlin, Jr. ‘73, and past trustees Laura Mastrogianni Landgraff classroom, to serving as first responders, to serving in our military ‘63 and Michael Doran ‘69. Over the years, Frank’s leadership has and protecting our nation, to serving as doctors, engineers, been instrumental in the success of the Association and direction lawyers, scientists, financial representatives, and many other of our school. Laura and Michael have given personally of their professions, as well as serving Christ and mankind in various time and energy to plan and attend countless Alumni events. We religious orders. We are a very special group with a common owe a great deal of gratitude to them and will sorely miss their denominator. We are all graduates of St. Mary’s High School. guidance, wisdom and energy. Something for which we are all very proud. I extend to you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a The Alumni Association has again been hard at work hosting happy and healthy New Year. I look forward to meeting you at our and planning events for the year. The Annual St. Mary’s High upcoming events. School Don Monti Golf Classic was another huge success. Alumni enjoyed the Plandome Country Club golf course, along with With best wishes, a wonderful cocktail hour and reception where relationships were rekindled and new ones created. The Annual Alumni Mass honoring our deceased Alumni was held at St. Mary’s Church on October 12, 2008. Another huge success, the Mass was said Andrew F.J. Della Ratta ‘88 by Father Edward Doran ‘59 who shared anecdotes of his Irish childhood with his grandmother, parents and many siblings. A reception followed below the Church in the Marian Room. The student profiles Students to Watch Grace Chao and Gregory Sullivan ‘09 by Eileen T. McMahon about how advocacy works, about the art of compromise, and of the power to One of the outstanding members of her effect change. “That sort of power is not class, Grace Chao is a person able to something most people are exposed to,” combine academic excellence, volunteer she noted. One example of the group’s work and advocacy. Daughter of Dr. work is that it lobbied to have students Chu-Liang and Soon-Eng Chao, Grace is become members of school boards. Her a member of our Scholar Service Institute. membership in the Reformed Church Grace finds community service worthwhile and her faith help her to be very positive for the assistance it gives others, but she and hopeful about life. Effecting change, also considers it fun. One of her favorite she says, is about using one’s God-given talents to share with others. Currently, Grace is applying to college, hoping to pursue a career in medicine.