Vol. 53 No. 1 Spring 2012 Communion Breakfast – Sunday, April 22 Most Reverend Neal J. Buckon ’71 – Man of the Year Bishop Neal Buckon Platoon Leader and Transportation Officer in the graduated from Gesu Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the Allied Command Europe, Mobile Force (Land) (AMFL) (including Elementary School in deployments to Denmark, England, and Norway). University Heights and Cathedral Latin High Following seven years of active duty, he resigned his School. He continued commission and traveled to more than 100 countries. Inspired by these travels Neal entered the ministry. He earned a his education at John Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Cleveland State Carroll University, University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from earning a Bachelor of Borromeo College of Ohio. He later received a Masters of Science degree through Divinity degree and a Master of Arts degree in Church History from Saint Mary’s Seminary in Cleveland, Ohio. his participation in the Following his graduate theological studies, he was ordained a ROTC program at priest in May 1995 for the Diocese of Cleveland and assigned Carroll. “Even before to Saint Margaret Mary Church in South Euclid, Ohio. While college, I knew I wanted in the seminary, he served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Chaplain Candidate and was subsequently accessioned into to be in ROTC,” Bishop Buckon says. “It wasn’t the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps in 1996. something that was popular at the time with Vietnam, but my grandfather and other family members served. I His Chaplain assignments included locations around the felt every citizen ought to consider being of service.” world. Some of the locations and deployments were: Cleveland, Ohio (including a deployment to Bosnia); Fort In May 1975, he was recognized as a Distinguished Military Stewart, Georgia; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Baghdad, Iraq; Graduate, appointed as a Regular Army Officer, and served Heidelberg, Germany; and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He served in both the Infantry and Transportation branches of the U.S. his last assignment as the Eighth United States Army Army. As a member of the Infantry, he served as Rifle (EUSA) Chaplain for Current Operations and Catholic Platoon Leader and Weapons Platoon Leader with the 1st Chaplain in Yongsan, Korea. Battalion, 46th Infantry, 1st Armor Division, Erlangen, Germany; and Battalion S4 and Company Commander with His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the the 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division, Meritorious Service Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Joint Fort Stewart, Georgia. As a member of the Transportation Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Corps, his assignments included serving in Mannheim Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Parachutist Badge, and the Germany as a Platoon Leader and Company Operations Ranger Tab. Officer with the 28th Transportation Battalion and as a continued on page 3 president’s letter Scholarship Funding and New Turf Greetings to all alumni and friends of Cathedral Latin School! I would like to congratulate Bishop Neal Buckon ’71, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, on being selected as this year’s Merit Award recipient. I encourage you to make plans to attend our annual Communion Breakfast on April 22 where we will honor Bishop Buckon for his dedication and devotion to the church and our country since graduating from Cathedral Latin School. With great appreciation, I thank all to students with a direct legacy or calls for the project to be completed of you who contributed to our annual heritage to Cathedral Latin School. This by the end of August 2012. Anyone dues for 2011, which amounted to direct legacy includes sons, daughters, wishing to assist our association with over $42,000 from 1,022 contributors. grandchildren, great grandchildren, this commitment can make checks The honor roll from all 2011 dues nieces and nephews of CL alumni. payable to CLAA. Please indicate funds contributors is included in this issue. You can contribute directly to the Bro. for the “LSI Project.” You can also We cannot keep the organization alive Nurthen fund on the CL website. pay on-line on our website. Please without your allegiance and support. contact Keven Krajnak to contribute The majority of our contributions are The second item I wanted to mention directly to the school. directed to NDCL. We welcome any is the recent $25,000 commitment alumni who may be interested in joining the association has made to the Lions I encourage all and have faith that the association as a trustee. Stadium Initiative. This project was our alumni will continue to support launched early this year by the school Catholic education. As I mentioned In this article I would like to focus on and the NDCL Board. Synthetic turf above, our association supports Catholic the scholarships that Cathedral Latin will be installed at the stadium and the education at NDCL both monetarily alumni have created at NDCL and on old all weather running track will be and organizationally by interacting the new Lions Stadium Initiative. replaced. This idea had been around with multiple groups at the school. The support of CLS alumni for NDCL for some time, but after the stadium We are a major donor to all of the has been very significant over the years. field was totally unusable after just a NDCL fundraisers along with multiple This is represented not only by our few short weeks last fall, requiring all initiatives which include capital NDCL Annual Fund contributions, but teams (football, soccer, lacrosse) to campaign projects. the number of scholarships graciously find alternative and costly locations created by individual alumni, relatives for all of their home games, it became Can you help us meet our pledge to or groups of alumni. Please see the apparent that this idea could become a the new stadium project or consider separate article in this issue listing all of reality. The 20 year old running track donating to one of the many alumni the NDCL scholarships. You can donate already needed to be replaced for safety scholarship funds established at the directly to any of the scholarships via concerns and the grass field would be school? I know I can count on you to NDCL’s website or by contacting Keven costly to renovate with no guarantee continue supporting catholic education Krajnak (440-279-1068) in the NDCL that the weather next fall would not at NDCL! development office. A specific portion be a repeat of 2011. This project will of all endowed scholarship funds are guarantee for years to come that the Thanks for continuing to be caring used to assist students at NDCL who athletic teams will not have to give up Christian people of our community are in need of financial support. The their home field advantage and give the and showing your Latin Pride in Deed association is partial to the Brother school a major asset which no other and Truth! Nurthen Scholarship whose funds are Catholic school in the area has to offer. used to annually give financial assistance They have an aggressive plan which – Chris Lynch ’75 2 (cont’d from page 1) U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. military,” Bishop Buckon Communion Neal J. Buckon retired on states proudly. December 31, 2010 after 28 years Breakfast Honors of distinguished service in the Bishop Buckon notes, “Christianity military. Three days later, His is a very powerful thing because it is Most Reverend Neal Holiness Pope Benedict XVI named the love of God. As bishops, we J. Buckon ’71 him Titular Bishop of Vissalsa and select our own coat of arms and Auxiliary Bishop to the Most motto. I selected the motto of Sunday, April 22 Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Cathedral Latin, opere et veritate, Archbishop for the Archdiocese for which means “in deed and in truth.” The 61st annual the Military Services, USA. In the letter of John 3:19, Jesus says, Communion ‘Little children, do not merely talk Breakfast will be Bishop Buckon’s appointment was about love. Let us serve in deed and Sunday, April 22. announced in Washington, D.C. on in truth.’ This is a wonderful Mass will be January 3, 2011 by Archbishop message for our military. It has celebrated at Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to strengthened and encouraged me 10:30 a.m. at the United States. He explains his since my Latin days.” the Cathedral of role as auxiliary bishop in the St. John the Evangelist, 1007 Superior Archdiocese for the Military Services, On Feb. 22, Buckon was ordained a Avenue East, Cleveland, OH. The USA. “Archbishop Broglio bishop during a ceremony at the breakfast and presentation of the award reorganized the areas of responsibility Basilica of the National Shrine of will be at noon at the Wyndham for his four auxiliary bishops. I will the Immaculate Conception. Neal Cleveland at Playhouse Square, 1260 be his vicar for the Western United asked three friends and former Euclid Avenue. States, situated in San Clemente, Cathedral Latin alumni to serve as California, traveling to 95 military deacons at his ordination Mass on installations in 18 western states, February 22: Bruce Battista ’71, of Most Reverend Neal J. Buckon ’71 including Hawaii and Alaska. The Holy Rosary Church, Little Italy; will be honored as this year’s merit Archdiocese for the Military Services John Wenzel ’65, of St. Anthony of award recipient. This award is bestowed includes the Catholic service Padua, Fairport Harbor; and John to someone who distinguishes himself in members and their families on Active Sferry ’63, of Cathedral of St. John his chosen field of endeavor in a manner Duty in the Army, Navy, Marine the Evangelist.