heritage - Pope John Paul II High School

Pope John Paul II
KennedyKenrick
Catholic
Bishop
Kenrick
St. Patrick’s
E
ERITAG
H
St. Pius X
Archbishop Kennedy
St. Matthews
The
Spring 2013
Heritage
The newsletter for Alumni of
Pope John Paul II High School and its Legacy Schools
Volume 1
Letter from the President
When Pope John Paul II High School (PJP II) opened its doors in September 2010 in Royersford, it had
an unprecedented distinction in the history of Catholic education in America—never before had two
Catholic high schools closed and been relocated into a single student body simultaneously.
Our beginnings were notable and our first years have been busy, filled with all of the challenges that
typically accompany getting an organization up and running in a new building. Sadly, in the midst of
all of the activity required to accomplish such a massive undertaking, our outreach to the alumni—the
students who were the lifeblood of our predecessor schools—was lacking.
Please know that any lack of acknowledgement was unintentional. I am sorry if any of you felt ignored, and I apologize. You—the
alumni—are an integral part of our PJP II family. While I cannot change the past, I do hope that our family can reconnect and move
forward.
From the many alumni that I have had the pleasure to meet since my arrival at PJP II, you have demonstrated to me how meaningful
those years you spent at your high schools were to you – and for sharing this experience I thank you. While you may not be able to
physically visit your old school, the reality is that you can still come home. PJP II is thrilled to be the steward of a growing collection
of artifacts and memorabilia from Archbishop Kennedy, Bishop Kenrick, Saint Pius X, Saint Matthew’s, Saint Patrick’s and KennedyKenrick Catholic High Schools. Our Director of Advancement, Louise Tulio, is happy to coordinate loans of the old school flags for
reunions. She and I would also be glad to give you a tour of our building and a chance to meet the bearers of your legacy—our students.
PJP II proudly hangs all of the seals of our legacy schools and displays each school’s flag in our Grand Hall.
As you begin to know more about PJP II, I hope that you will see for yourself that the traditions you and your classmates began long
ago continue and that this latest generation of students continues the quest to be soldiers for Christ in a world that is in deep need of
the light of our savior. I know that our students will draw strength from being connected to you, our alumni, and having the sense that
they are following in the footsteps of a storied history.
I hope that the PJP II Heritage newsletter will help to keep our alumni up-to-date with what’s happening with their classmates and our
current student body. Of course, all of us at PJP II would love to see you in person—come home for a football game, join us for the
Heritage Golf Outing, or take in one of our acclaimed theater group’s shows. I hope to see you soon—it’s been too long.
Dr. Louis Giuliano, President
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Pope John Paul II
High School Points of Pride
Academics
Three members of the Class of 2013 were named Commended
Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They are
among the top 3% nationwide of the 1.5 million students who
took the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
PJP II surpassed both state of Pennsylvania and Global results
on the 2012 Advanced Placement Scores Report. Twenty members of the Classes of 2012 and 2013 were recognized as AP Scholars—three with honors and two with distinction.
Two members of the Class of 2014 will participate in a Summer Engineering Program at University of Notre Dame.
The Arts
PJP II’s spring musical, Beauty and the Beast, was a smash
hit. With 200 students participating in the show, the production represented the single largest extracurricular activity of the year. As with previous Studio 38 productions, the
leading and featured roles were double-cast in order to give
more of the students an opportunity to demonstrate their
talents.
Athletics
The Boys’ Basketball team placed second in District 1 finals and
won the first round of the PIAA tournament for the first time
in school history.
The Girls’ Basketball team placed third in District 1 and
qualified for the PIAA state tournament.
Girls’ Volleyball won the District 1 title and advanced to the
PIAA state quarterfinals.
The 2013 Wrestling team had three athletes win first place in
their respective weight classes in the District 1 Championships,
and one wrestler place third.
Christian Service
Over the past three years, PJP II students have completed more than 50,000 hours of Christian service.
PJP II students, faculty and parents were a community of walkers/runners for a Cupid’s Cranium 5K/1 mile walk held at the
school in February. A total of $15,000 was donated to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Brain Tumor Research Fund.
PJP II students raised over $2,000 for St. Edmond’s Home for Children in Rosemont. On Martin Luther King Day, a busload
of students sacrificed their day off to visit with the St. Edmond’s children.
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Family Stories: Alumni with PJP II Grads
The James Family
The Capaldo Family
The Souder Family
Gina Longo James is a 1973 graduate of Archbishop
Kennedy High School. She and her husband Gary
look forward to seeing their daughter, Cara, graduate
from PJP II this June.
Andrew and Mary Beth McCabe Capaldo both
graduated from Bishop Kenrick High School, class of
1984. Their oldest child, Regina, is a senior at PJP II.
Andrew Souder graduated from St. Pius X High
School in 1983. His oldest child, Regina, will graduate from PJP II this spring.
What Mary Beth remembers most about Kenrick is
that it always had a lot of school spirit. “In particular, I remember that Homecoming Week was always
very spirited.” Mary Beth says that her experiences as
a student at Kenrick made a deep impression on her
and that, “I wanted a Catholic education for my own
children.”
What did Andrew love about his years at St. Pius?
“The sporting events, whether I was playing in them
or attending as a fan. And attending the musicals. I
had a great high school experience and really enjoyed
all of it.”
“I was excited when I learned that my child was going to be going to a school that was born of my high
school. Since I grew up in Roxborough, and I now
live out in Gilbertsville, I never would have thought
in a million years that would happen.”
Gina has many fond memories of Kennedy, such as
going to Friday night football games and hanging out
at the Ice Cream Inn at Ridge and Butler Pikes after basketball games. She also remembers some fun
in the classroom too—like when a classmate placed
a frog’s leg from a dissection experiment in another
student’s handbag, which elicited quite a scream once
discovered. Gina also recalls a privilege granted only
to 12th graders—permission to ascend the red-carpeted “senior steps” that took them past the trophy
cases in the Archbishop Kennedy building.
After graduating from Kennedy, Gina worked for a
number of years in health care management. Currently Gina is a business manager for a non-profit.
Gina finds it difficult to single out one part of her
daughter’s PJP II experiences as the highlight. “She’s
had great teachers. She’s met great friends. Cara’s been
involved in so many things—Student Council, Student Ambassadors, National Honor Society, ‘Beauty
and the Beast,’ show choir.” Cara will be majoring in
biology in college.
An added bonus for Gina has been seeing many of
the artifacts from her alma mater on display at PJP
II. The collection now includes an extra graduation
program from 1973 that she contributed. “PJP II
is doing a lot to remember and recognize the legacy
schools. I think that’s really important.”
Gina sees differences, as well as similarities between
her daughter’s and her own high school experiences.
“There are more opportunities for kids today than
what we had, and that’s just the natural progression
over time. But the values that the faculty and staff instill in the kids about God, themselves and the world
are the same.”
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After their years at Kenrick, Andrew went on to
dental school and is now established in a practice in
Worcester. Mary Beth went on to become a CPA, and
is currently working for Andrew’s practice.
With the family now living in Phoenixville, PJP II is
close to home. “When I heard that Kennedy-Kenrick
was going to close and the school was moving to
Royersford, I was a little bit sad, but it was good for
my family. Having the school move to Royersford solidified our decision to send our children to Catholic
high school.”
Mary Beth feels that her daughter’s PJP II experience
has been similar to what she remembers from her
years at Kenrick in that all of the students are very
down-to-earth. “It was a very good bunch of kids to
go to school with, and she has received a very good
education at PJP II.” Regina looks forward to attending Georgetown University next year.
Thinking about the past three years, how does PJP
II compare to Bishop Kenrick? Mary Beth reports,
“Although there are more lay teachers today, PJP II
still offers the same set of values. There is a lot more
technology today, and the facilities at PJP II are wonderful for that. Catholic schools have changed with
the times like they needed to, but the firm foundation
is still there. PJP II is still rooted in faith.”
To those who have graduated from one of the legacy
schools but have not experienced PJP II for themselves, Mary Beth is happy to report that, “PJP II is
the same family in a different home.”
After high school and the University of Notre Dame,
Andrew went on to work in banking and practice law.
He is currently working in finance.
What of Andrew’s St. Pius experience does he see continued at PJP II? “A lot of St. Pius teachers like Ms.
Murphy, Mrs. Kopf and Mr. Welding are at PJP II. I
love the continuity and that my kids are able to know
some of the same teachers that I had.”
Andrew says that, much like when he was at St. Pius,
his daughter also has had a multitude of opportunities
to get involved, from sports to Community Service
Corps to the National Honor Society to the yearbook
to PJP II’s “Beauty and the Beast” production.
It’s hard for Andrew to single out the one best thing
about PJP II for his daughter, who is headed off to the
University of Notre Dame to study biology in the fall.
He rattles off a list: “Great friends. A terrific academic
experience. The opportunity to try different things.
The variety of people she has met, including the international students.”
How did he feel when he learned that his alma mater
was moving to Royersford? “I thought Pius was a great
school—small, but mighty—but that it was time to
upgrade facilities and potentially attract more families
to a Catholic education.”
Andrew feels very strongly that the alumni of the legacy schools should support PJP II. “The students are
the same kids, from the same area that we’re from, and
they are looking for a quality Catholic education like
we received. You can love Pius, or Kennedy or Kenrick, but it was time to move, and PJP II is the school
that now serves those kids. As alumni, it’s our duty to
make sure that the experiences that these kids are having are as good as or better than the ones that we had.”
Where are they now?
Christen Walker ’09, was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 4th round of the 2012 MBL
draft. He currently attends South Carolina University where he was named three-times to the
College World Series All-Tournament Team.
Tom Rzeźnik ’96, son of Felicia Jemionek
Rzeźnik St. Matt’s ’60, received tenure at Seton
Hall University this year and will begin a one year
sabbatical to do research concerning St. Vincent
Catholic Hospital in NYC.
Kate Mich Pufnock ’85 married Tom Pufnock
’85. Kate worked as Academic secretary at Pius
for ten years and is now the principal’s secretary
at Daniel Boone High School. The Pufnocks have
two children, Emily (Pius ‘10) and Tommy.
Mia Abruzzese George ’92 married Doug
George ‘91 and works as a critical care nurse at
Reading Hospital. The Georges have four children.
Brian Beacham ’02 is the Assistant Athletic Director at Cabrini College.
Jason Dobry ’96 is senior director of purchasing at Genesis Healthcare. He and wife Natalie
just welcomed their third child Wyatt, who joins
Nolan and Contessa.
Donald Zajick, MD ’94 attended Johns Hopkins University and did his residency at Boston
University and is a Radiologist with the Abington
Hospital System.
Trish Lynn Psota ’98 earned her PhD at Penn
State in Nutrition/Health Sciences and is working at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Md.
Phil Mandato, DO ’94 is an Anesthesiologist
with Grand View Anesthesiologist Associates in
Sellersville, PA.
Eileen Whalon Behr ’74, is the first female
Sheriff for Montgomery County.
Art Kehoe ’75 is the Head Offensive Line Coach
for the Miami Hurricanes.
Lawrence Gribb ’76 married Cassandra Muscara
and attended University of Scranton and Temple
University Dental School. He opened his practice Lawrence J. Gribb D.M.D in Pottstown, PA
in 1984. His son Jacob graduated from Pope
John Paul II High School in 2012 and currently
attends Villanova University.
Sister Regina Eleanor Pignoli ’54 is currently a
Guidance Councilor at Pope John Paul II High
School and lives at the Motherhouse at Immaculata University in Immaculata, PA.
Keith Mondillo ’89 married Jennifer Speer
Bishop Kenrick ’92. Keith is currently Head
Women’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director
at Gwynedd Mercy College.
We are looking for information on St. Patrick’s
graduates! Please fill out the “Keep us up to date”
section on the inside back cover and send us your
news!
Nancy Stagliano ’84, CEO of iPierian, Inc., a
biotechnology company in South San Francisco,
California.
We are looking for St. Patrick’s High School
memorabilia to add to our Alumni display case
at PJP. If you are willing to donate any items to
be displayed, please call Louise at 484-975-6529.
Thanks!
Brian Coll ’92 joined forces with his father, Jack
in 2001 joining the Coll’s Custom Framing shop
in Conshohocken, PA. Brian organized and executed the All Kennedy Reunion held in May
2013, reuniting classmates and teachers from St.
Matthews thru Archbishop Kennedy!
Judge Joe Smythe ’63, is a Judge of Montgomery
County Center of Common Pleas in Norristown,
PA.
Sister Elizabeth Dawn Gear ’63 entered the
Grey Nun order in 1965. She received her Master’s from Georgia State University and is currently the Treasurer for the Grey Nun order living in
Yardley, PA at the Motherhouse.
Steven Carcarey ’89 married Patrizia DellaPolla ’92. Together they own and operate the
Collegeville Italian Bakery and Giovanni’s Italian
Market in Collegeville, PA.
Geno Auriemma ’72 is Head Woman’s Basketball Coach at the University of Connecticut, has
800+ wins and just won his 8th NCAA Championship. He recently coached the US Olympic
Woman’s Basketball team to a gold medal in the
2012 Summer Olympics.
Santino Ciccaglione ’74 owns Sessan’s Café in
Norristown and just opened a second location
Sessano’s at Raven’s Claw at the Raven’s Claw
Golf Club in Limerick, PA.
Jeanette Jemionek McKenna ’57 and Bernard
McKenna celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends June, 2012.
Richard Campbell ’60 after his retirement traveled to England where he hiked 200 miles from
the Irish Sea to the North Sea.
Edward Smith ’60 is a consultant for pharmaceutical companies after having retired from Wyeth in 2008.
Francis Turek ’60 is enjoying retirement after 42
years as an air traffic controller for the FAA in
New York and Philadelphia.
5
Remember When...
Bishop Kenrick’s Class of 1993
celebrated Senior Day
The King and I ruled over
St. Matthew’s High School in 1963
Kennedy-Kenrick’s Class of 2003
saw their senior year
Homecoming game postponed until
Sunday afternoon because of rain,
but the Wolverines ultimately
triumphed 21-0 over the
Cardinal Dougherty Cardinals
Ring Day Mass for St. Pius X Class of 1973 was
celebrated outdoors—a first for the school
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Archbishop Kennedy’s
Class of 1983 saw the Boys’
Varsity Basketball team take
home the District I Class A
Championship Title
Keep Us Up To Date! Help keep our records up to date! Please fill out the section below and return to: Pope John Paul II High School,181 Rittenhouse Road,, Royersford, PA 19468
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St. Matthews • St. Patrick’s • Bishop Kenrick • Archbishop Kennedy • Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic • St. Pius X • Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
KennedyKenrick
Catholic
Bishop
Kenrick
St. Patrick’s
E
ERITAG
H
St. Pius X
PJP II would like to invite the alumni of our distinguished
predecessor schools and the parents of our current students
to participate in the inaugural:
Pope John Paul II
Heritage Golf Outing
Archbishop Kennedy
St. Matthews
2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Spring-Ford Country Club, Royersford
$150.00 per golfer
11:00am Registration and Lunch
12:00pm Shotgun Start - Scramble
Cocktail Reception / Dinner / Awards following golf
Contact: Louise Tulio, Ltulio@pjphs.org or (484) 975-6529
St. Matthews • St. Patrick’s • Bishop Kenrick • Archbishop Kennedy • Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic • St. Pius X • Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
KennedyKenrick
Catholic
Bishop
Kenrick
St. Patrick’s
E
ERITAG
H
St. Pius X
Archbishop Kennedy
St. Matthews
Pope John Paul II
High School
181 Rittenhouse Road
Royersford, PA 19468
NONPROFIT ORG
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PERMIT #106
Save the Date
Honoring Our Heritage
Coming May 17, 2014