Parish/School Staff

PastorRev. Mark Bartosic

Associate PastorRev. Sergio Mena

Executive DirectorClement V. Martin

PrincipalPatricia Huizar

Director of DevelopmentThomas J. Byrne

School SecretaryPatricia Gecic

Youth MinisterKatie Davis

News for Graduates, Friends and Families of Saint Frances of Rome Summer 2011

Inside this Issue

Summer Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

A Message from Fr. Mark . . . . . . . 2

From the Executive Director. . . . . 2

Graduation 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Meet Our Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Lost Alumni!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

90th Anniversary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Alumni Reunions & News . . . . . . 6

Photo Booth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Summer Program Grows By 44%260 children in six week summer enrichment program

What a great problem to have...too many kids signed up for summer school!!! Usually

thought of as a punishment for poor grades during the school year, the Cicero Catholic Schools Summer Program was anything but menacing. Having now completed its second year, the Summer Program provided 260 students in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade with math and literacy enrichment each morning. These critical skills will help them to be ready for the new school year. Each afternoon, the children participated in a variety of fun activities ranging from arts & crafts, to science experiments, and, of course, outdoor sports. Each week, all students went on a field trip that was included in the cost of the program. This year’s destinations included the Museum of

Science and Industry, a trip to the beach, and a Chicago White Sox game, among others. “The success of the program lies in the team approach,” says Clem Martin, Executive Director. “Bringing together both students and teachers from several Catholic schools helps us to have such great success with our Summer Program and to build a spirit of cooperation among the neighborhood Catholic schools.” The location of the program rotates each year between SFR and Our Lady of Charity. Giving a boost to students and a break to parents, we hope the Summer Program will grow again next year, but only one question remains: Where will we put everyone?

2      SFR  School  •  1401  S.  Austin Blvd., Cicero,  IL  60804  •  708-652-2277  •  www.sfr-school.org

St. Frances of Rome Alumni & Friends Summer 2011

In a scripture passage that I like to reflect on, the prophet Isaiah asks how we might come to know the Lord, how

we might prosper. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? “He who practices virtue and speaks honestly, who spurns what is gained by oppression, Brushing his hands free of contact with a bribe, stopping his ears lest he hear of bloodshed, closing his eyes lest he look on evil…” (Is 33:15)

“Closing his eyes lest he look on evil.” I have been at SFR for ten years. I remember returning to SFR on a day off - Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - to find a very upset school, especially the class of 2002. Everything had come to a standstill in the eighth grade, the kids hypnotized by what they were seeing on the news reports. I thought to myself: “bad call.” All of our eyes were glued to the television that day, and for a long time afterwards – but kids! So young to be confronting something so graphically evil, over and over again! Many of their generation are perhaps numb, by now (in their mid-twenties) to things that set our hair on end. Maybe we are numb, too.

To sensitize ourselves to God – to become perceptive of the presence of grace in the world. To learn to love God and neighbor. To run from evil, our eyes averted. That’s what we need to learn and teach. Sin and evil will always scream louder that grace and mercy – and so it is our job

Fr. Mark Bartosic Celebrates 10 Years at St. Frances of Rometo teach our young ones to notice God in the midst of the chaos. To teach them to discern between the Truth and the lie, and to follow the Truth and ignore the lie. The present moment is more critical than ever - not the least because the challenges before us in providing truly Catholic formation to our students is so great. The entertainment and news media have open access to the minds and hearts of our young – and yet, are often at odds with our mission. Also, like our State and many of its municipalities, we are struggling to find the necessary resources to continue our mission. Somehow, we have managed the impossible – increasing our  enrollment by  some 25% and attracting more talented, faith-filled faculty and staff to our school. The good judgment and the generous spirits of those who currently lead and teach in our school are making the impossible happen. The generous support of our alumni and benefactors is also key to our success. Thanks to all of you for 10 wonderful years!

From the Executive DirectorClement V. Martin

Many years have passed since Saint Frances of Rome first opened her doors to the community in 1923.

For many who have long since left the neighborhood, the church was the heart of the community, providing Catholics a spiritual home while also serving as a center of activity. Today, Saint Frances of Rome remains a pillar of strength for the faithful, bustling with an array of activities. In two short years, we will be celebrating the 90th anniversary of the parish with a large gathering. We hope to bring all those who have had their lives impacted by their time at Saint Frances together for this event. We have begun work locating former students and parishioners and have begun the initial planning for the event. Please see the article on page 5 of this edition of the newsletter for more 

information. I am happy to speak to anyone who would be interested in helping with the planning of this event. Speaking of milestones, it is important to note the many great things that Fr. Mark has accomplished in his ten years as pastor of Saint Frances. The parish, under his leadership, has flourished. Renovations have been made to the church, the school campus has seen significant improvements, and the carnival has been brought back to life, just to name a few. I am especially grateful for his continued commitment to Catholic schools and his recognition of the role they play in the formation of children in our parish. May God grant him many more years of fruitful priestly ministry.

Saint  Frances  of  Rome  Parish  (Rectory)  •  1428  S.  59th Ct.,  Cicero,  IL  60804  •  708-652-2140      3

Quarterly Newsletter for Graduates, Friends and Families of Saint Frances of Rome School Summer 2011

Graduation 2011

Above: Fr. Mark delivers his last homily to the SFR Class of 2011.

St. Frances of Rome sent 27 young women and men on to high school

this year. Graduation is always a special milestone for our school and our students. In a particular way, we like to take the opportunity to remind our students of all the many gifts they have received during their years at St. Frances and how they can use their Catholic faith to make good decisions in the years ahead. Fr. Mark’s message to our graduates was: life is good, living is hard, Jesus loves you more than anyone - trust Him. Our graduates will be attending high schools such as, Cristo Rey, St. Joseph, St. Patrick, De La Salle, Josephinum Academy, Morton, Riverside-Brookfield, and others. Best of luck, Class of 2011!!

Above: Ms. Maggie Kelly is the Seventh Grade teacher at St. Frances of Rome School.

Meet Our Teachers

Maggie Kelly is entering her third year of teaching seventh

grade at St. Frances of Rome School. Born and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago, she attended Fenwick High School and North Central College. Maggie graduated with an education degree, which included endorsements in middle school English, Social Studies, and teaching English as a second language. There she distinguished herself as North Central’s first All-American volleyball player. Maggie has been very happy at St. Frances of Rome. This past school year, she received the Archdiocesan “Heart of the School” award and celebrated her first year of remission from Hodgkin Lymphoma. Maggie is passionate

about teaching and sharing her love for Christ with the students. When asked why she teaches at St. Frances of Rome, Maggie said, “This is a special place. The administration, faculty, and students pray together, work hard together, and support each other. We are dedicated to shaping our students academically and spiritually, fully preparing them for the future.” Over the summer, Maggie traveled to Mexico for a cultural immersion experience for educators within the Archdiocese. This fall, she will continue her Masters of Curriculum and Instruction, coach volleyball at Fenwick High School, and marry the love of her life. Maggie is excited for the upcoming school year!

4      SFR  School  •  1401  S.  Austin Blvd., Cicero,  IL  60804  •  708-652-2277  •  www.sfr-school.org

St. Frances of Rome Alumni & Friends Summer 2011

Missing Alumni!!

Our class records for the years prior to 1957 were destroyed by a flood some time ago, leaving us with incomplete class lists for those years. We have been able to get in touch with some of

those alumni, but we’re still looking for others. You will find the names of our “missing alumni” below. If you know how we can get in touch with them, please use the form on the back of this newsletter to drop us a note. We’re trying hard to get in touch with everyone as we prepare for our 90th Anniversary in 2013.

1929 Raymond Linder

1931 Margaret (Stukel) Kramp

1932 Thomas Linder

1936 John Dobes

William FitzsimmonsLoretta Goergen

Mary Louise (Golden) KurylakDolores Marvaglia

Carol (Sullivan) McDonaldRaymond PechousCornelius Schoper

Peter SweersEdward Walsh

1938June (Bailey) BedlingtonEleanor (Plotz) Benker

Dorothy (Koca) BockstahlerJohn ConstantineGeorge Corbett

Marie CrossRegina (Frawley) DaltonRose (Bartucci) Dell ‘Armi

Anthony GambinoMartin GoldenJames HarneyJoyce KnauberAdrian Krout

Angeline (Maggiore) LandiseSam Lanzarotta

Dorothy (Rynne) MacekShirley (Connerty) Mahoney

Marguerite MoisanPatricia Mooney

Margaret MortonSr. Patricia O’Donnell

Louis PontilloAnthony RyanGeorge StasenMartin Wiora

Marilyn (McVeigh) Zeman

1940 Edward Murray

1942 William Fosser

Judy (Claps) Rasfeld

1943 Kathleen (Weichbrod) Stepanek

1945 Donald Mulcahy

1946 Steve AlbechiaraDelores BardenJames BogdenEvelyn BuckleyFlorence Burns

Robert ChappellMary ClellandJames Collins

Dorothy ConsidineJames CraneFrank Cvack

Lenore De Larco

Jean HoffmanCarol KolacekCeleste Kral

Rosemary KrasulaRonald ManglerRichard Miller

James NorkewiczRichard NovakArlene PouzarNoreen Rynne

Edward SimonekTheresa Zibrid

Raymond Zvetina

1948 Dolores (Sullivan) Kretch

1950 Darrell Artz

Thomas BarrettDorothy Bubon

Joan CerneyJames Cihla

Carl CizynskiThomas ConwayEmil Cosentino

Mary Ellen (Giacalone) DeBruyneRalph Dinnon

Romona (Kestian) GraneMary (Hansen) Grant

Donald HoraCarole Inzinga

Evelyn JoyWayne KastleJohn Klema

Joanne (Cossa) KozazalaRichard Maher

John MarshallCharmaine (Tomko) Pavla

Terry RyanRaymond Sacchetti

Beatrice SpilkaThomas Walter

1951 Millard Rutkowski

Barbara (Viskup) SchneiderDonna (Peterson) Tollefsen

1952 Grace (Rogers) Brooks

James BurnsGermaine (Dion) JelinekArlene (Chaloupka) ParasCarol (Mahoney) SmithShirley (Kuhajek) Wiley

1953 Maryann (Sullivan) BlankenbergDorothy (Brons) Hoeltzer

1954Barbara (Thomas) BeckmanBarbara (Loftus) CarrolFlora (Coglianese) Carter

Phil DrwilaMichael Heinzel

Camille HermannMary Ellen Joyce

Pat KrauseMaureen (Horgan) Lorenzo

Robert MackJeanette (Bonicies) Marigliano

James MillerJohn PetrickCelia Sipes

Rosemary (Rocush) StarkePat Valenti

Martha WeberLoretta (Lehrer) Zielenski

1956Michaellene (Federowicz) BarryJune (Kuhajek) Vanourek

Saint  Frances  of  Rome  Parish  (Rectory)  •  1428  S.  59th Ct.,  Cicero,  IL  60804  •  708-652-2140      5

Quarterly Newsletter for Graduates, Friends and Families of Saint Frances of Rome School Summer 2011

90th Anniversary Celebration

The year 2013 will mark two very special milestones for the St. Frances of Rome Community: the 90th anniversary of the founding of our parish

and the 55th anniversary of the ground-breaking for our current school building. We have been working very hard to update our database of school alumni and locate all of our missing graduates the best we can.

Because of the role that St. Frances has played in so many lives over these years, we are beginning to plan for a special 90th anniversary celebration to recognize the work of so many priests and sisters as well as the accomplishments of our many graduates and parishioners. At this time, we would like the reunion to take place in the summer or fall of 2013, but we will need your input to make this event a success. The opinions of many different people from different generations will help us to determine the

Stay tuned for more details!

timing, location, and format of this reunion. Above all, we want this to be something special for all the friends of St. Frances.

Also, in order to focus our energies on this large celebration, we will not be hosting our annual “all class” alumni reunions at St. Frances of Rome School for the next few years. We always encourage classmates to get together with each other and are happy to provide class lists and help with mailing lists when possible. Simply contact us in the development office at (708) 652-2277 x203.

If you would like to help on the planning committee for the 90th Anniversary celebration, please contact Clem Martin, Executive Director, at (708) 652-2277 x102.

6      SFR  School  •  1401  S.  Austin Blvd., Cicero,  IL  60804  •  708-652-2277  •  www.sfr-school.org

St. Frances of Rome Alumni & Friends Summer 2011

Alumni Reunions & News

Share your story too!We want to find out more about our graduates! Write in and tell us your stories and best memories from your days at SFR. Tell us where you went to college and what you’re up to now. Share your wedding and birth announcements...and don’t forget to send pictures! If you give us permission, we’ll publish these updates in future editions of this newsletter.

Use the handy form on the back of this newsletter or send an email to: development@sfr-school.org.

Catherine O’Brien Jacobson (1939) wrote to us after reading the SFR newsletter of her friend and classmate Annamae Fitzpatrick. She said, “It was like going back in time.”

She went on to share to following news:

“Last year I visited Chicago and took the trip down Memory Lane. Annamae’s daughter drove us through the old neighborhood. Of course, we went back to our alma mater. The school/church we attended was razed but  the memories  linger  there.  I graduated on June 15, 1939. My diploma hangs on a wall in my house. My teachers included Sr. Mary Gertrude, Sr. Eucharia and Sr. Mary of the Incarnate Word. Sr. Eucharia became the Principal. I was interested in seeing the picture of Robert Deering [Spring 2011 newsletter] who visits the school annually. I went to his Ignatius prom with him. As an officer he returned and took me to a football game and the Officers Club.

I attended Siena High School and went to the DePaul Secretarial school. I married a boy from Montana. We lived there for 42 years.  For his health reasons we moved 

to Lake Havasu City, AZ .  He lived less than 7 years but I’ve stayed.  I’ve been here 22 years and a widow for 15. 

My Dad, Patrick O’Brien, was very active in SFR church....an usher....Knight of Columbus.”

Contact Catherine at: shamrock3@npgcable.com

We're taking attendance!Class of 1961 - 50th AnniversaryClass of 1986 - 25th Anniversary

Plans are now being made for reunions for the anniversary classes of 1961 and 1986. We are working hard to locate members of these classes and put together class directories. We want input from all of you to know how we should celebrate these important anniversaries. Please help us to spread the word!! If you,

your siblings, or your friends were part of these classes, please let them know about this. They can get in touch with us at development@sfr-school.org. Let us know what you’d like to see in a reunion, choice of location, etc. Also, if you have great photos from these years, please send them in! They’ll show up at the event.

Saint  Frances  of  Rome  Parish  (Rectory)  •  1428  S.  59th Ct.,  Cicero,  IL  60804  •  708-652-2140      7

Quarterly Newsletter for Graduates, Friends and Families of Saint Frances of Rome School Summer 2011

Photo Booth

Is this your class?

We recently unearthed this undated class photo in the SFR archives. Are you sitting in one of these desks or

do you know someone who is? Do you know which year this photo was taken or who was the teacher in this classroom? Were you the class clown? We want to know about it!!! Send your comments to us at the school. Vintage photos will be making regular appearances from now on in the St. Frances of Rome Alumni Newsletter. There is much more fun to come!

Share your vintage photos!We have a number of great “vintage” SFR photos in our archives, but we know there are so many more good ones out there! You can make an excellent copy of your photos at most Walgreens stores, or you can always scan and email them to us. Share the remarkable history of St. Frances of Rome School!

Mail photos to: St. Frances of Rome Alumni Newsletter, 1401 S. Austin Blvd., Cicero, IL 60804

Email photos to: development@sfr-school.org

Attention Parents!If this newsletter is for your son or daughter and he or she no longer lives with you, please send his or her correct address to development@sfr-school.org. Thank you!

www.sfr-school.org

Tell us your St. Frances of Rome stories!We want to find out more about our graduates! Write in and tell us your stories and best memories from your days at SFR. Tell us where you went to college and what you’re up to now. Share your wedding and birth announcements...and don’t forget to send pictures! If you give us permission, we’ll publish these updates in future editions of this newsletter.

Name: ____________________________________

Address: ___________________________________

City: _____________ State: _____  Zip:  ________

Phone: ____________ Graduation Year: _________

Email: ____________________________________ Yes, please publish my story and my email address so that other classmates can contact me!

Please don’t publish my information; it is for update purposes only.

Write in your update here, and attach more sheets if you have a lot of stories to share!

___________________________________________

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Cut and mail to:St. Frances of Rome Alumni Newsletter1401 S. Austin BlvdCicero, IL 60804

Or email your update to: development@sfr-school.org