THE Summer 2015 mpire - Roman Catholic High · PDF fileof Stephen Blackmore ’73, Joseph ... Blackmore ’80. Elizabeth Flood - Mother of Michael Flood ’81. Regina Sinclair - Mother

Summer 2015THEmpireThe Official Magazine for Alumni, Family, and Friends of

Roman Catholic High School

A Year to Remember

2 Roman Catholic High School

Catholic High Alumni125 Years of Tradition

Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association

President of the Alumni Association

Mr. Joseph J. Flaherty ’56

Director of Institutional Advancement

Mr. Patrick Plunkett

Director of Institutional Development

Mr. William Stangler

Coordinator of Events & Alumni Relations

Mrs. Samantha Angelone

Coordinator of Development Services

Ms. Jade Perry

Coordinator of Financial Services

Mrs. Maria Rivera-Aviles

Director of Admissions & Communication

Mr. Adam Gault ’08

Contributors Chris Gibbons ’79 Daniel DiBerardinis ’05 Andrew Banecker ’16 Vincent Capitolo ’16 Michael Schwoerer ’15 Jim Brennan ’97 Joseph Cunningham ’70

Editor: Adam Gault ’08 Jade Perry

125th Anniversary and SHOF Logo designed by Gene Burns ’81

Thank you to all Alums who send in their class

notes each issue!

Table of Contents

Day at the Bay Save the Date .......................pg. 4

Class of 2015 ............................................pg. 5

125th Anniversary Celebrations ...................pg. 6

Dine on Vine .............................................pg. 8

Sports Hall of Fame...................................pg. 12

Roman Team Stood Up Against Racism ........pg. 13

Roman Basketball ......................................pg. 15

Thoughts While Lining the Field .................pg. 17

Mock Trial ................................................pg. 18

Mr. O’Neill Retires .....................................pg. 19

Patron of World Meeting of Families ...........pg. 20

Alumni Profile: Michael Varga ’70 ...............pg. 21

Letters to Roman .......................................pg. 23

The UsualsA Message from Father Bongard ................pg. 3

A Message from theAlumni President ....................................pg. 4

Around Roman .......................................pg. 10

Winter Sports Recap ................................pg. 14

Spring Sports Recap ................................pg. 16

Class Notes .............................................pg. 22

Necrology(as of July 13, 2015)

Alumni

Roman Catholic High School301 N. Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107For more information, contact

[email protected]

To have your intentions included at daily Mass at Catholic High, contact

[email protected] contact the Alumni Office regarding

omissions or additional deceased alumni, family and friends at

[email protected] or 215-627-5487

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made in the

name of your loved one to Roman Catholic High School.

Margaret Braunstein - Wife of Joseph Braunstein ’48 Anne Stoffere - Mother of John Stoffere ’78, Christopher Stoffere ’81, Daniel Stoffere ’86 and Thaddeus Stoffere ’92. Grandmother of Mat-thew Stoffere ’11 and Nicholas Stof-fere ’13 and Jonathan Stoffere ’15. Kimberly Gallagher - Sister of Christopher Gallagher ’04 and Matthew Gallagher ’06. John Ferere - Father of Louis Ferere ’71. Anna Mae Blackmore - Mother of Stephen Blackmore ’73, Joseph Blackmore ’76 and James Blackmore ’80. Elizabeth Flood - Mother of Michael Flood ’81. Regina Sinclair - Mother of Joseph Sinclair (Faculty Member). Grand-mother of Robert Sinclair ’07 and Thomas Sinclair ’09. Elizabeth Broughton - Mother of Michael Broughton ’86 and Robert Broughton ’89. Peggy Amodei - Mother of Nicholas Amodei ’15. Joseph Brehony - Father of James Brehony ’70. Joseph Colonna - Father of Joseph Colonna ’93 and Michael Colonna ’92. Charles Blatz - Father of Jonathan Blatz ’96 and Matthew Blatz ’99. Sophia Madrak - Mother In Law of Kevin Weber ’74, Grandmother of Ryan Weber ’06 and Sean Weber ’09.

Mary Rose Doyle - Wife of Joseph Doyle ’44. John Beecroft - Father of John Beec-roft ’71 and Robert Beecroft ’72. Peter Valach - Brother of Edward Valach ’54 and Frank Valach ’52. Maryanne Rambo - Mother of Louis Rambo ’79. Kathleen Keenan - Sister of Walter Keenan ’71 and William Keenan ’67. Mary Kay Gibbons - Sister of Thomas Kearney ’58, Seamus Kearney ’60, Francis Kearney ’61 and Michael Kearney ’64. Eileen Kling - Wife of John Kling ’54. Ian Blundin - Son of Robert Blundin ’76. Marie F. Hart - Wife of Daniel Hart ’49. Margaret McShea - Grandmother of Patrick McCourt ’14 and Joseph McCourt ’01. Verna Tietjen - Mother of Michael Tietjen ’71 and Lawrence Tietjen ’74.Daniel Corcoran ’47John Dunne ’53David Farnin - Father of Joseph Farnin ’07 and David Farnin ’10.Anne Conroy- Wife of Charles Conroy ’45. Water Ryan- Brother of Christopher Ryan ’63.Carol A. Storm - Wife of Charles Storm ’63.Helen Pinkos - mother of William Pinkos ’72.

Joseph A. Anglin ’65Eladio E. Gonzalez ’72Shane M. Montgomery ’11William J. Berkley ’42Gerald S. Smith ’56Henry Plonski ’50Joseph Kleschick ’47Lawrence W. Avington ’68Thomas R. Martinka ’50Eugene C. Fittery ’60Kenneth J. Rogers ’46V.F. Ratkiewicz ’43John A. Lieb ’45Joseph J. Sweeney ’46Roman Staszko ’58Edward Harkins ’51Harry J. White ’50James J. Martin ’45Joseph M. Haley ’36

Bernard J. Gantert ’49Charles J. Devlin ’42Thomas Lydon ’44William E. Taber ’48John J. O’Connor ’44Ihor B. Chyzowych ’51John P. McGuinn ’35Howard K. Krick ’47Frederick M. Eichenhofer ’54William F. Ballantine ’49Kieran L. McDonnell’95Alexander Scherneck ’45John A. Kauffmann ’48Joseph D. Petrone’61Louis D. Recchiuti ’59Joseph G. Ferro ’47Edmund L. Kane ’66George Petrellis ’61Kenneth McKinney ’57Furman J. Nagle ’58

Joseph J. Ruggiero ’58Philip J. Friend ’51William T. Shields ’39Thomas D. Paul’80James W. Donlon ’54Thomas C. Hellwarth’57Joseph S. Rutkowski ’50Paul P. Cahill ’46Joseph T. Maggiano ’77Henry Malinowski ’63Michael J. Massey ’57Charles Pitchalonis ’52Walter Boyko ’63Edward Devine ’51Pasquale Gorni ’43 William English ’44 Eugene McCormick ’54Lawrence McManus ’60James Lloyd ’44Michael Cahill ’53

Friends & Family

3 The Empire

From the Desk of the President/RectorFather Bongard ’77

Dear Alumni and Friends of Catholic High,

As the school year has drawn to a close, and our attention is focused on September, I extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to you for your continued support of the mission of Roman Catholic. All of you can take pride in the fact that Roman is an urban Catholic School success story! We are now attracting some of the brightest and most talented young men from across the Delaware Valley. Because of our recent increase in enrollment, two additional teaching positions are being added to our faculty for the 2015-16 school year.

The Class of 2015 garnered over 23 million dollars in grants and scholarships. Our men are being sought after, and accepted to, some of the most prestigious local colleges and universities as well as those throughout the nation.

I extend best wishes to Mr. Robert O’Neill as he begins a new chapter in his life. Mr. O’Neill served the Roman Catholic High School community for 22 years—nine as Assistant Principal for Student Services and 13 years as Principal. Throughout his years in Catholic Education, Mr. O’Neill influenced the lives of countless young men. His personal witness to the Catholic faith and his love for the Church was evident in all that he did. We are grateful for his leadership and friendship!

Accolades are also extended to Mr. Thomas ‘Ace’ McCann who announced his retirement after graduation. Mr. McCann served on the Roman faculty for 25 years. During his time here, Mr. McCann demonstrated a passion for, and a commitment to, Catholic High that is nonpareil. We wish him the best and are grateful for his years of service.

As a supporter of Catholic High, you share in the success of our young men. Without your financial support, many of our students would be unable to afford a Catholic education. Your gifts, through the annual fund, planned giving and memorial opportunities are directly affecting the lives of the young men entrusted to our care. For that, we are extremely grateful.

Wishing you and your family an enjoyable and relaxing summer, I remain,

Sincerely,

Father Joseph Bongard (Rev.) Joseph W. Bongard, ’77 President/Rector


At the time of the last Empire I had said that the Alumni and Advancement office had lost several employees. I am pleased to say that as of June 29, we are at full staff. Patrick Plunkett is the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and William Stangler is the Director of Development. Samantha Angelone, Jade Perry and Maria Rivera-Aviles are in support positions on the staff. The first half of 2015 was memorable because of the events held to celebrate the 125th Anniversary. On March 7, 2015 we hosted a banquet at “Celebrations” in Bensalem to honor the 125 Persons of Distinction. The event was attended by over 600 people who saw a slide presentation of the 125 Persons. The photos used were done by Lou Ferrero ’68 and the narration was by Chris Gibbons ’79. The annual Cahill Club awards were also presented that evening by Mike Finnegan ’75, President of the Cahill Club.

On May 30, 2015 we celebrated “Dine on Vine” which was a block party event with Vine St. closed from 13th St. to Broad St. We had an attendance of close to 700 people and it was a great day. Several people had such a good time that they have suggested we host the event again. The final event of our 125th Anniversary is the annual Memorial Mass and Communion Breakfast. The date is Sunday, November 29, with Mass at the Cathedral at 9:30 a.m. with breakfast to follow at the Sheraton Hotel. The November 29 date is a change from the November 15 date in the last edition of The Empire. United States Senator Pat Toomey will be our guest speaker at this year’s breakfast. Our goal for attendance at this year’s breakfast is 1,000. Please remember to be generous to Annual Giving as it is from those funds that we award academic scholarships to the students coming out of 8th grade. Also, consider a donation to the Adopt-a-Student Program which helps students with financial hardships.This year’s Day at the Bay is scheduled for Sunday, August 2nd, at Keenan’s in North Wildwood. I hope to see you there.Have a wonderful rest of the summer.

Joseph J. FlahertyPresident, RCHS Alumni Association

A Message from the Alumni President

Day at the Bay 2015Join us for our

annual Day at the Bay Reunion!

Sunday, August 2nd at Keenan’s Irish Pub

in Wildwood, New Jersey

Register online: RCHSalumni.org

For more information contact the

Advancement Office 215-627-5487

On Friday June 5th, for the 122nd time, Roman Catholic High School held its Bac-calaureate Mass and Commencement Ex-ercises as the Class of 2015 graduated from Catholic High. Both the mass and ceremony were held at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, as they are every year, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway just blocks away from campus. This year a total of 249 young men graduated and 95 percent of the class will be attending postsecondary institutions across the nation. This year’s class was awarded a total of over $23 million in scholarships and grants. Both the class’s valedictorian, Michael Schwoerer (resident of Roxborough), and salutatorian, Anthony Nguyen (resident of South Philadelphia), reminded their classmates of the opportunities that Roman has afforded them, the responsibilities of Cahillites and celebrated the impact that they have had at Broad and Vine as well as in the community. Schwoerer, whose grandfather and brother also graduated from Roman, will be attending the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania and Nguyen will be attending Stanford University in the fall. The Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior, Auxiliary to the Archbishop of Philadel-phia also congratulated the young men for their achievements and recognized three graduates who will be entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary to pursue the vocation of the priesthood. Roman also presented its Loyalty Awards to four individuals who embody the spirit of

the school’s founder, Thomas E. Cahill. This year’s recipients were: Dick McMillen, Chief Executive Officer of the Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, Steve Paul ’83, the current second Vice President to Roman’s Alumni Association, Chris McNesby ’95, current head coach of Roman’s State Championship Basketball team and was also awarded the USA Today and the Associated Press Sports Writers Pennsylvania Coach of the Year, and Maureen Dougherty-Brown, the school’s SHALOM counselor for the past 20 years, adjunct faculty member and club moderator to many of the most active organizations at Roman. Honorary Degrees were awarded to three individuals: John Joseph Murphy, Andrew Crawford and Robert O’Neill. Murphy was a student at Roman and would have gradu-ated in 1948 but had to leave school to pro-vide for his widowed mother and younger siblings and then joined the military. Craw-ford would have graduated with this year’s class, but unfortunately passed away in November 2013 due to complications of juvenile diabetes. Andrew’s parents andsister were present to honor him and accept on behalf of their son and brother. O’Neill is retiring this year as princi-pal of Roman after 22 years of being at Roman, both as Principal and Disciplinarian and 46 years total with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The Class of 2015 now joins Roman’s prestigious alumni network. The class has already demonstrated their love and devo-tion to the future of Catholic High with 134 members of the class making senior pledges totaling to $7,910 over the next five years. Congratulations and best of luck to Roman Catholic High School’s Class of 2015!


Congratulations to the Class of 2015!

Anthony Nguyen gives his Salutatory address to his fellow classmates.

Pictured Left to Right: Mark Negro (resident of South Philadelphia, will attend Temple University next year), Kyle Westerfer (resident of Port Richmond, will attend LaSalle University next year), Nicholas Moctezuma (resident of Somerton, will attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania next year).

Proud Roman graduates celebrate after the ceremonies.

Michael Schwoerer speaks about the many times he was “proud to be a Cahillite.”


CelebrationsThis past spring, the Roman Catholic High School community celebrated 125 years by holding a banquet honoring both the 125 “Persons of Distinctions” and the annual Cahill Club Award winners. The event was held at Celebrations in Bensalem, Pa and, like most Roman events, current Cahillites were present to help out. The following articles were written by students reflecting on the night and the individuals honored.

Catholic High Honors 125 “Persons Of Distinction” Oh! What a Night

By Andrew Banecker ’16

March 7, 2015 is a night that many people who are affiliated with Roman Catholic High School will not soon forget. On that Saturday night over 600 people attended an event to honor 125 “Persons of Distinction” who have made important contributions to our school or to their community over the past 125 years. The list includes: major student athletes, coaches, teachers, priests, bishops, famous authors and an Attorney General. Of course, the list is full of alumni who are, or were, successful during and after their time at Roman. However, that is not the most important criteria to make it on the list. Rather, it is that the individual was or is an advocate for the legendary legacy that is Roman Catholic High School. During the event, there was an indescribable feeling in the air. During the drive home, I felt an incredible sense of school pride to a de-gree that I have never felt before. As a student, I am constantly surrounded by others who love Roman as much as I do. However, that night I was around many honorees or families of honorees who devoted themselves to Roman or spent years in service supporting the school (in many cases both were true) because they love Catholic High. It is a comradery unlike any other. This convocation, held at the beautiful Celebrations Banquet Hall, was created not only because we believe that “the Roman Experience” is something special but because we know it is. There is an endless amount of people to thank for the event. As a student who experienced a memorable night, I would like to thank all those who were involved. Special thanks go out to those at the forefront of the planning and development, including the editors who deter-mined the 125 “Persons of Distinction.” Most notable among the large committee for their contributions to the Banquet were: Jim Marino, Chris Gibbons, Lou Ferrero, Ed Keenan and our Alumni Association President, the tireless Joe Flaherty. Hurrah!

Charles Fuller, Class of 1956 and Pulitzer Prize winner, was honored as one of the Persons of Distinction.

Dr. Richard Vassallo ’59 poses with the bust of Thomas E. Cahill awarded to each Person of Distinction.

7 The Empire

Teaching CoreBy Vincent Capitolo ’16

At the heart of every great school, students strive to learn. These students come to school every day prepared to read, write and think critically. The common denominator among these students is none other than the teaching core. Here at Roman Catholic, our teachers mentor and support every student, thus making the heart of our school grow in faith and knowledge. For 125 years, the teaching core has been crucial to Roman’s success as a Catholic Institution. These teachers, both clergy and laypeople, have dedicated countless hours to help prepare their students for life after high school. The teaching staff serves as an exemplary model not only inside the classroom but also outside of school. Roman student Joshua Picciotti ’18, sees the teaching core as the most important aspect of any school. Joshua feels that Mr. McKeever has played a tremendous role at Roman for him. “Mr. McKeever is a funny teacher who knows how to welcome everyone,” Picciotti said. Mr. McKeever has been a teacher at Roman since 1968, teaching subjects such as Algebra, Calculus, Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry and Business Math. Mr. McKeever was chosen to be one of the People of Distinction for the 125th Anniversary for Roman. Other teachers who were given this same honor include Father Bongard, Mr. Conroy, Mr. Durkin, Mr. Dunas, Dr. Mecherly, Mr. McCann, Mr. Pensa-bene, Mr. Sfrisi, Mr. Tarducci and Mr. Verbrugghe. We also commend William Bell, Father Brandt, James Flynn, Rev. Joe Gleason, Rev. Ron Jakows, James McNulty, Lou Nicastro, Victor Hugo D’Ippolito, and Anthony Greco for having been awarded this same honor. We sometimes forget to appreciate our teachers, but we must recognize their importance in our lives. While the student body forms the heart of our school, the teachers act as the many blood vessels, keeping the heart pumping, carrying a constant flow of knowledge to each student.

This year marked Mr. Robert Durkin’s 50th year of teaching at Roman.

Mrs. Nancy Legradi reflects on being awarded “Teacher of the Year” the same year she celebrates her 25th anniversary at Broad and Vine.

Student of the Year, Jesse Evans ’15 offers words about his experience at Roman.

Congratulations to the 125 Persons of Distinction and the Cahill Club Award winners!

Thomas E. Cahill AwardBarry Howard

Distinguished Alumni AwardBrain Conroy ’91

James McSherry ’40 Appreciation Award for Service

Pat Conville ’76

Teacher of the YearNancy Legradi

Student of the YearJesse Evans ’15

Pat Conville ’76 accepts the James McSherry Award for service.


Dine on Vine

On Saturday, May 30th, Roman’s Alumni Asso-ciation held “Dine on Vine,” a 125th anniversary celebration block party. Vine Street was blocked off as hundreds of alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends of RCHS gathered to celebrate the school’s jubilee year. Thank you to the multiple committees for their work in organizing the 125th anniversary events, especially Jim Marino ’75, - the Chair-man of the 125th Anniversary Committee, Ed Keenan ’54, Chris Gibbons ’79, Thomas Johnston ’72, - Chairman of the Dine on Vine Committee and Joe Flaherty ’56 RCHS Alumni Association President. These Cahillites guided the Alumni Association and the Executive Committee for 18 months and successfully executed the 125th anniversary events. Please make arrangements to be present at the final 125th Anniversary event, the Annual Alumni Mass and Communion Breakfast on Sunday, November 29th, 2015.

To advertise “Dine on Vine” Roman’s name shined bright above the city on the PECO building!

The epic “125” blocks Vine Street for the festivities.

9 The Empire

What Have You Been Up To? Let Us Know! The Empire

Roman Catholic High School, 301 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA [email protected]

Roman alums enjoying their day at “Dine on Vine!”

“Dine on Vine” Committee members, Tom Kearney ’58 and Anthony Popolo ’10, take a break from the busy day to pose for a photo.

Louis Frattari ’08, (front left) of Polish American String Band plays his heart out to entertain the Roman community at “Dine on Vine.”


AROUND State and City Recognized State Champion Cahillites

On June 11, 2015, Roman’s State and City Champion Basketball team had a day of celebration and recognition. In the morning, the team received a proclamation from City Council at City Hall during a City Council meeting. In the afternoon, they received their championship rings and a proclamation from the State of Pennsylvania from State Representative, Michael Driscoll. Representative Driscoll’s father, Joseph Driscoll ’42, a former basketball player at Roman, was thrilled to be present for the ceremony as he cheered the team on all season.

On Wednesday, May 20th, Roman’s student body celebrated the 125th Anniversary of their school. The day began with Mass at the school. Afterwards, the over 900 students traveled down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to pose for a photo on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (which can be seen on the cover of this edition). The photo was captured, the students sang “The Purple & Gold” and then walked across the street to River Field, one of Roman’s athletic facilities. At River Field, the students were treated to lunch and engaged in multiple sporting events, games and other activities for the rest of the afternoon. It was truly a great day to be a Cahillite!

The Student Body Celebrates the 125th Anniversary

11 The Empire

ROMAN

For additional information on admissions, contact our Admissions Office215-627-1270 ext. 146 or [email protected]

Always know what is going on “Around Roman” on our social media platforms!

Like Us on Facebook: Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association

Follow Us on Twitter @RomanCatholicHS

Follow us on Instagram: @RomanCatholic_HS

Use the hash tag #RCHS125 to commemorate our 125th Anniversary!

Roman Students Produce Perfect Scores! Congratulations to Class of 2017 students: Justin Frye, Nicholas Bishop, Luke Hrushanyk, Luke McParland and Michael Johnston for earning a perfect score on the National Latin Exam. Fewer than 1,000 students of the 140,000 who took the exam world-wide earn a perfect score.

Roman Welcomes the Class of 2020! On Thursday April 16, Roman welcomed nearly 300 seventh graders to Broad & Vine for Visitation Day. It was a great day that included informative classes, the battle of the purple and gold and even a dunk contest! Roman’s Fall Open House will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2015, 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.


This year Roman’s Sports Hall of Fame celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Congratulations to this year’s inductees!

Roman Catholic High SchoolSports Hall of Fame

2015 Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Agates McKeever ’25 (Posthumously)Basketball

Jim Conway ’60Football

Steve Schaffer ’66Basketball

1968 Soccer TeamCoach William Dunas

Rob Lawton ’83Basketball

Quinton Mason ’84Cross Country & Track

John Spino, Jr. ’90Football

Mike O’Leary ’00Football

2000 Varsity QuadCoach Tom Henwood

Charron Fisher ’04Basketball & Track

“Lost Boys” of World War I Project Update By Chris Gibbons ’79

Four more names of Cahillites who gave their lives in World War I have recently been found. They are: • John J. Boyle from the Class of 1914 • Walter J. Spearing from the Class of 1909 • Joseph F. Murray from the Class of 1908 • Michael R. Leonard (Class being researched)

Newspaper articles from that era indicate that the number of Roman alumni who died during The Great War is 32, and this recent discovery raises the total number of names found thus far to 12. Again, if anyone has information that could lead to the discovery of more names, please contact Chris Gibbons at [email protected].

13 The Empire

In 1902, Roman Team Stood Up Against RacismBy Chris Gibbons ’79

(This article was originally published in the 2/20/15 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer)

It was the late autumn of 1902, and twenty-four year old coach William “Billy” Markward gathered his Roman Catholic High School basketball team together in the 3rd floor gymnasium of the imposing gothic school building at Broad and Vine streets in Philadelphia. Markward, a Spanish-Amer-ican War veteran, was starting his first year of coaching at Roman and had just received a disturbing letter from the scholastic league that Roman played in during that era. Although his initial reaction may have been to respond to the league on his own without discussing with the team, Markward also recognized the importance of teaching life lessons, as well as basketball, to his players. The team was primarily comprised of poor Irish-Catholic boys from the inner-city neighborhoods of Philadelphia, and most were the sons of immigrants. But there was one boy among them whose background was very different. John “Johnny” Lee was the son of a former slave, and he was the first African American to play basketball in that scholastic league. As the boys sat, Markward, a former pro basketball player himself, towered over them and began to read the contents of the letter. It stated that the league was notify-ing Roman that they were forbidden to have a “Negro” player on their roster, and that Roman would be banned from the league if Lee remained on the team. Sadly, consid-

ering the racial discrimina-tion that was common for that era, this stance was not unusual, but how the team responded definitely was. Team captain John Corkery was the first to stand up and speak: “If Johnny Lee doesn’t play, then I don’t play.” One by one, each of the players stood up and said that they wouldn’t play as well. As he watched each of the boys pledge to stand with their teammate, Billy Mark-ward, the coach who always stressed the importance of how to live over how to play, beamed with pride. When

Roman informed the league officials that Catholic High would not play if Johnny Lee couldn’t play, the league eventually backed down. From that moment on, a special bond formed between Corkery and Lee. Through the years, both men remained active in Roman’s Alumni Association, and their friendship grew. Lee would never forget the courageous stand that Corkery and his other teammates took for him, and when Corkery died, Johnny Lee was heartbroken. Cork-ery’s niece fondly remembers the touching scene that took place at her home every year on the anniversary of her uncle’s death. “Growing up in the Port Richmond area of Philadelphia in the late 20s and early 30s, my world was white-mostly Irish Catholic,” Patricia Corkery recalled in a letter to Ro-man. “Only one African-American crossed my path. It was once a year (John Lee) came to our house and I had to be on my best behavior. Always, I had to be dressed up and with my best manners for this visit. John Lee came to our house on the anniver-sary of my Uncle John’s death…and paid a tearful visit to the pictures of Roman’s team still on our walls.” Over the ensuing years, Billy Markward would consistently turn down numerous college coaching offers and remained at Roman from 1900 to 1942, winning an

incredible 20 championships. He achieved legendary status not only at Roman, but in the entire Philadelphia region, and the prestigious Markward Award is presented annually to Philadelphia’s top Catholic League scholar/athlete. As for Johnny Lee, breaking down racial barriers became something of a family trait. Johnny’s granddaughter, Sister Cora Marie Billings, became the first African American to enter a community of nuns in Philadelphia, and the first to join the Sisters of Mercy. She also became the first African American in the U.S. to serve as the leader of a Church parish as pastoral coordinator for St. Elizabeth’s in Richmond, Va. Another of Lee’s lasting legacies at Roman is readily evident when reviewing the success that the school has achieved in basketball since 1968. Largely due to the contributions of many great African American players during that span, Roman won an unprecedented 18 Catholic League championships, and their current team is nationally ranked. When we look back upon this incident from 1902, we can appreciate just how far our nation has progressed in eliminating discrimination. However, the social unrest resulting from the recent incidents in Fer-guson and New York are sobering reminders that far too often our society has a troubling tendency to split opinions along racial lines. Our inability to determine the reason why we continue to divide this way leaves us angry and frustrated, and we blame each other for this failure. Perhaps, before we can find an answer and move forward, we need to look back and remember the pledge that was made in that 3rd floor gymnasium at Broad and Vine streets over 100 years ago. For what the Roman Catholic High School basketball team understood back then, but what many of us fail to realize today, is that the primary reason for our failure is igno-rance, and the first step in defeating it is to stand together and confront it.

Chris Gibbons ’79 is a Philadelphia writer. He can be reached at [email protected]

Roman Catholic’s 1902-03 team included John Lee (left), John Corkery (holding ball), and Maurice Corkery (on floor at right). Coach William Markward is at left in the back row.

Bowling The Bowling team had a fantastic season in which they finished first in the Philadel-phia Catholic League regular season with a record of 46-10. The Cahillites bowled their way to the PCL Championship but unfortunately they did not capture the title. Matthew Mayfield ’17 was named Philadel-phia Catholic League MVP. In post-season play, the team finished 13th out of 35 teams in the state tournament.

Basketball The basketball team had a historic season in which they won the Philadelphia Catho-lic League Championship, District XII Championship and Roman’s first ever State Championship. View the next page for a complete season recap by Athletic Director, Daniel DiBeradinis ’05.

Ice Hockey Roman Ice Hockey had a strong season with varsity finishing with a record of 13-4-3 and junior varsity finishing 12-5-1. Both teams had turnaround seasons after having losing records the year before. The coaching staff credited solid senior leadership for the improvement in both teams. Major season highlights included the JV team winning the prestigious Sammartino Cup, and varsity skated their way to the Philadelphia Catho-lic League final. The Cahillites lost a close game and finished second in the league.

Swimming The Swim team finished a respectful sixth place at both the PCL and District 12 competition. A total of 10 Roman swim-mers qualified for District competition. The majority of the team recorded personal bests in the pool throughout the season.

Indoor Track & Field The Indoor Track & Field team saw seniors Jordan Jones ’15 (400 meters in states, 4x200 in states and Nationals), Jor-dan Coles ’15 (4x200 team), Calvin Dennis ’15 (4x200 team) and Colyn Todd ’15 (60 meter hurdles in states and Nationals and 4x200 team) qualify to race in states and the emerging elite national New Balance Games in New York. Colyn Todd placed 10th overall in the hurdles at states, while Jones ran the 400 and placed 10th best runner in his respec-tive race. The 4x200 team also made an incredible comeback in their race. Trailing by 15 meters with 100 left to go, Jones not only closed the gap, but took the lead and helped his relay team land the 13th overall spot in states gaining a victory over all PCL teams that raced that day. Todd’s victories and the 4x200 team would gain them a spot at the Emerging Elite New Balance National Games. Todd ran the 60 meter hurdles where he placed 14th and was a part of the 4x200 meter relay that finished 14th in the Emerging Elite race with fellow runners Jones, Coles, and Dennis.

Wrestling The wrestling team had a strong season on the mat thanks to a team consisting of hard working young athletes and senior leadership guiding the way. The team placed first in the Cadet Invitational at Valley Forge Military Academy. This was the program’s first team tournament win since 2007. In the individual post-season, Roman placed fifth in the Philadelphia Catholic League, ninth in the District and had six All-Cath-olics, seven District Qualifiers and four Re-gional qualifiers. The four regional qualifiers were freshman, Mike Leyland ’18 who led the team in wins with a 25-15 record mainly in 182lb weight class; 15 of those wins were pins. Senior, Josh Mitchell ’15 who had a record of 21-15 with 12 pins wrestled 170lbs in the post-season. Only a second year wrestler, Senior Joar Dahn ’15 posted an impressive 20-17 record in a tough 160lb weight class. Tyler Ricco ’15 wrestled at 145 lbs and had a record of 17-9 with 8 pins.


Indoor Track Swimming Ice Hockey Bowling Wrestling

Winter Sports Recap

Wrestling Team: Champions of 2015 Cadet Invitational.

15 The Empire

The 2014-15 Basketball team will be remembered throughout history at Broad and Vine. Led by head coach Chris McNesby ’95, the Cahillites started their season with a lot of promise. The Cahillites stormed out of the gates to a 9-0 record before league play and won two very prestigious tournaments in the DC Gonzaga Clas-sic and Stop DWI Tournament of Champions. However, after the early season success, the team took a huge blow when their leader and glue that held the team together, senior and team captain Trev-aughn Wilkerson ’15, went down for the year with an MCL tear.

Despite losing Wilkerson for the season, the team battled through one of the toughest leagues in the country, the Philadelphia Catholic League, to finish with a 11-2 record and a second place overall finish. In the quarterfinals, the team matched up with one of their regular season losses, Archbishop Wood. The sec-ond time around, Roman reversed the scripts and won the revenge game in front of a huge crowd at Philadelphia University. In the semifinal game the Cahillites went up against Archbishop Carroll and highly touted recruit Derrick Jones. Roman started slow out of the gate and fell behind to face a 16-point

deficit. The team showed great resilience and heart by rallying be-hind senior big man Manny Taylor ’15 and junior point guard Tony Carr ’16 to battle all the way back and lead the Purple and Gold to the PCL Finals. In the finals, Catholic High faced their rivals, the Saints of Neumann Goretti, who had won 6 straight PCL titles including last year’s win over the Cahillites. This year was a different story though. The Cahillites led from start to finish in an intense battle that brought the hubcap back to where it belongs: on Broad and Vine. This victory took place in front of a capacity crowd at the Palestra as Roman students, alumni, and families packed the best venue for basketball in the city.

Following the PCL title game, Roman faced Martin Luther King High School in the District XII title game for the third consecutive year. In a true battle the team pulled out a 2-point victory and se-cured the number one seed heading into the state tournament. The Cahillites have struggled in the state tournament since going PIAA in 2009, with our longest run bringing them to the quarterfinals. The first round of the state tournament Roman faced Downing-town West, in a back fourth game, the Cahillites pulled away down the stretch to a cruise to a 68-52 victory. Next up was Cedar Crest of District III – our boys trailed early, but came out firing in the second half to pull away to a 52-35 victory. In the quarterfinals, Roman squared off against District I power, Pennsbury, and in a back and forth game, our Cahillites advanced to the final four with a 58-57 win. In the semifinals, Ro-man met another District III team in JP McCaskey High School. Much like most big games this season, the team fought hard and showed great desire and dedica-tion to win 69-66 to bring Roman to its first ever state title game. In the finals, Roman matched up with a familiar foe in Martin Luther King High School. Unlike the first meeting, the Cahillites took con-trol from the beginning and never looked back, coasting to a 62-45 victory at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. This was truly a great season in which the team made history by winning the first state title ever for Roman Catholic High School. This team embodied what our school is about, brotherhood, hard work, and determination. It was truly a victory not only for the players, but one for all members of the Roman Catholic community, present and past.

2014-2015 Roman Basketball: A Historic SeasonBy Daniel DiBeradinis ’05 Athletic Director

The team in the main entrance of school with all the Championships won in the 2014-15 season.

The team stands in front of the loud and proud student section before the PCL Championship game begins.

PG, Tony Carr ’16 leads the Cahillites down the court.

Gemil Holbrook ’15, shoots a three point shot in the PCL Final. Holbrook will play for Rider University next year.


Baseball: After returning to the PCL Championship in 2014 for the first time since 1992 the Cahillites graduated 12 seniors. The 2015 season began as a retool-ing year with many sophomores and juniors playing key roles along with the seven rostered seniors. The Cahillites finished the season 10-8 with a loss to LaSalle in the quarterfinals 4-2. But the season was yet another successful one as Roman took on the top teams in PA, NJ and DE. Roman earned a top 25 ranking in Southeast PA six out of the eight weeks the rankings were released. The Cahillites produced 4 All Catholics, 3 All City and 2 All-Southeast players. With many players who played key roles in the 2015 season returning, Roman baseball should once again be one of the top teams in the area and the state.

Crew: Roman Catholic Rowing had a historic spring season. Lead by a strong senior group, and promising young rowers, Roman dominated the local racing circuit and found themselves competing against the best in the country. The varsity quad had an undefeated scholastic spring season winning the Triple Crown title (Philadelphia City Champion-ships, Stotesbury Cup Regatta, and Scho-lastic Nationals). This was the first crew to achieve this title since 2001. They went on to compete against the best club teams in the country at the Youth Nationals Regatta held in Sarasota, FL where they placed 7th, winning the petite finals. Roman’s depth was also showcased this spring with wins in the JV and lightweight quads, and second place finish by the varsity double and the freshman/novice double at the Philadelphia City Champion-ships. The lightweight quad also went on

to win a bronze at the Scholastic National Regatta. Roman also repeated a victory in winning the Dr. V. Horvat Men’s Sculling Team Points trophy for the Manny Flicks, a five week racing circuit that occurs on the Schuylkill before the championship season that scores all boats raced by the program. Six seniors will continue to row in college and have received financial aid for their contributions. Bill Schmidt and Ben Weaver will move on to row at the Universi-ty of Pennsylvania. Joe Leyland, Joe Wellein and Tyler Judge will move on to compete at Temple University. Tim Kutchner will be rowing nearby at Drexel University.

Lacrosse: Coach Brennan had a young team to work with in his final year coaching Lacrosse. The team struggled in league play and did not make the play-offs, but they did post a 10-8 record overall with many victories over non-league teams.

Rugby: Still being one of Roman’s newest sports (founded in 2011), Rugby is building a better program every year. The team went 2-4 this season, one win included at 22-0 shutout of Father Judge. The team was also invited to compete in the prestigious Neumann University national high school tournament at PPL Park at the end of May. The team gained great experience that will carry over into next season.

Tennis: The team started slowly with a 1-5 record. But thanks to continual improvement and dedica-tion to practice, Roman started winning and defeated Carroll in an important match which ultimately allowed Roman to finish 3rd in the

PCL. Roman looked strong in defeating O’Hara in the quarterfinals, however they could not overcome the higher seeded St. Joe’s Prep in the semifinals. After that slow 1-5 start, the team finished the PCL at 5-3 and 7-7 overall. The team’s top player, junior Sebastian Lipinski was voted 2nd Team All-Catholic. He then teamed with Junior Mike Hopkins to finish as the Consolation Bracket winner of the PIAA District XII doubles tourna-ment. Another bright spot in the season was when Junior Mario Millares accepted a try-out invitation after Coach watched him playing ball in the school yard. Mario quickly picked up the sport and got better each day, making valuable doubles contribu-tions to the team.

Volleyball: In the second season of Roman Volleyball, Coach Ping and her staff coached the Cahillites to an 8-9 record and a league record of 6-6. That record gained Roman a playoff spot where they defeated LaSalle, who had beat them twice in the regular season, in the quarterfinals but then lost in the semifinals to Wood.

Baseball Crew Lacrosse Rugby Tennis Volleyball

Spring Sports Recap

Roman Crew’s Varsity Quad is the program’s first triple crown since 2001.

17 The Empire

So for 14 seasons, from mid-February to mid-May, I have the enjoyable task of lining Riverfield for lacrosse games or practice and calling the fieldhouse my home away from home. I never had to paint the field alone though. Each year, I got a new group of players to help. While lining the field, I could meditate on the practice plan for that day or the game-strategy for our upcoming opponent. At the end of this past season, while lining the field for what would be my last time preparing for the annual varsity vs. alumni game, I found myself being nostalgic and thinking of all the players and coaches who have affected me over my career. When I first started coaching, I thought it was all about winning. Over the years though, I could see the impact I was having on the boys regardless of our record. It’s funny, when I reminisce about my time coaching, it’s not what happened on the field that stands out to me, but the people who were on it. I got the opportunity to watch my boys grow from scared freshman into confident seniors. No matter how bad things got, they always found a way to make me laugh. Each season, the team left some type of impact on me. I remember one playoff game when we had about a 300-yard walk to the game field. The team sang together from the moment they stepped off the bus the whole trek to the field. I think about the various Roman coaches for all the other sports and how I tried to emulate how they get their players to believe in what they can be in-

stead of accepting what they are. I remem-ber my group of North Catholic boys, who went through a difficult transition when they came to Roman, and showed me that Catholic morals are instilled at more places than just Roman. I remember Coach Kev’s conditioning sessions and the infamous “Why ya walking?” I think about our jug runs. I think about Dave Kedra and Shane Montgomery who played for the name writ-ten across the chest of their jersey. I think about all the parents over the years that stood on the sideline and cheered and were supportive of Roman lacrosse regardless of the outcome. I think about all the assistant coaches who helped me with the team and how they became my cloest friends.

When I first started coaching, I was 22 and just a couple of years older than the boys I was coaching. I felt like a big brother. Over the years, as I got older this changed, from big brother to bigger, older, grayer brother. Now as the lacrosse alumni start to show up to Riverfield for the game, guys from a long time ago, and start to put on their helmets and pads from various colleges or their old Roman gear, I feel like I’m catching up with a friend that I haven’t seen in a long time. John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, said, “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” Over 14 years of standing on the sideline, “My Boys” revealed mine.

Student Athletes representing all 17 sports offered at RCHS. For updates on athletics follow @RomanAthletics on Twitter.

Thoughts While Lining the FieldJim Brennan ’97

After this season, Coach Jim Brennan ’97 retired as head Lacrosse

coach, below is a reflection on his time coaching.

Alumni and current student athletes after the annual Lacrosse Alumni game.


“My friends and I have been accused of causing the overdose of a track star, the crushing of two people (with a construction crane, no less), and the extinction of a helpless population of bog turtles. We’ve even been blamed for the stoning of a single mother, the shooting of a minor, and the drowning of a young bride. We’ve been called evil, villainous, degenerate, and even unconstitutional, but never guilty.” This is how I started my essay for the Common Application, a forum for college admissions, my senior year. Now, before you start worrying about the number of potential felons in Roman’s student body, I should let you know that this essay was not about actual crimes, but fictitious cases in mock trial. Mock trial is a competitive activity that, as David Nugent ’15 puts it “tiptoes the line between acting and debate.” The Pennsylvania Bar Association, an organization of the state’s lawyers, publishes a case annually in autumn. This fictional storyline revolves around a legal incident, either civil or criminal, to be argued in the court of law; the cases are complete with witness statements, exhibits, stipulations, and legal precedents. Students analyze this case, taking on the roles of witnesses and attorneys. Witnesses assume the persona of a character in the case, be it a homeless eyewitness, an aged expert, or a seedy defendant. The attorneys write direct and cross examinations, deliver opening and closing statements, and make the ever-exciting objections. Plaintiff/prosecution and defense teams from different schools verse each other in simulations of the trial, with the winner determined by the quality of the ora-

tions and the cogency of the arguments. Over the past few years, Roman’s mock trial team, led by head coach Steven B. Patton ’08, has been a powerhouse. Over my four years at Broad and Vine, the team brought home countless trophies from tournaments held at The University of Pittsburgh, La Salle University, The University of Pennsylvania, Yale and NYU; however, the team was expe-riencing a 4-year drought in the city tourna-ment, with the last win occurring in 2010. That is, until 2014 rolled along. As a member of the A-team in 2014, I can truly say that we had a magical ride. Captained by George Zindel ’14, we faced Girard College (the same team that had knocked us out the year before) in the City Championship. We defeated them handily, and broke the drought, taking the title for Roman. Riding that wave of enthusiasm, we made it to the State Championship round in Harrisburg, where we were defeated in the closest final round in the tournament’s history. Regardless, that was our most decorated season we had ever had. This year, it was the class of 2015’s turn to take control, with Kyle Westerfer ’15 and I serving as co-captains. Quite frankly, I was worried. We had lost four great individuals from the year before, and I was concerned that my senior year would be nothing more than a rebuilding year for the program. I could not have been more incorrect. Though we had to work out many things during the season (an outfit here, an accent there), by the time the city tournament began, things clicked. We defeated school after school – Masterman, Nazareth, Central, and more

– all to get back to the City Championships, where we versed none other than St. Joseph’s Prep. In true Cahillite fashion, we shut them out by winning all nine ballots from the jury. We were back-to-back city champions, and it was fantastic. And for the second time in a row, we were named the second-best team in the state of Pennsylvania. Though it was disappointing to have lost in the champion-ship round twice, no team in the state has had a more successful two years than ours. Our team would be nothing without the immense outpouring of support it receives from the Alumni Association. All of our coaches (with the exception of John Pensa-bene, our faculty moderator and bastion of rhetoric) are alumni from the past decade who have come back to help their school thrive. Countless alumni, several of whom went through the mock trial program themselves, have come to support us at our trials. And most notably, the Alumni Association has assisted the program by funding the purchase of championship rings for the students on the City Championship team. Having experienced all these things, I truly appreciate all that the Alumni Association has done for me and the mock trial program. So will the class of 2016 step up to the plate? Will they defend the city title a third year in a row? I don’t doubt it. With the concerted effort of more than 40 brilliant students, the dedication of several alumni coaches, and the tremendous backing of an outstanding alumni association, this year’s team has a bright future ahead of them indeed.

RCHS Mock Trial: A Powerhouse for the DecadesMichael Schwoerer ’15

Roman’s Mock Trial team had another tremendous season in which, for a second straight year, they won both the City Championship and advanced to the State Finals in a field of over 300 teams. Below, team captain and Class of 2015 graduate Michael Schwoerer reflects on this season and his experience with Roman Mock Trial over his four years.

RCHS Mock Trial: Back-to-Back City Champions!

19 The Empire

Mr. O’Neill graduated from North Catholic High School in June of 1965 and enrolled in LaSalle University, majoring in English. He began his teaching career at Bishop Egan High School, in Fairless Hills, and entered the hallowed halls of Catholic High in September of 1993. His first position was that of Assistant Principal of Student Services, commonly known as the Disciplinarian. In this role, Mr. O’Neill immediately went to work, bringing stability and consistency to in the application of law and order at Broad & Vine. Yet, while enforcing the rules, Mr. O’Neill was always concerned about the ‘students as people’ who were dealing with difficult issues in their lives. He would set high standards, was fair and equitable, and yet would assist struggling students with compassion and understanding. In September of 2002, Mr. O’Neill was named Principal of Roman Catholic High School. It was obvious to all that Mr. O’Neill loved this new position. He never missed an opportunity to speak at the various sports banquets and parent and student assemblies.

His daily reminders on the PA system “to tuck-your-shirttails in and to wear your ID’s around your neck” are legendary. As all of us know, Mr. O’Neill loves to tell a joke, and actually thinks the ones he tells are funny! In January, Mr. O’Neill announced his much de-served retirement. Having worked for 46 years in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and spending the last 22 years at Catholic High, thousands of students are in-debted to him for his commitment to Catholic Educa-tion, his genuine concern for the students entrusted to his care and for the fine example of a faith-filled son, husband, father, and Catholic School administrator. Thank you Mr. O’Neill for all you have done for Ro-man Catholic High School and enjoy your retirement!

Farewell to a Friend and LeaderMr. O’Neill retires as Principal of RCHS


Saint Gianna Beretta Molla and Saint John Paul II are the patrons of the World Meeting of Families to take place in Phila-delphia in September. Here are some bullet points about her: • Saint Gianna was the last of 480 plus

saints canonized by Saint John Paul II. • She is the only female medical doc-

tor ever canonized by the Catholic Church.

• She is the first mother of a family, who was not a religious, to be canonized by the Church since the Middle Ages. Indeed, her unique title at the canon-ization was “Mother of a Family.”

• Her husband and three children at-tended her canonization.

I am blessed to have known her husband and to be close to their children. I led a pilgrimage of people from the United States to the canonization at the Vatican on May 16, 2004. Our archdiocesan shrine to Saint Gianna in Warminster, Pennsylvania is the only one dedicated to her in the USA. In 1998 I learned of then Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla. Intrigued with this Italian wife, mother, and pediatrician who died in 1962 at age 39, I wrote an article for the

Catholic Standard and Times newspaper. I ended up calling the home of Blessed Gi-anna and began a life-changing relationship with the husband of the saint, Mr. Pietro Molla. Mr. Molla sent me relics, photos, and books about his wife which resulted in my second article for the CS&T for Mother’s Day of 1998. Then the invitations to give presentations on her life and holiness started to come in.

I formed the Society of Saint Gianna and began giving talks on her life throughout the country and in Canada. I appeared on Mother Angelica Live (Eternal Word Televi-sion Network), and on many national radio programs. I even served as host of my own radio show for 16 months over Holy Spirit Radio of Doylestown. I wrote a chapter in the book Amazing Grace for Mothers, authored numerous articles in newspapers and magazines throughout the world and was national spokesman for Ignatius Press, promoting her biography. Saint Gianna’s daughter, Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, went to the second World Meeting of Families in Brazil with her sister Laura. At that time, she addressed the

convention with these words, “Thank you, mom, for having given me life two times: when you conceived me and when you permitted me to be born, protecting my life…And so, my life seeks to be the natural continuation of your life, of your joy of liv-ing, of your enthusiasm, and it finds its full meaning in the dedication to whoever lives in suffering.” As you may know, Saint Gi-anna died within a week of giving birth to this daughter. This daughter will be attend-ing the WMOF with her siblings, Pierluigi and Laura. Our Society of Saint Gianna will have a booth with the Molla family at the entrance to the Convention Center. Hope you can come too! For more infor-mation about the life and holiness of Saint Gianna, please look at our website: www.saintgianna.org.

Photo from Gianna from Canonization.

Mr. Pietro Molla and Joe Cunningham. November 1, 2007.

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, Patron of World Meeting of Families, and her impact on a Roman alumnus

By: Joe Cunningham ’70

Joseph W. Cunningham, B.A., M.A., J.D., ’70, teaches Latin, French and Theology at Roman. He is the Founder and President Emeritus of the Society of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.

Saint John Paul II and Saint Gianna have been chosen as the two worthy Patron

Saints to guide all in preparation and

participation of this international event as they

fully embody the history, mission and theme of the World Meeting of

Families 2015.

– Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

21 The Empire

Alumni Profile: Michael Varga ’73From Broad and Vine to a Career Abroad

Michael Varga would not settle for one dream. He had two: writing and traveling. The writing bug bit this Philadelphia Catholic boy back in elementary school when he stood before his class and read a story he had written, watching his classmates wait in anticipation for how the story would end. The desire to travel came from listening to his father escape to the basement of their house and tune his shortwave radio to the strange sounds of other languages, broadcast from unknown corners of the world. Michael’s family was poor, so there was no money for traveling. But listening to that shortwave radio, they could escape to Europe, the South Pacific and other exotic locales with hard-to-pronounce names. Michael also greatly enjoyed his French classes at Catholic High in the 1970s and remembers legendary teachers in social studies, like Mr. Sfrisi, having a great influence on his interest in traveling the world. Varga would go on to achieve his dreams and, ironically, find a way to combine the two. After graduating from Roman in 1973, Varga continued his education at Rider College (now Rider University). Graduating in 1977 and earning his K-through 12 teaching certificate, the pull of Varga’s dreams intensified. Varga felt the Peace Corps would be his ticket to travel while also provid-

ing him a chance to do good for others. Three weeks after graduating from Rider, Varga left for his two year Peace Corps stint in the middle of Africa. There, Varga fell in love with his new home, Chad, and its people. All went well with his Peace Corps duties until civil war broke out and all Americans were evacu-ated from the turbulent nation. There are no Peace Corps Volunteers in Chad today because of the continued threats to security. After a variety of jobs upon returning to the States, Michael landed at the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN) where he earned his Master’s in Development Economics in 1985. While living in South Bend, Varga used his experience abroad to write a play, Payable Upon Return. The play had been published by the Juniper Press at the University Of Notre Dame in 1983. The play centers on a group of friends, one of whom returns from the Peace Corps. Payable Upon Return won first prize in The Acting Ensemble New Play competition in 1985. Longing for more travel, Varga passed the Foreign Service Exam to become an American diplomat. During his career as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department he served in the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Morocco and Canada. He also served in Washing-ton, D.C. in the Economic Bureau and as the desk officer for Lebanon when the last American hostages were released in the 1990s. He was also a Pearson Fellow at the World Trade Center, Miami. During his time as a diplomat, Michael wrote a short story, Collapsing Into Zimbabwe, which won the Toronto Star’s annual contest in 1995. His honors were not limited to his writing. Varga earned a Meritorious Honor award for individual accomplishment in Casablanca, Morocco and another one in Toronto, Canada. As part of a team, he shared in another group Meritorious Honor award for Foreign Service Officers who worked behind the scenes at the G-7 (now the G-8) Summit in Halifax, Canada in 1995. Since his retirement from the Foreign Service, Michael is committed to various volunteering projects, his writing and enjoying his family. His first book, a novel, Under Chad’s Spell was published late last year and he is currently working another novel about the Foreign Service. Varga now resides in Georgia, but still often travels and found himself back in Philadelphia this past May. Varga received a tour of Roman and was impressed to see how Catholic High had evolved since he had last been there in the 1970s.

(The majority of the this information is from Michael Varga’s personal website)

(photo credit to www.MichaelVarga.com)

To find out more about Varga and his works visit: www.MichaelVarga.com Varga as a vice-consul in Dubai during his first tour in the U.S. Foreign Service.


Class of 2010: 5 year reunion.

1980-Dr. John Beach ’80, a current faculty member, is serving as Chairperson of the Secondary Mathematic Committee for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. With his Algebra II classes, Dr. Beach also organized the donation of 21 oversized cartons of canned food to the Lazarus House in North Wildwood.

1999-Congratulations to Joseph Rudic ’99 who got married on October 11, 2014 to Danielle Wiest. The couple is expecting their first child this summer.

2004-Glenn Ochal ’04 ,who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics, won gold in June at World Rowing’s World Cup II in Varese, Italy, with the United States’ men’s four boat. Ochal will compete in the World Championships in six weeks as he continues to prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games.

2007-Congratulations to Tim Gonzalez ’07 on his marriage on May 23rd, 2015 to Shawn (Doherty) Gonzalez who is a sister to three Cahillites: John ’11, Patrick ’14 and Joseph Doherty ’17. Congratulations to James Casey ’07 on his engagement to his finance Colleen Larmour. Casey popped the question while on vacation in Dublin, Ireland.Bradley Wanamaker ’07 is now one of the top guards playing basketball in Europe. His team won the German A league and Wanamaker was named MVP.

2008-Congratulations and best of luck to Matt Anderson ’08 who is working for Grosvenor Capital Management LP in their Private Equity Valuations Group in the Assistant Vice President role.Congratulations to Dan Loftus ’08 on his marriage in April to wife Maria (Mendez) Loftus.

2009-Pete Dudek ’09 graduated from Temple University last year with a degree in Civil Engineering and is commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the National Guard.

2010-Congratulations Stephen Purcell ’10 on earning a full-ride scholarship to Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law. He begins classes in the upcoming Fall semester.Roman alums are making an impact in the Polish American String Band. Steve Miller ’02 is the band’s theme chairman, Nick Magenta ’06 is the captain, Louis Fratarri ’08 recently became the music director and Tim Magenta ’10 is the band’s designer and painter.

Class Notes, Reunions and More!

Start planning your reunion!Contact 215-627-5487 or [email protected] to get involved!

Congratulations to faculty member, Dr. Michael Bell on being ordained a Deacon on Saturday, June 6th, 2015. Above is a photo of fellow faculty members with Dr. Bell on the night of his ordination. Roman’s faculty is strong in supporting each other both at Broad and Vine and in life!The Class of 1964 reunion.

Class of 2005: 10 year reunion.

Mike Haughney ’08 married Allison Pohl on June 5, 2015. The wedding was held at Presentation B.V.M. in Chelten-ham, PA and the reception at the Manor House at Commonwealth in Horsham,

PA. Alli and Mike met during their freshmen year at Penn State. They look forward to the years ahead!

23 The Empire

The three LaSalle University student teachers with their mentors: Mr. Corrigan, Mr. McAndrew and Mr. Azzara.

Pictured left to right: Father James Casey, Ms. Reilly and Mr. McShane.

Letters to Roman The following are portions of letters from student teachers and faculty members

expressing the impact that being part of the Roman family had on them…

Dear Faculty & Staff of Roman Catholic,

We wanted to take this opportunity to not only thank you for the support we have received from all of you, but also to let you know just how significant an impact you had on our brief time working at Roman. When we entered the school full time in January, any doubts we had of feeling left out, or not fitting in were wiped away completely by the amount of support, warmth, and welcome we received from all of you. We are certain that had we not been placed at Roman, not only would our semesters have been very different, but we might not be the same teachers that are leaving. We consider ourselves extremely blessed to have been able to call Roman our home for the 3 months, and the memories that we have made here we will cherish for a long time to come. We cannot thank you enough for welcoming us into this wonderful, caring, and loving family.

Sincerely,The La Salle University Student Teachers (Jeff Lucia, Matthew Roche, and Emily Aagesen)

Ms. Mary Kate Reilly, a Masters student in St. Joseph’s University’s Alliance for Catholic Education program, taught American Govern-ment at Roman this past year. She also taught at Hallahan and will be teaching at our sister school full-time for the 2015-16 year. Below is a portion of her letter reflecting on her time at Roman…

Dear Faculty & Staff of Roman Catholic High School,

I don’t think I’ll ever truly be able to express the depth of my gratitude for the kindness you’ve shown me over the course of the last year. I began the school year intimidated and over-whelmed; I finish it confident, capable, and so, so proud to have been, even for a short time, a part of this incredible school.

Thank you for your friendship, your patience, your support, and your willingness to advise and guide me through the moments that challenged me most. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, for welcoming me into the RCHS family, and for teaching me every day, in word and deed, what it truly means to be a Catholic educator.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my thanks and utmost gratitude for all of your advice, wisdom, tips and tricks, and most importantly your friendship (both new and continued). This past semester was more than I could have ever hoped it would be for my student teaching experience. The lessons that I learned and the experiences that I have had this semester are ones that I will truly treasure and always take with me wherever I go. You have given me the confidence, guidance, and tools necessary to truly succeed in this life as an educator. I know I have been trying in this letter to express my thanks and gratitude, but, in all honesty, words cannot truly express these feelings. I hope that in the future I can re-turn to Roman Catholic and work alongside you once again. Thank you again for all that you have done for me as both a former student of the school and an educator in training.

Sincerely,Matthew McShane ’11 (Student teacher from Temple University)

Roman Catholic High School The Empire301 N. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PaidPhiladelphia, PAPermit No. 201

As our 125th anniversary is coming to an end, we would like to extend an invitation to all Roman Catholic Alumni to attend the Alumni Memorial Mass and Communion Breakfast. The annual Communion Breakfast will take place on November 29, 2015. The memorial mass will held at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul at 9:30 a.m. Immediately following the mass, breakfast will be served at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel. This year, we would like to welcome our guest speaker United States Senator, Pat Toomey. To honor our 125th Anniversary one final time, we ask that you help us to make this our biggest year yet. Our goal is to have 1,000 attendees at this year’s event. Over the years, Roman Catholic High School has been able to provide young men with a challenging aca-demic curriculum in a faith based environment. The last 125 years would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication of our alumni. As always, we thank you for your support and we hope to see you on November 29th!

SAVE THE DATE Alumni Memorial Mass and Communion Breakfast

Documents

THE Summer 2015 mpire - Roman Catholic High · PDF fileof Stephen Blackmore ’73, Joseph ... Blackmore ’80. Elizabeth Flood - Mother of Michael Flood ’81. Regina Sinclair - Mother