The St. Rita of Cascia High School Alumni MagazineTolle Lege! “Take Up

and Read”

FALL 2009

34th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing Raises $26,500 to Assist Current St. Rita Students1 GOLF OUTING

2 PRESIDENT'S LETTER

3 - 7 IN ThE NEwS

8 - 9 AThLETICS

10 ADvANCEmENT

11 IN mEmORIAm

12 hOmECOmING

The Mustang Summer Baseball Team gathers around their new trophy after capturing the State Title in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association's Phil Lawler Summer Classic tournament. The victory wrapped up an already successful year for the Mustangs who ended the regular season as Super Sectional Champions.

Summer State Title wraps Up Successful Year for Baseball Team

The 2009 Season was a huge suc-cess for St. Rita of Cascia High School's Varsity Mustang Base-

ball team.Regular season play began with the

Mustangs being ranked #1 in the area by three of the top local newspapers and 20th in the nation by Baseball America Magazine.

...Continue Reading on Page 8

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The 34th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing, held Fri-

day, July 24th, raised over $26,500.

Over 260 alumni, fam-ily, and friends joined together at Gleneagles Country Club in Lemont, IL for a wonderful day.

This year's golf outing was one of the most suc-cessful in recent St. Rita of Cascia High School history. It was also the highest attended outing at Gleneagles this year.

The money raised will directly benefit students attending St. Rita. St. Rita currently offers over $900,000 annually in scholarships and financial aid.

The 35th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing will be held at Gleneagles next year. Golfers should save the date for Friday, July 23, 2010.

Board Chairman Ernest mrozek '71 Named St. Rita of Cascia high School vice President

Ernie Mrozek '71 has been named St. Rita of Cascia High School's new Vice Presi-dent. Ernie, who has been a member of

St. Rita's Board of Directors for the past three years, also took over as the Chairman of the

Board on July 1st.Upon graduating from St. Rita, Ernie went

on to attend the University of Illinois at Urba-na-Champaign where he received a BS in Ac-counting in 1976.

For 12 years Ernie worked at Arthur An-derson before he moved on to The Service-Master Company, a Fortune 500 company with annual revenues of over $3 billion. Er-nie remained at ServiceMaster for over 20 years and was the President and Chief Op-erating Officer prior to his retirement over a year ago following the sale of the company.

Ernie has been married for 35 years to his wife Diane and has two children, Maggie 26 and Matt 17.

Mrozek is offering his services Pro Bono and will oversee long-term planning, school finances, the Office of Institutional Ad-vancement, and the Admissions Office. He will also be a mentor to the students.

St. Rita President Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. '83 joins a foursome on the golf course at the 34th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing that was held on July 24th. This year's outing was one of the most successful in recent St. Rita history.

President Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. '83 is joined by new Vice President and Chairman of the Board Ernie Mrozek '71.

Dear Ritamen & Friends:

105 - 23,207 - 707 - 1No, these are not my lottery or Keno numbers! These are num-bers that tell an awesome story. The awesome story that is St. Rita of Cascia High School.

We are entering our 105th academic year on the shoulders of the 23,207 Ritamen who have graduated with pride and helped make a difference in the world. Many of you reading this make up that impressive number. We have 707 students starting the 2009-2010 year from throughout the Southside of Chicago and every suburb imaginable and do not forget Indiana! All of us together make the 1 St. Rita Family. These are not just statistics, but rather each member tells a wonderful story about dedication, pride and tradition. All hallmarks of St. Rita High School.

Thank you for all you do to add to the success of St. Rita. Thanks especially to all who helped us not only reach our 2008-2009 Annual Appeal goal of $643,650.00, but sur-pass it with $645,338.00 in an economy where every charity is down and some down considerably. This shows to me the pride and dedication of our Ritamen and friends. Let’s do it again this year!

I am pleased to announce the new Vice President of St. Rita of Cascia High School, Mr. Ernest Mrozek of the Class of 1971. Ernie is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors at St. Rita. Ernie has been very generous with his time, talent, and treasure and I am so grateful that he will be assisting me in making St. Rita an even better place for our young Ritamen of today and tomorrow! Welcome Ernie!

You are always welcome here on campus. Stop by for a visit anytime. God Bless you all and may St. Rita powerfully intercede for us all!

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas R. McCarthy, O.S.A. '83President

From the Desk oF the PresiDent

Calendar September 3 Novena to St. Rita | 7:00 p.m. September 9 Ritamen Luncheon September 11 First Home Football Game vs. Br. Rice | 7:30 p.m. September 18 Homecoming Football Game vs. Fenwick | 7:30 p.m. September 20 Family Mass and Breakfast | 9:00 a.m. October 1 Novena to St. Rita | 7:00 p.m. October 9 Football Game vs. Providence Catholic | 7:30 p.m. October 21 President's Club Dinner

Fall 2009

Tolle Lege! is a publication of the St. Rita of Cascia High School

Office of Institutional Advancement 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60620

Telephone: (773) 925-5029Fax: (773) 925-6582

E-mail: advancement@stritahs.com

St. Rita High School is sponsored by the Augustinian Order and has been serving

the Chicagoland area since 1905.

AdministrationRev. Thomas R. McCarthy, O.S.A. '83 | President

Mrs. Sally E. Deenihan | PrincipalMr. Ernest J. Mrozek '71 | Vice President

Office of Institutional AdvancementMr. Joshua R. Blaszak '02 | Director of Public Relations

Mrs. Trisha A. Harrington | Administrative AssistantMr. John Schmitt '84 | Director of Annual Appeal

Mr. Javier Solorio II '02 | Director of Graphic Design

Board of DirectorsMr. James J. Brasher '71Mr. Sean J. Carney '74

Dr. John Donahue, Ed.D., J.D.Mr. James Gagnard '64

Mr. Thomas M. Harrington '74, Ex-officioMr. Thomas J. Healy '83

Bro. Gary Hresil, O.S.A. '86, Ex-officioMr. Gregory J. Jania '89

Mr. Mark A. Kelly '84Alderman Lona Lane, 18th Ward

Very Rev. William Lego, O.S.A. , Ex-officioMr. Timothy I. McArdle (Hon.)

Rev. Thomas R. McCarthy, O.S.A. '83, Ex-officioMr. Ernest J. Mrozek '71, Chairman

Mr. John O’Neill '79The Honorable Noreen Daly Reilly

Mr. Stephen M. Schaller '83Rev. Bernard C. Scianna, O.S.A. '83

Mr. Terrance R. Stefanski Mr. J. J. Wilczewski '92

Emeriti Members of the Board of DirectorsMr. Ronald M. Abramowicz '60

Mr. Patrick E. Mahoney '54Mr. Michael J. McArdle '54

Mr. James C. Miller '47Mr. Donald A. Petkus '58Mr. Edward J. Schmit '63

Mr. Michael Schneider '46Mr. Arthur R. Velasquez '56

Secretary to the BoardMs. Vivian Oliva

Alumni Board of AdvisorsMr. Anthony J. Calarco '01Mr. Nicholas A. Calarco '73

Mr. Sean J. Carney '74Mr. Robert W. Gallagher '83Mr. Richard Hochgraver '71

Mr. Michael Jilek '97Mr. Sylvester Majka '64

Mr. Patrick J. O'Malley '77

Mustangs Making news

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Students Initiate Annual Service Trip in Lawrence, massachusetts

Mustangs Making newsMUSTANG NEWS

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St. Rita students and faculty assisted at the Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts as part of St. Rita’s 1st Annual Service Trip. Back row from left: Director of Public Relations/Mathematics Teacher Mr. Josh Blaszak '02, Dan Dillon ’10 (Most Holy Redeemer), Augustinian Volunteer Mr. Joe Toomey, Roberto Hernandez ’10 (Nativity BVM), Mike Basic ’10 (St. Mary Star of the Sea), Jack Allen ’10 (St. John Fisher), and Tom Riordan ’10 (St. Cajetan). Front row from left: Kevin Handler ’10 (Queen of Martyrs), Director of Campus Ministry Mrs. Vicki Blaszak, and Augustinian Volunteer Ms. Meghan Fitzgerald.

Summer vacation began for six St. Rita of Cascia High School students by taking volunteering to a different level. These students took part in St. Rita’s first ever weeklong Service

Trip. The students, all members of St. Rita’s incoming senior class, traveled to Lawrence, Massachusetts for a week filled with various service opportunities, as well as reflection and education on volun-teering.

The students who participated were Jack Allen (St. John Fisher), Mike Basic (St. Mary Star of the Sea), Dan Dillon (Most Holy Re-deemer), Kevin Handler (Queen of Martyrs), Roberto Hernandez (Nativity BVM), and Tom Riordan (St. Cajetan).

The Service Trip, which St. Rita plans to continue annually, pro-vided participants a chance to remove themselves from their every-day routines and become fully immersed in service. Each morning the young men began with prayer and traveled to worksites for the day. After the daily volunteer work was completed the group would gather together to reflect on what had taken place and discussed other issues related to their service.

Organized under St. Rita’s Campus Ministry Office, Lawrence, Massachusetts was selected as the location for this 1st Annual Ser-vice Trip due to the vast amount of aid needed in that area. Law-rence is currently the 23rd poorest city in the United States. The Order of St. Augustine, which St. Rita is a part, also has a presence in the Lawrence community. Thus, the students had a strong con-nection to those they were assisting.

The students took on many different tasks during the trip. They assisted partnering organizations in whatever ways necessary. Time was spent tutoring and mentoring boys at Blessed Stephen Bellesini O.S.A. Academy, a private, independent Catholic middle school dedicated to providing a quality, scholarship education to boys from limited financial means living in Lawrence. Other volunteer time was spent assisting with projects at Lazarus House Ministries and serving meals at the Cor Unum Meal Center.

The development of the Service Trip opportunity was led by the Director of Campus Ministry, Mrs. Vicki Blaszak, and Campus Ministry’s Augustinian Volunteer, Ms. Meghan Fitzgerald. The Campus Ministry Office is working to offer a range of volunteering opportunities to St. Rita students in order to spiritually enlighten

and educate them, while at the same time connect them to those in surrounding communities and abroad.

“It was great to see our students move beyond their comfort zone and commit to helping others for an extended period of time. It’s easy to get caught up in our daily routines, so the challenge of living as a community and putting our faith into action for an entire week will hopefully help bring about a deeper understanding of our Augustinian values,” said Mrs. Blaszak.

“We hope that our young men have recognized the face of God in people from all walks of life and will continue to serve others as we are all called to do as Christians,” she said.

The 1st Annual Service Trip took place May 31st through June 6th. The students were accompanied by Mrs. Blaszak, Ms. Fitzger-ald, Director of Public Relations/Mathematics Teacher Mr. Josh Blaszak '02 and Augustinian Volunteer Mr. Joe Toomey. Everyone who participated, including the faculty, found the week to be ex-tremely rewarding and educational. Following the trip’s success, plans are already underway for the 2nd Annual Service Trip.

Two Longtime Faculty members Retire

Mr. Robert GasieckiSt. Rita Teacher

38 Years

Two of St. Rita of Cascia High School's most well-known and longtime faculty members began

a new chapter in their lives as they retired from teaching following the 2008-2009 Academic Year.

Biology teacher Mr. Robert Gasiecki and Business/Computer teacher Mr. Richard

Grill '64 each spent their careers educating thousands of students at St. Rita. Together they contributed a total of 79 years of dedi-cated service to St. Rita, Mr. Gasiecki with 38 years and Mr. Grill with 41 years.

The St. Rita family thanks them and wishes them the best of luck and God's blessings as they begin their retirement.

Mr. Richard Grill '64St. Rita Teacher

41 Years

vERITAS † UNITAS † CARITAS

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From the Director oF the AnnuAl AppeAl

Fall 2009Dear Alumni and Benefactors:

I sincerely thank you for your loyal support to St. Rita of Cascia High School. It is your loyal support that has once again allowed us to reach and surpass the goal of our Annual Appeal. I hope and pray that you realize how important you are to the great success of our fine school.

St. Rita High School succeeded in raising $645,388 for the 2008-2009 Annual Appeal. This is an amazing example of the true dedication all of you have to St. Rita. In these trying times, where reports shows that charitable gifts have

decreased, the St. Rita Annual Appeal has experienced over 5% growth. This is a tribute to our Alumni and all our benefactors for their loyalty in keeping St. Rita a priority with their charitable giving.

As the Director of the Annual Appeal, I can say with certainty that the Annual Appeal is the lifesource of the school. Each and every year is a challenge, but your gifts truly make the difference. The success of the Annual Appeal helps us to award over $900,000 annually in scholar-ships and financial aid to our current students.

As we begin a new academic year, we continue to need your help! Please consider a gift to the 2009-2010 Annual Appeal, which will help us continue our mission to provide the premier Catholic education on the Southside of Chicago.

Sincerely,May God Bless you and your family!

John Schmitt ‘84 Director of the Annual Appeal

TOLLE LEGE! FALL 2009

IN THE NEWS

73rd Annual Alumni Banquet Brings Over 600 Attendees to Campus

For the second consecutive year, over 600 Ritamen and their guests gath-ered on campus at St. Rita of Cascia

High School for the 73rd Annual Alumni Banquet and Class Reunion.

This installment attracted huge turnouts from the anniversary classes and featured a stellar collection of honorees.

The golden Mustang class of 1959 was 90 men strong at the reunion, and they looked sharp as they enjoyed their private cocktail hour in matching letterman sweatshirts, spe-cially conceived this year by Don Baldinelli '59, who was also a Loyalty Award winner that evening.

Mr. Baldinelli joined many other Ritamen on stage to accept honors for their dedicated service to the school.

Fellow Loyalty Award winners were Hen-

ry “Butch” Bianco '59, Chris Larkin '84, and Alex Zaleski '84. Athletic Awards were pre-sented to four 1984 classmates – Mark Kelly, Mark McGowan, Gregory Pastorek, and Jef-frey Schaaf.

Hall of Fame Inductees included Robert Craig '49, Joe Gorman '81, McAlister Mer-chant '61, Curtis Price '88, and Ronald Kale-ta '59 (dec.), whose family was in strong at-tendance to receive the award on his behalf. Legendary coaches Jack Quinn and Gene Schaller were also inducted into the Hall.

Several other honors took place during the spectacular evening. Current Director of Admissions and Varsity Hockey Coach Craig Ferguson was made an Honorary Alumnus, Nick Calarco '73 was presented with the Crest of St. Augustine Award for his faithful service to the school, and Mike

Georgopulos was the 2009 Man of the Year. Each honoree was highlighted in a cus-

tom video presentation, created by Director of Graphic Design Javier Solorio II '02 and narrated by Dean of Men John Nee '93. The video included a welcome from Fr. Tom Mc-Carthy, O.S.A. '83, President of St. Rita, as he was traveling in Italy with the Mustang Band during the banquet.

Each honoree was featured with a person-alized slideshow and voice-over biography, and Man of the Year Mike Georgopulos pre-taped his touching acceptance speech. The production was a huge hit, and can be viewed in its entirety at www.stritahs.com/alumni/banquet.

The 74th Annual Alumni Banquet will once again be held on campus. Save the date for Friday, April 16, 2010.

For 105 years St. Rita of Cascia High School has been providing a tradition of excellence in education. This tradition has led to student ACT scores rising each of the past 5 years. En-courage family members to continue the tradition. Students who have a father, grandfather, or great-grandfather (maternal or paternal), who is a graduate of St. Rita or Mendel Catholic High School, are eligible for a $1,000 Legacy Scholarship for their first year at St. Rita. Over 25% of the students in St. Rita's current freshman class are benefiting from these scholarships.

For Scholarship Details, Contact Craig Ferguson - Director of Admissions | (773) 925-7482.

LegacyScholarships

Class of 2009 Earns Over $10.6 million in merit-Based Scholarships

The Class of 2009 also had 61 members in the National Honor Society, 30 members or 18% of the class named as Illinois State Scholars, and 43 members rec-ognized with United States Pres-idential Education Awards.

Valedictorian Daniel K. Moore (St. John Fisher) will be attending the University of Chi-cago this fall.

Dan was on the Gold Honor Roll, a member of the National Honor Society, a Heeney Award recipient, an Illinois State Schol-ar, a recipient of the United States Presidential Education Award, and was named to the

On Sunday, May 17th, 167 Ritamen walked across the Sanctuary of the St.

Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel to become St. Rita's newest alumni as commencement exercises for the Class of 2009 were held.

97% of the graduates from the Class of 2009 will be attending college this year, as others are entering the armed forces, trade schools and the work force.

St. Rita sent forth students who are enrolling in schools such as the University of Notre Dame, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Uni-versity of Chicago, and Villano-va University.

Collectively, graduates of the class earned over $10.6 million in merit-based scholarships.

IHSA All-State Academic Team.During his four years Dan was

also very active in athletics and activities. He was a member of the Mustang Swimming team, Scholastic Bowl team, Math team, Theatre Group, Cascian yearbook, and was the Editor-in-Chief of The Ritan student newspaper.

During his commencement address, Dan recalled his time at St. Rita and spoke of what he will remember most as he moves forward on life's journey.

He said, "When I look back on my experiences at St. Rita, many things come to mind: the high

On Sunday, May 17th, 167 Ritamen became alumni as commencement exercises for the Class of 2009 were held on campus. The Class of 2009 earned over $10.6 million in merit-based scholarships. 18% were named Illinois State Scholars.

Valedictorian Daniel K. Moore Salutatorian Benjamin G. Richardson

caliber of our achievements, the challenges we had to overcome, and the journeys we prepared to embark upon.

The biggest thing that comes to mind though is the St. Rita Family. One of the most impor-tant things St. Rita has taught me is how to appreciate people. I truly believe we are all a fam-ily."

Salutatorian Benjamin G. Richardson (St. Bernadine) will also be attending the University of Chicago in the Fall.

Ben was on the Gold Honor Roll, a Heeney Award recipi-ent, a member of the National Honor Society, an Illinois State Scholar, and a recipient of the United States Presidential Edu-cation Award.

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IN THE NEWS

vERITAS † UNITAS † CARITASTOLLE LEGE! FALL 2009

North American Augustinian Friars Attend Convocation in Illinois

Become of member of the 1905 Guild. Remember St. Rita of Cascia High School in your Estate Planning.For information on assisting St. Rita through your estate plan and becoming a member of the 1905 Guild, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (773) 925-5029.

Over 200 Augustinians were present June 8th-12th at the Convocation of Augustinian Friars from the four North American Provinces.

Augustinian Friars from all across the four Provinces in

North America recently joined together as one in St. Charles, IL to celebrate being Augustinian.

Over 200 Friars were in attendance for the 2009 Convocation held from June 8th-12th. This event was the largest ever gather-ing of its kind for the North American Augustinians.

You are St. Rita’s best recruiters! Alumni are an invaluable part of passing on the tradition of St. Rita High School, as well as introducing new people to the excellent Augustinian education and family atmosphere we have been off ering for 105 years. If you know a young man who will be looking to make his high school choice in the next few years, do him a favor and fi ll out this form and return it to us in the Appeal envelope. It could be a son, grandson, great-grandson, nephew, younger brother, or neighbor. Th ank you for believing in our great school and the mission of Catholic education!

Do you know a young man who would like to be on St. Rita’s mailing list?

Your NameStudent Name

Student AddressStudent Phone

Grammar SchoolGrade Level

IN THE NEWSStudent Receives Scholarship Founded in honor of St. Rita Principal

Matt Goosherst, a member of the Class of 2010 at St. Rita of Cas-cia High School, was recently

chosen as the recipient of the Sally Deeni-han Mathematics Scholarship, a scholarship founded by Jason Carney '01 in May 2008.

Goosherst, a graduate of St. John Fisher School, was chosen for this $1,000 tuition scholarship based on his essay about the im-portance of mathematics in preparation for college.

Goosherst is an exceptional student, hav-ing made the Gold Honor Roll each of his first six semesters, and currently holds a 4.88 GPA. He has also been very involved in the resurgence of the St. Rita Theater Group, and has performed in A Few Good Men and Cotton Patch Gospel.

Upon receiving news of the scholarship, Matt said, “I’m very happy and lucky to have been chosen as a recipient of this award. Thank you to Mrs. Deenihan and Mr. Car-ney.”

Carney was also an exceptional student during his time at St. Rita, earning a perfect 36 on the Mathematics portion of his ACT. He benefited from Mrs. Deenihan’s tutelage in his junior and senior years, was a member of the National Honor Society, and played on the Varsity Baseball team.

After graduating from St. Rita, Carney at-tended the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with a degree in Finance & Economics in 2005.

Carney worked for three years with Ac-centure Consulting as a Business Consultant, and in September 2008 he was accepted into the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the top-ranked MBA program in the country.

Carney’s success speaks to his strong roots at St. Rita, and his willingness to give back signals his fond remembrance of his time here.

Mrs. Sally Deenihan, for whom this schol-arship is named, is in her 25th year of ser-vice at St. Rita. She was named Principal in 2007, the first female principal of St. Rita or any Augustinian high school.

Deenihan's previous roles at St. Rita in-clude Vice President of Academic Affairs and Math and Science Division Chair. She also continues to teach the AP Calculus course. Deenihan’s husband Brian D. was a 1960 graduate, and her three sons also passed through Rita’s halls: Brian P. '88, Pat-rick '90, and Brendan '91.

Deenihan congratulated Goosherst on his hard work and said, “It is a great honor for

me personally to have a scholarship estab-lished in my name. Jason was a pleasure to have in class, and everyone here at St. Rita is proud of his continued success. Matt is a great candidate for this scholarship, and I look forward to having him in class this year. The tradition of Ritamen giving back to their alma mater is paramount in our abil-ity to continue to offer an excellent Catholic education to these young men.”

The Sally Deenihan Mathematics Scholar-ship is one of many scholarship and financial aid plans offered by St. Rita High School, as each year over $900,000 is provided to students in need, to close the gap between tuition and the actual cost of educating a stu-dent. Over 58% of St. Rita students receive some sort of financial support, which makes programs like this so important.

Matt Goosherst, a member of St. Rita's Class of 2010 , was recently chosen as the recipient of the Sally Deenihan Mathematics Scholarship, a scholarship fund founded by Jason Carney '01. Goosherst is congratulated by Princi-pal Sally Deenihan and President Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. '83.

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On Sunday, April 26th, six students from St. Rita of Cascia High

School were honored at the 6th Annual Vicariate V Youth Leadership Awards Banquet at Lexington House in Hick-ory Hills.

The event was presided over by Most Reverend Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S, Auxil-iary Bishop of Chicago and Vicar for Vicariate V.

The Youth Leadership Awards recognize a young person’s active participa-tion in the life of the Church through Parish and Catholic High School programs.

The students who repre-sented St. Rita at the Awards Banquet were Brian Allen '09 (Palos South JHS), Kevin Handler '10 (Queen of Mar-tyrs), Frank Herrera '09 (St. John Fisher), Daniel Moore '09 (St. John Fisher), Thomas Murphy '10 (St. Cajetan), and Benjamin Richardson '09 (St. Bernardine).

Students were honored in ten categories for Youth Min-istry throughout the Vicari-ate.

Moore and Murphy re-ceived their awards for Prayer and Worship, which means they participate in the setting

of Liturgical celebrations, in roles such as Lector or Eucha-ristic Minister.

Richardson received his award for Community Ser-vice and Social Justice, which is for teens who have shown commitment and dedication to participation in service in areas such as soup kitchens or mission trips.

Handler received his award for Community Life, for building relationships rooted in Gospel values, and Allen and Herrera received their awards for Peer Ministry, for their role as leaders on the Kairos retreat.

Aside from the awards pre-sentation by Bishop Gustavo, the evening also featured introductory remarks from Maria (Cooky) Perez-Eraci, Coordinator of Youth Minis-try for Vicariate V, as well as portions of Witness of Faith essays that were submitted by some recipients. Brian Allen was chosen to read a portion of his essay.

The evening celebrated those youth in Vicariate V that are actively involved in pro-moting the service-oriented message of Christ, and make their surrounding communi-ties better in the process.

St. Rita senior Brian Allen (Palos South JHS), receives an award in Peer Minis-try from Most Reverend Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S at the Vicariate V Youth Leadership Awards Banquet. Also pictured is Kevin Handler '10 (Queen of Martyrs) who received an award for Community Life.

Recently, St. Rita of Cas-cia High School’s Theater Group ventured into new

territory with their performance of the musical Cotton Patch Gos-pel, with music and lyrics by Harry Chapin.

Cotton Patch Gospel retells the Jesus narrative in modern times, specifically rural Georgia.

So, clad in jeans and a flannel shirt, senior Mike Kennedy’s Je-sus was humble in appearance but authoritative in his performance. He evoked emotion in his solitary moments of anguish, and inspired exhilaration while leading the company in song.

Narrating the show was Mat-thew, played by stage veteran se-nior Dan Moore. Moore was the perfect choice for lead role, as his experience kept the action moving and the timing precise. His vocals showed the depth and range of someone well beyond their first musical performance.

The rest of the company, led by senior Kyel White and Whitney Young senior Paxton Bahr, provided choral sup-port and often played more than one char-acter, ranging from a murder-ous mayor to faithful fisher-man.

The tunes were mostly upbeat blue-grass, provided by several tal-ented student musicians who were set up on the stage itself behind a couple of hay bales. Of particular note was Jack

Cloonan’s precise picking on the banjo and mandolin.

Creative set design allowed the cast to make the most of their props, including benches with special extensions that could trans-form them into a church archway or a rowboat.

The play was directed by Mr. John Tolley, who has many years of experience putting on high school plays. Rita faculty member Ms. Lauren Condon served as As-sistant Director, with Mrs. Krista Joyce as vocal coach.

St. Rita’s performance of Cotton Patch Gospel was energetic and in-spired. The cast put their all into the musical numbers, softly ac-centing quiet pieces like “You Are Still My Boy”, and then jubilantly proclaiming their faith in songs like “We Gotta Get Organized”.

It was a bold new step for the maturing thespian program, and sets the bar high for next year’s ac-tors.

The company sings the energetic tune “Spitball” from Harry Chapin’s Cotton Patch Gospel. From left: Jack Howard ’10 (St. John Fisher), David Straple ’09 (St. Germaine), Matt Goosherst ’10 (St. John Fisher), and Colleen McGarry ’09 (Mother McAuley). Back: Michael Kennedy ’09 (Incarnation).

IN THE NEWS

vERITAS † UNITAS † CARITAS

Six Students honored for Roles in Youth Leadership

St. Rita Theater Group Presents Cotton Patch Gospel musical

Basketball Program Announces Gary DeCesare as head Coach

St. Rita of Cascia High School made a big splash in the basketball world recently, when the school announced the hiring of a new Head Varsity Basketball Coach, Gary

DeCesare.The announcement came on the heels of another big move at

St. Rita, the naming of long-time Head Varsity Baseball Coach and Development Officer Mike Zunica (Hon.) to the position of Athletic Director.

DeCesare has a long history with the sport of basketball, and a great reputation for success. He spent 16 seasons as the Head Coach of St. Raymond High School in the Bronx, New York, his hometown.

Following his time at St. Raymond, DeCesare moved on to the college arena as an assistant coach for the University of Richmond. Most recently he spent four years as the Associate Head Coach of the DePaul University Blue Demons.

DeCesare has also joined the St. Rita family as a full-time staff member. He will serve as the Assistant Director of Ad-missions.

volleyball Team Captures Their First-Ever Catholic League Title

The Varsity Mustang Volleyball team completed a very successful season this spring as they captured St. Rita of Cascia High School's first-ever Chicago Catholic

League Championship in the sport.The Mustangs defeated St. Ignatius College Prep on Satur-

day, May 23rd to claim the CCL Title. After upsetting tour-nament favorite Loyola that Friday, the fifth-seeded Mustangs dropped their first game to St. Ignatius, however rallied to eventually knock-off host team St. Ignatius.

It was a excellent finish for the Mustangs who entered into the season on a strong note, as preseason they were ranked 40th on ESPN Rise's list of the top 100 teams in the nation.

hockey Team wins Back-to-Back Kennedy Cup Championships

For the second year in a row, under the leadership of Head Coach Craig Ferguson (Hon.), St. Rita of Cascia High School's Varsity Hockey team won the prestigious

Kennedy Cup Championship.The Mustangs defeated the Fenwick Friars to become St.

Rita's first-ever back-to-back Kennedy Cup Champs. This sea-son the Mustangs also made it to the Illinois Final 4 and were regular season Chicago Catholic League Champions.

Continued from Page 1As the season continued the Mustangs lived up to the high

expectations. They dominated game after game and made it all the way to the State Championship, a first in St. Rita Baseball history.

After defeating Sandburg High School in the IHSA Super Sectional, the Mustangs took on New Trier High School for the State Title at Silver Cross Field on June 13th. They played aggressively and left it all on the field. However, New Trier pulled off a 4-3 upset.

Mark Payton '10 was named as the Chicago Sun-Times Play-er of the Year. His offensive out-put helped power the Mustangs to the 4A State Title game.

Payton was just one of many standouts on a team chock-full of raw talent. Payton was later also named the Jack Kaiser MVP of the Summer State Champion-ship Game.

While the Mustangs came up just short of winning their first-ever regular season State Championship, they came back in the summer to defeat Sandburg once again in the Phil Lawler Classic Summer State Championship game. The Mustangs took home the title after a 9-0 victory. This is the 2nd time in St. Rita history baseball has won the Summer State Title.

TOLLE LEGE! FALL 2009

ATHLETIC NEWSSummer State Title wraps Up Successful Year for Baseball Team

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Saturday August 29 6:00 p.m. @ Portage, IN vs. Portage High School

Friday September 4 7:30 p.m. @ Morris Community High School

Friday September 11 7:30 p.m. vs. Brother Rice (14th Ward Celebration)

Friday September 18 7:30 p.m. vs. Fenwick (Homecoming)

Friday September 25 7:30 p.m. @ Bishop McNamara

Friday October 2 7:00 p.m. @ Gately Stadium vs. Mount Carmel

Friday October 9 7:30 p.m. vs. Providence Catholic (Senior Night)

Saturday October 17 1:00 p.m. @ University of Chicago vs. St. Ignatius College Prep

Saturday October 24 1:00 p.m. @ Loyola Academy

Friday October 30 7:00 p.m. IHSA Playoffs

2009 Varsity Football schedule

The 2009 Football Season officially began on August 29th with the Mustangs of St. Rita of Cascia

High School taking on the Indians of Por-tage High School in Portage, IN. With thousands in attendance, the Mustangs took on one of the largest high schools in Indiana at their stadium known as the “warpath.” All three Mustang levels were victorious with Varsity winning 35-20.

While the Portage game kicked off the regular season schedule, the Mustangs actually began their preseason prepara-tions with an overnight team building experience.

“The captains asked me if we could have an overnight in which we could take part in a number of team activities to bring the team together,” said Head Varsity Coach Todd Kuska '90. “It worked out well. All of the kids and coaches had a great time. We definitely came together as a team throughout the experience.”

With a united spirit, the Mustangs have once again set out to attain several season goals. They hope to start the season off as a winning team and win the Chicago Catholic League Blue Championship, as they did last year. In addition, St. Rita hopes to get another shot at bringing home a State Championship.

“We hope we accomplish all our goals this year, but we also understand that there may be bumps in the road to a championship. It is our job to overcome those obstacles and work towards achiev-ing our goals,” said Coach Kuska.

Entering the season, the Varsity Mus-tangs were ranked 1st in the “Southland” by the Southtown Star and 6th in the Chi-cagoland area by the Chicago SunTimes.

This year’s Mustangs are led by senior captains Joe Campagna, Kyle Jachim, Ronnie McNamara, and Jake O’Dea. Se-nior Bruce Gaston, a big-time college prospect, is returning this season and will be a key player for St. Rita on the de-fensive side of the ball. On the offensive side, a returning starter is lineman senior Tim Ladd. The leading rusher is junior Jahwon Akui, who also contributed to team’s success last season.

The new season has also brought about the addition of two members to the coaching staff. Dan Cepek ’81, who had been coaching the linebackers at Driscoll Catholic High School for the past 8 years, and Tim Stratton, a 2001 graduate of Pur-due University will be assisting the Mus-tangs with coaching this season.

As the season moves ahead, Coach Kus-ka commented on his expectations for

the football program as he said, “For me personally and for our coaching staff, our hope is that every player has some great experiences and walks away with more than just trophies and accolades. We ultimately want to win championships, but we all realize the im-portance of each of our players improv-ing as both a student and athlete.”

Fans will not only be able to support the Mustangs in person, but they can also view a couple games on television. This year’s game vs. Br. Rice on Septem-ber 11th will be televised on MeTV. The game vs. Mt. Carmel is slated as the “Na-tional High School Rivalry Game of the Week” and will be available on CBS Col-lege Sports October 2nd.

TOLLE LEGE! FALL 2009

ATHLETIC NEWSSt. Rita mustangs Kick Off the 2009 Football Season in Portage, IN

vERITAS UNITAS CARITAS 9

We want to hear from you! Do you have any news you would like to share in a future publication about a new job, a recent marriage or birth, retirement, etc? Please send us updates and pictures.

St. Rita of Cascia High School Office of Institutional Advancement

7740 S. Western Ave. | Chicago, IL 60620 | advancement@stritahs.com

KeepingTrack

ADVANCEMENT

TOLLE LEGE! FALL 2009 10

Recently, St. Rita of Cascia High School was presented with a $2000 donation by The Andy Moriarity Foundation. Mike Moriarity

'99, co-founder of the foundation, presented St. Rita President, Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. '83, with the contribution in memory of his brother Andy Moriar-ity, a 1998 graduate of St. Rita.

Andy passed away in a car accident on March 5, 2005. Following Andy’s death, Mike along with two of Andy’s longtime friends and classmates, Keith Ber-nard '98 and Mike Cavanaugh '98, established The Andy Moriarity Foundation to assist families in need at St. Rita and in the Beverly neighborhood.

In 2007 the foundation began hosting an annual softball benefit to support its mission. This year the 3rd Annual Andy Moriarity 16” Softball Tournament was held on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at Kennedy Park in Chicago.

This is the second year in a row the Andy Moriarity Foundation has been able to make a contribution to St. Rita for student tuition assistance.

Dolores m. mcGowan Scholarship Fund will Provide Years of Future Assistance

Thankfully, for many years to come numerous students, who may not have otherwise been

able to, will now receive the excellent education and experience offered at St. Rita of Casica High School. This opportunity has been made possible thanks to Mrs. Dolores M. McGowan.

Following Mrs. McGowan's sud-den death this past April the Dolores M. McGowan Memorial Scholarship Fund was established.

All who knew Mrs. McGowan were aware of her love for St. Rita. In fact, Mrs. McGowan openly expressed her love for and loyalty to St. Rita for four decades.

She was the wife of Jack (Hon.), mother of John '78, Steve '81, Mark '84, and Denise, a former St. Rita Var-sity Cheerleader, and grandmother of Drew '08, Ryan '11, Steve '07, Matt '10, and Jake '13.

When Mrs. McGowan passed away,

her family found it fitting to request that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to St. Rita in order to provide for student scholarship assistance.

As a result of the family's request, over $18,000 was donated to St. Rita by those whose lives were touched by Mrs. McGowan.

This overwhelming outpouring of generosity prompted Mrs. McGowan's immediate family to think of a way they could continue her legacy for many years to come. Thus, the McGowan family met with Mr. John Schmitt '84, Director of the Annual Appeal and a lifelong friend of Mark, to discuss how they could continuously help St. Rita students in Mrs. McGowan's memory.

The McGowan family decided that in addition to immediately dispersing assistance to current students, they will commit to giving another $5000 each year to the Dolores M. McGowan Scholarship Memorial Fund.

MASS CARDS& SPECIAL INTENTIONS

Mass Cards and Special Intentions are available through the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel.

Contact Ms. Vivian Oliva(773) 925-6600 ext. 6623

moriarity Foundation Assists Student Tuition

volleyball Program Receives Donation in memory of Rita Alum Jack Pazier '53

Edward Pazier recently visited St. Rita of Cascia High School to present President Fr. Tom

McCarthy, O.S.A. '83 with a $500 do-nation in memory of his father Jack "Gooch" Pazier '53.

Jack passed away on March 25, 2009 and in lieu of flowers his family made a request that donations be made to St. Rita.

A longtime resident of Marquette Park, Jack attended both grammar school and high school at St. Rita. Following high school, he went on to serve in the Korean War and later worked in vari-ous businesses.

Throughout his lifetime, Jack would gather regularly with his St. Rita class-mates from the Marquette Park area.

The donation made in Jack's mem-ory will directly benefit the Mustang Volleyball Program, as Jack was a proud supporter of volleyball, especially when his son Edward played.

TOLLE LEGE! FALL 2009

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IN MEMORIAM

Elizabeth Adduci, grandmother of Frank Herrera ’09Charlotte Alaksiewicz, mother of Jerome ’57 and the late Stanley ’61Deborah Alford, former St. Rita librarianJoan Atencio, aunt of former St. Rita faculty member Mike BrennanBarbara Wynn Bansley, grandmother of David Maroney ’06Ray Bartasius, father of Andrew ’12Annette Basso, aunt of Bill Kazlauskas ’65 and great-aunt of Bill ’98Bruce Blair, father of John ’98 and Steve ’02Wybrand Bostrom, grandfather of Brian ’04Jack Callahan III, grandson of Jack ’56, great-nephew of Gene ’59, and the late Jerry ’63Robert Creighton, husband of former St. Rita faculty member Mary EllenNancy Crotty, mother of David ’77, grandmother of John ’07Loretta Czierwzycki, great-grandmother of Chris Powell ’10Bill Deiters, father of St. Walter Deacon Jim and grandfather of Mark ’98Pat Dilger, wife of Al Dilger ’42Dora Dineff, grandmother of David ’04Mary Doorhy, mother of Martin ’73Clifton Eirspar, uncle of Brad Widdel ’11Mary Fagan, great-grandmother of Joe Welter ’03Santiago Favela, father of Kevin ’10John Ferguson, father-in-law of Kevin Prunty ’95Harlan Fisk, father of former St. Rita faculty member Justin Fisk Maureen Conroy Fitzgerald, friend of St. Rita friend Pat McCabeDr. Robert Foley, father-in-law of Tony Colosimo ’63Jeannette Foran, sister of Joe Liebner ’41 and the late Ed Liebner ’39Rev. Mark Garrett, O.S.A.Donna Gergits, wife of Joe ’54Timothy Golden, uncle of Dan ’09, Mike ’10, and Tom ’12Rev. Gisley Azevedo Gomes, friend of former St. Rita staff member Sr. Barb Kwiatkowski, O.F.John Grahovec, brother of the late Ed Grahovec ’51Robert Hajnacki, father of Bill ’89Mary Ellen Harling, mother of Chuck ’84Ruth Harrington, grandmother of Connor Taff ’10Rose Headtke, aunt of Martin ’77Josh Hernandez, friend of the Kennedy family

Patti Higgins, friend of St. Rita Assistant Principal Joe PartaczHarry and Doreen Hoffman, uncle and aunt of St. Rita Director of Security Dan Hoffman and Dan ’01Willie Holmes, grandfather of Jason Holmes ’11Betty Hughes, grandmother of Mike Martin ’09Ludivico Izzo, grandfather of St. Rita Director of Campus Ministry Vicki Izzo BlaszakSr. James Jeffers, D.C. Dave Johnson, brother-in-law of St. Rita Maintenance Engineer Pat MitchellJason Kazmierczak, son of Jim ’76, nephew of Ray Ulrich ’74Mary Kelly, aunt of St. Rita President Rev. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. ’83 and great-grandmother of Adam Hodorowich ’09 Mary Kennedy, grandmother of Conor LePrete ’11Rose Kenny, mother of Brad ’85Charles Kipp (Hon.), father of Bill ’66, Charles ’67, Ed ’73, Rich ’77, Mark ’79, grandfather of David ’03 and Ray ’10Keith Knapp, grandfather of ConnorJack Kolimas, father of Paul ’86Sue Kordas, sister-in-law of Tom '75 and Jim '91 and aunt of Kevin '08 and Marty '10Donald Kriz, father of Mitch ’06Bernice Krukones, mother of Dr. Michael ’62 and Dr. James ’69Claire Kuchay, wife of Stanley '42Sr. Gilmary Lawlor, O.S.A.Alexander Lazowski, father of John ’83Jerry Lockie, former St. Rita teacherRay Lucchetti, father of John ’69John MacAskill, father of Sean ’03 and Patrick ’07, cousin of St. Rita President Rev. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. ’83, and brother-in-law of Tom Pavletic ’66Sr. Mary James Madigan, D.C.Eileen Maher, sister of Mike Burke ’82 & aunt of Mike Burke ’11Edward Marks, father of Joseph ’65 and Jerrold ’70Mary Martensen, mother of James ’66Tom and Art McCabe, brother of St. Rita friends Don and Pat McCabe Dolores McGowan, wife of Jack (Hon.), mother of John ’78, Steve ’81, Mark ’84, & Denise (former SR Cheerleader), & grandmother of Drew ’08, Ryan ’11, Steve ’07, Matt ’10, & Jake ’13John McGovern, father of Jack ’75 and Jim ’76Michael McGrath, father of Dan ’11Charlene McLaughlin, wife of former St. Rita Fathers’ Club President Charles, mother of Tim ’73, Mike ’75, and Dan ’85,

and grandmother of Dan ’09Peter Melone, father of Timio ’90 and Edward ’93Rev. Ed Meurder, uncle of St. Rita faculty member Todd Kuska ’90Tom Monahan, grandfather of Mike Diana ’11Rev. George Morgan, O.S.A.Bill Moroney, grandfather of Sean Moroney ’10Philip Nowicki, father of Ben ’01Mary O’Gorman, mother of Kevin ’85Rony Oliva, brother of St. Rita Admin. Assistant Vivian OlivaEleanor O’Toole, wife of Jim ’41Joseph Qualter, uncle of Rich ’09 and Tom ’10Margaret Pawlowski, mother of Charles ’73Kenneth Pederson, grandfather of Bob Gallagher ’11Joseph Petkus, father of Joe ’67Mary Phillips, aunt of Dan Schergen ’10LaVerne Plichta, mother-in-law of former St. Rita faculty member Lisa (O’Connor) PlichtaMary Prendergast, grandmother of John ’02Miriam Reagan, grandmother of Hank Pender ’11Joseph Ritacco, father of Joe ’72Jim Rubbennolt, cousin of Midwest Augustinian Vocations Office Manager Sr. Ardis Cloutier, O.S.F.Dorothy Rypel, grandmother of Eric Campbell ’09Wayne Sagotz, father of Brandon ’96Thomas Schmidt, father of John ’82, Bill ’85, Jim ’87 & Joe ’90Rev. Michael Schweifler, O.S.A., former St. Rita faculty memberMarge Signorelli, mother of Joe ’81, Mike ’83 and Frank ’84Rose Smikoski, mother of Frank ’56, Norbert ’58, Thomas ’61, grandmother of Thomas ’83Patrick John Strelow, friend of the Insley familyVeronica Sweeney, great-grandmother of Adam Vargas ’09, and Quinn Sweeney ’11Mario Szczesny, Sr., father of Mario, Jr. ’96Carol Tabak, mother of Carol IngersollVirginia Tague, mother of Bernard ’74, Bob ’84, and Tom ’81Nancy Tulcholski, wife of Dean ’70, sister of Mahoney brothers Jim ’73, Mike ’76. Rick ’79 and John ’84Alan Vaisnoras, son of Anthony ‘60Ed Walsh, grandfather of Mark Walsh ’11, John Murphy ’12, Charlie Murphy ’13Madeline Walters, mother-in-law of Martin Plecki ’66Florence Werkmeister, great aunt of Nick Dachota ’12Ed Wissman, friend of the Bokoski familyClinton Yaster, grandfather of Jonathon Koleno ’11

Rev. William Murphy 1933Frank Michaels 1936Raymond Quinn 1936Leonard Heinz 1938Ed Liebner 1939George W. Barenz 1940Al Steffek 1940Daniel Calandriello 1941Robert Sapp 1942William F. O'Connor 1943Francis "Bud" Rebedeau 1943John Lynch 1944Robert Schneider 1945George Plahm 1946John Halinkski 1948Ernest Tisil 1948John Zuraff 1948Robert Miller 1949

Dr. James Lauraitis 1950Cousin of Tom Lauraitis '55Ronald Patterson 1950Joseph Fedor 1953Brother of Charles '49 and George '50Robert Fleckenstein 1953Larry Murray 1953John Pazier 1953Thomas Baranowski 1954James Casey 1954Patrick Carney 1955Roy Putlack 1955Michael Kanka 1956Charles Ptacek 1956Robert Zegadlo 1956Richard Dyczkowski 1957John Gorecki 1959Brother of Jim '66, father of Aaron '96, andcousin of David '67 and Zefin '70

Frank Higgins 1959Richard Guido 1960Michael Stawczyk 1960Father of Mike '86 and Jason '93Terry Murphy 1961William Haas 1962Jim O'Neill 1966Father of Jim '98Greg Ohner 1968Joseph Burke 1971Brother of Dan '70 and Alderman Ed BurkeHenry Surma 1972Stephen Rickard 1974David Mernin 1975John Knerr 1977Michael Mernin 1979Arturo Velasquez (Honorary)Father of Art '56, Ed '68, and grandfather of Ed '95

The St. Rita of Cascia High School Office of Institutional Advancement has been notified of the following deaths of Alumni, family members, and/or friends. Sympathies are expressed to the families of the following:

Rev. Michael Schweifler, O.S.A. entered eternal life July 26, 2009, after a four-year health struggle. He professed solemn vows with the Augustinians December 31, 1982.

Fr. Schweifler is remembered by many for his time as a St. Rita High School teacher from 1980-81. He went on to spend many more years in education. Eventually he became the Associate Pastor of St. Jude Parish in New Lenox, IL in 2001, where he remained until his death.

Rev. Michael Schweifler, O.S.A. 1955 - 2009

All attempts at accuracy are made prior to publication. If there is an error with a listing or an omission, please contact: Office of Institutional Advancement | (773) 925-5029 | advancement@stritahs.com

St. Rita Mustangs vs. Fenwick FriarsPat Cronin Field at Doyle Stadium

Friday, September 18thSophomore Game | 5:00 p.m.

Varsity Game | 7:30 p.m.

HOMECOMING 2009St. Rita of Cascia High School

Tel: 773.925.5029 | www.stritahs.com

st. rita oF CasCia high sChool7740 S. western Avenue

Chicago IL 60620ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Organization

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PAID

Alumni are invited to enjoy a special complementary Italian Sausage Dinner before this year's homecoming football game in the St. Rita Dining Hall located in the Athletic Wing.

Italian Sausage Dinner Friday, September 18th | 4:30 p.m.

Special Alumni Homecoming Event:

SAVE THE DATE!