F L A S HW I N T E R 2 0 1 7

St. Vincent’s AcademyT H E

St. Vincent’s Academy’s

F L A S HW I N T E R 2 0 1 7

A Saint Vincent’s Academy Advancement &

EDITOR

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in this issue . . .4 Letter from the Principal

5 A Day for the Memory Book

8 Sondra Jonson’s Monument

10 Monument Donor List

12 Spotlight on Alumna, Mary Hill

15 Girlhood Embroidery

18 Athletic Highlights

20 Blast Off

21 An Unwelcome Guest

22 Lovelight Donors

24 Susie Snooper

30 The Little Snoop

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and heartache, as well as in times of happiness and success,and rebuild. In this moment, I was so aware of how God is incontrol. As always, I believe that our faith must be greaterthan our fear. I looked to Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace ofChrist rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called inone body. And be thankful.” There was a sense of strengthand peace.

I arrived at my father-in-law’s farm in Millen, Georgia onThursday evening. He graciously welcomed so many ofus that needed refuge from the storm. Almost two dozenfamily and friends from Savannah gathered to wait out thestorm. Serendipitously, two of the guests were St. Vincent’sstudents; one a freshmen and one a senior. I can only imag-ine being stranded with my high school principal! As wesat glued to the Weather Channel for two days, I noticedsomething sweet and quite wonderful. The two SVA girlsstayed connected to their friends, so worried about theirfamilies and their well-being. It was about something great-er than themselves and their concern and compassion wasreal. Early Saturday morning during the height of the storm,I stayed awake and prayed the rosary. After the worst of thestorm had passed the two SVA girls couldn’t get to theirphones fast enough to check on their “sisters” from SVA.

As the reports started pouring in about damage to homes,businesses, parks and roads, the most logical question was,“What about school?” The emails began pouring in to mefrom students and their families asking about the school. Ev-ery email ended the same, “How can I help?” or “What canI do for SVA?” Thankfully the fortress that has stood “loyal,staunch, and true” since 1845 sustained minimal damage.Cell phone coverage was spotty for me in Millen. So on Sun-day October 9th, I walked to the barn, stood at the highestpoint and emailed all parents and faculty/staff telling themthat school would be closed for the following week. Fam-ilies were still evacuated and at the time speculation wasthat Savannah would not be letting people back in to thecity until Wednesday. On Monday, I left in the wee hours ofthe morning and headed down I-16 back to Savannah. Firststop: St. Vincent’s Academy.

Our collective, academic, and spiritual home at 207 EastLiberty served as the stable, constant, welcoming placein the weeks to come for so many of our students, faculty,and staff that had their homes damaged or destroyed byHurricane Matthew. It was such a joy to come back togeth-er on Monday, October 17th as a family. Students, faculty,and staff assembled to do what we do in all things, at alltimes-- PRAY. We thanked God for his protection and askedfor strength in the wake of the storm as so many needed

of believers, St. Vincent’s Academy weathered yet anotherstorm. As the school calendar marches on, 2016-2017 willalways be remembered as the year that Hurricane Matthewcancelled Pink Night and the Tour of Homes, but it will alsobe remembered as the year that we refocused our eyes onGod and His almighty power.

Mary Anne Hogan,Principal, St. Vincent’s Academy4

For my entire life, I have lived on a “school calendar.” If youare a teacher, a student, or a staff member in a school, you

distributed, Christmas break, the beloved MLK holiday duringthe bleak month of January, and the blessed events of thelast day of school and graduation. Summer vacation is justlong enough to refresh your spirit and make you yearn for thecomfort of school life and routine once again. School=com-fort, stability, growth, change. School life is home for mysoul. St. Vincent’s Academy has been “home” to generationsof young women since its inception 172 years ago. What ablessing it is to have a home that feeds your mind, body, andspirit.

As we went about our business in early October, organizingour annual Pink Night to support women affected by BreastCancer and planning diligently for our fundraiser, the Tour ofHomes that supports the restoration and preservation of ourhistoric convent, our school calendar was about to be dis-rupted. Hurricane Matthew was on the horizon and waitingto wreak havoc on our beautiful city. The night of Wednes-day October 5th, the decision was made to call school offfor the remainder of the week. The uncertainty of the daysahead sent us, as a school community, to the familiar placewe know to go-- to God through prayer. We prayed for calmduring the storm and safety for our homes, families, and ourcity. As I prepared my family to evacuate, among my prizedpossessions, I packed a beautiful Mercy cross that was givento me seven years ago when I began my tenure as principalof St. Vincent’s Academy. This cross served as a reminder ofthe deep roots we have as a faith community and the supportnetwork that we have that encompasses alumnae, past par-ents, students, current parents, faculty, staff, and the Sistersof Mercy. I knew leaving my house that no matter what was tohappen, our faith and school community would rise up afterthe storm, come together as we always do in times of trouble

The day I pictured for the dedi-cation of the Mercy Monumentdid not look like the right onewhen I peered out the windowinto the early morning haze. Itwas terribly gray and gloomy,not to mention a mist was swirl-ing in the air. What? Surely it isnot going to rain on our outsidededication for the monument!Well then, we will just have thededication inside the Cathedraland it will be beautiful. “Don’t

myself. I was not going to letsome rain dampen my spiritson this special day to honor ourSisters of Mercy!

The Mass, celebrated by BishopHartmayer, was absolutely lovely.The students assigned to read atthe Mass were perfect, the choircould not have been in bettervoice. Fr. Dan Firmin’s homilywas truly special and on targetfor the occasion. Of course, Ikept running in and out of thechurch checking on the rain, butthe Lord came through and notone chair in front of the Cathe-dral had a single raindrop on it.Perfect.

the bagpipes played, the tem-perature was lovely and therewas a mild breeze. It was whatmy mother would have called a“soft” day. Everyone was in agood mood and excited that our

-ceive long overdue recognitionfor the many good and bravedeeds they have performed forthe Church and the entire com-munity of Savannah.

Bishop Hartmayer gave a perfecttalk regarding the Sisters of Mer-cy and there were several otheraddresses that made for a verymeaningful day. Our Sisters,sitting in front row seats, couldnot have looked more delighted.Following the Bishop’s talk, thecrowd of approximately 500

Loretto Dressel Lominack ‘64

processed to the veiled monument on the corner. Sr. Helen Marie Buttimer of St. Vincent’s, Sr.Lillian Quadrella of St. Jo-seph’s/Candler and Sr. Johanna MaGuire representing St. Mary’s Home, unveiled the monument and the reaction was one ofexcitement and pure joy.

The celebration continued with everyone attending a fantastic luncheon, provided by St. Joseph’s/Candler, at Walsh Hall.The students in the SVA Honor Society served and were charming. As bad as the day looked in the early morning hours, itcould not have been more perfect.If you have not seen the monument, the following words are inscribed on the granite:

Thank you to the dedicated committee members for the monument: Avis Coleman, Sr. Helen Marie Buttimer, RSM (consult-ing), Rosemary Lewis, Loretto Lominack (Chair), Pat McCarthy, Henry Morgan, Nancy Schreck, Celeste Shearouse, Jimmy Ray,Sr. Jude Walsh, RSM (consulting) and Bernadette Winters.

sisters who in 1864 traveled up the Missouri River to thefrontier town of Omaha, Nebraska They and the manyyoung women who joined them brought the communityeducation, health care, food for the poor, and shelterfor the homeless. In short, they brought Christ.

Since my original sculpture of Ven. Catherine McAuleyand the student was unveiled in September of 2000,four identical castings have been placed in the UnitedStates: Mercy High and Mercy Academy in Louisville,KY; Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NC; and MercyHigh in Farmingdale HIlls, MI. However the sculpturefor St. Vincent’s is unique and separate from the originallimited edition because of alterations I made to matchthe St. Vincent uniform and the addition of the St. Vin-cent’s seal on the student’s sweater.

It was November of 2014, when Loretto Lominackof St. Vincent’s Academy in Savannah called me withinterest in St. Vincent’s acquiring the sculpture. I wasvery excited both at the prospect of working with thelocal Mercy community, and the prospect of placing asculpture in the beautiful city of Savannah. On a collegevisit to SCAD with one of my children, I had fallen inlove with this exquisite city — the architecture and irongrill work, the parks and squares, and the exotic oakswith their hanging moss. It would be an honor for anyartist to place an artwork in such an environment. As aconvert to Catholicism, I welcomed the opportunity toplace a monument that proclaims the never-ending loveof Jesus brought by the Mercy Sisters to Savannah and

Sisters themselves, who chose “God’s Mercy EnduresForever,” as the title of their monument.

Every artist knows that we do our best work when thesubject is personal to us. In 1999 when I was invited todesign a sculpture of Venerable Catherine McAuley forMercy High School in Omaha, I jumped at the opportuni-ty. Although I knew little of Catherine herself, the Sistersof Mercy had long been highly regarded in my Jewishfamily. My paternal grandfather had escaped from Russiaas a teenager, had studied medicine in Philadelphia andcome to Omaha to develop his medical career. In Omaha,along with a private practice in Pathology and teaching atCreighton University, he served as Chief of Pathology forthe Sisters of Mercy Hospital across the river in CouncilBluffs, IA. His high respect for the quality of the sisters’care and dedication was legendary in our family. I felt myfamily owed a lot to the Sisters of Mercy, and creating thissculpture for Mercy High would be my way of showing ourappreciation.

title: “Guiding Grace.” Catherine, in her love for Jesus andHis children, brings a wealth of graces to share with theyoung girls in her charge. The student standing at her sideis open to the wisdom, knowledge and spirituality thatCatherine offers.

I had several models for the original sculpture. The face ofCatherine was modeled from an oil painting that hangs inMercy High School in Omaha. The Omaha sisters providedme with the full habit and veil which I studied displayedon a mannequin in my studio. A local high school studentfrom my town modeled for the teenager in the sculpture.

Throughout the six month sculpting process, I exploredthe history of Catherine and the Mercy Sisters. The more Iread about them, the more they became my heroes. I was

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from the Sculptor, Sondra L. Jonson

In addition, Savannah is the home of one of mother’snearest cousins, Thelma Hoffman and her husband, Dr.Frank Hoffman. Already having family in Savannah madethe project even dearer to me. The Hoffmans themselveshave made great contributions to the Savannah communi-ty through Dr. Hoffman’s medical practice. However, it wasLoretto’s energetic determination and arduous work overthe next 18 months that paved the way for the sculptureto come to St. Vincent’s. The school and the communityare tremendously blessed to have Loretto on their team!

A focal point of the Mercy sculpture is the large book heldin the student’s hands. The mystery is: what is the book? Isit the Bible or the catechism? Is it a book of history, philos-ophy or mathematics? Is it a book of questions, or a bookof answers? Or could it be the Book of Life? Perhaps it issymbolic of Catherine and of every Mercy Sister whose lifeis an open book revealed by the Gospel. It may even bea symbol of the student, whose life is a book just beingwritten.

I try to create art that allows the viewer to enter in andmake his or her own personal connection. So it is with thebook that Catherine and the student are discussing. Thebook is a question that viewers can answer for themselves,thus becoming part of the sacred conversation betweenthe teacher and the student. Sealed in bronze, the conver-sation continues. The Year of Mercy has concluded but thework of Mercy never ends.

Inscribed on the pages of the book are Mother CatherineMcAuley’s full name and dates (1778 to 1841), and on thefacing page her own prayer, proclaimed for all of us tofollow: “My God I am yours for time and eternity!”

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Catholic Diocese of SavannahMr. & Mrs. John M. Coleman

Anonymous

AnonymousKnights of Columbus Council #631Dr. Cristina M. NegreaMrs. Maria Aliotta Oxnard ‘79Mrs. JoAnne Roukos Remler ‘53Mrs. Patricia McGrath Sevier ‘51Miss Janet Spillane ‘44St. Patrick’s Day Parade CommitteeSt. Vincent’s Academy Alumnae AssociationMr. & Mrs. Don L. WatersMrs. Barbara Saseen White ‘45

AnonymousMr. & Mrs. C. Ross BickersMost Rev. J. Kevin Boland, Bishop EmeritusMs. Mary Anne Butler ‘64Mrs. Stephanie Stevens Cates ‘76Mr. & Mrs. Mario de la GuardiaMr. D. Morgan DerstDr. Eduard DocuMs. Mary L. Hill ‘65Dr. & Mrs. Michael J. JacksonMrs. Mary Whalen Janda ‘87Mr. & Mrs. Thomas W. KenderKnights of Columbus #173Mr. & Mrs. Walter N. LewisLominack Kolman Smith ArchitectsM. J. Hogan & Company, IncMr. & Mrs. Michael T. McCarthyMiss Ann Pinckney ‘76Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. Raley, Jr.Mrs. Ellen May Roach ‘64Rev. Msgr. Christopher J. SchreckMiss Nancy M. Schreck ‘71Mrs. Patricia Barragan Schreck ‘46Mr. & Mrs. Joseph ShearouseThe Catholic War Veterans, Inc.Mrs. Pat Whalen ‘60Mrs. Julia M. WhelanWolverton & Associates, Inc.

Dr. Colm J. Acuff & Ms. Lydia Alba

American Craftsman Renovations

Mrs. Catherine Munn Banks ‘67Mr. Frank Barragan, Jr.Mrs. Mary Frew Barragan ‘79Mrs. Claire Peterson Barsic ‘82Mrs. Judith BarsicMrs. Helen Courtenay Beasley ‘80Mrs. Elizabeth Bradley Beeson ‘70Mrs. Patricia T. BishopBlessed Sacrament ChurchMr. Daniel BradleyMrs. Janina Wysocki Brauer ‘62Mrs. Regina Pelli Brennan ‘65Mrs. Mary Jane Furlong Brewer ‘52Col. & Mrs. John D. BroderickMrs. Penny Enzor Burgess ‘80Dr. Kathleen M. Burke ‘71Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas J. BurkeMr. Anthony J. ButtimerMrs. Beth Iocovozzi Buttimer ‘80Mrs. Anne Brady Byerly ‘74Mr. & Mrs. Frank N. CannellaMrs. Ofelia Del Rio Chiavacci ‘77Mrs. Betty Ann Flynn Ciucevich ‘61Class of 1976Mrs. Barbara Lutz Collins ‘71Colonial Couriers of Savannah, Inc.Mrs. Rose Mary Carter Cone ‘71Mr. & Mrs. Hurley S. Cook IIIMr. & Mrs. William C. CoonceMr. Dennis M. CounihanMrs. Lisa Harrison Counihan ‘75Mr. Gregory N. CrawfordMr. & Mrs. Lee K. CummingsMrs. Sandra Shea Davis ‘76Mrs. Sheila Grady Dean ‘53Mrs. Virginia Buttimer Dickey ‘79Mrs. Rae Forker Evans ‘66Mrs. Amanda Mizelle Fanning ‘00Mrs. Linda Parsons Ferrell ‘64Mrs. Elizabeth Lee Fogarty ‘89Friendly Sons of St. PatrickMs. Alicia Gallagher ‘74Ms. Margaret Rose Ganem ‘65Mrs. Faith Dean Gilroy ‘51Mrs. Barbara Cook Goodwin ‘57Ms. Apryl Greco ‘02

Dr. & Mrs. Jack W. Groover, Jr.Ms. Kay Stephens Halligan ‘65Mrs. Molly O’Hayer Hammond ‘88Mrs. Lucy Distefano Haviland ‘57Mrs. Kathleen Brown Higgs ‘75Mrs. Shirley Stephens Hobe ‘71Mrs. Margaret Powers Holland ‘71Mrs. Megan Mamalakis Hollis ‘02Dr. Eleanor Jean Long JanufkaMs. Joanne Jenkins ‘67Ms. Mary Ann Kelly ‘42Mrs. Mildred G. Kelly

Knights of Columbus Council 10866Dr. & Mrs. Gerald E. Kramer DDSMrs. Susan Spillane Lai ‘73Ms. Mary Ellen Leonard ‘63Mr. & Mrs. Bob LetcherMrs. Rosemary Lynch Lewis ‘69Mrs. Martin Neca Logan ‘57Mrs. Loretto Dressel Lominack ‘64Mrs. Mary Jo Harte Long ‘47Mr. & Mrs. Richard G. LongMrs. Carolyn Eady Mason ‘56Mr. David W. MasonMs. Cynthia May ‘86Mr. & Mrs. Kyle L. McCannMr. & Mrs. Tim McGrathMs. Josie Murphy ‘79Miss Kelin Eileen Murphy ‘04Mrs. Barbara NowakSr. Pauline Oetgen CSJ ‘46Mr. & Mrs. Gary L. Ogden ‘71Dr. & Mrs. C. L. OsteenMrs. Catherine Stapleton Pharo ‘63Mrs. Martha White Pounder ‘50Mr. & Mrs. Wright C. PowersMr. & Mrs. Neil G. RussellMrs. Phyllis Wrenn Sackariasen ‘82Mrs. Catherine Melroy Sale ‘61Mrs. Kathy Daly Salter ‘73Ms. Diana Scarwid ‘73Rev. J. Gerard SchreckMrs. Antonette Hill Schweitzer ‘66Mr. & Mrs. Chuck SeyleMr. Allen ShenskyMrs. Lynn O’Hayer Sims ‘81Mrs. Sarah Cannon Sink ‘92Mrs. Helene Balcom Small ‘63Rev. Joseph SmithMrs. Sandra Saseen Smith ‘73Mrs. Marilyn H. SpillaneMrs. Matilda Laird Stacy ‘46Mrs. Sharon Sullivan Stewart ‘69Mrs. Carol Lowenthal Stone ‘81Mrs. Jennifer Strickland ‘83Mrs. Agnes Furlong Swinson ‘46Mrs. Claire Moore Tackett ‘70Mrs. Rosemary Stapleton Taylor ‘65The Chatham FoundationDean’s Discretionary Fund,St. Paul the ApostleMrs. Jeanne Stringer Trapani ‘56Mrs. Fran Ryan Tuttle ‘71Mr. & Mrs. Richard N. TuttleMr. & Mrs. Albert VierheiligMrs. Lynn Ciucevich Wade ‘71Mr. & Mrs. W. R. WalkerMr. Wiley A. WasdenMrs. Ruth Burke Wellington ‘53Ms. Sara K. Welsh ‘72Mrs. Paula Gomez Williamson ‘82

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Rev. & Mrs. William Willoughby IIIMrs. Linda Dugger Wise ‘59Mrs. Connell Cannon Youmans ‘96

Mrs. Molly McNamara Adams ‘91Mrs. Diane Deloach Andrews ‘62Mrs. Maureen Whelan Bailey ‘84Ms. Lucy Dulohery Behr ‘58Mrs. Patricia Mickler Billings ‘51Ms. Lisa Michelle Russell Bills ‘84Mrs. Julie Hernandez Blair ‘60Mrs. Menzanna C. BlakleyMrs. Marie Muller Bresciani ‘69Mrs. Carmella Pedicini Brown ‘71Mrs. Susan Pelli Brown ‘75Mr. & Mrs. William BruggemanMs. Margaret Burnett ‘42Mrs. Helen Johnson Carlton ‘58Mr. & Mrs. Fred E. CatchingsMrs. Kathleen Geelan Clark ‘54Mrs. Barbara Barras Colson ‘52Miss Marjory Conners ‘69Mr. & Mrs. Peter ConnollyMr. & Mrs. Robert ConnorMrs. Catherine Fleming Cooper ‘65Mrs. Patricia Lang Corcoran ‘67Miss Krysanthe Dawes ‘96Mrs. Catherine C. DickeyMrs. Marie Ryan Dillon ‘54Ms. Judith R. Downing ‘57Mrs. Maureen Murphy Dustin ‘80Mrs. Jane FeilerMrs. Donna Dillon Forbes ‘71Mrs. Marsha White Free ‘82Mrs. Clare Dulohery Frew ‘55Ms. Pat Gallagher ‘73Miss Evelyn Ann Ganem ‘71Mr. & Mrs. Edward G. GaNunMrs. Mary Buttimer Garrett ‘81Mrs. Nancy Harris Gayhardt ‘57Mrs. Erin McGinn Gibbs ‘77Mr. Thomas A. HansenMrs. Penelope Dawes Hanson ‘04Mrs. Pam Pedicini Harris ‘63Mrs. Martha A HejkaMrs. Mary Pelli Horton ‘70Mrs. Colleen Rovolis Humphries ‘79Mrs. Feona Manees Johnson ‘62Mr. Lester Johnson IIIMrs. Mola Chu Jung ‘56Mrs. Barbara Dlugozima King ‘63Mrs. Shirley Lynch Kinlaw ‘65Ladies Ancient Order of HiberniansMrs. Carol Joe Brooks Lewis ‘71Mrs. Katherine Roach Looper ‘64Mrs. Carol Baran Massey ‘63Mrs. Elizabeth Burn McCarthy ‘53

Mrs. Beth Fogarty McIntosh ‘71Mrs. Patricia Dwyer McKenna ‘60Miss Barbara McLaughlin ‘68Mrs. Phyllis Saraf McShane ‘47Mrs. Judith Jurgensen Melroy ‘63Mrs. Carol MilesMrs. Rosemary Ware Morris ‘83Mrs. Suzanne Brown Moseley ‘00Mrs. Mary Ellen Whelan Mulligan ‘75Mrs. Joanne McDonough Nellums ‘57Mrs. Elizabeth Tootle New ‘77Sr. Pauline V. O’Brien

Mrs. Carole Balcom Pappas ‘58Mrs. Nancy Miller Pearce ‘64Mrs. Linda Ambrose Peebles ‘66Mrs. Agnes Flaherty Pinckney ‘63Mrs. Therese Powers ‘73Mrs. Kathleen Filson Prince ‘82Mr. & Mrs. Leon E. ProperMr. & Mrs. Robert S. ReisertMrs. Julie Pelli Rodewolt ‘73Mrs. Angie Moore Romagosa ‘68Mrs. Stephanie Summerlin Ross ‘82Mrs. Jacqueline Sauls Royal ‘70Mrs. Antionette Mathews Ryan ‘61Mrs. Mary McDonald Ryan ‘52

Mrs. Eileen Hubbard Sanford ‘63Mr. & Mrs. David HarnettMrs. Elizabeth Aliotta Shay ‘74Mrs. Virginia Brennan Snedeker ‘71Mrs. Mary Cecile Price Stanley ‘81Ms. Margaret M. Stapleton ‘61Mrs. Patricia Osbourne Stewart ‘66Ms. Mercedes Sullivan ‘52Mrs. Eileen Eason Tillman ‘60Mrs. Mary F. TodescaMrs. Camille Pratt Tomat ‘46Mrs. Rebecca Zittrauer Valentine ‘70Dr. & Mrs. Irving VictorMrs. Pamela Brannen Wagner ‘68Mr. Adam WalkerMrs. Joanne Marano Weathers ‘65Mrs. Teah Stillings Weiss ‘86Miss Kelly Ann Williams ‘06Mrs. Lori A. WilliamsMrs. Patricia WilliamsMrs. Andrea Kelleher Withers ‘62Mrs. Lauren Templeton Zeigler ‘02Mrs. Mary Hoffman Zeigler ‘75

Mrs. Joan Buchheit Altmeyer ‘80Mrs. Ginger AnselMrs. Susan Barrett

Mrs. Kathleen C. FilsonMrs. Alesia W. HarriottMs. Shari Deborah Matz ‘84Sr. Amata May, R.S.M. ‘48Mr. Aaron Mowery

Mrs. Patricia Conneff Picciarelli ‘80Mr. & Mrs. David F. Sipple, Jr.Mrs. Donna Anderson Smith ‘82Mrs. Helen Casey Sumowski ‘54Mrs. Bernadette McDonough Winters ‘64Ms. Martha McCarthy Wood ‘70

Ms. Mary L. Hill ‘65 for Sr. Jude WalshMrs. Kathleen Brown Higgs ‘75 for Esther Ryan BrownMr. David W. Mason for Lorraine Mason, St. Joe NursingClass of 1945Mr. D. Morgan Derst for Mckenzie & Morgan DerstM. J. Hogan & Company, Inc for Sr. Alvin Seubottand Sr. Johanna MaguireMs. Pat Gallagher ‘73 for Sr. Jogues Smith, R. S. M.Mrs. Loretto Dressel Lominack ‘64 for Sr. Jude WalshMs. Mary L. Hill ‘65 for Sr. M. Fidelis BarraganMrs. Mary Frew Barragan ‘79 for Sr. M. Fidelis Barragan,Sr. M. Cornile Dulohery, Sr. M. Immaculata Dulohery

Loretto Dressel Lominack ‘64 for Sr. Gloria McNallyMr. & Mrs. Neil G. Russell for Christopher & Gertrude RussellMrs. Julie Hernandez Blair ‘60 for Mary RoughenMr. & Mrs. Fred E. Catchings for Mary RoughenMrs. Mola Chu Jung ‘56 for Mary RoughenMrs. Bernadette McDonough Winters ‘64 for Mary RoughenMrs. Agnes Furlong Swinson ‘46 for Theresa F. McCarthy ‘46Mrs. Patricia T. Bishop for Cassie TannerMrs. Mary Jane Furlong Brewer ‘52 for Joseph &Josephine FurlongColonial Couriers of Savannah, Inc. for Loreta S.Forbes-Felix and Sheila P. CobbMr. & Mrs. C. Ross Bickers for Elizabeth Barragan Bickersand Sr. M. Fidelis BarraganMrs. Patricia Barragan Schreck ‘46 for Sr. Fidelis BarraganMiss Nancy M. Schreck ‘71 for Sr. M. Fidelis Barragan,Sr. Christina Marie Daily and Mother Jane Francis BurkeMrs. Elizabeth Bradley Beeson ‘70 for Sr. M. KieranDavis R.S.M. ‘43Ms. Mary Anne Butler ‘64 for Sr. Regina Joseph McCormick& Sr. Imelda Cannon

Mr. & Mrs. Michael T. McCarthy for Sr. Kieran Davis, R.S.M.Mr. Lester Johnson III for The Johnson Girls:Joyce J. Hardwick, Lisa T. Webb, Leslie M.Johnson

St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital SystemPatrick McCarthy & Rabey ElectricJames A. Ray

Loretto Dressel Lominack ‘64

spotlight on alumna

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When accepting a position as Independent Living Coordi-nator with the Department of Family & Children’s Services(DFCS) in 1988, I never considered how special it wasgoing to be to renew a wonderful friendship with MaryHill, who was in the class a year behind me at St. Vincent’s.Also, I had no idea how much this amazing woman wouldteach me about social work, but, after all, that was her jobas the Staff Development and Training Coordinator for theagency.

After St. Vincent’s, we went our separate ways. I wouldhead for Maryland and receive my degree in SpeechPathology from Mount St. Agnes and Mary would studyat Armstrong College, graduate from Brenau College witha BA in Psychology and Sociology and from the Univer-sity of Georgia, where she received her MSW (Mastersof Social Work) in 1971. Before returning to Savannah,Mary worked at Georgia Regional Hospital in Augusta andGeorgia Retardation Center in Athens. We would run intoone another around town, but I never realized what animpact she would have on my life in years to come.

Always active and involved beyond what she was requiredto do in her position, she consistently made herself avail-able to give advice and to council workers, especiallynewcomers, who might seem slightly overwhelmed withthe problems, the numbers of cases and the severity ofsome cases, with which they were dealing. Praise wasa major tool used by this consummate social worker toget the best out of people and to make them want to dotheir best for others. If she saw a better method of doingsomething, she always made a positive suggestion for im-provement and praised the efforts that were being madeon behalf of the clients. It is impossible to count the timesI heard her say, “You are doing such wonderful things forthese children.” Mary was always looking for the goodwithin people…and most of the time she found it; some-times she dug in and brought it forth. Her encouragementand empathy helped create fertile ground for goodness togrow.

Workshops were a major concern to Mary, since shewanted everyone in the agency to have the latest informa-tion about what was going on in the world of social work,but there were many “worlds” of social work within theagency. She had to be aware of current developments inso many areas, not only local, but statewide and she hadto keep everyone up to date on policies and procedures.The agency was multi-faceted with the following depart-ments: Child Protective Services (Intake & Assessment,Foster Care, Independent Living, Adoptions), Adult Pro-

ments (Welfare, Food Stamps, Non-Emergency Transpor-tation, Emergency Assistance).

Added to all of the above,there was the very involved informational training for fosterparents. Being a good parent is one thing; being a goodfoster parent is an entirely different ballgame.

Because there was so much needed in the way of trainingand for years there was no budget, Mary became the mas-ter of creativity. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Byrd Cookieswere on her list of goodies to sell to raise funds. Mary anda group of employees spearheaded the use of parking lots

was not allowed to sell spaces, they simply asked if peoplewould like to give donations. It turned out to be fabulous.

were very generous! Monies were raised for much-neededstaff development and Mary and her crew had a great timein the process.

From there, Mary just kept on going. She appealed tovarious organizations, such as the Junior League (whereshe was Vice-President), the National Association of SocialWorkers, Chatham County, the City of Savannah and others.She was able to convey the importance of training thoseinvolved in social work in the most recent developments in

Mary eventually had nationally recognized names in social-

opment and conferences. Mary was a bridge builder andsome conferences also included mental health agencies,hospitals, police and attorneys. Eventually, everyone wouldsee the critical need for training for all working in the many

then, Mary was imaginative in searching for and developingresources.

Not only did she contract with various experts to facilitateworkshops, she was also a presenter at monthly staff train-ings and orientations for the “new kids on the block” when-ever new staff joined the agency, and she supervised andguided graduate social work students. The training Marydid was not “cookie-cutter” training, but was carefully and

three downtown buildings.

Involved beyond what one might think necessary, Marybelonged to many working boards that were both work-re-lated and community-related. At the UGA School of SocialWork, she was instrumental in establishing the Tisha Abolt13aa Abolt Abolt

(SVA ‘93) Memorial Fund, which is now an endowed scholarshipfor a graduate student to study for an MSW at UGA. Mary held

getting things done. When she was president of the GeorgiaChapter of the National Association of Social Workers, theGeorgia Legislature passed the bill requiring a Georgia licensefor MSW’s and for Clinical Social Workers. Also, when Marywas Chair of the Community Advisory Council, the SavannahState University Department of Social Work became nationallyaccredited for both the MSW and BSW programs. Under Mary’sguidance as Program Committee Chair for the Georgia CountyWelfare Association, over 25 workshops were planned and over1,200 attended. At one of those workshops, Mary forgot toarrange one slight detail…someone to sing the “Star SpangledBanner.” Not a problem, Mary stepped up to the mic and did agreat rendition. Thank goodness she has a lovely voice!

Perhaps during the Christmas season, you have donated to theEmpty Stocking Fund. That was another one of “Mary’s ba-bies.” For 22 years she was the Editor of the Empty StockingFund and shared the stories with us, helping families in needand giving Christmas joy. Also of great interest to her was the

-sonnel Policy Manual for Greenbriar.

Of course, some good things come to an end and in 2004 andafter 33 years with the State of Georgia, Mary retired. One losscan be a gain for other places. Do not think for one second thatMary has let grass grow under her feet. That would not happenunless she was unable to move. Mary immediately became amore than welcome volunteer at St. Vincent’s. Mary has workeddiligently to beautify our gardens since 2005…a monumentaltask. Because of this, in 2007, she “graduated” from the Mas-ter Gardner Program of Georgia. She chaired the Tour & Tea in2010 and 2011 and has been on the planning committee from2005 to the present. Mary is the chair of the 1845 Foundation,

the preservation and restoration of the Convent of St. Vincentde Paul. From 2011 through 2013, Mary formed the SVA Stu-dent Safety Council and served as its advisor. She was a chartermember of the St. Vincent’s Alumnae Chorus (1976-2012), andin 1986 she was on the planning committee for the BuildingFund Campaign under Sr. Jude. By the way, whenever I need

talents. It would be remiss of me not to mention the beautiful

Day, Thanksgiving and Easter. She has also worked tirelessly atthe Catholic Cemetery to landscape the area in the Holy Crosssection where the Sisters of Mercy, who have passed away since1989, are buried.

To say that Mary is involved in her church would bean understatement of major proportions. For manyyears, she was an active member and leader at theChrist Church on Johnson Square but moved to St.Thomas Episcopal on Isle of Hope, closer to whereshe lives, and St. Thomas was fortunate to have Marycome through the doors! Of course, she is a mem-ber of the Flower Guild, has been publicity chair andchaired the Christian Life Education Conference.These days, Mary also is a vocalist for a St. Thomaschoral group called the Screaming Hamsters (ya gottalove the name), that sings at two nursing homes permonth. Her other choral group is Savannah Beer& Hymns (another great name), a group that singshymns at several interesting venues around town.

Some of the awards Mary has received are:

• Social Worker of the Year, Southeast GA, 1982

• Social Worker of the Year, Georgia Chapter, 1986

• Community Service Award, School of Humanities,

Savannah State University, 1989 & 1999

• Distinguished Service Award, SAFE Kids of

Savannah Coalition

• Alumna of the Year, School of Social Work

University of Georgia, 1989 and ‘99

• Sr. Mary Jude Walsh, RSM Award, St. Vincent’s

Academy, 2007

It amazes me that one person can do so much, butMary is a giver. She is kind-hearted, generous inevery way and never meets a stranger. Mary, ed-ucated in grammar school and high school by theSisters of Mercy, lives the Mercy Values of collabo-ration, compassion and service, concern for womenand women’s issuesand spiritual growthand development.In short, Mary Hillis a true “MercyGirl” and we are soproud of her!

14sect o1989,9, area

Girlhood Embroideryof St. Vincent’s Academy

Loretto Dressel Lominack ‘64

On Friday, October 21, 2016, St. Vincent’s Convent wel-comed Ms. Kathleen Staples and a group of guests fromthe Textile Society of America for a break-out seminar aspart of an international convention being held in Savannah.It was my privilege to show this esteemed group of schol-ars our beautiful Convent of St. Vincent de Paul and shareits history with them. It also was a pleasure to hear Kath-leen Staples discuss four needleworks created here at St.Vincent’s in the 1800s.

Kathleen Staples is anindependent scholarfrom Greenville, SC andspecializes in the socialand cultural history ofBritain and the Americasas expressed throughtextiles and relatedcraft. She has written,lectured, and consultedfor exhibitions on topicssuch as weaving andneedlework in pre-con-tact Peru and colonialSpain, embroidery inStuart England, girlhoodsamplers in America;clothing traditions offree and enslaved wom-en in colonial SouthCarolina, and dress incolonial America. Herwork has appeared inthe Journal of EarlySouthern DecorativeArts and Antiques Mag-azine. She also co-au-thored, with MadelynShaw, Clothing through American History: the British Colo-nial Era. Her latest book is a fascinating look at embroideryin Georgia in the 17th and 18th centuries. The book isentitled, Georgia’s Girlhood Embroidery: “Crowned withGlory and Immortality.”

Ms. Staples visited the South Central Region archives of the

Sisters of Mercy in Belmont, NC. There she meticulouslyresearched ledgers and other records that were sent fromSt. Vincent’s archives by Sr. Jude Walsh. She gleaned anincredible amount of information by picking up on min-ute details that those not trained in this type of researchwould never notice. By examining the payment and tui-tion ledgers, she could see which families were paying for

extras for their daughters such as musiclessons, sewing, needlework and em-broidery. Supplies for handwork wereexpensive. Some families from humblebackgrounds struggled to provide theselearning tools for their daughters so

However, people of means expectedtheir daughters to have certain skillsto enable them to participate in politesociety.

Mary Teresa Kerley, age 9, producedthese words on an embroidered samplerin 1852:

“Hymn to the Blessed Virgin

As the dewy shades of evenGather o’er the balmy airListen gentle Queen of HeavenListen to my vesper prayer

Holy Mother near me hover

Thy wings of mercy coverKeep from sin thy helpless child

Thine own sinless heart was brokenSorrow’s sword had pierced the core

Holy Mother by that tokenNow thy pity I implore.

Queen of heaven guard and guide meSave my soul from dark despairIn thy tender bosom hide meTake me mother to thy care.”

The following is an excerpt from Georgia’sGirlhood Embroidery: “Crowned with Gloryand Immortality:”

“Mary Kerley’s father, Nicolas, came to theUnited States in 1828 as one of the hundredsof Irish immigrants who poured into NewYork after the conclusion of the War of 1812.A son, Michael, was born there in 1831 (themother’s name is unknown) and Nicholas wasa naturalized citizen in 1833 at the Marinecourt in New York City. He gave his occupa-tion as house carpenter.

Greater economic opportunities must havelured Nicholas south; in about 1840 he leftone urban area for another, resettling withMichael in Savannah. Unlike Georgia’s Scots– Irish, who came from an Ulster Presbyterianbackground and had established themselves

16

before the 1820s as property owners, the Irish Catholics who arrived inthe antebellum era were attracted by construction projects, includingcanals and railways. Many of them joined the menial labor force inSavannah, making do in the neighborhoods of cramped quarters thatskirted the city.

Nicholas met and married Bridget Dunn in Savannah in 1841. The twomay have lived in the same neighborhood or they might have encoun-tered each other at the Church of St. John the Baptist, Savannah’s onlyCatholic church. Their daughter, Mary Theresa, was born about 1843.Lawsuits in which Nicholas was the plaintiff for the collection of moneysuggest that he was actively practicing a trade in the 1840s. One ofhis clients was St. Vincent’s Academy, and he was intermittingly in itsemploy as a carpenter from 1845 through 1852.

Tax records suggest that the Kerley family lived in rented quarters until-

ily was living in Currytown, the southwestern most section of Savannah,in an “improvement” - likely a small dwelling that Nicholas might have

D. W. Dillon. The family’s neighbors, living in the surrounding woodentenements and boarding houses, were free and enslaved workers aswell as foreigners and citizens.

In October 1849, Mary Teresa Kerley was enrolled as a day student at

tuition. Mary’s commute, undoubtedly on foot, was several miles each

made regular tuition payments from January 1850 through the end ofDecember 1852.________________________________________________________________

In February of 1852, at the age of nine, Mary completed a sampler, thesubject of which was a “Hymn to the Blessed Virgin.” This devotionalhad been published in the United States Catholic Magazine and Month-ly Review in 1847. She surrounded the hymn’s four verses and personalinscription… her name, age, school, and date of completion - with col-

from a printed source.

Although Mary continued to attend St. Vincent’s Academy, her enroll-ment during the following three years was erratic: one or two termsin 1853, three terms in 1854, and one term is 1855. In 1854, Bridget

music lessons from Miss McNulty. The beginning of this change coin-cides with Nicholas’s absence in the academy’s expenditure ledger, all

In the summer and fall of 1854, Savannah experienced the second ofthree major yellow fever epidemics that broke out during the nine-teenth century. A hemorrhagic virus carried by the female of a mos-quito species native to Africa, yellow fever thrived in the climate ofsouthern states, and those who worked outside were especially at riskduring epidemics. In Savannah, poor sanitation and crowded condi-tions impeded recovery among the working poor. Nicholas Kerley wasone of the 1,040 inhabitants who succumbed to the disease at the endof September; he was buried in Savannah’s Catholic Cemetery.”

-

Ms. Staples goes on to inform us that Bridget was named exec-utrix of the estate on which there were outstanding debts whichrequired her to appear in court many times. Eventually, Bridgetwas forced to throw herself upon the mercy of the court, as shewas unable to settle the debts, but Bridget managed to liveout her remaining days in the Curreytown home, that she stillpossessed, but in 1861, Bridget died of jaundice and was alsoburied in the Catholic Cemetery.

What happened to Mary is unknown. She was no longer in St.Vincent’s Academy records after 1855. Strangely, her name doesnot appear in any census records after 1850. Her sampler wasa gift to St. Vincent’s Academy, but there are not details of itrecorded.

It is amazing the wonderful pieces of history we have surround-ing us at St. Vincent’s Academy!

IN REMEMBRANCE

IN GRATITUDE

17

The Editor sincerely apologizes for the following

mistakes:

A student was mistakenly

Taylor on the Senior

Awards pages in the last

edition of “The Flash.”

Kate graduated in 2016

and, out of 93 students,

received the Special Ser-

vices Award. We would

like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to

Kate Taylor ‘16 and congratulate her for this presti-

gious award!

Our wonderful friend, Bobby Chu, was mistakenly

than her brother.

The Annual Fund gift from Cathy Kenney Holmes ‘68

was in memory of her mother, Betty Holland

Kenney ‘45.

Regina Winters ‘93 donated to the Clara Russo

Scholarship in the names of her nieces:

Katie Winters, Emma Winters, Grace Winters,

Clara Bayman, and Caroline Winters..

A gift also was given to the Clara Russo Scholarship

by Natalie Walker Deriso ’66.

ST. VINCENT’S ACADEMY

SAINTSA T H L E T I C S

18

Dawn Odom, Athletic Director

Region 2AA Runner up

2AA Actress of the Year,Jennie Lawson

2AA All Star Cast,Jennie Lawson,Madison Myrick, Ellie Lehto

2016 Area 2AA Champions,7th year in a row

2016 AA State Champions

2016 State AA Coach of the Year,Katie Broderick

2016 State AA Player of the Year,Sarah Stewart

2016 AA All State Team:Sarah Stewart, Grace Friday,Mackenzie O’Hayer, Dylan Herb

2016 Area Player of the Year,Dylan Herb

2016 All Area Team 2 AA:Sarah Stewart, Grace Friday,Mackenzie O’Hayer

Sarah Stewart,Mercer UniversityVolleyball/Academic Scholarship19holarship

Sarah Stewart Grace Friday Dylan Herb

Mackenzie O’Hayer Coach Broderick Go Team!!

Donna Antonucci, SVANatural Science Instructor

In September, I receivedan invitation presenting mewith the chance to attendboth a NASA launch of theNOAA GOES-R satelliteand a CIMSS (CooperativeInstitute for MeteorologicalSatellite Studies) workshop.It was an opportunity ofa lifetime to be part of anAtlas V rocket launch andCape Canaveral count-down! Little did I knowthat this was going to be a

-or, with storms interveningand technical launch issuesliterally, changing thelaunch date 3 times, withactual liftoff at the very lastminute of the window onNovember 18, 6:42PM.But oh, what a site- anighttime launch! TheGOES-R is a GeostationaryOperational EnvironmentalSatellite R series that willstand sentinel 22,000 milesabove the Earth’s WesternHemisphere aiming 6 newsensors that bring visu-al and infrared imagery,lightning mapping, solarimaging, and space weath-er data to NOAA. Thisimproved data will be usedfor climatic studies, thun-

detection, navigation, and-

netic storm forecasting.All this data will provideadvanced detection to aidin public safety and betterweather forecasting. Sincethis is a NOAA satellite, allthe data is available for usein the classroom and forCitizen Science projects. Icouldn’t be more excitedto implement the varioustools on the website forthe CIMSS Proving Groundhttp://.ssec.wisc.edu/edu-cation/goesr/

A Most Unwelcome GuestLoretto Dressel Lominack ‘64Yes, Hurricane Matthew has come and gone; well gone, but

he left unpleasant remnants of his presence that we all seefrequently. I am overwhelmed with sadness when walkingmy dog in Colonial Cemetery; the loss of trees is heartbreak-ing. We will remember and talk about Matthew for years tocome…somewhat like General Sherman, another guest notwarmly welcomed to Savannah, but I think Sherman mayhave left less damage behind than Matthew. That last sen-tence may be up for debate.

Glued to our television sets, we watched this giant of a stormas it clobbered Cuba, decimated Haiti and attacked the Ba-hamas. The folks at the weather channel, more excited thanI had seen them since Sandy, licked their chops and quicklydispersed their reporters into harm’s way and we just couldn’tget enough of it as we switched channels back and forth.However, we would not do much channel-switching for long,as most of us who stayed would lose power. I wish I had a

switch to the “on” position and felt like an idiot. By the time

thing call television…just like a kid once again.

Before evacuations were ordered, “Are you staying or go-ing?” was the question du jour, as we referred back to thetelevisions for the latest zig to the west or zag to the east.Matthew was a peculiar storm and unpredictable, to say theleast. Many of us were depending on the South AtlanticBight, that part of the east coastline that curves to the westand forms what looks like a large open bay just east of us inthe Atlantic. Numerous weather experts feel that this coastalphenomenon keeps us from being in the direct path of manyhurricanes that travel on to hit places like North Carolina andSouth Carolina. For this reason, it is thought, Georgia doesnot attract as many direct hits. Another thing in our favor iswe have fewer miles of coastline than our neighboring statesof Florida and South Carolina. However, if our vulnerabili-ty were to be rated by Las Vegas oddsmakers, they mightsay we are long overdue for a direct hit. Certainly, many ofyou feel as though you got a direct hit with the tremendousamount of property damage you incurred but, as we know, it

-cial” U.S. landfall on October 8th southeast of McClellanville,South Carolina, as a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds(Tybee recorded 96 mph). Speaking of our area, Fort Pulaskiset a new record tide level of an 8 foot storm surge, beatingthe old record set by Hurricane David in 1979.

Since my block on Liberty Street is over 37 feet in elevation,we are connected to buildings on both sides and have nolarge trees close that might fall on us, we decided to stay.I have always said that I draw the line (staying or evacuating)at 100 mph. Well, it was a tough decision this time, but we,

along with many of our neighbors downtown stayed and,

not evacuating. A dear friend called me stupid…becauseshe loves me and I appreciate that.

If you look at the history of hurricanes that have made land-fall along the Georgia coast during the 1900s, you mightask,”Why all the worry?”…only 3 hit during that century.However, take a look at the previous century. No one is alive

the 1890s alone; a total of 12 blasted our city during all of

them all was the one in 1893 that became known as the SeaIsland Hurricane. The people of Savannah and its islandsbattened down the hatches and prepared as best they could,but the storm proved to be too much, especially for thoseon the islands. As the winds accelerated, it moved beyond

the eye passed over Tybee, a 20 foot storm surge gatheredfollowed by waves of 20 to 25 feet on top of it. Becausemost houses, particularly on Tybee, had been so weakened,the best chance of survival was, for those capable, to climbthe tallest trees and tie themselves into them; they wouldwait and pray that they would be above water and not blownaway. All land east of the Wilmington River was under water.When the storm passed over South Carolina and out to theAtlantic, more than 2,000 people were dead, many of themwashed out to sea.

As we all know now, the real horror show with Matthew wasin Savannah’s lovely island communities that were hit sobadly. Downed trees fell on homes, ancient live oaks were

made life miserable.

It was sad to see such devastation, but help was waiting-outthe storm just outside of Savannah. Trucks from various elec-tric companies all over Georgia and other states were anx-ious to get into Savannah and surrounding communities todeal with dangerous downed power lines and restore power.Other companies were arriving to help clear the trees so thatfolks could move around. All over Savannah people took tothe streets and helped others. They grabbed chain saws toremove trees and cleaned up their neighborhoods as bestthey could. It was heartwarming to see so many doing allthey could to help in the removal of debris. The good cameout in people and God bless them.

“Next time…” is what I have heard from so many people.We can hope and pray that there is not a next time, but let’sface it, we do have a history with hurricanes. A good thingto do is have a plan, but until next time, we will rememberMatthew.

Mrs. Catherine Crider Hall ‘74Miss Bernadette Hamilton ‘77Dr. & Mrs. Douglas A. HanzelSr. Susan Harms, R.S.M. ‘60Mrs. Andrea Haslam Harris ‘86Miss Ann Harte ‘73Mrs. Marie Doyle Hartwell ‘62Mrs. Lucy Distefano Haviland ‘57Ms. Ida Morrissey Herb ‘59Mrs. Kathleen Brown Higgs ‘75Mrs. Elaine Rousseau Hillebrand ‘67Mrs. Mary Anne HoganMrs. Megan Schreck Hulitt ‘93Mrs. Kathleen Russell Inglesby ‘66Mrs. Chenoa Talley Jacobs ‘93Mrs. Mary Whalen Janda ‘87Dr. Eleanor Jean Long JanufkaMrs. Laura DeBorde Jaugstetter ‘59Dr. Gretchen Heidt Johnson ‘81Mrs. Mola Chu Jung ‘56Mrs. Elizabeth Cone Katz ‘99Ms. Joe Ann Morrissey Kelly ‘62Mrs. Elena Roush Koch ‘88Mr. & Mrs. Dennis J. LalesMr. & Mrs. T. Allen LancasterMs. Mary Ellen Leonard ‘63Loretto Dressel Lominack ‘64Miss Kelly C. Long ‘11Mrs. Barbara Ann Purdy Lutz ‘63Mrs. Leslie Heyel Marino ‘83Mrs. Amy Tuttle Massey ‘83Mrs. Carol Baran Massey ‘63Mrs. Kerrie Elmore Matthews ‘77Mrs. Elizabeth Burn McCarthy ‘53Mrs. Kathleen Bradley McCarthy ‘87Ms. Patricia Taylor McDevitt ‘95Ms. Monica McGoldrick ‘70Ms. Mary McLendon ‘74Mrs. Judith Jurgensen Melroy ‘63Mrs. Kelley Prouty Miller ‘76Mrs. Suzanne Brown Moseley ‘00Mrs. Anita MullerMrs. Jackie Stafford Munch ‘70Ms. Josie Murphy ‘79Mrs. Elizabeth Tootle New ‘77Mrs. Camille Hagan Owens ‘64

Mrs. Patricia Riley Pack ‘67Mrs. Martha Blessington Padilla ‘60Mrs. Carole Balcom Pappas ‘58Mrs. Diane Ciucevich Parker ‘87Mrs. Barbara Weimar Peterson ‘71

Mrs. Marian Peterson Adams ‘54Mrs. Susan Waters Adcox ‘79

Mrs. Mary McCarthy Aliotta ‘52Ms. Carole Anthony ‘64Mrs. Leonie Delorme Atherton ‘85Mrs. Cecelia Persse Auble ‘76Mrs. Janet Parr Barry ‘56Mrs. Helen Courtenay Beasley ‘80Mrs. Laurie Dowell Bell ‘73Mrs. Theresa Porzio Blume ‘83Mrs. Brennan Kennedy Bowen ‘03Mrs. Marie Muller Bresciani ‘69Mrs. Mary Jane Furlong Brewer ‘52Ms. Kathleen Kenney Brown ‘67Mrs. Jackie Register Brown ‘64Mrs. Janie Lyons Bunger ‘73Mr. Mark L. Burns

Mrs. Betty Arceneaux Burnsed ‘49Sr. Helen Marie Buttimer, R.S.M. ‘56Mrs. Loretto Powers Buttimer ‘60Mrs. Angie Dotson Cail ‘80Mrs. Elizabeth Stanford Caplis ‘65Mrs. Beth Stafford Carter ‘64Sr. Paula Cockerham, R.S.M.Mrs. Barbara Barras Colson ‘52Mr. & Mrs. Robert CowartMiss Maria Danello ‘02Ms. Beverly W. DavisMr. & Mrs. Benoit DeBryMrs. Margaret Mary Cox DeLorme ‘53Mrs. Natalie Walker Deriso ‘66Mrs. Marie Ryan Dillon ‘54Mrs. Mali Lyons Dorman ‘04Mrs. Kimberly Tackett Dowd ‘89Mrs. Rosemary Emerick Downing ‘61Mrs. Maureen Murphy Dustin ‘80Mrs. Pamela Johnson Easson ‘64Mrs. Mary Frances Cook Engle ‘63Mrs. Eileen Ehmann Floyd ‘59Mrs. Sarah Russo Fogarty ‘76Mrs. Jennifer Burns Forbes ‘88Mrs. Deborah L. FosterMrs. Patty Demas Fulmer ‘59Mrs. Cheryl Edmondson Ganem ‘68Mrs. Patricia Tham Gillikin ‘53Mrs. Teri McCarthy Goolsby ‘81Mrs. Mary Kameron Grady ‘79Mrs. Carolyn Redmond Groover ‘54Mrs. Madeline Audesey Hahn ‘51

Mrs. Catherine Stapleton Pharo ‘63Mrs. Eleanor Smith Pierce ‘51Ms. Sandra Fleming Pinckney ‘63Mrs. Agnes Flaherty Pinckney ‘63Mrs. Judith Carter Pixley ‘85Mrs. Martha White Pounder ‘50Ms. Denise Powers ‘68Mrs. Therese Powers ‘73Sr. M. Lillian Quadrella ‘59Miss Kristie Willis Ragos ‘94Mrs. Betty Ann DiPietro Rappe ‘66Mrs. Patricia Woodward Remion ‘63Mrs. Diane Sullivan Richardson ‘71Mrs. Diane Hosti Ring ‘61Mrs. Ellen May Roach ‘64Mr. & Mrs. David J. RockMrs. Connie Poppell Rudd ‘66Miss Cristine Ruddy ‘89Mr. & Mrs. Neil G. RussellMrs. Phyllis Wrenn Sackariasen ‘82

Mrs. Anne Ferraro Sapp ‘62Mrs. Phyllis SaundersMrs. Margaret Swinford Shangle ‘63Mr. & Mrs. Joseph C. ShearouseMrs. Patricia O’Hayer Sheppard ‘56Mrs. Maureen O’Connor Simmons ‘77Mrs. Jane Harte Sipple ‘70Mrs. Barbara Stamey Smith ‘50Miss Janet Spillane ‘44Mrs. Blake Powers Stevens ‘00Ms. Ellen Struck ‘67Ms. Maureen Sullivan ‘63Ms. Mercedes Sullivan ‘52Ms. Lisa M. Summerlin ‘77Mrs. Mary Finocchiaro Sweeney ‘75Mrs. Mary Jeanne Howard Tallman ‘84Mrs. Cynthia Christiansen Thomas ‘83Mrs. Loretto Fleming Toms ‘60Mrs. Ann Sauers Townsend ‘64Mrs. Barbara Muller Tromly ‘64Mrs. Patty Cannon Valenti ‘61Mrs. Marie Bandy Wall ‘92Ms. Anne Marie White ‘82Mrs. Patricia Wolfe Whitlock ‘76Mrs. Joan Price Wiegand ‘54Mrs. Lori A. WilliamsMrs. Patricia WilliamsMrs. Donna Cavuoto Wilson ‘79Mr. & Mrs. John W. Witt, Jr.Mrs. Jennifer Thomas Woelber ‘91Ms. Martha McCarthy Wood ‘70

St. Vincent’s AcademyLOVELIGHT CHRISTMAS TREE LISTING

22

“ O u r c h a r i t y i s t o b e c o r d i a l . N o w c o r d i a l s i g n i f i e ss o m e t h i n g t h a t r e n e w s , i n v i g o r a t e s a n d w a r m s . S u c h s h o u l d

b e t h e e f f e c t o f o u r l o v e f o r e a c h o t h e r . ”- C a t h e r i n e M c A u l e y

Vincent’s AcademyAnnual Fund

The St. Vincent’s Academy Annual Fund is our yearly appeal to support theoperating budget of our school. This effort is essential to the everyday functionsof the school and is SVA’s top fundraising priority. Our 2016 - 2017 goal is$300,000 and the parent participation goal is 60%. Currently, we have raised$125,000 towards our goal.

The Annual Fund sustains a diverse scope of programs, including everythingfrom academics, the arts, athletics, and technology. It also supports ourtalented and dedicated faculty and provides the resources they need to bringoutstanding educational opportunities to our girls.

Please support the SVA 2016-17 Annual Fund by mailing in your gift in theenclosed giving envelope or give online at svaga.net and click on Support Us.

For more information please contact:Leigh Sipple, Director of Advancementat 912.236.5505 or leigh.sipple@svaga.net

23232323

- Jobs, Moves, Accomplishments, Life Changes & Happenings -

None of us will forget October 7, 2016…evac-uations, no electricity, downed trees, blockedroads, no internet, no television, no phones, etc.Because of so much that happened with Mat-thew, our Annual Tour & Tea, exactly one weeklater, had to be cancelled. There simply was nochoice. So many of our volunteers…servers,kitchen help, cleaning crew, docents for homesand home owners were still gone, not to mentionfood supplies were low in Savannah. Actually, thetour lost 3,000 cookies that Ginger Schroder andfriends worked so hard baking. They were storedin Ginger’s freezer on Tybee. Back to the critical

them. How much damage had been done tohomes on the tour, to homes of those working onthe tour and to the school? There were so many

got in touch with enough people to get the wordout…sadly, the tour had to be cancelled and allthe ticket money returned. Our Tour & Tea hasbeen rescheduled for next October 21, 2017 andmany of the same home owners have agreed tobe on the tour!

In August of 2016, the Alumnae Board sponsoreda Low Country Boil to show appreciation for allthat the Alumnae of SVA do for our school, fromsending donations to giving their time and talentsworking on projects and also faithfully attendingevents. This event is free to all alumnae and wehad a sizeable and happy crowd. There was anautical theme, beach music, great food, a des-sert contest and door prizes. Dessert contest win-ners were:

All thedesserts were winners in my book and the guestsgot to eat them!

Through dedication and hard work, the members of the Alum-were able to present a $5,000 check to St. Vincent’s

Academy for the academic year of 2016 – 2017. This generousgift was broken up into four categories: $2,500 went to student

was assigned to be used for teachers’ needs, and $500 will beused to place an ad in the program for the musical, “Oklahoma.”A huge thank-you goes out to the members:

-

-

. A great deal of appreciation for this gift also goesto those who were a huge part of this, but recently rotated off theBoard:

All of these women work tirelessly for thebetterment of St. Vincent’s and we applaud them!

Shown in the photo is an SVA member of the U.S. Air Force,, stationed at Beal Air Force Base

located near Marysville, California. The caption under the photoread, “Airmen work together to build a munition at the munitionspad on December 13, 2016 at Beal Air Force Base. The Airmen

at theAir ForceCombatAmmunitionCenter.”Besides be-ing a gradu-ate of SVA,Emily alsograduatedfrom UGAin 2012!

24gotgot to eateat th

St. Vincent’s graduate and outstanding athlete, jumped an amazing 20’10.5” at the New Bal-

ance Outdoor Championships. Taylor accepted a schol-arship to Ohio State University, where she is a freshman.She is also on the wait list for the Olympic trials and all ofSVA is praying that she makes it!

Recently,, had the

opportunity to visit St.Louis, MO. While there,she took the time tovisit with Mercy novice,Sr. Kelly Williams, whois stationed in St. Louis.Even though there are30 years separating theirgraduation dates, yearsdo not matter when youare a member of the “St.Vincent’s Sisterhood.”

is providing much-needed help to

of horses. Karrie owns Hoofs for Healing Equine Servicesand works with people through equine assisted activitiesand therapy that challenge individuals with various disabil-ities to reach their full potential. Congratulations, Karrie.Sounds like you are doing something quite wonderful!

We are proud to rec-ognize our own

, beingnamed the GHSA AAvolleyball Coach ofthe Year. Katie is in

time teacher and isthe head volleyballcoach and head tenniscoach for St. Vincent’s.After graduating fromSVA, Katie graduatedfrom Armstrong StateUniversity where she

played on the volleyball team for four years. Duringthose years, Armstrong won four straight confer-ence titles. Katie, more than anyone, realizes howphenomenal it was to win the state championshipin 2016, but the most exciting thing to her was thatevery member of the team got to play in that match,even the junior varsity players. Congratulations to agreat player and a fantastic coach!

Thinking about the year 2016 drawing to a close,, said that that 2016 has been one for

the books, as far as she is concerned. Well, thatis certainly the truth! During 2016, she graduatedfrom Armstrong Atlantic University with a degree ingraphic design, got a much-wanted iMac, was hiredby Armstrong for an “awesome” part-time job in the

Memory Lane”), was nominated for Best FemaleVocalist by the Georgia Music Awards, traveled to the

more important than anything else, got engaged toher very best friend and love of her life, Patrick Elling-ton! Susie has to say that it is going to be hard to topthis past year, but knowing CC, she will top it again

andagain.SVA isso proudof allof CC’ssuccess-es!

25

and her family suf-fered through nine losses in their family infour years. Truly, that is hard to imagine.Hospice Savannah reminds her that shecan get through this “one day at a time.”On November 7, 2016, a collection ofAnn’s art was featured at Hospice Savan-

What a wonderful gift to a place that doesamazing work with terminally ill patientsand their families.

A very special and happy event occurredfor and her family in Novem-ber at Benedictine’s homecoming game.Their delightful and beautiful daughter,Rachel, who happens to be autistic, waselected Homecoming Queen by BC’s stu-dent body! “Those boys looked beyond

the specialneeds labeland sawRachel’sbright light,”Ann said.The 2016BC home-coming mayhave beenthe best inthe historyof the 114year oldschool!

Running in to

recently, Iwas remindedthat it has beenthree wholeyears (2013)since Sa’Ronnagraduated fromArmstrong StateUniversity andI neglected tocongratulate herin “The Flash.” Shame on Susie! Sa’Ron-na graduated with a Bachelor of Sciencein middle grades education and is happilyteaching middle school science in the Sa-vannah – Chatham Public Schools.

Stopping by SVA in November for a walk down memory lane, Susie met Kelly and her husband live in New Orleans and were in

town; St. Vincent’s was on her “to do” list. Kelly moved to New Orleansto attend Newcomb College at Tulane University where she majored inSociology and Women’s Studies and minored in the Classics. She graduat-

a good job as a helping professional. Three months later and in Chicago,Kelly discovered that all the jobs she wanted required a master’s degree inSocial Work. She became determined to make that happen. Returning toNew Orleans in the winter of 2005, Kelly found a job as an outreach co-ordinator for the NO/AIDS Task Force, where she has been since. Thanks

-turn to school part time. Completing her MSW in 2010, she began thethree-year process for clinical licensure. She met her soon-to-be husband,a NOPD detective, and they married in 2014. Their son, Jack, arrived in2015. Currently, Katie sees individuals, couples and families and special-izes in cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, sand tray therapyand Gottman-informed couple’s therapy. She also educates other socialworkers and the general public about general wellness for mental healthand healthy relationships. As a therapist, Kelly found that she uses manyof the skills she learned in AP English and on the staff of Pleiades. She asksher clients to tell the story of their lives and looks for strengths in the sto-ries that the client may not notice. Kelly shared that her desire for a life ofservice was honed during her time at SVA, where she was encouraged tohelp make the world a better place, to give freely of her time and energyto those in need. She is grateful to the Sisters of Mercy for their exampleof service and respect for all people, especially those in the margins of oursociety.

Asked to compete in Man & Woman of the Year, wasthrilled to be a part of such a worthy cause to raise funds for the Leukemiaand Lymphoma Society in 2016. Shannon had an amazing experience withthe LLS campaign and appeared as a speaker at SVA to ask the girls forhelp and, naturally, they responded. She personally raised $60,000 out ofa total of $425,000 that was raised! Shannon is employed at Seabolt Bro-kers as an Associate Broker and is a great person to have on your team!

26

JOIN THE SVA ALUMNAEASSOCIATION TODAY!

Once again in 2017, we are challenging all alumnaemembers to contribute voluntary, annual membershipdues to the SVAA, corresponding to the year of yourgraduation. For example, a 1984 graduate would payannual dues of $19.84 to become an active member.Every SVA graduate is a member of the SVAA auto-matically upon graduation. However, your generouscontribution converts you to “active membership.”This allows us to host several annual alumnae events.In addition, many of the proceeds from our events

allow us to assist deserving students in need so that they may experi-ence an exceptional SVA education. You may donate online at www.svaga.net. Choose Alumnae/Donate and apply your gift to donor’spreference of alumnae dues. Thank you for your support!

27

- Wedding Belles -

Can you imagine a wedding where all of the bridesmaids aresisters of the bride? Well that is exactly the wedding thattook place at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Friday,December 30, 2016 when becamethe bride of Jacob Yount. There was no doubt in Stephanie’smind as to who would be the bridesmaids; they would be herfour sisters, of course. Pictured from left to right are the Ma-cLeod sisters:

The newlyweds will make their home inCharleston, SC. Best wishes to the bride and groom!

Also wedon thesameweekendwere

and BobTurner.The nup-tial Masstook placeon theevening ofDecember31, at theCathe-dral of St.John the

Baptist. St. Vincent’s bridesmaids were:

Following the ceremony, the guests left to celebrateand dance the night away at a reception at Benedictine,which was held on the tented plaza. The Turners will maketheir home in Savannah, where they are both in business.

Our 7th Annual Holiday Shopping Night Extravaganza/Fundraiser was held on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, and thisyear’s event turned out to be our most successful one yet!We raised $11,500 for student scholarship/aid throughshoppers paying a minimal admission fee at the door andvendors paying a table/space fee to participate. We werealso extraordinarily excited to host a book signing forspecial guest and best-selling author, Mary Kay Andrews,who delighted her many fans by personally autographingher books and telling “behind the scene” stories aboutwriting them. Shoppers enjoyed complimentary, delicioushors d’oeuvres and festive beverages while they shopped

the night away atover 36 vendors’pop-up shops.SAVE THE DATE:The next HolidayShopping Extrav-aganza will be onThursday evening,November 30th.You won’t want tomiss it!!!

was thrilled to announce the birth of her, with

information to the left.

Also trying her hand at this pleasur-able avocation is SVA coach,

. October 22, 2016was the big date for the arrival ofthis cutie-pie, daughter of her sonGene and wife, Amanda. There isno doubt in Susie’s mind that CoachDotson will have precious AdelynMarie dribbling a basketball as soonas she learns to walk!

Just like a mathematicsinstructor,

toes and proclaimed her 1stgrandchild to be perfect!Susie is not sure that this“pretty in pink” little girl willbe a mathematician like hergrandmother; she looks like aprima ballerina. Amelia Mae Zanoff, child of Trinka’s daugh-ter, Christina and Parker Zanoff, was born on November 24,2016.

Just as thrilled the third time around,, who runs our main

-nounced the arrival of Madeleine

parents are Mrs. Poston’s son, J.D. andhis wife, Amanda. The family makes itshome in Suwanee, Georgia.

(pictured left to right in order of write up)

A delighted family welcomed Cecilia Frances Amberson onDecember 13, 2016. This little doll is the third child for Lau-

and her husband, Lee. Needlessto say, big sisters, Kate and Lizzie had a thrilling Christmas.What a fantastic gift for Santa to deliver!

, daughter of science teacher,

22, 2016. Gemma Lucia Consago is a sheer pleasure tobehold to her grandmother, Mrs. Antonucci, Domenica and,daddy, Mike Consago. The family makes its home in Chica-go.

On July 7, 2016, gavebirth to her second child. Catherine and Patrick decided toname their little girl Ellen Elizabeth and call her “Ellie.” Thiscute little bundle makes two children for the Sauers’ family.Ellie’s big brother, Reid, is sure to be a help to his mom.

A Happy New Year baby was born toand her husband, Jody, on January 4, 2017!

This sweet baby is named “Helen Catherine” after hergreat-great grandmother, Helen Catherine Leech Fogarty.

little sister’s arrival. The “Willoughby girls” come from along line of SVA grads:

was excited to report the birthof her new grandchild, Kimberly Nova Fischer. Kimberly ispictured at her christening at St. Peter’s church.

and Dad, Austin Fort, are both very excited! Congratula-tions to all!28picturedpicture atat he h

andan Dad,Dad, Ationsons toto all! a

- Stork Deliveries -

“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”…and that’s exactlywhat the did for their 40th reunion!With a low country boil and an evening of danc-ing and story telling, the class of ’76 celebrated40 years of friendship, sisterhood and memories.They invited the Benedictine class of ’76 to traveldown memory lane with them as they gatheredat Captain Butler’s Retreat on August 13, 2016.Everyone expressed their thanks to Sandy SheaDavis for coordinating this event once again.The class was delighted when the evening wasperfectly capped off with a surprise performanceby Kim Michael Polote. St. Vincent’s would like to thank the girls of ’76 for their generous donation to the Sister of MercyMonument Fund in celebration of their 40th!

June 24th and 25th was the weekend picked by the fortheir 30th reunion. Friday night was spent “hanging out” at SVA andlooking at all the changes that have come about over the last 30 years.Yes, as you can imagine, there were quite a few! Saturday found thegirls visiting Tybee during the day for some fun in the sun. Goldenfrom the Tybee sun, the girls met with the BC class of 1986 at the Hyattwhere they had heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while enjoying thebeautiful view overlooking the Savannah River.

Beginning on October 21, 2016, thecelebrated 20 years since graduating from SVA.These ladies were in total disbelief that their liveshad arrived at this point in time! Susie was amusedat that. Friday the group gathered for wine and ap-petizers at SVA. They toured the school to see whatwas new and to talk about SVA in 1996 as opposedto 2016. Of course, they argued over where theSenior Lounge was located (all the classes do) whenthey were here. Following fun at SVA, everyone metat Cotton Sail’s Rooftop to play catch-up on theirlives for the last 20 years. Saturday night found them at Tubby’s in Thunderbolt. What a delightfully crazy bunch of gals!

Organized by Catherine Grady, the had awonderful July 24th and 25th reunion weekend together.The girls gathered in the Assembly Room at SVA for liba-tions and appetizers. Honestly, you would have thoughtit had been 100 years since graduation rather than just10 years! Everyone took a tour of the school and, thoughit had not been that long to observe too many chang-es, they were slightly green with envy over the SeniorLounge that was totally refurbished by a generous donortwo years ago. They noticed every change! On Saturday

Street. A good time was had by all!

- Reunions -

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- The Little Snoop -

Congratulations to SVA’s Volleyball Team GHSAAA State Champions!!!

Making HeadlinesOn July 13, 2016 , had an articleappear on the front page of The Savannah Tribune.Aliyah was reporting on “A Time to Mourn” a vigilorganized by the Savannah chapter of Black LivesMatter. Hundreds gathered to take part in the vigilin Forsyth Park, not only in memory of lives lost inrecent shootings but also to call attention to issuesof the black community in Savannah and across thenation. Perhaps our Aliyah is a budding journalist!

Academic HonorsWe are so proud of the students named as newmembers of St. Vincent’s Academy’s National Hon-or Society! Pictured Back Row Left to Right:

-. Congratulations smart ladies!

has received praise for heraccomplishments in the sports of volleyball, soccerand basketball since she entered St. Vincent’s as afreshmen. Sarah was named to the 2017 SavannahMorning News “Best Preps”…no surprise there.Sarah was a dominating force for our Saints volley-ball team, playing a major role helping the team towin the State Volleyball Championship. She earnedAll-Greater Savannah Co-Player of the Year honors,as well as Georgia Volleyball Coaches AssociationClass 2A State Player of the Year Award. Sarah willbe playing soccer for Mercer University next year.She chose Mercer because of the excellent pre-medprogram. Sarah also was named as the St. Vincent’sAcademy Wendy’s High School Heisman winner! SVAis looking forward to continuing to hear great thingsabout Sarah, both in volleyball and academics!

On the team with Sarah Stewart this season were two other exceptional players who were named to the 2016 All-Great-er Savannah Volleyball Team… . Grace was a key player at the net; she earned

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St. Vincent’s Academy Pink NightEach October, St. Vincent’s joins with many institutions and

, was the coordinator and guest speakerfor this year’s Pink Night, a volleyball game centered aroundbreast cancer awareness. Emily has a very personal dedica-

last year after a long battle with breast cancer. Emily bravelystarted a foundation called “Dana’s Circle” that raises money

-ilies going through this struggle. All of the Pink Night pro-

Drama, Drama, DramaThe SVA One-Act Play team traveled to Lyons, GA to compete

in the GHSA 2-AA Region One-Act Play Compe-tition at Toombs County High School on October25, 2016. They performed “Love, Loss, and WhatI Wore,” by Nora and Delia Ephron, a group ofmonologues about women’s issues, memories,and their relationship to the clothes they woreduring important times in their lives. The play isfull of hilarious comedic lines, as well as poignant,touching moments, and showcased the tremen-dous talent of the young team. The cast included

-

The teamwas proud to earn 2nd place in the region for

their performance. Additionally, was namedthe best actress in the region! and Ellie

were named to the All-Region All Star cast. It was anexcellent showing from such a talented team; we look forwardto many great things from these girls in the future. Congratu-lations to directors Mr. Justin Johnson and Ms. Bonnie Hance.Go Saints Theater!

Fashion with a PurposeThe Fashion Marketing class took a trip to Goodwill wherethe assignment was for each class member to purchase an

elements of color, style, line and texture. They had to be able

be worn and the accessories chosen for it. The class chose-

tion that exists for one purpose…to eliminate barriers to opportunity and help people in need reach their full potentialthrough learning and the power of work. For more than a century, Goodwill has worked in communities to help people

immigrants and people with other specialized needs totaling 6.7 million people last year. Every 33 seconds of everybusiness day, someone gets a job with Goodwill’s help.” The class found this to be an enjoyable learning experienceand appreciated the audience that attended their fashion show!

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Mercy in ActionStudents worked feverishly during the month of November to raisemoney for our neighbor in the 500 block of Liberty Street, the So-cial Apostolate. On December 7th, a group of students presentedSr. Julie with a check for $1,087.68! This should help Sister contin-ue her wonderful work for the community.

Getting Involved to Help OthersWhen attended an assembly at SVA to raisemoney for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a tiny seed was

a part of this worthy cause. Another consideration for this young

Well, Betty got so involved that she became a part of somethingthat she had never planned on doing. To raise funds for her cause,Betty is running for Student of the Year. There will be four studentsfrom four different schools competing against one another to seewho can raise the most money and the winner will be named Stu-dent of the Year. The competition begins March 3 and runs for tenweeks. If you would like to help Betty, please send checks madeout to to

. By the way, at SVA Betty is on the swimteam, works on the musical, takes part in The One Act Play and ison the staff of our literary magazine, Pleiades. Betty is the daugh-ter of alumna,

Visitors from KenyaSt. Vincent’s Academy sophomores welcomed visitors from thefar-away continent of Africa. For an entire day, our girls hosted agroup of amazing students from Kenya. The girls participated in aday of classes at SVA and spent their after school time doing whatall teenage girls love---shopping! What a wonderful experiencethis was for all of the girls.

The Bell RingerMany students have responsibilities at St. Vincent’s, but there isone person whose responsibility is to announce the start of the dayin a special way…that would be our bell ringer, .

at 8 am signaling the “last call.” Volunteering for this daily assign-

just for the love of SVA. A very active student, Jo Jo is on thesoftball team and loves photography. She is planning on majoringin art in college. Thanks to Jo Jo for her dedication!

Morning PrayerSpeaking of artists who volunteer, the namecertainly comes to mind. Most of the time when asking for vol-unteers; Jordan’s hand will be raised. This is the second year that

be hard to replace when she graduates this May. Putting a greatdeal of feeling into the morning prayer, Jordan has a very attentiveaudience each day. Following the prayer, Jordan leads us in thePledge of Allegiance and reads the announcements for the day.Jordan is a very talented artist and last summer spent a quarter atSCAD in July of 2016!

Candlelight Concert

voices. The members of the SVA Chorus radiated the spirit of Christmasas they celebrated the birth of Jesus, our Savior. -

had the girls rehearsing non-stop and it showed in

many, her daughters, sang a stunning Celtic Christmas carol with beautiful harmony. Con-

gratulations to Mrs. Winters and our Chorus for giving us a great way tousher in the Christmas Season!

New Look for UniformsNo, the students are not necessarily out of uniform; they have more op-tions. Before Christmas, our Marketing Class introduced a great new lookto the SVA uniforms. The class designed a very “spiffy” and classic ribbednavy blue, v-neck sweater with the SVA logo that you see beside the Lin-coln Street gate. All the girls seem to love them and they are selling likehot cakes!

The Eternal CitySome of Ms. Westgate’s Latin students had a brainstorm. What was it?They decided to create Rome. They wanted to build the famous landmarksas they appeared many centuries ago and place them in the approximateorder in which they appeared. Their abilities shined and the “The EternalCity” was on display for a number of weeks before the Christmas holidays.Great work, ladies!

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will receive the 2017 National Catholic EducationalAssociation Youth Virtues, Valor, and Vision Award. The award wascreated by the NCEA and sponsored by the Cross Catholic Out-reach to recognize young people’s community service projects “thatcan and will change and enrich the world”. Addie was nominatedfor her special needs competitive cheer squad that she started and

that: “We especially want to congratulate St. Vincent’s Academy asa faith community for fostering an environment of servant leadershipwhere young people like Addie are developed and nurtured.”

A director from the National Catholic Education Association willcome to SVA during Catholic Schools Week on Wednesday, Feb-ruary 1st, at 10:30 to present the award to Addie. She is one of tenstudents recognized for their community and service projects acrossthe nation. We will have the award ceremony in the gym at 10:30.As a result of this award, Addie and SVA, along with the other recip-ients and their schools, will be recognized nationally in the NCEApublications and on their website.

SVA student, , points out her grandmother’s 1st cousin,Justice Clarence Thomas, as he swears in Mike Pence.

SVA attended the Mountain Film Festival to see original, inspiring,

and Art departments.

SVA Art Students experience the PULSE Art and Technology Festivalat the Jepson Center for the Arts. We are so lucky to be in beauti-ful downtown Savannah where we can take advantage of the manycultural activities and exhibitions offered. We virtually wanderedthrough Walden’s Pond, made dinosaur sounds with a skull repro-duction, made and viewed art through different technologies, talkedto artists and saw face sculptures made from DNA samples random-ly found. What a great experience and all that happened in a onehour art class, including a brisk walk to the museum! Art, Scienceand PE merged!

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207 East Liberty StreetSavannah, Georgia 31401

OrganizationUS Postage

PAIDPermit Number 164Savannah, Georgia

Parents of AlumnaeIf this publication is addressed to yourdaughter who no longer maintains apermanent address at your home,please notify St. Vincent’s of her newmailing address.

SVA Girls going to Augusta in 1966 to play St. Thomas Aquinas in basketball. Can you identify anyone in the picture?