Can you believe it's July already? Hope you are enjoying the summer and take time to appreciate the beautiful wonders of nature with the pretty flowers & evergreens in bloom.

HERE 'N THERE: Thanks to Joe Stanaitis, we are able to add a few new names To our mailing list: Robert Wilson out of Daly City, CA., Rasael Rivera out of Bklyn, NY & Frank Rosenstine out of Goose Creek, S.C. Frank was a 1955 TZ Grad & a St Agnes Alumnus, he is recuperating from a stroke he had 2 yrs ago, We wish you well, Frank.

Recd a letter from Rod Dayton informing us he is doing tour guide work in the Grand Canyon until Oct. 04/ Says it is very interesting work.

Father Masterson phoned us from Brazil, telling us he intends to be here in Aug. & attend the Annual picnic. He wanted all the "guys" to know & also be aware that he prays for all the alumni every day. Father was at Sparkill from 49-51, then went to Graymoor to become a Priest.

Congratulations to Paul Orlando & wife who celebrated 65 years of married bliss this year.

Rec'd a nice letter along with dues & change of address from Bill Clarke saying how much he enjoys the newsletter, it brings back memories. Bill retired Jan. 2003 after 47 yrs in the grocery business, he now lives in DE & close to many golf courses which he frequently visits. Four of his 5 children are married & he has 8 grandchildren & the 9th on the way in Aug. They visit with them often.

Nice hearing from Joseph Daly, who always sends a check in memory of the late Sister Daly. We appreciate your kindness, Joe.

We were informed John Panagakos had fallen & broken his hip a few months ago & underwent rehab. We sure hope you are feeling better "Pag", after all, you have to make it to the picnic, you never miss.

Had a nice letter from Ralph Pollice who tells us he was at St. Agnes from 1933-42, his brother, Louis & 3 step-brothers were there too due to hard times, his dad re-married after his mother died & she was the best "Mom" you could meet. His Dad & brother has since passed away. He said he only has fond memories of St Agnes & mentions he remembers the late Fr. Jorn. Thanks Ralph for the letter.

DUES: Annual dues $10.00 are payable anytime, check payable to St. Agnes Alumni & mailed to the above address. We want to thank all those who have already paid, it means a lot & keeps us in business.

R.I.P. John J. Metoski 3/6/04, Sister Gertrude Fuchs 4/3/04. Michael Landy 5/1/04, Thomas D Maloney Unk. & John Manganaro 6/20/04. May their souls rest in peace.

Our prayers & thoughts are with their families. For those who attend the annual picnic each year, you can remember John Manganaro, he furnished the fresh corm from the farm each year & was looking forward to doing it this year but he was called home in June.

INPORTANT NOTICE: We have arranged for a Memorial Mass for all the deceased Alumni & members of their families to be held at the Chapel at the Dominican convent (St Agnes) Rte 340, Sparkill, NY. SUNDAY, OCT. 17th 2004 11:30 A.M. Please make an effort to attend & let's have a nice turn-out to honor all of our deceased "brothers", lest they never be forgotten. Mark your calendar now.

LAFF COLUMN:

Joe said when he went golfing, he always wore 2 pair of socks , in case he got a "hole in one".

For some people life is just a bowl of cherries. For the rest of us it is a bushel of lemons

Joe used to ask: Did you know I got shell-shocked in the war? how: eating too many peanuts.

When you were in the Army, did they give you a commission? No, jest a straight salary like everybody else.

Doc: Do you have anything that will cure fleas? "Maybe, What made them sick?"

INCLOSURE: Inclosed is a yearly chance book, if you see fit, would appreciate you completing it & sending us the stubs along with a check. your cooperation in the past has been great, make checks to St Agnes Alumni & return to 9 Glen RD. Highland Falls, NY 10928.

Fall 2004

Dear Alumnus/Friend

Can you believe summer 2004 is behind us already & we are now in one of the prettiest times of the year, with all the beautiful colors on the trees, etc. it is such a lovely picture., so enjoy it while it lasts.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: As we told you in a past letter, John Bannon (House's Kid) remembered St Agnes Alumni in his will so we are now settin up 2 grants $500.00 each to be awarded to a child or grandchild of an Alumnus of St. Agnes. Applications are available at the above address, you must complete, sign & return. They will be screened and the winner will be announced at the Annual Picnic in Aug. 2005. The recipient will then be notified by letter along with the check.

ANNUAL PICNIC; Despite the inclement weather the day of the picnic, we had a great showing & everyone enjoyed himself, thank God we were in the Pavilion. we had guys from Brazil, Fl., Ca., Va., Md/, plus all around the area. we had phone calls from Frank Bradicich, he couldn't make it due to lack of transportation, John Hackett, weather condition, Bob Keane, weather condition & John Kaye had an important prior commitment, also we missed the Babcock brothers, hope it was the weather & nothing more serious. We have many people to thank for the success: Dave MacMillan who took over the cooking all day, his wife, Pat, who helped at the food counter, Joyce & Rich Irizarry, they not only donated all the corn but a beautiful tossed salad plus helped at the counter, for those who donated dessert, we say Thank You it was great, we tried to do our share also. Thank you Jim Merna, who got up & announced it was our 55th wedding anniversary, after which the group sang Happy Anniversary & Father Masterson bestowed a special blessing on us it is a day we will never forget. A list of those who attended is attached.

The winners of the raffle are as follows: 1st Prize $300.00 Charles McKeathen, Bklvn, NY. 2nd prize $100.00 Raymond Roman,Queens, NY., 3rd Prize: $50.00 David Feliciano Cambria Hgts, NY. 4th Prize $50.00 Shirley Beford,Ocean Grove NJ., Congratulations & thank you for your support.We want to thank all the Alumni who so graciously supported the raffle, Limy not only sent their chance money but many included their dues & donations toward the picnic, you sure are a great bunch of' men. A special thank you to Raul Morales who requested extra books & sold them for the Alumni. Joe Stanaitis brought a TV & showed his computer generated material.

HERE 'N THERE; WE pray that none of our Alumni have been affected by the hurricanes, floods & damage in the Southern states or anywhere else, we pray that no one lost their home or got sick we don't know how lucky we really are until you read of these disasters.

Received a nice note from Ray Adames saying how much he enjoys the Newsletter thanks, Ray. Thanks to Walter O'Rourke for donation in memory of Wm. Phelps, Robt O'Rourke & Coach Faulk so kind of you . Nice hearing from Victor Anaujo thanking us for the letter, he said he & his wife look forward to it & enjoy it, thanks, Victor. Along with his chance money, dues & donation, Raymond Roman wrote a note he was at St. Agnes 1963-70, then went to Pius, he has a brother, Louis Roman. Raymond retired from NYC Dept of Corrections in 2000 after serving 20 yrs, we hope you enjoy your retirement in good health, good to see you at the picnic & win one of the drawings. Note from John Sekreta, (Cl of 32-35) out of State of WA., had a rough surgery on herniated disc in Apr., had to cancel the cruise he & wife were supposed to take for their 59th wedding Anniversary, John do hope all is going better for you. Congratulations on your wedding anniversary we wish you many more with God's Blessings. Thanks to Joe Stanaitis, we are able to keep adding new names to mailing list, especially since we are losing so many due to dying & also to moving & not leaving any forwarding address Joe was walking down Main St.in the village where he lives in Warwick, NY he happened to be wearing his St Agnes hat, this person glanced at him kept walking, he caught up to him mentioned the hat, they talked, would you believe transferred from the House to Pius in Chester, NY in 1972, his name is Emilio Valle, what a small world we live in.Thanks Joe for that info. Nice letter from Art Willets, Reseda, CA., informing us he had knee surgery & is now back on the golf course, he assures us he is goin tg make the picnic in 2005, he mentioned he wants to see Frank Buadicich, Paul Fabrizi & others, sure would be good to see you Art, & thank you for the nice treat you gave Gloria & I. Bernie Neville sent us a copy of E-Mail he received from Robt. Wilson in July evidentaly, Robt. Wilson wasn't on the mailing list when Sr. Ann Catherine & Joe Rosen died & also Tarry because he said how sad he was to hear it later on. Bernie knew Robert when years ago when they tried to start a Folk Trio together, it was many years later he saw him on the West Side of Manhattan, chatted awhile & after that lost contact so needless to say he was happy to make contact again.

(Over)

REQUEST : Jerry Merna would like to know if any of the "House's Kids" have any pictures of moderately good quality of Coach Jim Faulk? If anyone does, he would appreciate "borrowing them" to make copies or scan into his computer. He is writing several stories that would be heightened with his pictures & of course he will "credit" whomever lends him the pictures. What would be extra special (to him anyway) are any pictures of Jim Faulk in his Marine Corps uniform. Surely there is someone out there who has such a picture or pictures squirreled away. Reply to Gerald F. Merna, 1st Lt. USMC (Ret), 46386 Bluestem Court, Potomac Falls, VA. 20165-6461 or Tel: 703-406-3590. E-Mail ADD: gmerna@adelphia.net

Rec'd a post card from Joe McGrath (Cl of 42) while he was having a great vacation in New Orleans, he said food, Weather, women, etc. was the greatest.. A note from Warren Brunt, CA., informing us he lost his wife of 38 years, Apr 10, he asks our prayers not only for him but for the soul of his dear wife, he misses her so. She was his best friend, our prayers are with you Warren & thanks for the note, take care of yourself. Phil Evans writes how much he & his wife enjoy reading the newsletter & looks forward to it, he informs us he & his wife just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, they have 5 children & 10 grandchildren & 2 great grandchildren & they love & enjoy them all Congratulations Phil may you & your wife have many more happy years to gether. Lennie Ferris altho he doesn't knew too many names on the mailing list, he & his wife enjoy reading the newsletter, Lennie has many fond memories of St. Agnes from 1958-65. After graduating went to Pius XII , graquated from HS in Warwick in 1969, went to Orange County Community College for 2 yrs transferred to St Thomas Aquinas, Sparkill, graduated in 1973, worked at ST Agnes till it closed in 1977 when it closed then worked at St Agatha Home in Nanuet 77-03, presently working at Abbott House (group home) in Sullivan Co. Met his wife, Helen Dombeck while working at St. Agnes, married in 1975 at Sparkil. Their first daughter now 25, graduated from King's College & is now a special Ed. teacher, their younger daughter is a senior at Adel phi Univ. in Long Island studying to be a physical ED. teacher.

Bob Aponte writes he was sorry he couldn't make the picnic he was spending 2 weeks visiting his son & family who just moved to FL. in July, his son retired from NYDept of Firefighters. So glad to hear from Vince McMahon & wife, Mae and to know they were well enough to take a wonderful vacation by rail, they went to New Orleans, Chicago & Michigan, so many beautiful sites & said it was great to see what a wonderful country we live in, you could never see all they saw if you travel by air, thanks Vince for the letter. Rec'd a nice note from Florence Marshall along with her chance book she is widow of late member Bill Marshall , she said Mary Colon widow of late member, Lou Colon, visits her every Sept. & they reminisce about old times, have a few laughs & shed a few tears, they especially remember marching around the room at Carol Bradich's wedding, Flo wants to be remembered to Frank & his daughter. A note from Iggy Molerio informed us he is doing paintings in oil and would like some pictures of the Sisters & some of the kids from St. Agnes either together or separately, if you have any send them to us & we will get them to Iggy. He also mentions how much he misses his brother, Oscar, his nickname at the school was "Bow-Wow", when he would get hit, he would run around the room hollering Bow-Wow & the Sisters would say "I'M waiting for you Mr. Molerio".

William Roman writes he could not make the annual picnic due to work schedule but tells us he was up to St. Agnes with his daughter & Son-in-Law, the place and memories are wonderful he said but he could not believe the number of Dear Sisters who have gone to Heaven when they visited the cemetery and saw the headstones, also glad to hear you enjoy the letter so much. Glad to hear Bill Wilson is doing well again, nice note, Bill.

DUES: Dues payable anytime (10.00, make checks payable to St. Sgnes Alumni

We want to thank those who sent theirs in & also those who paid at the picnic, it is deeply appreciated.

R.I.P. It is with regrets we list the following deaths since the last letter.

Mary Loney 1/04: John D Scarlett 4/15/04: Louis Visciglia 7/13/02

Ismael Enriquez 7/30/04: John Muth & the wife of Warren Brunt 4/10/04.

Our prayers & thoughts are with all the families & will be remembered in the Memorial Mass in Oct.

A letter from the Enriquez said if anyone remembers their father or talk about when he was at St. Agnes you can call them 647-677-9640.

PLEASE REMEMBER Sunday, Oct 17th 11:30 AM, Memorial Mass for the deceased Alumni & Sisters of Sparkill. at the main bldg of St Agnes. We must NEVER forget those who have gone before us. Make a special effort to attend. Please phone us or drop a card to let us know if you intend to attend so we can have a little gathering afterwards. Thank you.

In closing we would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, I think we all have a lot to be thankful for when you see what others are going through.

God Bless & take care. [signed] Art & Gloria

PS: Met Robt Antonacci & his brother John at St Agnes last week & want to thank you Bob for your generous donation you slipped to me.

Christmas:`04

Dear Alumnus/Friend:

Greetings! We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. Can't believe 2004 is passing us by so fast. Please try to remember the true meaning of Christmas, the Birth of Christ. It is so easy to get caught up with all the commercial end, of the season. Now the stores are even opening at 5:00AM & would you believe, I read there were people waiting at the doors at 4:30 AM! What next??

HERE N, THERE  Rec'd an old picture & nice note from Lucy Shermi. Lucy is the only female alumnus that we have on our mailing list & she is very faithful to St Agnes Alumni. Lucy was just an infant when placed at St Agnes in the 20'. She recalls, as she got older, the beautiful pond and beautiful statue out front. Later in life, when she had her own sons, she used to take them to St Agnes to show them the beautiful surroundings and show them where she was raised. Thanks Lucy for keeping in touch.

"Chip" Cipolla writes, along with his dues, & informs us he was in a bad accident (not his fault) in Nov. He ended up with quite a few stitches to his head but thanks Cod for being  alive. "Chip" says he remembers a person named "Bum" Fantana & when at the picnic this summer he mentioned it. Someone had a picture of "Bum" and gave it to him & he said every time he looks at it he says a prayer for him.  "Chip" remembers a Sister from St. Agnes taking him to a football game at the age of 7. He remembers sitting on the grass near a goal line. He remembers a St Agnes player named "Bum" ruining through the crowd of players across the goal line. As he did so, a p1ayer on the other team punched the ball out of his arms & it hit the ground hard. I remember the anger on his face. He shouted to the ref & players that it's not fair, he can't do that. "Chip" says he never forgot this & the name "Bum", which was many years ago.

Glad to add another name to our mailing list, Wm. Thorn from MA., Class of 54-62.

Rec'd a phone call from Rod Dayton telling us his son, Chris, graduated recently from Keane College, in NH. Chris visited his father while Rod was working in the Grand Canyon. Chris is now working on his Master's Degree in teaching.

We wish him well. Joyce and Rich are back at their Winter home in Naples FL, where they enjoy life and Richard Irrizary does a lot of golfing.

Rec'd a phone call from Rosemarie Teitz, informing us her husband, Edmund Teitz died in July. She was so devastated, they were married 54 yrs, had 5 children, 15 grandchildren & 6 great grandchildren. Our prayers are with her and her family.

Thanks to Ernest Silgevinck for the nice greeting card & dues. He tells us Gerry Merna was very helpful in trying to locate his parents.

The Memorial Mass for the deceased alumni & Sisters was held in Oct. There was only a small turn-out. We would like to make this an annual event & hope we would have a better showing in respect to our deceased. Father Daley offered a beautiful Mass & gave a beautiful Homily & also told the story of one of his superiors in the seminary by the name of Fr. Joe Herlihy, an Ex-House's kid. He mentioned what a humorous personality he had & how much, he treasured his friendship. He told us the story of a friend of Fr. Herlihy who was gravely ill for some time so, this time, when Father was going to pay a visit to his sick friend, he invited five of us to go along. When he rang the door bell, his sick friend opened the door. When he saw all the people he asked "Who are all these people?" Father Herlihy jokingly replied OH, I thought I would bring along your pallbearers with me. That made his Irisish friend laugh.

While I was attending the wake & funeral of Beaver O'Rourke, I was glad to see Pat Sullivan and his family. He and his family were always so good to so many of the House's Kids.

ANNUAL DUES: Annual dues $10.00 are payable anytime, checks made out to St Agnes Alumni & sent to the above address, again we want to thank all who have sent in their dues and donations.

R.I.P. We were just informed by the grand daughter of Michael T. Arone that he died 5/01, we were never notified before so his letter has been going
to his address. Also recently informed that James Rooney died 12/02. Edmund J Teitz died 7/24/04, Henry Holdner 9/04 and Wm (Beaver) O'Rourke 11/07/04.

May their souls rest in peace, our prayers & thoughts are with all the families.

NEWSLETTER: Someone recently mentioned the newsletter seems to be shorter. Well if you do not send us any news of yourself or family, we can't fill the pages.

In closing we again want to wish you & your family a Blessed Christmas & a Healthy New Year. Till the next time, take care & God Bless, Always!

[signed]
Art & Gloria