Alumni Newsletter Spring 2005 Alumni Newsletter Spring 2005|
St Agnes Alumni Assoc Spring 2005 Dear Alumnus/Friend: Spring has sprung and time to get in touch & say "hello". I hope you all had a Holy & Happy Easter and enjoy the Spring & Summer head. We certainly welcome it after the long cold winter here in the east and all the rain and floods else ware, do pray none of you lost your homes, etc. HERE N' THERE: Rec'd a nice letter from Frank Bradicich informing us he has been taking some nice trips with Sr. Citizen's group, so glad to hear it Frank. Also, after reading the Christmas letter and mentioning Lucy Shermi was the only female alumnus on the mailing list, Frank tells us he had a sister by the name of Barbara who was in Angel Guardian Home in 1930, then was transferred to St. Agnes in 1936, made her First Communion at St. Agnes in 1936, in 1937 was transferred to St. Dominic's Home in Blauvelt & remained there till 1943. Frank sent the dues for himself, his sister & his daughter so they will all be on the mailing list, his [sister] who now lives in TX. will surely be surprised. Frank also tells us "Padge" Panagakos sends his regards to all. Padge was so Faithful attending the picnic & helping but after he fell & broke his hip, he hasn't been able & he is sadly missed. Our best to you always. A note from Henry Marrero along with his dues telling us he had a torn rotary cuff operation & now is having therapy, his other shoulder still has one but doctors say with therapy he will be ok, we wish you all the best, Henry, & we are glad you enjoy the letter so much, thanks. Iggy" Molerio also sent a note along with dues he remembers "Bum" Santana, he said he fought in the Rockland Golden Gloves Championship, they let all the kids go to Piermont to see the fight, after the first round the fight had to be stopped, "Bum" won the fight, Iggy says he misses his brother, Oscar, so much. Oscar is missed at the annual picnic also he was a regular. Rec'd a long sad letter from Henry Farmer who is now in a health care place due to many medical problems, the VA is trying to help him out. If you can find the time please drop him a card or note it would mean so much to him. He is very lonely. His address is Nice note from Ralph Pollice, after sending him "Chip" Cipolla's address & phone number, it turned out it wasn't the same "Chip" he knew in the Marines, isn't that strange? However, they had such a great conversation & found they were both in the same classes at St. Agnes & are the same age. They enjoyed talking to each other and are going to keep in touch. Ralph says how much he enjoys the newsletter even though he doesn't know some of the names. He says it is wonderful how the boys appreciated the Home as much as he did. Along with new address John Altomare was sorry to hear about James Rooney & Beaver O'Rourke, he remembers Rooney fighting in a ring in Long Island & he remembers Beaver falling out of a cherry tree, thanks for the nice note John. Along with dues a note from Cornelius O'Neill, Telling us in Oct. '04 he sailed through the Panama Canal on a cruise ship with brief stops at Acapulco, Mexico, the countries of Columbia and Nicaragua. Going thru the canal was a memorable experience. Heard from Paul Wellington saying he enjoys receiving the newsletter, he & his wife retired to Wolfesboro, NH ten years ago & they call it "God's Country". Unfortunately he had a sad note, two years ago their wonderful daughter, Nancy, was killed instantly in a tragic auto accident. She was survived by her husband & two daughters. So sorry to hear that, Paul. Their son, Steve is now a Cpt. In the US Army & is serving in Iraq as an operating room nurse with Combat Surgical Hospitals. He asks we all to pray for the troops. A nice note from Walter O'Rourke, St. Agatha's he always pays dues to St. Agnes even though he tells us he was not a St. Agnes Alumnus, his brothers William, Philip & Robert went from St. Agatha's to St, Agnes, he met coach Faulk when he visited his brothers, he also worked with a Phil Gordon who was one of the Coach's football players. He enjoys the St. Agnes Alumni letter. A note from Thomas Norris, Sun Valley, CA. Says he wonders where the time has gone. He went to Los Angeles, CA. In 1968, bought his first house in 1974, sold it in 1976 & bought another house & has lived in it 28 years, he worked at Kaiser Foundation Hospital And a few other jobs until he got a temp job at the Post Office at Christmas time in 1971 carrying mail, the rest is history he retired 1992 on the early out from the Postal Service. He took up fixing computers for a hobby. A friend of his told him He should go on line. I told him I was an MSN for two years and only used it every 3 or 4 months. Thomas was content until he told him about Classmates.Com. For a present he put him on his account. I would E-Mail & E-Mail; no replies. Out of curiosity he typed in St. Agnes & did a search. He asks that we mention this, maybe someone will contact him , E-mail address is Tomtuna1@sbcglobal.net . Good luck. In a Christmas card to us plus a phone call from Brazil, Father Masterson wanted to be remembered to all the Alumni & that to tell you that we were being remembered in his Christmas Masses, he said he enjoyed the picnic last August. It was so good to see so many in spite of the rain. He returned to Brazil shortly after the picnic. Father Figueroa is also still despite the terrible ordeal he went through last year he is in a different part of Brazil & has a very difficult job with the poor. Father says "thanks" to all who remembered him & he too is praying for all of us. Thank you both. Nice long Christmas letter from Greg Spero, he informed us he became a grandfather for the 8th time, a beautiful baby girl was born last Feb. and her name is Mikayla, congratulations Greg. He also told us he was heading South for the winter months of Feb-Apr he will be in a rented condo in Terpan Springs, FL. Hope you had a great time, Greg. Christmas letter from Jim Merna informing us they became grandparents to their 1st Granddaughter, a beautiful baby girl named Madeline Elizabeth Merna, she was born while her dad, John Merna, was completing his studies at Command & Staff College at Quantico, VA. He graduated June 9th & earned a Masters Degree. 30 days later he reported to Camp Pendelton CA. He barely got his family settled in, when new orders were waiting for him , Iraq. He deployed to Iraq July 19th for duty with the 1st Marine Div. In Dec. the Marines released a list of names who were selected for promotion to LTC. He was one of 346 out of 1,440 who was eligible. Son Jim, changed jobs & is now a lawyer for UPS in Atlanta: Son, Mike continues to do well in marketing with the Bayer Co. in NJ. Jim himself & wife made trips this past year to Florida, Colo, NY & Atlanta. Jim keeps busy with his aerobics classes & volunteers with the Maryland Park & Planning Commission Rec'd a phone call from Michael Hollis, Pasadena, CA. After receiving the Dec. Newsletter where we wrote that Lucy Shermi was the only female alumni on our mailing list, Michael informed us his mother whose name at the time was Mary Daley was also at St. Agnes, I believe she was related to Mike & Tom Daley, he was going to phone Lucy to see if she knew his mother. Hope you had good luck. Michael makes his living at a bank in CA. John & Betty Sekreta put a note in a Christmas card & tells us how they appreciate the Newsletter. They told us their youngest daughter attended St. Andrews Univ. in Scotland & their youngest son's daughter flies the helicopter for channel 5 news. She was leaving soon after the holidays to fly workers to the off-shore oil rigs from LA. What a girl. John & betty have six granddaughters & two great grandchildren. God bless them all. Enjoyed your note so much. Rec'd a phone call recently from Angelo Garcia up in Long Eddy, NY, he isn't feeling too well lately and is going in for tests. We wish him the very best & want to see him at the picnic in Aug. Rec'd a nice long letter from Angelo Osario, he was thinking of old times. One of the Sisters told him & others that she had a brother who playing in big league baseball, his name was Yogi Berra. The boys hardly believed her. On a Saturday, either after the World Series or late in the summer, a bus pulled up in front of the playing field & before our very own eyes there came some Yankee players with gloves, bats & big league baseballs. Sadly to say I never stayed because it was a Saturday & on Saturday that was the day we had a chance to make a few bucks caddying up at Rockland Co. Golf Club. Angelo remembers some of the guys with him, a chp named Altomare, one named George Favre, Jerry Poliddeo & that infamous named Calvisi & yes the Tarrantinos and yes the guy who stoked fires to enable us to keep warm on those cold nights. His name was DiDinato. It sure was cold, the pond was frozen and we skated on it. He writes he remembers Mr. Stevens who taught practical electricity. It helped him out of the Infantry during the Korean War. Headed for the world aboard the Liberty ship, I met a former buddy we were headed for the Philippines, a stop before Japan, then onto the war zone. Angelo also remembers Mr. Henderson (carpentry sect.) though he wasn't in his class he allowed him to make a lamp for his family. Mr. Henderson always had a smile. More of his memories in the next letter. Can't fit them all in. Had our friend, Joe Rosen lived, he would have been 90 years old this month, hard to believe. Joe was such a very special person, we can never forget him.
R.I.P.: Just now informed; Reminder: ANNUAL ALUMNI PICNIC: SAT. AUG 20th. PLACE: PIERMONT PAVILION TIME: 11:30 TILL ????? ALUMNI WILL HAVE COFFEE & ?? TILL ABOUT NOON OR SO, THEN WE HAVE HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS, SALAD, CORN-ON-COB, CHIPS, CAKE, COOKIES, WATERMELON & SODA. MARK YOUR CALENDER NOW SO WE CAN HAVE A BETTER TURN-OUT THAN LAST YR. MORE IN THE JULY LETTER. SEE YOU IN AUGUST. In closing we ask that you remember to say a prayer each day for all the brave men & women who are serving our country to help bring peace to the world. God bless them all and God Bless America. PS: Don’t forget to send your dues $10.00 a year, many have already done so & we thank you so very much.
Very truly yours |
Alumni Newsletter July 2005|
St Agnes Alumni Assoc JULY 2005 Dear Alumnus/Friend: "Hello" again, hope all are keeping well & enjoying the summer & if traveling on vacation have a safe trip. HERE 'N THERE: First of all we want to congratulate Sister Alberta Blase & her twin sister, Sister Loretta Blase on their 90th birthday, Apr. 19th with a Mass & brunch at the Dominican Convent at Sparkill, NY. God Bless you both. Also, listed in the Catholic News were several names of Dominican Sisters celebrating their Jubilees this past month. We congratulate all & wish them well always. Easter greetings from Father Figueroa tells us he was ordained a Priest 45 years ago May 22nd; 44 yrs serving in Brazil; 50 yrs consecrated life in the missionary family of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. God bless you Father & stay well! He asks all for your prayers & suppor. He also sends greetings to all the Sisters of St Agnes for their continued prayers. Also, May 25th Father Francis Butler was ordained a priest 20 years. He returned then to say one of his first Masses at St Agnes & Artie & I were there. Father enclosed a comical photo of himself & his confrere(?) while still a Brother before becoming a priest. We will bring it to the picnic along with his great letter. Thank you Father. We always appreciate hearing from you & we know you are working very hard so we pray you will stay well. Congratulations & God Bless you. Rec'd a phone call from John Perez informing us he moved to New Mexico, thanks John for your new address. Rec'd a nice note along with dues from John MacMillan, John informs us after retiring from Telephone Co., he & his family moved to Albuquerque & after 3 years exhausted all it had to offer. Different shades of brown became boring. They missed the East Coast & the greenery, so they moved to FL. in 1997 & love it. John wants to be remembered to Father Masterson, says he hasn't seen him since graduation in 1949. He said to tell him he will say a prayer for him, along with Billy O'Rourke & Red Rooney. John's son lives in Brunswick, Me. with his wife & 2 children & his daughter lives in Fredericksburg, VA., with her husband (Army Maj.) & their 2 children. John is enjoying playing golf 5 days a week. His second home is Watson Clinic. He & his wife had some medical problems, but are still kicking. Nice hearing from you John. Thank to Ed Fitzpatrick, Not an Alumnus, but is on our mailing list & sent a check in memory of Joe Rosen. Got a note from Walt Rooney & he said to tell John Altomare that it was he whom he saw fight at the time he mentions, not his brother, James, who passed away. he said he doesn't want you to see a ghost at the picnic, hah! Nice letter from Charles V. Calcano, he was a resident at St Agnes 1934-1943, his brother, Sebastian (also known as "Rip") was there 2 yrs before him but left in 43 with him, he passed away in 1987. Charles is now retired from the military as a Master Sgt., after spending 9 yrs in the navy & 14 yrs in the army, retirement in 1975. He remembers Ralph Pollice, said he visited him in Ocala, FL., about 5 yrs ago, but lost his phone number. Will enclose it in your letter, Charles & thanks for the nice note. Good news from Jim Merna, his son, John recently returned safely from duty in Iraq & was selected for promotion to the rank of LTC. in the Marine Corps. He is now stationed in Camp Pendleton, CA. with his family. Jim also enclosed a very sad story about a Ron Morisco of W. Nyack a father of 5 children and a quadriplegic from a spinal cord stroke; now forever life dependent on a ventilator. Ron's mother, then Miss Catherine Quinn, was a wonderful kind teacher at TZ; always had concern for "House's Kids" from Sparkill. Ron was self employed with no health insurance, savings totally exhausted & now totally without an income they have applied for federal SSI insurance even though it would be minimal, he is months away of becoming eligible. Jim would like to call on citizens of Rockland, especially Piermont, Sparkill & Nyack who may remember Ron's father as a longtime county sports writer & editor; his mother was always willing to give a helping hand in need now. It's time to reciprocate. Please try to help! Jim thanks you in advance. Rec'd word that Bill Doherty has been battling cancer for the past 3 years, he is very ill & has had many operations the past 3 (Over) years. If anyone would like to send a card or call him, the address is: Joyce & Rich Irizarry are back at their home in the East after spending the winter months in Florida. Rec'd a shocking phone call from Aida Rosich, wife of member Bobby telling us Bobby had a stroke & was paralyzed on the right side & could not talk. She asked our prayers and those of the dear Sisters of St Agnes. He was critical, well as the doctor said it was the prayers that saved him. After 2 carotid artery operations, he is now making progress. He is walking with a cane but his speech has not returned yet, hopefully it will soon. Thank God he is doing better! Bob & Aida were looking forward to coming to the picnic this year. As you remember, Bob was our cook at the Annual Picnic for many years, & also got the soft ball games together in the late afternoon. Please continue to pray for him. We all wish you would well. I told you we would write more about the memories of Angelo Osario, there is still some for the next letter too. Angelo worked in the kitchen feeding the potato peeling machine & also the dishwasher, he helped Mr Cappili unload his veggies from his truck he would pay the boys with cigarettes & they thought it was great. In those days all the kids had that bad habit & they smoked in the coal bin. Enclosed is a copy of a Memorial to be erected in Piermont, we were asked to try & help the VFW with this project, please think about it, any questions contact George Lynch. R.I.P. It is always so sad to mention names in this column: Our prayers & thoughts go out to all the families. INCLOSURE: Enclosed is our Annual chance book, we ask you support, please complete & re-turn with check made out to St. Agnes Alumni & sent to the above address, extra books are available, we thank you in advance. REMINDER: ANNUAL PICNIC - SAT: Aug. 20th Noon till ?? Piermont Pavilion, Piermont NY. Coffee & buns will be available till about 1:00, then we will have Hot dogs, Hamburgers;, chips, salad, watermelon, soda & some kind of dessert. LET'S HAVE A GREAT TURN-OUT & ENJOY ONE ANOTHER"S COMPANY. Till then stay well & God Bless [signed] Art & Gloria 2 INCL:
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Alumni Newsletter Fall 2005
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ST. AGNES ALUMNI ASSN. FALL 2005 Dear Alumnus and Friend, Here we are in the Fall of 2005 already & then we wonder where did the summer go? It was a hot, Humid & dry summer here in the East, so we didn't do too much. WE pray that none of you were affected by the terrible hurricanes recently. Our prayers do go out to those people who have lost everything they had , including their jobs. ANNUAL PICNIC The picnic was a great success this year; many compliments the following day; nice crowd including families & friends this year. We changed the menu this year. We served coffee, donuts, bagels w/cream cheese, etc., 'til about 1:00, then we had hot dogs, ham, pasta, salad, baked beans, dessert, cookies, watermelon, cake & soda. We have Dave & Pat MacMillan & Joyce Irizarry to thank for doing an exceptional good job in the kitchen. Thanks so much good people. Lots of people commented how well everything was handled. One of the big surprises of the day was the presence of Fr. Masterson & Fr. Figueroa. Already you know they had to travel from Brazil to attend. It was just great seeing them both. God bless them. As we notified you about the Piermont VFW erecting a Memorial statue in memory of the deceased veterans from the area & there were many from St. Agnes who made the sacrifice. As you know John Bannon (Alumnus) remembered the Alumni in his will. we thought it only right since John was a veteran that we take the money & donate it to the Memorial in his name, so we presented a check, $1,000.00 to a representative of the VFW at the picnic. Everyone there agreed it was a good idea. Another "Hit" of the day; Art Kingsley held up his cardboard valise that was given to him with a $5.00 bill & told by Sr. Ignatius that "it is time you go on your own". That was in 1941 (64 yrs ago) & he still uses it today. People cracked up when they saw it but there was also some tears. We also want to thank Bob Keane & Raul Morales for their help at the picnic. Winners of the Annual drawing are: 1st prize: $300.00 Bob Babcock, Pa. who gave back part of it to the VFW & also to the Alumni. Bob is always very generous to the Alumni each year & always attends the picnic along with his brothers. They are still great ball players as we noticed when they took to the field at the picnic. 2nd prize; $100.00, Francisco Rondon, W. Haverstraw NY. 3rd prize: Janet Karris widow of late member George, Janet sent a check $25.00 back to the alumni along with best wishes & prayers. Thanks Janet. 4th prize: John Altomare, Charlotte, NC. Congratulations to all & many thanks to all who supported the raffle & sent not only the chance book money but also donations & dues, you are JUST GREAT! "HERE ' THERE" Always happy to add new names to the mailing list, received a phone call from George Perez ('61-'65) out of Yonkers NY, George says he remembers Sr. Bernadette. She was the one who cracked him a few times, but says it did no harm; it made a better person of him. Nice hearing from you, George. Also Manuel Salmon of Carmel, NY Class of (51-543) welcome aboard. Another Roger Stanaitis, brother of member, Joe, they finally caught up with one another after 25 years of separation; wonderful news! Joe & his 2 sons went to NY to meet him. Hope we see him at the next picnic. Also Frank Bradicich and his brothers John & Joseph met up with their sister, Barbara from CA. after 70 years. Frank's daughter, Carol. did a lot of work to get this reunion together. Though they were all at St Agnes at the same time they never knew one another because of differences of ages. They were placed with different groups (sad situation). While they were all together, they visited St Agnes & attended Mass there they met Sr. Mary William who remembered them. She is now 92 yrs old. Frank said he found out when his sister was born in 1929 something happened to his mother & she was confined to a hospital so the children had to be put in a home. They had no memories of their parents from before the time he did see his mother until 1947 when he went to see her in the hospital. She did not recognize him. This meeting of Frank & his siblings will never be forgotten & Carol has most of it on tape. Great story. Rec'd a letter from John Antonacci informing us that Bill Doherty is back in the VA Hospital. He is a brave warrior. He was at St Agatha's & then at St Agnes 1951-55 graduated in 1955. Bill wants to thank Jerry Merna for the nice card he sent. John also informs us Sr. Marie Daugherty, 6580 Smiley Ave., ST Louis, MO. 631-39-2425 has gone under major surgery in July & is recuperating slowly. Sister was in charge of the band at St. Agnes & played the organ at all the Masses while everyone sang the joyous hymns. Sister's band marched in numerous St Patrick's Day parades. They also entered many competitions & won many 1st place trophies. Sister later became a high school principal, taught on college level. Please pray for those very sick friends. Had a note along with dues from Ron Dayton who informs us he is now driving busses for r Academy Bus Lines in NY. Good luck, Ron; big responsibility.! (over) It is always good to hear of any of the Alumni doing exceptionally well & one of these is Rudy Loyola, Class of '48 who has lived in Morrisville, VT. for 35 years. & owns his own barber shop. Rudy was recently honored with an article dedicated to him in their Annual Report. Rudy served in the Navy during the Korean War. He married Elvira in 1960. In 1968 after having enough of city life he moved his family to VT. & they have been there since. He is the proud father of 1 daughter & 3 sons & 7 grandchildren. Rudy's service began with his involvement with the local youths in 1970. He began working with the recreation committee which involved boy scouts & girl scouts. He was instrumental in the organization & refereeing of the Little League & Babe Ruth baseball. His passion for boxing inspired him to form the Rudy's Boxing Club & promote participation in Golden Glove Competition. He is a member of the Rotary Club & received the Paul Harris Award; Rotary's highest reward for achievements & fund raising. His humanitarian commitment took him to Honduras on 3 occasions for relief efforts after hurricanes. He is a lifetime member of the American Legion & VFW. Rudy is a Eucharistic minister at Holy Cross Catholic church, serving on many boards. He is also 4th degree KOC. Rudy lives the motto, "Service above self".. Morristown has been richly blessed by Rudy's presence; especially its youth. Congratulations, Rudy. We are all very proud that you are one of the "Boys" from St. Agnes. Rec'd a letter from Sr. Mary Jo Hemon O.P, informing us that after all these years the money Harry Dusold left to the Sisters is still being used to feed the children in Pakistan where the Sisters run homes where the students can live & attend school. Sister said she thinks Harry would be proud to know he is still providing meals for kids. Thank you Sister. We appreciate you writing us. Rec'd a nice note from Jimmy Casey & after reading the last Newsletter. He said he remembers Mr. Henderson well. He even sent a picture of himself holding a lamp he made & of Michael Robles holding a wooden tray. He did not know the name of the 3rd person in the picture. That was great, Jimmy, thanks & hope you can make it to the picnic next year. A nice note from Liz & Jim Halpen (Class 48-53) saying how much they enjoy the Newsletter. Jim retired from the navy in 1974 & enrolled in nursing school. He retired from Alcoa Massena Operations as Benefits Adm., They are enjoying retirement in Northern Ogdensburg, NY; small city off St Lawrence River 1 mile from Canada. They would love to hear from former classmates & a visit if ever in their area. Jim had 3 brothers at St Agnes; Bill, Bob & Ed (48-53). Their Address: Mr. & Mrs. Jim Halpen, 6019 HWY 37, Ogdensburg, NY 13669. Nice hearing from Bob Millspaugh down in FL. He said how much he enjoys the newsletter & thanked us for it. He said it is always sad to read the names in the R.I.P column. Please Note. Rec'd a short note from Tom O'Brien who was athletic director after John Glynn until 1972. He would love to hear from the "Boys". He was saddened about Angelo Garcia dying. Tom's E-Mail Add: TOBREF@AOL.COM. Good luck, Tom. Hope you hear from someone. While informing us of his brother's death (Raymond) on 1/05/05, Eugene Scardapane says at one time he had 7 brothers & now only he & Mario survive. Sorry to hear that Eugene, glad you enjoy the letter. Nice note from John & Betty Sekreta from the State of Wash. John & Betty celebrated their 60th wedding Anniversary July 9th. Their 2 children had a nice party for them. They have 6 grand-daughters & 2 great grand-children. They moved into an assistant living Apt. in Aug. & John had a serious operation shortly afterwards but thank God he came through it OK, thanks to the prayers of the Sisters & good friends, John was Class of (32-34). May you both stay well now & celebrate many more years together in good health. Sorry Dot & Bill Meisenzahl couldn't attend the picnic this year. They were looking forward to it, especially since it was their 40th Wedding Anniversary, but Dot had just gotten home from the hospital and couldn't travel. Congratulations on your anniversary and pray all is going better for both. We missed you & hope you make it next year. It was great to see Mae & Vince McMahon at the picnic. They went to a lot of trouble to attend & hope they enjoyed it. Vince says he remembers when at St. Agnes about 65 yrs ago the guys used to walk to Piermont to go swimming. They had a game they played with passing cars & their license plates to pass the time. What a sight to see all us kids walking along the road. Picture that today. Recently rec'd a nice note along with a generous check to St Agnes Alumni from David Kee. Thank you David. He says how much he enjoys reading about the guys and all the anecdotes. It brings back so many memories. His brother, Louis, stays with him when he isn't travelling on his job. Louis was only at St. Agnes 1 year in 1944, after coming from St Agatha. David tells us his sister lives very close to the Piermont Pavilion, where we had the picnic, so he hopes he can make it next year. It would be good to see the guys & also his sister. He tells us he is still trying to recuperate from hurricane Dennis last year. It did a lot of damage. Hope you are not hit again this year. Nice note from Mary Clifford informing us after 45 years of owning a big house she is now moved into the Sr. Citizen's Apt. at Sparkill. Big change but better for her. Good luck Mary & stay well. Recd a nice note from the daughter of the late Jim McMahon informing us her father died 2/15/03. He was at St. Agnes 1928-35. He was a wonderful husband & father. Her parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary going to Mass & having a special blessing by the priest. He was buried in Quantico Noll Cemetery, VA. He always enjoyed the newsletter & her mother wants to stay on the mailing list. Pg 3. It's always nice hearing from Father Butler. He is so very busy at his parish in LA. We are going to send him a donation & ask that he say a Special Memorial Mass for the deceased members of the Alumni & their families. We had requested such a Mass at Sparkill, but Sister informed me due to the shortage of priests there hasn't been a Sunday Mass since June, there is a 4:15 Mass on Saturday but is very crowded, the priest that says that just can't so many obligations, it's really very sad, such a shortage of priests & Nuns please pray for more calling to the Religious orders. Rec'd a card from an alumnus saying he read where Victor Coriano was trying to locate Lamont Wade. Wel,l he was perusing the obits in the NY Post last year & read where a Mr. Wade had died & was survived by 3 including a Lamont Wade but did not know the address, etc. Maybe he could get that from the Internet. A note from Bill Wilson tells us he had a trip to Las Vegas with 15 others to attend a wedding; enjoyed it very much. He also had a sad note; lost his sister Joan whom he hadn't seen in 60 years but wrote to each other every month, Sorry to hear that Bill. A nice note from Joe Wiska, S/C, with a biography & a list of memories from childhood. Joe tells us he sent that & pictures to St Agnes Web Site along with pictures 10 months ago & it was never posted. I made copies, Joe, & sent it to David Feliciano so maybe it will pop up soon; hope so. In the meantime, Joe tells us he 'was put in St. Agnes in 1947 by NY City welfare because he was turning into a juvenile delinquent, cutting school & stealing from Dept stores. His father died & his mother worked. He would have graduated from TZ in 1967; Joined USMC in '58 for 4 years, met Sally, a woman marine, married July '60 & have been together 45 yrs; had 5 children 8 grandchildren; Retired at 63 after many jobs; thankful for Social Security & has everything paid for so, after a wild beginning, has done very well & congratulate he & his wife. Also sent an extensive list of memories of his days at St Agnes including names of many of the Sisters, Coach Faulk, Mr. Fitzgerald, Tarry & Rocco, just too many to list but hopefully it will be on the Website. Will put some of your memories in the next letter, they are good. Thanks Joe, sorry you could not make it to the picnic. Thanks to Henry Farmer who sent a check to the VFW Memorial, the Joe Rosen fund & John O'Rourke fund. As you know Henry lives in a Care Home & has a difficult time, we wish you the best always, Henry. Worried about Greg Spero who usually attends the picnic; tried calling a couple of times but no reply to my message. Hope all is OK. Also what happened to the Roman brothers? They even sent money toward the picnic but no show! DUES: Annual dues 10.00 are payable any time, mail check to St Agnes at the above address. Again, we thank all who have already paid. R.I.P.: Just rec'd word James T. McMahon 2/15/03 Patrick McMenemy 10/4/04 Violet McCourt 1/05 & Raymond Scardapane 1/5/05. May their souls rest in peace! Our prayers are with all the families. In closing I ask you all to take 5 minutes each day to say a prayer for the men & women serving our country so we may have peace, especially those in Iraq & also say a prayer for those who have suffered through the hurricanes. Thank you. Stay Well & God Bless. HAPPY HALLOWEEN. PS: Inclosed is list of those who attended the picnic. We were happy to see the Sisters there too. 1 Incl LIST OF ALUMNI ATTENDING ANNUAL PICNICAug. 20th 2005
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Alumni Newsletter Christmas 2005
Christmas,2005Dear Alumnus/Friend, Greetings! We want to wish you & all your family a Blessed Christmas and all the very best in the New Year, especially good health. We have so much to be thankful for when we look around and see the hardships people are going through as the results of the war & the hurricanes, etc. Christmas is so commercial, never the true meaning mentioned in the stores or TV, it's nothing but GREED. Stores opening 6:00 AM for special sales & people spending the night in the parking lots waiting for the doors to open, then there are those people getting hurt from fighting just over a sale. We have a huge outlet nearby & would you believe they opened their doors 12:00 midnight around Thanksgiving & had 5 buses of people brought in from NY (50 miles away) plus other buses arrived from different areas. In FL. people were fighting over a special on a lap computer ($400.00). There were so many fights, the police were called. People ended up throwing the computers at one another. Is that the true meaning of Christmas? Many children I ask have no idea whose birthday it is or the meaning of it, so please let us keep CHRIST in Christmas. Here 'N There: Glad to hear Bobby Rosich is making progress, improving each day after his stroke this summer, it's been a long haul but he will make it keep praying for him. Even the doctors told him it was the prayers that helped get him as far as he has. Joyce & Rich Irizarry have returned to their winter home in Naples, FL., thank God no damage to their condo from the hurricane. Joe Stanaitis has been a big help to us with Alumni info. He told me if any of the Alumni would like a current address of a particular Alumnus let me know & I will forward it to him. Mention name, years at St Agnes and approximate. age. He has quite of few names on his computer. Joe informs us his brother whom he hadn't seen in 25 yrs, spent Thanksgiving with him & his family in Warwick, it made an extra special day for all. Joe sent a copy of a letter from the Journal News. It's too long to mention all of it but the topic was "Sisters Were Moms". Tim O'Connor, Ireland's Consul General, joined residents & members of the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, Sparkill & Sisters of Charity of NY at the new Gaelic Hunger Memorial on the grounds of the Gaelic Athletic ASSOC. Field to honor the respective orders role & their ties to the U.S. & Ireland. St Agnes Home for Boys Sparkill opened it's doors in 1884 & moved it's Mother House & Novitiate to the hamlet in 1895. It provided a place for poor & orphaned children as well as wards of the court. It closed in 1977. It opened it's Sr. Citizen's (Thorpe Village.) in 1981 & the Dowling Gardena (Assisted Living) in 1996. Had a nice phone call from Jim Merna. He informs us he sold his house & is moving to Annapolis, no address as yet. Jim & wife, Sue are so proud of their son, John, he was promoted to Lt. Col. in the marine Corps in Oct. There was a very long selection list but John was chosen for the promotion & then made Commander of 1st Bn. 5th Marine Div., a great honor. Rec'd a nice letter from Father Figueroa. He tells us on Sept. 12th he participated in a Special liturgy at the Nat'l Shrine of Our Lady of the Snow in Belleville, IL, a very meaningful celebration. He met classmates he hadn't seen for 30, 40, & even 50 yrs. Boarding the plane with claustrophobia caused some personal distress. With Fr. Heit as companion, his nervousness was a little less. Father prepared a little poem but time did not allow him to read it, so he made a few changes & said it's a 3 in 1 message with prayers & thanks to all (See it at end of letter). Father said he was so happy to attend the picnic & renew old friendships & he was very happy to see Father Masterson. Rec'd a lovely Christmas letter from Father Francis Butler, he is pastor of Our Mother of Mercy Church in LA. He was blessed with very little damage from hurricanes Katrina, Rita & Wilma, because of that they were able to help evacuees fleeing New Orleans & later those fleeing TX. They were blesses in being able to offer genuine hospitality & soften the pain. Kindly remember in your treasured prayers, members of Josephite Soc. priests & brothers who also lost everything as the churches of which they were assigned were either totally lost or severely damaged. Father informs us his dear mother lives with him & is now 90 yrs old in declining health. They still manage to share meals & the evening rosary on EWTN. It was 8/1/46 that he left home in Poughkeepsie for the seminary, hard to believe it's been that long. Father thanks all for their prayers, he is so very happy in his calling. Rec'd a nice note from Victor Araujo out of CT. saying how much he enjoys the newsletter, also telling us he still has the letter that the late Sr. Wm. Vincent wrote to him in 1940 when he was with the CC's A note from John Sekreta & wife saying John is recuperating nicely from serious operation at age 85, he is using a walker but doing OK, they want to thank the Sisters for their prayers, they also mentioned they look forward to getting the letter from the Alumni (over)
Congratulations to Angel Garcia & his wife. They celebrated their 15th wedding Anniversary this summer. Angel said they were on a cruise. That is why he wasn't at the annual picnic. Angel is a pastor in Piermont. If anyone would like to contact him, his phone # is 845-365-1719. We wish you & your wife many more healthy happy years together. Rec'd a most welcomed phone all from Ralph Pollice, Ocala, FL. As soon as he rec'd the last newsletter he called to say how much he enjoyed it & recalled the fun times at St. Agnes, he was surprised to know some of the guys were at St. Agnes that long, after reading the listing from the picnic. It was so great talking to you Ralph & thanks for the call. A recent letter from Joe Stanaitis tells us he wrote to old acquaintances, one being Sr. Marie Louise, St Louis, MO. & he rec'd a nice letter in return. She was so happy to hear from him. She remembers fondly of the deep caring of the "Babies & the "Boys" in the little side. Sr. is a cousin of Yogi Berra. She remembers so well her cousin, Yogi & some of the Yankee players willing to come & play ball with all the boys, Sister is now retired but volunteers at St Louis Nursery Crisis Center, helping with little ones from broken homes& also helps math students in her parish school. Sister celebrated her 60th Anniversary. this year. Congratulations Sister & stay well. Joe also rec'd a nice letter from Father Ciaravolo, Montack NY. Father was a seminarian at the House 1949-57. The reason Father doesn't write anymore because of bad eyesight, he has had 19 major operations in eluding 2 brain operations; the last causing him to lose his sight, Despite many medical problems Father still says daily Mass, teaches a bible class to adults. He enjoys the Alumni letter which keeps him in touch with the past & many memories. God bless you Father & the very best to you in the New Year. Thanks to Mary Clifford who sent us some old memorabilia from her father. Mary has moved to Thorpe Vlg & came across these when cleaning out her house. Will mention some in the next letter. Sunday Dec. 11th the dedication of the new addition to Dominican Convent at Sparkill will take place it is being named St. Agnes. It is an independent living for the Sisters who do not need special care. For all those who helped make this possible by your contributions, the Sisters are most grateful. Rec'd a newspaper clipping from Frank Bradicich about an St Agnes Alumnus who passed away 12/2/05, his name was Robert Gabriel (Gabriel Frattalone) while at St. Agnes. Mr. Gabriel was quite a man, he was an actor, singer, dancer & a very active volunteer. He & his wife volunteered to entertain at Sr Citizen's & many other places. He recd many awards for all the good he did. He belonged to so many organizations. He appeared in many soap operas including "Guiding Light" "As the World Turns" and "All My Children". He also appeared in many advertisements. Our prayers are with his family. DUES: Dues $10.00 payable anytime, checks made out to St Agnes Alumni & sent to above address. Thank all for your payment, those who have paid. R.I.P.: Robert Gabriel Dec. 2nd 2005 & Walter Hoffman, 200f date unknown. May their souls rest in peace. JOKE FROM FR. BUTLER: A widow named Patricia lived alone in the countryside with her pet dog, which she loved & was totally devoted to. After many years of companionship her dog died, so she went to see the parish priest "Father, my old dog has died & I was wondering if you could be saying a Mass for the dear soul?", Patricia asked. I'm very sorry to hear about your dog's passing" Father Murphy said. "Unfortunately, we are unable to have services for an animal in church. There is, however, a new denomination down the road. There's no telling what they believe, so perhaps they'd do something for the animal."I'll go there right now", Patricia replied. "By the way, Father, do you think That $500.00 is enough to donate for the service? "Why didn't you tell me your dog was a Catholic?" Father Murphy replied. Remember Please take a few minutes each day to say a prayer for all the men & women serving their country so we may have peace in the world. also pray for the victims of the recent hurricanes who lost everything including their homes & jobs & still don't have a permanent place to live. Thank you. Again, Happy Holidays with many blessings. God Bless, always [signed] Art & Gloria PS: Gerry Merna has made up a booklet with pictures & stories of the 50th Anniversary of the Alumni plus some others. Gerry has a few extras, if anyone would like a copy you can contact him at: 1st Lt Gerald Merna USMC Ret. 46386 Bluestem Court, Potomac Falls, VA. 20165-6461, Tel: 703-406-3590. FR. FIGUEROA'S POEM:
50 years a member of our international missionary
family To Jesus and to you alumni, I simply say
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