St. Rose High School celebrates its

BY THERESA SHUBECK  Correspondent

In today’s world of snap chatting, fickle relationships and career hopscotch, lasting values and institutions stand out. That reality can clearly be seen in the successful and impactful legacy of St. Rose High School in Belmar, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. St. Rose’s firm foundation began a century ago in 1923, and events in that first decade strongly tested the very mettle of its community. Founded just a few years after World War I, St. Rose then experienced the Wall Street crash of 1929. In the most recent decade, St. Rose stood tall despite Superstorm Sandy’s flooding of the school’s lower levels. Most recently, the global pandemic challenged the school’s resilience, and it was in the crucible of COVID-19 that St. Rose once again distinguished itself. St. Rose High School epitomizes the deliberate commitment and focus to sustain a Catholic educational faith community. The school lives its mission statement, which reads, in part, “a St. Rose education instills a spirit of unity with God and others while preparing our students to be disciples of Christ and leaders of tomorrow.”

Speaking to students, faculty, alumni and parents, one discovers a compelling example of unity, with legacies and lineages intertwined.

John Killeen, ’90, had six siblings who all graduated from St. Rose. His wife, Bridget, also attended, along with her two sisters, her mother, an aunt and an uncle. John and Bridget’s daughter, Emily, is a sophomore; Anna will attend next year.

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY ST. ROSE!

Sept. 23, 2022 – 230 students ushered in the new school year with an evening of fun, music and dancing.

Spring school tours – monthby-month, each decade of alumni will be invited back for coffee, conversation and tours of familiar and new spaces.

Nov. 11, 2023 – 100th Anniversary Gala

John explained, “Success for me started with a Catholic upbringing, a Catholic education, and then me believing in it so much that my kids are going there. I wouldn’t be where I am today without that guidance that St. Rose provided.”

Those family legacies are repeated across many generations by countless families. Colleen Phillips Panzini, ’82, just celebrated her 40th reunion; her son Gioacchino, ’24, is a standout on the basketball team. All the Phillips siblings attended, including Karen Philips, ’86, whose son Christopher Burlington, ’26, bagpiper and hockey player, will graduate exactly 40 years after his mother. Cousins Gio and Chris benefit from what their mothers describe as a student-centered environment where proactive faculty and teacher accessibility are part of the fabric of the school. Once again, the collaborative partnership of student and teacher reflects this spirit of unity and each dimension of a community caring about the other.

Robert Dougherty, ‘05, principal, who assumed the leadership position July 1, 2022, emphasized, “Our school’s mission drives my purpose and the collective efforts of the faculty and staff of St. Rose to ensure that above all, our students will be supported on their own unique journey in faith to prepare them to be the leaders of tomorrow who will make a positive impact within our world.”

HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS:

Founded in 1923 by St. Rose Parish and the Sisters of Saint Joseph, under the auspices of Diocese of Trenton.

The school began in what all fondly refer to as “the red brick,” a two-story building on 8th Avenue & E Street.

During the mid-1950s, Msgr. Peter Teston began construction on the present 7th

Avenue site. Building projects progressed through completion in the late 1960s.

A tragic fire in 1980 necessitated the construction of a new gym, locker and weight rooms, offices and connections to the other school areas.