Thanksgiving Drive

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Focusing on OTHERS

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The annual Thanksgiving Drive has been conducted by Blue Jay students since 1927—and possibly earlier. It is organized and executed by students under the guidance of Community Service Director Kevin Murphy ‘00. Feeding almost 600 families, the drive brings together students, alumni, parents, and faculty and staff in service of the community.

As the sun rose on the Crescent City on the morning before

Thanksgiving, the Jesuit community was already in high gear shopping for groceries at Robért Fresh Market on Allen Toussaint Blvd. Students and faculty arrived at 5 a.m. to purchase perishable food items as part of Jesuit’s annual Thanksgiving Drive. In the preceding weeks, homerooms, clubs, honor societies, and other student organizations collected nonperishable items that were combined in baskets with turkeys donated by the Class of 1983.

The year’s drive, the latest in a decades-long Jesuit High School tradition, fed 576 families throughout the greater New Orleans metropolitan area.

After shopping at Robért’s and arriving back on campus to assemble food into deliverable boxes, students and faculty met in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs for prayer and reflection. The service was led by Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J., Jesuit’s chaplain, and music was provided by Jesuit’s choir under the leadership of scholastic Jeff Miraflor, S.J.

Senior Caleb Tolbert delivered an address that recalled the importance of his own service project at the Good Shepherd School, which was founded by former Jesuit High School president Fr. Harry Tompson, S.J., in 2001.

“Last summer, I found myself at the Good Shepherd School with close friends from Jesuit,” said Tolbert. “I really saw the value of fulfillment that can come from service. I relate this experience at Good Shepherd because, as Blue Jays, it should be our goal today on the Thanksgiving Drive and throughout our lives to have a positive impact on others no matter where or how we encounter them.”

“It also reminds me of something that Coach Manale tells the football team: do more,” Tolbert added.

Longtime faculty member Stephen Hayes also addressed the school community, recalling his decades of participation in the Thanksgiving Drive.

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“I remember one family’s response one year was to ask those of us who were delivering the basket if we would stay around and pray with them,” he said. “In that prayer, they prayed for all of us and all Jesuit students and faculty and staff. In another case, I remember a grateful mother wanting to hug all of us.

“It can open our hearts and minds to other people,” Hayes continued. “For a moment in time, our focus is away from us and towards others. In a beautiful way, we are also beneficiaries of our work for others: as we give of ourselves, we are blessed.”

“God’s work on earth must truly be our own,” he concluded.

“This is year is noteworthy for the level of young alumni participation,” said Community Service Director Kevin Murphy ’00. “The Classes of ’13, ’14, ’15, and ’20 are all visiting a large numbers of families on top of the 192 families that alumni director Mike Prados ’83 and the general alumni base are feeding.” Members of these classes as well as other alumni also helped package boxes and manage logistics on Carrollton & Banks throughout the morning.

Murphy also highlighted this year’s great co-curricular participation from groups including the Blue Jay Band, Cheerleaders, Jayettes, Sodality, ProLife Club, National Honor Society, Robotics, Philelectic Society, swim team, and student council.

After baskets were assembled on campus, homerooms, alumni, and other groups distributed them to over 500 homes in the New Orleans area. 

For a moment in time, our focus is away from “ us and towards others. In a beautiful way, we are also beneficiaries of our work for others: as we give of ourselves, we are blessed. – Stephen Hayes

1. Student Council members prep their Thanksgiving basket. 2. Young alumni gather early in the morning to prep for their delivery. 3. Students load up their baskets for delivery. 4. Coach Rudy Horvath’s ’86 homeroom shops for their final basket items. 5. Members from the Class of 1983 pose for a picture after expressing the importance of the Thanksgiving Drive at morning assembly. 6. Members from the Class of 2020 return to Carrollton & Banks. 7. Jesuit students and a beneficiary of the Thanksgiving Drive pray together before the Blue Jays return to campus. 8. Nick Nolfe’s and Jason Giaccone’s senior homeroom poses for a picture after delivering their Thanksgiving basket. 9. Jesuit altar servers hold candles during the annual Thanksgiving prayer service. 10. The Jesuit student body attends the Thanksgiving prayer service before departing to deliver their pre-prepared baskets.

New Faces Join the Blue Jay Flock

Decades ago, Jesuit legend has it that a school president told new parents that they could “drop their students off and pick them up in five years.”

While the school has doubtlessly retained this same certainty about its mission of forming young men, the early 1980’s marked a decisive turn towards engaging families more directly in the educational process.

Today, this engagement has led to a warm reception for new parents that includes, for instance, the opportunity to have Breakfast with the President.

This year, mothers and fathers were also treated to a New Mothers’ Coffee and a New Dads’ Social.

Mothers of our newest Blue Jays gathered at the Old Metairie home of Wanda and Ron Montalbano ‘83.

Fr. John Brown, S.J., welcomed the mothers and encouraged them to get involved at Jesuit High School. In addition to meeting other new Blue

Jay mothers, they also met chairs of the events held at Jesuit High School and learned about the many parent volunteer opportunities.

Fathers of the newest Jays enjoyed a delicious meal at Central City

BBQ. The first annual New Dads’

Social provided an opportunity for new Blue Jay fathers to meet Fr.

Brown, members of the staff and administration, including football coach Ryan Manale, along with fellow

Jesuit dads.

Both events afforded new parents the opportunity to socialize and learn more about life at Jesuit High School. 

HONOR THY Mother

(clockwise from top) Sophomore Kyle Collins, senior Christian Collins, Jennifer Collins, senior Keith Pittman, Robin Pittman, Diane Barnett and senior Joseph Barnett; Fr. John Brown, S.J., with his mother Judy Brown; Senior Luke Besh, Jenifer Besh, senior Holden Hess, and Lorraine Hess; Mariastella Torres, pre-freshman Nico Torres, pre-freshman Brian Manzanares, and Marina Manzanares

Mother-Son Mass Offers Love and Forgiveness

Jesuit's Mother-Son Mass gave Blue Jays the chance to reflect on the spiritual and worldly importance of their mothers. Sunshine and fall temperatures greeted 600 mothers and sons for this special morning of connection that took place on Saturday, Oct. 30, in Jesuit’s Chapel of the North American Martyrs.

During his homily, Fr. John Brown, S.J., surprised the congregation by introducing his own mother, Judy Brown, who made the trip from Acadiana to be with her son. “If after Mass any of you moms are looking for advice, please check with my mother. She raised 12 of us,” Fr. Brown said. He was joined on the altar by Fr. William Farge, S.J., and Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J., Jesuit’s chaplain.

Gifts were presented by senior Holden Hess, his mother Lorraine Hess, senior Andrew Besh, and his mother Jenifer Besh. Senior Michael-Paul Fine and his mother Mary Beth Fine served as readers. All three Blue Jays are the last of four sons to attend Jesuit High School.

After Mass, attendees heard from three Blue Jay seniors who paid tribute to their mothers: Joseph Barnett, Christian Collins, and Keith Pittman. Barnett talked about his mother, Diane, and her love for her special needs daughter as well as the care and support his mother provided him after suffering a concussion. Collins thanked his mother, Jennifer, for holding their family together after the loss of her husband and, on a much lighter moment, described his mother’s not-so-starry moves with him at a charity dance competition event. Finally, Pittman thanked his mother, Robin, for the tough lesson she taught him the night before Christmas about the importance of honesty. 