The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC
The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840
Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com
SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT
Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams Art Director: Ryann Beveridge
Delivered weekly to parishes and homes throughout Orange County, Calif., Orange County Catholic is published by SCNG Custom Content, a division of Southern California News Group that offers content development and design expertise to businesses and nonprofit institutions. The Orange County Catholic editorial staff and editorial council are responsible for the content contained herein. Events and products advertised in Orange County Catholic do not carry the implicit endorsement of the Diocese of Orange or SCNG Custom Content.
IT IS ALWAYS a joy to celebrate the graduation of our remarkable students in OC Catholic Schools.
This past month, I had the privilege of celebrating graduations at four of our high schools, and each one filled me with immense pride and gratitude. These celebrations marked the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and growth. They were a testament to the unwavering commitment of our Catholic school communities in fostering the formation of missionary disciples.
Our schools have been steadfast in providing a nurturing environment where students can encounter Christ, grow in their relationship with Him and develop a personal commitment to living out the Gospel values. Through religion classes, celebration of the sacraments and spiritual formation, we have strived to equip our
graduates with a solid foundation in their faith that will sustain them throughout their lives.
While our schools are centered in Christ, academic excellence is another cornerstone of our mission. We believe that a well-rounded education, grounded in rigorous academic standards, empowers
our students to excel in their chosen paths. Our dedicated teachers have not only imparted knowledge but have also instilled a love for learning, critical thinking skills and a thirst for intellectual growth. As our graduates move forward, we are confident that they are well-prepared to face the challenges of higher education and the professional world.
I am always proud to recognize acts of Christian service as the third pillar of our mission and a great accomplishment of our graduates. Through various service-learning opportunities, our students have learned the importance of compassion, empathy and making a positive impact on the world. From volunteering at local food banks to organizing fundraisers for charitable causes, our graduates have embraced the call to be Christ’s hands and feet in a world in need. We are proud of their commitment to service and confident that they will continue to be agents of
change in their communities.
To our parents, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for partnering with us and entrusting your children to our care. Your partnership, support and involvement have been vital in shaping their education and character. I am also deeply grateful to our dedicated teachers and staff whose tireless efforts have nurtured the minds, hearts and souls of our students.
As our graduates embark on the next chapter of their lives, we celebrate their accomplishments and encourage them to carry the values instilled in them throughout their years in our Catholic schools. May they be bold in their faith, to seek truth and justice and to live lives of integrity and compassion. They are well equipped to be missionary disciples, spreading the love and teachings of Christ in all they do. Together, let us celebrate this milestone and look forward to the incredible journey that lies ahead. C
BY DR. ERIN BARISANO, SUPERINTENDENT OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
DR. ERIN BARISANO. PHOTO BY DREW KELLEY/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE
ART ON CAMPUS
Donors: Santa Margarita Catholic High School and Mater Dei High School. The monstrance houses the consecrated Eucharist, the Body of Christ. If you are interested in learning about additional naming opportunities for yourself, loved one or special occasion on Christ Cathedral’s campus, contact the Orange Catholic Foundation at 714-282- 3021 or info@ OrangeCatholicFoundation.org C
“ Ecumenism means walking together, praying together, an ecumenism of prayer.”
THE DAUGHTER OF AN EAST ANGLIAN KING, this revered Anglo-Saxon abbess, also known as Audrey, is honored liturgically as a virgin, though she was twice married. Etheldreda promised her virginity to God and, supported by St. Wilfrid, took the veil at Coldingham. About 672 on the Isle of Ely she founded a double monastery over which she presided until her death. Many marvels were attributed to her intercession, and “tawdry,” a corruption of St. Audrey, was coined for the showy trinkets sold at the annual fair held in her name
PHOTO BY JOSHUA SUDOCK/DIOCESE OF ORANGE MONSTRANCE
UNPLUG, EXPLORE, GROW — SUMMER CAMPS AWAIT
BY RON KUZLIK
IF CAMP IS ON your list of things to-do this summer, there are many options for those wanting to go to a summer camp within the Diocese of Orange. Orange County Catholic is highlighting some of those options:
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL SUMMER CAMP
On the campus of Holy Family Catholic School in Orange. Runs through July 19 (days/times are flexible) and is for boys and girls grades TK to 8.
Variety of fun activities including swimming, art, cooking, jewelry making and Friday field trips.
“We have kids in kindergarten through eighth grade,” said Laura Evans, an extended care provider at the school.
“It’s great to see the older kids and the younger kids get along so well. It’s a really wholesome environment.”
For more information, contact Emily Barreto at (714) 538-6012 Ext. 308 or via email ebarreto@holyfamilyk8.org
JSERRA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS CAMPS
Located minutes from the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano. Summer sports camps are for elementary, middle school and junior high school students. Several sessions are offered, usually a week at-a-time in the following sports:
leadership skills and build lasting friendships.
For more information go to: https://www.servitehs.org/about/servite-events/servite-summer-camps
ROSARY ACADEMY SUMMER CAMPS
Rosary Academy welcomes campers to explore fun and learning at one of its various summer camps. Camp themes include STEM, Dance, Slime Time, Kids in the Kitchen and Creative Writing.
Camps run Monday through Thursday through the week of July 22. Camps open to rising fifth through eighth graders; Girls Lead camp open to rising third through eighth graders.
For more information contact Mr. Brian Clough at bclough@rosaryacademy. org or visit https://www.rosaryacademy. org/academics/summer-camps
Celebrates the dignity of each girl while hiking, swimming, low ropes challenge, playing games and singing campfire songs. Girls will meet and interact with religious sisters from several different orders making this a unique one-of-a-kind experience.
■ Camp El Camino (July 21-24)
For rising sixth through eighth grade students.
An exciting Christian pilgrimage where campers will make friends while having fun and growing in faith and holiness during their encounter with Christ.
■ Catholic Family Camp (July 25-28) A combination of fun, prayer, the sacraments and focusing on the things that matter most. Includes lodging for three nights, nine meals, and use of facilities including pool, hiking trails, low ropes and more.
■ Boys Basketball Camps (grades 1-8)
■ Boys Lacrosse Camps (grades 3-8)
■ Boys Soccer Camps (grades 7-8)
■ Boys Volleyball Camps (grades 5-8)
■ Boys Football Camps (grades 6-8)
■ Girls Lacrosse and Flag Football Camps (grades 3-8)
■ Girls Basketball Camps (grades 5-8)
■ Girls Soccer Camps (grades 5-8)
■ Girls Volleyball Camps (grades 4-8)
■ Rugby Camps (grades 6-8)
■ Softball Camps (grades 3-8)
■ Tennis Camps (grades 3-8)
For more information, go to: https:// www.jserraathletics.org/information/ camps
SERVITE SUMMER CAMPS
On the campus of Servite High School in Anaheim, offering four weeks of a unique Robotics Camp and seven sports camps including baseball, basketball, football, soccer, track & field, volleyball and wrestling for campers in grades 1 through 8.
The goal is to foster a supportive environment where campers can develop
SANTIAGO RETREAT CENTER
Located in Silverado, Calif., in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, Santiago Retreat Center offers five different options:
■ Vacation Bible Camp – (June 24-28)
For Pre-K, K-6 and Grades 7-8 Designed to celebrate the richness of the Catholic faith through fun and engaging learning stations. Daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration is offered in conjunction with games, song, crafts, skits and interactive faith lessons.
■ Quo Vadis the Catholic Camp for Boys (July 7-12)
For 8-13 years
Offers a rigorous yet joyful journey through manhood while engaging in intellectual, moral, and physical virtues while playing games, making friends, hiking while praying, attending Mass and meditating.
■ Blossom the Catholic Camp for Girls (July 14-19)
For 8-13 years
For more information go to: https:// www.santiagoretreatcenter.org/camps
ST. JOSEPH SUMMER SCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMP
At St. Joseph Catholic School in Santa Ana, offering an Academic Summer School Program for grades TK- 8th and a Summer Enrichment Program for ages 4-13.
The Summer School program focuses only on Language Arts, S.E.L. (Social Emotional Learning) and Math and is open to any student and the five-week session runs daily through July 19. Fun Fridays offer a break from the regular regimen including arts and crafts and movies.
The Summer Enrichment program consists of STEM, Arts, Music and Sports. It runs through July 19, Monday through Friday from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Financial Aid is available to families for both programs.
For more information, go to: https://stjoesa.org/admissions/summer-school/ C
PHOTO BY ARTEM KNIAZ ON UNSPLASH
GO FORTH IN FAITH
BY DANIELLE TAYABAS
DEAR GRADUATES,
AFTER YEARS OF BEING blessed with a Catholic education, with moments of painstaking turmoil, feeling lost and unsure, you used the gifts God gave you to persevere through the difficulties and mounds of homework! Congratulations…you made it! With smiles, you proudly walked across that stage, shook hands with joy, received your diploma with gratitude and tossed your caps off with shouts of victory!
The community of the faithful are proud of you, and we’re excited to see what God has in store for you. As you look towards the future and transition into the next phase in life you may have challenges, uncertainties, unknowns, changes and experiences of fear. With big hopes and dreams, as you set goals for yourself; or for some, you might not know what direction to go next…I want to offer you some advice.
Always “clothe yourselves in humility in your dealings with one another, For: God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he might exalt you…Cast your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:5-11) God’s favor has rested upon you all these years. God will not lose sight of you. In turn, do not lose sight of God. Your union with God and working out your salvation by living a life of virtue and holiness should be your ultimate goal.
God loves you and is with you. He will make you into a humble and holy saint if
Here are three things to remember and to pray for…
God created you to become a holy saint and has a specific mission for you to fulfill. Therefore, continue to attend Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of obligation to hear the Word of God and be strengthened by His Eucharistic Presence.
You must hold your relationship with God as your number one priority and work on developing your relationship with Him by deepening your love for Him through daily prayer and reconciling with God in the sacrament of reconciliation at least once a month.
Pray for an increase of faith daily and share your faith and God given gifts and talents with others. Let the light of the Lord shine through you and encourage others with God’s mercy and love.
Here are some Scriptures that you can meditate on.
The Last Supper Discourse: John 14:1-14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” (John 14:1)
The Calming of the Storm: Matthew 8:23-27
“He said to them, ‘Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?’ Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.”
(Matthew 8:26)
Faith and Works: James 2:14-26
“...faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
(James 2:18)
Blessing: 1 Peter 1:3-12
“Although you have not seen Him you love Him; even though you do not see Him now yet believe in Him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)
you but let Him. Go forth now and set the world ablaze with the fire of God’s Love! C
PHOTO BY BAIN HANIF ON UNSPLASH
EAGLES SOAR DURING TRADITIONAL PILGRIMAGE TO SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
BY MEG WATERS
ON EAGLES’ WINGS, 280 members of the class of 2024 embarked on Santa Margarita Catholic High School’s annual senior pilgrimage from the campus to the Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano. The approximately 13-mile trip took place on Holy Thursday, the beginning of the Triduum, the holiest days of the Church year. The timing is designed to remind pilgrims that a pilgrimage is not just a long walk, it is a spiritual journey.
Patrick Visconti, Santa Margarita’s assistant principal of Mission Integration, said, “The pilgrimage began in 2000, as the new school was seeking to establish traditions. As it developed, parents became a big part of the event. Parents now staff eight checkpoints along the route, each with a different theme, and reinforce the spiritual and faith-filled component of the pilgrimage.”
The pilgrimage marks the beginning of the end for the seniors as they prepare to leave their high school years behind and transition to college and beyond. This year, a new tradition was added. Each participating student wore a badge indicating who or what they are praying for along the route. Football linebacker Noah Sulick, who is the son of SMCH’s president Andrew Sulick, had the idea to carry a wooden cross for the entire 13-mile journey. At the end of the pilgrimage, the students removed their prayer badges and placed them on the cross.
Along the route, moms, dads and alums from different booster clubs such as Lacrosse, Football and Cheer, staffed the way stations. The checkpoints included a place in Ladera Ranch where
the students’ names and messages were inscribed on the sidewalk.
Parent Heather Bandura was this year’s co-chair with Melissa Kirby.
“I get a lot out of it,” Bandura said.
“I attended Rosary Academy, so I know that all Catholic schools are rooted in tradition. The Santa Margarita pilgrimage is one of those traditions that, I believe, helps the kids get in the right mindset for Holy Week, and it’s the kickoff to all their senior events.”
Her elder daughter graduated last year, and she walked the pilgrimage then. She plans to stay involved until at least 2027, when her son, now a freshman, will graduate.
According to Visconti, the day begins and ends in prayer.
“We have a kickoff ceremony at 7:45 a.m. with prayers and blessings, and then the walk begins at 8 a.m. Many school administrators, teachers and a chaplain also accompany the pilgrims.”
Visconti pointed to a prayer that sets the spiritual direction for the journey from the beginning:
Teach me, O God, to see my life here on earth as a pilgrim’s path to you, my rest, and my home. Give me the grace to tread it courageously in the company of my community of faith. Help me not to get discouraged when the road gets tough, not get disheartened when tiredness creeps in, nor fearful when the unexpected happens, for I know that I never walk this journey alone. You are there supporting me every step of the way with endless mercy, compassion, and love. May I always be aware of your presence and support along the way and ever be a witness to this as I encounter other pilgrims on my way. May I experience the freedom to seek after you, the freedom to hope, and the freedom to
love as I journey from Santa Margarita Catholic High School to the next chapter of my life. Amen.
The event has occurred every year for the past 24 years, with a modified version during the pandemic years. The students arrive at the Basilica around noon and are treated to pizza provided by the Mission Basilica School.
Senior Lauren Kirby enjoyed every minute.
“I was a little nervous because it was so long,” she recalled. “I’ve done cheer and Pilates, so I didn’t expect it to be so daunting, but I stayed up front until the end. The most surprising thing was that I didn’t realize it would also have a spiritual impact. I walked with my best friend, and it was really special to be able to do that with them while having time for reflection and prayer, especially during Holy Week.”
Kirby will head to Texas Christian University in the fall but will still be on her pilgrimage.
“I love my school, and I’m so sad to leave,” she said. “The pilgrimage
definitely exceeded my expectations - I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t realize the fun I would have.” C
SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS EMBARK ON THE TRADITIONAL 13-MILE PILGRIMAGE TO THE MISSION BASILICA IN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO.
ON HOLY THURSDAY, MEMBERS OF SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2024 EMBARKED ON AN ANNUAL SENIOR PILGRIMAGE FROM THE SCHOOL CAMPUS TO THE MISSION BASILICA IN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL graduated its class of 2024 on May 31 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
by Kiernan Coliflores/Diocese of Orange
Photos
MATER DEI’S SENIOR PICNIC
BY LOU PONSI
MATER DEI HIGH
SCHOOL’S senior picnic gives graduating seniors the opportunity to be together as a class for a final time in a casual setting to celebrate and be celebrated.
As a long-standing tradition at Orange County’s oldest Catholic high school, the Monarchs’ class of 2024 gathered in the Grotto after finals on May 29 to reminisce, give thanks to teachers, sign classmates’ yearbooks and exchange final hugs.
It’s the one day when school uniforms are not required and many graduating Monarchs wear the attire of the college or university they’ll be attending, said Allison Bergeron, director of communications and media relations at Mater Dei.
“Some of these kids have been in a Catholic school uniform since they were in TK or kindergarten,” said Bergeron, a Mater Dei alumna herself. “So today, they can pretty much wear whatever they want and then they take pictures with their classmates and just have one last meal together before heading into Baccalaureate Mass.”
The Baccalaureate Mass is also a Mater Dei tradition, in which seniors celebrate Mass together as a class for a final time.
“Today I think it’s a culmination of each other’s collective success in our classes, but also in terms of friendship, because this may be some of the last times that we’ll get to be with each other as a senior class, apart from graduation and Baccalaureate Mass,” said senior Kobe Castillo, whose been attending Catholic school since kindergarten. “So, I think it’s truly a gathering of friendship.”
Castillo, who was named Mater Dei’s Catholic Young Man of the Year, plans to attend community college for a year and then enter the seminary where he will study to become a priest.
“It’s a deep honor,” Castillo said of the distinction. “But it’s God’s will and He gave me that privilege so His will be done. I am a servant of the Lord.”
Hailey Mouat, who was honored as the Catholic Young Woman of the Year, said her favorite memories at Mater Dei include her involvement with the campus ministry.
“I’ve led a bunch of retreats and campus ministry is just my second home on campus,” said Mouat, who will attend Auburn University in the fall. “I’ve met some really good people and it’s just given me so much, such a good opportunity to get closer to God and really strengthen my relationship with Him while being here.”
Teacher Ben De Los Reyes, who teaches religion to sophomore and senior classes, said the senior picnic gives teachers the chance to celebrate students’ accomplishments and get excited about their futures.
“We love our students and the senior class of 2024, as much as any class, has been a wonderful pleasure to be with in these past four years,” De Los Reyes said. “We will miss them, definitely, but it is more of a celebration of them than it is anything sad.”
Senior Sophie Bunnell transferred to Mater Dei for her senior year.
Bunnell was a impressive water polo player for the Monarchs and hopes to play at the University of Michigan.
The standout athlete said she will miss her diverse group friends at Mater Dei.
“I think that the most special part of Mater Dei is that there’s friends for every type of person,” Bunnell said. “You can be the most unique person in the world and find people that appreciate that. I think that’s something that’s made my senior year so amazing. I think that this school fosters so many opportunities to make friendships and connections that I never thought I’d be able to make in one year. It’s bittersweet. I’m excited to be graduating and to be moving on but at the same time I wish I had more time here.” C
MATER DEI CELEBRATED ITS GRADUATING CLASS WITH A TRADITIONAL SENIOR PICNIC HELD MAY 29 ON THE SCHOOL’S CAMPUS. PHOTOS BY YUAN WANG/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
ATER DEI CELEBRATED ITS graduation on June 1 at the Bren Events Center on the campus of the University of California Irvine. Photos by Everett Johnson/ Diocese of Orange
CRISTO REY – THE SCHOOL THAT WORKS – CELEBRATES YEAR ONE
BY MEG WATERS
WHEN CRISTO REY HIGH SCHOOL
opened in Santa Ana last fall, it became the latest entry in a community of Orange County Catholic college preparatory high schools. For over a century, Catholic high schools have set the gold standard for academic excellence, sports and faith formation for many of our most celebrated business, political, science, athletic and nonprofit leaders locally and across the country.
And yet, from day one, Cristo Rey is doing all this and more, creating a new model that levels the playing field for low-income, and working-class students, enabling them to succeed in college and careers. Given the chance, these students demonstrate that they can compete and achieve head-to-head with the best and the brightest.
Founding principal Karelyn Roberts remembers many students who came into the school on the first day shy, scared and unsure.
“At our recent gala, it was incredible to see these same students, a few months later, standing tall, confident and shaking hands with benefactors because they have been successful. Success breeds success.”
Cristo Rey is no ordinary high school.
The school is part of a nationwide network of 24 Catholic schools that offers students with limited economic resources a top-quality education and professional work experience. Each student works five days a month in a professional entry-level position through a partnership of educators, businesses, and universities.
According to Roberts, “Less than 25% of the students came to Cristo Rey with a 3.0 GPA or higher in the fall. Based on research from the University of Chicago, we know that students who finish freshman year with a 3.0 GPA or better are more likely to ultimately graduate college. We anticipate that by the end of the year, 90% of our students will have at least a 2.5 GPA or higher.”
Stephen Holte, president of Cristo Rey, believes the key to the student’s success is in “Our emphasis on meeting the student where they are, whether they need extra help with math, language — a variety of things. Every student has unique strengths, and it is our role to discover and build on them.”
The students entering Cristo Rey receive testing to pinpoint their academic needs and design a rigor-
ous curriculum to help them fill in any educational gaps and achieve their highest potential. Roberts recalls one student who told her, “Every other school I’ve gone to was designed for me to fail. This school was designed for me to succeed.” She had a 4.0 GPA at the end of her freshman year.
The corporate and nonprofit employers are impressed with the contributions of the students.
Holte said the students are part of a work team with tasks equivalent to an entry-level position.
“The feedback I get from our partners is that our kids bring a breath of fresh air into the workplace,” he added. “The staff love them and are excited to mentor the students. A finance company offered the students a summer position because they are an important part of a work team.”
Thirty companies participated in the first year, including law, finance, accounting, banks, hospitals and retail management.
In the fall, the school will welcome a new freshman class. The academic year
school year in August.
Another first was the recent “Viva” Gala, a sold-out event that drew more than 380 philanthropists, corporate leaders and community members to the VEA Hotel in Newport Beach. The event honored Tim and Alanna Psomas, founding business partners and benefactors of Cristo Rey Orange County. The Psomas’ chaired the initial feasibility study committee for Cristo Rey, and Tim is the school’s founding board Chair. The event raised more than $2 million towards the school’s total operating expense of $4 million annually.
begins in July with the summer success program, a two-week session at the University of California Irvine (UCI) to take placement tests and learn the soft skills associated with presenting themselves professionally in the workplace. This means that the appropriate help and resources will be available to each student from the day they start the new
In addition to the many donors who stepped forward and generously supported Cristo Rey’s mission, many students also participated in the event. The guests saw first-hand how their investment in these students was reflected in their air of confidence born of their success in school.
Cristo Rey is located in the former elementary school at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Santa Ana.
“We still have many challenges ahead,” said Holte, “We need to move to a new campus in two years, so next year we will focus on identifying and retrofitting an existing building. It will likely be a commercial property with at least 6-acres.”
Cristo Rey’s motto is “The School that Works!” With the community support, dedicated teachers and staff and blossoming students, one year into the program, it is working quite well. C
CRISTO REY’S PRESIDENT STEPHEN HOLTE (FAR LEFT) AND FOUNDING PRINCIPAL KARELYN ROBERTS POSE WITH STUDENTS AND TIM AND ALANNA PSOMAS, FOUNDING BUSINESS PARTNERS AND BENEFACTORS OF THE SCHOOL, DURING THE “VIVA” GALA HELD ON MAY 10 IN NEWPORT BEACH. PHOTO COURTESY OF CRISTO REY.
PRINCIPAL KARELYN ROBERTS GREETS A STUDENT ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, AUG. 14, 2023.
PHOTO BY RENNE ENRIQUEZ/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
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ROSARY ACADEMY CELEBRATES ITS LEGACY DAUGHTERS
BY LOU PONSI
DEBBIE RAMIREZ WATSON, a member of Rosary Academy’s graduating class of 1989, refers to her years at the all-girls Catholic high school as a being “transformative experience.”
The Rosary alumna cherishes the bonds she cultivated with her Rosary sisters along with the decades-old traditions such as the Rosary Day ring ceremony and the Red & Gold musical theatre production.
As a 2024 Rosary graduate, Waston’s daughter, Julia Watson, participated in those same traditions, and has her own memories to look back on years from now as a Royal alumna.
The mother and daughter were among a group of 14 Rosary alumnae and their graduating daughters who were honored at the academy’s first ever legacy celebration on May 14.
“It’s a beautiful bond between mother and daughter,” said Watson, who is also mom to a 2022 Rosary graduate and current Rosary sophomore. “There’s this shared sisterhood now on a different level. We’re experiencing life, but not just as mother and daughter. It’s really been a beautiful thing to see.”
Julia Watson, a varsity soccer player for four years and ASB president, feels blessed to be part of the legacy.
“Rosary is just a place that has so many traditions and experiences and I know of a couple of my other friends at other schools are definitely not getting,” said Julia who will play soccer at the University of the Incarnate Word in Texas. “I’m already feeling like I want to go back and be a part of it. I want to be a mom. I want to be back here with my kids.”
Knowing there are students in every grade with mothers who attended Rosary, honoring these families for keeping the legacy alive is an appropriate gesture, said Nikki Pontius, who works in Rosary’s advancement department and is in charge
of alumni relations.
“We value sisterhood and community as some of our top values,” said Pontius, who organized the celebration. “What better way to honor community and sisterhood than the one you have with your mother and we’re also starting to see three generations coming through in future classes.”
Twins Sage and Sonoma Baumgarter attended the celebration with their mother, Nina McEntee Baumgarter, a 1994 Rosary graduate who works for the Sisters of St. Joseph, Rosary’s founders.
Nina McEntee Baumgarter, who attended St. Angela Merici Catholic School in nearby Brea, said her parents were committed to continuing their daughters’ Catholic education through high school.
“I’ve noticed they’ve kept a lot of the traditions exactly the same,” she said.
Sage and Sonoma also attended St. Angela Merici before Rosary.
“I’m just so excited to graduate and go on, but even going to school here, it’s kind of like walking in the footsteps of
her,” said Sonoma, who will attend the University of Mississippi. “I get to see her and kind of just be in her shoes pretty much throughout my high school career. I like it, just living out like what she did as a teenager. I’m doing the same thing.”
Sage, who will attend the University of Colorado at Boulder, was a cheerleader and member of the choir at Rosary, the same as her mother.
“It’s been fun too, because she did cheer,” Sage said. “I did cheer. She did singing and I did singing.”
Sage envisions sending her own children to Rosary someday.
Rosary Academy Head of School Dr. Shawna L. Pautsch bestowed a special blessing to families and praised the legacy mothers for “giving your daughters the gift of Rosary.”
“I look at the mothers here today, who are graduates from several years before, and I see what you’ve done so far to take on the world,” Pautsch said. “I’m thrilled that I’m back to watch occasions like this that we get to honor the fact that you took
the time, you took the talent that you had and your well-deserved treasure to send your daughters to Rosary.” C
ROSARY ALUMNAE AND THEIR GRADUATING DAUGHTERS WERE HONORED AT THE ACADEMY’S FIRST EVER LEGACY CELEBRATION ON MAY 14. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSARY ACADEMY
MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS POSE FOR PHOTOS DURING A SPECIAL LEGACY CELEBRATION HELD ON MAY 14 AT ROSARY ACADEMY. PHOTO BY LOU PONSI/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
OSARY ACADEMY HELD ITS graduation on May 24 at the Karcher Center on the school’s Fullerton campus. Photos by Everett Johnson/Diocese of Orange
JSERRA’S LIVE FOR OTHERS SENIOR CAMINO
BY LOU PONSI
JSERRA’S ANNUAL “Live for Others Senior Camino” is a tradition that helps the Catholic high school’s graduating seniors reflect on their God given gifts and contemplate what He has in store for them as they move forward into the next phase of their lives.
Zach Eckert, the school’s vice principal of student formation and leadership, said the Camino also gives graduating seniors a taste of the Camino de Compostela in Spain, a pilgrimage that dates back to the ninth century featuring a network of routes all leading to the Shrine of the Apostle St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where it is believed the remains of St. James are buried.
The Camino de Compostela draws hundreds of thousands annually from around the world to participate in the miles-long pilgrimage that can take more than a month to complete.
JSerra’s Live for Others Senior Camino is about 10 miles long and always takes place on the Monday of senior week.
“It’s to try and help them understand a Camino, a pilgrimage, is kind of a microcosm for your life, for your life’s journey,” Eckert said. “And the whole thing is oriented towards a sacred purpose for religious devotion.”
The May 20 Camino began with 6 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in San Clemente.
Following Mass, the seniors walked along a beach trail through Doheny State Beach, transitioned on to a bike path and then trekked the final stretch to JSerra along Camino Capistrano.
The seniors also carried written prayer intentions, Eckert said, which they placed at the base of the Our Lady of Guadalupe mosaic back at JSerra.
In 2017, the Camino took on a more
personal meaning for JSerra seniors when it was renamed the Live for Others Senior Camino to honor JSerra graduate Tim Vorenkamp, who died in 2016 from a rare form of cancer.
Before his death, Vorenkamp founded the Live for Others Foundation, which raises awareness and funds for research to find a cure Synovial Cell Sarcoma.
Camino participant Julia Harkins said the Camino gave her the opportunity to converse with many of her teachers and classmates.
“It was interesting because I went to middle school at St. Edward’s,” said Harkins, who will attend UCLA in the fall.
“When we walked past the school, I happened to be with a classmate who I’ve known since kindergarten. We were walking along the path probably for about two hours just talking about our memories growing up together at St. Edward’s and now at JSerra and just everything we’ve gone through. It was a very full circle moment for me.”
A varsity tennis player for four years and participant in Adaptive Athletics, Harkins also wrote a prayer intention for a family member.
Senior Sean Ledyard made it a point to walk with as many classmates as he could in order to have a final conversation before the graduates go their separate ways.
“I definitely recollected a lot of great memories with my buddies who I was walking with,” said Ledyard, who participated in several sports during his four years at JSerra. “It was definitely a great way to end the year, just to kind of look back on four years. I love everything
about this school.”
Ledyard will attend Grove City College, a Christian college in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
“I think that JSerra is the best at what it’s trying to do,” he said. “I don’t think that there is a school that comes close to it in terms of developing kids’ character, faith and intellect. I learned that all here and I’m going to take it with me.” C
JSERRA’S LIVE FOR OTHERS SENIOR CAMINO TAKES PLACE ON THE MONDAY OF SENIOR WEEK.
TWO MEMBERS OF JSERRA’S SENIOR CLASS WALK ALONG CAMINO CAPISTRANO.
AS PART OF THE LIVE FOR OTHERS SENIOR CAMINO, JSERRA SENIORS WALK ALONG A BEACH TRAIL THROUGH DOHENY STATE BEACH, TRANSITION ON TO A BIKE PATH AND THEN TREK
JSERRA’S GRADUATION WAS HELD on June 1 on the San Juan Capistrano school’s varsity football field.
Photos by Ian Tran/Diocese of Orange
SERVITE SALUTES ITS BROTHERHOOD
BY BRITNEY ZINT
SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS graduated at the end of May, but not without one final breakfast with the boys — and an opportunity to talk with alumni about what awaits them in the world.
The all-male preparatory school in Anaheim hosted its annual senior breakfast on May 29 for its 154 students graduating in 2024. Breakfast was held at Dave & Buster’s in Orange. It served as a chance for the students to have fun together, but also to be welcomed into the brotherhood of Servite alumni.
“As graduates of Servite High School, young men become a part of a lifelong brotherhood,” said Servite Vice President of Advancement Steffanie Early, who is also an alumni parent. “Our alumni/senior breakfast is an opportunity for our newest alumni to be welcomed by Friars who have walked this journey before them. Wherever the Class of 2024 may go, they will be part of a community of more than 10,000 graduates who were formed by the Servite charism of Fraternity, Service and Devotion to Mary.”
The seniors, wearing the shirts, sweatshirts and hats of their soon-to-be universities, played arcade games, shot hoops and ate a hearty breakfast of french fries, chicken tenders, pizza flatbread and pigs in a blanket. The event — both the breakfast and the forthcoming graduation — were looked upon with mixed emotions by many.
“I’m very excited for today,” said 18-year-old John Carlson. “We get some chances to hang out with the boys and have some fun before we graduate.”
Carlson, who is attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall, added: “I feel really good about how I’m leaving and where I am leaving to go to school. I feel like I accomplished just the right amount and I’m really happy with where I’m at.”
Senior Spencer Schley said he was also excited but felt a tinge of sadness that his classmates were spreading across the country. Schley, who will attend UC Davis in the fall, said he will always consider his Servite peers as brothers. He was looking forward to speaking with alumni about college, careers and life.
“I would love to talk to them and get their viewpoint, because they’ve gone through it,” Schley said. “They’ve gone through Servite and they’ve gone through life for years. We’ve only gone through Servite; we haven’t hit life yet.”
Kelly Boulger (’73) spoke to the seniors before breakfast to let them know that the brotherhood continues.
“What happens here is that they become best friends,” Boulger said. “That’s normal in high school. But what’s not normal is that these boys will stay best friends their whole lives. My best friends are all Servite guys.”
Boulger told the seniors that he could
see their futures and it would include each other’s weddings, being there when children are born, starting softball leagues and being there to pick up a fallen brother when times get tough.
“Where do you get that, but here?” Boulger said. “It’s so unique.”
Senior Aryam Kehmani, 17, said his Servite experience went above and beyond his expectations of what high school would be. Kehmani, who will attend the University of Southern California, said he remembers exactly why he chose Servite four years ago.
“I saw the connections and the energy, and the way the students interacted in the classroom — kind of playful with the teachers,” he said. “There was a mutual level of respect, but at the same time the students were still learning, and the teachers were all supportive.” C
THE CLASS OF 2024 ENJOYED A MEAL AND REMARKS FROM SERVITE ALUMNI BEFORE A FEW HOURS OF GAMING AT DAVE & BUSTER’S. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL
MEMBERS OF SERVITE’S CLASS OF 2024 POSE WITH THEIR CLASS PLAQUE, WHICH WAS LATER INSTALLED IN THE ALUMNI GARDEN ON CAMPUS. PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT ARE: KYLE HERAS, JOHN CARLSON, MARK BUSTILLOS AND KELLY BOULGER (‘73).
SITS GRADUATING class on May 31
ERVITE CELEBRATED
at Friends Church in Yorba Linda. Photos by Everett Johnson/Diocese of Orange
BISHOP KEVIN VANN was awarded a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree on May 11 from Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon.
Family and friends, including the Most Rev. Bishop Timothy Freyer, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Orange, and Fr. Angelos Sebastian, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Orange, were on hand for the momentous occasion.
Special guest Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, was the Commencement’s distinguished speaker.
This is Bishop Vann’s second doctorate – he earned his first doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 1985.
Photos by David Vann
WORDS OF WISDOM
“ Congratulations, graduates! As you embark on this new chapter, remember to keep faith at the center of your journey. Trust in God’s plan, seek His guidance in your decisions and strive to live out your values in all you do. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, serve others with compassion and always stay rooted in prayer. May you find strength, wisdom and joy in Christ as you move forward. God bless you! ”
– Deacon Modesto Cordero, Director of the Office for Worship in the Diocese of Orange
“
Find out where the Newman Center or Catholic Club is located. It is a great way to meet people who share our values, get involved in a lot of great activities and receive the Lord’s strength during this time of transition.
Be grateful for all your parents and family have done and are doing to support you. Remember that you are the beloved son or daughter of God and have inherit dignity. Just be yourself and know that you are good. There is no need to succumb to peer pressure. ”
“ When you feel uncertain about your future and don’t know what’s next for you, there is one thing you can be certain of: God will be with you! When you feel like you can’t do something or it’s hard to move forward into an unknown future, be assured that you can do all things in Christ. Continue to cultivate your friendship with Christ and be confident of His promise to be with you always. Do not be afraid to be a saint, who is a friend of God! ”
– Joan Patten, AO, Delegate for Consecrated Life, Office of Consecrated Life
“ Freedom isn’t really about the ability to do whatever you want. Rather, true freedom is the ability to be excellent—the liberty to choose the good, which only comes, by God’s grace, when you try to choose the good all the time. God can give you this freedom—the freedom to be able to be excellent—and He desires to do so, but it also requires hard work on your own part. Don’t be a slave to your passions; acquire the freedom to be able to act virtuously, and it will make you happy. ”
“ Students used to remember me saying “Take the Pain!” or translated into Catholic spirituality: Offer It Up! We often complain or murmur about the cross whereas I’m a believer that with the grace of God, we can “will it” because that’s what holiness is. Taking the pain is about offering up our daily crosses, embracing it for the love of God and neighbor. To unite our suffering with that of Jesus on the cross. ”
—Most Rev. Timothy Freyer, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of
–
Fr.
William Goldin, Parochial Administrator,
Orange
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in La Habra
– Fr. Damien Giap, O.Praem, School Rector, St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa
Prayer for Students
Lord our God, in your wisdom and love you surround us with the mysteries of the universe.
Send your Spirit upon these students and fill them with your wisdom and blessings.
Grant that they may devote themselves to their studies and draw ever closer to you, the source of all knowledge. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
*Printed with permission from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
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