VOLUME XII, ISSUE I
2016-2017
S T. SMEBASTIAN’S AG A Z I N E
St. Sebastian’s Celebrates 75th Anniversary with a Three-day Birthday Party
2016-2017 Board of Trustees FEATURES
IN EVERY ISSUE
14 Our Year of Reverence
Headmaster Burke’s remarks on “reverence,” the theme word for the academic year
18
75th Celebration
33
Around Campus
8
New Trustees
10
Faculty & Staff News
St. Sebastian’s celebrates its 75th Anniversary with three days of special events, including Founder’s Day, 75th Game Day and the 75th Gala
32
Event Highlights
34
Fine Arts
A Festive Christmas Auction
36
Fall Sports
44
Alumni Events
Parents gather at Gillette Stadium for the School’s biggest fundraiser of the year
46 Class Notes
42 Alumni Dinner Honors
2
54
Dan Williams ’64
Alumni come back to campus to pay tribute to Dan—alumnus, teacher, coach and friend
18
75th Celebration
42
In Memoriam
56 From the Archives
Alumni Dinner
St. Sebastian’s School Mission Statement A Catholic independent school, St. Sebastian’s seeks to engage young men in the pursuit of truth through faith and reason. By embracing Gospel values in an inclusive, nurturing community and by inspiring intellectual excellence in a structured liberal arts curriculum, St. Sebastian’s strives to empower students for success in college and in life. The ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom, a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor.
Credits St. Sebastian’s Magazine publishes three times a year. Photos: Joey Spadoni, Adam Richins
St Sebastian’s School 1191 Greendale Ave Needham, MA 02492 781.449.5200
Seán Cardinal O’Malley, OFM. Cap. Chairman James L. Elcock ’77, P’08 President William L. Burke III P’95,’97,’00,’04 Executive Officer, Headmaster Douglas A. Kingsley, P’10,’10,’12,’13 Secretary Robert M. Wadsworth, P’10,’15 Treasurer Devin C. Condron ’92 Assistant Treasurer David M. Calabro ’78, P’16 Barbara E. Connolly P’10,’12,’17 John P. DiGiovanni ’84, P’14 Rev. Michael E. Drea Kevin F. Driscoll ’72, P’05,’09 Patrick J. Hegarty ’89, P’22 Jane M. Hoch P’07 John W. Hueber ’71 Ross M. Jones P’16,’17 Susanne C. Joyce P’20 Carolyn M. Lemone P’16,’18 Wesley D. Mateo ’03 John E. McNamara ’81, P’14,’18 James F. Mooney, III P’18 Mark L. O’Friel ’79 William A. O’Malley P’09,’10,’13 Robert M. Reardon P’15 Kristin E. Reed P’15,’17 John A. Sebastian P’18 Randall P. Seidl P’17,’19 Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. Kurt R. Steinkrauss ’91, P’19 Mary L. Supple P’09,’10,’15 Stephen P. Ward ’96 Andrew Wasynczuk P’14,’17 Lucy Kapples P’16,’18 President, Guild of St. Irene Michael P. Muldowney P’12,’16,’22 President, Men’s Association Timothy P. Doherty ’87, P’17 President, Alumni Association James A. Cotter, Jr. ’57 David F. Gately ’73 J. Brad Griffith ’58, GP’19 Trustee Emeriti
From the desk of the headmaster Wil l ia m L . Bu rk e I I I
…there was never any simpler time…there is no such thing as a foreseeable future…no such thing as a self-made man…it has to be a joint effort…nothing of significance was ever done alone. (David McCullough—from remarks delivered at St. Sebastian’s on September 19, 2016) How richly blessed we are to have been treated to the wisdom of David McCullough, whom Senator Paul Kirk ’56 rightly refers to as a “National Treasure!” That the eminent historian’s words cited above and others he shared resonate with our mission is a powerfully beautiful, self-evident truth. What a great way to launch our 75th Anniversary! In their Chapel speeches on September 26, two of our seniors, Raffi Barsamian and Henry Birmingham, coincidentally uttered the same words, which I first heard voiced by former invaluable trustee, Frank Ward P’96, GP’09,’11: “We stand on the shoulders of giants.” Raffi honored the faith and fortitude of his great grandmother, who survived the Armenian genocide. As many know, Henry had the great fortune of growing up in the loving presence of a giant among giants, his wonderful grandfather, Jack Birmingham ’59, P’84, GP’14,’17, a founding trustee in 1972 and Board President from 1988 until 2002. We look back to our ancestors and to the many people responsible for creating and building up our beloved St. Sebastian’s School—and we do so with reverence, awe, and deep, deep gratitude. In this issue of the magazine, you will read of our visionary founder, Cardinal O’Connell, and of many other heroes of yesterday and today, who have cooperated with the grace of God to establish and strengthen our great School. Enjoy! Please visit your School soon and often. We’ll be here, with hearts and arms wide open, ready to greet you and thrilled to show you our exciting plans for the immediate and distant future. I thank you, once again, for all that you do to advance our most important mission. May God continue to bless you and your families every sacred step of the way. With love and gratitude,
William L. Burke III Headmaster
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AROUND CAMPUS
News and Notes from Our School Community
“ History is not about statistics. It’s not about quotations. It’s not about memorizing dates. It’s about people, people who are as real and as human and as faced with problems as we are and then some.
” —David McCullough
Words of Wisdom
Renowned Author David McCullough Provides a Lesson on the Importance of History and Education
E
ach summer, the entire school community reads the same book, typically an inspiring true story about an individual or group of people. In this year’s All School Read, Brave Companions, master historian David McCullough profiles 17 exceptional men and women, past and present—from artist to architect—whose stories shaped the course of history or changed how we see the world. On September 19, 2016, students and faculty had the honor of hearing from McCullough in person when he addressed the School community during St. Sebastian’s annual Summer Reading Assembly. McCullough’s good friend, Senator Paul G. Kirk ’56, introduced our most eminent speaker, highlighting his
impressive honors and awards, as well as his dedication to his family. McCullough, the widely acclaimed “master of the art of narrative history,” is twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, twice winner of the National Book Award, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. A gifted speaker, McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House. He is also one of the few private citizens to speak before a joint session of Congress. As Senator Kirk asserted, McCullough is most definitely a “national treasure.” McCullough displayed his world-class gift for public speaking, sharing many words of wisdom across a vast range of topics, including the vital importance of
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studying history, of persevering, of being honest and loyal and responsible and of remaining ever curious. He shared, “I don’t ever want to be an expert. Experts have all the answers. I have questions, curiosity, and I encourage you to stimulate, develop, never hide, never suppress your curiosity. It’s what separates us from the cabbages, that you want to know more than you already know, that you’re curious to find out.” McCullough explained that in the wake of failure, whimpering and whining will get us nowhere. If success is to be achieved, it will be by picking ourselves back up and striving to learn from our failures. “More important than the fact that failure occurs in life,” noted McCullough, “is how you respond to it.” McCullough’s wise words were met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the School community. We are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to hear from such a brilliant author and speaker.
AROUND CAMPUS
“United We Stand” with Haiti “United we stand.” These were the words Meyer Chambers shared at the beginning of St. Sebastian’s annual Unity Day on November 4. This theme, provided by members of Men with Positive Attitudes (MPA), served as a fitting statement for the day’s events which focused on life in Haiti. Several key members of the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation (SBHF), as well as members of our School community, shared their personal and compelling experiences, educating our students about the issues faced by this impoverished island nation. Junior Laura ’17, a student who lived in Haiti until the 2010 earthquake, addressed his fellow classmates and introduced his godfather, Conor Shapiro, who serves as
CEO of SBHF. Shapiro shared a poignant story about his first trip to Haiti, how he became involved with SBHF and the great work that the organization does for the Haitian people. For over 30 years, SBHF has provided healthcare to some of Haiti’s most vulnerable citizens and runs St. Boniface Hospital, the best equipped referral center in the region. The boys then broke up into small groups led by student leaders. Each classroom had a live feed to the AV room on campus, where they had the opportunity to hear additional firsthand accounts of Haiti from Nannette Canniff and Fr. Gerald Osterman, Co-Founders of SBHF, and Fr. Frank Herrmann, a Boston College Law Professor with ties to SBHF. Students Orvin Pierre ’18 and Junior Laura ’17, along with dining services employee Marie Charles Prevot, shared their own stories about how the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti had affected their families. The morning’s events also included an art activity where students made intricately patterned foil crosses and a Q & A session with a panel of the day’s speakers. Unity Day concluded with heartfelt closing remarks from Headmaster Bill Burke, reflecting on what it means to be compassionate and noting that serving God and neighbor can exist in the simplest of acts.
TOP: One of the hundreds of foil crosses made by students on Unity Day. BOTTOM: Unity Day panelists provide insight through their personal experiences in Haiti. Panelists (from left) include Junior Laura ’17, Conor Shapiro, Orvin Pierre ’18, Marie Charles Prevot, Fr. Frank Herrmann, Nannette Canniff, and Fr. Gerald Osterman.
Debate Team Members Excel in the Art of Persuasion The Debate Team enjoyed a busy fall season travelling to invitational tournaments throughout New England. One of the highlights of the fall season was hosting a home tournament for novice debaters from 16 independent schools throughout the league on October 9. Dylan Crandall ’20 won a Top Speaker’s Prize for compiling 252 speaker points in three rounds of debate. On November 6, the team travelled to Phillips Exeter to participate in their annual tournament along with 14 other independent schools. Michael Bollas ’18 and Michael Farinacci ’20 compiled a perfect record of 3-0 in three rounds of debating in the novice division.
Dylan Crandall ’20 with Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne.
Debate team members Michael Farinacci ’20 (left) and Michael Bollas ’18 (right) with Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne.
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Providing Insight into the World of Finance As part of the Finance Academy’s speaker series, the club had the opportunity to hear from two current parents in the finance industry.
62 Students Inducted into the National Honor Society On October 27, we inducted 62 students into the Sr. Evelyn C. Barrett, O.P. Chapter of the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society recognizes and inspires scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
CLASS OF 2017 Camryn L. Cain Tyler J. Goldman Mitchell T. Heffernan
Parker S. Joyce Ryan J. Martin Vito J. Palombella
On October 25, Willie Yandow P’12,’17,’20, Managing Director at William O’Neil and Company, educated members of the Finance Academy about the complexities of the stock market. After a brief introduction from his son, Trevor ’17, Yandow explained how investing works, the benefits to both sides of a trade, and the types and necessities for different investments. He also touched upon the leading participants in the stock market, as well as breaking down the structure of companies and how they pay out if they go out of business. On December 6, members had the opportunity to hear from Kathleen Murphy P’21, President of Personal
Investing at Fidelity, about her career journey in financial services and benefits. Named one of the 50 most powerful women in business by Fortune Magazine and one of the 25 most powerful women in finance by US Banker, Murphy is responsible for over $2 million in assets and 16,000 employees. As part of her role, she oversees Fidelity’s life insurance and annuities business, all of the firm’s brand and advertising programs, online strategies, and mobile device applications. Murphy shared that she was not initially drawn to finance as a career, stressing the importance of doing as many things as possible during college and keeping an open mind and a positive attitude.
CLASS OF 2018 Royce D. Abel Jayson T. Barros Michael N. Bollas Daniel K. Borah Jack G. Browne Harrison P. Carlson Blake V. Colman William F. Coyne Brian C. Craven Ryan K. Curran William G. Daniel John H. DeMatteo Luke A. Diggins Patrick S. DuFour William D. Forman William P. Fox Alexander L. Gainey Nicholas M. Howell George L. Johnson Peter C. Julien Ibrahim S. Kaba Henry M. Kapples Colin J. Kehoe John T. Kerwin Timothy K. Kiley William P. Kiley Peter J. Kilmartin, III Charles V. Kittler
Jack R. Leetch Kyle A. Licameli Robert A. Lordi Wilson A. MacPherson Nathan T. McCarthy Brendan M. McKenzie William R. McNamara Neil C. Melley Michael J. R. Milbury Reed S. Mitchell James F. Mooney, IV Finn M. Mulligan Peter F. Murphy, Jr. Mario I. Oliva Thomas E. Olson Jonathan M. Pace Peter L. Pickard Orvin A. Pierre William B. Plansky Patrick J. Ryan Andrew J. Santosuosso Paul T. Scemama de Gialluly Christopher P. Sebastian Vaughn S. St. Marie Michael D. Twohig James R. Walsh Martin P. White Matthew D. Wolpe
Kathleen Murphy P’21, President of Personal Investing at Fidelity, speaks to the Finance Academy.
The Junior Class Heads to Our Nation’s Capital The Class of 2018 headed to Washington, D.C. over Veteran’s Day weekend for the annual junior class trip. The students visited some of the most iconic landmarks in our nation’s Capital, from monuments to the Library of Congress and the Holocaust Museum. Their tour included the Basilica of the National Shrine, where they were guided by fellow Arrow Gerry Giblin ’51. On the final day of the trip, they paid respect to our fallen soldiers by dedicating a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
AROUND CAMPUS
MEDScience Program Inspires Students to Enter the STEM Field
Ted Duffy ’19 and Anthony Perez ’19 perform a scene from Macbeth.
Mastering the Rhythm of the Bard In early December, two events gave students the opportunity to showcase their delivery of William Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Competition took place on December 6. Students demonstrated their acting prowess and memorization skills in front of faculty judges. Andrew Elcock ’17 was declared the winner for grades 9-12 and will represent St. Sebastian’s at Mt. Ida College’s regional semifinals for a high school national competition. Aidan McCarthy ’22 was the middle school winner. On December 8, the six Sophomore English classes gathered for the fourth
annual Macbeth Competition, competing for the prize of being the witchiest weird sister, the most ghostly poor player, or the greatest gory-locked Banquo. In the end, Nate Kocho, Drew Dorsey, and Zach Salvatore were awarded first prize in the group category for their portrayal of the weird sisters’ prophecy to Banquo and Macbeth, and Matty Behman received the prize for best actor for his portrayal of Macbeth in the Banquo’s Banquet scene.
Members of the Neuroscience Club had an opportunity to see the clinically applied side of medical practice by participating in Harvard Medical School’s MEDScience program on November 28. Students learned how to perform a tracheal intubation, as well as how to diagnose a sick patient in the emergency room. Both exercises required on-the-spot critical thinking in a demanding atmosphere. For the boys of the Neuroscience Club, this program gave students a chance to engage in the medical field with comprehensive hands-on experience. From the seniors (some of whom hope to study neuroscience in college) to the seventh graders in their first year of the Neuroscience Club, every student took away vital lessons about medical science and the real-world application to emergency room practices.
Duty, Honor and Country On November 11, Chris Vallace ’17 spoke at Needham’s annual Veteran’s Day observance. Originally invited to speak by alumnus James Dunn ’68, Vallace joined a group of speakers including: State Representative Denise Garlick, State Senator Mike Rush, and Selectman Matt Borrelli. As an applicant to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Vallace has given a great deal of thought to serving his country. In his speech, he focused on the three ideals General Douglas MacArthur said inspired him to become a great soldier: duty, honor, and country. PHOTO: Headmaster Bill Burke, Jackson McKeigue ’17, Joe Duffy ’17, Chris Vallace ’17, Joe O’Malley ’17, and Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne
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AROUND CAMPUS AP Scholar Awards Seniors Recognized as National Scholars Andrew Elcock ’17 has been named as a “Semifinalist” by the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program, making him one of the highest scoring entrants in the state. Elcock is one of 16,000 academically talented seniors who have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships based on their scores from the 2015 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Seniors Samuel Cullen, Liam Duggan, Michael Hartman, Luke Jones, Jake O’Neil, and Stewart Smith have been named as “Commended Students,” recognized for their exceptional academic promise by placing among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2017 competition.
Cameron Rivera ’17 and Richard Gallo ’17 were also selected as National Hispanic Scholars for scoring in the top 2.5% among Hispanic and Latino PSAT/NMSQT takers in the region. Congratulations to these nine Arrows on their tremendous academic achievements!
The following students and recent graduates earned AP Scholar Awards from the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program. Roughly 20% of the 2.1 million students worldwide who took AP Exams at the end of the 2015-16 school year performed at a sufficient level to earn this recognition.
National Scholar
(scoring 4 or higher on all AP exams taken, with an average score of at least 4 on 8 or more of these exams.) David E. Korzeniowski ’16
Scholar with Distinction
(scoring 3 or higher on at least 5 exams, with an average score of at least 3.5) National Hispanic Scholars Cameron Rivera ’17 and Richard Gallo ’17 with Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne.
Maxwell Surprenant ’22 Wins
Young Entrepreneur Award On November 10, Maxwell Surprenant ’22 received the 2016 Young Entrepreneur Award at the Newton-Needham Chamber’s 101st Annual Breakfast. Maxwell, a Needham resident, is the youngest recipient to ever accept this award. Passionate about service, Maxwell is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Catching Maxwell Surprenant ’22—beaming ear to ear after accepting Joy, Inc., a non-profit his award—with his parents Michael and Joy Surprenant (far left and right), Headmaster Bill Burke, and Assistant Headmaster focused on promoting volunteerism with kids, Mike Nerbonne. teens and their families. Among his many accomplishments, he has received several invitations to events at the White House, presented his original “Roadmap for Innovation” idea as the Student Keynote Speaker at the 2015 Massachusetts Computer Using Educators Conference, and been a kid reporter for numerous magazines, including Sports Illustrated and Scholastic News. Indeed, Maxwell’s list of achievements and accolades is impressive, and includes numerous philanthropic awards such as the 2015 John F. Kennedy “Make a Difference” Award and the Jimmy Fund’s 2015 Big Idea Contest, which was a nation-wide search for a new idea when it comes to fighting cancer.
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Cole S. Aldrich ’16 Matthew J. Barron ’16 Weston R. Brach ’16 Michael D. Calabro ’16 Ryan D. Colgan ’16 Gregory H. DeMatteo ’16 Owen N. Finnegan ’16 Sonny Huang ’16 Erik R. Jones ’16 Paul J. Keady ’16 David E. Korzeniowski ’16
Christian M. Locurto ’16 John D. Loughborough Jr. ’16 Ryan O. Macedo ’16 Jack R. McCool ’16 Peter D. Mullin ’16 Christopher R. Potvin ’16 John T. Ragnoni Jr. ’16 James P. Ryan ’16 Nicos P. Topulos ’16
Scholar with Honor
(scoring 3 or higher on at least 4 exams, with an average score of at least 3.25) Samuel P. Cullen ’17 Liam J. Duggan ’17 Andrew M. Elcock ’17 Matthew G. Eldridge ’16 Dan Miguel G. Espinosa ’16
Luke N. Jones ’17 Stephen C. Karol ’17 Michael P. Rozewski ’16 Stewart M. Smith ’17
Scholar
(scoring 3 or higher on at least 3 exams) John T. Brugger ’16 Paul J. Canavan ’16 William P. Evans ’17 Benjamin M. Fachetti ’16 Richard P. Gallo ’17 Samuel H. Gordon ’17 Sean J. Harrington Jr. ’16 Michael A. Hartman ’17
Joseph R. Hunt ’17 John L. Kapples ’16 Matthew Karpowicz ’16 Casey E. Kelley ’16 Kyle P. McCarthy ’17 Cameron W. Mulvey ’17 Bryan P. O’Donnell ’17 Cameron A. Rivera ’17
AROUND CAMPUS
SERVING
Our Neighbors
I
ntegral to the St. Sebastian’s mission, our Service Program lives the order of the day of loving God, working hard, and taking good care of one another. From collecting backpacks and food to painting portraits for orphans, below are just a few of the many ways our students have served our neighbors recently.
Class of 2017 Delivers Fully Stocked Backpacks The Class of 2017 and their parents have been collecting school supplies and backpacks for students at the San Miguel School in Providence, RI, for each of the past four summers. As a group, the boys gathered each August and compiled over 60 backpacks with items such as binders, notebooks, folders, paper, pens, markers, glue and more. Each of these items, including the backpacks, have been donated by St. Sebastian’s families to ease the financial hardship faced by our brothers at San Miguel. On September 6, volunteers from the Class of 2017 made the annual trip to San Miguel to deliver the fully stocked backpacks. Special thanks to Rebecca Wasynczuk P’14,’17 for her exemplary and generous leadership of this project for the past four years.
NHS Hosts Two Successful Drives The National Honor Society sponsored St. Sebastian’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and Winter Warmth Drive to benefit Our Daily Bread Ministries. Both drives were a huge success due to the generosity of the St. Sebastian’s community, helping to restock shelves for those in need of food in the days following Thanksgiving and keeping our neighbors warm with donations of hundreds of gloves, hats, scarves and socks.
Memory Project Portraits Bring Joy This past semester, St. Sebastian’s art students completed several portraits of children from Colombia for the Memory Project. Coordinated by art teacher Deirdre Rynne Annan, St. Sebastian’s artists started participating in the Memory Project in 2012 and to date have sent 166 portraits for children around the world who have been neglected, orphaned, or disadvantaged. The staff at the Memory Project shared an incredibly heartwarming video of the children in Colombia receiving their portraits, as well as personalized footage featuring our students with the portraits they created.
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Welcome to Our New Trustees Barbara Connolly P’10,’12,’17
Carolyn Lemone P’16,’18
Barb and her husband, Bill, are the proud parents of three Arrows. Will ’10 and Jack ’12 are both Dartmouth graduates and Michael is a senior at St. Sebastian’s this year. The Connollys also have a daughter, Molly, and live in Wellesley. Barb has been a very active supporter of the School, serving as a volunteer for the Guild of St. Irene and a member of the Senior Class Gift and Parent Leadership Committees. She is a graduate of Amherst College and received her MBA from the Sloan School at MIT. Previously, Barb was employed as a Fixed Income Analyst at State Street Research and Management; at Merrill Lynch as a Senior Financial Associate; and at MRJ, Inc., a subsidiary of Perkin Elmer, as a member of the Technical Staff.
Carolyn has served St. Sebastian’s in many roles, including CoChair of the Christmas Auction, Co-Chair of Grandparents Day, and a member of the Parents Annual Fund Committee. She and her husband, Scott, have four children, Jack ’18, Robert ’16, who is currently a freshman at Boston College, Katherine and Margot. Carolyn is also a graduate of Boston College and currently serves on their Parents’ Leadership Council. Previously, she was employed at RJR Nabisco, EDS, and Fidelity Investments. Carolyn’s background is in Public Relations, Human Resources and Communications. She has done extensive volunteer work in the Wellesley community where she and her family reside, as well as in the Greenwich, CT community and schools where she and her family lived for 20 years.
Lucy Rooney Kapples P’16,’18 Lucy is currently serving as the Guild of St. Irene President for the 2016-2017 academic year. She and her husband, Jack, live in Wellesley. They have five children, John ’16, a freshman at Southern Methodist University, Henry ’18, Lucy, Catherine, and Eileen. Lucy graduated from Georgetown University, worked as a Senate Finance Legislative Aide and then as a Senior Programmer Analyst and HRIS Manager for Thermo Electron Corporation for 13 years. Actively engaged in community service, she is a Wellesley Town Meeting member, a member of the Board of Regents of Georgetown University and serves on the St. John’s School Advisory Board and the St. John’s Parish Finance Council. She is a past member of the Wellesley Advisory Committee, the Wellesley Service League and the Junior League of Boston, where she served as President from 1999-2000.
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Robert Reardon P’15 Bob has served the School as the Men’s Association President from 2014-2015, as well as Co-Chair of the Headmaster’s Scholarship Golf Tournament. His son, Robert, graduated from St. Sebastian’s in 2015 and is now a sophomore at Boston College. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Winchester and also have two daughters, Sochia and Shannon, who attend Newton Country Day. Bob is the CEO of ISG Corporation. He holds a BS in Business Administration from Merrimack College. In addition to serving as a Board Member for Newton Country Day School, Bob is also involved with many non-profit organizations and serves as Advisor and Board Member for numerous businesses.
St. Sebastian’s is very fortunate to have an exceptional group of parents, alumni, and friends of the School who give generously of their time and share their wisdom as members of the Board of Trustees. We are pleased to welcome the six new members joining our board.
#ArrowsPride Check out our new digital dashboard:
www.stsebs.org/arrowspride
Randy Seidl P’17,’19 Randy has been a tireless volunteer for St. Sebastian’s, including as Co-Chair of the Annual Fund. He and his wife, Janet, have four children, Tommy ’17, who will be attending Harvard next fall, Billy ’19, Philip, and Shannon. Randy is a graduate of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. He serves on BC’s Board of Trustees as a Trustee Associate and has led various committees. Randy also serves on the Board of Massachusetts Mentoring Partnership and is a member of YPO Gold (Young Presidents’ Organization). A resident of Wellesley, he is currently CEO of Revenue Acceleration and Top Talent Recruiting, also serving on several corporate Boards and Advisory Boards. He was previously SVP/GM of Hewlett Packard’s US Enterprise Group.
Rev. Kenneth Sicard, O.P. Father Sicard is the Executive Vice President/Treasurer of Providence College. He is responsible for the oversight of the Divisions of Student Affairs, Mission and Ministry, Human Resources, Athletics, Government and Community Relations, Marketing and Communications, and the Office of the General Counsel. He serves on several College and Board committees, including the Executive Committee of the President’s Council, the Auditing, Finance, Investment, Board Affairs, Strategic Planning, Diversity, and Executive Committees. Father Sicard is also Secretary of the Corporation of Providence College. A graduate of Providence College, he also received his MBA from PC, a Masters of Divinity from The Dominican House of Studies, and a PhD from The Ohio State University.
With feeds from our social media channels, and links to photo galleries, videos, news, our school and athletic calendars, and 75th blog, “Arrows Archive,” it’s the perfect way to stay connected—all from one location! Our new responsive website will provide an optimal view of #ArrowsPride from any device. Bookmark this page today!
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE
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New Faces
ON CAMPUS St. Sebastian’s is pleased to welcome its newest faculty and staff members, a talented group who are already making an impact in the classrooms and on the School community.
ADAM ANDREW Faculty, Biology Prior to joining the St. Sebastian’s community, Adam worked in the biotechnology field at SBH Sciences, Inc. in Natick. As the supervisor for Protein Purification, he worked on new product development and producing established products. Adam has a B.A. in Biochemistry from Colgate University and a M.S. in Biochemistry from Brandeis University. At St. Sebastian’s, he teaches Freshman Honors Biology and a section of 7th grade Science. Adam, his wife, and his dog, Daisy, live in Milford.
COURTNEY BENT Faculty, Photography Courtney is an award-winning photographer and documentary filmmaker whose work has taken her from Masaii Camps in East Africa to Death Row in the United States. She graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion, and went on to study photography at the Maine Media Workshops and the International Center for Photography in New York City. She has been the recipient of over 30 awards and grants for her work. Her most recent documentary film, “Shooting Beauty,” featuring the photography program she started for individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, was the winner of numerous film festival awards, including eight audience choice awards and four best documentary awards. When not producing documentary films, Courtney is teaching photography workshops throughout the U.S., using her 20 years of teaching experience to work with and encourage new photographers of all ages and abilities. Courtney lives in Durham, NH with her eight-year-old daughter and twelve-year-old son.
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GREGORY CALABRO Faculty, English Greg joins St. Sebastian’s School after graduating this past May from the College of the Holy Cross. While a student at Holy Cross, he majored in Economics and minored in Philosophy, as well as captained the men’s rugby team. Prior to St. Sebastian’s, Greg taught English at the Taft School summer program. Greg’s father and brother are both Arrows alumni, and he is excited to have the opportunity to teach at St. Sebastian’s and be a part of the School community.
KAITLYN CARBERRY Director of Academic Support Kaitlyn comes to St. Sebastian’s from Hillside School in Marlborough, where she worked as a Learning Specialist, teaching literacy and organizational skills. Prior to Hillside, Kaitlyn taught as a Special Education teacher in inner city schools in New York. She entered teaching through New Visions for Public School’s Urban Teaching Residency. Before her teaching fellowship, Kaitlyn worked in marketing in Boston. Kaitlyn has a B.A. from Boston College and a M.Ed. from Hunter College, City University of New York. She lives with her husband and golden retriever in Natick and enjoys yoga, running and going to the Cape.
ANDREW CONWAY ’06 Faculty, Chemistry After graduating from St. Sebastian’s in 2006, Andrew attended Harvard College where he earned a B.A. in Chemistry with Honors. At St. Sebastian’s, he teaches sections of honors and standard Chemistry, as well as 8th grade Science. He also coaches squash and tennis, and helps out with the Finance Academy. Andrew holds his Series 65 license, making him an investment adviser representative. Before coming back to St. Sebastian’s to teach, Andrew worked in campus ministry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Northeastern with a non-profit called Evangelical Catholic, in addition to working in the financial industry. Andrew, his wife, Lydia, and dog, Tutti, live in Charlestown and enjoy visiting family and competing in trivia with fellow St. Sebastian’s alumni.
THOMAS HARRINGTON ’10 Faculty, Religion A member of the St. Sebastian’s Class of 2010, Tom always hoped he would return some day. After graduating from Northeastern University with a B.S. in History, Tom worked on the sales team at Burke Distributing. In addition to teaching Religion, he coaches 8th grade soccer, as well as hockey. Tom loves to golf and is also a hockey player; he tries to get out on the course and the ice whenever he can. Tom truly loves St. Sebastian’s and feels fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside so many amazing teachers that helped shape him into the man he has become.
BRIAN LEWIN Faculty, Religion Brian graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 2011 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Catholic Studies. Brian discovered his love of his faith at Holy Cross and was heavily involved in the school’s Campus Ministry program. He also was a goaltender for the club hockey team. After his days at Holy Cross, Brian received an M.T.S. with a concentration in Liturgical Studies from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Brian joins St. Sebastian’s after serving as the Campus Ministry Worship and Liturgy Coordinator for Georgetown University. He teaches 10th grade Scripture, 9th grade Sacraments, and 7th grade Intro to Catholicism. Brian currently coaches JV hockey and will also be coaching baseball or lacrosse in the spring.
MARK NELSON Faculty, Mathematics Mark joins the St. Sebastian’s Mathematics Department after teaching in Africa, Oklahoma, Hawaii and Connecticut. A graduate of Colby College, he majored in Mathematics and captained the baseball team. He also received a Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University. In addition to teaching Algebra 1, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus, Mark is coaching basketball and baseball at St. Sebastian’s. He is a lover of sports and an avid surfer.
JEFF RIEMANN Faculty, English Jeff graduated from Williams College with a B.A. in History. While at Williams, Jeff played football and is a big Minnesota Vikings fan. Before joining the St. Sebastian’s community, Jeff worked in e-commerce at Wayfair.com in downtown Boston for three years. He teaches Freshman English and Freshman Writing. Jeff is a happy resident of Cambridge.
RYAN SANDERSON ’12 Faculty, Science As a St. Sebastian’s 2012 graduate, Ryan has returned to the School with a degree from Bowdoin College. He teaches 7th and 8th grade Science and also serves as an 8th grade class moderator, assistant middle school lacrosse coach, and assistant coach for 7th grade basketball. Ryan loves playing basketball in his free time, and after four years of living in the beautiful state of Maine, he enjoys spending time in nature.
JOEY SPADONI Digital Media Coordinator Joey joined the Communications Department at St. Sebastian’s after graduating from the College of the Holy Cross with a B.A. in Philosophy. Joey has worked professionally as a photographer, shooting weddings, portraits, and events. He photographs the life of the school, manages St. Sebastian’s digital media, and assists with school communications.
FACULTY NOTE Faculty member Paul Tremblay was honored at the 16th Annual Massachusetts Book Awards Ceremony, held at the Statehouse on December 6, 2016. Tremblay won the top award in fiction for his thriller, A Head Full of Ghosts.
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FACULTY-TRUSTEE DINNER
Honors Retiring Faculty
St. Sebastian’s pays tribute to three of our faculty members—Dan Williams ’64, Peter Kittler P’00 and Gretchen Maloney—for their collective contributions
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he annual Faculty-Trustee Dinner is an opportunity for St. Sebastian’s employees and board members to gather and become better acquainted. It is also a time to honor faculty and staff as they achieve certain milestones in their service to our School. On November 10, three long-serving members of our faculty who retired last spring—Dan Williams ’64, Peter Kittler P’00, and Gretchen Maloney—were celebrated for their extraordinary commitment and contributions to St. Sebastian’s. Following a cocktail hour and dinner, the highlight of the night was hearing from those who worked closely with the honorees. Dan and Peter were both in attendance with their wives, Joyce Williams and Janyce Kittler. Unfortunately, Gretchen, who served as Director of Academic Support for over two decades, was unable to attend. Board of Trustees President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08 began by thanking the faculty and staff and sharing a few kind words about Dan and Peter, both of whom taught Jim when he was a student. Dean of Students Brendan Sullivan offered a number of comical memories, as well as heartfelt remarks, of Peter’s time as a St. Sebastian’s science teacher. He jokingly referenced how well acquainted the local fire department had become with the school due to the many times experiments in Kittler’s classroom had triggered the alarm. History Department Chair Denis Cleary spoke about his colleague and friend, Dan Williams ’64. “There are those who
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believe that teachers are interchangeable parts—one leaves and we find a replacement ... but those of us who are left behind after Danny Williams no longer physically graces these hallowed halls know that St. Sebastian’s will never be the same for us. We know that the new students and new teachers will never know his encouragement, support, kind words, his intense love for each of us because we are part of this place.” Continuing on, Cleary acknowledged the impact of all three honorees. “Henry Adams says, ‘A teacher affects eternity; he or she can never tell where his or her influence stops.’ Put at the beginning of that sentence the names of the absent Gretchen Maloney, or Peter Kittler or Danny Williams. Think about their collective and individual contributions to our lives and the lives of the St. Sebastian’s student body and faculty.” Peter and Dan each took the podium to address the crowd, reminiscing about their time at St. Sebastian’s and thanking their co-workers, family and friends for supporting them. Headmaster Bill Burke concluded by thanking the honorees for their service to the school. From all of us at St. Sebastian’s, we thank Dan Williams, Peter Kittler and Gretchen Maloney for all of their collective contributions to our community. Everyone at St. Sebastian’s is blessed to have known you.
Summer Workshops in Writing & Science Two sessions for Summer 2017:
July 10–21 & July 24–August 4
These two distinct workshops, run by our experienced St. Sebastian’s faculty, are an enriching learning opportunity for students looking for a challenging and fun summer experience.
Open to all boys entering grades 5–9
stsebs.org/workshops
OUR YEAR OF
REVERENCE September 12, 2016 / Opening remarks for the academic year BY HEADMASTER WILLIAM L. BURKE III
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s we were about to begin our end of the year Faculty Meeting in June, Father John Arens turned to me and asked if I had arrived at a theme for the 2016-17 academic year. After I confessed my struggles and failure, he calmly asked: “What about reverence?” The weighty word settled as softly as a gentle breeze and sunk deep. Tension evanesced. We had it! And here we are: launching our year of Reverence. I began the tradition of selecting a one-word theme for the year in 1997 with the word Respect. As I ponder the power of that word and of the words that ensued, I am struck by how much most of them—perhaps all of them—relate to Reverence. Here they are: in 1998 the word was Responsibility, followed by Remember, Pilgrim, Hope, Grace, Inspire, Praise, Open, Honor, Devotion, Gratitude, Freedom, Trust, Unity, Courage, Integrity, Community, Joy, and last year Mercy.
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How do we best approach analysis of the word reverence which is itself all about approach, as Irish poet, philosopher, and Catholic scholar, John O’Donohue, suggests in these words: “What you encounter, recognize, or discover depends to a large degree on the quality of your approach. Many of the ancient cultures practiced careful rituals of approach. An encounter of depth and spirit was preceded by careful preparation.” This very day and every day, when we come to this Church or to our Chapel, we prepare for an encounter of depth and spirit; therefore, we are rightly encouraged to enter silently, solemnly, respectfully; we are invited to bless ourselves with holy water and to genuflect. Such practices evince a spirit of reverence, defined as: Veneration...honor...esteem...adoration... worship...a feeling or attitude of deep respect for someone or something...tinged with awe. Awe. Isn’t that a wonderful word? To be awestruck is to be filled with feelings of fear and wonder. Fear of the unknown. Fear of that which is far, far above and beyond us. Fear of the Lord, which to me means fear of displeasing our gracious and loving God, Who is love. In fact, I often think that if our only fear is fear of disappointing God, we’re on the right path. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him and in them that hope in His mercy. (Psalm 147:11) Awe, reverence, and gratitude often travel together, as we see here in Hebrews 12:28: “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.” 17th Century English poet, John Milton, echoes: “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” My favorite definition of prayer employs the adjective form of the word. It’s found in a classic titled The Cloud of Unknowing by an anonymous 14th Century English author: “In itself prayer is simply a reverent conscious openness to God filled with the desire to grow in goodness and overcome evil.”
I guarantee that if everyone of us on this planet struggles to establish and maintain a reverent conscious openness to God, we’ll have world peace. So let’s do our part this year and every year by praying it up. Revere, the verb form of reverence, means to adore or worship and lives with the divine. We love our family and friends, but we worship God, bowing before Him in true humility in the spirit of St. John the Baptist, who proclaims: “He must increase; I must decrease.” Before we leave this Church this morning, we’ll rise and together pray the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, Who art in heaven hallowed be thy name...” We respect our names and our neighbors’ names, but we hallow or greatly revere the name of God our Father. Honoring each man and his vocation, we refer to our beloved priests as Reverend John Arens and Reverend John Paris and so employ a powerful form of our year’s theme. Our mission statement ends with these words: The ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom, a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor. The proper order: First God, then neighbor. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan and through many other lessons, Jesus teaches us that our neighbor is every person with whom we share this planet and that we’re called to help one another, especially the person in greatest need. C.S. Lewis famously asserts: “Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” We are called to love our neighbor, to treat him and her with reverence. Our cheer for, not against guiding principle is all about engaging in competition and supporting one another in a spirit of reverence for our opponents, for the officials, and for everyone. The opposite of reverence is irreverence, disregard, disrespect, dishonor, disdain, scorn...hate. I have spoken in the past about the dangers of being in a crowd, where mob mentality can arise, as we can easily become
emboldened by anonymity and say and do nasty things we would never say or do when alone. We know that such behavior is both cowardly and wrong. And we know that online bullying is on the rise. The cover of the August 29th issue of Time magazine reads “Why we’re losing the Internet to the culture of hate” by Joel Stein. Stein writes of the “online disinhibition effect, in which factors like anonymity, invisibility, a lack of authority and not communicating in real time strip away the mores society spent millennia building.” And he speaks of trolls, people who harass and threaten online. He shares: “Trolls don’t hate people as much as they love the game of hating people.” A person is not an abstraction, nor is God. Possibly mindlessly, but definitely senselessly, trolls hurt real people. You may have heard the phrase: Hurt people hurt people. However damaged they are and whatever their motives may be, trolls and all bullies engage themselves in lose/lose behavior. As St. Ambrose shares: “No one heals himself by wounding another.” May we pray for trolls and live our own lives reverently, courageously—in crowds, online, and everywhere. Reverence lives with God and neighbor and with all that is sacred. Gary Hoffmann, the artist who painted my portrait which hangs in Ward Hall, told me that when he visited Yellowstone National Park and looked deeply into the dazzling flowers he painted, he burst into tears and asserted that he could never look at such beauty without coming to believe more deeply in God and without becoming overwhelmed with awe and filled with gratitude. Wendell Berry, the great educator, poet, novelist, essayist, environmental activist, and farmer, has written: There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places. Perhaps my love of this verse has something to do with my practice of ending the letters I write with the phrase: May God continue to bless you every sacred step of the way.
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So there he is in the painting, standing at the foot of the stairs, his hand on the newel post. It is a great portrait, capturing more of the subtleties of the Roosevelt personality than any ever done of him.
You careful readers will remember that Wendell Berry is quoted in our All School Read, Brave Companions, in the chapter about the deleterious effects of strip mining. I quote: We have lived by the assumption that what was good for us was good for the world...We have been wrong...we must learn to acknowledge that the creation is full of mystery; we will never entirely understand it. We must abandon arrogance and stand in awe. We must recover the sense of the majesty of creation, and the ability to be worshipful in its presence. I do not doubt that it is only on the condition of humility and reverence before the world that our species will be able to remain in it. Abandon arrogance. Stand in awe. Be humble and reverent. What great guiding principles! Right up there with love God, work hard, and take good care of one another. Our happiness, the future of the world, everything depends on reverence. In Mr. David McCullough’s brilliant introduction to Brave Companions, we find this gem: There is a story that goes with the painting of Theodore Roosevelt by John Singer Sargent that hangs in the White House. Sargent, it is said, had been waiting about the mansion for several days, hoping for a chance to see the president and talk to him about doing his portrait, when one morning the two met unexpectedly as Roosevelt was descending the stairway. When might there be a convenient time for the president to pose for him, Sargent asked. “Now!” said the president.
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And it’s a good story. Moments come and go, the president was telling the painter. Here is the time, seize it, do your best. Reverence calls for us to slow down, maybe even stop, to be silent, mindful, fully present to the moment. Let me give you a gift, a beautiful story about a private school teacher seizing one of those transcendent moments of awe which Milton celebrates. The teacher’s name is Frederick Buechner. He’s a 90 yearold Presbyterian minister and prolific author who has taught at Lawrenceville and Exeter. He titles this tale “Sunset.” I invite you to close your eyes and imagine this scene: Late one winter afternoon as I was walking to a class that I had to teach, I noticed the beginnings of what promised to be one of the great local sunsets. There was just the right kind of clouds and the sky was starting to burn and the bare trees were black as soot against it. When I got to the classroom, the lights were all on, of course, and the students were chattering, and I was just about to start things off when I thought of the sunset going on out there in the winter dusk, and on impulse, without warning, I snapped off the classroom lights. I am not sure that I ever had a happier impulse. The room faced west, so as soon as it went dark, everything disappeared except what we could see through the windows, and there it was—the entire sky on fire by then, like the end of the world or the beginning of the world. You might think that somebody would have said something. Teachers do not usually plunge their students into that kind of darkness, and you might have expected a wisecrack or two or at least the creaking of chairs as people turned around to see if the old bird had finally lost his mind. But the astonishing thing was that the silence was as complete as you can get in a room full of people, and we all sat there unmoving for as long as it took the extraordinary spectacle to fade slowly away.
For over twenty minutes nobody spoke a word. Nobody did anything. We just sat there in the near-dark and watched one day of our lives come to an end, and it is no immodesty to say that it was a great class because my only contribution was to snap off the lights and then hold my tongue. And I am not being sentimental about sunsets when I say that it was a great class because in a way the sunset was the least of it. What was great was the un-busyness of it. It was taking unlabeled, unallotted time just to look with maybe more than our eyes at what was wonderfully there to be looked at without any obligation to think any constructive thoughts about it or turn it into any useful purpose later, without any weapon at hand in the dark to kill the time it took. It was the sense too that we were not just ourselves individually looking out at the winter sky but that we were in some way also each other looking out at it. We were bound together there simply by the fact of our being human, by our splendid insignificance in face of what was going on out there through the window, and by our curious insignificance in face of what was going on in there in that classroom. The way this world works, people are very apt to use the words they speak not so much as a way of revealing but, rather, as a way of concealing who they really are and what they really think, and that is why more than a few moments of silence with people we do not know well are apt to make us so tense and uneasy. Stripped of our verbal camouflage, we feel unarmed against the world and vulnerable, so we start babbling about anything just to keep the silence at bay. But if we can bear to let it be, silence, of course, can be communion at a very deep level indeed, and that half hour of silence was precisely that, and perhaps that was the greatest part of all. Reverence. Carpe Diem. Stop. Look. Listen. Feel. Leave the cell phone at home once in a while. I have felt this way for a long time. I was teaching at a boarding school in New Hampshire in the 1980’s when the Sony Walkman became a reality. The boys I was coaching would enter the van for an away game with headphones on. “Take them off,” I demanded. “We’re one. We all listen to the same music in the same place at the same time.” When I saw a student walking across campus plugged into the Walkman, I stopped him and urged him to throw the contraption into the pond and listen to the sounds of the leaves rustling and the birds singing. “Don’t miss it,” I urged. “Don’t miss anything.” You’ll find reverence wherever you find the good, the true, and the beautiful. So what do we do with all of this business about reverence? I answer, let’s simply look at our Love God, work hard, and take good care of one another order of the day in newer, deeper ways.
Love God.
Revere our Creator. Bow before Him. Fear only Him. Seek to please Him. Strive to become ever more fully the best we can be in body, mind, and spirit and hope to wake up one day and realize that Thy will be done and My will be done are really one and the same.
“Reverence calls for us to slow down, maybe even stop, to be silent, mindful, fully present to the moment.” Work hard.
All work has dignity, and our work as scholars and athletes and artists and servants of the truth has tremendous dignity. As I shared on Friday, there are so very few people in the history of the world who have been blessed to be educated in such a great environment, one filled with great students from great families, governed by a most excellent board of trustees, supported by loyal alumni, organized in very small classes, inspired by very gifted educators, helped by devoted staff members, engaged in a fabulous, eminently rigorous curriculum and the most important mission of pursuing truth through faith and reason. May we throw our hearts and souls more respectfully, more reverently into every sacred moment of our work. With true reverence and dogged determination, may we resolve to ascend ever-rising peaks of excellence.
Take good care of one another.
As the resurrected Jesus commands Peter to prove his love for Him by feeding His sheep, we remind one another of our call to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor. I encourage you to look for reverence in your reading. Here are a few gems I’ve come across: Let parents bequeath to their children not riches, but the spirit of reverence. (Plato) Pursue some path, however narrow or crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. (Henry David Thoreau) Man’s true happiness is to live in hope of something to be won by him, reverence something to be worshipped by him, and love something to be cherished by him, forever. (John Ruskin) Ethics is nothing else than reverence for life. (Albert Schweitzer) As we have heard: “Moments come and go...Here is the time, seize it, do your best.” And may God continue to bless you and your loving families every sacred step of the way.
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Celebrating
On September 29, 1941, St. Sebastian’s held its first ever day of classes. Seventy-five years later, the School community celebrated this milestone anniversary with a three-day birthday party that kicked off with Founder’s Day on September 29, 2016 and culminated with the 75th Gala at the Fairmont Copley Plaza on October 1, 2016. WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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75TH CELEBRATION
DAY 1: SEPTEMBER 29, 2016
Founder’s Day 1
Seventy-five years—to the day—after St. Sebastian’s first opened its doors, the School held its inaugural Founder’s Day.
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he morning’s events included: an address from Senator Paul G. Kirk ’56, great nephew of the School’s founder, Cardinal William O’Connell; an alumni panel recounting tales of their days as Arrows; a Q & A session with Headmaster Burke, giving students the opportunity to ask questions of their choosing—from the origins of school traditions to his fondest memories; and an activity led by the senior class in which each student reflected on what he has loved most about his St. Sebastian’s experience. The morning concluded with the entire School community, as well as parents and alumni, gathering on the football field for the Mass of Saint Sebastian. This unprecedented event proved a wonderful way to honor and celebrate the School’s essence. Principal Celebrant, Fr. John Arens, was joined by several concelebrants, including alumni, a trustee and a former faculty member. Under the direction of Meyer Chambers, St. Sebastian’s Schola, Mass Ensemble, Faculty Chorus, and alumni provided the music, including an original piece,”Ode to St. Sebastian,” written by Chambers and containing all of the School’s one-word themes since the tradition was launched in 1996. As a memento of our Founder’s Day celebration, each student received a special 75th Anniversary medal (see pg. 24). The day’s events were capped off with a luncheon under a tent festively decorated in honor of the 75th Anniversary. 2
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75TH CELEBRATION
5
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3
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1} Mass of St. Sebastian on the football field. n 2} Steven Purpura ’21 and Nathan Piecyk ’20 participate in the historic School event. n 3} Students lead the procession before the Mass, followed by the concelebrants. n 4} St. Sebastian’s Schola and the Mass Ensemble. n 5} Alumni panel, consisting of Ed Kirk ’62, Mark Warner ’81, Dan Burke ’97, Charles Haley ’92, Peter McLaughlin ’55, and Ryan Fitzpatrick ’92, recounts tales of their days as Arrows. n 6} Students fill their plates at the luncheon. n 7} Fr. Kevin Hickey ’69, Fr. Philip McGaugh, Fr. John Paris, Msgr. Albert Contons, Fr. Michael Drea, Deacon Paul Coletti ’75, and Fr. John Arens.
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75TH CELEBRATION
FOUNDER’S DAY ADDRESS Senator Paul G. Kirk ’56 reflects on how the childhood of his great uncle, Cardinal William O’Connell, shaped our founder’s vision for St. Sebastian’s School
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t is my honor to be back among our St. Sebastian brotherhood on this—the first of three days of happy celebration of our School’s founding 75 years ago. This morning also begins a tradition of annual recognition and grateful remembrance— when in each coming year the St. Sebastian’s family will pause to thank God for our School’s beginning and for its Founder, William Cardinal O’Connell, and to pray for the continued success of its journey. In a selection from your All School Read assignment, Brave Companions, David McCullough offers a wise admonition by asking this question: “How can we know who we are and where we are going if we don’t know anything about where we have come from and what we have been through...?” In the few minutes we have together this morning, I will do my best to offer a response in the context of this Anniversary. History teaches that one’s heritage and destiny are often closely linked. So, it is important for all of us as sons of our own families to learn about our heritage and the contributions of our parents and grandparents who have shaped our lives. And it is equally important to be aware of the history and founding of institutions such as our school because—and you can mark my words—St. Sebastian’s is
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now and will forever be a part of your heritage, and it will just as surely shape your lives and guide your destiny. Institutions like ours are measured in the first instance by the vision of their founders and, subsequently, by whether their leaders, their faculty, their students and their graduates have adhered to that vision and lived its mission. The celebrated historian James Truslow Adams wrote: “There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living—and the other how to live.” For 75 years, St. Sebastian’s School—true to its Founder’s vision and its spiritual mission—continues to teach us that the purpose of life is to live a life of moral purpose. Your Headmaster, Bill Burke, as much as any of his predecessors, has shown a keen appreciation and respect for Cardinal O’Connell’s role in the advancement of Catholic education generally and for his vision for this school in particular. That respect is demonstrated first and most importantly by the daily spiritual guidance Mr. Burke provides for all in this church and to the St. Seb’s community at large. And he has demonstrated that respect by outward reminders as well: the Cardinal’s portrait in Ward Hall; the Cardinal O’Connell Society—a recognized level of giving to the school’s Annual Fund; the annual presentation of the “Founder’s Medal”; a replica of the Cardinal’s Coat of Arms, recently accepted by the school as a generous gift from my cousin, Michael Sullivan of the Class of 1967; and, this morning—at Mr. Burke’s initiative—the inaugural of an annual Founder’s Day at St. Sebastian’s School. And speaking for the Cardinal’s family, Bill, we are sincerely grateful.
75TH CELEBRATION
this first Founder’s Day assembly, I urge us to be particularly grateful “For for what has NOT changed. What has NOT changed are the three enduring elements that have sustained St. Sebastian’s and shaped the lives of our brotherhood for 75 years. They are: spirituality, scholarship and sport.
No history of the Archdiocese of Boston, no history of the Commonwealth of MA, and certainly no history of this school would be complete without an understanding of how and why Cardinal O’Connell used his office, power and influence to affect social, political and religious change in this Archdiocese and beyond. In introducing David McCullough last week, I mentioned his great ability to tell a story so that his readers or listeners might imagine themselves in the shoes of those who lived at another time. Now, trust me, I’m no David McCullough. So I need you all to use your imagination as I relate a brief version of the story of our Founder. William Henry O’Connell was the youngest of 11 children— six brothers and four sisters—seven of whom were born prior to the family’s emigration from County Cavan, Ireland in the 1850s in flight from that island’s devastating famine. His father and several of Will’s older siblings had worked in the textile mills in Ireland and found similar jobs in Lowell, MA, where young Will was born in 1859. His father died when Will was just 5 years old. In his autobiography, Cardinal O’Connell described his widowed mother as a woman of “spiritual influence and dignity.” With her husband’s death, she was left to suppress her own grief to ensure a home of joy for her 11 children. He conveys her image with a quality he would later choose as the inscription on his coat of arms as Archbishop of Boston, “Vigor in Arduis,” which you Latin scholars will recognize as meaning “strength in difficult times.” In the grammar schools of his youth, overt ethnic and religious discrimination was rampant, and young Will O’Connell saw it early and first hand. His teachers deliberately demeaned him and other students for their Irish heritage and openly ridiculed them for their Catholic religion. In the mills and other workplaces, the immigrant Irish and French Catholics who, typically, had the largest families and the greatest need, were purposely given the hardest jobs for the lowest pay. Rather than intimidate Will or make him feel inferior, that blatant bigotry served only to strengthen his pride in his Irish ethnicity and his devotion to his Catholic faith. It was during his high school years that he developed an appetite for learning and felt a quiet tug toward a vocation to the priesthood. He graduated with honors in the Boston College Class of 1881 and completed his seminary studies at the North American College in Rome. Following his ordination, Father O’Connell served first as a curate at St. Joseph’s Church in Medford and then at St. Joseph’s in Boston’s West End—later to be named Bishop and then the first Archbishop of Boston to be elevated to the College of Cardinals, he was the Senior U.S. Cardinal for almost a quarter-century. But it is not the seniority of his office or the length of his service that historians record as the lasting legacy of our Founder Father. That link between heritage and destiny to which I referred
”
Senator Paul Kirk ’56 addresses students and faculty on Founder’s Day.
earlier is evident in Cardinal O’Connell’s own life story. The experiences from his early school years—the social and economic injustice due to religious and ethnic prejudice—remained indelible. And because that prejudice still prevailed years later when he assumed the office of Archbishop of Boston, he was determined to do all within his power to eliminate it. James O’Toole, Professor of History at Boston College, in his biography of Cardinal O’Connell, entitled Militant and Triumphant, may have best described his success: For American Catholics in the early 20th Century,... emerging from the uncertainties of immigration and economic hard times, O’Connell ....helped transform their pre-occupation with discrimination ... into the confidence of self-assertion... From the days when job listings... could specify “no Irish need apply”— meaning by extension other Catholics as well— (he) unapologetically advanced his people toward the notion that they could apply anywhere, succeed anywhere… In his own times and on his own terms, O’Connell represented a standard of leadership in church and society that was aggressive and self-confident, an embodiment of the certainty he found at the heart of Catholicism.
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75TH CELEBRATION
Founder’s Day Memento
75th Anniversary Medal Following the Mass of Saint Sebastian, each student received a medal as a memento of our Founder’s Day celebration. The medal was blessed this summer by His Holiness Pope Francis to mark the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the founding of St. Sebastian’s School. We are grateful to Kevin ’72 and Kathleen Driscoll P’05,’09 who traveled to Rome with the medals to have them blessed. This is the second time our community has been fortunate to receive an item blessed by the Pope. In 1948, students received rosary beads blessed by His Holiness Pope Pius XII when the Headmaster, Monsignor Charles D. McInnis, made a pilgrimage to Rome.
“This medal is Liam’s most prized possession. He will not take it off, even wearing it under his hockey equipment. The fact that he appreciates this gift and loves it so much, says a lot about how he feels about his school.” — Lori Connors P’20
Central to the Cardinal’s determined strategy to attain respect for his congregation was the establishment, enhancement and propagation of Catholic education. The new parochial schools, Catholic High Schools, convents, and hospitals provided the springboard for the growing Catholic population to earn integration into the leadership ranks of the civic, commercial, professional, academic and religious of this community and beyond. The exemplar of excellence of Cardinal O’Connell’s campaign strategy would prove to be this very school. Seventy-five years ago on this date, September 29, 1941, at the direction of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, on a four-acre plot of land atop Nonantum Hill in Newton, an all-priest faculty opened the doors at St. Sebastian’s Country Day School to an all-male student body of 21 young men to begin their Catholic secondary education. It was less than three months before America declared its entry into World War II. Patriot as well as priest, the Cardinal consciously named our school to honor “the soldier saint,” the patron of soldiers and athletes. Recognizing the realities of the time, it would be a Day School that would keep the younger sons close to home as their fathers and older brothers would be called to war. It would be a school affordable to sons of average working families, whose graduates would go on to serve, as soldiers and athletes do, to worthy causes larger than themselves. It would espouse the highest ideals, set the highest academic and moral standards; and it would preserve and perpetuate its Catholic identity. During the next three days, we will rightly celebrate the many extraordinary changes St. Sebastian’s has undergone in its 75 years. But for this first Founder’s Day assembly, I urge us to be particularly grateful for what has NOT changed. What has NOT changed are the three enduring elements that have sustained St. Sebastian’s and shaped the lives of our brotherhood for 75 years. They are: spirituality, scholarship and sport. Spirituality: the nourishing of goodness in our hearts and souls; our belief in the power of faith, the power of prayer, the power of all Gospel values— conscious that above all of these is the power of love. Scholarship: improving our minds; developing our intellectual curiosity and knowledge and learning and reasoning and analytical thinking. Sport: strengthening our bodies and physical well-being; learning life’s lessons of teamwork, discipline and sacrifice, of leadership and character, of playing by the rules and serving causes larger than ourselves. These are the essential gifts of our shared heritage that will shape our lives forever. Permit me to close your history class for the week with the assurance that there will be no exam—only a request—that you make the most of these gifts in all the years ahead and take to heart the spirit of this prayer: Almighty God and our patron Saint, Sebastian, we ask your blessing upon our brotherhood this day and always. We give you thanks for this school and for its visionary Founder, William Henry Cardinal O’Connell, and for all who have inspired and continue to inspire and teach us to remain true to its mission which, we know, will forever be our heritage and for which, we pray, will ever guide our destiny. Amen. Thank you for this honor and I wish you all a Happy 75th Anniversary.
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75TH CELEBRATION
DAY 2: SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
75th Game Day
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undreds of students, parents, alumni and friends of St. Sebastian’s gathered on campus to cheer on our Arrows and to celebrate 75 years of athletics at St. Sebastian’s. 75th Game Day kicked off with a varsity soccer game followed by varsity football playing under the lights. Soccer won against BB&N 1-0 and football beat Middlesex 54-14. In spite of the rainy conditions, everyone enjoyed watching the games, shopping for 75th apparel and snacking on concessions.
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75TH CELEBRATION
DAY 3: OCTOBER 1, 2016
75th Anniversary Gala The culmination of St. Sebastian’s 75th Anniversary celebration was a black-tie gala at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. Almost 750 guests, including alumni, parents, past parents, grandparents and current and former faculty, were in attendance at the elegant affair to recognize the milestone anniversary.
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he highlight of the cocktail reception was the “living art” performances of our beloved stone and bronze statues of Saint Sebastian, which stood among the crowd and provided the perfect photo opportunity. The statues came to life when it was time to move guests into the ballroom for dinner and the program, adding flair and fun to the evening. Co-chair Mary Supple P’09,’10,’15 welcomed everyone in the packed ballroom and former faculty member Msgr. Albert Contons delivered a beautiful grace before guests enjoyed a delicious meal. The celebration continued following dinner, with Co-chair John McNamara ’81, P’14,’18 mentioning distinguished alumni in the crowd. He then introduced the 75thAnniversary short film, including highlights from the School’s 75-year history and featuring many of the extraordinary people who have been a part of St. Sebastian’s story. Afterwards, President of the Board, Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, read a letter from Cardinal Sean O’Malley, congratulating the St. Sebastian’s
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Community. Mr. Elcock continued by acknowledging Trustee Emeriti Brad Griffith ’58 and David Gately ’73, along with members of the Board of Visitors. Mary Supple introduced each of the remaining speakers, including: Senator Paul G. Kirk ’56, former Trustee; Henry Birmingham and Jack Doherty, members of the Class of 2017; Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne; Bill Evans ’77, P’17, Boston Police Commissioner; and Headmaster William Burke III P’95,’97,’00,’04. The spotlight shone on the speakers as they delivered poignant remarks from their seats throughout the ballroom, concluding with Headmaster Burke from the rostrum and Fr. John Arens with the closing prayer. The party wrapped up in the Oval Room as guests continued to celebrate on the dance floor. It was a spectacular and memorable evening for the St. Sebastian’s community. We are especially grateful to the 75th Anniversary Committee and many friends of the School who contributed their services in support of the celebration.
75TH CELEBRATION
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1} Headmaster Bill Burke and his wife, Patty. n 2} Former faculty member Monsignor Contons, delivers a heartfelt grace. n 3} Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne speaks about the generosity of our school community. n 4} The crowd applauds Mike Nerbonne, one of several standing ovations during the evening. n 5} “Living art” performances of our stone and bronze statues n 6} Bill Evans ’77, P’17, Boston Police Commissioner, speaks about how St. Sebastian’s changed the course of his life. n 7 and 8} Co-Chairs of the 75th Anniversary Committee, Mary Supple P’09,’10,’15 and John McNamara ’81,P’14,’18, address the packed ballroom. WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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75TH CELEBRATION
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“This evening alone is a true testament to the strength, vibrancy and relevancy of St. Sebastian’s.” —Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, President, Board of Trustees
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1} Jack Doherty ’17, Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne and Henry Birmingham ’17. n 2} Gil Carney ’70, Paul True ’68, Ted Curtin ’70 and Joe Duffey ’70. n 3} Eileen and Kevin ’74 White P’08, Mary Conner and Dan Driscoll ’08. n 4} Headmaster Bill Burke with Meg Gately and David Gately ’73, Trustee Emeritus. n 5} Paige Redwood and Kyle White ’09. n 6} Jim ’77 and Nancy Boyle, Chris and Ellenann Haughey P’12, and Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, President of the Board.
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75TH CELEBRATION
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“I believe that the world is a much, much better place over these last 75 years, because of St. Sebastian’s. And I suspect each of you does as well.” —Mary Supple P’09,’10,’15, 75th Anniversary Co-Chair
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7} Marcia Hueber and Trustee John Hueber ’71. n 8} Stephen Ward ’96 with his mother, Eileen Ward, and his wife, Roberta. n 9} Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, President of the Board, Julie Krieg and Tucker Elcock ’07. n 10} 2012 Classmates M.J. Muldowney, Austin Franchi, Tommy Allen and Chris Stadtler. n 11} Rebecca Sullivan and Dean of Students Brendan Sullivan with Mike and Jean Lynch. n 12} Standing: Scott and Patty Lutch P’08,’16 and Sean and Faith Chrisom ’08; seated: Bob and Nancy Garland P’08, Charlie ’62 and Laura Tangerini P’07,’08 and Lynn and Bob ’77 Donovan P’08.
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75TH CELEBRATION
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“Thanks to all of you in this room for being the models of selfless generosity in my life, and in the lives of so many others in our school family.” — Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne 4
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1} Harry Maxwell ’08 and Dale Anderson ’06. n 2} Doris Barlow Lanigan P’60, Penny Reilly P’77 and Bill Evans ’77, P’17, Boston Police Commissioner. n 3} Kathy and John ’65 Galligan. n 4} Tom ’91 and Lauren Cronin and Suzann and Todd ’91 Proia P’22 pose with Saint Sebastian. n 5} Headmaster Bill Burke (center) with 2010 Classmates John Vanasse, Andrew Phillips, Will Connolly, Tom Harrington and Conor Dillon. n 6} Paul McAuliffe ’86, P’16 and Ted McAuliffe ’81 with Joe Lawler ’81 and Andy McAuliffe ’48, P’75,’78,’79,’81,’86, GP’15,’16,’21.
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75TH CELEBRATION
“Every soul who has graced the grounds in Newton and Needham, this great chance of life we’ve all been given... I thank You, God, for all!” — Headmaster William L. Burke III
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7} Janet and Randy Seidl P’17,’19, Steve Kearney P’14 and Bob and Debbie Reardon P’15. n 8} Susan Smith P’07,’09 and Beverly and Joe Gray GP'07. n 9} Susan and Charlie Wagner P’19 and Kara Gotham P’20. n 10} Kathleen Elcock with her son, Billy Elcock ’08, and Donna Sullivan Peck P’07,’10. n 11} Terry and Kathy Kennedy P’93,’98 with Bob ’98 and Geneva Kennedy. n 12} Holly and Dave Wilbur with Tim and Paula Coskren P’00,’01,’04,’05.
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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Headmaster’s Leadership Reception The Headmaster’s Leadership Reception on September 22 brought together more than 150 current and past parents, grandparents, alumni and friends to recognize and celebrate Leadership donors for their tremendous, continued support of the Annual Fund for St. Sebastian’s School. Headmaster Burke expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the many contributions from the St. Sebastian’s community which continues to give so generously in support of our School’s noble mission.
Dave Dombrowski P’18, President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox, delivered the keynote address.
21st Annual Boston Business Breakfast
From left: Andrew and Kristina Hatem P’20 with Catherine and Richard Farinacci P’20.
Current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends of St. Sebastian’s gathered at the Boston College Club for the 21st annual Boston Business Breakfast on November 22. President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox, Dave Dombrowski P’18, delivered the keynote address. Dombrowski shared his assessment of the Red Sox season and post-season run, complete with a breakdown of the current roster and a few of the organization’s goals during the off-season.
HOMECOMING 2016 Alumni, students, parents and faculty gathered October 15 to celebrate St. Sebastian’s Homecoming and to cheer on the varsity football and soccer teams. St. Sebastian’s campus was packed with people enjoying the sporting events, food, and fun activities for the younger fans. Prior to the games, Headmaster Bill Burke welcomed our guests from Belmont Hill and Lawrence Academy, and then turned the microphone over to the Arrowheads who sang the National Anthem. Varsity soccer squared off against an undefeated Belmont Hill team in an important match, winning 1-0. Varsity football dominated in the first half, but ultimately absorbed a loss in the final minute against a formidable Lawrence Academy team. The amazing effort and sportsmanship showcased by all of our athletes was truly the centerpiece of a fabulous Homecoming weekend. .
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Students gathered around the fields to cheer on their fellow Arrows.
From top to bottom, left to right: Auction Co-Chairs Anna LeBlanc P’19 and Chris Dailey P’19. n Parents hold up their bid cards during the Live Auction. n Silent auction items included autographed sports memorabilia. n Premium Board Auctioneers John Merageas P’21, Marty Kane ’84, P’22, Brian McKenzie P’18,’20, and Shaun Real P’13,’19. n Acquisitions Co-Chairs Julie Mulvey P’17,’21 and Grace White P’18,’22 n Cynthia Cain P’17, Guild of St. Irene President Lucy Kapples P’16,’18, Elizabeth Derenzo P’20, Kathleen Ix P’22 and Maureen Flynn P’22.
A Festive Christmas
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ore than 380 parents and other members of the St. Sebastian’s community attended the annual Christmas Auction & Dinner at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, December 3, 2016. It was a festive evening that brought everyone together at this exciting venue, raising more than $380,000 in support of St. Sebastian’s. The event featured a silent and live auction that showcased hundreds of items ranging from a St. Sebastian’s Vespa, to premier vacation getaways and career shadowing opportunities. Bidding went long into the night, with funds going to support the School and its community, as well as supplemental educational expenses for our financially deserving students. Donors placed bids
Auction at Gillette
from their phones and at the Premium Board (a mini live auction), with the football field as the backdrop. St. Sebastian’s would like to thank all those who contributed to making this evening a tremendous success, from the donors, sponsors and advertisers to those who attended and bid. We are especially grateful to the more than 100 mothers who gave their time, talents, and resources as part of the Guild of St. Irene Auction Committee. A special thank you goes out to this year’s Auction Co-Chairs Chris Dailey P’19 and Anna LeBlanc P’19, and Guild of St. Irene President Lucy Kapples P’16,’18. Thank you as well to Men’s Association President Michael Muldowney P’12,’16,’22 and fellow Premium Board Auctioneers, Marty Kane ’84, P’22, Brian McKenzie P’18,’20, John Merageas P’21, and Shaun Real P’13,’19.13
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FINE ARTS
CREATIVE COLLAGES Students in the AP Photography class, led by teacher Courtney Bent, took a break from the darkroom to shoot in color and create photo collages inspired by the work of David Hockney. An important contributor to the 1960s Pop Art movement, Hockney experimented with photography in the 1970s, creating his famous photo collages with Polaroids and snapshot prints arranged in a grid formation.
AT THE POTTER’S WHEEL
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MUSICAL TALENT The musicians at St. Sebastian’s had an
opportunity to shine during the annual Christmas Program on December 16. From traditional hymns to upbeat holiday tunes, the School community was entertained by outstanding performances from the St. Sebastian’s Schola, the Arrowheads, the Jazz Band and the Rock Ensemble.
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I realized, in this class, that it was not creativity I had lacked before but just the proper medium to express it. Before mediums like paper defined if I was creative, but I realized that in fact art and creativity come in many forms. You don’t have to be skilled at drawing and painting to be an artist. There are many forms of art whether it be ceramics, music, and studio art which our school provides and I feel like within those everyone can find something they enjoy.
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—Joe Hunt ’17 (Senior Chapel Speech)
FINE ARTS FALL DRAMA PRODUCTION
Treasure
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The Slings & Arrows Players of St. Sebastian’s School, together with students from Montrose School, took to the stage on November 4 and 5, 2016, performing Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” in Ward Hall. Director Mark Rogers utilized a projector as part of the set in order to create a seaside atmosphere for the play. The acting, stage design, wardrobe, and sound were all tremendous. The cast and crew did a fantastic job bringing Stevenson’s pirate adventure to life!
FALL SPORTS
Thomas Seidl ’17 breaks away from a defender and gains momentum.
Varsity Football BY COACH DAN BURKE Coming off of a 5-3 2015 season with many returning starters, the 2016 Arrows football team had high hopes for this season. At the same time, we knew that the five other teams in the ISL 6 were as talented as they have ever been. In order to equal or to improve upon the record from last season, the Arrows needed to minimize mistakes and have some bounces go their way against those opponents. Leading or tied at halftime in four out of five of games and trailing by only one point in the other, the Arrows were clearly competitive against the best in the ISL. Unfortunately, despite outstanding effort and attitude led by the seniors on the team, the Arrows were not able to hang on for victories against the top teams, none of whom committed a turnover against the Arrows. While the 3-5 record was disappointing, the
team remained together and motivated throughout, a credit to the outstanding leadership from the Class of 2017. The season opened for the Arrows with a trip out to Berkshire School for a non-league contest. The Arrows played a dominant game on both sides of the ball, starting the scoring early when wide receiver Jack Frisoli ’17 broke off a 65yard touchdown run down the sideline on the Arrows’ second offensive play of the game. After Pat Reed ’17 intercepted a Berkshire pass on the ensuing possession, running back Brian Craven ’18 displayed the explosiveness of the Arrows’ offense again, scoring on a 45yard run on the first play of the second drive. Tommy Seidl ’17 then added a 36yard touchdown run to bring the score to 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Arrows never looked back from that point on, adding two more rushing touchdowns by Seidl and Jimmy McCabe ’17 and a touchdown reception by Bryce Gallagher ’19, resulting in a 42-6 victory and a 1-0 start for the Arrows.
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Game two for the Arrows was their home opener against Middlesex in a Friday night game under the lights in Needham. The Arrows scored eight times in the lopsided contest. Captain Tommy Seidl added his 4th, 5th, and 6th rushing touchdowns of the season, his brother Billy ’19 scored his first rushing touchdown of his career, and Timmy Noone ’19 also tallied the first score of his career. The Arrows also scored twice on defense and once on special teams: Jack Frisoli ’17 returned a punt and an interception for touchdowns, and linebacker Thomas Hovsepian ’17 also tallied a pick six. After the 54-14 victory over Middlesex, the Arrows headed into the tough stretch of their schedule, starting with a game against Belmont Hill. The Arrows took a lead into the halftime in Belmont, but the lead vanished quickly in the second half when Belmont Hill returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. In a tough battle back and forth the rest of the way, Belmont Hill emerged victorious 29-19. Now 2-1, the Arrows hosted Lawrence Academy at Homecoming in a game that many in attendance referred to as one of the best high school games they had ever seen. Lawrence Academy was heavily favored in the game, but the Arrows did not play like underdogs, dominating early and maintaining a lead until the waning minutes of the game. The Seidl brothers teamed up for the majority of the scoring on the day, with Tommy ’17 rushing for a touchdown, passing for another, and receiving two touchdown passes from his younger brother Billy, who finished the day throwing for 338 yards. The Arrows’ defense played well all day against the explosive Lawrence Academy offense, but could not hold on for the victory in the end as the Spartans completed a long pass up the sideline before scoring two plays later on their final drive of the game to take the 34-28 victory. Coming off that tough loss, the 2-2 Arrows hosted Governor’s Academy
FALL SPORTS
before travelling to Milton Academy the next weekend. In each game, the Arrows scored first in defensive first half battles, only for their opponents to respond with scores of their own on the next possession. Both games remained tight until the end, but the Arrows’ opponents won the turnover battle and the game in each case, as the Arrows fell to 2-4. The 4-2 BB&N Knights were next up for the Arrows who now could only
play spoiler to their opponent’s ISL title and playoff hopes. Despite the losses that preceded, the Arrows came out to compete and win in this contest. Against the eventual ISL and NEPSAC Championship winners, the Arrows came out firing and controlling the play in the first half. A touchdown run by Billy Seidl ’19 and a touchdown pass from Seidl to classmate Bryce Gallagher gave the Arrows a 14-7 lead heading into halftime.
CLOCKWISE: Jack Frisoli ’17 catches a long pass for a touchdown; Blake Gallagher ’17 carries the rock between the tackles; the Arrows swarm the opposing ball carrier.
Unfortunately, as was the case in the other losses, Arrows’ turnovers and few mistakes from their opponent made for a much different second half. The Arrows ultimately fell to the Knights by a score of 34-14 in a game much closer than the score would let on. After their fifth consecutive heartbreaking loss in a row, the Arrows needed to dig deep, keep their heads up, and continue to practice hard in preparation for their final game of the season against Thayer Academy. Coach Souza always urges the underclassmen to work their hardest to send the senior class off well in the final game of the season, but it was the senior class who made a statement to the underclassmen in their final game. There was no sulking at any point in the season, and the Arrows went out in their final game to compete as if they were playing for a championship. Senior captains Tommy Seidl and Blake Gallagher each ran for touchdowns and Gallagher continued to lead the defensive effort as he had throughout the season as the team’s leading tackler. Classmate Jack Frisoli received touchdown passes from each of the Seidl brothers and also contributed a punt return for a touchdown to cap off an outstanding career for the Arrows. Senior kicker Bryan O’Donnell finished the day 3 for 3 on extra points, and junior safety Jack Browne contributed to the defensive effort with the first two interceptions of his career on the way to a 40-7 Arrows’ victory. While the final record was not what the Arrows had hoped for, the effort, attitude, and commitment from the team and particularly the senior class made the season a success. Captains Blake Gallagher, Pat Reed, and Tommy Seidl led the way vocally and on the field, and they and the entire Class of 2017 will be missed next year. The coaching staff would like to thank them and the entire team and their parents for the commitment and contributions to the St. Sebastian’s football program.
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FALL SPORTS
LEFT: Kyle McCarthy ’17 prepares to pass the ball to his co-captain, Adama Kaba ’17. RIGHT: Ibrahim Kaba ’18 slide tackles the opponent to disrupt their breakaway opportunity.
Varsity Soccer BY COACH RICHARD CONNOLLY Last year, we gave you the first five-game winning streak in Seb’s soccer history, and we rode that end-of-season momentum to finish 2016 with the first winning record (8-7-2) for the program since 2011, highlighted, for most any Seb’s supporter, by a 1-0 Homecoming win over previously unbeaten and tournament-bound Belmont Hill, the first time varsity soccer had beaten the Hillies in five years. In the end, we finished 1-5-1 against New England tournament qualifiers. Although there is work to be done, with a 4-2-0 record against Class A schools, this year’s Arrows have instilled hope where there once was doubt, and we look forward to continuing the legacy that Class of 2017 footballers have helped create. What’s more, with the JV team, led by coaches Joe Cressotti and Ryan Moore, posting a 7-7-0 record, and the freshman
squad, guided by Stefan Cressotti and Olivia Uhlman, going 9-4-3, Seb’s soccer went 24-18-5 across all high school levels, and with quality coaching in the middle school from Steve Dadigian, Adam Andrew, Chris Lynch, and Tom Harrington, the lower ranks will surely bolster the program for years to come. Captains Raffi Barsamian ’17 and Adama Kaba ’17, along with Soree Kaba ’18, earned All-League Honors, with Raffi and Adama chosen to play in the New England Senior All-Star game, and Soree invited to play in the hyper-competitive Junior All-Star Game. Cole Jarzcyk ’17 was given the Peter Kerr award for sportsmanship, dedication to the team, and commitment to the soccer program. Of note, tri-captains Kyle McCarthy ’17, Raffi, and Adama, along with Parker Joyce ’17, completed four-year careers with the varsity program. After a pre-season trip to Camp Lenox, where the boys go without the coaches, and where both legends and legendary tales seem to be made, the team started its
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’16 campaign against Worcester Academy, who went 19-2 and reached the Class A final. Despite the efforts of our stout backline, led by Seamus Noonan ’17 and Michael Ragnoni ’17, we lost 2-0, but the game showed us we could run with anyone in New England. Next, a 2-1 win over Tabor, who will be joining the ISL next year, was followed by a tough 1-0 loss in the league opener at Class B semifinalist Nobles, who scored a late goal and then saved a penalty kick. In what was probably (and fortunately, being so early) the nadir of our season, we dropped a 2-1 decision at Rivers, with Vito Palombella ’17 deftly assisting Soree for the lone strike, but we rebounded with a 1-0 win on the 75th Anniversary Game Day over BB&N. Jared Price ’19 scored in a 1-0 win over Governor’s, and then the team dropped a heart-breaker to defending Class A champ Milton, who scored in the 87th minute for the 1-0 win. Next, we got our doors blown off by star-studded and Class-B finalist Brooks, but used an extra day of practice to get
FALL SPORTS
ready for that win over Belmont Hill, with Adama unleashing the game-winner in the 53rd minute and Will Kiley ’18 securing the shutout. In a game that still haunts most of us, we lost 5-0 to Lawrence, despite controlling play for most of the game. Patrick Mulrenan ’17 converted a wunderstrike from 40 yards out in a 1-1 tie at Class B quarterfinalist Middlesex. And just when we thought the Lawrence game would be the strangest on record, we ran up against a defensive-minded St. Mark’s team, who used a breakaway and a corner kick to win 2-0, despite Seb’s taking close to 40 shots, putting 12 on frame, staggering numbers at any level of soccer. Price and Barsamian both scored, and Pete Rowe ’17 was dangerous all day, in a 2-1 win over St. George’s, and Adama netted two as we topped St. Paul’s 2-1, and then Soree, Price, Pat Barron ’18, and Adama all converted to earn a 4-1 decision against Groton. That’s three come-from-behind victories in a row, a feat that’s a lot harder than it sounds. A 1-1 tie to feisty Roxbury Latin put the team at 7-7-2 with one game left.
Adama made quick work against Thayer, scoring two goals in the first five minutes before eventually earning a hat trick and setting up Stevie Karol ’17 in the 4-0 drubbing. The coaches and underclassmen want to thank our seniors: Raffi Barsamian, Michael Hartman, Cole Jarzcyk, Parker Joyce, Adama Kaba, Stevie Karol, Johnny McCarthy, Kyle McCarthy, Patrick Mulrenan,Vito Palombella, Seamus Noonan, Michael Ragnoni, and Peter Rowe. Each of these boys leaves a mark on the St. Sebastian’s soccer program and will be missed. The entire team stands in awe of the work ethic and professionalism of our three managers: Trevor Yandow (two-year stud), Blake Hailer, and Jake O’Neil. Without a doubt, we had the best managerial staff in the league, across all sports, and these three guys leave impossibly big shoes to fill. 2017 captains-elect are Soree Kaba, Tim Kiley, Will Kiley, and Peter Kilmartin. These four seniors join four more of their classmates to lead a returning squad of 13 players, hungry to keep getting better.
FALL ATHLETIC AWARDS The following student-athletes were recognized for their performance during the fall season at an Athletic Awards Assembly on November 29:
FOOTBALL All League ISL
Blake Gallagher ’17 Tom Seidl ’17 Jack Frisoli ’17 Patrick Reed ’17
Honorable Mention All League ISL Will Roche ’17 Mike Connolly ’17 Bryce Gallagher ’19 Jonathan Pace ’18
Ennis Award
Presented to a senior who displays the qualities of commitment, teamwork, and dedication to the football program. Thomas Hovsepian ’17 Jackson McKeigue ’17
Big Hit Award
Presented to the player who makes a positive impact on our opponents. Blake Gallagher ’17
SOCCER All League ISL
Raffi Barsamian ’17 Adama Kaba ’17 Ibrahim Kaba ’18
Peter Kerr Award
Presented to the soccer player who displays sportsmanship, dedication, and commitment to the soccer program. Cole Jarczyk ’17 LEFT: Patrick Mulrenan ’17 heads the ball out of the Arrows’ end of the field. RIGHT: Raffi Barsamian ’17 outruns a defender on his scoring chance. WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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FALL SPORTS
LEFT: Kevin Moore ’17 finishes the Homecoming race with everything he’s got. RIGHT: Luke Jones ’17 narrowly maintains his lead over his opponents.
Varsity Cross Country BY MARTY WHITE ’18 Cross country can be a grueling sport. During the 3.1 mile race, there are long stretches in the woods where there is no one cheering you on, and it can be hard to find the drive to keep up your pace and move through the pain. However, the 2016 cross country team was resilient and found the stamina to run their hardest in every race. The four seniors on the team provided strong leadership and inspiration for the younger members of the team. Captain Kevin Moore ’17, who was consistently our top runner, kept practices focused and led the team by example. A varsity runner since freshman year, Moore set the record at our home course, Caryl Park, during his sophomore year and then broke it again as a junior. Luke Jones ’17, another four year varsity runner, was typically in the top two for the Arrows. He could always be counted on to help his teammates push through tough practices and races. Thomas Wasynczuk ’17 ran last year, but suffered a season ending
injury early on. He came back this season, ready to pick up where he left off and was a consistent contributor to the team. Although this was the first season for Michael Finucane ’17, he figured it out quickly and found a place in the top five. Only the top five runners score on a cross country team. However, the top five can change from race to race depending on the team. In addition to the four seniors, Daniel Borah ’18, Royce Abel ’18, and Marty White ’18 were often in the top five and could always be counted on to help out the team if it was needed. Whether they came in third or seventh for St. Sebastian’s, their presence was necessary to ensure that the team was successful in any given race. With only eleven runners, the contributions of every team member counted. Thomas Olson ’18 always gave his best effort, even when it was most painful. Rather than just getting through the hills, Anthony Perez ’19 ran harder in an effort to pass others who might slow down on them. He also finished each race strongly; people were unable to pass him simply because he had the will to keep running. Will Coyne ’18 and Jack Randall ’18 were always committed to improving their times, making great gains over the course of the season.
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Always a highlight of the season, the Homecoming race on October 14 was incredible. In typical Seb’s fashion, dozens of Arrows fans lined the course to support their brothers. “Henry’s Corner” could be heard cheering loudly from a quarter mile away, and it definitely helped, as we managed to run a strong race against an impressive Nobles team. Although the team came in 12th at the ISL Championships, each runner put their best foot forward and several received personal bests despite the tough uphill course at Groton. This is a reflection of the team’s improvement over the course of the season, as well as great coaching. Coach Ryan and Coach Beaule prepared us over the course of the entire season so that we would peak at ISLs. Whether it was intervals, adventure runs or long distance runs, each workout the coaches guided us through brought us to our end goal. They reminded us constantly that we needed to work hard in order to succeed. We placed 9th out of 22 teams at New England’s thanks to all the work put in by everyone involved with the team. We will miss the seniors next year, but also look forward to building on this season’s achievements and watching the younger runners continue to improve.
Archive
A blog celebrating 75 years of
The Arrows Archive Blog takes a look
back at the many extraordinary people and stories that have been a part of this great School over the past 75 years. The weekly posts provide a little bit of everything, ranging from informative to nostalgic and entertaining! We hope our alumni and other members of our community enjoy these snapshots of St. Sebastian’s history—not just photos and memorabilia, but precious memories that will be captured for future generations of Arrows.
Check out the blog and subscribe to receive notifications of future posts:
www.arrowsarchive.org
WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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R E N
6 1 20
IN D I
N M U
AL
HONORING
Dan Williams ’64 Alumnus, teacher, coach and friend
Top to bottom, left to right: Headmaster Bill Burke congratulates Dan Williams ’64 on his retirement. n Dan with his two daughters, Ashley Williams (left) and Louisa West, his wife, Joyce, and son-in-law David West. n Three of St. Sebastian’s “greats”: Henry Lane ’49, Dan Williams ’64 and Jack Doherty ’62.
S
t. Sebastian’s hosted its annual Alumni Dinner on October 27, welcoming many Arrows back to campus to celebrate and honor alumnus, teacher, coach, and friend, Dan Williams ’64. Dan’s days as an Arrow date back to the fall of 1958 when he arrived on campus as a 7th grader. He was actively involved as a student, participating in Varsity Hockey’s 36-game winning streak from the 1960 through 1962 seasons and captaining the 1963-64 team. He served as Vice-President in his junior year and then as Class Treasurer as a senior. After graduating from Boston College in 1968, Dan returned to St.
Sebastian’s to help coach hockey and ultimately joined the faculty, teaching History and Geography to almost five decades of Arrows. In addition to being a beloved teacher, he was a very successful coach, leading the Golf team to ISL championships in ’83, ’85, ’93, ’94, and ’96. He also coached the Varsity Hockey Team to ISL titles in ’92 and ’93. Dan retired from teaching at the end of last school year. During the program, guests enjoyed a slideshow depicting Dan’s time at St. Sebastian’s. Alumni Association President Tim Doherty ’87 shared some of his fondest memories of Dan and then turned the microphone over to Henry Lane ’49.
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Henry, having witnessed some of Dan’s first experiences at St. Sebastian’s, told a few entertaining stories about the “gentle giant,” noting Dan’s dry wit and his success as a coach. Headmaster Bill Burke spoke next, continuing the program by sharing his own reflections on Dan. Finally, Dan took the podium to address the crowd. The lifelong Arrow thanked everyone for the wonderful memories and said that he would treasure them forever. Thank you, Dan Williams, for your 48 years of dedicated service to the St. Sebastian’s Community.
A Lifelong Arrow From 7th grade in 1958
to retirement in 2016
#75reasons
Be a part of our #75reasons to be thankful for St. Sebastian’s School! In honor of our 75th anniversary, we’ll be collecting at least 75 unique reasons why members of our community love St. Sebastian’s. We hope to gather responses from across the decades. Throughout our website, and on our social media channels, we’ll be sharing people’s responses tagged #75reasons.
We want to hear from YOU! Share your reason online at:
www.stsebs.org/75reasons
WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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ALUMNI
EVENTS
N.Y.C. RECEPTION
D.C. RECEPTION
LEFT: Alumni gathered with the Class of 2018—who were in the midst of their Junior Class Trip to the Capital—at the Washington, D.C. Reception at the Key Bridge Marriott. The reception was attended by a large group of Arrows who live and work in the Capital area. Photo (l-r): Bob Shue ’75, John Reintjes ’63 and John McCarthy ’65 enjoying “Arrow” stories. ABOVE: Headmaster Burke and staff headed north to New York City where they visited with several alumni during the afternoon and attended the annual New York Reception which was hosted at the Yale Club by Vin Gandolfo ’73 and Trustee Mark O’Friel ’79. Photo (l-r): David Gately ’73, Bill Ablondi ’73 and Biff Harney ’69 enjoying the reception.
ALUMNI SPORTS DAY Around 30 Arrows turned up to compete in basketball and hockey with their fellow St. Sebastian’s brothers at our annual Alumni Sports Day. Alumni ranged in age and class year, but that did not stop them from engaging in fun and friendly competition. After the hockey game, several families took advantage of the open ice and enjoyed the rink.
YEARBOOK RECEPTION The Class of 2016 returned to St. Sebastian’s for the annual Yearbook Reception. Our most recent alumni received their copy of the yearbook, which was dedicated to history faculty member and varsity hockey coach Jed Doherty ’86, and spent the afternoon reminiscing with former classmates and catching up with faculty. The alumni were then presented with the Class of 2016 plaque, which will be installed in Alumni Hall and join the previous classes of St. Sebastian’s School.
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REUNION 2017 MAY 19 & 20
If you are a member of a St. Sebastian’s class ending in 2 or 7, mark your calendar for Reunion weekend. New this year, join us for a Reunion golf outing on Friday morning, May 19. If you would like to be involved in the Reunion planning, please contact your class agent. We can’t wait to see you in May! Register online at: www.stsebs.org/reunion Sign up by March 15 and save $10 on the Clambake. WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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CLASS NOTES
Notes & Announcements from Arrows Alumni
1950
John J. Gazzola has been a Eucharistic Minister for 28 years. Joseph Shea writes: “Anne and I have moved to a retirement complex—all services provided. Anne says she has officially retired now. Hope to make one more trip to Needham someday— love to all.”
1952
Dr. James A. Benjamin shares: “My daughter, Bridget, ran in and completed the Marine Corps Marathon, in Washington, D.C. in October. In so doing she raised over $1,000 for veterans. Bridget is CG Auxiliary.” (see photo)
1954
Ed Donaghy reports: “Hello, Classmates of 1954. A few pix of my family here in the Sacramento Area (see photos). Proud to call myself one of the 37% of US Catholics who voted for the only qualified Candidate. Ski season is starting! Get in touch. Love to see where your life has led, and I’m glad to share.”
1954
1959
1956
1961
Joe Ferrone writes: “This must be the time when most of us who are lucky enough to be here are coming close to 80 years of age as did I in July. In attendance at the party were classmates Mark Gallagher and Peter Volante who became octogenarians a few months later. Retirement from my medical practice has given my wife and I time to visit and be with our six children and nine grandchildren, one of whom is expected to start in the 7th grade next fall.”
Mike Kenslea hosted Ed Davis ’65, Director of Alumni Programs, and 1956 Class Agent, Pete Ablondi, at the Portsmouth (NH) Athenaeum where Mike is a Director and Chairperson of the Admissions Committee and Pete is a Trustee and past-President of the Athenaeum Society of Wilbraham. They were happy to be able to talk shop and also to reconnect with Larry Connell ’54 over lunch.
Corky Cronin reports: “We recently conducted a demographic survey of the Great Class of 1959; very brief, quite unscientific. One third responded, 9 out of the 30 emailed.” Survey results were: 1.) Most enduring marriage reached 54 years this month 2.) One third still have full time jobs 3.) They have 33 grandchildren 4.) Our most successful weight manager actually is 10 lbs. less than his graduation weight
Kevin McCullough writes: “Since moving back to Massachusetts 10 plus years ago, I have been providing management consulting services to livestock, meat packing, and refrigerated logistics to clients primarily in the west where I managed meat packing, trucking and petroleum drilling operations.”
’54
’52 From left to right: Bridget, daughter of Dr. James A. Benjamin ’52, completed the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30, 2016. n Ed Donaghy ’54 enjoying the outdoors in his home state of California. n Ed’s family, including his grandchildren, gathers around the table.
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CLASS NOTES
1965
John McCarthy writes: “Special hello to my classmates from the Class of ’65. It was so good seeing everyone in 2015. My wife, Peggy, and I continue to live in Maryland just outside of D.C.”
’67
1966
John Ready shares: “Still see the old gang two or three times a year. Great times, great memories. Best to everyone.”
1967
Planning for the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1967 continues. A group including Mark Whittemore, Chris Kelly, Phil Quinn, Larry Kidney, Andy DeMambro, Bob Bianchi (who was visiting from eastern Washington where he is a prison warden!) and Chip O’Hare met recently over golf and dinner to discuss plans and to renew old friendships (see photo). Mike Bucciero, Michael Power, Fred Smith, Jim Connell, Phil Tracy, Joe Stivaletta, Jim Freedman and Mark Donahue have also surfaced and hope to be in attendance in May. Paul Cozza has moved permanently to hill country in Texas and doesn’t expect to attend, but sends his regards. Phil Tracy and Chip O’Hare played golf recently with Jack Sullivan ’66 and Ed Kenny ’66 who gave tips on how to run a successful 50th. Plans tentatively include a golf outing and dinner on Thursday, May 18, the 50th Reunion dinner on Friday, May 19, and general Reunion events and clambake on Saturday, May 20. The committee is attempting to locate several missing classmates last seen at graduation on Nonantum Hill!
’65 From top to bottom, left to right: On October 7, 2016, Chip O’Hare hosted the 1967 Reunion Committee at the Kittansett Golf Club. From left: Larry Kidney, Andy DeMambro, Chip O’Hare, Chris Kelly, Phil Quinn, Mark Whittemore and Ed Davis. n Ed Davis ’65 and wife Toni have seven grandchildren ranging from 2 to 19 years of age. Two of them, Skyler (5) and Meadow Rose (2) are pictured with Papa and Frosty, who did not come alive when they put the olde felt hat on his head. n Mike Bucciero ’67, Ed Davis ’65, and Paul Maloof ’68 recently met for dinner in Washington, D.C. Mike will be celebrating his 50th St. Sebastian’s Reunion in May of 2017 and Paul will celebrate his in May of 2018.
WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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CLASS NOTES
1970 Lahey’s Emergency Center Named In Honor of Joseph Corkery, MD ’65
Joe Abely and a partner, Dave Duval, have formed Club Board Professionals, a strategic financial consulting and training firm which assists private clubs in achieving excellence in three areas: financial sustainability, membership satisfaction and exemplary governance.
1989
After five years living in London, England, Peter O’Malley has just moved to South Korea to take a position as senior manager in the retail learning and development department of Samsung Mobile Communications in Suwon. Peter says: “I’ll be working on sales and leadership training, as well as culture management, and eagerly expect to be logging many frequent flyer miles over the two years of my contract. Hope all is well in Needham.”
L
ahey Hospital & Medical Center has named its new Emergency Center in honor of Joseph Corkery, MD, one of our esteemed alums from the Class of 1965. Lahey held a special event on September 26, 2016, to celebrate the new center, which will open its doors in February 2017. Dr. Corkery began thinking about becoming a doctor when he was just four years old. With encouragement from his father, and gently pointed in that direction by St. Sebastian’s physics teacher, Fr. Harrington, he worked hard as a student to pursue his dream. Following St. Sebastian’s, he attended Boston College and then Harvard Medical School. Dr. Corkery has been an internist at Lahey for more than three decades. Within a year of his arrival in 1983, he was named Chairman of the Department of General Medicine. During his 20-year tenure, he oversaw the growth of the department from six to 50 physicians and established an internal medicine training program. In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Corkery serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Philanthropy at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, where he is a passionate advocate for the institution’s future well-being. Among his other passions are his family and the game of golf. He has been married for 43 years to Grace Elaine, and they have two children, Dr. Joseph James Corkery and Susie Bomsey. A respected colleague who is beloved by his patients, Dr. Corkery embodies the core values Lahey Health holds dear, “professional excellence, extraordinary teamwork and compassionate care.” Congratulations, Joe, on this incredible and well-deserved honor.
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1990
J. Alex McKinney, owner and founder of Marathon Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, announced his company has grown to nine clinics in the Boston area. He completed his 10th Ironman this past June in Nice, France. (see photo)
1992
Brian Faherty has performed in co-starring roles on Season 2 of Showtime’s “Billions” and Season 2 of Hulu’s “The Path.” His next film is the indie “Measure of a Man,” starring Donald Sutherland and Luke Wilson.
1999 Chris Marich reports: “On November 1, 2016, we welcomed our daughter, Lucy Wells. She joins older sister, Hadley (4), and brother, Ben (5), at home in New Canaan, CT.”
CLASS NOTES
WHAT’S
NEW? Keep your classmates updated by sending us your news! Send us photos, too!
Submit class notes and photos at: stsebs.org/classnotes Deadline for next issue:
’73
’92
APRIL 1, 2017 Photos will be published based on quality and available space. Please be sure to send the highest quality image possible and identify everyone.
SHARE YOUR IDEAS
for Alumni Profiles Do you know an alumnus you would like to see profiled in an issue of St. Sebastian’s Magazine?
’90 From top to bottom, left to right: 1973 Classmates David Gately, Vincent Gandolfo, Marty Galligan (standing) and Rob Lawler and Tim Clapp (seated) at the 75th Gala on October 1, 2016. n 1992 Classmates Chris Brinkhaus, Ryan Fitzpatrick and David Cuzzi played at Granite Links in Quincy on October 7, 2016, as part of a pre-25th Reunion outing. n J. Alex McKinney ’90 completes the Ironman France in June 2016.
Tell us about it! Send an email with your suggestions to our Communications Office at communications@stsebs.org.
WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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CLASS NOTES
Florida
’99
MARCH ALUMNI RECEPTIONS
If you live in Florida —or are looking for an excuse to head to warmer climates—join us!
’86
3/9 Vero Beach, FL 3/10 Jupiter, FL 3/12 Naples, FL
’00
For more information, including times and locations, please visit:
www.stsebs.org/floridareceptions
Arrows Alumni App Powered by EverTrue, the app makes staying connected easy, whether you are traveling, moving to a new city or looking for Arrows in your own neighborhood. Now you can keep the support of St. Sebastian’s alumni community in your pocket.
’00
Download the app today:
www.stsebs.org/alumniapp Available for Apple & Android devices.
From top to bottom, left to right: 1986 Classmates Ted Carr, Jim Walsh and Bill O’Hearn enjoying the 75th Gala on October 1, 2016. n Devin Spencer ’99 with his daughter, Kaylee. n Friends and family gather in Pioneertown, CA, over Labor Day Weekend for Matt Burke’s wedding. Matt catches up with his 2000 Classmates—Brian Kittler, Craig Healy, and Peter Sally—at the rehearsal dinner. n Headmaster Bill Burke, his son, Will ’95, and grandson, Liam, enjoy the festivities on the eve of Matt’s wedding. n Bishop Javier Echevarria, Prelate of Opus Dei, confers orders on Joe Keefe ’00. n From left: Members of the Keefe Family—Helen, John ’97, Joe ’00, Patti, Tom ’11, and John—gather in Rome, Italy, for Joe’s ordination as a transitional deacon.
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Class of 1999 continued... Devin Spencer started his own IT business two years ago, Burlington IT Services. He and his wife, Jen, just welcomed their first daughter, Kaylee Anne Spencer, on December 10, 2016, weighing in at 6.5 lbs. Devin says, “Everyone’s doing great!” (see photo)
2000
Joe Keefe was ordained a transitional deacon on October 29, 2016 in Rome, Italy. Bishop Javier Echevarria, Prelate of Opus Dei, conferred orders on him, in the presence of his parents, John and Patti P’97,’99,’00,’02,’11, as well as siblings John ’97, Helen, and Tom ’11 (see photos). It was a day of great joy shared by his whole family, many of whom celebrated from a distance. Please join us in prayer as Joe prepares for priestly ordination on April 29, 2017.
2003
Jay Tansey reports: “Elly, Jack (our 19-month-old), and I recently moved from New Haven, CT, to Portland, ME! I graduated from the Yale School of Management in May (see photo) and
joined a tech-focused venture capital firm, North Atlantic Capital, as the principal in September. Elly continues to work remotely as a wildlife attorney and advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council and is pregnant with our second child. Jack is excited to be a big brother in early 2017!”
2004
Sam Burke and his wife, Sophie, welcomed their first child, Owen Fitzgerald Burke, on June 18, 2016. They are overjoyed with the new addition to the family and are adjusting well to life as parents (see photo). Sam also recently left his job at Bain to join Liberty Mutual, and is loving the new job.
in Dorchester helping to provide year-round, full-day Academic and Behavioral Intervention Programs, as well as also study hall every day after school and lacrosse practice 2-3 times a week. We are very excited to bring our two programs to St. Sebastian’s on March 22, 2017, for a joint practice with Coach Adam White and the Varsity Boy’s Lacrosse Team.”
’92 Flashback Ready for your 25th Reunion?
2008
Lindsey E. Kennard is in his second year in PhD Study in Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.
2011
Patrick Wallace writes: “I started working for Harlem Lacrosse Boston this past August and have been working with our initial Boston Middle School programs at Young Achievers Math & Pilot School in Mattapan and at TechBoston Academy
Members of the Class of 1992 pose for a fun photo.
’04
’03 From left to right: Jay Tansey ’03, holding his son, Jack, at his graduation ceremony from Yale School of Management. n Sam Burke ’04 with his wife, Sophie, and son, Owen (already sporting a bow tie like his grandfather, Headmaster Bill Burke).
WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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Career Advisory
Network The St. Sebastian’s Career Advisory Network links alumni, especially recent graduates, with alumni and parents who are willing to share their experiences, offer valuable advice, and possibly provide employment leads. The network also serves as a way to connect members of the St. Sebastian’s community with other well-established alumni and parents who share similar vocations.
2012
Danny O’Regan was called up to the NHL to play for the San Jose Sharks. He made his NHL debut on November 21, 2016, against the New Jersey Devils.
2013
Brendan Daly, a senior at Franklin & Marshall, topped off his college football career with a trip to a Bowl game and a spot on the First Team All-Centennial Football Team, as he led the Diplomats for the second straight year with defensive play.
2014
Brian Curley is a junior at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., studying Finance. He is an intern for Congressman Stephen Lynch.
MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE
representing a wide range of professions are already part of the network, and the potential for growth is tremendous. Dozens of industries are represented, from Advertising and Engineering to Healthcare and Real Estate Development.
To become an advisor or learn how to access the list of career advisors, visit:
www.stsebs.org/careers
Already an advisor? Help us keep our database current by updating the contact information in your profile. Please send any updates to Lesley Day-Morgan in the Development Office at lesley_day-morgan@stsebs.org.
From top to bottom, left to right: The keen eye of Dan Quinn ’04 noticed the St. Sebastian’s swag on Nicholas ’17 and Matthew ’19 Connelly while touring the geysers of Geysir in southwest Iceland. n While on assignment at West Point, Captain Harry Maxwell ’08, connected with Cadet Matthew Ouellette ’14 and Cadet Christopher Callahan ’14 during Branch Week information sessions. n Chris Callahan ’14 (far left), home from West Point, hit the gym on campus over Christmas break. While he was working out, he met up with Tim ’19 and Matt Noone ’22 (sons of Matt Noone Sr. ’86) and Mark Rice ’21, and spoke to them about responsibility and accountability.
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Corey Ronan is in his junior year at UConn, playing hockey and majoring in Communications. Still hanging out with 2014 classmates, Patrick Rivard, Matt Ouelette and Chris Callahan. Connor Strachan, a member of the Boston College football team, served as the junior captain of the Eagles’ defense.
2015
Vaughn Gendron transferred to Boston College. “Back again with many of my Seb’s classmates.” Geoff Wade, a sophomore at Holy Cross, was named US Marines Man of the Match and Crusader of the Week for his performance as quarterback for the football team this fall.
Rivals today, Arrows forever
Recent alumni reunite on the field and the court
Check us out on We are excited to announce we are now on Instagram! Follow us @stsebastiansschool for all new photos and updates of our school, students and athletics. For those who may not know, Instagram is a mobile photo sharing site (you can download the app on your smartphone). We post daily photos of what’s happening on campus- and you can tag us in your own St. Sebastian’s photos. Stay up to date with all things Arrows!
VIEW ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE ONLINE From top to bottom, left to right: St. Sebastian’s alumni Edosa Onaiwu ’15, Tyson Mattox ’15, Greg Barletta ’15, Dan Fulham ’14, Matt Daniel ’15 and Charlie Gordon ’15 reunited on the football field as Trinity College hosted Middlebury College on Saturday, October 29, 2016. n Celebrating #stsebs75 on the gridiron in PA. Brendan Daly ’13 (Franklin & Marshall College) and Aturo Adkins ’14 (Dickinson College). n The Vassar College basketball team played at Williams College on December 1,2016. Matt Karpowicz ’16 (Williams) and Mickey Adams ’13 (Vassar) met up at the game.
Did you know that St. Sebastian’s magazine is available online? View the publication, including recent back issues, in a flipbook format on our website: www.stsebs.org/magazine
WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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IN MEMORIAM We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the graduates and friends of St. Sebastian’s School whose deaths are reported with sorrow.
ALUMNI RELATIVES & FRIENDS Merritt E. “Mickey” Belle Isle October 7, 2016 Longtime rink manager and friend of St. Sebastian’s
Louis A. DiIorio November 28, 2016 Neighbor and longtime friend of St. Sebastian’s
Edward T. Bigham, Jr. December 3, 2016 Father of the late Edward T. Bigham III ’70
Jeffrey F. Gallahue September 30, 2016 Father of Thomas J. Gallahue ’02
Phyllis Bucciero October 26, 2016 Mother of Michael Bucciero ’67
James J. Kelly November 1, 2016 Father of Sean Kelly ’84
Diana Gernes Coyle November 4, 2016 Wife of John B. Coyle ’57
Eleanor May August 26, 2016 Mother of Gerald ’63, John ’72, Daniel ’73, and Geoffrey ’76
Richard Daley August 18, 2016 Grandfather of Daniel ’15 and John ’20 Beam
Jean Mazzocca September 5, 2016 Grandmother of Nicholas Sennott ’09
Thomas A. Devlin August 26, 2016 Father of Brian Devlin ’81 and grandfather of Jack Goldman ’14, William Goldman ’21, and Matthew Devlin ’21
Gladys Murphy December 2, 2016 Mother of Mark Murphy ’78
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Thomas P. Athridge ’52
Tom passed away in Bethesda, MD, on September 3, 2016. While at St. Sebastian’s, Tom played for the varsity baseball team for four years. He attended the College of the Holy Cross and went on to study law at Boston University School of Law and Georgetown University School of Law. He spent 30 years practicing anti-trust and trade regulation with the Federal Trade Commission, in Washington, D.C. Tom leaves behind his wife, Mary, daughter Mary, and sons Thomas and John.
Frederick J. Brannan ’51
Fred passed away on December 7, 2016, in Belmont, MA. He was a three-sport athlete playing for the varsity football, baseball and hockey teams. After graduating from St. Sebastian’s, he went on to Boston College. He was employed with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in Boston for many years and also actively participated in civic groups, church and educational organizations. Fred leaves behind his wife, Catherine, along with his children: Jay Brannan ’82; Kara Murphy and Kerry Brannan. Fred had a special love for each of his grandchildren: Connor and Colin Brannan; Louie and Maddie Murphy; and Catherine Brannan-Browne.
Barry R. McDonough ’50
Barry, a resident of Needham, passed away peacefully on October 11, 2016. While at St. Sebastian’s, “Mac” was on “The Arrow” yearbook staff and took part in the Choir group for four years. After Commencement, he went on to the College of the Holy Cross and Boston College Law School. Barry embarked on a career as an attorney, eventually becoming a senior partner at the firm Parker, Coulter, Daley, and White before establishing the firm McDonough, Hacking, and Lavoie in 1994. He leaves behind his wife, Mary Diane, and their six children: Barry Jr., Mary Eileen, Vincent, Frances, Eugene ’88, and Bridgid. He also leaves behind his sister, Abigail, along with 17 grandchildren—Rachel, Constance, Christopher, Jack, Michael, Thomas, Barry, Darryln, Andrew, Molly, Kathryn, Natalie, Peter, Claire, Caroline, Catherine, and Abigail—and one great-grandchild, Mary.
Gregory R. McNamara ’84
Greg of Marblehead, Lexington and Gloucester, MA, passed away unexpectedly on August 22, 2016, at home. During his time at St. Sebastian’s, Greg was without a doubt one of the best athletes of his class. He dedicated his time to both school work and sports and was always surrounded by friends. Upon graduation, Greg attended Boston University and then went to work for the family business, Arlington Coal and Lumber. Greg leaves behind his wife, Mary, as well as his two sons, Gregory Jr. and Edward “Teddy” McNamara; his parents, Robert and Mary McNamara; his siblings, Robert, John ’81, William, Jeremiah and Mary Suzanne. Greg also had 16 nieces and nephews and a large extended family, including nephews John ’14 and Billy ’18 McNamara.
Robert F. Murphy ’49
Robert passed away peacefully on October 3, 2016, due to complications from a stroke in his Florida home. Bob was a prominent figure in athletics while at St. Sebastian’s. Along with being a good golfer and football player, Bob became “Mr. Hockey” and was the outstanding individual player in the Catholic League. He went on to Boston College after graduation. Bob leaves behind his wife of 61 years, Elizabeth (Geary); three daughters, Karen Slein, Jayne Patrikas and Lisa Nagle, and his son, Robert F. (Bo) Murphy III. He is survived by eight grandchildren: John Slein, T.J. and Sean Patrikas, Kaitlyn, Kristin and Denis Nagle, and Matthew and Kevin Murphy.
Stephen F. O’Connell ’68
Stephen died on October 8, 2016, in San Francisco, CA, from a long illness. Soon after entering St. Sebastian’s, Steve became known for his wit and generosity. He participated in many extracurricular activities, including Dramatic Society. After graduating, Steve got his masters in landscape architecture at the University of Oregon. He became a visionary urban space planner in San Francisco, pushing conventional spatial boundaries to create a sense of place and purpose that was both fresh and pragmatic. Stephen is survived by a sister, Kathleen M. O’Connell, a brother, Kevin R. O’Connell ’68, his nieces, Elizabeth R. O’Connell and Lauren A. O’Connell, and his nephew, Brandon O’Connell Swanberg.
John “Jack” Russo ’46
Jack, a Newton resident, died November 1, 2016. John was a consistently good student at St. Sebastian’s, and enrolled in the boxing class to enhance his knowledge of self-defense. After graduation, he went on to study pre-med at Boston College. He is survived by his wife, Chris; four children, Kathy, Robert; Lauren, and Marisa; five grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Thomas R. Welch, Jr. ’53
Thomas passed away on September 2, 2016, in Wellesley, MA. While at St. Sebastian’s, Tom was the photographer for “The Arrow” and “The Walrus,” as well as taking the role of “The Arrow” business manager. After graduation, Tom attended Notre Dame University and Boston College. He was a career accounting controller and he proudly piloted his family trucking company for several years before transitioning into the mechanical contracting industry. Tom leaves behind his wife Ann (Smith) Welch; his children, Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, Thomas Welch, III, Susannah Welch and Melissa Welch; and grandchildren Paul and Zelda Ehasz.
Robert D. Wilkins ’85
Robert, a resident of Milton, passed away on October 29, 2016, after a short illness. After graduating from St. Sebastian’s, Robert attended Boston University and the MIT Sloan School. He then became a proud and decorated U.S. Army Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. Robert is survived by his wife, Dawn, and brother, Brian ’89. Son of Maura O’Grady Wilkins, and Robert and Maria Wilkins. Uncle of Desmond and Declan.
This listing contains deaths reported between July 15, 2016 and December 22, 2016. To report a death of a St. Sebastian’s alumnus or relative to the Development Office, please contact Kelsey Johnson at kelsey_johnson@stsebs.org.
WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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Then & Now
Class of
1984
Class of
2018
In November of 1983, the senior class embarked on the first ever St. Sebastian’s voyage to Washington D.C.,
chaperoned by Dean of Students Morris Kittler P’85,’87,’90,GP’18, Dean of Studies and Government teacher David Wolk, and Social Studies teacher Henry Lane ’49. The trip offered the students a wonderful opportunity to view the many famous sites, experience American democracy firsthand and bond as a class. During the trip, students visited with Senator Ted Kennedy and Paul Kirk ’56, head of the Democratic National Committee at the time (see photo).
And thus a tradition was born. From that year forward, St. Sebastian’s seniors traveled to Washington D.C., and in 1990, the tradition was altered so that the members of the junior class made the journey instead. For many Arrows, this trip is one of their fondest memories of their time at St. Sebastian’s.
56 | S T. S EBASTIAN’S M AGAZINE Volume XII, Issue I
“We Owe!” Mike Kenslea ’56 says it is very simple when it comes to St. Sebastian’s and the opportunity to give back. He wraps it up in two words, “We owe! Very simple. We owe!” During his four years as a student at St. Sebastian’s, Mike had a wonderful experience on “The Hill.” His favorite teachers were Fr. Sylvester and Bud Gilbert. He made numerous life-long friends like John Chisholm, Allen Cail, Leo Winkel and Walter Hannigan. They worked hard and they played hard. Mike believes that his St. Sebastian’s years prepared him well for a successful life and career. He was married to Martha, his wife and best friend for over 18 years before she passed away in 1987. The couple moved to Maine permanently in 1971. For over 40 years, he worked in the banking industry, starting as a teller trainee at Bay
Fr. John Arens and Mike Kenslea ’56 recently spent an afternoon viewing and discussing Mike’s art collection.
Bank and eventually becoming the originator of the Olde Port Bank in Portsmouth, NH. He has been passionately involved in the Portsmouth community, especially as a board member and benefactor of what is now the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire. Mike currently lives directly across the Memorial Bridge in Kittery, ME. Joining a growing number of alumni parents and friends who feel the same way, Mike believes that he owes a special debt to St. Sebastian’s. He has become the most recent member of the Charles D. McInnis Society by placing St. Sebastian’s as a bequest recipient in his will.
For more information about gift planning and including St. Sebastian’s in your estate plans, contact Ed Davis ’65 in the Office of Planned Giving at 781.247.0158 or ed_davis@stsebs.org or visit plannedgiving.stsebs.org.
Monsignor Charles D. McInnis Society
1191 Greendale Avenue Needham, Massachusetts 02492
William L. Burke III Headmaster Richard F. Arms Director of Alumni & Development Christine Y. Robertson Director of Communications
75TH ANNIVERSARY GALA 1981 Classmates at the 75th Gala. (For more photos of the three-day Celebration see pg. 18.)
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