S T. S EBASTIAN’S SPRING 2019
M AGAZINE
2018-2019 Board of Trustees Seán Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., Chairman William L. Burke, III P’95,’97,’00,’04 Executive Officer, Headmaster James L. Elcock ’77, P’08 President Patrick J. Hegarty ’89, P’23 Vice President David M. Calabro ’78, P’16 Treasurer Devin C. Condron ’92 Assistant Treasurer Members: Barbara E. Connolly P’10,’12,’17 Timothy P. Doherty ’87, P’17 Rev. Michael E. Drea Stephen DuFour P’14,’18,’21 William B. Evans ’7,7 P’17 John W. Hueber ’71 Kathleen F. Ix P’22 Ross M. Jones P’16,’17 Susanne C. Joyce P’20,’23 Carolyn M. Lemone P’16,’18 Shawn D. Martin P’17’,18,’19 Wesley D. Mateo ’03 Peter J. McLaughlin ’55, GP’13,’19 John E. McNamara ’81, P’14,’18 James F. Mooney, III P’18 Michael P. Muldowney P’12,’16,’22 Kathleen A. Murphy P’21 Mark L. O’Friel ’79 Robert M. Reardon P’15 Randall P. Seidl P’17,’19 Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. Troy L. Stanfield P’21 Kurt R. Steinkrauss ’91, P’19 Mary L. Supple P’09,’10,’15 Andrew Wasynczuk P’14,’17 Jeanne McKenzie P’18,’20 President, Guild of St. Irene Samuel Hodgson P’12,’20 President, Men’s Association Charles Haley ’92 President, Alumni Association Trustees Emeriti: James A. Cotter, Jr. ’57 David F. Gately ’73 J. Brad Griffith ’58, GP’19,’23
SPRING 2019
S T. S EBASTIAN’S M AGAZINE
FEATURES
St. Sebastian’s graduates 67 students
30 The First Commencement
The impact of World War II on the first class of Arrows to graduate in 1945
32 With Gratitude
Several spaces on campus named as part of the Spirit & People Campaign
36 Every Waking Moment
Assistant Headmaster Michael P. Nerbonne
IN EVERY ISSUE
12 Commencement 2019
Robert Brooks ’08 is on a crusade to improve the lives of people living with diabetes
2
Headmaster’s Letter
3
Around Campus
35
Event Highlights
39
Fine Arts
40
Spring Sports
52
Alumni Events
55
Class Notes
62
In Memoriam
46 Reunion 2019
Headmaster William L. Burke, III P’95,’97,’00,’04
The classes of 4's and 9’s celebrate Reunion
Director of Development Richard F. Arms P’14
Editor & Designer Christine Y. Robertson, Director of Communications Principal Photographer Joey Spadoni, Digital Media Coordinator Contributor Michaela Chapman, Communications Associate Editorial Advisor Michael Deschenes, Director of Library & Information Services
St. Sebastian’s Magazine is published three times a year by the Communications Office. Correspondence concerning the magazine should be sent to: communications@stsebs.org St. Sebastian’s School 1191 Greendale Avenue Needham, MA 02492 781.449.5200 www.stsebs.org
36
Robert Brooks ’08
46
Reunion 2019
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.
ON THE COVER: All 67 graduates continue the tradition of wearing the St. Sebastian's tie, along with a navy blazer and white pants, on Commencement day.
From the desk of the headmaster W illia m L . Bu r k e III
We must laugh and we must sing, We are blest by everything, Everything we look upon is blest. (William Butler Yeats) Open to God’s grace and devoted to one another, the people of St. Sebastian’s tend to be happy, healthy, productive forces, who very often laugh and sing and feel blest by everything. Of course, pain and suffering visit us as well, and we must respond. Jesus’ extreme love impels us to live every suffering—as much as we are given—like Him and in Him. And we can do it. When I encountered this message written by Venerable Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, a Vietnamese Cardinal, who was held prisoner by his government for 13 years, I was arrested by the word impels. Why impels? Why not compels? Here’s what I found in the dictionary: “To compel is to force or drive someone to take action by making that person fear the consequences of not doing so…to impel is to persuade someone to take action on moral or ethical grounds…when you are compelled, you are coerced, regardless of your wishes… when you are impelled you are made to realize that although the choice may be difficult, it is the right thing to do.” Immediately, I saw a connection to the St. Sebastian’s way. Compel is all about fear of outside forces. Impel concerns itself with one’s inner self, with one’s conscience. A mission driven School, we’re not an outside in place; rather, our movement is from the inside out. We don’t mold, we evoke; we don’t intimidate, we inspire. We don’t bludgeon, we remind, and, as Samuel Johnson asserts: We do not so much need instruction as we need reminding. In his heart of hearts, every student wants to be part of something great, he wants to be as wise, as just, as balanced, and as brave as he can be, and he wants to fall ever more deeply in love with learning. With families and faculty modeling the best virtues, our young men feel ever more impelled to do the next right thing—to love God, to work hard, and to take good care of one another. I thank our students, families, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and friends for advancing our most important mission so powerfully well. May we connect soon and often, and may God continue to bless you and your loved ones every sacred step of the way. With love and gratitude,
William L. Burke III Headmaster
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ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
AROUND CAMPUS
News & Notes from Our School Community
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AROUND CAMPUS
Excelling in The Classics
St. Sebastian’s students had the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of Latin and Greek literature at various events this spring.
In preparation for competing in Holy Cross’ Classics Day, the Latin Club held its 21st annual CERTAMEN NIGHT on April 1. Four-person teams battled against each other in the game of fast recall of facts about classical civilizations and its peoples, languages, and cultures. The “Haec Est Domus Nostra” team of Alessandro Barbiellini ’21, Matthew Choi ’21, Nolan McGovern ’21 and Juan Oliva ’21 took 1st place in the Upper Division and “The Rubicons”—Colin Boland ’22, Charlie DeMatteo ’22, Jack Flynn ’22 and Paul White ’22—secured the top spot in the Lower Division.
Evan Prince ’20 received a commendation from the Vergilian Society for Outstanding Performance on the 2019 VERGIL TRANSLATION CONTEST. The Vergilian Society has sponsored this Vergil Translation Contest annually since 2016. Evan is the first Arrow to receive such an award.
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ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
Members of the Latin Club participated in HOLY CROSS’ CLASSICS DAY on April 4, earning two awards during the day’s events. Nolan McGovern ’21 won 1st Place in the Art Contest for his rendering of the destruction of Agamemnon’s fleet. Sam Hinman ’22 also logged many hours to create a plate depicting Agamemnon’s murder by Clytemnestra. The Upper Division Certamen team of Alessandro Barbiellini ’21, Matthew Choi ’21, Nolan McGovern ’21, Jack Moffatt ’19, and Juan Oliva ’21 won their opening round and then won 3rd Place in Upper Division Certamen finals. The Lower Division Certamen team of Ryan Albertson ’22, Charlie DeMatteo ’22, Jack Flynn ’22, Jack Hentschel ’22, and Marty Kane ’22 played well in their first round, although they did not reach the finals.
On May 15, students in the Latin IV Advanced Placement class demonstrated their mastery of Latin in the annual VERGILIAN ACTUS. Richard Thomas, the George Martin Lane Professor of Classics at Harvard, engaged the students in a “conversation” about significant passages from Vergil’s Aeneid. Students read passages in the poetic meter, translated the lines, and commented on Vergil’s artistry and themes. Held in front of parents, faculty, and other St. Sebastian’s students, the Vergilian Actus served as a warm-up, boosting students’ confidence before the Latin AP exam later in the week.
AROUND CAMPUS
Thirteen Seniors Inducted into Cum Laude Society Thirteen members of the Class of 2019 were inducted into the Cum Laude Society during a ceremony held on April 12, 2019. Peter J. McLaughlin ’55, GP’13,’19, a member of St. Sebastian’s Board of Trustees and a fellow at Boston College, delivered a powerful keynote address about the theme of the year, empathy, and its logical extension to service to others as exemplified by three outstanding individuals: Wells Crowther, the subject of the 2018 All School Read, The Red Bandanna; Travis Roy, an inspirational speaker who inspired the memoir, Eleven Seconds; and Dr. James O’Connell, president of Boston Health Care for the Homeless. The Cum Laude Society is dedicated to honoring scholastic achievement in secondary schools. Modeled after Phi Beta Kappa, the Society has grown to over 350 Chapters located in public and independent schools in the United States, Canada, England, France, Spain, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Class of 2019 Inductees include: Peter J. Blake, John R. Dumouchel, Theodore J. Hoppe, Andrew Y. Ko, Nathaniel T. Kocho, Thomas J. Lyons III, Jack-Patrick Milbury, John B. Moffatt, Jared H. Price, Nolan M. Prince, John H. Randall, Miguel J. Vega, Jr. and Griffin C. Wagner.
The newest members of the Cum Laude Society with Headmaster Bill Burke, Assistant Headmaster (and Chapter President) Mike Nerbonne, and Director of Grades 7 and 8 (and Chapter Secretary) David Cornish.
Three Arrows Recognized in Writing Contest Three Arrows from the Class of 2022 were honored for their essays in the 15th Annual Will McDonough Writing Contest. In the 9th grade division, Jack Flynn won 1st place, Matt Noone earned 2nd place and Alex Purpura earned Honorable Mention. St. Sebastian’s was the only school to sweep the top two awards at any grade level. The Contest, open to grades 4-12, is run by The Sports Museum and the winners are selected by Globe Sports Editors. Named in honor of Will McDonough, a long-time Boston Globe sportswriter, this year saw over 1,100 submissions from across New England. Flynn’s essay will be shown in the Will McDonough Exhibit in The Sports Museum and he was honored during an award ceremony held before the Celtics game on April 1 in the TD Garden.
Dr. Theresa O’Keefe Delivers the Birmingham Lecture Series Address Dr. Theresa O’Keefe, Associate Professor of the Practice of Youth and Young Adult Faith at Boston College, addressed students and faculty on April 18, as part of the Birmingham Lecture Series. An expert in ministerial formation, religious education, and youth and young adult ministry, she works with ministerial and educational leaders in the field and leads the Contextual Education program. Author of the recently published book, Navigating toward Adulthood: A Theology of Ministry with Adolescents, Dr. O’Keefe’s lecture was titled, “Life is a Team Sport,” and included reflections on the Holy Triduum. RIGHT: Karen Birmingham P'84, GP'14,'17 with Headmaster Bill Burke and Dr. O’Keefe.
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AROUND CAMPUS
John Cox P’22 Presents to the Finance Academy As part of its ongoing speaker series, members of the Finance Academy had the opportunity to hear from John Cox P’22 on April 16. Cox serves as the Executive Chairman of Torque Therapeutics and was most recently the CEO of Bioverativ. Cox spoke about the difficulties a biotech company faces when it first starts out and then shared the incredible achievements that Bioverativ accomplished, including saving or improving the quality of life of over 20,000 patients globally, until being bought out by a large pharmaceutical company in January of 2018. His presentation demonstrated how finance can make a very positive impact on the world.
A Moving Performance Members of the Class of 2024 traveled to Fontbonne Academy to see a performance of The Pianist of Willesden Lane, a musical play set in 1938 Vienna and then a few years later in London during the Blitzkrieg. The play tells the story of Lisa Jura, a young Jewish girl who dreams of being a concert pianist amidst the chaos of World War II. The students watched as Mona Golabek, Lisa’s daughter, performed The Pianist of Willesden Lane based on the book she wrote, The Children of Willesden Lane. The 7th graders studied The Diary of Anne Frank this year making the viewing of this remarkable story all the more impactful.
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ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
TOP: Senior members of the Men with Positive Attitudes club gather together at the end of their banquet; BOTTOM LEFT: Past MPA club members return to campus for the banquet; BOTTOM RIGHT: Chinedu Okwerekwu ’19 addresses the crowd.
MPA Banquet Celebrates Seniors
T
he annual Men with Positive Attitudes Banquet was held on May 23, bringing family and friends together to share in a wonderful meal and celebrate members of the Class of 2019. The evening included a welcome from next year’s MPA president, Kristian Rosario ’20, reflections from each of the ten graduating members of MPA, a violin performance by Christian Casiano ’21, tributes to the departing seniors shared by underclassmen and the MPA New Officers Video which highlighted next year’s club officers. The keynote speaker, Dr. Jonathan Howard, PhD, an Assistant Professor at Boston College, spoke about “going,” an apt topic for the members of the Class of 2019, and beautifully referenced Holy Scripture as he honestly offered insights and stories about his own journey. After dessert, a number of St. Sebastian’s fathers read aloud notes from each senior’s memory box. Headmaster Burke shared a few words and then the evening closed with Fr. John Arens offering a traditional blessing upon the seniors. The members of MPA, past and present, congregated at the front of Ward Hall and joined together to sing, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” It was a special night for the seniors, their families, underclassmen and alumni who came back to campus for the event.
AROUND CAMPUS
Class of 2019 Senior Class-Alumni Breakfast The Alumni Association Board joined with other alumni to celebrate the Class of 2019 at the annual Senior Class-Alumni Breakfast on May 30. Board of Trustees President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, Alumni Association President Charles Haley ’92, and Michael Bollas ’18—who just completed his freshman year at the College of the Holy Cross—each addressed the soon-to-be-graduates, offering advice for the future and welcoming the Arrows to the alumni ranks. Headmaster Burke spoke as well, urging the seniors to slow down during their final week at St. Sebastian’s, to savor each moment and remember every detail of this special time. Finally, the seniors made their first gift to the Alumni Fund on Arrows Forever Day as our newest alumni. They each received a laundry bag and St. Sebastian’s 2019 hat.
Undergraduate & College Book Awards The following students were presented with awards acknowledging their academic achievements during the Undergraduate Awards Assembly on May 22.
COLLEGE BOOK AWARDS: Boston College Wesley J. Stanton
Brown University Michael T. Treseler
Bryant University Timothy M. Malloy
College of the Holy Cross Dylan J. Crandall
Dartmouth College Michael P. Farinacci
George Washington University Nathan J. Piecyk
Harvard University Michael J. Colgan, Patrick W. McDonald
Suffolk University
Jose Maria Castelo
St. Lawrence University Luke P. Garrity
St. Michael’s College Patrick J. Rourke, Dominic T. Scordino
Trinity College Dublin Aidan T. Garrity
University of Notre Dame Timothy A. Williams
University of Virginia Jake W. Cusack
Villanova University Raymond J. Hilvert
Williams College Jeffrey M. Serowik
John P. Feeney
Yale University
MEMORIAL & SCHOOL AWARDS:
Kevin Ghelli Award
Alizadeh Most Improved Student Award Christopher N. Hatem
Bausch & Lomb Science Award Evan T. Nordby
John P. Birmingham, Jr. Writing Award John T. Flynn, Matthew T. Noone, Maxwell C. Surprenant
Catholic Citizenship Award Luke D. McKenzie
Chapel Speech Awards Grade 11: Patrick W. McDonald; Grade 10: Seamus C. Foley and Juan P. Oliva; Grade 9: Patrick J. McKeigue and Liam C. Muldowney; Grade 8: Kyle M. Bilezerian and Benjamin N. Garrity; Grade 7: James R. Joyce and Owen T. Lynch TOP: Owen Martin ’19 and Ryan Mullen ’19 show off their Arrows gear after making a gift on Arrows Forever Day; BOTTOM: Dr. Joe Ferrone ’54, GP’23, Jack Randall ’19 and Anthony Perez ’19 connect over breakfast.
St. Anselm College
Joseph Compagnone Memorial Award Thomas J. McCarthy, Michael C. Van Flandern
Gandolfo Award Luke D. McKenzie, Austin J. Persons, Evan G. Prince, Jeffrey M. Serowik
Evan G. Prince
Andy-Tinh Duong, Jeffrey M. Serowik
Frank J. Hennessey, Jr. Award Jared G. Arevian, Connor J. McKay, Dominic T. Scordino, Wesley J. Stanton
Robert J. Joyce, Jr. Award Patrick W. McDonald
William P. Judge Award Brendan T. Fulham
William P. Judge Scholarship Dylan J. Crandall, Michael J. Colgan
Jason Keating Award Stephen J. DeMatteo
James P.B. McDonough Award Nathaniel T. Kelly
Men With Positive Attitudes Award Kristian A. Rosario
Kevin T. Mutch Award Ryan J. MacDermott
Grace S. & Raymond M. Vorce, Sr. Award Aidan T. Garrity SPRING 2019
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AROUND CAMPUS
Grandparents
& Special Friends Day Students welcomed nearly 300 grandparents and special friends to campus to experience a day at St. Sebastian’s School on April 30.
T
he day began in Ward Hall with a welcome from event Co-Chairs Patti DuFour P’14,’18,’21 and Colleen Phelps P’21, and a blessing from Fr. Arens. After lunch, President of the Guild of St. Irene, Jeanne McKenzie P’18,’20, said a few words and then turned the podium over to Headmaster Burke. Grandparents were then treated to a fun video capturing the spirit of the school and a musical performance, “This Is Me,” from the movie The Greatest Showman, performed by Andrew Selian ’23 and Colin Lapus ’21. Junior Timmy Malloy addressed everyone in Ward Hall, expounding on his relationships with his two sets of grandparents, both of whom were in attendance. Headmaster Burke thanked the grandparents and special friends for their support and for being part of the St. Sebastian’s community. Everyone then headed to class before celebrating Mass with Fr. Arens. The afternoon concluded with a dessert reception in the new West Campus Center. A special thank you to the grandparents and special friends who visited, the students and faculty who made them feel so welcome and the mothers of the Guild of St. Irene, who worked tirelessly to make the entire day, from registration to dessert, run smoothly.
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ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
AROUND CAMPUS
Serving
Our Neighbors
Hosting Field Days for San Miguel School and Pope John Paul II Academy St. Sebastian's welcomed students from Saint Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy and San Miguel School for a number of field days on campus in May, June and July. The students from the two schools enjoyed many fun games during the field days, from soccer to flag football and basketball, with help from St. Sebastian's student and parent volunteers.
Integral 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. Below are just a few of the many ways our students have served our neighbors recently.
Teaching Photography at Beaverbrook Members of the AP Photography class traveled to Beaverbrook STEP Options day program in Watertown on May 16 and May 23 to teach photography to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The Arrows linked up with participants at Beaverbrook, passing on some of their photography knowledge and venturing into the Watertown community with their mentees to take pictures. Afterward, they edited and reviewed the images together and presented a slideshow of the results to the whole program.
Creating Portraits for the Memory Project St. Sebastian's artists recently completed 14 portraits for The Memory Project for children from Lima, Peru. The children from this area contend with issues of abandonment, neglect and child labor. Our artists worked to show these children that they are just as valuable as children everywhere. Thus far St. Sebastian's artists have created 256 portraits for disenfranchised or orphaned children from 25 countries around the world.
Volunteering at the Miracle League The school set a new personal best with thirteen volunteers from the freshman class traveling to Acton on Saturday, June 1, to help out at the Miracle League of Massachusetts. The Miracle League is a non-profit that gives children with disabilities a chance to play baseball as part of a team in an organized league at no cost to the child’s family.
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Members of the "black" team pull with all their might in a game of tug-o-war during Red & Black Day.
Talented acrobat, Li Lui, calls forward volunteers to participate in her performance.
A GLIMPSE
along Greendale Avenue
The Jazz Pop Band performs at the 9th & 10th Grade Semi-Formal on April 26.
Students get to see four of the Boston Red Sox most recent World Series Trophies up close during the trophies' visit to campus on April 4, thanks to Ed Weiss P'23, General Counsel of the Fenway Sports Group.
Nick Adams ’24 dissects a shark in science class.
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ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
COMMENCEMENT 2019
Back on Campus Three St. Sebastian’s alumni—a physicist, a photographer and an artist—returned to campus this spring to share their passions, inspiring students with their presentations.
Zach Chambers ’14, a recent graduate of Harvard University with a degree in physics, served as guest lecturer for David Wilbur’s AP Physics 2 classes on April 2. Zach engaged students with his knowledge of a variety of physics topics, including gravity, spacetime, special relativity, and wave-particle duality. As students were forced to wrestle with topics that stretched their minds, an appreciation was developed for the confidence today’s physicists have in our understanding of the universe, as well as the humility demanded in the face of all that is yet to be discovered and explained. Mike Cevoli ’00, son of art teacher Patricia Cevoli, presented to students in the AP Photography class on April 25. Mike shared his photographs and elaborated on his life as a professional commercial photographer. He has done some amazing work out at sea, documenting and depicting fishermen and the fishing process, and his images have a distinct look and feel to them. This was a great opportunity for the AP Photography students to see a fellow Arrow soaring as a professional photographer.
Jordan Barros ’15, who just graduated from Boston College, made a presentation on May 22 about his senior art thesis on colorism and stereotypes in American society. Jordan’s series of paintings and videos draws upon different visual forms, including archival footage, cartoons, language, and graffiti, to create a challenging hybrid that asks us to question what we think a black male figure looks like. The following evening, his artwork was displayed at the annual MPA Banquet.
Fond Farewells As we celebrate the many achievements of our students, we would also like to pause to honor the accomplishments of two long-time members of our community—Newell Hall and Steve Thomasy— who have moved on.
Newell Hall began his
tenure as the Director of College Counseling in 1987. Over the past 32 years, he has advised, guided and advocated for St. Sebastian’s seniors applying to college while navigating the constantly changing and increasingly complex landscape of college counseling. His efforts have prepared countless Arrows for admission to great colleges where they have enjoyed tremendous success. Headmaster Burke shares: “Newell frequently made that one more call that made all the difference.”
Steve Thomasy started
his career at St. Sebastian’s on the Nonantum Hill campus in 1980. For 39 years, he taught history and constantly educated himself. He also shared his love of politics, leading St. Sebastian’s delegation at Harvard Model Congress for 29 years. An avid runner, Steve coached cross country and junior varsity baseball. “Steve brought his enthusiasm, dedication and sense of humor to all his teams,” noted faculty member Jim Rest, who coached cross country with Steve for 18 years. “He never missed a practice or a race.” He applied this same level of commitment to his classes and his students. Thank you, Newell and Steve, for your many years of devoted service to St. Sebastian’s.
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Congratulations,
Class of 2019!
St. Sebastian’s School graduated 67 students at its 75th Commencement Exercises on Thursday, June 6, 2019. The morning’s celebrations included awards, speeches and the conferral of diplomas to the outstanding Class of 2019.
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ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
Commencement Awards
The Headmaster’s Award
The Joseph P. MacDonald Award Presented each year by the Student Council, in conjunction with the School community, to a member of the St. Sebastian’s family for outstanding service to the School
Pursuit of Excellence in the Discipline Awards
Chemistry
Presented to the graduate who has achieved the highest cumulative grade point average
Keun Woo Oh
John H. Randall
Presented to individuals selected by the faculty
Biology
The St. Sebastian’s Scholar Award
Brendan W. Sullivan
English Literature
Greek
Presented to the graduates who have received a yearly average of B or higher in every course every year
The Reverend Charles K. Riepe Medallion
Anthony A. Perez, Jared H. Price
Latin Ryan J. Steinkrauss
History James M. Esperne, Jack S. Gallagher
Religion James M. Esperne, Brendan M. Murphy
English Writing Ted P. Duffy, Ryan W. Heffernan
Spanish Emmanuel W. Messele, Anthony A. Perez
Drama Anthony A. Perez, Cole C. Tremblay
Visual Art Ted P. Duffy
Music Nathaniel T. Kocho, Anthony A. Perez, Cole C. Tremblay
Ceramics Connor J. Bertsch, Stepan N. Kapreilian
Photography Matthew L. Connelly
Mathematics
Emmanuel W. Messele Ryan E. Mullen
Computer Science Owen P. Martin, Jared H. Price
Special Medals Awarded to individuals who, during their high school years, have achieved the highest grade point average in required and advanced courses in the respective disciplines Humberto Cardinal Medeiros Memorial Medal for Modern Languages John H. Randall
Rev. Msgr. Joseph A. Beatty Memorial Medal for English Jared H. Price, John H. Randall
Rev. Msgr. John F.X. Harney Memorial Medal for Religion John H. Randall
Rev. Msgr. Charles D. McInnis Memorial Medal for History Jack S. Gallagher
Paul A. Ablondi ’57 Memorial Medal for Mathematics John H. Randall
St. Sebastian Medal for Science John H. Randall
St. Sebastian Medal for Fine Arts
Peter J. Blake, Alex D. Cherry, John R. Dumouchel, Ryan W. Heffernan, Theodore J. Hoppe, Stepan N. Kapreilian, Thomas J. Lyons III, Joseph G. Maalouf, Owen P. Martin, Jack-Patrick Milbury, Ryan E. Mullen, Brendan M. Murphy, Keun Woo Oh, Brian C. Piatelli, Jared H. Price, Nolan M. Prince, John H. Randall, William R. Seidl, Robert T. Smith, Michael J. Swirbalus, Miguel J. Vega, Jr., Griffin C. Wagner
The Sr. Evelyn C. Barrett, O.P. Scholarship Award Presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Faculty, most exemplifies in body, mind, and soul the spirit of St. Sebastian’s School Alex D. Cherry, Timothy L. Noone
The Robert S. Gilligan Award Presented to a senior who best exemplifies the qualities of courage, determination, and perseverance Matthew L. Connelly
The Cardinal Cushing Memorial Medal for Student Service
Ryan W. Heffernan, Jared H. Price, John H. Randall
Matthew L. Connelly, Ted P. Duffy
Presented to a senior for exemplary service to the School
Physics
St. Sebastian Medal for Classics
William R. Hentschel
Nolan M. Prince
John R. Dumouchel, John B. Moffatt
Presented by the Assistant Headmaster, in consultation with the administration and faculty, to the members of the graduating class who have shown true leadership in exemplifying the virtues of faith and honor for which the School stands Jack S. Gallagher, Robert T. Smith
The Founder’s Medal Presented to the member of the Senior Class whose character, leadership, and fortitude most closely reflect the ideals that inspired William Cardinal O’Connell to found this School in the name of St. Sebastian William R. Seidl, Miguel J. Vega, Jr.
The Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Medal Presented each year to seniors for exemplary initiative, creativity, and perseverance in advancing the mission of the School Anthony A. Perez
The Alumni Award Presented to seniors, selected by the faculty, who possess strength of mind, body, and character; who display outstanding attitude, effort, and achievement; have innate commitment to excellence in all endeavors; and who have made many and varied contributions to St. Sebastian’s School Peter J. Blake, Ryan E. Mullen
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COMMENCEMENT 2019
CLASS OF 2019 MATRICULATION Patrick Barron Matthew Behman Connor Bertsch Peter Blake Joseph Campanelli
Boston College Lehigh University Dartmouth College University of Pennsylvania Providence College
Joseph Maalouf
Hamilton College
Alfred Martin
Lehigh University
Owen Martin
Villanova University
Trevor Martin
Providence College
William McCarthy
Boston University
Justin Charles
Fordham University
Steven McCool
Dickinson College
Alex Cherry
Princeton University
Emmanuel Messele
Boston University
Matthew Connelly Bradley Coughlin Michael Dailey James Davenport
Bates College Providence College
Andrew Michienzi
College of the Holy Cross
Jack-Patrick Milbury
Boston College
University of Wisconsin, Madison
John Moffatt
Boston College
Brown University commit, 2020
Ryan Mullen
Boston College
James Donovan
College of the Holy Cross
Andrew Dorsey
The George Washington University
Timothy Noone
Babson College
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Ellis O’Donnell
Wake Forest University
Ted Duffy John Dumouchel James Esperne John Farley Joseph Fiore Michael Fotiades William Frisoli
University of Richmond Northwestern University Villanova University Boston College University of Michigan Duke University
Brendan Murphy
Joseph O’Donnell Keun Woo Oh Chinedu Okwerekwu Anthony Perez Brian Piatelli Jared Price
College of the Holy Cross
Southern Methodist University Boston College St. John’s University Dartmouth College Cornell University Georgetown University
Bryce Gallagher
Northwestern University
Nicholas Price
Trinity College
Jack Gallagher
University of Notre Dame
Nolan Prince
Duke University
Indiana University, Bloomington
John Randall
Georgia Institute of Technology Providence College
Andrew Giacchetto Liam Gorman
Princeton University
Matthew Real
Ryan Heffernan
Villanova University
Zachary Salvatore
William Hentschel Theodore Hoppe Jack Hynes Stephen Jessup Stepan Kapreilian Andrew Ko Nathaniel Kocho Jack LeBlanc Thomas Lyons
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Babson College
Syracuse University
William Seidl
Duke University
Boston College
Robert Smith
Boston College
College of the Holy Cross Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Ryan Steinkrauss Michael Swirbalus
College of the Holy Cross Duke University
Northeastern University
Cole Tremblay
Occidental College
Boston College
Rafael Twohig
Gap Year
Harvey Mudd College Northeastern University Harvard College commit, 2020
ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
Miguel Vega Griffin Wagner
Harvard College Boston College
COMMENCEMENT 2019
Celebrating on the Eve of Commencement On June 5, the night before Commencement, we held our annual Senior-Parent Dinner in Ward Hall following the Baccalaureate Mass in St. Bartholomew Church. It was a wonderful opportunity for seniors and their parents to gather together and celebrate the Class of 2019. In addition to receiving graduation ties and pens, students were presented with awards recognizing their talents and contributions to the School.
Some of the awards presented include: Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award Jack S. Gallagher
Chapel Speech Award Liam J. Gorman, Chinedu C. Okwerekwu
ISL Award of Excellence William R. Seidl
Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award Patrick J. Barron, Emmanuel W. Messele, Nolan M. Prince
Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award William J. Frisoli, Liam J. Gorman
FIVE-YEAR Matriculation #’s 5
Colleges to which or more students have matriculated over the past years
5
Boston College ..............................40 College of the Holy Cross ............. 29 Providence College ........................18 University of Notre Dame .. ..........14 Harvard College ............................13 Middlebury College ......................11 Georgetown University ................10 Villanova University .....................10 Trinity College ...............................9 Dartmouth College ..........................8 Duke University ...............................8 Wake Forest University ..................7 Lehigh University............................6 Northeastern University ................6 TOP: Seniors and their parents share a special night at the Senior-Parent Dinner in Ward Hall. MIDDLE: Cole Tremblay, Emmanuel Messele and Justin Charles enjoy sitting together at the dinner. BOTTOM: Members of the Class of 2019 assist each other in executing the lesson they received from Headmaster Burke on how to tie their new bow ties.
Boston University...........................5 Northwestern University ...............5
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HEADMASTER’S ADDRESS
We Are One BY WILLIAM L. BURKE III
G
entlemen, let us pray one more time together as a class: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen. Truly, our beloved St. Sebastian’s School exists for the glory of God, for you, our students, and for your families. The rest of us are here to serve, and what a great honor and true joy it is to do so! It’s all a gift! Everything we have, all that we are, comes to us as pure gift from our gracious and loving God, the giver of all good gifts. We praise God for His goodness. We thank God for His gifts. We beg God for His mercy. Last Sunday evening, Mr. Brendan Sullivan encountered two of you scholars at an ice cream stand. With your St. Sebastian’s academic responsibilities behind you, you were as free as the summer breeze. But, when Mr. Sullivan joked that it’s too bad that you couldn’t be with him and our younger students who would be taking their exams the next morning, one of you said wistfully: “I wish I were taking exams tomorrow.” A huge part of us wishes that this were the end of your junior year, and we’d all be back here together again in September. Our heads know that it’s time to go, but how our hearts ache that it is so. And how sad it would be if it were otherwise. It’s hard to say good-bye to something that’s so good, and it is so good because you 67 gentlemen and your families have helped make it so, and we love you for it. Let us embrace the truth: The essence of life is in relationships and our relationships are eternal. Once in, never out; Arrows Forever! One of you expressed these sentiments in your Corporate Chapel address in March: “I really do love the School. I love my teachers and my fellow students and the staff and everyone who made my four years here the best in my life. And it’s because of that that I don’t think that I could ever go into ‘senior slide.’ I wouldn’t be able to look my teachers or my parents in the eye.” We are one. It’s all about love. You love your family and your teachers and your St. Sebastian’s brothers—and you don’t want to let them down. It’s true for all 67 of you. Your parents, grandparents, and other family members—some of whom now rest in heaven— are your primary educators, who have loved you from before your birth, at your first breath, and every moment since— they have held you, fed you, bathed you, kissed you, clothed 16 |
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you, taught you, coached you, corrected you, supported you, inspired you, and sacrificed for you. They have prayed for you and paid for you, making possible your St. Sebastian’s education. They have loved, loved, loved you, and their loving isn’t going to stop on this Commencement day, which is their day, too. Please stand, face your families, and express your heartfelt gratitude. After exams on Monday, I walked across campus with two of our 9th graders and asked them: "What’s the best thing about St. Sebastian’s?" They belted out in unison: “The teachers!” I asked why. They answered, “They’re so open, they care so much, they give you all the help you need.” In your Corporate Chapel addresses throughout the year, many of you have sung the same song: My teachers believed in me and gave me all the help I needed. I have been known and loved and called to greatness by teachers who arrive early and stay late. Clearly, your teachers, advisors, coaches, moderators, mentors, and friends on our faculty and staff have engaged in sacred partnership with your loving families focused on our shared goal of helping you become—ever more fully—all that God wants you to be in body, mind, and spirit. This little ditty of unknown origin celebrates the beautiful truth: No written word, nor spoken plea can teach our youth what they should be. Nor all the books on all the shelves. It’s what the teachers are themselves.
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And here’s what your teachers and staff members are themselves: really smart, erudite, eternally devoted, life-long learners and truly great people of faith and honor, who model and demand the best virtues—often with words and always with deeds. They give freely and fully of the very best parts of themselves. Their calling is you. Their way is to know you and love you and call you to ever rising peaks of excellence. And have they ever succeeded! They love you and you love them. And you can’t fake love. Please rise, face your mentors, and express your heartfelt gratitude. In John’s gospel, which we heard at last evening’s Baccalaureate Mass, Jesus prays to His Father for his disciples and for us: Lifting up His eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so they may all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they may also be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me.” This scriptural passage certainly resonates with our opening hymn: Christ in me arise and I will rise with you. We are one. One in Christ, One in Spirit, One in Community. Community, defined by theologian Henri Nouwen, is obedience practiced together. O for obedience. P for practiced. T for together. Opt. Opt is an apt acronym. To opt is to choose, and we are free to opt in or opt out. You gentlemen have opted in—opted in to the community of St. Sebastian’s. Your obedience practiced together has propelled you to pursue and achieve the following aspiration, which one of you articulated in your Corporate Chapel address: “Every class has a duty to make the School better.”
We are one. Obedience practiced together. Obedient to what? Each Arrow is obedient to his conscience for starters. What a powerfully dynamic practice that is, for, as C.S. Lewis asserts: “The more you obey your conscience, the more your conscience will demand of you!” Obedient to our mission: The pursuit of truth through faith and reason. We are one. Obedient to our order of the day: Love God, work hard and take good care of one another. We are one. Obedient to our theme: Empathy We are one. On September 10, I stood on this very spot and concluded my opening address on Empathy with these words: It is my prayer, my hope, and my expectation that we will strive in earnest and struggle mightily together to gain a deeper understanding of and firmer commitment to the beauty, truth, and goodness of the power we call empathy. Stay awake. Pay Attention. The readiness is all. We are one. You gave evidence of your grasp of empathy all year long, and you did so in very stirring ways over the past several weeks at your service placements. Some of you taught photography to mentally and physically challenged kids and young adults, giving them the best part of their day. And the supervisors marveled at your patience. One of you, who served people with Alzheimer’s, shared that the work takes a lot of focus and patience—and that’s just what you gave them. I once heard a priest explain: Patience means removing ourselves from being the center of things. I refer to such
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“You gentlemen have opted in to the community of St. Sebastian’s... You didn’t have to opt in. But opt in you did. Freely and fully with both feet, both hands, body, mind, and soul.” removal as a requirement for the practice of empathy, which is love. Love is patient. Love is kind. (1 Corinthians 13:4) One of you told us that you were at first intimidated by the thought of feeding elderly infirm people, but once you saw how much they needed it, you just did it. I call such response to the needs of another empathy. Empathy is about living not for ourselves alone but for, with, and in the Lord and others—and, brothers, you have empathy! God is love. Love never fails. Love one another. We are one. Every college admissions office and the owner of every company is looking for people who can write well and speak well. That our school devotes extraordinary measures of time, energy, and resources to the development of these vitally important skills is a powerfully beautiful, self-evident truth. In addition to writing many papers, poems, stories, lab reports and other pieces and presenting in class, every St. Sebastian’s student writes and delivers a Chapel speech every year. Now, this story may be apocryphal, but Freud allegedly did a study on man’s nine greatest fears. Death was number five. Speaking in public was number one. Freud also famously remarked: “How bold one gets when one is sure of being loved.” Allow me to offer evidence that these gentlemen in the great Class of 2019 feel loved. Here’s a medley of statements they have made this year in their Corporate Chapel addresses and in other speeches. After each quotation, you will hear our refrain: I have been engulfed by a sense of unconditional love. We are one. There is no divide—there is only love and support. We are one. Live—open to adventure. Love—everyone you meet. Read—to learn, to laugh, to cry. Wonder—about everything. Happiness takes effort. 18 |
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We are one. Our minds and souls are equally stimulated. We are one. I will always feel loved by my family and by St. Sebastian’s. We are one. All in this community want you to be the best person you can be...I’m lucky to be in a place where we pray before classes and games. We are one. Surround yourself with good people. We are one. We can find help in every direction we look. We are one. The boys lifted me up. We are one. The Holy Spirit is in each and every one of us...I love all of you in this Church. We are one. My speech is an open letter of gratitude and love. We are one. Failure can be an integral part of growth, maturity, and success...don’t fear failure; expect it, learn from it, and profit by it. We are one. Thank you for sending me to St. Sebastian’s, the best School in the world. We are one. I struggled with confidence to speak for myself...I felt a jolt of exhilaration...no longer timid but empowered...I am greater than my obstacles...you have to put yourself in situations that call you to greatness...I saw myself as prospective families saw me—to them I was a respectable young man at a great School. We are one. You cannot go unnoticed here. We are one. No one bears struggles alone. We are one. And finally: She freed me from pressure and strain...she would build me up. She’s my loudest fan, my wisest therapist, my most amazing friend, the best Mom in the world. I love you! We are one. Who’s teaching whom here? Your words, gentlemen. Not mine. You didn’t have to write those words. You didn’t have to share them. You didn’t have to opt in. But opt in you did. Freely and fully with both feet, both hands, body, mind, and soul. You dug deep and you spoke courageously—much to the benefit and delight of all. You have pursued and achieved excellence in the classroom, you have poured your hearts and souls into serving the less
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fortunate, you have proven yourselves to be gifted, awardwinning artists and team-first selfless athletes competing for and winning league championships. You have led the way. Thanks to your many contributions, we’re a stronger, better School than we were in September and the best is yet to come. I spoke to a number of our young graduates recently when they were on campus representing their colleges at our college night program for juniors. I asked them how we might prepare our students even better for college: What they shared was mostly how well prepared they felt. Here are the brief reports of five: I gained another level of hard work here. I learned how important it is to surround yourself with great people, people who pushed me to be better, so I seek out great people in college. I want to find new challenges and attack them with people who will push me. I am always a contributor in discussions and constantly engaged even in large lecture halls...my writing is way above most of my peers. The small classes here and the public speaking in Chapel prepared me. Having confidence, being able to talk to people and socialize. Chapel speeches helped so much. The teacher/student relationships. Students in college don’t want to see their professors, but I am so comfortable around them because of my relationships with teachers here. And, finally, this advice from a young sage: Keep the focus on what’s important in life—faith and relationships with other people—and, not necessarily academic success, but a mind open to inquiry and learning. So many enter college without knowing what’s important, where they’re from, where they’re going... their lives are not ordered to anything good, true, or beautiful. They don’t have firm foundations built, foundations which would allow for further development. Some see college as a time to develop a foundation, but it’s too late. We are one, one in God’s world. May we help them all, especially those who seem most lost. Many of you will likely find yourselves on campuses where the idea of pursuing truth through faith and reason is a foreign concept. Be not afraid. Keep your focus on what’s important: becoming ever more fully the ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate championed in our mission statement—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. And Pray.
Trustee Emeritus Brad Griffith ’58 with his grandson Jack Moffatt ’19.
We are one. As many of you know, 29 years ago, I prayed through the intercession of St. Jude, this prayer, “Please, Lord, put me in a place where I can best serve You and my family,” and He brought my wife, our four sons and me to St. Sebastian’s, a place, a gift, a blessing far, far better than any of us ever could have imagined. Pray. Believe. We are one. And in your praying, consider the advice of Steve Pemberton, author of our 2013 All School Read: A Chance in the World: “Don’t tell God that you’ve got a big problem. Tell your problem that you’ve got a big God.” In closing, I offer the well-known contraction of God be with you. Good-bye. Good-bye our brave Arrows. Know that we love you and that we will forever. Return to us often, in sorrow or in joy, and we’ll be right here waiting for you with hearts and arms wide open. Go now in peace. Shalom!
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BOARD PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
Live the Motto BY JAMES L. ELCOCK ’77, P’08
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e brief, be funny, be seated—the advice I received from Fr. Paris as we were lining up five minutes ago for this morning’s procession into the church. And we all know never to cross Fr. Paris. I am confident I will accomplish at least two of these mandates and will let you all figure out for which one I come up short. Headmaster Burke, Fr. Arens, Fr. Sicard, Mr. Haley, parents, grandparents, distinguished guests, faculty, staff, and most importantly the outstanding “rock solid” Class of 2019… On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to congratulate you on your graduation. This is a wonderful and most memorable day for you and your family, but it is also St. Sebastian’s best day of the year. Gentlemen, this is your school. Though your days of sitting in the classroom, competing on the athletic field, or giving your last chapel speech are behind you—in front of you is a relationship with St. Sebastian’s that will last a lifetime. As you look to your left, right, behind you and a row or two in front of you, what do you see in the future for your fellow classmates—a teacher, a banker, a software engineer, a venture capitalist, a priest, a lawyer, a professional athlete, a future brother-in-law? Gentlemen, labels are for jars. Regardless of what path a fellow classmate embarks on, you will always be to us and to each other, the Class of 2019. Sixty-seven young men from 23 different cities and towns, you have brought St. Sebastian’s to a new plateau. You are seated among your best friends, and your lifelong friends. We are a family and you are a big part of it. Just consider: 17 of you have younger siblings here; 19 of you have older brothers that have graduated; and finally there are six of you who are the third and last child in the family to graduate from St. Sebastian’s today. With your graduation today, St. Sebastian’s future is more secure and our best days are yet to come. It won’t be too long, usually at your 10-year reunion, when you begin to hear from a fellow classmate that usual chorus: “Can you believe what’s going on at Seb’s? We could never get into that school today.” It’s only said because all those Arrows behind you know that you have raised the bar in every aspect of St. Sebastian’s. There is no status quo… we are always wanting to get better. Believe me, those 7th and 8th graders, not to mention the sophomores and juniors all know what you have accomplished and they will try like heck to not only compete with you, but will look to beat you.
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The Class of 2019 accomplishments are extraordinary: • 13 members of your class were inducted into the St. Sebastian’s chapter of the prestigious Cum Laude Society. • Three members were commended students in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship program. • Two members were recognized as national Hispanic Scholars. • One member of your class served as the lead programmer on the Robotics team which competed in the Massachusetts Robotics State Championship. • Your class gave over 5,000 hours of community service. • Two members of your class co-wrote and directed the winter play: “Imaginary Friends.” Just to name a few... On the athletic front: • Varsity football won the ISL Championship; varsity golf won its fourth consecutive ISL title; varsity lacrosse won its second ISL title in three years with its first-ever undefeated season in our school’s history. • Hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer and tennis all competed most competitively in the highly-regarded ISL conference. Pause for a moment and think of how most of us here today have never played for our Boston sports teams, yet we think of them as our own. Whether it’s football, hockey, basketball or baseball, we live or die with every outcome. As Bostonians, we love our sports. With that in mind, as we reflect on St. Sebastian’s athletics—knowing that the workplace is filled with fellow
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athletes and many from ISL Schools—your accomplishments allow us to stand with great pride and a little bit taller. All fellow Arrows live vicariously through your success! St. Sebastian’s has prepared you better than you can ever imagine. We hear it constantly from the Arrows that have gone before you. You have a competitive edge when heading off to school in the fall. You will definitely realize it when you are sitting in a lecture, the class size is over 40 and you are asked to read an average of 75 pages per class and prepare weekly an 8-10 page essay on your interpretations of those readings; you will realize that workload, coupled with your other four classes, is manageable. But if there ever was a doubt or a question, you know who among you in this room would be there and happily available to assist—the essence of life is in relationships. And the relationships you have with your teachers, coaches, advisors, and classmates don’t end with today’s graduation. If you think for one minute that the likes of a Mr. Cornish, Mr. D. Burke, Mr. Wilbur, Mr. White, or Mr. Lynch, just to name a few, because I could list every faculty member here today, doesn’t want to hear how things are going for you after graduation, you are completely wrong. There is no greater form of flattery than to ask someone you respect for advice and counsel. Today, we have two grandfathers, Brad Griffith ’58, former Board President and Trustee Emeritus, and Peter McLaughlin
’55, handing diplomas to their grandsons. I have known Brad and Peter for well over a combined 80 years and I can think of no two finer St. Sebastian’s alumni! Four of my fellow alums— John Fiore ’79, Jay Mullen ’78, Matt Noone ’86, and Kurt Steinkrauss ’91—will also be giving diplomas to their sons. Two of my fellow Trustees, Randy Seidl and Shawn Martin, also have sons graduating today, and finally, my nephew, Stephen Jessup, is also graduating. As his mother (my youngest sister) tells me, “Thank God he’s going to a college that doesn’t require a dress code.” Stephen has lost four blue blazers just this year. My final thoughts. 1. Thank your parents, teachers and coaches immensely for helping this day become a reality. 2. Go off and do great things. Be a leader. Speak up. Share your intellect, your athleticism, your honesty, your sense of humor, your commitment to do good and your love of God. Don’t be judgmental. Embrace the values of the St. Sebastian’s Arrow, and live by the motto of our school. Be a proud Arrow. And finally, I will conclude with a quote from Tim McGraw: “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other.” Gentlemen, Congratulations and God Bless!
The Arrows legacy continues as proud alumni join their sons and grandsons prior to Commencement. From left: Headmaster Bill Burke, Peter McLaughlin ’55 with his grandson Peter Blake ’19, Kurt ’91 and Ryan ’19 Steinkrauss, John ’79 and Joseph ’19 Fiore, Matt ’86 and Tim ’19 Noone, Jay ’78 and Ryan ’19 Mullen, and Board President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08. SPRING 2019
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KEYNOTE ADDRESS
The Past, Present & Future BY REV. KENNETH SICARD, O.P.
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lthough I am not an alumnus of St. Sebastian’s, I have been a member of the Board of Trustees for about three years. I have gotten to know the school quite well, both in my time on the Board, and in getting to know some of the recent graduates of St. Sebastian’s who are now students at Providence College. I am honored that Mr. Burke asked me to be this year’s graduation speaker. A couple of weeks ago, there was a column in The Boston Globe written by staff writer Zoe Greenberg called “The Commencement Speech Playbook.” And Greenberg described three components of nearly every graduation speech. She wrote, first, make a joke. Second, pretend to be humble (Why did they choose me?). And third, impart a lesson. She also wrote that no one cares, and no one remembers what graduation speakers say. Most sit there “waiting for the speaker to get on with it already.” Yikes! In any case, when I was preparing this speech, I came across a saying from St. John Paul II which I thought captured perfectly the theme of today’s celebration and your experiences of St. Sebastian’s. The late Pope wrote, “Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. And look forward to the future with confidence.” This is what I’d like to talk about today—remembering the past with gratitude, living the present with enthusiasm, and looking to the future with confidence. First, with regard to the past: How lucky are you! As you look back on your time at St. Sebastian’s, I know that you recognize how much you have to be grateful for. One can see it in your faces. In my time on the Board, I have seen firsthand the dedication, passion, and commitment of people like your headmaster, Mr. Burke, your chaplain, Father John, and your teachers, all of whom, along with your parents, have taught you, and coached you, and formed you into the young men that God created you to be. I have to imagine that the special bonds you have formed with your friends, your teachers, and the staff here are among the things for which you are most grateful. In the past few weeks, I have spoken with some of the St. Seb’s alums who are now with us at Providence College. I can tell you that there is something special and unique about them and about how much they loved their years at St. Sebastian’s. It’s not just another school! Their eyes light up with excitement when they talk about their time and experiences, much more so than students from a lot of other schools. One talked enthusiastically about brotherhood; how classmates 22 |
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become friends for life; and how the connections you formed here might change, but don’t fade. And about how, when you return to St. Sebastian’s, it’s like you never left. How friendships formed in the classroom, on the fields, or courts, or ice, or through ping pong games in the lounge last long beyond graduation. And how the faculty are as excited to see you when you come back as they were when they taught or coached you. One of my favorite experiences as a Trustee has been having the opportunity to sit in on classes once each year. I have seen how your teachers have challenged you and engaged you in class discussions, and I have been so impressed by your enthusiasm and intelligence, and by the way you have responded to them. We say often at Providence College that we don’t want to teach our students what to think, but rather, how to think. That philosophy is shared here at St. Sebastian’s. What a precious gift you’ve been given. There is a remarkable book that has been on the New York Times bestseller list for nonfiction for the past several weeks called Educated—A Memoir, written by Tara Westover. I would like to tell you her story. Westover is a Mormon woman who was born to a survivalist family in the mountains of Idaho, a family who was so isolated from society that there was no one who could ensure that the children received an education. She did backbreaking work on the family farm and junkyard. She mixed herbal healing potions with her mother because the family refused to believe in or seek proper medical care. Her father was convinced that education was a tool of the devil. As a way out, Tara began to educate herself. She remarkably taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University. She was seventeen
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the first time she stepped into a classroom. Amazingly, her thirst for knowledge and her God-given intellectual gifts eventually led her to further studies and degrees at Cambridge and Harvard. But the journey was arduous, one for which she was totally unprepared. She was completely ignorant about even the most basic things. In writing about the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11, for example, she states, “I’d never heard of them until they were gone.” When it came time to sit for the ACT exam, she had no idea how to complete the bubble sheet because she had never seen one before. It’s kind of miraculous that she was admitted to BYU. In her first year, she bought a copy of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, hoping that it would teach her about history and literature. It didn’t, however, because she was unable to distinguish between the fictional story and the historical facts. As she writes, “Napoleon felt no more real to me than Jean Valjean. I had never heard of either.” Likewise, she never had heard of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. At one point, in reading from a textbook, Westover stumbled on a word that she did not know; had never heard. She had seen other students ask questions, so she raised her hand to ask her professor what the word meant. Her question was met with shocked silence from both the professor and her classmates. After class, one of her friends said, “You shouldn’t make fun of that. It’s not a joke.” The word that Westover had never heard or read before was “Holocaust.” She did not raise her hand again for the rest of the semester. Yet, despite the obstacles she faced, Westover earned A’s in every subject except one. She received a scholarship for half of her tuition and was able to return to school the following semester. Eventually, she was accepted to a study abroad program at Cambridge and made such an impression on her professors that she was awarded a prestigious scholarship. She later received her doctorate and soon after did post-grad work at Harvard. Reading this book and learning Westover’s story helped me to recognize even more clearly how grateful we should be for the opportunities that have been made possible for us. You’ve been given such a precious gift here at St. Sebastian’s. You should know and appreciate how the quality of education you have received here has prepared you so well for the new adventures on which you are about to embark. Look at some of the colleges you’ll be attending: Harvard, Dartmouth, Duke, Notre Dame, Holy Cross, Villanova, just to name a few. I’m delighted that five more of you will be joining us at Providence College. We love the St. Sebastian’s students who come to us, because, not only has your academic experience been solid and impressive, it’s been informed by faith. One of the things that certainly has been most touching to me as a priest, and that has had such an impact on each of you, is the way your faith has been nurtured and developed in your time here. First, you have such a beautiful example of courage and fidelity in your school’s patron, St. Sebastian,
who, as you know, is also the patron saint of athletes. As a side note, I was lucky enough to be in Rome two weeks ago and I had the opportunity to visit the tomb of St. Sebastian. It was remarkable to see the number of young people, people about your age, who were praying there, even a young soccer team. I lit a candle and offered special prayers for the school, and
Introduction of Rev. Kenneth Sicard, O.P. by Headmaster William Burke Fr. Sicard, executive vice president/treasurer of Providence College, is responsible for the oversight of the vice presidents for Student Affairs, Mission and Ministry, External Affairs, Marketing, and Board Relations, and the vice president/legal counsel of the College. Also reporting to Fr. Sicard are the associate vice presidents for Human Resources, Athletics, and Institutional Diversity. He serves on the executive committee of Providence College’s President’s Council and on the Auditing, Finance, Investment, Board Affairs, Strategic Planning, and Executive Committees of the Board of Trustees. Fr. Sicard is also secretary of the Corporation of the College. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Providence College. In 1984, Fr. Sicard entered the Dominican Order, later earning his bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and a masters of divinity degree from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. and was ordained a priest in 1990. In 1997, Fr. Sicard completed his studies for a Ph.D. in educational studies/business at The Ohio State University and came to Providence College as the dean of residence life. From 2002 through 2010, Fr. Sicard also served as the treasurer of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. In this role, he oversaw the financial, investment, and accounting operations of the province. From 2010 through 2016, he served as a member of the Economic Council of the Dominican Order in Rome. In addition to serving on the Corporation of the College, Fr. Sicard serves as a member of the Economic Council of the Dominican Sisters of Peace in Columbus, and he served as acting president of Providence College during President Shanley’s six-month sabbatical in the fall of 2018. I know him best as a fabulous Trustee of St. Sebastian’s School. Please help me welcome Fr. Ken Sicard.
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especially for each of you as you graduate. You are so lucky to be part of a school where faith is celebrated so openly. One student with whom I recently spoke described with great excitement the Chapel Speeches in which each one of you has participated. He said that they provided the opportunity and the challenge of really thinking about the place of faith in your lives, and of having the courage to share it with your friends and teachers. This goes way beyond simply having the opportunity to become more adept at public speaking. You have the opportunity to really inspire your friends and classmates, and to change lives. Occasionally, Mr. Burke has shared copies of your Chapel Speeches with us Trustees. They are powerful, moving, and inspiring. We are at an interesting time in the Church year—right between the Ascension and Pentecost. The disciples, having been taught and nurtured by Jesus, were getting ready to leave the safety of the upper room. A constant theme in the
“If you combine all that you have learned here with the faith that you hold in your hearts, there will be no stopping you.” 24 |
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conversations that Jesus had with them leading up to this moment was a promise from Him that He would remain with them always. And so, inspired by faith, and soon to be filled with the Spirit, like you, they were about to begin a new phase in their lives. And because they were so anchored in Jesus, because they had been so well prepared, they were able to face and overcome overwhelming challenges and change the world. They became the inspiration for a young man like St. Sebastian. And if you combine all that you have learned here with the faith that you hold in your hearts, there will be no stopping you. Because the same promise made by Jesus to be with His disciples until the end of time is made to you. Because of this promise, and because of your time here at St. Sebastian’s, you should, as St. John Paul said, “Look forward to the future with confidence.” Because it’s a future that is bright and full of opportunities. Finally, as St. John Paul said, always live the present with enthusiasm. As you think about the blessings of the past that have led to this moment, as you sit here today, enveloped in the love of family, and friends, and God, and as you embark on new adventures, live this present moment with joy, and optimism, and enthusiasm. I’ll say it again: You have much to celebrate! This is your special day; this is your special time. I will leave you with familiar words: Wherever life takes you, love God, work hard, and take care of one another. Good luck and Godspeed.
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VALEDICTORY ADDRESS
The Past Is Never Dead BY JOHN H. RANDALL ’19
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r. Burke, Father Arens, Mr. Nerbonne, Mr. Elcock, Father Sicard, members of the faculty, and most importantly, the Class of 2019: When I arrived at Seb’s in 9th grade, I never thought that it would be possible for four years to fly by so quickly. It was only four years ago that we were playing word series in Mr. McCarthy’s freshman writing class, only three years ago that we had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Thomasy’s political tangents in the middle of history class, and it was only last year that we all struggled to build a mousetrap car and, hopefully, succeeded. And at every point in between, there have been countless memories made that I know the rest of the class and I will cherish forever. As we look back at our time at St. Sebastian's, I want to recognize the people who have made it all possible. Mom, Dad, Katie, Sam, and Grandpa, you’ve all been such important people in my life. I love you all and I don’t know what it’s going to be like next year without you. And on behalf of the entire class, I’d like to thank all the parents, grandparents, siblings, and all other relatives and friends here today, because you have been the people who have shaped us into the young men that we have become, and we’re forever grateful for all that you do. To the faculty, thank you for the countless hours of hard work that you put in helping the students, whether it be teaching, coaching, or working behind the scenes to make sure that everything runs smoothly. I know that each student will have different teachers who have made an impact on him, but I personally want to thank Mr.
“As our time at St. Sebastian's comes to a close, reflect upon the people who have meant the most to you, seek to learn from the lessons they have taught you, and bring with you the relationships and values you have developed throughout the past several years.” 26 |
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Ryan, Mr. Palmaccio, and Mr. McCarthy for pushing me to my limits, inspiring me to work my hardest, and sparking an interest in learning that will never leave me. You’ve made my time at St. Seb’s unforgettable, and I want to thank you for that. To the Class of 2019: I know that I don’t say it very often, but you all really do mean a lot to me. It’s going to be difficult next year not being here at Seb’s, but I’m really grateful that I’ve had such a great group of guys to spend the past four years with. As I’ve reflected on my time at St. Seb’s, I’ve realized how much I don’t want high school to be over yet. It doesn’t feel fair that time had to pass by so quickly. Although I wish that I could go back in time, I’ve come to realize that our time at St. Seb’s isn’t over yet. Over the past few months, I’ve kept thinking about a quote from William Faulkner that Mr. Richter shared with us in our 11th grade English class that’s stuck with me ever since: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” While I couldn’t say that I’m a big fan of Faulkner (sorry Mr. Richter, Mr. Lynch, and Big Jim), I can’t help but admire the wisdom in these words. As our time at St. Sebastian's comes to a close, I urge you not to let it end there. Without much effort, it’s easy to continue on in our lives, attend college, have a career, start a family, and look back at our time at St. Seb’s and reminisce over the good old days back in high school. But I don’t want it to be that way. It would be a waste of our entire high school experience if we simply forget the lessons we’ve learned, the relationships we’ve built, and the morals and values we’ve developed over the past four years. Instead, use your past to make your present and your future the best that they can be.
COMMENCEMENT 2019
Now, I know that times have been hectic lately, but I want to take a minute to slow things down. To all the members of the Class of 2019, and for that matter, everyone listening to this speech, take a moment to think about the people who have played an important role in your life over the past several years. Now think about a lesson that they’ve taught you, or something they’ve done that’s changed your outlook. For me, I think of Mr. Ryan, who has taught me what it means to work hard and push myself beyond what I thought was possible. I think of Anthony Perez, who has taught me what it means to be a good friend. I think of Mr. Palmaccio, who has shown me how important it is to find something to be passionate about and pour your energy and intellect into. Each of these people, as well as many more, have taught me something that I will take with me for the rest of my life. As our time at St. Sebastian's comes to a close, reflect upon the people who have meant the most to you, seek to learn from the lessons they have taught you, and bring with you the relationships and values you have developed throughout the past several years. Don’t leave St. Seb’s in the past. Take it with you for the rest of your life. Thank You.
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COMMENCEMENT 2019
SALUTATORY ADDRESS
Cherish the Memories BY JARED H. PRICE ’19
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r. Burke, Fr. Arens, Mr. Nerbonne, Mr. Elcock, Fr. Sicard, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the faculty, parents, families, and fellow Arrows of the Class of 2019… What an honor it is to be speaking in front of you all today. There’s a lot to be said on behalf of the Class of 2019, but I think it is first most important that I thank those who have helped us tremendously during our time at St. Sebastian’s. To our parents, siblings, and extended families, the older I’ve grown, the more I’ve come to realize how much family means to us. I would be nowhere near where I am now without the love and support from my mom and dad, or the influence of my brother, George, who has served as a role model throughout my life; for all of my family, I am thankful beyond words. To our teachers, advisors, and coaches, you’ve held us to higher standards and led us to unimaginable destinations; you’ve all invested in our futures by sacrificing what you have so that we one day may have more, and for that we hold great gratitude and love for you all. To all members of the Board of Trustees, thank you for the work you do in providing for this school and its community. To our keynote speaker, Fr. Sicard, thank you for taking the time to be with us today. And finally, a very personal thank you to our class valedictorian, Jack Randall; Jack was a humbling reminder to me throughout my St. Seb’s career that there will always be someone out there who is better than you, no matter how hard you try. In my first draft of this speech, I began by touching upon the numerous athletic and academic achievements of the Class of 2019. I mentioned the many championships, undefeated seasons, our triumphs as scholars, our work in community service, and our amazing feats in our extracurriculars during our time here at St. Sebastian's. What I soon realized, however, is that despite these incredible accomplishments, it is unfair of me to define the Class of 2019 strictly by what we have achieved on paper, because this group of brothers is simply much more than that. To illustrate truly what it means to be an Arrow, I’d like to share some of my experiences, and hopefully bring to light just how blessed we are to share in the brotherhood and the love that defines St. Sebastian’s. My journey here began 12 years ago—a distant time that feels not so long ago—with my brother George’s entrance into the Class of 2013. Although I was not yet a student, whenever I stepped foot on campus, whether it be to watch my brother’s Chapel Speeches or sit on the sidelines at one of his soccer games, Headmaster Burke, the faculty, and the 28 |
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upperclassmen always greeted me with a smile and helped me count down the days until I would soon get the chance to wear the blazer and tie. I can still remember sitting in class at my old school with classmate Joey Fiore, paying no attention to the teacher in front of us, fantasizing day-after-day about sporting the Arrows crest on the athletic field or walking the same hallways that our older brothers once did. Not long after, what was once a dream became a life-changing reality. When it was finally my time to enter St. Sebastian’s, I felt fully prepared to experience all that I had already seen and heard about the school—a community that truly cares for its people: a faculty that seeks to inspire; a student body that competes with each other but loves each other far more; and most importantly, a series of life-long relationships forged amongst us all that would both shape our characters and grant us happiness long after our departure. As a St. Sebastian’s student, you hear a lot about the brotherhood, the relationships, and the community; in fact, as your experience at St. Seb’s goes on, these special qualities even seem to become cliché and over-expressed. However, the bonds I’ve made with my teachers, coaches, and classmates during my time here have certainly reaffirmed the truth in the words surrounding this tight-knit community. To name a few personal examples: in my 7th grade year, my English teacher, Mr. McCarthy, taught me that a determined mindset and a love for what you do is the key to succeeding in any endeavor—today, six years later, I still carry his meaningful words with me; my four years on the soccer team, under the guidance of Coach Redpath and Coach Connolly, taught me what it means to be a leader, a teammate, and a competitor. My time on the soccer team was filled with a variety of upsand-downs, but what I remember most is not our record over the years, but the memories I made at team dinners, in the
COMMENCEMENT 2019
“Keep each other in your hearts and don’t ever lose sight of what is most important: the relationships we hold and cherish with those whom we love.” locker room, the hours spent training in the hot summer sun with my teammates—these are the moments that have mattered most to me; and lastly, my relationships with all of my classmates have taught me never to take for granted the people who truly care about you, because the friendships I’ve gained here are certainly hard to come by. I remember the last soccer game of my St. Seb’s career, we were playing against Thayer on a Friday night and were down 3-0 with 20 minutes to go. It started to rain heavily and the team was evidently distressed from their performance; but Henry’s Corner, including the football team, who had a game the next day, stayed to cheer on their brothers for the remainder of the game and salute them for their season once the final whistle blew. What better example of true friendship than this one, yet actions like this are what is expected as an Arrow. Headmaster Burke describes the essence of this school to perfection when he says that, “The best people [he] knows are those who are genuinely—from the inside out—happy for the good fortune of others.” In our competitive world, you rarely get to witness, let alone become a part of, a collection of people who truly care about the well-being and the growth of one another. St. Sebastian's is one of these places—we are a community united by love.
As I conclude my time up here on the podium, I would like to share a passage that my advisor and teacher, Mr. Lynch, read to my English Class on our last day together this past month. It’s from Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, and I believe the words speak true to our experience here at St. Sebastian’s and the many memories that we have formed together: There is nothing higher, or stronger, or sounder, or more useful afterwards in life, than some good memory. You hear a lot said about your education, yet some such beautiful, sacred memory, preserved from childhood, is perhaps the best education. If man stores up many such memories to take into life, then he is saved for his whole life. And even if only one good memory remains with us in our hearts, that alone may serve some day for our salvation. So as we prepare to depart, I encourage you all never to forget the good memories you have made here. Keep each other in your hearts and don’t ever lose sight of what is most important: the relationships we hold and cherish with those whom we love. Truthfully, it has been nothing less than an honor and a privilege to get to know each and every one of my 66 brothers in the audience today. I look up to all of you in ways that you could not imagine and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for all of us. Always remember that whatever it is that we decide to pursue hereafter, St. Sebastian’s has equipped us to achieve great success, happiness, and meaning in our lives. And most importantly, let us never forget to adhere to the mission of this school: to go forth as men of courage, honor, wisdom, and faith, and above all to “Work hard, love God, and take good care of one another.” Thank you and God bless.
All 67 graduates line up outside St. Bartholomew Church to shake Headmaster Burke's hand before the Commencement ceremony.
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The First Commencement JUNE 1, 1945
TOP: The Class of 1945 in their caps and gowns. Front Row: Charles McCarron, Leon Kelley, Hank Barry, Edmund Courtney, James Lydon, Francis Dermody, Hugh Glasheen; Back Row: Donald Gibbons, Richard Shea, Daniel O’Brien, Arthur Kelly, Joseph Carroll, James Wiles, William Cryan. BOTTOM ROW: The following Arrows were already serving in World War II, but were there in spirit at St. Sebastian’s first Commencement: George Baker, Robert Baker, James Collins, George Gilbert, Edmund Murphy, James Scully and Richard Donahue (not pictured).
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t. Sebastian’s 75th Commencement provides an opportunity to reflect on our first-ever Commencement on June 1, 1945, and our inaugural graduating class. The twenty-one young men who comprised the Class of 1945 were the pioneers who endured the temporary hardships that came with the creation of a new school. At the same time, they were trail-blazers who individually contributed to the formation of the St. Sebastian’s spirit and tradition.
Only 14 of those first 21 Arrows who had entered St. Sebastian’s Country Day School when it was founded in 1941 were able to attend the ceremony to accept their diplomas four years later. Many had already left to fight in World War II. During junior and senior year, as they approached the deadline of their 18th birthday, seven of them were drafted by Uncle Sam to serve in the war, illustrating how appropriate Cardinal O’Connell’s naming of the School for the soldier-saint had been. In spite of the shadows cast by the war, that first Commencement was a joyous occasion. For four long years, the students worked hard to achieve their scholastic and extracurricular aspirations under the tutelage of the dedicated priest faculty while forming strong bonds with each other, many of which would last a lifetime. Commencement Day was preceded by a week of festivities, beginning on Monday with a class outing to the beach in Scituate, followed by the Senior Prom at the Puritan Hotel in Boston on Tuesday. Wednesday’s highlight was a father-son baseball game against Belmont Hill. On Thursday evening, a reception for the School’s first graduates was held at John Hancock Hall, featuring a performance by classical musicians. The week’s activities culminated with a Baccalaureate Mass celebrated by Headmaster McInnis at the Cenacle Convent in the morning and the grand finale in the afternoon— Commencement—held on the
impressive grounds of the Archbishop’s Residence in Brighton. His Excellency Archbishop Cushing presided and paid tribute to both the graduates and the young school. Valedictorian Richard Shea ’45 addressed his classmates with a stirring speech, covering their journey as the first class of Arrows. By the end of that summer of 1945, Japan had surrendered to the Allies, effectively ending World War II and bringing six years of hostilities to a final and highly anticipated close. Despite
the war coming to an end, the draft was still in place until October 1946, and eight additional Arrows were called to serve or enlisted before the draft was over, temporarily interrupting their college plans. Others were able to launch their college careers straight away. The list of universities attended by that first class included Harvard, Holy Cross, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Boston College, and Boston University. As Hank Barry ’45 noted, “As the pioneers, we proved that our rigorous, Catholic, classical secondary education was most worthy of collegiate academic challenges.” In total, 15 of the 21 members of the Class of 1945 served in the military at some point during or just after the war, a telling reflection of its impact on the world and on St. Sebastian’s during its earliest years. Although the School has changed dramatically since the first Commencement, the themes of brotherhood and loyalty still ring true for the 75th class of Arrows.
Archbishop Richard Cushing presides over the Commencement ceremonies.
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With Gratitude
As part of St. Sebastian’s Spirit & People Campaign, several spaces on campus have recently been named, serving as fitting tributes to families whose generosity will have a lasting impact on the School.
Derenzo Campus Store The Derenzo Campus Store, given by Jay and Elizabeth Derenzo P’20,’22,’24, is located in the West Campus Center, just beyond the rotunda. The bookstore’s new home provides a bright and beautiful space for selling Arrows gear. Jay was born and raised in Needham, the third generation of his family to reside in the town. Elizabeth is a teacher and the product of Catholic education. In addition to their three sons currently at St. Sebastian’s—Michael ’20, Nicholas ’22 and Tyler ’24—the Derenzos have two younger sons, Gregory and Andrew, who they hope will be future Arrows, as well as two daughters, Paige and Brooke. The Spirit & People Campaign provided a way for the Derenzos to combine two priorities, doing something in the Needham community and giving to education, in particular to a school with a Catholic mission. “As the parents of five boys whose ages span 14 years, Jay and I are grateful for the family-oriented environment St. Sebastian’s provides and hope to be part of this loving community for many years,” shared Elizabeth. The quote on the Derenzo Campus Store plaque reflects this sentiment: “Family is where life begins and love never ends.”
Elizabeth and Jay Derenzo P'20,'22,'24 in the Derenzo Campus Store.
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TOP: Kathy and Jack ’62 Doherty P'86,’87, GP'17,'25 and Jay and Carol LaMarche P'91,'93 stand with the plaque which will hang outside the Doherty Business Office; BOTTOM LEFT: Kathy helps Jack unveil the plaque during the dedication ceremony; BOTTOM RIGHT: Doris Barlow Lanigan P'60 with Tom and Carol Connors P'89,'96, GP'20,'24.
Doherty Business Office The Doherty Business Office, given by Jay and Carol LaMarche, parents of Jim ’91 and Matt ’93, pays tribute to long-time Business Manager, Jack Doherty ’62, P’86,’87, GP’17,’25. The LaMarches were first introduced to Jack by their close friends and neighbors, Tom and Carol Connors P'89,’96, GP'20,'24. “The Doherty Family was well regarded in our town and Jack was highly instrumental in our consideration of St. Sebastian’s School for our sons,” noted Jay. “We consider Jack one of the key leaders behind bringing St. Sebastian’s to where it is today, and certainly an MVP. It was our privilege to honor him through our gift to the Spirit & People Campaign.” On May 1, the LaMarche and Doherty Families, along with other members of the St. Sebastian’s community, gathered in the rotunda of the West Campus Center to celebrate the dedication of the business office in Jack’s name. The highlight of the special night was a speech delivered by Jack himself focused on the theme, “St. Sebastian’s is family.” The plaque that hangs outside the Doherty Business Office honors Jack for “40 years of eminently distinguished service to St. Sebastian’s School. His intelligence, energy, integrity, diligence, dedication, discretion and love will be the gold standard for St. Sebastian’s Business Managers of the future.”
Seidl Family Baseball Field The Seidl Family Baseball Field, given by Randy and Janet Seidl, parents of Tommy ’17 and Billy ’19, was dedicated on May 16. The Seidl Family was joined by the varsity baseball team as well as members of the administration and Board President Jim Elcock P’77,’08. After the plaque was unveiled, Fr. Arens blessed and officially dedicated the naming of the field. Remarks were given by Athletic Director David Hinman as well as Trustee Randy Seidl, who thanked the many members of the St. Sebastian’s community who have impacted his sons’ lives in so many positive ways, especially the coaches, who have known, loved and guided them both in the classroom and on the playing fields. “We are so proud of Tommy and Billy and so proud to give this meaningful gift to the capital campaign, hoping that others can also have their dreams come true like they have for Tommy and Billy,” shared Randy. As Tommy and Billy both played baseball for the Arrows, dedicating the baseball field felt like the perfect way for the Seidls to honor their sons’ experience at St. Sebastian’s while supporting the campaign. “Tommy and Billy learned so many lessons and achieved so much success, not only physically, but also more importantly, spiritually, and emotionally, through the coaching, their teammates and the overall team experience,” noted Janet. Her parents, Tom and Terri Grojean, who also contributed to the gift, have been loyal Arrows fans along with Janet and Randy. They have attended countless games while always counseling their grandsons to be studentathletes, “students first, athletes second.” The Seidls look forward to staying connected to the school and standing on the sidelines to cheer on future Arrows.
TOP: Janet and Randy Seidl (center) are flanked by Janet's parents, Tom and Terri Grojean and their sons, Billy ’17 and Tommy ’19. MIDDLE: Randy delivers words of thanks at the dedication ceremony. BOTTOM: The varsity baseball team gathers around the sign with the Seidls. SPRING 2019
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Class of 2019 Parents with Headmaster Burke in the rotunda.
Class of 2019 Parents Celebrate
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arking the beginning of Commencement Week, parents of the Class of 2019 gathered at St. Sebastian’s on Sunday, June 2, for the annual Senior Parent Dinner. During the reception, the parents mingled on the Class of 2017 Courtyard outside the West Campus Center. They then headed to the Griffith Headmaster’s House where they enjoyed dinner under the tent on the Class of 2007 Terrace. Afterward, Headmaster Burke thanked the parents for their many generous contributions during their time at St. Sebastian’s and shared a few remarks about the Class of 2019, offering the Members of the Class of 2019 Senior Class Gift Committee. parents some advice to help them enjoy their sons’ graduation. The families also celebrated their role in raising funds for the Senior Class Gift project: the Faculty Commons. For the first time in the School’s history, two classes will work together to honor the faculty with a renovation of the carpeted area of Ward Hall. The Class of 2020 will join the Class of 2019 in this unique opportunity to acknowledge our faculty. The renovation will take place during the summer of 2020. It was a wonderful evening, bringing the parents of the Class of 2019 together as a group one last time to celebrate their sons’ time at St. Sebastian’s, as well as the many connections they’ve made with each other. 34 |
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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
GUILD OF ST. IRENE FASHION SHOW
PARENTS OF ALUMNI RECEPTION On April 25, St. Sebastian’s hosted its annual Parents of Alumni Reception in the rotunda of the West Campus Center. Numerous parents from a wide range of classes returned to campus to reconnect and reminisce. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Guild of St. Irene. Mary Supple P'09,'10,'15, former President of the Guild, said a few words and then introduced the current Guild President, Jeanne McKenzie P'18,'20. Jeanne spoke about the history of the Guild and the thousands of mothers who have contributed to its success over the past 70 years. She then invited the many past Guild Presidents who were in attendance to join her and be acknowledged at the front.
HEADMASTER SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT On May 13, more than 100 St. Sebastian’s parents, parents of alumni, alumni, and friends participated in St. Sebastian’s Headmaster Scholarship Golf Tournament at Charles River Country Club. For the sixth year in a row, the outing successfully raised funds for the Headmaster Scholarship which provides financial assistance to St. Sebastian's students. Although a little chilly, the golfers headed out for a wonderful afternoon on the course. Afterwards, they returned to the clubhouse for dinner and awards. Tom Brady Sr., father of Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, was the keynote speaker for the event. Thank you to the Golf Chairs, Men's Association President Sam Hodgson P'12,'20 and Mike Muldowney P'12,'16,'22, for their efforts to make this event a success and to all of our sponsors and participants for their generous support of the tournament.
St. Sebastian’s mothers enjoyed an evening of fun and fashion on May 14 at the Guild of St. Irene’s annual closing event, held in the wrestling room. The Dinner & Fashion Show began with socializing and shopping in the rotunda of the West Campus Center, followed by the highlight of the evening—senior moms working the catwalk in the latest trends. A lovely evening was had by all thanks to the fantastic efforts of Co-Chairs Mary Torrence P’20,’20 and Linette Van Flandern P’20 and the event committee.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION COOKOUT On June 11, Headmaster Bill Burke hosted a number of parents, past parents, alumni and friends for the Volunteer Appreciation Cookout at the Griffith Headmaster’s House to celebrate and thank our amazing team of volunteers who have made contributions of time and talent this year. From supporting Guild and Men’s Association events, to working on the annual fund and serving as class agents, St. Sebastian’s is very fortunate to have a tremendous team of volunteers! SPRING 2019
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Every
Waking
Moment BY CHRISTINE Y. ROBERTSON
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Robert Brooks ’08 is on a crusade to improve the lives of
people around the world who are living with diabetes. As someone who lives with type 1 diabetes himself, he has not let the disease define him or slow him down. Instead, he has dedicated his career—and virtually every waking moment—to creating positive change for those who suffer from this chronic condition through healthcare technology, education and advocacy.
R
obert was just three years old when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. “It was literally the first day I remember of this world,” he recalled. The diagnosis was life-changing for his entire family as they learned how to care for Robert, from monitoring blood glucose levels to administering shots and managing his diet. He spent his childhood in and out of doctor’s offices and emergency rooms—culminating in a series of lifethreatening and traumatic situations. His daily existence was ruled by a strict regimen that made him feel different when all he wanted was to just fit in with the other kids. Despite the all-consuming nature of managing type 1 diabetes, Robert learned to adapt and push through the many barriers as best he could. The amazing support he received from the school community while a student and athlete at St. Sebastian’s made an enormous difference. “Whether it was Mr. Fitz in the training room, Jean Lynch in the nurse’s office, the teachers and coaches or my classmates, they took care of me and kept me alive,” noted Robert. Robert also credits St. Sebastian’s with developing his self-confidence and teaching him to believe in himself. “The people at the school didn't just look at me as a student, they looked at me as a human being; and not just academically, or athletically, or artistically,” he noted. “St. Sebastian’s holistic approach to learning inspires
students to find things they’re excited about, and to then go after it with everything they possibly have. For me, that was figuring out diabetes.” While studying Communications and Pre-Law at Boston College, Robert became involved as an advocate in local, national and even international organizations that are dedicated to preventing and conquering diabetes in all its forms, from Joslin Diabetes Center to the American Diabetes Association and the International Diabetes Federation, just to name
a few. After graduating from BC, he pursued a job in the diabetes field, lining up opportunities at some of the biggest diabetes companies in the world, and yet, he was still determined to do more, to be a part of something truly innovative. Inspired by a part-time job at AT&T while he was in college, Robert felt there was huge potential to support the diabetes community by applying cellular capabilities. “I thought this would be such an amazing opportunity for not only individuals, but for the system to connect those data sets, and connect those individuals to the resources that are out there, that would ultimately support, educate and provide insights and analytics to them,” shared Robert. He started talking to everybody he could, until one day he got a call from a scientist who was working on a new technology to bring a SIM card into a blood glucose monitor. “We had the same vision of what we believed the future of diabetes management ought
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LEFT: Robert speaks at the High Hopes Gala, a fundraiser for the Joslin Diabetes Center. RIGHT: Robert and other young people from around the world with diabetes gather during a conference for Young Leaders in Diabetes, a program of the International Diabetes Federation.
to look like,” noted Robert. By the end of that two-hour conversation, he had a job offer and became one of the first employees of Livongo. With an idea that literally began in an attic and a garage, through great perseverance things gradually began to fall into place, from FDA clearance for the medical device to funding from a Chicago-based investment firm, 7wire Ventures, which focuses on healthcare and education. The firm’s co-founder, Glen Tullman, also happened to have a son living with type 1 diabetes and brought the business expertise needed to take Livongo to the next level, ultimately becoming the CEO. In the nearly seven years since Livongo was formed, the company has become the leading consumer digital health company focused on chronic
“When people ask me, ‘What is my purpose in this world?’ I tell them it is to figure out this diabetes issue; selfishly, and for all of those other people I would never wish this on. It’s why I wake up every morning.” 38 |
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conditions in the U.S. Using advanced data science, the device provides the right information and support—exactly when it’s needed—along with human coaching when readings are very out of range, literally allowing users to “live on the go.” Robert has watched the company grow from just three employees to over 700. In that time, he’s held a variety of roles, from account management to business operations, marketing, and customer service. He currently serves as Director of Sales, Midwest, and as someone who has directly benefited from the technology, his sales pitch is quite compelling. “Livongo has liberated my life,” shared Robert. “There’s still parts of diabetes that I can’t hide away from, but it’s made me so intelligent about what I ought to do, and supportive in those decisions that I have to make.” The technology behind Livongo has changed dramatically since the first version, and just keeps getting better as Livongo partners with other cutting-edge technologies, from Apple, Fitbit, and Samsung smartwatches to Amazon’s Alexa. “What gets me most excited is to see how we can take all of these technologies that are pushing the bounds of innovation, not just in diabetes, and apply them to diabetes to make the experience that much better for our members,” said Robert. “I've actually learned more from Livongo's insights over the past couple of years,
than I have over the past 25 years of dealing with this on my own, and with my family and doctors.” In addition to working for Livongo, Robert has continued to stay involved in other diabetes organizations, including Beta Change, a non-profit he co-founded in 2016 along with other individuals he’d met from around the world through the Young Leaders in Diabetes program. The mission of Beta Change is to create a global network and foster collaboration between all stakeholders within the diabetes community and together provide adequate and sustainable access to diabetes medication, equipment, education and support to all people living with diabetes. Beta Change is using platforms like Facebook, blogs and virtual roundtables to reach and connect people around the world, once again leveraging Robert’s passion for the intersection of healthcare and technology to make an impact. The most gratifying part of Robert’s endeavor is the people, not only those he’s worked with, but the individuals whose lives have been changed as a result. “When people ask me, ‘What is my purpose in this world?’ I tell them it is to figure out this diabetes issue; selfishly, and for all of those other people I would never wish this on. It’s why I wake up every morning.”
FINE ARTS
Spring Revue
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he Fine Arts Department delivered an evening of entertainment with St. Sebastian’s annual Spring Revue on May 8. Held in the West Campus Center’s new video classroom, the event provided our actors and musicians an opportunity to showcase their talents for parents, faculty, and friends. The Slings & Arrows Players performed three skits. The first, “Without Benefit of License,” was directed by Paul White ’22, and featured 7th graders Chase McCann, Jack Mulka, and Luke Ward. The second performance, “Needham Savings Bank,” was an original skit written, directed, and performed by Jack Flynn ’22. He was joined under the lights by fellow classmates Matt Noone, Ryan Albertson, and Joey Santosuosso. The final skit, titled “Philadelphia,” featured Sam Randall ’21, who was joined by Cam Howell ’21 and Dan Ko ’21, also directors of the skit. The tech crew was comprised of Aidan Garrity ’20 and Nathan Piecyk ’20. After intermission, the evening continued with a number of musical performances. The Pop Rock Ensemble performed “Hitchin’ a Ride” and “Miss You.” The audience was then treated to “Fly Me to the Moon,” a duet featuring Andrew Selian ’23 and Colin Lapus ’21. The Jazz Band concluded the evening with “Boogie Shoes,” “Havana,” and “Treasure.” Congratulations to all the students for their wonderful performances!
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SPRING SPORTS ISL CHAMPIONS
Varsity Lacrosse BY COACH ADAM WHITE
The 2019 lacrosse season was the most successful in school history. We started off hot over spring break, beating traditional powerhouses Malvern Prep and Conestoga, then took down New Hampton before moving onto the ISL schedule. We ran the table in the ISL, going 15-0, the first undefeated season in the league since 2011. It was the Arrows’ third league title in program history, but the first undisputed championship. The 40 |
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team finished the season ranked #15 in the country. Despite all the wins, there were plenty of times when we fell behind— but the team never lost faith in each other. To every game we brought a yellow brick, a symbol of our connection to the school, a reminder of what we were playing for. We used our depth to grind teams down in the second half, earning come-from-behind victories over Middlesex, Rivers, Governor’s, Brooks, and Roxbury Latin. It was never easy, but it was always fun. With a roster that featured plenty of underclassmen (and many rookies in key roles), we had to rely upon our seniors for steady guidance all year long. Will Frisoli, a co-captain,
shut down all our opponents’ best attackmen and was named an AllAmerican and ISL Player of the Year for his efforts; Mike Swirbalus won the league scoring title, but played selfless, team-first ball all year long; Sam Martin served as special teams captain and ran our man-down defense; Jac Campanelli was a D-Middie warrior who got us going in warmups and secured an undefeated ISL season with a huge clear against RL; Zach Salvatore made huge stops to help us beat BB&N and came into the game cold against Belmont Hill (on a mandown!) and made one of the biggest saves of the year; Stepan Kapreilian served as a do-it-all LSM who was a monster on GB’s and erased the other
SPRING SPORTS
SPRING
ATHLETIC AWARDS ALL-LEAGUE ISL Baseball: Connor Bertsch ’19, Tim Noone ’19, Matt Joyce ’20 Golf: Andrew Giacchetto ’19, Andrew Michienzi ’19 Lacrosse: Peter Blake ’19, John Farley '19, Mac Fotiades ’19, Will Frisoli ’19, Brian Piatelli ’19, Mike Swirbalus ’19, Declan Maguire ’20, Jack Rideout ’22
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-LEAGUE Baseball: Drew Dorsey ’19, Billy Seidl ’19, Aidan Harrington ’21 Lacrosse: Jake Cusack ’20, Jimmy Freehill ’21 Tennis: Jack Dumouchel ’19
ALL-AMERICAN Will Frisoli ’19
ISL PLAYER OF THE YEAR Will Frisoli ’19
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN Peter Blake ’19 OPPOSITE: The varsity lacrosse team celebrates after winning the ISL Championship (photo: Megan Maguire). TOP LEFT: Co-captain Will Frisoli ’19 clears the ball; TOP RIGHT: Co-captain Brian Piatelli ’19 looks to feed; BOTTOM: Mike Swirbalus ’19 beats his man to GLE (goal line extended) for a shot.
team’s best midfielder; Co-Captain Peter Blake was named Academic AllAmerican for his prowess on and off the field, leading the team in caused turnovers and scooping up countless GB’s; Griffin Wagner was the Swiss Army Knife of midfielders, playing D-Middie, getting on the faceoff wing, and giving us a big boost on offense; John Farley was an all-league defensive midfielder, a pure lacrosse player who mentored all the other middies; Co-Captain Brian Piatelli kept our offense running smoothly, finishing in the top-three in the league in scoring and ruining dozens of our opponents’ clears with his tenacious riding; Mac Fotiades was our security blanket all season long, coming up with
gigantic saves and giving our defense the confidence to play confidently and aggressively; and Matty Behman was our vocal leader, rallying the troops and giving us a huge energy jolt every time he took the field. The team capped the year with a trip to Washington, D.C. to play in the Geico National Tournament on ESPN. Though the season ended with a 7-6 loss to Salisbury (#3 in the country) in the semi-finals, we showed that we could hang with the best teams in the nation. The boys couldn’t have played any harder. We left blood, sweat, and more than a few tears on that field. It was a special team and a special season.
THE PAUL LEPLEY AWARD Presented by the coaches to the players who show the qualities of commitment, teamwork, and dedication to the sport of baseball at St. Sebastian's School:
James Donovan ’19
THE SULLIVAN AWARD Presented to a golfer who exemplifies sacrifice for the good of the team, team spirit, and a most positive attitude in the face of disappointment:
Juan Oliva ’21
THE ATHLETIC COMMITMENT AWARD Presented to members of the senior class who have participated in interscholastic athletics each season from their sophomore through senior year:
Alex Cherry ’19, Jack Dumouchel ’19
THE LETTERMAN AWARD Presented to members of the Senior Class who have earned a Varsity Letter in each season from their sophomore through senior years:
Connor Bertsch ’19 SPRING 2019
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SPRING SPORTS
ISL CHAMPIONS
Varsity Golf BY COACH JIM SULLIVAN
Having graduated six talented golfers from the 2018 St. Sebastian’s Golf Team, the feeling around the league was that the Arrows three-year run of league championships was about to end. Little did others outside the walls of St. Sebastian’s know that this young team, led by the very skilled and determined duo of Andrew Giacchetto ’19 and Andrew Michienzi ’19, had other plans and would once again end the season as ISL champions. Tryouts for the 2019 team were quite challenging for the 35 candidates, but eventually the team of twelve
was formed, with newcomers Ryan Heffernan ’19 and Mark Wilson ’21 joining veterans Joe O’Donnell ’19, Ted Murphy ’20, Michael Walsh ’20, Juan Oliva ’21, junior varsity graduates Ryan DuFour ’21, John Beam ’20, Jack Torrence ’20, Harry Karavolas ’20 and All League co-captains Andrew Giacchetto and Andrew Michienzi. Closely contested matches seemed to be the pattern as the season began: a hard fought 4.5-2.5 come-from-behind victory over a determined Thayer squad with Oliva, playing number 5, and Heffernan, playing number 6, providing the late match heroics to secure the victory. The second match against a greatly improved Tabor Academy team was quite similar, 4.5-2.5 win, and these two matches provided the type of pressure that the Arrows would see throughout the season. In
the third match, the Arrows, playing their first home match, were taking on archrival and highly touted Belmont Hill. Again, the Arrows prevailed with a 4.5-2.5 victory. Giacchetto and Michienzi, playing two highly ranked Massachusetts junior golfers, came out on top at the 1 and 2 positions while Walsh, at the 3, and Heffernan, continued their winning ways and Oliva recorded a tie in his match. Four less dramatic victories followed these three nail-biters, but more pressure-filled matches were not far away. Next on the schedule were matches against once-beaten Nobles and Belmont Hill. A loss to either would create a tie at the top of the league and a loss to both would knock the Arrows out of first place. In the Nobles match, the Arrows jumped off to a fast start and never looked back. Although the final
Members of the ISL Championship varsity golf team with Coach George Morelli (far left) and Coach Jim Sullivan (far right).
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SPRING SPORTS
score was 4.5-2.5, the Arrows jumped ahead quickly, taking 4.5 of the first 5 points. The second Belmont Hill match proved to be far more exciting. The first four matches to finish found the Arrows down 3 to 1 with Giacchetto recording the only point. Still on the course were Murphy, Walsh and Heffernan. All matches were headed to the last hole. The Arrows were up in one, but even in the other two. Heffernan showed great composure and grit as he secured a win with solid play in a tension-filled last hole. Equally dramatic were the Murphy and Walsh matches. With both teams gathered around the last hole, the two Arrows were unflappable in their play, causing their opponents to falter. Winning these last three matches secured a 4-3 victory over Belmont Hill and gave the Arrows a solid hold on first place with a 9-0-0 record at the halfway mark of the season. However, neither Michienzi nor Giacchetto were about to let the team relax and lose focus. In the words of Giacchetto, “This team all stepped up when they had to. We were clutch when we had to be. Guys won matches when they absolutely needed to. We remained focused throughout the season and didn’t let our early success go to our heads.” And such was the case as the team reeled off eight more league victories. The most dramatic was the match against a talented and feisty Milton squad who had given the Arrows their only league loss in 2018. The outcome was still in doubt with only the number seven match yet to finish. DuFour and Wilson alternated throughout the season in this position. On this day, it was Wilson’s time to stand and be counted. A loss in this match would take the Arrows out of the undefeated ranks and open up a possibility for Belmont Hill to inch closer to first place. As his match was heading to the ninth hole he asked, “How is the team doing?” The response came back, “How are
LEFT: Co-captain Andrew Michienzi ’19 sends the ball closer to the hole. RIGHT: Co-captain Andrew Giacchetto ’19 watches as the ball rockets off.
you under pressure?” He answered, “Pretty good.” Mark proved that statement to be most true as he played his ninth hole as well as anyone by hitting his second shot within 3 feet of the hole as his opponent faulted. This victory secured a hold on the league title for the Arrows. Two more wins, against Nobles and Thayer, gave the Arrows an undefeated league record of 18-0-0 and a fourth consecutive ISL Championship. The final match of the season was against non-league opponent DexterSouthfield School. Many of the starters were given an opportunity to rest for the upcoming ISL Tournament. Karavolas, Beam, and Torrence, as well as Billy Queally ’20 and Nolan McGovern ’21, joined Walsh, Oliva and Wilson to soundly defeat the Dexter team and finish the season with a 19-0-0 record. Having captured the league championship, one more event remained on the minds of the top five team players—The Kingman Cup.
The Arrows had captured the cup the past two seasons, but this year the honor went to Belmont Hill School. The team, composed of Giacchetto, Michienzi, Walsh, Murphy and Oliva, all played well. All five players scored in the 70’s over the challenging George Wright Golf Course, site of the 2018 Massachusetts State Amateur Championship, but their score of 302, best four out of the five scores, finished in second place. All League Honors were earned by both Giacchetto and Michienzi to further cap off their stellar careers as Arrow golfers. Individual awards are most challenging when a team is composed of talented young men of the highest unselfish, ethical and moral character. This was totally true with this team. The Sullivan Award was established several years ago by a parent, Mr. Todd Clark, to honor such a member of the golf team. This year's recipient was sophomore Juan Oliva.
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SPRING SPORTS
Varsity Baseball BY COACH RICHARD CONNOLLY
Baseball is the greatest game in the world, but it can break your heart. This year, the St. Sebastian’s varsity nine went 16-4, with a 12-3 mark in the Independent School League, losing those three games by a combined 4-0. The 2019 squad was a great team that could have won their third consecutive ISL championship. Similar to the past couple of years, the Arrows started their season at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. Against some very good teams, the team went 3-0, outscoring opponents 25-3, including mercy-ruling Georgetown Prep, which would go on to win the competitive Interstate Athletic Conference and finish with a 31-5 overall record. Back home, the ISL season began auspiciously, as the Arrows knocked off Noble and Greenough and their copitcher of the year, 2-0, and then beat Lawrence Academy and its Stanfordbound pitcher, 8-1. Sandwiched between these games was a 3-1 victory over local non-league rival Dexter. Winning ways continued with an 8-6 triumph at Groton, an 11-1 mercy-rule win over St. George’s, and a wild 4-3 extra-innings walk-off win against Tabor Academy, with the lacrosse team—a large, joyful group—in attendance and more-than-willing to storm the field as our final run crossed the plate. Next was a crushing 1-0 loss at Belmont Hill, which scored in the bottom of the first and held on for the shutout. The boys bounced back with a 12-1 mercy-rule win over BB&N, but fell to Worcester Academy, a formidable team that is always competitive in their post-graduate fueled conference. As seemed to be a pattern, the team followed the loss with a 15-0 mercy-rule win over Middlesex. Then another 1-0 loss, this time to Rivers, who executed 44 |
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TOP LEFT: Co-captain Tim Noone ’19 tosses a pitch from the mound; TOP RIGHT: Co-captain Billy Seidl ’19 shows off his big swing; BOTTOM: The team celebrates after a big play.
a squeeze in the last frame to walk-off. In what seemed destined to be another mercy-rule win, the boys took down Milton Academy, 11-6. Four straight wins—at Governor’s, 6-0; against St Mark’s, 9-1; at Brooks, 5-2; and at Thayer, 3-1—set the boys up for a final showdown with Roxbury Latin, with at least a share of the league title at stake. Sadly, RL jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning and added a second run in the last inning to win, 2-0. It was an emotional ending to a truly great season. The team would like to thank their large senior class, which over their four years at the school compiled a 63-15 record for an .807-win percentage. Unofficially, it’s probably the most successful baseball class in school
history, highlighted, of course, by the back-to-back outright championship banners that will forever hang in the gym as reminders of this special group. All-league recognition went to senior captain Connor Bertsch, senior captain Tim Noone, and junior Matt Joyce. Honorable mention recognition went to senior Drew Dorsey, senior captain Billy Seidl, and sophomore Aidan Harrington. Senior James Donovan was awarded the Paul Lepley Award, which is presented by the coaches to the player who shows the qualities of commitment, teamwork, and dedication to the sport of baseball at St. Sebastian's. Captains elect for the 2020 season are Matt Joyce ’20, Ryan MacDermott ’20, and Aidan Harrington ’21.
SPRING SPORTS
Varsity Tennis BY COACH BRIAN RICHTER
St. Sebastian’s varsity tennis team entered the 2019 spring season with its youngest roster in a long time. Having graduated five players from the 2018 line-up—including players #1-4—the team was predominantly underclassman. The three returning players—Jack Dumouchel ’19 (cocaptain), Owen Martin ’19 (co-captain), and Charlie DeMatteo ’22—were joined by Will Goldman ’21, Conor Mynahan ’21, Derek O’Donnell ’21, and John Hayes ’23. It was a young squad indeed. And to provide a context for the experienced competition the team faced: six teams from the league played in the upper two divisions of the NEPSAC tournament— that’s over a third of the ISL league playing in the New England’s. Knowing what they were up against, the team set a reasonable goal. Five wins in this league this year would be good; six would be great. The team achieved its goal; they reached “goodness.” Two of their more impressive wins came against St. Mark’s and Brooks. At the time of their match with the former, they had similar records, but St. Mark’s had a win against a team to which the Arrows had a close loss. Thanks to the great play of Goldman & Hayes (#3 doubles) and DeMatteo & Dumouchel (#1 doubles), St. Sebastian’s took the first and critical point in the doubles round. The three additional points (a team secures a win by winning four points) came from Dumouchel, playing at #2 and winning 6-4, 6-2; Lolo Garcia, playing at #3, and after splitting the first two sets took the third-set super tiebreaker 10-5; and Derek O’Donnell, playing #6, and also taking his third set in a super tiebreaker 10-4. Near the end of the season, the Arrows planned on a close one in the match against Brooks, a team with
identical scores against opponents both teams beat. As it turned out, the team returned to Needham with an impressive 5-2 victory and their fifth win. Garcia & Hayes took their #2 doubles match, as did Goldman & Mynahan at #3—dramatically taking their match in a 7-4 tiebreaker—for the doubles point and a 1-0 lead going into the singles round. Four singles players then sealed the deal: Dumouchel (6-2, 6-0), Garcia (6-4, 5-7, 10-5 in the super tiebreaker), Hayes (6-2, 6-4), and O’Donnell (7-5, 6-2). O’Donnell’s match at #6 singles clinched the fourth point. Garcia, the last player on the court, added the icing. In the final match of the season against Thayer Academy, the Arrows were hoping for a sixth victory. In the midst of the doubles round, rain concluded play before any of the three matches could be completed. Three days later, they resumed play in Braintree where they left off, and at the end of the doubles round, the Arrows found themselves with a 1-0 lead. But momentum shifted a bit in the singles round with losses coming at #’s 1, 3, and 5. Trailing 2-3 with “greatness” on the line, Hayes and O’Donnell split sets and were going into their final super tiebreaker sets. The coaching staff felt good about their chances as the tiebreakers were under way. Unfortunately, rain clouds once again had a say in matters, and the team drove back to St. Sebastian’s with a “no-decision.” Number 6, that which would have made for a great season, was nabbed by a nimbostratus. The team bids farewell to their two co-captains, both three-year veterans. Owen Martin has been a tremendous teammate and a most positive ambassador for the school in his role as a team captain, impressing numerous opposing coaches. He has won many critical sets over the past years in the doubles round to start our matches with positive momentum. Jack Dumouchel is one of those
competitors that never yields, plays all-out, and gives fits to his opponents, all while demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship. In the team’s matches with Milton Academy in the previous two years, Jack took the final and deciding set for 5-4 wins (prior year’s matches were 9 points), both sets decided by a tiebreaker. The team will miss these terrific young men. They pass the captain’s torch on to Lolo Garcia, who will surely continue their positive legacy.
TOP: Co-captain Jack Dumouchel ’19 prepares to send the ball back to his opponent; BOTTOM: Lolo Garcia-Marxuach ’21 serves with power. SPRING 2019
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REUNION 2019
REUNION
2019 Alumni from the classes of 4’s and 9’s came back to campus to relive their days as students and reminisce with their Arrow brothers.
R
eunion weekend began on Friday, May 17, with events for the milestone Classes of 1994 and 1969, who were celebrating their 25th and 50th Reunions, as well as a dinner for members of the Class of 1959 to mark their 60th Reunion. Several alumni also participated in the Alumni Golf Outing earlier in the day. Saturday’s festivities included the inaugural Golden Arrow Luncheon for the Classes of 1949 through 1969 where alumni received their Golden Arrow pin and had the opportunity to hear about life at St. Sebastian’s from members of the senior class. The afternoon also included campus tours and a chance to watch varsity lacrosse as they took on Brooks before honoring all departed classmates 46 |
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during a Memorial Mass concelebrated by Fr. John Arens and Fr. Kevin Hickey ’69 in the St. Sebastian's Chapel. Reunion events concluded with the annual Headmaster's Cocktail Reception and Clambake on Saturday night. Before dinner, alumni, friends and family gathered outside the West Campus Center on the Class of 2017 Courtyard for the reception and class photos. The attendees enjoyed catching up over a dinner of clam chowder, lobster and steak tips in the Center's wrestling room. The brief program included remarks from Headmaster Burke and a video presentation featuring photos from the Reunion classes. Thank you to all of the alumni who returned to campus to be a part of this special Reunion weekend!
REUNION 2019
Cocktail Reception &
CLAMBAKE Close to 200 alumni, family and friends had the opportunity to reconnect and reminisce at the Cocktail Reception & Clambake while enjoying St. Sebastian’s new facility, the West Campus Center.
Michelle Strauss, Jared Strauss ’04, Fr. John Arens, Mike Hepburn ’04, and Geoff Mueller ’04 together on the Class of 2017 Courtyard. n 1979 classmates Kip Gregory, Peter Rockett, Courtney Matthews, Dan Tracy, Peter Kennedy, Greg Harney, and Mark Ruelle catch up during the reception. n Alumni and guests enjoy lobster and steak in the wrestling room. n Chris Pepin ’04 showcases many of the delicious offerings during the clambake. n Zachary Chambers ’14, Cedric White ’09, Luke Murphy ’14, and Kyle White ’09 pose for a picture in the new wrestling room. n Gil Schipani ’99 and Adam Trossello ’99 during the clambake.
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REUNION 2019
Milestone
CELEBRATIONS
Reunion weekend kicked off on Friday evening, May 17, with 25th, 50th and 60th Reunion dinners. During their dinner in Ward Hall, the Class of 1969 took a trip down memory lane, watching a video of photos that captured their days on Nonantum Hill. The Class of 1994 enjoyed a reception and dinner in Arrows Hall. Meanwhile, several 1969 classmates and their spouses gathered for dinner in the admissions library to mark this special event.
50th
REUNION
LEFT: 1969 classmates gather for their class photo. Front Row: Chris Galligan, Bob Falconi, Jack McKeon, Joe Tansey, Bud Conroy and Biff Harney; Middle Row: Tommy Driscoll, Michael Ready, Peter Donahue, Joe Clarke, Mark Duffey and Bob Quinn. Back Row: Ralph Smith, Tom Casey, David Foley, Lee Myles, Paul Baratta and Kevin Duggan n ABOVE: Members of the Class of 1969 and their wives, during the 50th Reunion Dinner. Front Row: Jane Driscoll, Chris and Andi Galligan, and Linda and Tom Casey; Back Row: Biff Harney, Tommy Driscoll, and Margot and Joe Tansey.
60th
REUNION
25th
REUNION 1994 classmates assemble for a class photo at their 25th Reunion Dinner: E.J. Cully, Joe Cugini, J.M. Spagnuolo, Casey Condron, Tom Heffernan, Neil Callanan, Greg Cronin, Steve Zrike, Dan Ryan, Mike Feeney, Chris Danehy, Jamie Llewellyn, and Chris Conley.
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Members of the Class of 1959: Paul Daley, Corky Cronin, Paul Henneberry, Tom O’Donnell and Gerry Healy.
REUNION 2019
Golden Arrow
SOCIETY A new tradition—the Golden Arrow Society—was launched at Reunion 2019 to honor all alumni who have celebrated their 50th Reunion. Historically, Reunion weekend has provided the opportunity to gather alumni who have achieved their 50th Reunion or more at the annual Headmaster’s Luncheon. At this year's event, newly named the Golden Arrow Luncheon, this group of esteemed alumni were welcomed into the Golden Arrow Society and awarded their golden lapel pins. As part of introducing the new tradition, Headmaster Burke presented Ed Davis ’65 with his pin and recognized him for his tireless efforts in the Alumni Office over most of the past decade. The previous evening, members of the Class of 1969 received their Golden Arrow pins during their 50th Reunion Dinner, with Tom Driscoll ’69 being the first recipient in recognition of his position as class president. The 60th Reunion dinner followed suit, with the 1959 classmates in attendance also receiving their pins. As a reminder, all alumni having celebrated their 50th Reunion or more are welcomed back every year to the Golden Arrow Luncheon, not just the 5-year reunion classes. We look forward to seeing all of our Golden Arrow Society alumni next May!
Dan Williams ’64, Dan Archabal ’64, Jerry Delli Priscoli ’64, Joyce Williams, and Victoria Archabal sit together at the Golden Arrow Luncheon. n Headmaster Bill Burke presents a Golden Arrow pin to Tommy Driscoll ’69 at the 50th Reunion Dinner. n Jim Dunn ’68 and Fr. Kevin Hickey ’69 on the Class of 2007 Terrace. n Ed O’Donoghue ’57 helps Phil Donahue ’57 put on his Golden Arrow pin. n Ed Davis ’65 shares a few remarks during the Golden Arrow Luncheon.
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REUNION 2019
Peter Volante, Joe Ferrone, Joe Carven, Sheldon Daly, Richard Shea, Allan Praught and Larry Connell.
Dan Archabal, Jerry Delli Priscoli, Richard Ferrone and Dan Williams.
Reunion CLASS PHOTOS
In addition to the milestone classes (on pg. 48), members of each Reunion class gathered for an official class photo.
Peter Galligan, Steve Maskell, Paul Crowley, Bill Ricci, Mark Delli Priscoli, John Gallagher, Ken Chipman, Michael McManama, Paul Maloney, John Mulroy, John Mannix, Kevin White, Paul King, Chris Deignan, Brian Burke and Michael Gwynn.
Front Row: Mark Ruelle, Courtney Matthews, Dan Tracy, Greg Harney and John Fiore. Back Row: Kip Gregory, Peter Rockett, Owen Dugan, Tom Finucane and Peter Kennedy.
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Brian Murphy, Steve Grande, Joe Dunn, Marty Kane, Wally Tonra, John McCallum and Dan Sullivan.
REUNION 2019
Jason Connelly, Dennis Thornton, Rob Wallace, and Dan Murphy.
Kevin Meehan, Tim Kelleher, Brendan Cohn, Gil Schipani, Brad Parker, Adam Trosello, Brendon Kilcoyne, Matt Hogan, and Eddie Doherty.
Tyler Rich, Tom White, Matt Vicidomino, Ryan Murphy, Brian Egan, Richard Carolan, Michael Buckley, Sam Burke, Andrew Digan, Geoff Mueller, Mike Hepburn, Jared Strauss, and Chris Pepin.
Cam Souza, Michael Duffy, James Curley, Brendan Corcoran, Kevin Driscoll, Jr., Richard Renwick, Thomas Keeley, Nicholas Fico, Alan Donovan, Cedric White, Sean O’Malley, Stephen Flannery, Kyle White, Matthew Murphy, James Pantano, Tyler Smith, and Arturo Lichauco.
Aturo Adkins, Luke Murphy, Teddy Loughborough, Richard Arms, Conor Craven, Jay Daukas, Matthew Barletta, Zachary Chambers, Cam Kelly, Niko Fischer, Caleb Aldrich, Morgan Rockett, Brian Curley, Alex Walsh, Andrew Corcoran, John Bartlett, Nick Flanagan, Jack Goldman, Johnny McNamara, Patrick Rivard, and Conor Duffy.
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Alumni Golf Outing
O
n Friday, May 18, nearly 100 Arrows alumni from the Classes of 1957 through 2013 gathered at the South Shore Country Club in Hingham, MA, for the 3rd annual Alumni Golf Outing. The teams teed off bright and early, playing a four-man scramble format, and then enjoyed lunch and prizes. The winning group from the Class of 2001 included Brian Flaherty, Mark McLean, Jamie Stoddard and Mike White. A special thank you to our Platinum Sponsor, Stephen Ward ’96,P’24, as well as our hole sponsors: Joe Duffey ’70, Kevin White ’74, P’08, Brendan Hoarty ’77, Bryan Welch ’92, Marc Rosenfeld ’93 and Dave McLean ’96 . It was a fantastic day on the course, with the game of golf serving as a great catalyst for bringing these Arrows together.
ARROWS GATHERINGS
Alumni Gather for Reception in NYC
Recent Grads Return for Grade 11 College Night St. Sebastian's welcomed back recent alumni for the Grade 11 College Night on May 28. The annual event is a great opportunity for current juniors to learn more about colleges and universities from fellow Arrows. Some of the schools represented included: Boston College, College of the Holy Cross, Georgetown University, Harvard College, and Middlebury College, to name a few.
Twenty-five Arrows gathered in New York City on April 9 for a reception. Alumni from 1990 through 2014 met with Headmaster Bill Burke, Rich Arms, and Mike Melley at the Gingerman in the city. Thank you to Tucker Elcock ’07, Conor Haughey ’12, and Ryan Fitzpatrick ’92 for hosting this event.
Summer Kickoff Social
Duces Society Reception at Fenway Park Duces Society alumni gathered at the Partners Suite in Fenway Park to be honored for their commitment to St. Sebastian's on June 21. The Duces Society is comprised of alumni who make leadership gifts to the Alumni Fund. Ed Weiss P'23, General Counsel of the Fenway Sports Group, shared his experience as a current parent of the School with our alumni. Charles Haley ’92, President of the Alumni Board, presented Connor Smith ’07 and Peter Rockett ’79 with their St. Sebastian's statues on the occasion of their first year as Duces Society members.
Arrows alumni from the classes of 2000-2015 gathered at Night Shift Brewing at Lovejoy Wharf in the North End on June 19. For the first time, the event was co-hosted with alumni from BB&N and St. Mark's. This 2nd annual event was a great chance for alumni to reconnect with classmates and relive the glory days with ISL rivals, many of whom have become college friends and professional colleagues. SPRING 2019
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Then & Now
1973
2019 From Nonantum Hill to Greendale Avenue, the game of ping-pong remains a timeless way for Arrows to take a study break.
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CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
SPRING 2019
The main entrance to the school building on the Nonantum Hill campus.
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CLASS NOTES WHAT’S
NEW? Keep your classmates up to date on your accomplishments, family members, travels, or anything else new in your life. Send us photos, too!
Submit class notes and photos online at:
stsebs.org/classnotes Deadline for next issue:
DECEMBER 1, 2019
Photos will be published based on quality and available space. Please be sure to send the highest quality image possible and identify everyone in the photo.
1950
1956
1952
1957
Richard Schiffmann reports, “36 years on the Cape. House Council to family-owned Bayview Real Estate. Jean and I have four great children and seven grandchildren. Always looking out to see some Arrows come across the bridge. Life is good.”
Dr. James Benjamin writes: “We took the 52' MG-TD (Elvira) to ‘Wings and Wheels’ again this year. This time out we won two trophies. Best import car and a special award given by the singing group, the Victory Belles. They are sort of like an ‘Andrews Sisters’ act. It was a total surprise to me. Voting was done by the visitors so nothing to do with ‘Correctness,’ just looks to a much younger generation.”
Mike Donlan JD is working on a legal paper entitled “Climate Change and Human Rights: Shaping Narrative for Reflexive Responses from Civilization’s Leaderships to Counter and Abate Climate Change, and to Enhance the Role of Human Rights in the Rule of Law.”
Ed O’Donoghue and his wife, Dorothy, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their 2nd honeymoon on the beautiful island of Bermuda in July. Ed noted, “It was even more beautiful than it was in 1969.”
1965
Ed Davis reports, “Just to dispel any erroneous rumors, though happily retired I am still very competitive and ready for all challenges.” (see photo)
’69
’52 LEFT: Dr. James Benjamin ’52 accepts an award at the “Wings and Wheels” car show from the singing trio, the Victory Belles. RIGHT: 1957 classmates Joe Norton, Phil Donohue, John Coyle, Ed O’Donoghue, and Charles Monahan and Paul Costello ‘58 gather for an Arrows luncheon.
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CLASS NOTES
ALUMNI EVENTS
’65
September 10
Reunion Kick-off Rally
October
’64 LEFT: Dr. Jerry Delli Priscoli ’64, as a member of the UN Secretary General's High Level Panel on water Related Disasters, addresses a special session of United Nations on June 26, 2019, on water-related disasters worldwide. Those present included the Prime Ministers of Mozambique and South Korea (former); President UN General Assembly; selected water ministers and delegates. RIGHT: Ed Davis ’65 enjoying retirement on the courts.
12 Homecoming 24 Alumni Dinner
November 11
Washington, D.C. Reception
12 26
Flashback for Arrows Classmates at Their 50th College Reunion
New York Reception
Boston Business Breakfast
27
1965
30
Class of 2019 Yearbook Reception Alumni Sports Day
For more information, visit:
stsebs.org/alumnievents
REUNION 2019 1965 classmates Joe Kuchta, Frank Burke, and John Hickey celebrated their 50th anniversary of graduation from Notre Dame this spring. The “Before” photo shows the three friends standing behind Cavanaugh Hall on September 17, 1965, their first day on the university’s campus. Joe's father took the shot. The “After” photo shows them at a Notre Dame Reunion dinner on May 31, 2019, in the South Dining Hall, standing in the same order as the 1965 photo.
2020 MAY 15 & 16
If you are a member of a St. Sebastian’s class ending in 0 or 5, mark your calendar for Reunion weekend.
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1975
Don Maloney reports: “I have been at Hale House for about a year. Hale House is a rest home for seniors(!) in Boston’s Back Bay. I recently started an internship at a non-profit in Government Center called the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance. My brother, Jim, Class of 1971 (a Democratic Member of Congress from Connecticut’s 5th District from 1997 to 2003) had recommended me for the position. MHSA is run by great people who do great work in transitioning homeless persons to permanent housing which is both a cost-effective and humane solution to address the plight of the chronically homeless. This internship allows me to put into practice many of the academic lessons I learned in the course of my Master of Public Administration studies at Regis College. I celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day this spring with Newell Burke who graciously accompanied me to the Boston Park Plaza for the annual Clover Club dinner. It was quite a production! I also recently renewed my membership in the Knights of Columbus which had lapsed since I was a freshman at Holy Cross. I would appreciate hearing from classmates.”
for our military heroes, and I am very proud of the completed project. I travel to Virginia City, Montana, numerous times a year and plan to retire there. Recently, my oldest son, Gregory, was married in New York and his younger brother, Harrison, will be getting married this October in Plymouth, MA. I hope to visit some alumni during the October visit. I recently took a flight on a B17 bomber from WW2 (see photo). My father was in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific theater and I wanted to pay tribute to him and all those from the Greatest Generation. A great experience.” George adds a memory: “I still recall the day all students of St. Sebastian’s completed a walk-a-thon to raise money for the athletic field.
I, along with classmates Tom Looney and William Mulroy, ran the 21 mile course. I unfortunately ran ahead of the course volunteers marking the course, got lost and eventually ran an extra 6 miles. But I survived!”
1979
Walter Towner reports: “My dad, Walter T. Towner ’55, traveled to St. Sebastian's on June 5 for a terrific tour with Mike Melley from the Alumni Office (see photo). It was great to see both my dad’s and my photo on the wall in the rink building and that the football field is now level, versus Nonantum Hill! I wore my graduation tie from 1979. We covered a lot of ground in the short time he
1978
George Quinn writes: “I continue to live in Big Lake, Minnesota. After 30 years of property management, I changed careers and became involved with caring for adults and veterans with severe disabilities. Currently, I operate two homes with many clients. I am involved with numerous veteran organizations. Recently, I completed a three-year project raising funds and designing a veterans’ memorial in the city of Big Lake, MN. It is a fantastic symbol
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Battle at the Burn On June 7, Brae Burn Country Club members who are alumni or parents of either St. Sebastian's or Belmont Hill faced off for the 4th Annual Battle at the Burn. It was a great day for all, with Belmont Hill nudging out the Arrows this year. St. Sebastian's players were (from left) Ben Heller ’93, Sean Deale ’06, Tom Scott ’01, Dan Moore ’78, Joe Abely ’70, Marty Galligan ’73, and Martin Deale P ’06, as well as Chris Tosi ’88 and Peter Galligan ’74 (not pictured).
CLASS NOTES
was in New England. We ate whole belly fried clams (tough to find in Florida). The next day, my wife, Carolyn, and I took him sailing in a J22 at Sail Newport. It rained hard on us, but we laughed the whole time! On June 7 and 8, my dad went to his 60th Reunion at Holy Cross with the other octogenarian party animals. We figured out that Father Keating was the only teacher we had in common at St. Seb’s, scary thought, that! We bumped into a fellow WPI alum, Physics teacher Dave Wilbur and we also were able meet with Father Paris in the library who seems to not be aging. St. Sebastian’s (Country Day School) has aged well, like a fine wine over these many years.”
’67
1986
Tim Doherty received the 2019 Broker of the Year award at the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo, held at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, FL, on April 3, 2019. As president and founder of Pinnacle HR Solutions in Needham, Doherty was recognized for his leadership and innovation in the insurance industry.
’78
2010
Peter Burke was named Head Coach for Holy Cross’ Men’s lacrosse team at the end of May. Burke, who took over as interim head coach prior to the 2018-19 academic year, led the Crusaders to their third Patriot League Tournament berth in the last four years this spring, securing the No. 5 seed after going 4-4 in league play and 7-7 overall. Burke first joined the Crusaders as an assistant coach in 2015 and served as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator prior to being elevated to interim head coach on June 29, 2018.
’72 Chip O'Hare gathered a crew from the Class of 1967 for dinner in Marion in early June, including Phil Quinn, Larry Kidney, Andy DeMambro, and Bob Bianchi, who was in from Washington state. They all send their best to the rest of the Class of 1967. n George Quinn ’78 takes a flight on a B17 bomber from World War II. n Walter Towner ’55, with his son Walter ’79, standing in front of the St. Sebastian’s statue during a tour of campus in early June. n A gathering at O’Hara’s in Newton brought together several alumni from the Class of 1972, including: David Bardelli, Joe Boschetto, who organized the event, Chip Burke, Tony D'Ambrosio, Tommy Donahue, David Frawley, Nick Fulham, Stephen Hill, Steve McManama, Brendan O'Connell, Mark O'Malley, Jeff Quinn, Mark Rogan, Mark Sullivan, Mike Viano, Jackson Walsh and Peter White.
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CLASS NOTES
Have you joined
ARROWS
CONNECT? Become a part of our amazing network of Arrows you can tap into anytime, from anywhere! Joining our networking platform for the St. Sebastian’s community is easy; you can even log in with your LinkedIn or Facebook accounts.
Expand your network Connect with classmates Advance your career Be a mentor Register today:
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’05 Arrows alumni gather at the Woodland Golf Club President’s Ball on April 29. Front row: Tim Doherty ’87, Paul McAuliffe ’86, and Mike Doherty ’87. Back row: Drew McAuliffe ’75, Dan Casey ’79, John McAuliffe ’78, Andy McAuliffe ’48, Ted McAuliffe ’81, and Peter Quirk ’82. n Michael Calabro ’16, Mike Connolly ’17, Jack Frisoli ’17, Parker Joyce ’17, and Thaddeus Kennedy ’17 reunite at a Dartmouth vs. Harvard lacrosse game on March 23, 2019. n Arrows alumni from the Class of 2005 gathered at George O'Toole's wedding on June 15 at the Willowbend Country Club in Mashpee, MA. Front row: George O'Toole Jr. (the groom’s father), Bill Zrike, Pat Chambers, George O'Toole III, Mark Flaherty, Alex Doten, Brian Daly and Mark Federico; Back row: John Lynch, Drew Tuckett, Tyler Fallon, Conor Joyce, Jonathan Consolvo, and Craig Gibson.
CLASS NOTES
Harvard, BC, and Holy Cross Arrows Enjoy Luncheons Recent St. Sebastian's graduates met up with Chris Brinkaus ’92 of St. Sebastian's Alumni Office in the spring for luncheons. On April 26, Brinkhaus saw Eagles Jimmy Mitchell ’15, Kenny Vallace ’15, George Barrett ’15, Danny Beam ’15, Colin Connolly ’15, Cam Balboni ’16 and Rob Lemone ’16 at Cityside Bar. On April 30, Harvard Arrows Chris Potvin ’16, Jack Frisoli ’17, Thaddeus Kennedy ’17, Tommy Seidl ’17 and James Mooney ’18 met up with Brinkhaus at John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House. And on May 1, alumni at Holy Cross—Ryan McGuirk ’15, Pat McGowan ’15, Cam Finnegan ’16 and Casey Kelly ’16—enjoyed a meal with Brinkhaus at the Flying Rhino.
STAY CONNECTED Follow us on Instagram @StSebastiansSchool Like us on Facebook /Stsebs Follow us on Twitter @StSebsNeedham Connect with us on LinkedIn St. Sebastian’s School Alumni, join our Facebook Group!
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View St. Sebastian’s Magazine online 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 at: www.stsebs.org/magazine
Arrows Forever As part of St. Sebastian’s third annual Arrows Forever Day on May 30, a special video featured several recent alumni on college campuses across the country encouraging their fellow Arrows to give. Thank you to our alumni participants at the following schools: Boston College, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Holy Cross, the Naval Academy, Northeastern, Northwestern, Providence, Trinity, University of Florida, Wake Forest and West Point.
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IN MEMORIAM Dr. Richard Bruce Gray ’57
Bruce passed away on June 26, 2019. While on Nonantum Hill, Bruce was a member of the National Honor Society and played a number of sports. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1961, and Tufts Dental School in 1965. He spent three years serving in the U.S. Army after graduating from dental school. Bruce became partner at Metrowest Oral Surgical Associates in 1970 and had a fulfilling career as an oral surgeon until he retired at age 71. He also taught at both Tufts University and Boston University in the 1970’s. Bruce loved spending time with his family and was an active member of his community. He was the former president of the Dover-Sherborn school committee and was involved in the inception of the Dover-Sherborn Education Fund. He is survived by: his wife, Patricia; daughters Gini Gray-Clarke MD and Beth Bowen; sons Brian, Mark and Tim; his brother, David; and eleven grandchildren.
Michael Kenslea ’56
Michael passed away on June 22, 2019, at his home in Kittery, ME. As a student, he contributed to The Arrow and The Walrus and also played football as a senior. After graduating from St. Francis College in Maine, he became a banker. In 1986, he established Olde Port Bank and Trust in Portsmouth where he held the office of President until its sale in 1999. Michael was also the long-time owner of the Old Village Inn in Ogunquit, ME. A gentleman in the true sense of the word, he will be remembered as an art collector, an avid reader and an enthusiast of railroad cars—a passion that led to his purchasing and storing a railroad car for many years in Portsmouth. Michael is survived by: his sister, Kristina Jones; his nieces, Emily McCracken and Brianne Jones; and a grandniece, Molly McCracken.
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We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the graduates and friends of St. Sebastian’s School whose deaths are reported with sorrow. Eugene V. McAuliffe ’48
Eugene passed away on April 9, 2019. While at St. Sebastian’s, Eugene worked on The Walrus all four years regularly contributing candid photos of school personalities along with clever biographical sketches. A hard-working student with a flair for languages, he was the class spelling bee representative as a junior. After graduating from Boston College, he served as a major in the United States Army and Army Reserves during the Korean Conflict. Eugene was a middle school English and Social Studies teacher for Belmont Public Schools for 32 years. He is survived by: his two brothers, John ’47 and Francis (Gerry) McAuliffe; four sons, Paul, Robert, Geoffrey, and John; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; his partner and life-long friend Patricia Boatright; and several nieces and nephews.
Sean Murphy ’58
Sean, a longtime resident of Framingham, passed away on June 30, 2019. An effervescent and witty member of his class, he played football and baseball for St. Sebastian’s. A Boston College graduate, Sean worked for many years in restaurant management, retiring in the early 1990's. Affectionately known as "Papa Friday," he enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, playing EMASS Senior Softball with friends, and spent many hours volunteering with BayPath Seniors, The American Arthritis Foundation, and The Jimmy Fund. Sean is survived by: his sons, Sean J., Scott and Brett; his grandchildren, Sean, Nick, Kierra, Cal, Cole, Jack, and Ariana; his former wife, Suzanne Alexson; his Boxborough family; his sister, Sheila; his brothers, Brian, Kevin, Rory, and Terry; and his nieces and nephews.
IN MEMORIAM
Joseph Shea ’50
Joseph passed away on May 2, 2019. As a student on Nonantum Hill, Joseph served on the prom committee for two years and was the Class Secretary. While attending Boston College in 1955, he met Anne LeBonte and they married on January 26, 1957, while stationed in Germany. He transitioned to the Biotech industry in the second half of his career and helped build the marketing departments of two major industry magazines. Well known as "Papa Joe," he was an incredible father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Joseph was a well-rounded man, comfortable on any sporting field or business meeting, with his friends, industry peers and most importantly, his family and faith. Joseph is survived by: his sons, Brian, Kevin and Brendan; daughter, Kerry; ten grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren.
John Wilkinson ’85
John passed away on Sunday, June 16. After graduating from St. Sebastian’s in 1985, he attended Boston College, where he met the love of his life, Cheryl. They were married on July 15 following their graduation and started their life in New Jersey. John obtained a Master of Business Administration from Montclair State University in 1994 and his Certificate of Public Accountancy (CPA). He worked as both an Accountant and Director of Operations at Gallo Wine and for the past thirteen years at Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits. John will always be remembered for his positive outlook on life, his competitiveness in participating in any game that he played, his generosity, and especially for his love and caring for his family. John is survived by: his wife, Cheryl, and their children, Lindsey, John, Jr. and Daniel; his parents, Marilyn and Robert Wilkinson; brother Robert, sisters Mary Leonard, Colleen Shaw, Catherine Duggan and Bridget Fernquist; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Patty Griffith GP’19,’23 Board of Visitors Patty passed away peacefully at her home on June 20, 2019. A loyal and beloved member of St. Sebastian’s family for more than five decades, she will be greatly missed. Her husband, Brad Griffith ’58, GP’19,’23 became a key leader of St. Sebastian’s Board of Trustees soon after its formation in the 1970’s. He, along with his close friends and fellow Arrows, Jack Birmingham ’59 and Tom Swan ’60, helped the school weather a sea of challenges and emerge even stronger. Patty was by Brad’s side throughout the many years he served on the Board, including as President for two terms from 1984-1988 and 2002-2006. The Griffiths were also involved in several capital campaigns, helping the school evolve in many ways, including the transformation of the campus on Greendale Avenue. In September 2003, the Griffith Headmaster’s House, a new residence built on the same site as the previous house, was dedicated in honor of Brad and Patty as part of the New Century Fund Campaign. Although the Griffiths were blessed only with daughters, Patty has enjoyed watching two of her grandchildren, Jack Moffatt ’19 and Paul Loeber ’23 attend St. Sebastian’s and was with us to see Jack receive his diploma at Commencement 2019, just two weeks before her passing. Patty was born in New York to the late Patrick and Helena McEvoy. At the time of her passing, she was surrounded by Brad, her loving husband of 54 years, and her four devoted daughters, Maura Griffith Moffatt, Marci Griffith Loeber, Karen Griffith Gray, and Kimberly Griffith Hyland. Patty's spirit will continue to shine brightly in her nine grandchildren, Caroline and Jack ’19 Moffatt, Courtney and Taylor Hyland, Paul ’23, Meghan and Ashley Loeber, and Ainsley and Devin Gray. She is also survived by her sister Maryellen McEvoy O'Donnell; her four sons-in-law Gregory Moffatt, Franz Loeber, James Gray, and Andrew Hyland, and a loving circle of friends.
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IN MEMORIAM
Mary DiGiovanni P’74,’76,’78,’79,’84,’86, GP’09,’14,’16 Former Trustee Mary passed away peacefully on May 29, at the age of 92. She served on St. Sebastian’s Board of Trustees as President of the Guild of St. Irene in 1981-82, and was actively involved in the Guild for many years. Mary was the proud mother of six Arrows—Thomas ’74, Stephen ’76, Jude ’78, Mark ’79, John ’84, and Chris ’86—and grandmother of Anthony ’09 and Desmond ’14 DiGiovanni and David Korzeniowski ’16. Through her sons and grandsons, her involvement with St. Sebastian’s spanned several decades. Mary was born in Boston, the daughter of the late Daniel and Gertrude Queeney on January 8, 1927. After Scituate High School, she graduated from Simmons College School of Nursing in 1949. Mary worked in New York City after graduation for one year as a nurse. She returned to Boston to work at Peter Bent & Robert Breck Brigham Hospital, now the Brigham & Woman's Hospital, where she served as head nurse on the Iron Lung Unit for children with polio. She also volunteered as a nurse at her children's schools. A devoted mother and grandmother, she was a daily communicant, loved saying the Rosary and was a volunteer counselor at Framingham Woman's Prison. Throughout her life, Mary was very active. She enjoying swimming, walking, reading, sewing and knitting, gardening, baking and cooking, combined with her love of chocolate and spending time in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Mary is survived by her six sons, as well as four daughters, Gemma Dundas, Clare Korzeniowski, Catherine Esposito, and Maria DiGiovanni; and eighteen grandchildren.
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ALUMNI RELATIVES & FRIENDS Mary F. Boudreau March 28, 2019 Mother of Walter ’65, David ’76, and Paul ’80 Mary Ann DePeters December 11, 2018 Grandmother of Paul McAuliffe ’16 John “Jack” Greeley June 19, 2019 Father of Tim ’83 Pat Lyons July 7, 2019 Mother of Paul ’90 and grandmother of Tom ’19 Jack Murphy May 21, 2019 Father of Jay ’95 Pamela Smith May 2, 2019 Fiancé of Patrick King ’70
This listing contains deaths reported before July 10 , 2019. To see a complete listing of alumni who have passed away within the past twelve months please go to www.stsebs.org/inmemoriam. To report a death of a St. Sebastian’s alumnus or relative to the Advancement Office, please contact Kelsey Kane at kelsey_kane@stsebs.org.
Save the Date HOMECOMING
10.12.19
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Students cheer on their fellow Arrow during the 2nd annual Headmaster Burke presents the Catholic Citizenship Founder’s Day (see pg. 12). Award at the Undergraduate Awards Ceremony (pg. 7)