TH Summer 2011EmpireThe Official Magazine of Alumni,

Family, and Friends of

Roman Catholic High School

This Year,We Are All

Purple & Gold

2 Roman Catholic High School

Catholic High AlumniFostering Faith...Expanding Knowledge

President/RectorRev. John B. Flanagan

PrincipalMr. Robert P. O'Neill

Alumni AssociationPresident

Mr. Lawrence J. Elliott '66

Executive Director of Insitutional Advancement

Ms. Denise LePera

Director of DevelopmentMs. Ann Vassallo

Director of Marketing

Mr. Steven M. Ziegler '04

Coordinator of Development Services

Mrs. Terri Evans

BookkeeperMrs. Lisa Wolfington

Contributors

Dennis DiGiovanni '02 Lawrence Elliott '66 Rev. John B. Flanagan Tom Kearney '58 Joe Kiernan '43 Denise LePera John Livewell '91 Leo Lynch '64 Editor: Steve Ziegler '04

Thank to you all the Cahillites who send in their Class Notes for each issue.

Table of Contents

GPALA Honors Citizens Bank CEO.............................pg. 5

A Heart of Purple and Gold……………………………..pg. 6

Joe Rogers ’43A Smile on the Lip, A Tear in the Eye ……... pg. 9 Around Roman....................................pg. 12

Class of 2011The 118th Graduating Class.........................pg. 14

Adopt-A-StudentTwo Decades of Providing Opportunities........pg. 15

Students Win Hocker Cup...................pg. 17

Student CouncilAnxious for 2011-2012 School Year..............pg. 18

The Usuals

From the Deskof the Rector...........................................pg. 3

A Message from theAlumni President...................................pg. 4

Athletics.................................................pg. 8

Class Notes.......................................... pg. 10

Event Calendar.....................................pg. 16

NecrologyThomas McKeever Father of Thomas '67, Michael '68, John '77, Mark '78 & Brian '83 Stephen Petka Maria Quigley Mother of Christopher '12 Virginia Reisenwitz Mother of Eric '78 Joseph F. Rocks Sr. Father of Thomas '81 Marion Rooney Wife of John '40 Rose Rose Mother of Daniel '66 Eleanor Rowan Mother of Robert '13Daughter of Matthew Zakrzewski '56Sister of Matthew ’78 & Walter ‘87 Edwin J Sawicki Father of Edwin '75 Carlo Sena Grandfather of Luca '95 Beverly Soska Wife of Matthew '54 Francis X. Sudell Father of Andrew '79, Gregory '84 & Francis '87 Eileen Golden Trost Mother of Brian '02 & Christopher '04 Cathryn G. Walsh Mother of Harry '53 & Jude '56 Raymond F. Whalen Grandfather of Edward '07, Daniel '09, Matthew '10 Helen Winters Mother of Thomas '59 Mary Ellen Woertz Mother of Karl '02 Percy Yarborough Brother of David Yarborough Janeann Zakrzewski Mother of John '99 Rev. Msgr. Andrew J. Hanlon Former Faculty member Rev. Msgr. Arthur W. Nugent Former Faculty member

AlumniEugene F. Cahill '43Edward C. Char '39Edward J. Clinton '49Michael P. Coogan '58Joseph V Dollinger '58Lawrence Downing '37Paul W. Getz '46John T. Glancey '43Joseph W. Gorman '51Edward Griffin '54Terrence J. Haney '64William J. Hannigan '65Harry J. Hogan '46John C. Hondros '40Francis Innocenti '80Reverend Ronald M. Jakows '82Roland Keller '39Ed Lapp '51William T. "Bud" Lavell '47Joseph M. Macauley '48James T. Mansell '76William McCue '01Arthur S. McGinn '43Charles J. McGowan '50John McMenamin '54Lawrence P. McNesby '58Ralph Leo MelcherJohn D. Muldowney '38Thomas F. Quinn '43Michael Rapone '72Joseph P. Rogers '43Lawrence F. Ryan Jr. '40Michael P. Stanton '47Anthony R. Szczur '57Andrew J. Urbonas ‘49Joseph L. Wachter '39Reverend John M. Walsh '33John J. Whalen '39Warren J. Whitman '40William R. Ziska '45

Family & FriendsPhilip A Bianco Sr. Father of Philip '70 Michael C. Bielski Father of Michael '61& John '65 John E. Brady Sr. Father of John '94 Gertrude Esposito Mother of Charles '82, Mother-in-law of Richard Mahon, Mother-in-law of Joseph Cavalcante '77Dorothy Jurek Wife of Andrew '50 Agnes Lehner Wife of Paul '42 Gertrude Lloyd Wife of David '46 Magaret Mary McCafferty Sister of Francis '57

Please contact Terri Evans regarding omissions or

additional deceased alumni, family and friends at

tevans@romancatholichs.com or 215-627-5487, ext. 310.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made in the name of your loved one to

Roman Catholic High School

Send to:Roman Catholic High School

301 N. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107

For more information, contact Alumni@RomanCatholicHS.com

Dear Roman Family,

The annual gathering of the Sons of Cahill at their Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises took place in a proud and dignified manner for the 118th time on Friday, June 10, 2011. The glorious and golden dome shined brightly on 242 graduates of Roman Catholic at The Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter and Paul. According to some Roman parents and faculty, it is quite impressive at Graduation, as each speaker approaches the podium, to see the entire student body rise from their seatsin unison as a sign of respect for each speaker, then to sit down in unison. One of the most emotional parts of the ceremony is the singing of the “The Purple and Gold.” The last stanza of “Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!” almost lifted the golden dome off the walls. Most importantly, the Cahillites lifted their prayers and dreams to Almighty God in thanksgiving for their education at Roman Catholic. They They learned values that will last a lifetime. These are invaluable lessons in the ways and truth of Jesus Christ that made the many sacrifices of their parents to send them to Roman Catholic worthwhile.

In the long line of Cahillite Alumni that preceded the class of 2011, these young men followed your tradition as they did make and will make Roman very proud for years to come. “In a few words, you are inspiring, friendly, enthusiastic (to borrow from revered faculty member and 2011 Loyalty Award recipient Mr. Monillas), and even spiritual. I am thinking about your team and group prayers and Masses, and the crowd of seniors who quietly met just about every day in the chapel.” (From Graduation Homily)

The 2011 Cahillites are impressive and deserve our congratulations, support and prayers. Their accomplishments as a class can be found on page 14 of this publication. They once again surpassed expectations by earning over $17.5 million in academic college scholarships. One graduate, Xu Zhang ’11, was invited to speak at the annual Honors Convocation at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia several weeks before graduation. Xu came to the United States from China 5 years ago and is bound for the Univer-sity of Chicago in the fall.

In his speech delivered in front of Cardinal Rigali, the Office of Catholic Education, and his peers, Xu exemplified the spirit of Catholic High saying, “We who owe so much to our Catholic education know that it does not just offer excellent academics, but puts the building of character first. Love is not just a matter of knowing, but a matter of doing. A Catholic education encourages us to live daily the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Four years of Catholic education at Roman has certainly transformed my character and personality. I now believe my parents were right, and that it brought out of me what was already there.”

The timeless words of this young Cahillite ring true for us, regardless of the year we completed our Catholic education.

To you, the Roman Catholic alumni and friends, please continue to foster the dream and lasting treasure of Thomas E. Cahill by your continued prayers and generous support. Blessed John Paul II said to young people, “You are the hope of the Church and the world…you are my hope.” I now say to you, Roman Catholic Alumni: you are the hope of the future success of the fine young men at Roman Catholic High School. I thank you for your continued support.

Enjoy a safe and blessed time for you and your family in these summer months.God bless you and God bless the Roman Family!

Peace,

Fr. John B. Flanagan jflanagan@RomanCatholicHS.com 215-627-1270, ext. 110

Save the date: Annual Communion Breakfast on November 20, 2011

From the Desk of the Rector3 The Empire

Dear Fr. Flanagan;

I just wanted to drop a note about your students whom I encountered this week on the Fox Chase train. I got on in Center City with my elder mother and the train was fairly filled with your students. I assumed that the train ride, like most train rides with school students, would be loud and active. Instead the boys talked amongst themselves and did not disturb other passengers. It was almost shocking that teenage boys could act so civilized. They were also polite. Obviously you are doing something right at Roman Catholic. Since you may hear about your students from time to time, I thought I would let you know when they are great to be around. Sincerely, Lorraine

Rev. John B. Flanagan13th Rector of

Roman Catholic

4 The Empire

A Message from the Alumni President

Lawrence J. Elliott '66PresidentRoman Catholic High School Alumni Assocation

Dear Fellow Alums,

The 2010-2011 school year was undeniably special and full of change at Catholic High. While the hallways we once walked are now filled with those preparing for their futures, they are doing so because they have been inspired by us. As the faithful alumni of Roman Catholic High School, we are known not only in the Philadelphia area but throughout the country as the men who view our high school experience as more than simply an expendable four years. We know the importance of our school and we have conveyed that to our sons, grandsons, nephews and neighbors allowing for the name Roman to be said proudly in every corner of the globe.

Our involvement as alums is an instrumental part of the day to day operations at our alma mater. Who knew that five, ten, and more than fifty years after our graduation we would play an even more important role at Roman Catholic than we could ever imagine? This year, we saw awareness of this role manifest it-self in the form of a $500,000 bequest from Joe Maksin ’46. We have also seen a sharp rise in the involve-ment of our young alumni specifically from the classes of 2007 through 2010. I thank them for all they do and offer specific thanks to those working in the Alumni and Development Office who have been maintain-ing efforts to bridge any gaps between current students and alums.

On another positive note, I congratulate this year’s Cahill Club award winners (listed below). These men are a testament to the greatness that a Roman Catholic High School education can bring. Whether they are serving in the courtroom, the boardroom, the church or the classroom, these men exemplify Thomas E. Cahill’s dream. While we are all preparing for another summer at the shore, we must remember that in the fall, hundreds of students will become Cahillites as they step through the doors at Broad and Vine. They need our support now more than ever. If every school is only as good as its faculty, administration, and alumni then Roman is the best. We are the best because we never stop, we never give up, and we stay hungry not to guarantee personal benefit, but to make a positive future certain.

Roman Catholic High School thrives on our loyalty. At this year’s graduation ceremony, I had the pleasure of announcing the 2011 Loyalty Award winners. There is no better “thank you” for our dedication than the smile on the face of a young graduate when he sees and hears about the men pushing him toward his goal. Get involved. You won’t be disappointed in the results.

Have a wonderful, peaceful summer. I hope to see many of you in the fall. As always, mark your calendars for the Communion Breakfast, November 20, 2011.

Sincerely, 2011 CAHILL CLUB AWARDEES Thomas E. Cahill AwardThomas Leonard, Esq. '64

Distinguished Alumni AwardMsgr. Francis W. Beach '67

James McSherry '40 Appreciation Award for ServiceEdward Keenan '54Teacher of the Year

Michael DiBenedettoStudent of the Year

Matthew McShane '11

5 Roman Catholic High School

Leadership Award to Honor CEO of Citizens Bank

Roman Catholic High School is proud to announce that Daniel K. Fitzpatrick has been selected as the 2011 recipient of the Greater Philadelphia Area Leadership Award. The award will be presented on October 20, 2011 at a dinner held at the Union League of Philadelphia. Since its inception, the award has raised more than $2 million for the benefit of Roman Catholic High School for Boys.

Fitzpatrick, a native of Philadelphia, formerly was President, Bank of America, Pennsylvania and Bank of America's Market Executive for Commercial Banking for Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. Before joining Bank of America in 2003, he held senior leadership positions with PNC Bank, PNC Capital Markets and CoreStates Bank in Philadelphia.

He is active in the community, serving on the board and executive committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce as well as the chamber’s CEO Council for Growth. Fitzpatrick is chairman of the CEO Ambassadors for 21st Century Skills, a business advocacy organization focused on strengthening public education and providing students with job preparedness skills. Fitzpatrick was named to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett’s transition team, serving on the education committee.

Fitzpatrick is past chairman and serves on the board of directors of the Committee of Seventy, an independent group of business leaders that advocates for honest, efficient government for the Philadelphia region. He serves on the board of directors of the Urban Affairs Coalition and is a member of the executive committees of the Greater Philadelphia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and the Office of Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He is a member of the board of trustees of La Salle University, the board of directors of the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation and the Franklin Institute.

Fitzpatrick earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from La Salle University and an M.B.A. from Drexel University. He is a CPA and Chartered Financial Analyst and holds Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses.

Fitzpatrick lives in Newtown, Bucks County, Pa., with his wife Beth and their four children.

Daniel K. FitzpatrickPresident and CEO

Citizens Bank

2011 GPALA Recipient

Save the Date20th Annual

Greater PhiladelphiaLeadership AwardOctober 20, 2011

Union League of Philadelphia

www.RCHSAlumni.org/GPALA

6 The Empire

A Heart of Purple and Gold1946 Graduate Leaves $500,000 Bequest

By: Denise LePera and Steve Ziegler '04

In May, a press conference was held to announce one of the largest bequests in the history of Catholic High. As the students arrived along with faculty, staff and local press, the McShain Media and Library Center was filled with excitement. Fr. John Flanagan, President/Rector welcomed the crowd and reminded those present that "Our Lord loves a cheerful giver, and today we are so grateful and quite cheerful to announce how one man’s goodness can truly change lives of young men who wish to receive the same foundation and formation that Joe received here from 1942 – 1946.Through his generous foresight, we can assist others and maybe even expand our footing here at Broad and Vine and beyond."Denise LePera, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, was thrilled to be able to announce such a tremendous gift to the school. "It is always a pleasure for us to gather as members of the Roman family to celebrate one of our cherished alumni."

Joe Maksin ’46 was a man who built a company by helping others. A native of Fairmount, Joe moved to Bellmawr, New Jersey, in the 1960s where he found his calling while coaching his sons in a football league he established. While working in the insurance industry, Maksin saw that many children injured on the field were not covered by their insurance plans.

As a result, he founded Maksin Management Corp. in 1965 and began writing and selling sports-accidents insurance to schools and athletic programs across South Jersey. By the time Maksin Management Corp. sold in 2000, it was selling school sports-accident insurance to high schools and colleges in every state. “The best advice my father gave me was ‘Think big, and

make things happen,’” son Joseph Jr. says.

Joe Maksin left us last December, and his career brought him great fortune. The Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association graciously accepted his generous bequest of $500,000. His wishes were that $200,000 be used to establish the Joseph Maksin ’46 Scholarship Fund for needy students. Today more than ever, affording a Catholic School education can be a burden. In fact at Roman, more than half of our students receive some type of tuition assistance. The simple reality is daunting: Eleven percent of our families demonstrate a negative adjusted gross income upon completion of standardized financial aid forms by outside scholarship organizations. And yet, even after establishing significant need for so many, these outside organizations can provide only a small portion of the financial aid desperately needed. Thankfully, Joe’s vision and generosity will further benefit these families with additional, vital assistance. Will this assistance make a difference? Indeed it can mean the difference between their sons graduating

as Cahillites, or leaving Roman with much regret. Joe’s foresight was keen, and his business acumen remarkable. He knew that growth at Roman was as critical today as it is necessary for tomorrow. His wishes were that the remaining $300,000 of his bequest be dedicated toward campus expansion. In recent years, talk of the expansion of Roman Catholic High School has taken on new life as the revitalization of Center City is taking place all around us. Few forget when our enrollment was so low in the 80’s that foreclosure was a real threat. Who would have thought that we would boast a student body of nearly 1100 students today? We have built a campus in the city and we will flourish.

As a young man, Joseph Maksin walked each day from his home in Fairmount, just a few blocks from here, to receive the Roman education and degree that he would cherish for a lifetime. Little could that young man have known during those dark days when a world was at war, that one day he would make it possible for young men of another century to receive that same educa-tion. Today’s generation applauds Joe. Tomorrow’s generations will continue to reap the benefits of his loyalty to Roman, his commitment to excellence, and his belief that at Broad and Vine, the sons of Cahill will always experience four years they will never forget and that will undoubtedly transform them from young boys into the leaders of tomorrow.

Joe Maksin, Jr. said, "Roman Catholic was one of the most important parts of my father’s life.

Above: Joe Maksin '46, founder of Maksin Management Corp., left $500,000 to Catholic High.

7 The Empire

Planned Giving Facts to Consider:

•Many people make cash gifts. But appreciated securities receive the same deduction as cash gifts, and you pay no capital gains tax on the

transfer.

•You can also consider donating a life insurance policy whose coverage your family no longer needs, or real estate like a second home or a

parcel of undeveloped land, or even a collection of books or artwork that you no longer want.

•You can make a gift that costs you nothing during your lifetime by naming Roman Catholic

High School as a beneficiary of your will or revocable trust, or of your retirement plan.

Make a Difference with a Planned Gift Contact the Alumni and Development Office

(215)-627-5487 ext. 312alumni@romancatholichs.com

Keep Catholic High in Your Will

Of course, my mother would come first. And it’s easy to tell, just drive up to their house, its purple, come on inside, its purple, he started a Pee Wee football program in Bellmawr, called the Bellmawr Purple Eagles…If my Dad were here today, he would tell everyone that 'if you put your mind to it, anything can be done with hard work’ He would also tell you to ‘always be yourself; never be something you are not.’ Definitely words that he lived by and lessons that I still use today…we are confident that my father’s gift will be utilized to create future leaders in all areas of our society. That’s what my father would want."

Roman Catholic High School and the Alumni Association thank Eleanor Maksin, wife of the late Joe, and the entire Maksin family. It was truly another great day for Catholic High.

“My father had to take on a lot of responsibility at an early age,” said Joseph Jr. “He knew that his education strengthened him to be the man he was which is why he remained so dedicated to Roman.”

Above: Joe Maksin, Jr. speaks to the students of Catholic High about his father's love of the school and the faith that helped him through his Fairmount upbringing after the Great Depression.

8 Roman Catholic High School

Dennis DiGiovanni '02Athletic Director

ATHLETICSRiver Field. 23rd and The Benjamin Franklin Parkway

First Team All CatholicCrewWilliam Arch ’12Patrick Brown ’13Mario DiCarlo ’12Joseph Horn ’12Casey Howshall ’13Sean Kosma ’12Matthew Weaver ’12Gary Wielgus ’12Patrick Woodruff ’11

RugbyJohn Doherty ’11Kyle Gibbons ’11

BaseballMatthew Stoffere ’11

Second Team All CatholicCrewJoseph McCloskey ’12

BaseballColin Cooke ’12Erik DeLone ’12Richard Houck ’11

Third TeamCrewGeorge Gabrieliants ’12Louis Witalec ’12

Honorable Mention TeamLacrosseBrian Andrews ’12

Congratulations to Our Spring All Catholic Athletes

Special Congratulations to

Roman Rugby for its amazing record

and trip to the finals during its inaugural season with Coach

Derek Tully.

9 The Empire

On Friday, April 8, 2011, The Sports Hall of Fame committee hosted their 21st annual ‘Induction Day’. The induction ceremony & luncheon was attended by family, friends, & classmates of the Class of 2011 inductees in the McShain Media Center and the school auditorium. The ceremony, ably emceed by John Livewell ’91, was warmly received by the large assembly who welcomed the newest inductees into the Hall. That same evening, almost five hundred guests witnessed the SHOF 2011 awards banquet at Williamson’s Restaurant on Blair Mill Rd. in Horsham, PA. Our Toastmaster again this year was the very capable Dan Hoban ’92. The ten newest inductees shared the evening with our four Special Awards recipients and Luke Lahann ’11 who received the Patrick Ward ’66 Memorial Award as the 2011 Senior Scholar Athlete as selected by the faculty and administration.The committee will begin their 2011 – 2012 season with the annual Fall Memorial Mass in September.

Sports Hall of Fame 21st Annual Induction Ceremony & Awards Banquet

Roman Catholic High’s family and alumni mourn the loss of one of our most loyal Cahillites and greatest sports stars, Joseph Patrick Rogers ’43 who died April 1. His daughter, JoAnne Jaquette’s beautiful eulogy and the memorable homily by Villanova’s Father Robert Hagan made clear Joe’s true life accomplishments beyond his many laurels in sports. Those were on life’s real playing field, the Catholic life he lived every day as a model of deep faith, a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to so many of all ages who loved his smile, his style and admired his deep faith. As his daughter confirmed, “Faith was always number one with Dad. He had a deep connection with the Catholic Church. He faithfully received the sacraments and passed on this tradition to his children. Prayers were said before meals and we would gather around the table each night in October to say the rosary.”

Joe’s nine children and their families and a host of friends, former teammates and business associates attended his Mass of Christian Burial on April 4. In 1949, Joe married his favorite teammate, Nora Cassidy Rogers, Hallahan High class of '43, whom he always called “Hoppy” or “Hop” after the famous cowboy of the same name. Nora pre-deceased him in 2009. They have thirty grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.

From his arrival from St. Columba’s parish in 1939 and throughout his alum years, Joe was immensely proud of his Roman Catholic High heritage. His last visits were in November 2010 when he attended his last Alumni Communion Mass and Breakfast and a month later when he visited Broad and Vine to take part in the dedication of the St. John (cont'd on Page 17)

Joe Rogers ’43: A Smile on the Lip, A Tear in the Eye–

By: Joe Kiernan '43

RCHSSports Hall of FameMartin Sculley '19 (posthumously)

John Dinan '58Al Little '60

Mike Morrow '76Tim Gramlich '78

Tarone Thornton '84Mike Carr '92

Dasan Haire '981999 Football Team

Tim Schmidt '00

Class of 2011

Bill Myers '50Joseph Goldie Graham '33 Award for Loyalty

Jack Pyrah '33John Gillen '33 Memorial Inter League Award

Kevin Verbrugghe '80John Hoban '35 Memorial Service Award

Edward Jones '72William 'Speedy' Morris '60

Community Award Luke Lahann '11

Patrick E. Ward '66 Scholar-Athlete Memorial Award

10 Roman Catholic High School

CLASS NOTES1954John Roche, representing the Cathedral Parish, was recently added to the Brewerytown Fairmount Cathedral & Schuylkill Navy Honor Roll at their Spring Luncheon. John is a retired conductor from Conrail and is quite active in the Southwest Philadelphia Football Coaches Association.

1960Seamus Kearney, Cahillite and baseball historian, has written a book entitled "The Philadelphia Phillies,” along with his friend Dick Rosen. The book was published by Arcadia Publishing and is a photographic history of the team in professional sports with the longest serving nickname. It encompasses the entire life of this historic franchise with more than 200 photographs. “The Philadelphia Phillies” is available for purchase on Amazon.com

1964Joseph Lachawiec, Mayor of Waretown, NJ worked with the Ocean Township, NJ Solar Project team to expedite the construction of a solar energy facility on the Southern Ocean Landfill in accordance with the Redevelopment Plan that has been adopted by the Township Committee for that site. The solar energy facility will be designed, constructed, and maintained by Project Navigator, Ltd. of Malvern, PA and is

expected to generate $400,000 annually for Ocean Township for 15 years while bringing clean energy to the township. According to Lachawiec, it is a “win-win” for all involved.

1970Joe Cunningham has returned to teach world languages at Roman. His daughter Joanna, a USAF Major-designate, is a psychiatrist at Dover AFB. She is married to Dr. Steve Galata, himself a psychiatrist. His other daughter Mary is married to Miguel Alban and they have two boys, Joaquin and Mateo. Walking through the halls of Roman every day brings Joe great joy and fond memories of his classmates and teachers. As Joe is fluent in four foreign languages, he continues to help immigrants on occasion as attorney-at-law. He is a member of the Brazilian Catholic Community at St. Martin of Tours where is a lector and Eucharistic minister.

Walk the Halls of Catholic High Again!

Schedule Your Next Reunion or a Visit to Roman

Contact Ann Vassallo, Director of Development215.627.5487 ext. 311 or avassallo@RomanCatholicHS.com

1991Mkemo London has written a book entitled Building Wealth with $50: The 50 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy without a Broker. For more information about this book containing very valuable stock information, visit www.investing50.com

1992Chris Nowayczk has been running a Phillies baseball blog and his logo recently got picked up by a t-shirt company. 100% Chris’ profits from his blog will be donated to charity – Roman Catholic High School will be that charity.

1994William Bannon was elected one of the leaders of the over 5000 members of Transport Workers Union Local 234 in the Local’s general election as he was elected as the Local’s Recording Secretary. William has been a SEPTA employee for 11 years. He is married with 3 daughters.

Class of 1950Frank McMenamin had a serious stroke in September. He is recovering and

would love to hear from his classmates. Please send your well wishes to him at 1380 Council Bluff Drive Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30345.

11 The Empire

1996R.C. Kehoe was named as Holy Family’s head basketball coach in April. Kehoe, a nephew of St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli, recently finished his fifth season as an assistant with Delaware. He played on the Roman team that won Catholic League titles in 1993, 1994, and 1996. He has a bachelor's degree from Shippensburg, where he began his career as an assistant in 2002. Kehoe also was an assistant at St. Francis and Maryland-Baltimore County.

2007Louis Konrad graduated from Temple University and accepted an offer to Center City Legal Reproductions & Center City Reporting Inc. the leading company in litigation support services.

Russell Ladson graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA where he was an E.B. Williams Scholar with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He has accepted a full-time investment banking analyst position in New York City with Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

2010Gabriel Keown, a member of the Swim Team at RCHS and now at St. Leo University is ranked among the top 100 swimmers in the nation in all of his events. He is also maintaining a 3.1 GPA and participating in the university’s ROTC program.

Super Bowl Tradition Supports RCHSThe Super Bowl XLV $10 block pool, coordinated every year by Leo Lynch '64, was won by Jim "Gator" McCoy '63 ($250 for the 1st half) and Fran Dunn '71 ($250 final score). The remaining $500 went to the Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association. Leo intends to do the same for Super Bowl XLVI for the benefit of RCHS.

Be sure to see Leo at a Trustees meeting or an alumni event during

Smiling FacesLeft: RCHS Faculty Members Dennis DiGiovanni '02 and Jen Wilson hanging out at the NE Alumni Regional Reunion. Congratulations to Dennis and Jen as they will be wed on July 2, 2011 at St. Bridget's Church.

Right: Generations of Cahillites unite at the Fall meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Left: Calvin Rayfield '85 (center) having a good time with guests MaryEllen Hoffman and Malcolm Hayes at the South Philly Alumni Regional Reunion.

12 Roman Catholic High School

AROUND Stopping Hunger One Step at a TimeOn April 15th, 10 members of Roman’s Community Service Corps participated in the 15th Annual Walk Against Hunger. These students (pictured right) walked the 5K on a sunny Philadelphia day while two of their classmates, Matt Lawson ’14 and Ye-susera Hailu ’14 completed the early morning run. One senior, Octavius Blount ’11 (far left) raised $135 in pledges for the walk in memory of his late great-grandmother whose charity of choice was World Hunger.

Senior Prevails in Financial Jeopardy!Eddie Ross ’11, a native of Saint Richard's parish in the Stadium District section of South Philadelphia received a $5,000 college scholarship from TruMark Financial. This scholarship was the Grand Prize as Ross defeated seven other contestants from schools like Plymouth Whitemarsh, Neshaminy, and Upper Dublin in a game of Financial Jeopardy held in Feasterville, PA on May 4, 2011. Ross plans to attend Temple University in the fall.

Mike Donnelly ’14 and Daniel Maggiano ’14 (pictured above), two Roxborough natives, were walking down Monastery Street when they found a wallet and thousands of dollars blowing around. The Cahillites collected the money and the wallet and returned it to Mike Loughlin who rewarded them $100 each.Photo Courtesy of The Roxborough Review

Honesty is the Best Policy

Academic Achievement

Xu Zhang ’11 was accepted to the University of Chicago

Michael Boyce ’11, Jacob Bridy ’11, Tommy Lim ’11, James Brighter ’11 and Rich Barnett ’11 were accepted to the University of Pennsylvania.

2 of our students received the Drexel Liberty Scholarship - Rocky Lee ’11 and David Ha ’11

Justin Wolfington ’12 was accepted to the Summer Program at Notre Dame.

(Left:) Ed Ross '11 proudly accepts his victory scholarship of $5,000 from TruMark Financial Chief

Executive Officer Richard F. Stipa.

ROMANHonored for Service Roman students received an overwhelming amount of recognition for their Community Service this spring. Dave Thomas ’12, newly elected class President, was honored with a Champions of Caring Award at Drexel University on May 20th for his dedication to the community and Roman through organizations like CSC, S.A.D.D., Roman Ambassadors, RCHS Soccer, and the Ministry Team. Josh Walls ’11 received the St. Timothy Award from the Office of Youth and Young Adults for his work in his parish – St. Franics DeSales – his local recreation center, and at Roman. John Kradzinksi ’12 and Kevin Deeney ’14 were made members of the Diocesan Service and Leadership Team (SALT) for the upcoming school year. These students represent the leadership and service Thomas E. Cahill wanted to see instilled in the students fulfilling his dream.

Undefeated De’Sean Fennell ’11, who has been playing tennis since age 10, is 57-0 in his career as a Cahillite with three victories coming during the Catholic League finals each year against LaSalle College High School. On Thursday, April 28th, 2011 he signed to La Salle University, earning a combination of tennis scholarship and financial aid package that will essentially cover his entire college experience. Pictured left: Fennell signs while mother Denise and Coach Pat Shanahan watch proudly. Words of Wisdom

Alex Krywoschyj ’04 (right), an Occupational Therapy student at Jefferson University, stopped by Mr. Ken Eaves’ Sports Medicine class in May to speak to the students about a career in Occupational Therapy. Krywoschyj, who will finish his studies next year, explained to the Cahillites that men are desperately needed in the OT field as currently 96% of therapists are women. Occupational Therapists help people participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.

Pictured Above (from left to right): Father Casey, Assis-tant Principal Domenic DiMartino, Principal Robert P. O’Neill, Josh Walls ’11, Michael Leitner ’12, John Kradz-inski ’12, Dante Milillo ’13, Kevin Deeney ’14, Marcel Brice ’11, CSC Moderator Steven Ziegler ’04, and Father Flanagan at the annual CSC Commissioning Mass.

13 Roman Catholic High School

14 Roman Catholic High School

Class of 2011: The 118th Graduating Class from Catholic High

By: Steve Ziegler '04

The Class of 2011 entered Roman Catholic High School four years ago, nervously anticipating high school life. On June 10, 2011 they left the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul with a smile on the lip, a tear in the eye, and a diploma in hand. These young men who came to Roman from 142 elementary schools, are now on their way to universities in 15 states from New England to Florida, New Jersey to Oregon. 95% of Roman graduates will further their education and they will do so with $18,062,960 million in scholarships and federal grants in their pockets. Anyone who knows the Class of 2011 knows that they earned it. In his speech as salutatorian, David Ha ’11 inspired his peers by saying “Continue to pour your whole heart into everything you do in life. Many great things may be accomplished when we truly care about what we are doing and that will make all the difference”. During the Baccalaureate Mass, President/Rector Fr. John Flanagan encouraged the young men of Catholic High by telling them, “You are the very real hope, dream and vision of Thomas E. Cahill, who amassed his personal fortune to create a lasting treasure; a high school for boys to be called Roman Catholic High School, which would educate young men in the ways of the academic world and the ways of God, to be a vibrant bright spot in Philadelphia. Men, I urge you, live the dream…fulfill the vision and mission of Thomas Cahill." Between the Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation Ceremony, the longstanding tradition of presenting the Roman Catholic High School Loyalty Awards took place. This year’s Loyalty Award winners were Rev. Ronald Jakows’82 (posthumously), P. William Monillas, Sylvester Paramore’63, Ed Quinn ’60, & Charlie Schock ’66. Their complete biographies explaining their dedication to Catholic High are located on www.RCHSAlumni.org/LoyaltyAwards. Valedictorian Ton Lim ’11 said poignantly, “Our society is bleak. The economy is bad and there is a multitude of international conflicts. The word is in a dark place right now. However, we are a beacon of light. Using the faith and knowledge, Fides et Scientia, we have learned, we CAN change the world. We are Cahillites and the sky is the limit for us.” As Mr. Brian Conroy ’91, Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs, announced names of the graduating class, their four years of hard work culminated in the experience of being honored in the grandeur of the Cathedral where thousands of men before them left as Sons of Cahill to change the world and never forget where they began.

(Left): Khalif Jackson ’11 brings the Cardinal Dougherty flag to the front of the Cathedral. This graduating class represented the first group of students from North Catholic and Cardinal Dougherty to graduate as Cahillites.

(Below): Valedictorian Ton Lim ’11 inspires his peers by telling them the sky is the limit.

(Left): Luke Lahann ’11 presents Irene Jakows and her son Gregory with the 2011 edition of the Purple and Gold dedicated to Rev. Ron Jakows ’82 who was honored posthumously with a Loyalty Award.

(Right): Yeiron Corneil ’11 an active student at Catholic High and member of the National Honor Society accepts his diploma from Principal O’Neill. Yeiron’s red stole represents the three years he spent as a Falcon at North Catholic.

15 The Empire

Adopt-A-StudentTwo Decades of Providing OpportunitiesDear Alumni,

I am writing to say thank you very for your generous gift towards my tuition. My mother and sister are in college, my parents are looking for work (my father was let go from his job in February), and my younger sister is in Catholic grade school, so the funds are tighter now than I can remember. My father comes from the Ivory Coast in West Africa and our family is under a lot of stress because there are political and civil problems there. I know that there are no guaranteed scholarships but this help from the Adopt-a-Student program and potential scholarships in the future to will make sure my family stays in Philadelphia. It is an honor to attend Roman Catholic because I have always admired the reputation. When I graduate in 2014, I plan to attend college to become an architect or something similar because I love building model structures and highways.

Thank you,

“A.C.” Class of 2014

Dear Alumni,

I am writing this letter to thank you for helping my family with the cost of tuition. Roman Catholic is a place I have to love already in my first year as a student. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to receive this grant. Thank you. This year I played on the freshman football and basketball teams. Both seasons were full of excitement and allowed me to excel as a player and a person. Playing sports at a prestigious high school like Roman Catholic is an honor. In the classroom, I received first honors and I especially enjoy English and French class. Both classes take a lot of work, but I love a challenge and being involved in the lesson. Thank you, for providing this grant so I can continue to work towards becoming a successful Cahillite. When I graduate, I will definitely look back on this scholarship knowing that it has changed my life.

Sincerely,

"Sean”Class of 2014

The Adopt-A-Student Program at Roman Catholic High School was founded "To enlist financial support for the continuance and long-term betterment of Catholic High School Education within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia."

Adopt-A-Student has provided numersous young men the chance to benefit from the outstanding educationed offered at Roman Catholic.

Adopt-A-Student benefits students who desire a Catholic Education but require financial assistance.

Roman Catholic idenfities the greatest tuition assistance needs and allocate the funds accordingly.

For more information, visit www.RCHSAlumni.org/Adopt

16 Roman Catholic High School

Puttin' AroundConnections Stay Strong Through the

Cahill Cup & Alumni Golf OutingLeft: RCHS Alumni President Larry Elliott '66 works on his short game at the 33rd Annual Alumni Golf Outing.

Below: Two golfers with Cahill Cup Co-Chairs Ed Quinn '60 (pink shirt) & Dr. Richard Vassallo '59 (far right) at the Cahill Cup!

And the Winner Is...Spring Cahill Chance Drawing

1st place: Edward Buchheit Seller: E. Buchheit

2nd place: Joseph Crossfield Seller: J. Crossfield3rd place: Hope Perry

Seller: H. Perry4th place: Gary Maxwell, Jr.

Seller: G. Maxwell5th place: Melvin Green Seller: Nate Robinson

Congratulations to Our Winners!

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 7, 2011Day at Bay (Registration form below)Remember: If you purchase your tickets prior to the event, Roman gets 100% of those proceeds. Proceeds from tickets sold at the door are split with Hallahan! September 24, 2011 John Gibbons ’72 Memorial Beef and BeerFireman’s Memorial Hall, Conshohocken 5pm-10pm September 30, 2011 Frank Lally ‘72 Golf OutingSkippack Golf Course, Skippack, PA 12:30 Shotgun Start

October 15, 2011George Boyle ’49 Scholarship Golf Outing Avalon Country Club, Cape May Court House, NJ 12:00 Noon Shotgun Start November 13, 2011Roman Run Lloyd Hall Registration: 7:30 am; Start: 9:00 amNovember 20, 2011Annual Communion Breakfast and Mass Keynote Speaker: Jay Wright, Men’s Basketball Coach at Villanova Mass at 9 AM at the Cathedral Basilica Ss. Peter & Paul Communion Breakfast held at the Sheraton Hotel

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Day at the Bay 2011 ____Yes, I will attend the 2011 Day at the Bay at Keenan’s Irish Pub, August 7, 2011.Tickets are $30.00 in advance, $35.00 at the door. Enclosed is $ for tickets. Please charge my Visa/MasterCard/Discover/AmEx Card: Exp. Date:

Name: Class of:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Mail to: RCHS Alumni, 301 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 For more information, email alumni@romancatholichs.com or call 215.627.5487 ext 310

Register online at www.rchsalumni.org/dayatthebay2011

17 Roman Catholic High School

(cont'd from Page 9) Neumann statue honoring his classmate and Cahillite football manager, James “Doc” Weir. At a luncheon that followed, not surprisingly, Joe arose and sang “The Purple and the Gold.” The crowd had no idea he might soon be leaving us. His classic smile portrayed how much he loved the ovation that followed.

His peaceful death came sixty-seven years to the day he led the Purple and Gold to one of its most memorable sports triumphs. That was the 1943 Red Cross Basketball tourney at the Palestra, a wartime charity event played only once. It featured City king, West Philadelphia, InterAc titlist, Penn Charter, undefeated Suburban and State Champ, Lower Merion and Roman Catholic. It was the only time in history that the four Philadelphia scholastic leagues champions ever met in a season-ending playoff.

The Cahillites had begun the 1942-43 season losing six of seven but, behind Rogers, rallied to finish in a tie for fourth in the Catholic League. They won that tiebreaker, then beat St. Joseph’s Prep and went on to defeat West Catholic for the Catholic League crown, later capturing the Red Cross Tournament of Champions in a victory over Penn Charter. The story of Roman’s amazing comeback season is told in the recent book about that team and the values of scholastic basketball in general, Wartime Cinderella: Philly Hoop Memories, 1943.

Joe Rogers won unanimous All-Catholic honors at halfback and was a unanimous choice as the high scoring guard and fierce defender on the All-Catholic basketball quintet. During World War II he served on the USS Albuquerque in the Aleutians, returning to star as leading ground gainer on Villanova’s powerful post-war football squads. He later served on the Wildcat

coaching staff for fourteen years. He became a Cahillite Sports Hall of Fame member the year the hall was founded and was also enrolled in Villanova’s Hall.

A fierce competitor in his playing days, Joe enjoyed the fact that some former opponents, chided him as, “the greatest football player whoever stepped on a basketball court.” To some of them, that was a shot. To Joe and those who loved him, it was the supreme compliment. For the rest of his life, he opened every social encounter with that patented Rogers smile – without provocation – and always with a story. The great American sports writer, Walter “Red” Smith, once wrote of Joe’s deeds on the fields of sport. One of Red’s quotes speaks eloquently of Joe’s fulfill-ing life after his playing days. Red said, “Dying is the easy thing. The least of us can manage that. Living is the trick.” Joe Rogers lived a true life of faith exquisite-ly - and generously. Rest in Peace.

Joe Rogers '43

Roman Students Win the 1st Annual Hocker Cup

Roman Catholic High School students and Northeast Philadelphia natives, Albert Agar '11 (Resurrection Parish) and Nick Presel '12 (Maternity BVM Parish), are current recipients of the Ethel Mae Hocker Foundation. Recipients must maintain high honors, good citizenship, and community service. On Thursday, April 14, 2010, Roman Catholic representatives met with the Ethel Mae Hocker Foundation Board of Trustees to update them on our current recipients and the future of the scholarship at RCHS. The Foundation has awarded Roman Catholic 5 academic scholarships for the 2011-2012 school year. That same night, the foundation hosted a dinner for scholarship recipients from Valley Forge Military Academy, Camden Catholic, GESU, and of course, Roman Catholic. Mr. Richard Hocker, the founder and Chief Investment Officer of PENN Capital Management, established the Ethel Mae Hocker foundation in 2005 along with his wife. This is the first year Roman Catholic students have received the scholarship and also the inaugural year for the “Hocker Cup” an award given to the scholarship recipients with the highest GPA along with a $3,000 stipend to the school restricted to academic capital initiatives. Roman Catholic students took home the cup with the hopes of a long and prosperous relationship with the Ethel Mae Hocker Foundation.

Above (left to right): Paul M. Welch, PENN Capital Senior Research Analyst, Albert Agar '11, Nick Presel '12, Ann Vassallo, RCHS Director of Development, Steven Ziegler, RCHS Director of Marketing, and Richard Hocker, Founder of the Ethel Mae Hocker Foundation.

Student Council Anxious for the 2011-2012 School Year

By: Steve Ziegler '04Every Spring, the newly elected student council brings freshideas to the traditions of Roman Catholic High School in order to prepare for the next school year. In early May, the students of RCHS chose Dave Thomas ’12 as their new class president and a new slate of officers including for the first time, a fifth officer, Chuck Taylor ’12, as the Public Relations Officer. Thomas, a native of Epiphany parish in South Philadelphia, has desired to make an impact on Roman Catholic since his freshman year. “My Big Brothers really inspired me,” he says. “I remember looking up to Tyler Zachwieja ’09, Brian Karakaedos ’09, and Colin Young ’09 because they all encouraged me to get involved in something.”

Student participation is encouraged across the student body and those who decide to run for student council know that while being involved they also need to keep up student morale. “I like how the student council is there to get the point across,” says Matt Durkin ’12, the newly elected Vice-President and native of Visitation B.V.M parish in Norristown. “Student council is the voice of the students.”

The student council officers are in unanimous agreement that next year’s dealings with the administration will prove to be beneficial for the entire student body. “We each have different strengths that will help us communicate with the administrators and the students,” Durkin says. Next year’s officers have said they learned much from watching the student council officers of years past to understand what can realistically be achieved. “It’s our job to keep Roman out there in a positive way,” says Thomas. “When I look at Paul Dehel ’11 [outgoing student council President] I think ‘That’s Roman!’”

Student Council’s job of remaining the face of the school should be made easier this year with the addition of a fifth member, Public Relations Officer Chuck Taylor ’12 of St. Bridget Parish in East Falls. “I’ll be working with Dave and different organizations to get things done and keep communi-cation clear,” Taylor says.

These officers will be joined by Justin Wolfington ’12 of IHM parish in Roxborough and Ed McGovern ’12 from St. Mary of the Assumption parish in Northeast Philadelphia. Geographically diverse, this team of Student Council members puts student participation on the top of their lists to get things done and increase participation in any way they can. They plan to implement surveys to find out when the students want to have mixers, establish an intramural program for flag football and basketball, and institute “Cahillite Day.” What is Cahillite Day? I asked the same question. “Cahillite Day is actually inspired by ‘Bambie’ day at St. Hubert’s,” Durkin explains. “It gives incentive for students to work events after school and on the weekends because if they volunteer and complete three events, they’re entitled to a day off from school.”

Like any Student Council, next year’s seniors have big plans, but they have also remained extremely grounded in knowing that they must work with school administrators in order to make a positive impact on the student body. “We want to take the input of the student body, show the administration what they want, and do what we can without making guarantees we won’t live up to,” says Thomas.

Above: 2011-2012 RCHS Student Council Officers. (From Left): Secretary Ed McGovern, Treasurer Justin Wolfington, President Dave Thomas (gray jacket) PR Officer Chuck Taylor, and Vice-President Matt Durkin.

The young men of Roman thank the supporters of this year's annual giving campaign,

Fostering Faith...Expanding Knowledge!

Together, we raised over $210,000!

Your support makes Roman Catholic one of the most recognized names in

Catholic Education!

THANK YOU!

Roman Catholic High School The Empire301 N. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage PaidPhiladelphia, PAPermit No. 201

Save the Date & Be An Early Sponsor!20th Annual

Greater Philadelphia Area Leadership AwardOctober 20, 2011

Union League of Philadelphia

To be an early sponsor & for more information, visit www.RCHSAlumni.org/GPALA or call

Denise LePera, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement at 215.627.1270 ext. 312

Daniel K. FitzpatrickPresident and CEO

Citizens Bank2011 GPALA Recipient

Sponsorship LevelsPresenting Sponsor ($25,000)

Dinner Sponsor ($15,000)Cocktail Reception Sponsor ($10,000)

Post Dinner Sponsor ($7,500)Purple and Gold Sponsor ($5,000)

Roman Sponsor ($3,500)Cahill Sponsor ($1,500)Individual Patron ($600)