The St. Rita of Cascia High School Alumni MagazineTolle Lege! “Take Up

and Read”

WINTER 2009

Thirty Seniors Named State Scholars

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) announced its recognition of 19,331 high

school students as “Illinois State Scholars 2009”. The students hail from 798 schools in every corner of Illinois. St. Rita’s Class of 2009 has 30 Illinois State Scholars out of a total of 169 senior students.

Illinois State Scholar winners rank in the top ten percent of high school seniors. Selection is based on SAT, ACT and/or Prairie State Achievement Exam scores, and/or class rank at the end of the junior year.

“This is the Hall of Fame for Illinois students,” said ISAC Executive Director Andrew Davis, whose agency has overseen the Illinois State Scholars program since 1958. “Illinois State Scholars are among the best and the brightest in our state’s high schools. We salute them, along with their partners in reaching for the stars - their families and teachers - for this stellar achievement.”

While the prestigious recognition does not include a monetary award, win-ners are encouraged to cite the award on applications for college admission and scholarships. And, to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Illinois State Scholars program, ISAC is giving each awardee a free, 18-month subscription to Encyclope-dia Britannica Online.

Photo: The St. Rita Illinois State Schol-ars were announced at an all-school Mass on Friday, December 12. St. Rita’s Class of 2009 has 30 Illinois State Scholars out of a total of 169 senior students. Illinois State Scholar winners rank in the top ten percent of high school seniors.

1 STaTe ScholarS

2 PriNciPal'S leTTer

3 - 7 iN The NewS

4 alumNi baNqueT

8 - 9 aThleTicS

10 keePiNg Track

11 iN memoriam

12 day aT The raceS

Back Row: Antanas Janavicius (Nativity BVM), James Quinn (St. Cajetan), Daniel Ciaglia (St. Mary Star of the Sea), Nicolas Piccirillo (Simmons JHS), Thomas O'Connor (St. Linus), John Connery (St. John Fisher), and David Fashingbauer (St. Cajetan).

3rd Row: Jonathan Wilkes (Visitation), Patrick Maikisch (McGugan JHS), David Straple (St. Ger-maine), Seamus Stephens (St. Daniel the Prophet), Thomas Rohan (Queen of Martyrs), and Jack Goldrick (Clissold).

2nd Row: Michael Hall (St. Cajetan), Daniel Moore (St. John Fisher), Martin Malone (Wilkins JHS), Benjamin Richardson (St. Bernardine), Frank Her-rera (St. John Fisher), Jack Montag (St. John Fisher), and Thomas Henderson (Roosevelt).

Front Row: Alexander Zemke (St. Paul Lutheran), Kyle Donahue (Central JHS), Matthew Storino (Sutherland), Principal Sally Deenihan, President Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A., Adam Vargas (St. Walter), Joshua Clemens (Bridgeport Catholic Academy), and Brian Boyd (Central JHS).

Not pictured: Alec Antonelli (Palos South JHS), Kev-in Murphy (St. John Fisher), Jack O'Connor (Queen of Martyrs), and Kyel White (St. Thomas More).

Three Baseball players signed national letters of intent to play Division I baseball in 2009. Stand-ing, from left: Athletic Director Bob Conlon, Principal Sally Deenihan, Varsity Baseball Coach Mike Zunica, and President Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. Seated, from left: Scott Marinier, Justin Kopale, and Angelo Burrage.

Three mustangs Sign for division i baseball

Three members of the St. Rita of Cascia High School Baseball team recently signed national

letters of intent to the Division I colleg-es of their choice. These three players were members of St. Rita’s 2007 Catho-lic League Champion and Elite 8 Final-ist team. The students’ family members

...Continue Reading on Page 7

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Dear Ritamen, Families & Friends:

We have just completed the first semester of our school year, a semester that was filled with accomplishments thanks to the hard work of our students, faculty, staff and parents. Many awards have been won by our seniors, bringing great pride to the entire St. Rita family. Thirty seniors have been named as

Illinois State Scholars, and 62 seniors have been formally inducted into the Nation-al Honor Society. In addition, two seniors, David Straple and Kyel White have been named as recipients of special scholarships by the National Merit Scholarship Corpo-ration. Even though it is only February, our seniors have already earned four million dollars in college scholarships.

We are blessed to have two young men win a Jasica Fine Arts scholarship for original artwork. Junior Michael Golden created a painting of St. Rita, using a technique that created a stained glass background. Senior Gus Esterhammer-Fic created a painting depicting a Chicago street scene that was judged to be outstanding. We are indeed proud of the creative work being produced by our fine arts department under the guid-ance of Mrs. Robyn Kurnat.

Equally successful is our athletic department. Our football team advanced to the quar-terfinals in the state championship competition. Senior Dan Dispensa was named the Catholic League Blue Division Offensive MVP, and senior Marty Hopkins was named the Catholic League Blue Division Defensive MVP. Our cross-country team was the first St. Rita CC team in the last 18 years to qualify for sectionals. Our soccer team had senior Kyle Donahue named to the Illinois State All-Sectional Team, and Junior Bill McGrenera advanced to the IHSA Bowling State Championship series.

All of these things are possible because of the generous donations of our alumni and benefactors, and the generosity of those who donate their time and services to work with our young men. They serve our St. Rita community with extraordinary fidelity, day after day, week after week, assisting our young men in these formative teenage years. To all of you who support St. Rita in so many ways, thank you. We owe each of you a debt of gratitude.

Sincerely yours,

Sally E. DeenihanPrincipal

From The deSk oF The PriNciPal

calendar

march 11 Ritamen Luncheon | 12:00 p.m. march 17 St. Baldrick's Shave for a Cure april 12 Easter Sunrise Mass at Oak Street Beach april 17 73rd Annual Alumni Banquet | 6:00 p.m. may 13 - 21 Nine-Day Novena to St. Rita | 7:00 p.m. Nightly may 17 Graduation | 12:00 p.m. may 22 St. Rita Feast Day Masses | 10:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Winter 2009

Tolle Lege! is a publication of

the St. Rita of Cascia High School

Office of Institutional Advancement

7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60620

St. Rita is sponsored by the

Augustinian Order and has been serving

the Chicago area since 1905.

Telephone: 773-925-5029

E-mail: alumni@stritahs.com

AdministrationRev. Thomas McCarthy, O.S.A. ‘83, President

Mrs. Sally Deenihan, Principal

Rev. Walter McNicholas, O.S.A. ‘44, Alumni Chaplain

Bro. Gary Hresil, O.S.A. ‘86, Alumni Moderator

Office of Institutional AdvancementCraig Ferguson - Director of Admissions

Mike Gallagher - Director of Advancement

Trish Harrington - Asst. Director of Annual Appeal

Mary Rita Insley - Advancement Officer

Adam McGrath - Director of Public Relations

John Schmitt ‘84 - Director of Annual Appeal

Javier Solorio II ’02 - Director of Graphic Design

Michael Zunica - Advancement Officer

Alumni Association OfficersNicholas Calarco ‘73 - President

Sye Majka ‘64 - 1st Vice-President

William Lynch ‘91 - 2nd Vice-President

Patrick O’Malley ‘77 - Secretary

Sean Carney ‘74 - Treasurer

Board of DirectorsRonald Abramowicz ‘60

Mr. James Brasher ‘71

Dr. John Donahue, Chairman

Thomas M. Harrington ‘74

Bro. Gary Hresil, O.S.A. ‘86

Gregory Jania ‘89

Mark Kelly ‘84

Alderman Lona Lane, 18th Ward

Very Rev. William Lego, O.S.A.

Timothy McArdle (Hon.)

Rev. Thomas R. McCarthy, O.S.A. ‘83

Ernest Mrozek ‘71

Mr. John O’Neill ‘79

The Honorable Noreen Daly Reilly

Mr. Stephen Schaller ‘83

Edward Schmit, Jr. ‘63

Rev. Bernard Scianna, O.S.A. ‘83

Terrance R. Stefanski

J. J. Wilczewski ‘92

Emeriti Members of the Board of DirectorsPatrick E. Mahoney ‘54

Michael McArdle ‘54

James Miller ‘47

Donald A. Petkus ‘58

Michael Schneider ‘46

Arthur R. Velasquez, ‘56

Secretary to the BoardMs. Vivian Oliva

Joseph J. Jasica Scholarship celebrates artistic Talents

St. Rita of Cascia High School sophomores who took a Creative

Writing elective in the Fall Semester had a unique oppor-tunity to share their linguistic gifts with a younger genera-tion, as they participated in a pen pal program with sec-ond graders at St. Agnes of Bohemia School in the Little Village neighborhood. The project was spearheaded by Miss Lauren Condon of St. Rita and Miss Allie Nowak of St. Agnes.

“I thought this pen pal project would be a good op-portunity for the Rita sopho-mores in this class to share

their writing talents with stu-dents who are just developing theirs. Written correspon-dence has become increasing-ly informal these days, so we made sure to focus on techni-cal aspects of letter writing as well as encouraging imagina-tion and style.”

Each Rita sophomore in the class was paired with

a second grader from St. Ag-nes, and each pair was given a notebook they used to write back and forth all semester. They exchanged notebooks once a week in an effort to get to know each other better. Additional activities for the Rita students included mak-ing word searches. The proj-ect culminated with the sec-ond graders taking a field trip to St. Rita. The student pairs ate lunch together, worked on a Christmas project, ex-changed small gifts, and com-peted in a trivia contest to see who knew their teacher bet-ter. The second graders from St. Agnes were victorious,

knowing Miss Nowak better than the Rita students knew Miss Condon.

The success of this proj-ect demonstrates that creative teaching is just as important as creative writing, as well as highlights the great things that happen when young peo-ple reach out to others in their community.

creative writing class Pals up with St. agnes Students

Mustangs Making newsMUSTANG NEWS

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Two students at St. Rita High School were chosen as winners of the Joseph J. Ja-sica Art Scholarship Competition, and were awarded $500 off the current year’s tuition. The program, in its second year, was founded by Raymond ’55 and Robert ’57 Jasica, in memory of their brother Joseph, a 1952 graduate. Seen here (left to right) are: Art Instructor Robyn Kurnat, Karen Omastiak, Vinnie Damato ’12, Au-gustine Esterhammer-Fic ’09 (winner), Tom Kacor ’12, Mike Golden ’10 (winner), James Lynch ’11, Jeanine Jasica, and Raymond Jasica ’55.

St. Rita of Cascia High School sophomore Richie Garcia (St. Mary Star of the Sea) works on a project with his pen pal from St. Agnes of Bohemia. Classes from the two schools participated in a semester-long project engineered by St. Rita Cre-ative Writing teacher Miss Lauren Condon.

The Joseph J. Jasica Art Scholarship Competi-tion encourages stu-

dents in Art classes as well as the entire student body to create a piece of art that reflects their personal perspective on the his-tory of St. Rita High School, or on the lives of one of the saints, such as Rita or Augustine.

The winners were an-nounced at an all-school Mass on January 9 and the awards presented by St. Rita Principal Sally Deenihan, President Fr. Tom McCarthy, Art teacher Robyn Kurnat, and scholarship coordinator Martha Dion. The other four nominees – Vinnie Damato ’12 (St. John Fisher), Tom Kacor ’12 (St. Bede), James Lynch ’11 (St. Cajetan), and Sean Esposito ’12 (Fierke) – were presented with a com-memorative glass keepsake.

Augustine Esterhammer-Fic (Clissold) was chosen for his painting, which was based on photography taken along

Western Avenue near St. Rita’s 77th Street campus. He said, “I was trying to represent every-day life as seen in the commu-nity surrounding the school.” He employed significant detail-ing in pen, and used a layering technique in which he painted the background on one sheet and then overlaid a cutout of another sheet with the fore-ground images.

Mike Golden’s (St. John Fisher) artwork was a colorful rendering of St. Rita herself, in her classic serene pose, against a background image of stained glass. He chose to leave the features of her face somewhat undefined, allowing the viewer to bring the features into fo-cus in collaboration with their own imagination. He also used sticker-like material to add tex-ture to his piece. Both of their pieces were framed, and are displayed in the Library foyer along with last year’s winning submissions.

Friday, April 17, 2009St. Rita of Cascia High School Gymnasium

Cocktails 6:00 p.m.

Dinner 7:30 p.m.

7740 S. Western Ave.Chicago, IL 60620

• Top Shelf Open Bar with Premium Beer •

• 4 Course Gourmet Dinner •

• Hot and Cold Hors d'oeuvres •

2009 Hall of Fame Inductees

Robert Craig, 1949

Joe Gorman, 1981

Ronald Kaleta, 1959

McAlister Merchant, 1961

Curtis Price, 1988

7 3 R D A N N U A L S T . R I T A H I G H S C H O O L A L U M N I B A N Q U E T

Tickets $60 in advance

This event is expected to sell out. It is recommended that you

purchase your tickets as soon as possible.

$100 Bonanza Tickets are available

Includes dinner, drinks, and a chance to win Grand Prize - $2,500

or Second Prize - $500

Visa or Mastercard accepted:Call 773-925-5029 or online at www.stritahs.com/alumni

Honoring

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Class of 1959, the 25th Anniversary of the Class of 1984, and all classes that end in 4 and 9.

John Schmitt ‘84 (773) 925-5029| Ext. 6629 or jschmitt@stritahs.com

Mike Brennan (773) 925-5029 | Ext. 6628 or

mbrennan@stritahs.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Name: ____________________________________________________ Class Year ________________

Address: __________________________________________________ City/State/Zip _________________________________

Phone: _____________________________ Email: ____________________________________ @ ________________________

# of Tickets: _________ x $60 each = $ _________ Seating will be by class year, unless otherwise requested:

# of Bonanza Tickets _____ x $100 each = $ _________Includes Dinner and Raffle Ticket

Total Amount Enclosed $ _________ Please make check payable toSt. Rita Alumni Association

Mail to 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 6062073rd Annual St. Rita High School Alumni Banquet

2009Loyalty, Athletic, and Crest of St.

Augustine Award recipients will also

be honored

Man of the Year

Michael Georgopulos, 1972

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St. Rita Senior Michael Hall (St. Cajetan) plays a beautiful alto sax solo on “Have Your-self a Merry Little Christmas” at the “Sounds of the Season” Christmas Concert. The Symphonic and Jazz Bands, as well as the Saxophone Quartet and Ritanettes put on a polished and enthusiastic show, proving the fine arts are thriving at St. Rita.

band Jazzes up christmas

The St. Rita Band Pro-gram is one of the busiest groups in the

school, as throughout the year they perform at events ranging from football and basketball games to the alumni banquet. But one night they shine all on their own is the annual Christ-mas Concert. The Rita band recently brought the “Sounds of the Season” to an auditorium full of music lovers and sup-porters, giving everyone a good dose of Christmas cheer.

The performance began (right on time) with the Saxo-phone Quartet, comprised of

Michael Hall ’09 (St. Cajetan), Pat Leonard ’10 (St. John Fish-er), Maxx Akel ’11 (Central), and Coty Perreira ’11 (St. Da-mian). They put everyone in the mood as they found the best seats to see their loved ones.

With everyone in the proper mood, the Jazz Band could take the stage and ramp it up a notch, belting out well-known classics with some swinging variations. Peter Blair’s arrangements of “We Three Kings”, “Silent Night”, and “Deck the Halls” were among the crowd favorites, and there was plenty of vocal sup-port for the musicians. Many soloists shined in the midst of this admiration, and students such as tenor sax player Matt Storino ’09 (Sutherland), trom-bone player Michael Casas ’10 (St. Turibius), and freshman trumpet player Josh Pepper ’12 (Queen of the Universe) stepped into the spotlight and wowed the crowd with their smooth improvisations on top of the steady rhythm section. The band was all smiles as they took their bows and exited for intermission.

The Symphonic band pro-vided a sophisticated counter-

part with beautiful renditions of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, with alto sax player Michael Hall soloing in the former and Pat Leonard and Michael Casas performing a beautiful duet in the latter. The

performance concluded with a rousing tune, Manheim Steam-roller’s “Celebration.”

The show was not finished though, and after a raffle win-ner was drawn and several lucky audience members received Christmas wreaths to take home, the Ritanettes took the stage and got everyone danc-ing during their performance

to Relient K’s “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” And of course, no band concert would be complete without the drum line and a fervent performance of the St. Rita Fight Song.

If you would like to learn more about the St. Rita Band

Program, including new im-provements such as in-school practice time, the AP and Elec-tronic Music courses, and the opportunity for young women to join, please contact Cindy Gradek at 773-925-6600. The Band is also hosting a Health and Wellness Fair this Spring to help raise funds for their trip to Cascia, Italy.

Pat Leonard '10 (St. John Fisher) nails his half of a duet with trombonist Mike Casas on "Baby It's Cold Outside."

St. Rita’s Student Government, under the direction of Bro. Gary Hresil, O.S.A. ’86, ran another very successful Thanksgiving Food Drive in November. In the week-

long collection from the student body, faculty, and staff, they collected 3,745 food items. As an added bonus, the home-room that collected the most items earned a free dress down day. Mrs. Mary Albrecht’s sophomore homeroom narrowly beat out the seniors of Mr. Jerry Pazin ’90.

After sorting and packing the donations, they were de-livered to the Parishes of St. Clare of Montefalco & St. Rita, who in turn were able to use the items to help St. Pancratius and Our Lady of Fatima Parishes. Food was also delivered to St. Basil Visitation Parish, as well as to the Angel’s Touch Program, run by Rita staff member Pat Mitchell. Thanks to everyone who helped feed the hungry.

Thanksgiving Food drive reminds us of our mission

3,745 food items were donated during the Thanksgiving Food Drive. From left: Augustinian Volunteer Joe Toomey, Student Government Officers Jack O’Connor ’09 (Queen of Martyrs), Dan Harney ’09 (Independence), Moderator Bro. Gary Hresil, O.S.A. ’86, Martin Hopkins ’09 (St. Cajetan, President), Pat McCarthy ’09 (Central), and Dylan Dineen ’09 (St. John Fisher).

IN THE NEWS

St. baldrick’s campaign begins at hope hospital

St. Rita of Cascia High School’s 3rd annual St. Baldrick’s campaign be-gan with a visit to Advocate Hope

Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, IL. Over the past two years, over 250 students have shaved their heads to raise over $60,000 to help combat children’s cancer. St. Rita is one of many Chicagoland schools and business-es that have answered the FOX News Chal-lenge to go bald for Baldrick’s.

Nine Ritamen met FOX News’ Pat El-wood at Hope Hospital recently to take a tour of the facilities and meet a few very spe-cial patients. Certified Child Life Specialist Lisa Boland, who has ten years’ experience working with child cancer patients at Hope, gave the students a tour of the recently

opened Keyser Family Pediatric Cancer Center, pointing out the various ways they cater specifically to children. Then they had the special privilege of meeting a brave little girl named Olivia and her mom Tami. Cute as a button and charming besides, she used a specially designed medical doll to show everyone the kind of procedure she goes through in her weekly visits to Hope. Olivia and Tami answered a few questions from El-wood and succeeded in cracking up the Rita-men with a few great jokes.

After, several expressed what it meant to meet Olivia and see the day to day opera-tions of a cancer care center. Anthony Za-waski ’10 (St. Germaine) said, “It was a real eye-opening experience to see that little girl

and what she has gotten used to doing ev-ery week. So many people take their health for granted, and this helped me to be more grateful for mine.” All nine of the Ritamen in attendance that day pledged to raise dona-tions and shave their heads at the school’s St. Baldrick’s event on March 17, and they are just the beginning of the many students, fac-ulty, and staff who will be part of this great cause. A video of their visit and more infor-mation about the St. Baldrick’s campaign can be found at www.foxjox.com. And to donate for the St. Rita event, visit www.stbaldricks.org and search for the St. Rita event. Indi-vidual shavees can be found there. Let’s all come together and make this our best year ever in battling kids’ cancer.

Rita students kicked off this year’s St. Baldrick’s campaign with Pat Elwood of FOX News in the Keyser Family Pediatric Cancer Center at Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital. From left: Child Life Specialist Lisa Boland, Anthony Zawaski ’10 (St. Germaine), Marty Hopkins ’09 (St. Cajetan), Jorge Barba ’10 (Queen of the Universe), Jaime Viramontes ’10 (Queen of the Universe), Liam Hopkins ’11 (St. Cajetan), Mike Ferguson ’10 (St. Damian), Kevin Zawaski ’12 (St. Germaine), Chris Simms ’10 (St. Walter), Mike Zunica ’12 (St. Alexander), and Pat Elwood of FOX News.

You are St. Rita’s best recruiters! Alumni are an invaluable part of passing on the tradition of St. Rita High School, as well as introducing new people to the excellent Augustinian education and family atmosphere we have been off ering for 104 years. If you know a young man who will be looking to make his high school choice in the next few years, do him a favor and fi ll out this form and return it to us in the Appeal envelope. It could be a son, grandson, great-grandson, nephew, or neighbor. Th ank you for believing in our great school and the mission of Catholic education!

Do you know a young man who would like to be on St. Rita’s mailing list?

Your NameStudent Name

Student AddressStudent Phone

Grammar SchoolGrade Level Fall 2009

IN THE NEWS

7

markase events Provide Scholarship aid

It was a sudden shock to the St. Rita community in November of 2006 when

Michael Markase, class of 1975, passed away at only 49 years old. To honor Michael’s memory, his friends and fam-ily, including Rita classmates Rodney Petrick and Emil Selefski and his wife Maureen, organized several events that raised money to be contrib-uted to the scholarship fund at the high school he loved. In June of 2007 it was a golf out-ing held at Carriage Greens in Darien, IL. Eighty-eight golf-ers came out on a rainy, cool day, and 175 attended the din-ner, which was accompanied by a silent auction, raffle items, and split the pot. Altogether the event raised $23,000 for the scholarship fund. It was a huge success for Michael’s friends and family, who had little experience in fundraising events. Maureen said, “I was so glad that everyone came together to honor Michael’s memory. He was a proud St. Rita alum, and we are happy to ensure that many more students can grow to love the school that he did.”

Then, in October of 2008, Maureen hosted a wine-tast-ing event at her home in Woo-dridge, IL. It was attended

by over 50 people, and raised an additional $10,000 for the scholarship fund. Chicago sports tickets were auctioned off, and Downers Grove Wine Shop provided wine at a dis-counted rate and also donated 20 percent of their proceeds from the party to St. Rita.

Michael Markase was a loyal member of the St. Rita family, and it is amazing to see his family and friends con-tinue to support the school in his name. His is one story among many that tell of the in-credible work done by alumni, families, and benefactors of St. Rita High School to keep alive the mission of educating young men in the Augustinian Catholic tradition.

Michael Markase ’75, died suddenly in 2006 at the age of 49. His family and friends keep his name alive by orga-nizing events that provide funds for the St. Rita Scholarship Fund.

illinois Judges deliver Sober lessons

As part of the Freshman Mentoring program in which every 9th

grader at St. Rita participates, a special assembly was orga-nized to educate them on the dangers of drinking and drugs. The presentation, titled “Sev-en Reasons to Leave the Par-ty,” was conducted by the Illi-nois Judges Association. The keynote address was given by Judge Larry Dunford; also in attendance were Judge Brian Flaherty and Judge James Grif-fin, a 1962 graduate of St. Rita.

By using a powerful combina-tion of legal consequences and sometimes shocking images, the point was made that one wrong decision could have a major impact on a young per-son’s life. Michael Prado ’09 said after the talk: “I really got a sense of what could happen if you make stupid choices with drugs and alcohol. It was clear and straightforward.” Special thanks to Mentoring director and Counselor Mrs. Beth Arey for her help in orga-nizing the event.

The Illinois Judges Association recently gave a presentation to the Freshman class on the dangers of drinking and drugs titled “Seven Reasons to Leave the Party.” From left: DeAires Blackwell (St. Sabina), Martin Tabb (Holy Angels), Judge James Griffin ’62, Judge Brian Flaherty, Dan O’Dea (St. Gabriel), Judge Larry Dunford, and Michael Prado (St. Mary Star of the Sea).

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were present for the signing ceremony, along with Athletic Director Bob Conlon, Varsity Baseball Coach Mike Zunica, President Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A., and Principal Sally Deenihan.

Angelo Burrage (1B, OF) signed a letter of intent to attend Illinois State University. He was congratulated by his parents, Kevin and Marta. Angelo attended the Emmanuel Christian School.

Justin Kopale (SS) signed a letter of

intent to attend Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He was congratulated by his mother, Jenny. Justin attended St. Damian Elementary School.

Scott Marinier (RHP) signed a letter of intent to attend Central Michigan Univer-sity. He was congratulated by his parents, Dennis and Stacy. Scott attended Jerling Ju-nior High School.

It was a very special morning for all in-volved, and after signing their letters of in-

tent, each of these future collegiate athletes hit the classroom, where they are equally successful. Burrage, Kopale, and Marinier all were inducted into St. Rita’s chapter of the National Honor Society the same week as their signings. They follow in a strong St. Rita Baseball tradition of academic achieve-ment. In Coach Zunica’s 12 seasons at St. Rita, 116 players have been named to the NHS. These Ritamen truly embody the phrase ‘scholar-athlete.’

Three mustangs Sign for division i baseball (continued)

IN THE NEWS

Mass Cards and Special Intentions are available through the St. Rita Shrine Chapel.

Contact Vivian Oliva at 773-925-6600.

8 Tolle lege! wiNTer 2009

Jim misiora '67 inducted into illinois hockey hall of Fame

A St. Rita legend, both in the hockey rink and in the classroom, Jim

Misiora was inducted into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame on January 25th. A coach and teacher at St. Rita for almost thirty years, Jim worked tire-lessly to share his knowledge of history and his love of hockey until his sudden death in 2001. His wife Mary, family, and friends have kept his memory alive by founding the Misiora Educational Fund, which pro-vides aid to struggling families who want to keep their sons at

St. Rita. Jim loved teaching the

game of hockey to young people, and the mission state-

ment of the IHHF perfectly captures his achievement: “To honor the excellence of those individuals who, through their exceptional endeavors both on and off the ice, have contrib-uted in an extraordinary way to enhance the sport and image of hockey in Illinois.”

Jim graduated from St. Rita High School in 1967. After at-tending Chicago State Univer-sity, he came back to teach at St. Rita. He taught many dif-ferent Social Studies classes, but his favorite was History of Chicago. As a teacher he was

honored to receive the Augus-tinian Secondary Education Award.

He began coaching hock-ey in 1976 and continued until 2001. He began as an assistant coach and was the head coach for many years. Over the 25 years his record was 500 wins, 376 losses & 84 ties.

The IHHF Induction Din-ner was held at Belvedere Ban-quet Hall in Elk Grove Village. Jim’s family and friends gath-ered to accept the honor on his behalf.

mike lally '06 Named 1st Team all-american

Mike Lally, St. Rita Class of 2006, now a junior linebacker

at St. Xavier University, was recently named to the College Fanz Sports Network NAIA Coaches’ All-American Team. Mike was named to the 1st Team, and three other SXU players received honors also.

This marks the seventh season for the College Fanz team, which was voted on by

a select group of ten National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics football coaches as well as NAIA expert Jason Dannelly of the College Fanz Sports Network.

“This season’s team is just another representation of how great football is at the NAIA level,” said Jason Dan-nelly of College Fanz. “I am very thankful we have a solid group of coaches helping with

the selection of players or else this team would be nearly im-possible.”

“I’m very proud of all these guys,” said SXU head football coach Mike Feminis. “Mike was an absolutely domi-nant player this year.”

Lally finished the 2008 campaign with team-bests of 104 total tackles, 24.0 tackles for losses, nine sacks and seven quarterback hurries.

michael rimkus ’08 part of championship water Polo Team

It’s always a special achieve-ment to win a champion-ship in a collegiate sport,

but to jump right into a win-ning program as a freshman is exciting indeed. That has been the experience for Mi-chael Rimkus, a St. Rita grad-uate from the class of 2008, in his first year on the water polo team at Lindenwood Univer-

sity in St. Charles, MO. Lindenwood’s Men’s Wa-

ter Polo team won their third straight Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Divi-sion III National Champion-ship in early November with a 16-11 win over New York University. The championship was the third straight title for the Lions as they became the

first program to three-peat.This year’s champion-

ship tournament was held at Villanova University, a fellow Augustinian institution. Rim-kus played in each of the three games Lindenwood needed to claim the title. Congratula-tions to Mike on his achieve-ment, and good luck with the rest of your freshman year!

ATHLETIC NEWS

SAVE THE DATE!

9VeriTaS † uNiTaS † cariTaS

Fall Sports Recapcross countryThe first St. Rita CC team in the last 18 years to qualify for Sectionals; running in both the Regional and Sectional meets were Pat Maikish, Isaiah Brown, Kevin Favela, Connor LePretre, Mike Bocardo, Albert Alfano and Peter Vanek. The team graduates seniors Pat Maikish, Kurt Christenson, Jon Wilkes, Dave Straple, Rich Qualter, and Dan Ryan. Nearly 20 underclassmen will return for an even better 2009 campaign!

FootballThe Mustangs started a great season by defeating Lakota West in the Kirk Herbstreit Challenge in Cincinnati, Ohio, and continued their tear through divisional rivals in the highly competitive Catholic League Blue, emerging as the champions. They advanced into the 7A State Playoffs, and fell just short in the quarterfinal against East St. Louis, an unfortunate repeat of the 1983 outcome. Many individuals had stellar seasons, including these award winners:

1st Team All Conference: Dan Dispensa, Ryan Demming, Martin Hopkins, Ronald McNamara, David Marciano, Matthew Munizzi, Daniel O'Neill, and Thomas Rohan.

Winter Sports athletes are working hard on the court, the mats, the ice and in the pool.

Check online for results and complete schedules, and come out and support your Fighting Mustang teams!

augustinian christmas basketball Tourney

Over the Christmas holiday, the St. Rita Basketball Team traveled to San Di-ego to participate in the Augustinian

Christmas Tourney, hosted at St. Augustine High School. The fifth annual event is a gathering of eight schools of the Augustinian Order from across North America. Visiting teams included

Malvern Prep (PA), Vil-lanova Prep (CA), Provi-dence Catholic (IL), Cas-cia Hall (OK), St. Thomas of Villanova (Ontario), and St. Augustine Prep (NJ).

Students were housed with host families from St. Augustine, and the play-ers saw firsthand how the core values of Truth,

Unity, and Love really do permeate all of the Au-gustinian communities.

St. Rita Head Coach Rob Sarmiento said, “Everyone at St. Augustine’s was so welcoming, and the kids loved interacting with students from all over the country, discovering that Augustini-

anism and basketball were only the beginning of what they had in common.”

St. Rita went 2-1 in the tournament. They defeated Villinova Prep in the opening contest and went on a 12-0 run in the 4th quarter to de-feat Cascia Hall in an intense battle. Their one loss came in overtime against Malvern Prep, 61-56.

2nd Team All Conference: Jahwon Akui, Nicholas Ardolino, Joseph Campagna, Christopher Chaney, Lawrence Garrett, Michael Martin, John O'Connor, and Erik Rickert.

CCL Blue Offensive MVP: Daniel Dispensa.CCL Blue Defensive MVP: Martin Hopkins.

golfMany young golfers improved their game and lowered their handicap this year. The team placed 4th in the IHSA Regional event at Old Oak Country Club in Homer Glen. Three individual golfers qualified for the IHSA Sectionals at Balmoral Woods. They were Jack Delaney, Ryan Gallagher, and Tanner Panozzo.

Soccer The Varsity soccer team was unfortunately not able to repeat their 2007 Conference Championship, but the Sophomore team picked up the slack with their CCL White Championship. Many individuals were honored at tournaments throughout the season and in the CCL Conference.

CCL All Conference: Jose Calles, Larry Damico, Kyle Donahue, and Michael Kinney.Illinois State All Sectional Team, Windy City Ram Classic All Tournament, and Saint Rita Soccer MVP: Kyle DonahueSaint Rita Soccer Leadership Award: Larry DamicoSaint Rita Soccer Wayne Tomas Award: Matt Carlson, John Starcevich

Photo Courtesy of David Critchlow

Photo Courtesy of David Critchlow

St. Rita Alumni Scholarship Golf OutingFriday, July 24, 2009

SAVE THE DATE!

Gleneagles Country Club | Lemont, IL 1:45 p.m. Shotgun Start

Tolle lege! wiNTer 2009

10

KEEPING TRACKCarl Brauweiler ’43

Carl had the unique pleasure of serving as Grand

Marshall for the City of Park Ridge Memorial Day

Parade in May of 2008. He said, “It was a great

honor to be Grand Marshall, and a heck of a lot of

fun.”

Gene Mysliwiec ’54

Gene recently performed as lead chromatic har-

monica with the Windy City Harmonica Trio at the

Northwestern University Harmonic Convergence.

Having actively played harmonica since his days

at Rita, Gene has decided to retire from playing

harmonica in public. Throughout his career, he

played with world class harmonica specialists such

as Howard Levy and Al Fiore, who were heroes of

his when he first picked up the instrument.

Bill Ruzgis ’57

Bill is still loving life in Long Beach, California. After

retiring from law enforcement, “Broker Bill” enjoys

selling real estate in the retirement community of

Seal Beach Leisure World. Bill still finds time to play

handball, racquetball, and tennis, and skis during

the winter. He and his wife Trudy also enjoy flying

in their Cessna 172 Skyhawk airplane. Bill would

love to see any Ritamen when they’re in town, and

can be reached at trudybill@aol.com.

Rev. Paul M. Neakrase ’62

In May of 2008 Paul was thrilled to be chosen as

an honorary referee

for the IHSA Girls

Track & Field State

Finals. “What a

great honor,” said

Neakrase, who was

serving as head

timer for the third

consecutive year. “I’d

like to thank all the

athletes I’ve coached, all the athletes I’ve officiated

for, and all the officials I’ve worked with, because

they’ve given me a lifetime of memories.”

Paul Neakrase’s track career and his love of

running began as a sophomore quarter-miler

at St. Rita in 1959. He was also on the first

cross country team at Rita in 1961 under new

coach Bill Mohrmann out of NIU. Pauls’ high

school coaching career began at Washington

High Community School, where he served as

the assistant boys track coach from 1970-1978

and head girls coach from 1978-1987, when he

left coaching to begin ministerial studies in the

Catholic Diocese of Peoria. He was ordained a

permanent deacon in 1992.

Clancy O'Houlahan ’65

Clancy is currently living in Germany with his

children.

Marc Paprzyca ’70

Marc recently

retired from the

Chicago Police

Dept. after 23 years.

He and his wife

Sylvia, past Presi-

dent of the St. Rita

Mothers’ Club, 2000

and 2001, will be relocating to Lake Geneva,

WI. They invite everyone to visit them while in

Lake Geneva. They will miss Mustang football

but promise to come back for special events like

Homecoming.

Joe Augustine ’73

Joe Augustine, who is in his 20th season as

head hockey coach at the University of Rhode

Island, has been named Head Coach of the 2009

United States University Select Team, which

will compete at the Winter World University

Games, to be held February 18-28, 2009 in

Harbin, China. The U.S. University Select Team is

comprised of players from collegiate ice hockey

teams affiliated with the American Collegiate

Hockey Association (ACHA). Augustine is return-

ing to the U.S. University Select Team coaching

ranks for the second consecutive time, having

served as an assistant coach for Team USA at

the Winter World University Games in 2007 in

Turin, Italy under Chad Cassel of the University

of Illinois.

Rich Cruz ’94 Rich Cruz was

recently named

Young Entrepre-

neur of the Year for

the Business Led-

ger’s 9th Annual

Entrepreneurial

Excellence Awards. Rich is the President of Behold!

Signs and Graphic Solutions, based in Midlothian,

IL. They provide comprehensive graphic solutions

for small businesses, churches, schools, and non-

profit organizations, and specialize in large-format

printing and full-color graphic design. Rich holds

a B.A. in Visual Art from the University of Chicago

(Class of 1998), and received an MBA from Capella

University (Class of 2005). He is married to Lisa

Banos-Cruz, VP of Behold! Signs, and they have

three children, Antonio, Salvador, and Isabela.

David J. Rosas ’96, Spc.

David writes, “I would like to take the time to thank

St Rita High School for the years of memories. I

graduated in ’96 and have not forgotten one mo-

ment of my time there. As I prepare to deploy to

Iraq once again I ask you keep all soldiers deployed

in defense of freedom in your prayers. And know

that St Rita High School gave me the confidence to

make hard decisions in my life. As a Combat Medic

this confidence is a great asset. So thank you.”

John Taylor ’04

Congratulations to John for successfully complet-

ing his coursework and graduating from The

University of Nevada – Las Vegas with a Bachelor

of Arts Degree in Sociology.

Bill McGrenera ’10

Bill recently completed a year of studies at the

Merit School of Music Alice S. Pfaelzer Conserva-

tory. He placed 4th in the Illinois Music Association

contest held at Richard J. Daley College. Bill also

recentely advanced to the IHSA Bowling State

Championship series.

Katie Palmer, Faculty

Katie won the 2008 Rising Star award from the

Mathematics Teachers Association of Chicago.

STAY CONNECTEDWe want to hear from you!

Letters: Office of Institutional Advancement Emails: alumni@stritahs.com

11

IN MEMORIAM

Helena BacaniJohn Banich, father-in-law of Diane Banich, grandfather of Jim Banich ’12 Fr. Justin Bartoszek, CP, brother of Ed ’57Richard Biszewski, grandfather of Mark ’07 Hugh Bowler, grandfather of Kevin ’10 and Korey Handler ’12 William Braun, grandfather of Mike Murray ’11 Fran Bretz, great grandmother of Matt Turner ’12 Hugh Brown, father-in-law of Chuck Oskvarek ’72 and grandfather of Cliff ’07 Fr. Jack Burkhart, O.S.AWendy Burnett, grandmother of Neil ’06, Marc ’07 and Rhys ’10Terry Cagney, friend of Tom BerryDolores Carlson, grandmother of Jack Patton ’08 John Chlup, son of Joseph Chlup ’45 Rudolph Comeaux, father of Rudy Comeaux ’11 Ralph Cook, father of Fr. Philip Cook, O.S.A. Maryann Cundari, mother of Anthony ’84 and Emilio ’88 James Curtin, father of James ’65 (deceased), and Chris ’67, Dennis ’67 and Michael ’67 Margaret Curtin, mother of John ’58 Roy Darling, grandfather of Dan ’08 Jacqueline Daws, sister of Mike Kolecki ’05 John Dorgan, father-in-law of Jim Clark ’67 Patricia Dunleavy, grandmother of Sean and Jim ’99 Raymond Farano, father of Mike Farano ’12 Fr. La Vern Flach, O.S.A., former St. Rita PrincipalEarl Nick Franklin, grandfather of Dan McAuliffe ’10 Fr. Thomas Garrett, O.S.A., taught at St. Rita in the 1940sWilliam Gausselin, father in law of Paul Fangerow ’70, grandfather of Brian’96, Kevin ’99 and Robert Fangerow ’03 Helen Gaydos, great grandmother of Chris Cimoch ’09 William Hand, grandfather of Bill ’05, Steve ’07 and Tom Heaney ’08Margaret Harrington, mother of Tom Harrington ’74, grandmother of Kevin ’86 and Brian O’Hara ’87, Jack ’02 and Tom Harrington ’06Fr. Mike Hogan, O.S.A.John P. Hopkins, grandfather of Tom '07, Martin '09, and Liam '11David Hresil '09, nephew of Bro. Gary Hresil, O.S.A. '86 Justine Janasek, mother of Robert ’73 and Lawrence ’75 Eduardas Jokubauskas, father of Rich ’73 and Leon ’76 Debra King, aunt of Tommy Boyd '09Sr. Dolores Thomas Kledzinski, sister of Mrs. Mary SublewskiBill Kleinick, father of Kevin ’96 and Mike ’01 Denise Klinger, mother of Ryan ’03 Eileen Colette Knieps, mother of Michael ’75 Anton Konecny, grandfather of Chuck Dailidonis ’05 Fred Konrath, brother of Pat ’58, grandfather of Jim ’08, Luke ’11 & Jack ’12 Rose Kuzlik, mother of Mark ’72 and Mike ’68 Lair Lacour, great-grandmother of Ben Richardson ’09 Leonard Lowery, grandfather of Gene Boglin ’12 Mike Lupa, uncle of Cody Mroczka ’10 Eddie Mahay, father of Thomas Mahay ’86 and former baseball coach at St. Rita

Caroline Markunas, mother of Frank ’59 John Patrick McCarthy, grandfather of John ’02 James McGeever, Mendel ’68, grandfather of Matt ’09, and Bobby ’12 Noreen McNabb, sister of Bishop McNabbMrs. McNicholas, grandmother of Jim Dunleavy ’99 Bill Minogue, father of Joe ’90 Stella Mokrzycki, aunt of Kitty TurkowskiMarian Mulchrone, sister of Tom ’84 and Bill Mulchrone ’82 Jeff Nastek, father of Kal ’12 Kristin O’Brien, niece of Chris Roth ’84 and sister of Jason O’Brien ’02 Nellie O’Brien, mother of John ’62, Bill ’64, and Dave O’Brien ’66Muriel Olinger, mother of Frank Olinger ’58, grandmother of David Olinger ’89, great-grandmother of Michael Vanderham ’09, and mother-in-law of Business Manager Letitia Olinger Sara Paprzyca, daughter of Marc '70 and sister of Marc-Louis '01Bernice Partacz, grandmother of Mr. Joe Partacz, Asst. PrincipalDonald Powers, uncle of Mark ’11and Matt Munizzi ’09Dr. Joseph A. Propati, grandfather of Beau Guinta ’10 Mike Rafferty, father of Mike ’95 Timothy Reidy, father of Brendan ’70, John ’75 and Tim ’76 Arnold Roesner, grandfather of John Anderson ’12 Thomas Russell, husband of Mrs. Anne Russell, RegistrarBertha (Fuerst) Ryan, mother of John ’64, James ’69, and Robert ’70, grandmother of Ritanettes Jennifer Ryan (Maria ’90) and Michelle Ryan (McAuley ’93), and mother-in-law of Deanna Ryan (Band Boosters)Patrick Salmon, father in law of Mike Rafalin ’78, grandfather of Pat Rafalin ’10 and Sean McCormick ’11 Terry Schroeder, father of Kurt ’97, brother of Dan ’70, uncle of Al ’84 and John Zaleski ’86 Daniel Serritella, father of Daniel ’65 and Robert Seritella ’72James Shanahan, father of Timothy ’92 and Patrick Shanahan ’93Rudy Smrz, grandfather of Dan ’07 and Matt Murawski ’10 Robert Snyder, father of Glenn ’65 and Ron ’79 Kristin Sobczak, wife of Stephen ’86, daughter-in-law of Bill ’64 and sister in law of Tom ’89 Ed Stark, grandfather of Tom ’12 Helen Stefanski, mother of Terry, Board of Directors, grandmother of Joe ’93, Dave ’96 & Ken ’02 Robert Thome ’65, brother of Bernard Thome ’58, great uncle of Jake ’11 Marion Tonn, mother of Chris Tonn ’83 Rita Toomey, mother of Pat ’11 Giovanna Trotta, grandmother of Loren Lorenz ’11 Rev. Boniface VaisnorasAngelo Valentine, father of Robert ’82 and Joseph ’83 Nancy Vanderham, grandmother of Mike ’09 Robert Verzak, father of Roger ’73, cousin of Dave ’64, uncle of Tim Raher ’77, cousin of Bro. Bob Fisher and Joan StrapleMary Warzecha, aunt of Joe ’60 Mike Waycoft, nephew of Ms. Eileen Sullivan, Asst. PrincipalRonald Weber, father in law of Glenn Bylina ’72 Charlotte Jean Whitaker, mother of Dr. Eric ’83, and Marc ’86 Robert J. Winski, father of Bob ’62, Jim ’64, and Tom Winski ’67Matthew Young, son of Charles Young III ’67

Edward Tybor 1935 John Pauritsch 1939 Dr. Joseph Kuschell 1940Bill Sims 1942 Pat Morrison 1943 Harold West 1944Father of Robert 1966 Walter Leyden 1944Mike Deering 1945 William H. Comerford 1946Robert Ross 1946

Robert Kulpinski 1951 Jerry Hogan 1952 Thomas Chamberlain 1953James E. Cronborg 1953 Brother of Richard '67Charles Gozder 1953 Robert Jemilo 1953Richard Parker 1953George Urbanski 1953 John R. Lestina 1955Anthony Liakas 1956

Edward B. Reamer, Jr. 1956Raymond J. Schaack 1957 Member Alumni AssociationWalter Burke 1958 William Murphy 1959Thomas Cervelli 1960Ross Doyle 1964 Ray Jakstys 1964 Thomas P. Piecuch 1964 Cousin of Lew Mastandary '54Michael Riley 1968 Former St. Rita teacher

The St. Rita Alumni Office has been notified of the following deaths of Alumni and / or family members for the period May 21, 2008 – January 1, 2009. Sympathies are expressed to the families of the following:

Rev. LaVern J. Flach, O.S.A. entered eternal life November 17, 2008 after a long period of declining health. LaVern professed solemn vows September 10, 1952.

Father Flach’s first assignment was in 1956 to St. Rita High School, Chicago, as a teacher and Vice-Principal. He was transferred to Mendel Catholic High School, Chicago, in 1968. He served as teacher and Vice-Principal there. He was for many years Adviser to the yearbook staffs at Mendel and St. Rita. His work in this area was nationally recognized for its excellence. In 1971 he was named Prin-cipal of St. Rita High School. He held this post until 1979, when he resumed teaching duties at St. Rita. In 1994 Father Flach was named Associate Pastor of St. Matthew Parish, Flint, Michigan. Father Flach is remembered as a down-to-earth person. He was a demanding teacher who would spend as much extra time as was needed working with students.

rev. laVern J. Flach, o.S.a. 1928 – 2008

Thomas Garrett, O.S.A. entered eternal life November 25, 2008. He was, at age 94, the eldest friar of the Califor-nia Province. He professed vows in the Augustinian Order on September 11, 1933. He was ordained a priest June 3, 1939. He taught at St. Rita High School, Chicago, in the early 1940s and then at Villanova Prep, Ojai, California, and St. Augustine High School, San Diego, Cali-fornia. He also ministered at Mother of Good Counsel Church, Los Angeles, and served as Director of the Augustin-ian Guild.

rev. Thomas P. garrett, o.S.a. 1914 – 2008

All attempts at accuracy are made prior to publication. If there is an error with a listing or an

omission, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement

at (773) 925-5029.

Jim MisioraDAY AT THE RA CES

Honoring the memory of Coach Miz by helpingSt. Rita families in educational fi nancial need.

Preferred Parking• Racing Program• Open Bar•

Clubhouse Admission• Door Prizes• Buffet at Turf Club•

Ticket Price $75.00 per individual or $560.00 per table of eight includes:Special Hospitality Room for former St. Rita Hockey Players and Coaches

Contact Information: MisioraFund@stritahs.com | Phone: 773-925-6600

NameAddress

PhoneBusiness Phone

Email

I will not be able to att end, but I have enclosed a check for $

Jim Misiora Day at the Races | Sunday March 8, 2009

Visa _____ Master Card _____ Check _______

Please acceptmy reservation for:

Please make check payable to Misiora Educational FundMail form and payment to St. Rita High School | Attn: Mary MisioraAcct # __________________________ Exp. ________

____ Individual Tickets @ $75 ____ Table @ $560Amount Enclosed $ _________

Sunday March 8, 2009Hawthorne Race Course

3501 South Laramie AvenueStickney/Cicero, IL 60804

Tel: 773.925.5029 | www.stritahs.com

St. Rita of CaSCia HigH SCHool7740 S. western avenue

chicago il 60620ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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