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Four out of five Neumann Scholars choose O’Hara

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O’HARAMAGAZINESUMMER 2013

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summer 2013Cardinal O’Hara Magazine is published twice a year and is edited by the Office of Institutional Advancement

Cardinal O’Hara High School1701 South Sproul Road, Springfield, PA 19064

Telephone: 610.544.3800Fax: 610.544.1189Website: www.cohs.com

ADMINISTRATIONWilliam McCusker, Ed.DPresidentMarie K. RogaiPrincipal

ADVISORY BOARDThomas A. Goldsmith Jr.President, Flagship Capital ManagementPaul B. BostonManaging Partner, Boston & AssociatesMichael J. BradleyOwner, M. J. Bradley Company, Inc.John C. CaramanicoOwner, C. Caramanico and Sons, Inc.Dennis CirucciPresident, Alliance BankJeanne M. CordesSpecial Education Teacher, Ridley School DistrictSteve DeverPresident, Dever Educational Counseling, LLCMartin F. FarrellVice President for Development and Alumni Relations, St. Joseph’s UniversityRegina Walker FazioLabor and Delivery NurseSteve GiacobettiSales Representative, Office BasicsJoseph T. KellyChief Executive Officer, EwingCole William McGinnisACO, Director, Laboratory Corporation of AmericaMartin G. MeenanMath Teacher, Garnet Valley School DistrictJames TulskieAssistant Vice President, WillisRobert WoodsSenior Vice President, Ricoh Business Machines

EX-OFFICIOWilliam McCusker, Ed.DPresidentMarie K. RogaiPrincipalJames J. ArnoldDirector of AdvancementKevin DrumAccountantJennifer M. TuberosaCommunications and Development

On the CoverMary Kileen McCans (Sacred Heart Manoa), Gavin Inglis (St. Mary Magdelen), Lucianna Prentice (St. Pius X), and Thomas Pham (St. Laurence) chose to use their Neumann Schol-arships to attend Cardinal O’Hara High School.

Mission StatementCardinal O’Hara High School is a Catholic, co-educational high school, rooted in the Gospel values, and committed to developing productive and moral young men and women. We are dedicated to creating life long learners prepared to lead with confidence, to serve with compassion, and to contribute in an evolving, technologically-integrated global community. Building on a foundation of PRIDE, EXCELLENCE and TRADITION, we challenge our students with a rigorous academic program, and provide diverse extra-curricular opportunities that foster a blending of talents, creating a community which advocates respect for self and others.

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Dear O’Hara Graduates:

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 was a night to remember at Cardinal O’Hara High School, as the top 10% of each class were recognized at our annual Academic Honors Convocation. The evening was highlighted by the announcement of the class Valedictorian, Alexander Fox from St. Kevin and Salutatorian, Matthew McCalla from St. Charles Borromeo. Grace Schueren from Holy Savior delivered the welcome address for the convocation.

Included in the ceremony was the induction of the National Honor Soci-ety Officers for the 2013-2014 school year by NHS moderator, Sister Lucy Marie, RSM. Our principal, Mrs. Marie Rogai, introduced the guest speak-er, Mr. Marty Farrell ’84. Mr. Farrell was recently appointed Vice-President for Development and Alumni Relations at St. Joseph’s University.

Each student honoree was presented a certificate in recognition of their academic achievement, by our guest speaker.

At the conclusion of the evening, scholarship win-ners for the Class of 2017 were introduced and rec-ognized with a certificate honoring their success in winning an academic scholarship to O’Hara.

We continue to review our academic program with an annual review of course offerings. Elsewhere in this newsletter, you will see recent changes that have taken place in our course offerings.

Thank you for your continued support of your high school. Next year we will mark the 50th Anniversary of the opening of O’Hara. There will be many events: religious, social, academic, and entertainment to celebrate this occasion. A list of events will be sent out shortly.

See you on Saturday, July 27th at the “All Class Reunion” in Sea Isle. Note the new starting time is at 5:00 p.m.

Thank you, William J. McCusker, Ed. D. President

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Since the fall of 1963, more than 30,000 young adults have continued their educational journey rooted in Catholic faith at Cardinal O’Hara High School. This journey has been, and continues to be, more than just some classes, tests, and a diploma. Students are im-mersed and engaged in academics as part of the pursuit of excellence. This academic experience, coupled with athletic, service, and extracurricular activities, is the core of our mission. And the true testament to the profound impact that an O’Hara education has on young people can be seen in the countless alumni who are successful in their chosen vocation—business, medicine, faith, education, social services and more. Here is a snapshot of how words like “pride,” “excellence,” and “tradition” all describe academics at O’Hara.

Cardinal O’Hara Curriculum: PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Curriculum offerings include college preparatory, business education, fine arts, and vocational-technical education. But we also continually add new cours-es to ensure that our curriculum remains competitive, comprehensive, rigorous and relevant. “We are constantly evolving the academic experience to make it more com-petitive and more ‘real-world’ and relevant as students prepare for college and beyond,” reflects Dan Commale, Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs. “This year, for example, we offered a number of new courses, such as AP Spanish, Man-darin III, Visual Communication Arts, Sports Management and Medicine, and Marine Biology. And we are pleased to add six new courses as we celebrate our 50th year of educating young men and women. These courses include: Creative Writing/Film as Visual Literature, Human Geography, Introduction to Pathol-ogy, Advanced Lab Skills, AP Spanish Literature and Personal Fitness.” Many of the courses that are added each year are a direct result of exit in-terviews that Principal Marie Rogai holds with graduating seniors. “Our Sports Management, Marine Biology and Film Studies classes all came from suggestions of recent alumni,” says Rogai. “In the exit interviews that I conduct, one of the primary questions focuses on what courses these students wish they could have taken and what ideas they have for our Academic Board to consider as we continue to evolve our academic programs to meet the ever-changing needs of students.”

Advanced Placement:OBTAINING COLLEGE CREDIT WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL Currently, we offer 13 Advanced Placement courses—all of which are approved by the College Board. Many colleges offer college credits to students who score a three or higher (on a scale of one to five). In 2012, 130 students took a total of 197 AP examinations in courses ranging from English Literature and American His-tory to Music History and Chemistry. This current year marks a first in O’Hara history—both of our AP science classes (Biology and Chemistry) are being offered concurrently with a total of 40 students taking those classes. Additionally, our academic leadership team ensured that there was extra time for our AP science and math classes to meet so students could adequately prepare for these exams. Students had an extra ninety minutes per week for these classes.

Diocesan Scholars:COLLEGE COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Seniors who meet the necessary academic qualifications may take courses for credit at local Catholic colleges as part of our Dioc-esan Scholars program. This year we take great pride in saying that 19 students are enrolled at local colleges, such as Villanova Uni-versity, St. Joseph’s University and Neumann University. The courses are free (except for the cost of textbooks). These students take six credits for each of the two semesters and the credits can be transferred to any college when the student graduates. “Students choose their own classes with the guidance of our staff,” says Rogai. “Our Diocesan scholars have an advantage by participating in this program. They get to see first-hand—while still in high school—what a typical college class is like. Most of those college classes last 75 or 90 minutes.” Commale adds, “The Diocesan Scholars have a chance to experience college life before they even get there. It helps them as they make their decision to attend college—did they enjoy the larger college campus or is a smaller environment what would serve them best?”

PRIDEEXCELLENCETRADITION

NATIONAL LATIN EXAMCongratulations to Mr. John Peters and the Latin I students who excelled on the National Latin Exam:

Gold, Summa Cum LaudePatrick Frank and Erin Boyle

Silver, Maxima Cum LaudeChristian Donnelly and Kerri McGinn

Magna Cum LaudeClaire Arata and William Clark

Cum LaudeRobert Rennie, Molly Rafferty and Maria Monachino

Congratulations to all the awardees and participants!

CLASS OF 2013 AND COLLEGE DESTINATION1. Alexander Fox Bucknell University

2. Matthew McCalla Harvard University

3. Grace Louise Schueren Bloomsburg University

4. Colleen Rogers St. Joseph’s University

5. Rosemarie McLaughlin Temple University

6. Charissa Ngoc Pham University of the Sciences

7. Catherine Wroblewski McDaniel College

8. Christopher Pastore University of Pittsburgh

9. Krista DeLone University of Maryland,

College Park

10. Christine Wroblewski McDaniel College

continued on page 5

O’HARAMAGAZINESUMMER 2013

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1. Tim McCarry as Tarzan and Jackie Rooney as Jane make their entrance for the finale.

2. The gorillas take their bows at the final performance of Tarzan.

3. Turk (Nick Musumeci) and Kala (Alyssa Massarella) teach Tarzan how to swing on a vine as the cast sings Son of Man.

school news

Continuing the JOURNEY TO COLLEGE College is the natural progression for 97% of O’Hara seniors. And the trend over the last several years has been that more of our seniors are applying to more competitive colleges and universities, including Ivy League schools. Students are applying to and being accepted into schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Princ-eton, Drexel, University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown, just to name a few. “We work with all of our students as they identify and apply to various col-leges,” says Monica Lapp, Director of Counseling. “We help them understand the process and circumvent obstacles, like financing, as best we can by providing them with information about financial aid and ways to be able to attend their first choice college.” The class of 2012 was offered more than $15 million in scholarships and grants. As of publication, we were still receiving notifications of college choices and scholarships for the class of 2013. Check out our sidebar on page 3 with the list of where our Top 10 Students plan to attend.

Cardinal O’Hara CLASS OF 2017 As we gear up for fall and begin to welcome our newest students—the Class of 2017—we take pride in the fact that four of the five Neumann Scholars in Delaware County chose Cardinal O’Hara High School. Initiated in 1995, the Neumann scholarship program identifies academically talented eighth grade students through an independently administered competitive examination and pro-vides four-year scholarships to attend one of seventeen Archdiocesan high schools. We are honored that these four students will be joining us at Cardinal O’Hara and continuing our tradition of excellence into the future.

COHS Class of 2012

Higher EducationEmploymentMilitary

In 2001, Cardinal O’Hara High School and the O’Hara Alumni Association said goodbye to “The Mons,” as our first presi-dent embarked on the next chapter of his life. We knew that Monsignor McFadden would be back whenever he could and it wasn’t long before he did come back to visit the school that he loved so much. Often he was rushing off to see someone who called and needed to see him, but he always stopped along the way. Over the next decade as his address changed, his duties changed and indeed his title changed, Bishop McFadden’s visits were less frequent, but he continued to inquire about all that was going on at O’Hara and

all the people he knew there. While born and raised in Philadelphia, during his tenure as school president, Bishop McFadden embraced Delaware County and its people. Mindful that so many families from West Catho-lic High School, where he had taught, and St. Thomas More, his Alma Mater, had “migrated west,” he was at home in the western suburbs. He introduced himself to every facet of the O’Hara com-munity with the message that all the ingredients are there to make O’Hara the name synonymous with all that is good about Catholic Education. He, and school principal at the time, Bill McCusker, put Cardinal O’Hara High School back at the top. Along with Bob Mc-Caffrey and some new found friends among the O’Hara alumni, the Cardinal O’Hara High School Alumni Association was firmly established and continues to flourish today. So many O’Hara tradi-tions that we still enjoy began during the years Bishop McFadden was O’Hara’s president. The All Class Reunion, the Hall of Fame Dinner, and the O’Hara Family Christmas are all the result of Bish-op McFadden’s love for gatherings of friends, both old and new. For the students of Cardinal O’Hara, Bishop McFadden was more than just the school president. Many recall his Mass homi-lies, never given from the stage, but rather from down in the center aisle where he would be closer to his young flock. A great devotion to The Blessed Mother and an avid reader of the writings of St. Paul, Bishop McFadden had a way of affecting both the heart and the mind of those to whom he ministered. Whether it was in the chapel or in the gymnasium, the students of O’Hara had an approachable advocate that they could go to and be made to feel that theirs was the only problem he was facing that day. Bishop Joseph McFadden was a unique personality. He effort-lessly touched people’s lives in ways he probably was not even aware. Word of his presence anywhere drew others to that place. People just loved to be with him, and often hung on his wisdom and his wit, both great qualities in a man of God. And Joe McFadden was nothing if not a man of God. So like back in 2001, we are once again saying goodbye to “The Mons.” But sadly, this time he will not be back to the school he loved so much. Again, as always he’s rushing off to someone who has called him and needed to see him. Like all of his visits, it was all too short. His presence will be felt at each O’Hara event that he

initiated; at the same time an emptiness will be felt by all of us in the O’Hara community who so love him. Requiescat in pace.

REMEMBERING BISHOP JOSEPH MCFADDEN

PRIDEEXCELLENCETRADITIONcontinued from page 3

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NEW ENTRANCEWe unveiled our new rear entrance this past fall. The old ‘wood room’ is now a wonderful way to welcome guests to athletic events and our school!

BEFORE

AFTER

Kathleen Liebsch and her dad John are not afraid to show how they can dance at the Father-Daughter Dance. Tarzan Scenes from

our Spring Show

O’HARAMAGAZINESUMMER 2013

76 school news

This year’s The Magic of the Movies, highlighting the glam-our and glitz of Hollywood and O’Hara, provided entertain-ment from the warm welcome by our emcees Ryan Lamb, Ryan McGinnis, and Nick Moriconi to the last dance steps in Bohe-mian Rhapsody. The production involved much hard work and dedication from the students, their dance and vocal teachers, and many support personnel. Tricia Crouse, choreographer and co-chair, spent hours with her teachers coming up with routines that would not only tell a story, but also captivate the audience. Lisa McGinnis and Debbye Wolfe co-chaired with Tricia in our very successful fundraiser. Also playing very supportive roles were Accents Boutique, Boscov’s, and Iacobucci. Their creations brought raves from the seniors as well as the audience. Recogni-tion must also go to stylists Studio H, Studio 444, and Boscov’s Clinique who gave the girls a sophisticated and chic look. All of the scenes and numbers were creative, romantic, sen-timental, and high energy. Applause filled Springfield Country Club at the conclusion of each performance. The event was highly successful and that was because all were willing to work together to benefit O’Hara. If you have never seen one of these fantas-tic productions, then think about attending next year either for lunch or dinner. With the 50th Anniversary being celebrated next year, the show promises to present the best of the best.

Sarah Markert models one of the creations from Accents Boutique.

eet Matt McCalla. He’s a gregarious, outgoing and spirited student at Cardinal O’Hara High School. This senior who is taking three AP classes (Psychology,

English and Calculus) and two courses at St. Joseph’s Universi-ty also participates in Hi-Q, cross-country and track and serves as student council president. He also works at The Porch in his ‘spare’ time! That doesn’t leave a lot of time for much else, but Matt is okay with that. “God gave me a gift that I need to use to its full-est extent. I make some sacrifices, but I am very conscious of time management and I don’t really watch television or spend time on the computer! I feel most fulfilled when I am working toward a goal or serving to help others.” Matt grew up right down the road in Drexel Hill. He attended public elementary school but it was at his mother’s urging that he attend a Catho-lic High School like O’Hara. “I believe in myself. I know I can achieve,” Matt reflects one afternoon. “It was divine providence for sure that my mom wanted me to go to Catholic School and that I ended up here at O’Hara where I have grown so much.” He also credits Father Roland Slobojan for “believing in me” and making it possible for him to attend. Just a few months into his freshman year, Matt’s mom passed away. Matt then went to live with his aunt and uncle in St. Mary Magdalen parish since his father also passed away when he was just a year old.

“After my mom died, I thought that I could resign myself to failure or I could take what I had learned in my life and move forward. My philosophy on life is simple: reality isn’t based on where you come from but rather on where you are going. I know where I am going and I want to serve.” Matt sure does know where he is going. He will be a mem-

ber of the freshman class at Harvard University this fall—an accomplishment that Matt worked hard for and is proud of. He was also accepted into Princeton, Stanford, Widener and Rensse-laer Polytechnic Institute, where he received a $60,000 scholarship as well. “I always did okay in school but it wasn’t until Sister Lucy’s AP American History Class that I realized my full potential as a student. I call it my ‘transformative’ academic experience. She expected a high level of rigor and I had to push my writing ability to the next level to keep up. This real learning facilitated creativity and innovation in me that I didn’t know I had.”

You might say that this ‘transformative academic experi-ence’ paid off for Matt who was recently named salutatorian of the class of 2013! “I want to thank the entire community for standing behind me—from Doc (Dr. McCusker) to my friends. It has been a great experience so far and I am excited to take what I have learned here at O’Hara to Harvard and to the world at large!”

Achievement, Service and Faith

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t’s good to give back,” simple words that reach deep from an amazing young man. Matt Tyson is a junior at O’Hara and his story is inspiring.

At age 11, Matt had a liver transplant and suffered complica-tions that left him in a five-week coma and then paralyzed from the neck down. After seven months, he battled back and was able to walk again due to the sup-port of his family and intense physical therapy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Christmas in the hospital was an enlightening experience for Matt and to this day he continues to think about the children in the hospital that do not have fam-ily close by like he did. “I am lucky that my family was close and that I didn’t have to spend Christmas alone. Some chil-dren didn’t get many presents,” he recalls. Since 2007, he has been collecting toys for those patients at CHOP during the Christmas sea-son. What started out as a few presents transport-ed downtown via some vans has grown into bringing 1,100 toys downtown in a donated truck with his brothers and parents. Board games, puzzles, electronics, books, stuffed animals, gift cards and more fill the Tyson garage for a few weeks while they collect donations from O’Hara, Notre Dame in Swarthmore, and Plush Mills retirement home.

“The hospital always sends me a letter letting me know how important this project is to them and their patients. It’s about giving back just a little to a place that helped my family and me so much,” reflects Matt. Recently, Matt received some more good news—he was the

recipient of the Widener University High School Leadership Award. This year’s award focused on students who demonstrated courage. Applicants, like Matt, had to submit an essay about how they have showed courage in their life. “After I submitted my application, I couldn’t believe that I won! We were so surprised when my mom found out. I am so grateful to Ms. Rogai for nominating me for this award,” adds Matt. Part of the award is a $20,000 scholarship to Widener to attend college. Matt hopes to study physical therapy and continue to give back to oth-ers by working with young children some day. When asked to ref lect on inspirations in

his life, Matt quickly answers that question, “I look up to my mom and dad. They never, ever gave up on me—when I was in the hospital, in the coma and then afterwards. They are great people.” Well, Matt, you are great, too. Thanks for never giving up and giving back to the community. You are an inspiration to us all.

A Profile in Courage

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Matt McCalla

Matt Tyson

O’Hara students collected non-per-ishable food items, toiletries, cleaning supplies and other basic essentials for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hur-ricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane sea-son, as well as the second-costliest hur-ricane in United States history. The New Jersey National Guard picked the items up on November 20.

Matt Spurrier and Melanie DiScala help with logging in all the donations for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

“The Race to Fill Room 214”

By: Charlotte Drummond

Fashion Show

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VOLLEYBALL TEAM The 2012 Cardinal O’Hara Girls’ Volleyball Team captured the District 12 Class AAA Championship and qualified for the PIAA State Tournament for the 3rd time in the last 4 years by de-feating Northeast High 3 sets to 0. The team was led by Catholic League MVP and O’Hara’s all time leader in assists, Jamie Gal-lagher. The program currently sports a 57 game Catholic League regular season match winning streak dating back to September of 2008 and has 14 consecutive Philadelphia Catholic League Championship match appearances.

TRACK PROGRAM: WE ARE BLESSED We are blessed to have such a supportive community of par-ents and alumni working to ensure that our new stadium and track position O’Hara and its student athletes for success. In early April, that community celebrated the work that has gone in to the improvement of the stadium and track to date by host-ing a dedication Mass for the donors and other supporters. As of publication, more than $171,000 was raised for the track and efforts are underway to complete this project. We are proud to be the first and only school in the Philadel-phia Catholic League with a stadium with lights. Great progress has been made in completing Phase One of the Project that in-cluded rubberizing the track surface. Phase Two work has com-menced and both high school teams as well as CYO teams are competing on the track this spring for the first time in six years. We are working on acquiring the following Phase Two Items:

• Discus cage ($3,000)

• Javelin Runway ($13,000)

• 40 hurdles ($4,100)

• High Jump Padding and Protective Cover ($3,700)

• Pole Vault Padding and Protective Cover ($11,100)

• Automatic Timing System ($6,000)

Three people spearheaded the way for the track project and these alumni (and current O’Hara parents) were recognized for their efforts at the Communion Breakfast in March with the “Spirit of O’Hara” award: Charlie McNulty ’75, Chris Pastore ’85 and Jim Tulskie ’83. If you are interested in supporting the project, please visit our website to make an online donation or contact Jim Arnold in the Development Office at 610.544.3800, extension 1830.

Athletics at O’Hara

Concelebrating Mass at the dedication of the new track are Fr. Ugo, Fr. Flanagan, Fr. O’Donnell, and Fr. Chiriaco.

The Spirit of O’Hara Award is presented to Charles McNulty ’75, Chris Pastore ’85, and Jim Tulskie ’83 for spearheading the campaign to re-finish the track.

school news

Congratulations to all our athletes, coaches, and teams.

Indoor Track 3rd & 4th Places:Dan Savage, Jim Boyle, Kevin James, Jim Belfatto, Ernie Pitone

The Field Hockey team is quite pleased to be the champs for Dis-trict 12.

Marissa Cicione broke the school and Delaware County record for the number of goals scored in a sea-son for field hockey.

With their 31-25 win over Arch-bishop Wood, the girls are named the Catholic League champs.

Mackenzie Rule cuts down the bas-ket as the official symbol of winning the Catholic League championship.

Once again the Volleyball Team is named District 12 champs.

FIELD HOCKEY

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS

Cardinal O’Hara High School opened its doors in Sep-

tember 1963 with 1738 freshmen and sophomores. Since

then, more than 30,000 students have passed through

our doors and we prepare to continue our mission of ed-

ucating students as we embark on another 50 years.

Plans are underway for a year-long celebration of this

milestone, which kicks-off on July 27 with our annual

Lions in the Sun, All Class Reunion at LaCosta in Sea Isle

City. The 2013-14 school year will feature many high-

lights, including a fall Irish Battle of the Bands, a winter

birthday party celebration for families with young chil-

dren and, of course, traditional favorites like homecom-

ing, the O’Hara Family Christmas, the Hall of Fame Din-

ner and the Communion Breakfast and Alumni Fair.

Look for a special issue of our magazine early this fall

to learn more about our celebration. In the meantime,

be sure to direct your family and friends to update their

contact information on our website or to subscribe to

our monthly e-newsletter (by emailing jtuberosa@cohs.

com). If you are interested in helping to plan some of

these celebrations, please contact the Office of the Presi-

dent at 610.544.3800, extension 222.

years50

Celebrating

of Pride, Excellence and Tradition

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RETIRING #9: ANTHONY WALTERS Anthony Walters ’06 had his #9 Cardinal O’Hara game jersey retired on March 20th. While at O’Hara, he was a two-time All-Catholic performer in football. In Anthony’s junior season (2004), he led the Lions to The PCL Title. During his senior year, Anthony led the Lions back to the Champion-ship game. That year, he was an All-Catholic, All-Area, All-State, and named the PCL League MVP. Anthony also played in the highly prestigious Big 33 game, in which PA beat Ohio. After graduation, Anthony had an outstanding career at The University of Delaware. Anthony was a 4-year starter for the Blue Hens. Anthony started in 3 NCAA Division 1-AA National title games. Anthony was both All-conference and All-Ameri-can while at Delaware. After graduating from Delaware in December 2010, Anthony trained for his lifelong dream: to play in the NFL. In July of 2011, that dream became a reality when he signed as a Free Agent with The Chicago Bears. Anthony has played the last 2 seasons

for the Bears, and started the final game of the 2012 season against the Detroit Lions. An-thony Walters is a great exam-ple of O’Hara pride, excellence and tradition. Congratulations, Anthony!

Anthony Walters ’06 now with the Chicago Bears has his Lions’ jersey retired.

THE LUCK OF O’HARABy: Chris Pastore ‘85 Over 180 runners braved the chilly weather and snow flur-ries to complete the 5K Course at the first of what we hope to be many Leprechaun Runs at O’Hara. Participants included the Boys’ and Girls’ Track Teams, Boys’ JV Lacrosse Team, Fr. Ugo, alumni, family, friends and runners alike. The men’s and overall winner was Michael Garrity (O’Hara Class of 2008). The wom-en’s winner was Michelle Berrodin. We raised approximately $4,500, which will go directly to Phase Two of the Track Proj-ect that includes purchase of hurdles, pole vault and high jump standards. Special thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the race a success, including the members of the O’Hara Student Council. We hope to welcome many more to compete in 2014.

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRYBy: Chris Pastore It started with a vision established by coaches Tom Kennedy and Joe Sacchetti at the start of the 2009 Cross Country Sea-son. The O’Hara Boys XC Team’s goals were simple: reestablish its presence as the #1 dominant team in Delaware County and the Catholic League. Success here would lead to opportunities at the State/National Level. Since the Catholic League had just joined the PIAA, O’Hara had never qualified to compete at the State Championships - let alone qualify for Nationals. Our cur-rent seniors were just freshmen then, and they 100% invested in the goals set by the coaches. And by the end of the their final XC season as O’Hara harriers, they & their teammates wound up accomplishing what no other O’Hara XC Team had ever done, success at the National level. They leave with 4 Delco Champi-onships, 3 Catholic League Championships, 3 District 12 Cham-pionships, 3 State Team Medals and an All-American (Top 5) Finish at the prestigious Nike XC Nationals in Portland, Oregon. The 2012 campaign started like all seasons with summer training in June. The team that would be 36 strong once the sea-son started began a training regiment that included alternat-ing 50, 60 and 70 mile weeks. Most seasons officially kicked-off with a Pocono Retreat in July where the young men would bond with 2-a-day runs intertwined with White Water Rafting and Paint Ball. This season would be different as in order to meet their goal of reaching the national stage, they delayed the start of their training for two weeks. The official kick-off started with the Sea Isle 10-miler and then the team went right to the Po-conos. With four returning Varsity runners (Seniors Dan Sav-age, Chris Pastore & Ernie Pitone and Sophomore Kevin James) and the deepest group of varsity candidates (Senior Matt Hayes; Juniors Jim Belfatto, Nick Smart and Christian Donnelly; and Sophomore Andrew Pastore), the prospects were promising and the team garnished state and national rankings. An aggressive schedule took the team to Invitational Meets in Philadelphia, Hershey, and Cary, North Carolina. Their success at these meets elevated them to First in the State rankings and top ten rankings in several National Polls. They went about their business during the regular season. This deep team saw nine runners con-tribute on the Varsity team and had record wins at the Delco and Catholic League Championships. Dan Savage won the Delco (re-peat) and Catholic League Championships and was named Delco

The first football game under the lights was played against Archbishop Wood on Friday, September 28, 2012.

Our New StadiumXC Runner of the Year for the second straight year. The team also saw a record 7 First Team All Catholics and all seven runners in the top 12 at the Delco Championships, another record. They also ran away with the Delco and Catholic League JV Championships, also a first. With these accomplishments behind them, there was the matter of the District 12 Meet and the State Championships, stepping-stones to the Regional and National Meets. The team cruised to the District 12 Championship, which set up a showdown with District 1 perennial power West Chester Henderson at the State Meet. O’Hara had defeated Henderson earlier in the year and both teams were peaking at the right time. O’Hara coaches’ 3-year plan to a State Championship had been derailed in 2011 by a loss to North Penn by a tiebreaker. The 2012 Team was determined to win the State Crown in memory of all of the O’Hara XC Runners that had blazed the trails before them and in particular for All Catholic runners Chris Garrity (2010), Mike Hess (2010), Mike Bilotta (2011), Jake Sachetti (2011) and Chris-tian Ostrowski (2011) who had shared in the 3-year vision set forth by the coaches in 2009. The State Meet was another epic battle that ended with a second straight, unprecedented loss via a tie-breaker, this time to WC Henderson. The team was disappointed at not accomplishing their goal but optimistic that they could still obtain a berth on the national stage with a good showing at the Nike XC Northeast Regionals in Wappinger Falls, NY. A first or second place showing would guarantee them an invitation to the national meet. A strong 3rd place showing would most-likely gar-nish an at-large invitation due to the strong field of teams includ-ing WC Henderson, Don Bosco Prep of New Jersey and defending National Champion Christian Brother’s Academy of New Jersey. On a crisp November day, the team of Savage, Pitone, Pas-tore, Hayes, Belfatto, James and Donnelly gave it all they had and nearly dethroned Christian Brothers but finished second, obtaining an automatic berth to Nike XC Nationals. The second place finish offered a small piece of retribution as they beat WC Henderson, who was subsequently offered an at-large invitation to the National Meet. Indicative of the depth of the team, Don-nelly was replaced on the National Team by Sophomore Andrew Pastore who had traded places with Donnelly on the varsity Team multiple times during the year. The trip to Oregon offered the team the best competition in the country as well as visits to Nike Headquarters and a training run with Olympian Galen Rupp. They also were able to spend time with other Nike Runners like Matt Centrowicz, another Olympi-an. As coaches, teammates, parents and friends enjoyed the Ore-gon visit, the team was focused on the task at hand, a chance at All American status and possibly a National Title. Staged on a man-made course on the infield of the Portland Downs Racetrack, the venue offered unique obstacles such as hay bales and mogul-type hills, a far cry from the traditional XC courses such as Belmont Plateau and Rose Tree Park that the team was use to tackling. To train for this unique course, Coach Sacchetti designed a course on the O’Hara Campus using hay bales for the team to sharpen their skills. That training proved beneficial for the team, as the obstacles did not intimidate them. Over 10 inches of rain in the weeks prior to the event provided more unique obstacles on the course, puddles the size of small ponds, and mud like quicksand. The competition, the elements, and the course did not deter the team from giving their best effort. With a very fan-friendly atmosphere, multiple large screen TVs and cameras throughout

the course, it was as exciting viewing the race as it was running. With real-time updates throughout the race, the O’Hara team remained in the top five throughout the race, coming within 30 points of the lead and ultimately finishing 5th on the National Stage. For the seniors, the culmination of four years of train-ing had produced this once-in-a-lifetime experience and the realization of the coaches’ vision. For the underclassmen and coaches, that taste of success will be the fuel for this upcoming season. Can they repeat?? Come join us in 2013 and find out!

Congratulations to all our athletes, coaches, and teams. Athletics at O’Hara

Our All-American cross country runners include Dan Savage, Chris Pastore, Ernie Pitone, Jim Belfatto, Christian Donnelly, Kevin James and Jim Boyle.

school news

O’HARAMAGAZINESUMMER 2013

1312 alumni news

H. Edward Hanway H. Edward Hanway is a 1970 graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School. After gradu-ating from Loyola College with a Bachelor’s Degree, Mr. Hanway graduated from Widener College with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 1984. Ed, now Chairman Emeritus of the CIGNA Corporation, served in the role of chairman and chief executive officer of the CIGNA Corporation from 2000 through the end of 2009. Prior to holding these positions, he served the company for a year as presi-dent and chief operating officer. From 1996 to 1999, he served as president of CIGNA Healthcare, and from 1989 to 1996 as presi-dent of CIGNA International. Through the years, Ed has been active in a wide range of issues and initiatives associ-ated with children’s health, education, and international business. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Loyola College of Baltimore and the Drexel Neumann Academy. He also served on the board of directors of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and was a member of the Business Roundtable and the Eisenhower Exchange Fellows. Currently Ed is serving as Chairman of the Faith in the Future Foundation, a group of businessmen and women who assumed strategic and operational management of the archdiocesan secondary school system. He has fond memories of his days at O’Hara as a member of the basketball team and foot-ball team. Intramurals were also a big part of his life at O’Hara, along with his service to the school, as a member of student council.

Christopher J. Burke, Esq. Christopher J. Burke is a 1993 graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School. Mr. Burke graduated magna cum laude in 1997 from Georgetown University with a Bachelor’s De-gree. He also graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School with a Juris Doctor degree in 2000. Judge Burke has served as a United States Magistrate Judge on the United States Dis-trict Court for the District of Delaware since August 2011. Prior to joining the bench, from 2005 to 2011, Judge Burke was an Assistant

United States Attorney at the United States Attorneys’ Office for the District of Delaware and specialized in prosecution of fraud and identity theft crimes. Currently Judge Burke serves as the Chair-man of the Federal Trial Practice Seminar, a trial skills development program, jointly sponsored by the U. S. District Court for the District of Delaware and the Federal Bar As-sociation’s Criminal Re-entry Court. Chris believes that as a young person, the most direct impact that his O’Hara educa-tion had was to prepare him to succeed in college. Chris states, his four years at O’Hara helped to ground his academic and social life in the Catholic faith tradition in which he was raised. Chris believes that his Catho-lic education at O’Hara instilled in him the importance of making life choices that were not simply easy or immediately gratifying, but were in harmony with the tenants of his Catholic faith.

Joseph M. Casey Joseph M. Casey is a 1974 graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School. He is also a 1979 graduate of Drexel University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting. Joe Casey is currently the General Man-ager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Trans-portation Authority (SEPTA), the sixth largest transit operation in the United States. He is responsible for a 9,000-person organization providing multi-modal public transit services to a 2,200 square mile, five county service re-gion and selected destinations in New Jersey and Delaware. Under his financial direction, SEPTA gen-erated new income and established a balanced operating budget. As a regional business, SEPTA has taken a leadership role adopting a comprehensive sustainability program focus-ing on initiatives ranging from building an eco-fleet to developing alternate energy gen-eration and storage. His Cardinal O’Hara education built upon the foundation that was infused in him in his formative years by his parents. His career in public service was influenced by a concern for individuals and community, instilled upon him at O’Hara. Joe says, “It was empowering

being a member of such a large community of equals.”

Gene Mele, Ph. D. Gene Mele is a 1968 graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School. In 1972, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from St. Joseph’s University. In 1978, Gene graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Presently, he is a Professor of Physics at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Mele enjoys a worldwide reputation in the field of Physics. During the 2010 academic year, Dr. Mele was awarded the prestigious Christina R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2010 he was awarded the Europhysics Prize of the European Physical Society. Gene stated that his first real training in the sciences came at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Chemistry taught by Father Della Monica, Physics taught by Father McElroy and even in his freshman course in general science taught by Mr. Palestini. Gene recalls the vari-ous field trips taken while at O’Hara, particu-larly to the Barnes Foundation, then located in Lower Merion. At Cardinal O’Hara High School, Gene was raised in a culture where honesty and integ-rity were appreciated and highly valued. Gene has fond memories of an outstanding group of classmates in the Class of 1968.

Joseph W. Romano, Ph. D. Joseph W. Romano is a 1978 graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School. In 1982 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Lehigh University. In 1985, Dr. Romano had completed a Master’s in Science degree in Microbiology at Rutgers University and in 1987 he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Microbiology from Rutgers University. At the Molecular Biology Program, he de-veloped new diagnostic technologies and plat-forms in conjunction with U. S. Government contracts. From 2005-2010, Dr. Romano was Ex-ecutive Director of the International Part-nership for Microbicides, a non-profit or-

ganization dedicated to the development of drug based HIV prevention products for the developing world. Since 2010, Dr. Romano has been the President of NWJ Group in Wayne, PA, where he provides consulting services to the phar-maceutical and biotech industries. Much of his research has centered on early stage infec-tious disease product transitioning into for-mal development programs. His academic demands at O’Hara taught him that there is value in doing what is chal-lenging, simply because it is challenging. Joe stated that his Catholic education has been part of many family decisions, both per-sonal and professional; none has been more significant for him and his wife than in the raising of their daughter. When Wendy was born 17 years ago with Downs Syndrome, there was a great deal of fear about her future. However, from the beginning, there was an unwavering faith that she would have as full a life as any child. To that end, she has exceeded all expectations and a major part of this has been the result of the sense of community she

has experienced as part of parish life. Faith, hope, and prayer were major parts of his Catholic education at O’Hara, and they have proven to be of immeasurable value to him in his life according to Joe.

Sister Karen Scheer, RSM, MD Sister Karen Scheer is a 1984 graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School and graduated from Gwynedd Mercy College with a Bach-elor’s Degree in Biology. In 1993, Sister en-tered the Sisters of Mercy. During the time of her candidacy/novitiate she worked with the Sisters of Mercy in various ministries, volunteered in Philadelphia and St. Louis, performed social services, parish work and schoolwork, worked at a home for children with HIV, hospital work, and taught at the high school level. In 2001, Sister professed her Final Vows. Sister then attended Medical School at The George Washington School of Medicine in Washington D.C., where she earned her Doc-tor of Medicine degree. Medical School was followed by three years of Residency in Fami-

ly Medicine at the Cedar Rapids Medical Edu-cation Foundation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She became Board certified in Family Medicine in 2008. In recent years, Sister has worked as a Family Medicine Physician in the Outpatient Family Medicine Clinic at Maria de los Santos Health Center in North Philadelphia. At O’Hara, Sister was given the opportuni-ty to learn more deeply about her faith through academics, but more importantly through service. As a four-year member of the Com-munity Service Corps (CSC) she visited nurs-ing homes, helped at Don Guanella and other service projects supported through the school.

Coach Jim Purcell Jim Purcell graduated from St. Thomas More High School in 1952. He went on to at-tend and graduate from St. Joseph’s College in 1956. Jim was a member of the “Golden Bear” team that won the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship in 1951, and at St. Jo-seph’s College, Jim was a member of the “first” Big Five Basketball Team. In 1958, Jim returned to St. Thomas More High School as the Varsity Basketball Coach. Within three years, the “Golden Bears” had won the Philadelphia Catholic League Cham-pionship. With that victory Jim became the first person in Philadelphia Catholic League history to win the league championship as a player and as a coach. In September of 1963, with the opening of Cardinal O’Hara High School, Jim trans-ferred to the new school as a teacher and varsi-ty basketball coach. In the 1968, the Cardinal O’Hara “Lions” under the leadership of Coach Jim Purcell won the Catholic League Cham-pionship. This win placed Jim in the unique position of being the first coach to win the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship as varsity coach at two different schools. As Cardinal O’Hara High School contin-ued to grow, Jim was appointed vice-principal in 1972. A position he held until 1977 when he was appointed the first lay principal in the Archdiocesan Secondary School System as principal of Archbishop Kennedy High School in Conshohocken.

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The 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees. Front Row: Dr. Gene Mele, Coach Jim Purcell, Dr. Joseph Ro-mano. Back Row: Marie Rogai (School Principal), H. Edward Hanway, Christopher J. Burke, Esq., Sister Karen Scheer, RSM, MD, Joseph M. Casey, Dr. William McCusker (School President).

Dr. John J. Whyte ’84 lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and brand new baby, but his studies and work since leav ing O’Hara have taken him to some of the most prestigious universities in the Unit-ed States and to every

continent, except Antarctica. His travels have allowed him to see the importance of learning something new every day. Ap-propriately, “discovery” is what keeps Whyte motivated and fo-cused, especially in his role as Vice President and Chief Medical Expert at the Discovery Channel. Whyte graduated from O’Hara in 1984 and went on to at-

tend the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation from col-lege, he pursued a joint degree in Medicine and Public Health at Hahnemann University and Harvard. He interned at Duke University in internal medicine and undertook a fellowship at Stanford University. He then worked in government while prac-ticing as a physician before arriving at the Discovery Channel in April 2005. The Discovery Channel isn’t just for doctors, health care professionals, or Shark Week fans. It reaches over 100 million homes. In the eight years since Whyte joined the channel, he has produced over 70 documentaries on a variety of medical problems including diabetes, breast cancer, HIV and AIDS, de-pression and heart disease and has developed programming exploring important policy questions arising from disparities in health care. One show on the global epidemic of diabetes took him literally all over the world. Whyte oversees all as-

Dr. John Whyte ’84

pects of production and manages a team of directors, writers, and producers. Occasionally, he also appears on-air. Many of Whyte’s programs have received industry recognition and earned awards. Whyte’s job at Discovery is unusual in that it combines med-icine, public speaking and writing, and interests that he devel-oped at O’Hara. Whyte fondly recalled that he enjoyed being in Sr. Lucy’s history class and Mr. Kenig’s English class, but he will also tell you that from an early age, he knew that science is what interested him the most. He wanted to be a doctor. First at St. Anastasia, his parish school, and then at O’Hara, he took every opportunity he could to learn as much as he could about his chosen field and participated in science fairs and competi-tions. He joined the speech and debate team and edited news for The O’Herald. Whyte credits these experiences with help-ing to develop his skills as a public speaker and putting him on

the path to becoming a writer. Besides his work at Discovery Channel, Whyte has published two books: Is This Normal: the Essential Guide to Middle Age and Beyond in 2011 and The AARP New American Diet in 2012. Both books have sold well with the most recent landing on the bestseller list. He also blogs for The Huffington Post, and in his spare time, teaches Health Communication at American University. Additionally, he still practices as a physician.

When asked what advice he would give to today’s O’Hara stu-dents, Whyte stated simply that students should seize every op-portunity to get the best education they can – either formally or informally. Whyte’s participation in extracurricular activities at O’Hara profoundly influenced his career. He would encour-age students to get involved and take advantage of everything O’Hara has to offer. “There is a lot of learning going on outside the classroom,” he said. A

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O’HARAMAGAZINESUMMER 2013

1514 alumni news

Hi O’Hara friends and alumni, It is simply amazing that our school is open 50 years this September. Seems like yesterday doesn’t it? Whether you graduated in the 60’s, 70’s or 2000’s, we all have something in common. We have a connection to a great school where we made many great friends. This great school turns 50 in September, and many special celebrations are being planned. From alumni games, local parties and reunions, championship teams being honored, to a Blue Haze Reunion (younger grads will have to wait and see what the Blue Haze is all about), it will be an ex-citing year to be connected to the school. So that you don’t miss anything, make sure your email address is updated by going to the school website, www.cohs.com, and click on alumni registration. While you are at it, like our alumni Facebook page at www.facebook/cohsalumni. As for reunions, don’t forget to stop at La Costa in Sea Isle at the all-class reunion, “Lions in the Sun”! Always the 4th Saturday in July, this year’s date is July 27. We moved the start time back a little so as not to interfere with your beach time. We’ll be partying from 5 to 9 PM, so make your plans now. Stay tuned for the fall all-class reunion too, as we try to nail down a September/October date that doesn’t interfere with other 50th Anniversary events. If you want to get more involved in your alumni association, email me at alumni@cohs.com. We are always looking for more input from more graduates, so contact me anytime.

John Caramanico ‘74

Two weeks ago, a friend sent me an article from the Boston Globe titled “What Nuns Built.” She told me that I would find it quite interesting. What made it interesting for me, other than being about nuns, was the name of one of the people interviewed for this article- Kathleen Sprows Cummings. I could only say, “Wow!”

This name brought back a lot of memories for me as a teacher at Cardinal O’Hara High School. Kathleen was a student in my AP United States History class – a class that I entered into a com-petition on the Constitution. They took 1st place in the county, then 1st place in the state, then they represented Pennsylvania in the national competition and did quite well. I remember Kathleen as being bright, articulate, dedicated and studious. She was the type of student I wish all my students were. In her senior year, she was elected by her peers to be the president of the National Honor Society. This was a huge benefit for me as moderator. Kathleen had been a student in the Catholic school system since kindergarten and when she chose a university to attend, she continued that tradition by attending Scranton University for a BA and MA in History. This was not the end of her education, for then she applied for admission to Notre Dame University where she received a MA in philosophy and a PhD in history. Just as I had been impressed by her academic achieve-ments, so was Notre Dame and they hired her as an associate professor in their history and religious studies programs in 2001. In 2012 she became the fourth director but the first female director of the Cushwa Institute at Notre Dame for the study of American Catholicism. How

appropriate that she became a member of the faculty of Notre Dame – a university of which Cardinal John O’Hara was once the president. I reconnected with Kathleen in 2009 when her proud father told me of a book which she was publishing titled “New Women of the Old Faith” It described American Catholicism in the Progres-sive Era. It told the story of journalists, Margaret Buchanan Sullivan and Katherine E. Conway. It also chronicled the foundation of Trinity College for Catholic Women in Washington, D. C. by Sis-ter Julia McGroarty, but in my favorite chapter – Kathleen described the dedication, hard work, and tribulations of the sisters who helped establish the Catholic school system in the archdiocese of Philadelphia. What a remarkable group of women religious! It made me proud to be part of this dedi-cated league of American Catholic Sisters. Kathleen is the writer of numerous articles, primarily about Catholic women in the United States. She is presently writing a book entitled “Catholics and Canonization in American Cul-ture”. She has received a plethora of awards, particularly by being installed in the O’Hara Hall of Fame 2010. Her parents were ecstatic when they were informed that NBC News and CNN contacted her to be a commentator when Pope Benedict XVI retired and Pope Francis was elected – being the first Latin American to be elected to that august position. When I talked to Kathleen at the Hall of Fame dinner, she remarked that none of this would be possible if it were not for her husband, Thom-as Cummings. We are familiar with the adage “Behind every successful man, is a woman.” For Kathleen it should say, “Behind every success-ful woman, is a man.” Together they are raising three children: Margaret, T.C., and Annie. There is no doubt to this former teacher that Kathleen Sprows Cummings really does epito-mize the motto of Cardinal O’Hara High School – “Pride, Excellence, and Tradition.”

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nCLASSNOTESern Pennsylvania that connects the city of Philadelphia with the borough of West Chester. It is part of Arcadia’s Images of America series, which celebrates the his-tory of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country.

1992Denise Dillon ’92 led the Drexel Women’s Basketball Team to the 2013 WNIT Championship. They are the first Philadelphia women’s team to win this title. Congratula-tions, Denise!

2000Laura Heinrichs ’00 is currently directing the Northeast Massachu-setts Youth Orchestras (NMYO), the largest youth orchestra pro-gram in northeast Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. NMYO’s mission is to provide young musicians with exceptional ensemble training and opportuni-ties for personal growth through musical performance and commu-nity service. Before working with NMYO, Laura received her B.M. from Rutgers University (‘06) and her M.M. in flute performance from the New England Conservatory of Music (‘08).

Jennifer Somers Watkins ’00 and Chris Watkins ’00 began dating while at O’Hara and are now happily married and living in Glen Mills. They have a 2 year old daughter, Valerie, and a newborn, Natalie. Jen is currently self-em-ployed as a vocalist for weddings and special events, and is a stay-at-home Mom with Valerie and Nata-lie during the week. Chris works as an accountant with Comcast.

2002After receiving degrees in Human Development – Family Studies and Psychology from Penn State University in 2007, Deanna Buc-ciarelli ’02 moved to Arlington, Virginia, to begin her career working in the not-for-profit sec-tor. For four years, she was the Southern Maryland Community Director for the March of Dimes before being hired by the Nation-al Kidney Foundation as National Walk Manager in March 2012. Deanna has always enjoyed trav-eling, and her latest position en-ables her to visit major U.S. cities, where, in her free time, she tries to attend as many baseball games as possible.

2004Julie Smyth ’04 and Adam Gar-ling were married at St. Kevin Church on Friday, April 5, 2013. The Mass was officiated by Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, former Pres-ident of Cardinal O’Hara, while cousins Carly Mayo Deichman ’04 and Victoria Mayo cantored the bride’s favorite O’Hara Mass songs. A beautiful wedding recep-tion at the Ballroom at the Ben fol-lowed, with many O’Hara friends in attendance. After a honeymoon in Riviera Maya, Mexico, the new-lyweds will reside in Media.

2011Over the Penn State spring break, Maggie Lamb ’11 participated in a service trip with Mission Mexico (a non-Penn State affiliated club) to Tijuana, Mexico. Among the 22 students on the trip, four students were O’Hara alumni: Anthony Purpura (club President, ‘09), An-drew Feuerstein (‘10), Joseph Pur-pura (‘12) and Maggie (club Secre-tary). While in Mexico, they stayed and worked in an orphanage that is home to about 40 children.

1967Philadelphia Magazine has named Roy DeCaro ’67 of Fort Washing-ton, PA, a “Top 100” and “Top 10” Pennsylvania lawyer for the last 10 years.

1969Dianne Misticone Barilotti ’69 has been married to Joe Barilotti for 42 years. They are the proud parents of Joe Jr. ’93, and Laura Michelle ’97, and their lovable dogs, Bella and Capone. Dianne graduated from Delaware County Community College with a degree in nursing and has worked at the University of Pennsylvania Medi-cal Center as an OB/GYN as an IVF (In Vitro fertilization) nurse, and at Independence Blue Cross as a Clinical Health Educator, promoting health and wellness for 16 years. She retired in Oct. 2009, and most recently worked part-time as an RN at Wayne Family Practice. Dianne’s passion is dancing and she enjoys salsa/bachata, line dancing, and oldies two or three times a week. When not dancing, Dianne can be found at the gym either working out, or taking a zumba or a yoga class. With the warn weather, she also enjoys running and the Jersey shore. Dianne & Joe live in New-town Square.

1975Christina Kistner Conway ’75, widow of Kevin J. Conway ’74, is a staff R.N. in the surgical trauma unit of Crozer Chester Medical Center. She is the mother of Kevin M. ’00, Brian ’01, Caitlin ’05, and Kyle. Chris recently participated in Mission Operation Smile in Mo-rocco. She resides in Springfield.

1977Mary O’Leary Carney ’77 was appointed Director of Religious Education at St. Joseph’s Parish in Collingdale. Mary and her hus-band, Dennis, live in Ridley Park.

1979Stephen J. Edgcumbe ’79 has authored a new book, West Ches-ter Pike, from Arcadia Publishing. Using archival photographs, the book tells the story of a 20-mile stretch of roadway in southeast-

Denise Joy ’69Katherine Russell ’02Renee Stango ’91Suzanne Burke ’77Marie Swoyer Foy ’68Nancy Joceville Preston ’69Lorraine Rudolph ’83David J. White ’02Theresa Bundonis Wise ’75

Thomas Brown Quercetti ’02Roseanne Creaven Gallagher ’83Susan Boudwin Pitcher ’70Kathleen Smith Cooper ’75Joseph DiEmidio ’09Vincent Naccarelli ‘71Karen Keane Smith ‘85Robert V. Daly ’76

In Memoriam

When my wife, Debbie Catania ’74, and I, Kevin Barr ’73, entered Cardinal O’Hara the school was only a few years old. The boys and girls were in separate wings separated by lock-ers. The school was large and beautiful, the gym the very best in the Philly area. (I was not surprised to hear that the 50 year old gym is now being refurbished. As time unfolds, life’s bounces take a toll on both gymnasiums and families.) Debbie and I knew each other in grade school (Saint An-nie’s) and at O’Hara, but it wasn’t until a few years after high school that we became “Lions in Love.” At our wedding in 1978 the “Blue Haze,” a fantastic singing group from O’Hara, sang Paul Stokey’s “The Wedding Song” as our married life was born. Thirty four years and seven children later we continue to be Lions in Love. Catholic education has been an important ingredient of this loving relationship. All of our children at-tended Saint Simon and Jude grade school before branch-ing out through a variety of high schools, including Cardinal O’Hara. My career path kept me connected with Catholic teaching and values as well. For the past 12 years I have worked in a variety of positions at Catholic Social Services. Currently I am Director of Saint John’s Hospice (www.saintjohnshospice.org), a large men’s homeless shelter, in center city Philadel-phia. Although Debbie has worked at Bed Bath and Beyond for the past 10 years, her goal in life has always focused on being a great mother and wife. We are grateful that the Lion’s Love that blossomed short-ly after O’Hara continues to deepen with each new day and every challenge that bounces our way.

If your story began at O’Hara, let us know and we will include it in future issues. Send your story and a hi-resolution jpeg photo to Frank Traynor at ftraynor11@comcast.net.

Lions in Love

By: Sister Lucy Schluth, RSM

Kathleen Sprows Cummings ’89

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS DFSaturday, July 27 O’Hara All Class Reunion - 5 p.m. - LaCosta - Sea Isle

Tuesday, September 10 Alumni Meeting - 7 p.m. - COH Office of Institutional Advancement

Thursday, September 12 Freshman Parent Social - 7 p.m. - COH Cafeteria

Monday, October 7 Bob McCaffrey Memorial Golf Outing - 11:30 a.m. - Penn Oaks

Tuesday, October 8 Alumni Meeting - 7 p.m. - COH Office of Institutional Advancement

Saturday, October 19 Gymnasium Dedication - COH Gymnasium

Saturday, October 5 Pig Roast - COH Lion’s Stadium

Sunday, December 15 O’Hara Family Christmas - 5 p.m. - COH St. John Vianney Hall

Tuesday, December 10 Alumni Meeting - 7 p.m. - COH Office of Institutional Advancement

Sunday, December 8 Radio City Christmas Spectacular Trip

November 29-30 & December 1, 6-7 Fall Show - 8 p.m. - COH St. John Vianney Hall

Wednesday, November 27 Thanksgiving Liturgy w/Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald - COH St. John Vianney Hall

Saturday, November 9 8th Grade Scholarship Exam - 9 - 11 a.m. - COH Cafeteria

Saturday, October 26 Homecoming Game - 2 p.m. - COH Lion’s Stadium

Sunday, September 29 Open House for Prospective Students - Mass at noon, Tours 1 - 3 p.m. - COH

Monday, December 16 A Closer Look at O’Hara for Prospective Students - 7 p.m. - COH

Wednesday, September 4 Freshman Barbecue and Dance - 5:30 - 8 p.m. - COH Courtyard

Monday, October 14 A Closer Look at O’Hara for Prospective Students - 7 p.m. - COH

Tuesday, November 12 Alumni Meeting - 7 p.m. - COH Office of Institutional Advancement

Sunday, November 10 8th Grade Scholarship Exam - 12 - 2 p.m. - COH Cafeteria

Thursday, November 14 8th Grade Visitation Day for Parochial Students - COH

Monday, November 18 A Closer Look at O’Hara for Prospective Students - 7 p.m. - COH

Friday, December 6 8th Grade Visitation Day for Non-Diocesan Students - COH

Tuesday, February 11 Open House for Prospective Students - 7 - 9 p.m. - COH