St. Sebastian's Magazine - Issue III, 2013-14

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VOLUME IX, ISSUE III 2013-2014

ST. SEBASTIAN’SM A G A Z I N E

Commencement 2014

The Passing of a Giant: Frank M. Ward

FEATURES

2 Commencement 2014 St. Sebastian’s graduates sixty-one

students at its 70th Commencement

18 Dedicationof St.Sebastian’sWay Parents of the Class of 2014 dedicate

this year’s Senior Class gift

20 ThePassingofaGiant: FrankM.Ward

Headmaster William Burke and Frank’s son, Stephen Ward ’96, pay tribute to a generous and devoted friend of the School

40 Reunion 2014 The Classes of 4’s and 9’s come back to

campus to celebrate Reunion

DEPARTMENTS

26 Around Campus

30 Event Highlights

31 Fine Arts

32 Spring Sports

44 Class Notes

50 In Memoriam

CreditsSt.Sebastian’sMagazinepublishesthreetimesayear. Photos by Marshall Goldin, Marcus Miller and Christine Robertson

StSebastian’sSchool 1191GreendaleAve Needham, MA 02492 781.449.5200

St. Sebastian’s School Mission StatementACatholicindependentschool,St.Sebastian’sseekstoengageyoungmeninthepursuitoftruththroughfaithandreason.ByembracingGospelvaluesinaninclusive,nurturingcommunity andbyinspiringintellectualexcellenceinastructuredliberalartscurriculum,St.Sebastian’sstrivestoempowerstudentsforsuccessincollegeandinlife.TheidealSt.Sebastian’sgraduatewillbeamoralandjustperson,agentlemanofcourage,honor,andwisdom,alife-longlearnerwhocontinuestogrowinhiscapacitytoknow,tolove,andtoserveGodandneighbor.

2013-2014 Board of Trustees

SeánCardinalO’Malley,OFM.Cap.Chairman

JamesL.Elcock’77,P’08President

WilliamL.BurkeIIIP’95,’97,’00,’04Executive Officer, Headmaster

DouglasA.Kingsley,P’10,’10,’12,’13Secretary

RobertM.Wadsworth,P’10,’15Treasurer J.DevinBirmingham’84,P’14,’17 DavidM.Calabro’78,P’16 DevinC.Condron’92 WilliamT.Connolly,Jr.P’10,’12,’17 JohnDeMatteoIIP’11,’13,’16,’18 JohnP.DiGiovanni‘84,P’14 DanaG.DoeP’17 Rev. Michael E. Drea Sr. Janet Eisner, SND PatrickJ.Hegarty‘89 JaneM.HochP’07 EdwardJ.HoffP’11,’13 RossM.JonesP’16,’17 WayneM.KennardP’08 Rev.BrianR.Kiely JohnA.Mannix’74 RobertJ.Mulroy’82 MarkL.O’Friel’79 WilliamA.O’MalleyP’09,’10,’13 Stuart D. Porter KristinE.ReedP’15,’17 StephenP.Ward’96 CelesteE.WolfeP’09,’12

KimberlyA.MullinP’13,’16President, Guild of St. Irene DanielW.FulhamP’14President, Men’s Association JohnE.McNamara’81,P’14,’18President, Alumni Association

MostReverendJohnP.Boles’47 JamesA.Cotter,Jr.’57 J.BradGriffith’58 Trustee Emeriti

20 40

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From the desk of the headmasterWilliam L. Burke III

William L. Burke IIIHeadmaster

…my academic success is in large part due to the hard work of the teachers and help from other students, and my faith life has never been stronger. While I am very excited to head off to West Point in only a few days, it saddens me to realize that I won’t be spending next year with my 60 brothers. I would like to thank St. Sebastian’s for a perfect foundation to build the rest of my life upon…Sincerely,Matt Oullette

I cannot thank you enough for the past six years. I feel infinitely fortunate to have attended St. Sebastian’s…The relationships formed between students and with faculty and staff will last a lifetime…There is such comfort in knowing that there is a community of people in my corner ready to help me at any moment… sense of community…pride in having integrity and a strong moral compass…inclusive and nurturing culture…I look forward, in 30 or so years, to having the opportunity to be at Seb’s on graduation day and to handing my son his diploma.All the best, your friend,Niko Fischer

The above excerpts from letters, which I received in June from two of our outstanding scholars in the Class of 2014, celebrate the essence of our beloved St. Sebastian’s family. Our mission is clear and important, our relationships are loving and eternal, and our students know and feel, honor and advance these truths, which we forever hold most sacred.

This issue of our magazine highlights many of the powerfully positive ways in which we concluded our year of Community. We have attempted to capture in words and images a sense of our spiritually deep culture and testimony of the many wonderful successes we have enjoyed in the classroom, in athletics, and in clubs and activities, the glorious celebrations of Reunion Weekend and Commencement exercises, and treasured legacy of Trustee Emeritus Frank Ward P’96, GP’09,’11 and other cherished members of our School family. I hope that your perusal will inspire you to visit your School soon and often.

I thank all of our students, parents, grandparents, siblings, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and friends for tirelessly seeking and perpetually finding ways to build up and strengthen the community of your most grateful School.

May God continue to bless you every sacred step of the way.

Sincerely,

2 | ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE Volume IX, Issue III

St. Sebastian’s School graduated sixty-one students at its 70th Commencement Exercises on Thursday, June 5. The seniors embraced the rainy weather, raising red and black umbrellas as they processed across the campus.

Congratulations, Class of 2014!

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CommenCement AwArdsPursuit of ExcEllEncE in thE DisciPlinE AwArDs Presented to individuals selected by the faculty

English literatureJohn F. Bartlett, Jr.

LatinJohn F. Bartlett, Jr.

historyConor E. Craven

religionCaleb F. Aldrich, Jr.John F. Bartlett, Jr.

chemistryChristopher J. O’Shea

English WritingBrandon G. Sweeney

BiologyZachary C. ChambersLuke J. Wasynczuk

spanishMarlon D. Matthews

MusicMarlon D. Matthews

DramaDesmond T. DiGiovanniJack F. Goldman

studio Art Marlon D. Matthews

MathematicsWilliam M. DuFour

Greek Cameron J. Kelly

PhysicsZachary C. ChambersMatthew R. Ouellette

computer scienceAlexander C. PappasMorgan F. Rockett

sPEciAl MEDAlsAwarded to individuals who, during their high school years, have achieved the highest grade point average in required and advanced courses in the respective disciplines

humberto cardinal MedeirosMemorial Medal for Modern languagesSamuel J. Carroll

Rev. Msgr. Joseph A. Beatty Memorial Medal for English William J. Kenney

rev. Msgr. John f.x. harney Memorial Medal for religion Caleb F. Aldrich, Jr.

rev. Msgr. charles D. Mcinnis Memorial Medal for historyCaleb F. Aldrich, Jr.

Paul A. Ablondi ’57 Memorial Medal for MathematicsWilliam M. DuFour

St. Sebastian Medal for science William J. Kenney

St. Sebastian Medal for fine ArtsJustin N. Bellinger

St. Sebastian Medal for Classics Caleb F. Aldrich, Jr.

the headmaster’s AwardPresented to the graduate who has achieved the highest cumulative grade point average

Caleb F. Aldrich, Jr.

The St. Sebastian’s scholar AwardPresented to the graduates who have received a yearly average of B or higher in every course every year

Caleb F. Aldrich, Jr.John F. Bartlett, Jr.William M. DuFour William J. KenneyJohn E. McNamara, Jr. John H. O’LearyLuke J. Wasynczuk

The Sr. Evelyn C. Barrett, O.P. scholarship AwardPresented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Faculty, most exemplifies in body, mind, and soul the spirit of St. Sebastian’s School

John F. Bartlett, Jr.

the cardinal cushing Memorial Medal for student servicePresented to a senior for exemplary service to the School

Jack F. Goldman

the robert s. Gilligan AwardPresented to seniors who best exemplify the qualities of courage, determination, and perseverance

Conor P. DuffyTheodore M. Loughborough

the Joseph P. MacDonald AwardPresented each year by the Student Council, in conjunction with the School community, to a member of the St. Sebastian’s family for outstanding service to the School

Rev. John V. Paris

the reverend charles K. riepe MedallionPresented by the Assistant Headmaster, in consultation with the administration and faculty, to the member of the graduating class who has shown true leadership in exemplifying the virtues of faith and honor for which the School stands

Joseph M. Kearney

the founder’s MedalPresented to the member of the Senior Class whose character, leadership, and fortitude most closely reflect the ideals that inspired William Cardinal O’Connell to found this School in the name of St. Sebastian

Daniel W. Fulham II

The Leslie C. Quick, Jr. MedalPresented each year to a senior for exemplary initiative, creativity, and perseverance in advancing the mission of the School

Desmond T. DiGiovanni Marlon D. Matthews

the Alumni AwardPresented to the senior, selected by the faculty, who possesses strength of mind, body, and character; who displays outstanding attitude, effort, and achievement; has innate commitment to excellence in all endeavors; and who has made many and varied contributions to St. Sebastian’s School

John H. O’Leary


david A. AbelsonAturo C. Adkins

Caleb F. Aldrich, Jr.richard t. Arms

matthew V. BarlettaJohn F. Bartlett, Jr.Justin n. Bellinger

John m. BirminghamJordan d. Brydie

Christopher r. CallahanConnor A. Campanelli

samuel J. CarrollZachary C. Chambers

Brennon V. CoakleyAndrew s. Corcoran

Conor e. CravenBrian J. Curley

John B. daukas IIIdesmond t. diGiovanni

Conor P. duffywilliam m. duFour

Henry J. FinneganJames A. Fiore

nikolas A. Fischernicholas J. Flanagandaniel w. Fulham II

Kevin P. GinnsJack F. Goldman

Paul e. Griffin IIImiles L. Hunter

Joseph m. Kearney

Connecticut CollegeDickinson CollegeHarvard CollegeBowdoin CollegeProvidence CollegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaDuke UniversityHobart and William Smith CollegesProvidence CollegeUnited States Military AcademyElon UniversityWake Forest UniversityHarvard CollegeHobart and William Smith CollegesMiddlebury CollegeHamilton CollegeThe Catholic University of AmericaDartmouth CollegeKettering UniversitySalve Regina UniversityUniversity of Notre DameNortheastern UniversityUnion CollegeWake Forest UniversityTufts UniversityMiddlebury CollegeHamilton CollegeVillanova UniversityFordham UniversityUnion CollegeHarvard College

owen m. KehoeCameron J. Kelly

Christian X. Kelly william J. Kenney

Jacob s. Levy Austin r. Lewis

Theodore m. Loughborough marlon d. matthews shane r. mcdonald

tucker w. mcLoughlin John e. mcnamara, Jr.

Luke m. murphy Connor s. murray

Justin r. nicklas John H. o’Leary

Christopher J. o’shea malcolm K. osazuwa matthew r. ouellette Alexander C. Pappas matthew G. Pickard

Patrick J. rivardmorgan F. rockett

Corey K. ronan Connor F. strachan

Brandon G. sweeney Zachary taye

Joseph tran ryan A. walsh

Andrew F. warner Luke J. wasynczuk

Boston CollegeCollege of the Holy CrossTufts UniversityDuke UniversityMiami University, OxfordLoyola University MarylandSt. Lawrence UniversityWorcester Polytechnic InstituteLoyola Marymount UniversityProvidence CollegeBoston CollegeProvidence CollegeBoston CollegeStonehill CollegeHarvard CollegeWorcester Polytechnic InstituteLasell CollegeUnited States Military AcademyWorcester Polytechnic InstituteSt. Lawrence UniversityUniversity of MarylandNortheastern UniversityUniversity of ConnecticutBoston CollegeWake Forest UniversityUnion CollegeUniversity of Massachusetts, AmherstWheaton CollegeBoston CollegeWashington University in St. Louis

CLASS OF 2014 MATRICuLATION


Commencement by the Numbers

The number of towns represented by the 61 members of the Class of 2014, with the highest number—nine—coming from Wellesley.

325The approximate number of steps in the Headmaster’s Walk across campus before Commencement.

1962 The first class to trade in caps and gowns and begin the tradition of wearing St. Sebastian’s ties to Commencement. Over the past 52 years, the tie has featured stripes, the crest and in more recent years, the statue.

1988

The number of students who were able to participate in the first

Commencement on June 1, 1945. The other 10 students of the first graduating class had already been called to war.

Colleges to which 5 or more students have matriculated over the past 5 years

Boston College ............................34Harvard College ..........................17Villanova university ....................12Georgetown university ...............10College of the Holy Cross ............10Providence College ........................9Wake Forest university .................9Middlebury College ......................8Bowdoin College ..........................7Worcester Polytechnic Institute .....7Dartmouth College .......................6university of Notre Dame ..............6Amherst College ...........................5Colby College ...............................5Fairfield university .......................5university of Richmond ................5Trinity College ..............................5union College.............................. 5

The largest class to ever graduate, with 68 boys. Next year this record will be broken by the Class of 2015 with 72 members. 1988 is also the year that the tradition of wearing white pants began.

30

11

The number of championships won by St. Sebastian’s during the Class of 2014’s time at the

School in five different sports including football, lacrosse, golf, skiing and swimming.

6

CommenCement 2014


Alpha and OmegaWe begin and we end—together In our Community of loveOne last time, as a class, let us pray:

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

I reflect on the three phases of your journey:

Your life before St. Sebastian’sYour life at St. Sebastian’sYour life after St. Sebastian’s

Before St. Sebastian’s, you were hugged and kissed and fed and clothed and taught and nurtured and loved beyond all telling by your parents and grandparents and other family members. Your family has sacrificed to provide you with countless opportunities, including your prized St. Sebastian’s education. This proud moment is your time, but it’s their time, too. Please rise, face your families, and express your heartfelt gratitude.

___________________________________________

From day one at St. Sebastian’s, your outstanding mentors have engaged in sacred partnership with your parents, your primary educators, in the advancement of our shared purpose expressed so beautifully here in St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy:

To Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.(2Tim 1:6)

Fan as a verb works well here and so does fan as a noun, for your teachers, coaches, advisors, moderators, and mentors are certainly among your biggest and best fans.

Please rise, face your beloved educators, and express your gratitude.

___________________________________________

Try to recall your orientation, when you met with Father John and me upstairs in the Chapel. You may remember learning that the stained glass window honoring St. Jude is in place because I asked that it be installed and I did so because, many years ago, when my family and I were ready for a major

change in our lives, I prayed in earnest, through the intercession of St. Jude, this prayer: Please, Lord, put me in a place where I can best serve you and my family. And I shared that in January, 1990, when Mr. Jack Birmingham informed me that I would be named Headmaster of St. Sebastian’s, I believed that my prayer had been answered, and that I believe it ever more fully as time unfolds. And I offered these reasons for my assessment: St. Sebastian’s proved to be the very best School for our four sons; my wife was able to pursue her graduate school and career dreams; and there’s no place I’d rather be and no young men with whom I’d rather be working.

It’s true for all of us on the faculty and staff: there are no young men we’d rather serve than you 61 genetically unrepeatable gifts from God.

Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the beauty, truth, and goodness each of you individually and all of you collectively have pursued and achieved and shared throughout your years here and especially in this year of Community. That you have made your School a much stronger, much happier, much better place is a powerfully beautiful truth, as evidenced by everything we have seen and heard and felt today.

But our hearts feel some sadness, too, as they should. We have come to know you and love you and it’s just so hard to say good-bye.

And I know that it’s hard for this class in particular. So many of you have mentioned privately and some have even proclaimed publicly that if you could do one more year here, you’d do it in a heartbeat. And, oh, how we’d love to have you! But that’s our hearts hoping. Our heads know better: it’s time to move on, and you’re so very well prepared, poised and ready to summit ever-rising peaks of excellence in college and beyond.

Your parents and other family members, too, have shared their sadness in larger measure than usual.

And so for you, for your families, for your mentors, and for all experiencing the full range of emotions, I share a poem by C. Day Lewis, father of Daniel Day Lewis, who won Best Actor last year for his role as Lincoln. This poem is directed to the poet’s first son, Sean. It’s titled:

Headmaster’s AddressThe St. Sebastian’s Way BY William l. Burke iii

CommenCement 2014


Walking Away

It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day –A sunny day with leaves just turning,The touch-lines new-ruled – since I watched you playYour first game of football, then, like a satelliteWrenched from its orbit, go drifting away

Behind a scatter of boys. I can seeYou walking away from me towards the schoolWith the pathos of a half-fledged thing set freeInto a wilderness, the gait of oneWho finds no path where the path should be.

That hesitant figure, eddying awayLike a winged seed loosened from its parent stem,Has something I never quite grasp to conveyAbout nature’s give-and-take – the small, the scorchingOrdeals which fire one’s irresolute clay.

I have had worse partings, but none that soGnaws at my mind still. Perhaps it is roughlySaying what God alone could perfectly show –How selfhood begins with a walking away,And love is proved in the letting go.

St. Sebastian’s Way, the stunning 2014 Class Gift, gives a name to our Math corridor and a label to our culture.

When just a freshman, one of you wrote this sentence in a letter to me: I hope to have a successful future that is filled with love and happiness, using St. Sebastian’s as my foundation.

Then, as a senior, you stood at this podium and shared: A person with truly good character will be the same person at a concert on Saturday as he is in Mass on Sunday. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

One of you wrote this in your freshman letter to me: Sebs is giving me the tools to pursue knowledge and help mankind.

As a senior, you offered these gems in your Corporate Chapel address: Hard work and diligence are essential for happiness….With friends, you are building something that isn’t wholly self-serving….I’d rather die a poor man with friends than a rich man with none. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

One of you stood at this spot in October and spoke these words: Why should we live a life of service? The answer is that the reward for service is something intangible. We can’t get the same thing from affluence, authority, or fame. It is only the smile on the face of someone you helped get through a tough time that gives you the sensation of success. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

In your Corporate Chapel address, one of you proclaimed, with no small amount of theatrical passion: This Community, this Brotherhood is real, and you added: may we please—together—recite the order of the day: Love God, Work Hard, and Take Good Care of one another. And, of course, your brothers complied. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

LOVE GOD. We know that it’s all a gift—our eyes that see, our ears that hear, our mouths that speak, our feet that stride, our hands that hold, our minds that think, our hearts that love —all gifts, graced gifts, from our gracious and loving God, the giver of all good gifts. How blessed we are! The essence of life truly is in relationships and our primary relationship is our relationship with God.

So we brag not of our talents—800 SAT Math score, winning goal against Belmont Hill, gold medal art award, first place essay, debate triumph, robotics victory. Rather, we bow before God in awe and in humility, which Henri Nouwen defines as: the grateful recognition that we are precious in God’s eyes and that all we are is pure gift.

God loves us first. In returning His love in gratitude, we complete the gift.

WORK HARD. When we work hard, we are simply being the people we’re called to be, the people we’re made to be, the people we want to be. Indeed, I truly never have met a happy lazy person, and I know I never will.

“Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the beauty, truth, and goodness each of you individually and all of you collectively have pursued and achieved and shared throughout your years here and especially in this year of Community.”

CommenCement 2014

Corey Ronan ’14 receives the Marine Corps Athletic Excellence Award from Sgt. Kelly Warren of the United States Marine Corps on the eve of Commencement.


How magnificently your devoted teachers model and demand academic rigor, the pursuit of excellence, and all the best virtues. And how brilliantly and happily you have responded, and you did so right from the start. After your first month or so, the refrain of your parents was: My son has never worked harder, he’s never done better, and he’s never been happier in a school.

The world’s needs and your personal happiness are one, and it’s all about hard work.

TAKE GOOD CARE OF ONE ANOTHER. The other day I asked a young man in the class below yours to help me with this speech by sharing his feelings about what it is exactly that makes St. Sebastian’s St. Sebastian’s. He resisted. I persisted. He acquiesced, offering: It sounds cliché but it’s the brotherhood. And, also, a number of kids have told me that their faith has deepened. They have found God here, and they’re so grateful. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

I also chatted with an alumnus, who had just finished his second year at a highly selective college. He told me that his new friends attended secondary schools with cultures far different from the culture of St. Sebastian’s: In their high schools, students competed fiercely against their classmates, whereas at St. Sebastian’s we all worked hard, but everyone wanted me to do well. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

What you receive as a gift, you must give as a gift. (Matthew 10:8) Fanning this charge into flame at our mission Mass in April, Father John called each of your forward, placed his hands on your head, and sent you off to your service placement uttering these words: Give what you have been given.

And give you did. One of you, who threw your heart and soul into working with young children, sure connected deeply. When an assignment called for the kids to draw pictures of their families, one child drew you in, too.

One of you, who served the elderly, received rave reviews. In fact, you were such a delight that the staff made you bring your mother to the site, so they could thank her and honor her. They told your mother that you were by far the kindest, strongest, most positive, most patient volunteer—and that they wanted to clone you, and your mother responded: You can just go down the street to St. Sebastian’s and get a school full of them. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

We cheer for, not against. We strive to win, not humiliate. Every person is our neighbor. Every Arrow is a brother. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

At the dedication of the Class Gift on Sunday, one of your mothers told me that she had just read the third and final sentence of our mission statement carved into the wood and, afterward, said something to this effect: Yep, they did it. That’s them.

And so I recite that concluding sentence: The ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom, a life-long learner, who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor. The St. Sebastian’s Way.

Your life after St Sebastian’s is about to commence. Please know that you carry our highest hopes, for we truly believe that you will continue to become ever more fully all that God wants you to be in body, mind and soul, that you will enjoy fabulous success in college and in your careers, that you will embrace wholeheartedly your vocations, which for most will be as husbands and fathers, and we want you to go to heaven. What an awesome journey your way has been and promises ever to be, for, as St. Catherine of Siena reminds us:

All the way to heaven is heaven, because Jesus is the way. You will certainly stumble; we all do, but pick yourself up

and continue on your way, taking encouragement from these words of Pope Francis: God never gets tired of forgiving us…the strongest message of the Lord is mercy…we are the ones who get tired of asking Him for forgiveness.

Or as Sister Miriam Pollard says: There is nothing we can do that God is not eager to forgive.

And now, I’m going get heavy for a bit. As you make your way through college, you will most likely encounter more than a few professors and fellow students for whom the pursuit of truth through faith and reason is a foreign concept. You know, we all try so hard to define what is this business of pursuing truth through faith and reason; it is a really difficult thing to put into words, but as Marlon sings You raise me up—to more than I can be… I glimpse the essence: faith takes us far above and beyond who we can be through reason alone.

Some may even be hostile to the idea of pursuing truth through faith and reason. Be loving and kind. Pray for them. And if you feel like engaging, do so softly, humbly. You may consider gently asking if they’re open to the possibility that there may be a God who loves them more than they can love. If they’re open, breathe a sigh of relief, and tell them how happy you are for them. Ardent belief may be just around the corner.

If they’re not open, pray really hard for them because, as Sister Wendy Beckett states in this passage, they’re not being honest:

Doubt is often an excellent thing. Credulity is infantile: we all have to weigh evidence and make up our minds, and until we do, there is honest doubt, surely. But honest doubt is not willful doubt. Willful doubt is wrong precisely because it is not honest. It has an agenda, it is evading the truth for its own reasons.

Perhaps they’re engaging in what is known as contempt prior to investigation. And, as my three-year old grandson, Jackson, would say: That’s not a good idea!

Whether they’re pursuing truth through faith and reason or not, God is with them and God is with all of us through it all. In the words of our new Saint John Paul II: There is only one community and it consists of all people.

A Big Heart Open to God, the title of Pope Francis’s book and our best program for life.

In the words of Padre Pio: Pray, hope, and don’t worry.Once in, never out—Arrows forever—The St. Sebastian’s

Way. It’s time to go now, so, good-bye, gentlemen. Return to us often, in sorrow and in joy, and we’ll be here waiting with hearts and arms wide open. Know that we love you and that we will forever. Go now in peace. Shalom!

CommenCement 2014


CommenCement 2014

Tedy Loughborough ’14 (3rd from left) shares a laugh with his brother David ’12, his grandfather and classmate Connor Strachan ’14.

Bill Flanagan ’49 (far left) and Peter Powell ’52 (far right) join Headmaster Burke with graduating grandsons Nicholas Flanagan ’14 and Matthew Pickard ’14.

Brandon Sweeney ’14 and Kevin Ginns ’14

Faculty member Carla Callini presents the Joseph P. Macdonald Award to Father Paris.

Cam Kelly ’14 (4th from left) with his family outside St. Bartholomew Parish. Jordan Brydie ’14, full of joy as he exits the church.

Henry Finnegan ’14 (center) with his brothers Owen ’16 (left) and Cam ’16 (right)


Fellow Trustees, Headmaster Burke, Commencement Speaker Father Edwin D. Leahy, faculty, staff, family and friends, and most of all the Class of 2014, good morning and welcome.

I am honored on behalf of the Board of Trustees to speak to you and your fellow classmates this morning. I would like to begin my remarks with two words—thank you.

Today marks the School’s 70th Commencement Exercises. This day is the most important day in our school calendar. Sixty-nine graduating classes have all gone before you. You join the ranks of our 2,700 alumni. With six alumni fathers and two alumni grandfathers—Bill Flanagan, Class of 1949 and Peter Powell, Class of 1952—giving their sons and grandsons respectively their diplomas today, it certainly ties into our school theme of “Community.” This is truly a remarkable statistic for St. Sebastian’s.

Your graduation reaffirms your success at St. Sebastian’s. We know well the trials and tribulations that you have personally gone through and your extraordinary hard work, sometimes through laughter and sometimes through tears, that you have endured with family, teachers and your fellow classmates along the way.

We are incredibly proud of you. Though your days of sitting in a classroom, competing in an athletic competition or having given your last Chapel Speech are over, your relationship with the School is truly just beginning. up until today, you were told to be here, and after today, you will want to be here. Today, we put the finishing touches on your foundation—the foundation known as St. Sebastian’s.

Regardless of where you go to college, your major, your summer job or career, or the wonderful life journeys you embark on with family and friends—your St. Sebastian’s foundation will never fail you, trust me. Go forth, build upon it, and share it with others. You are well prepared for this day. The Class of 2014—61 strong.

You are a close class, but with time and some distance, you will become even closer and appreciate even more the opportunity of getting together. Your class excelled in so many ways and I would like to take a moment to highlight some of these:

ACAdemICs• Twelve members of your class were the 7th group of

inductees into the St. Sebastian’s chapter of the prestigious Cum Laude Society. Three members of your class were commended students in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program.

• One member went on to be named a finalist; his score placed him in the top 1% of students across the country who took the PSAT/NMSQT. He will attend the university of Pennsylvania in the Fall. One member of your class was recognized by the National Achievement Scholarship Program, which annually honors academically promising Black American high school students. He will attend Harvard university in the Fall.

• Members of the class achieved success in the Independent School Debating Association, winning awards in league tournaments. Two members compiled a perfect record at the highly competitive Hotchkiss School Annual Debating Tournament.

serVICe• Members of the class gave over 5,000 hours of service.

You all helped with the school’s Admissions Program, serving as tour guides, and assisting at Open Houses and Curriculum Nights.

• Members of your class gave generously of their time and talent throughout last summer by tutoring and mentoring poor and underserved children at Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy in Dorchester.

• The class had strong participation in the liturgical life of the school—five of its members served the community of the school as Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, singers and lectors at masses throughout the year.

tHe Arts• Members of this class participated in the Memory Project,

which sends portraits to children in orphanages in Cambodia, Afghanistan, Honduras, Haiti, Rwanda and Vietnam.

• One member of this class was recognized at the Baccalaureate Dinner for his stirring rendition of T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” in Corporate Chapel in honor of National Poetry Month.

• One member received Honorable Mention for his photo submission to the 2014 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

Board President’s AddressYour St. Sebastian’s FoundationBY JAMES L. ELCOCK ’77, P’08

CommenCement 2014


AtHLetICs• One member of this class was named ISL Co-MVP and

All-Scholastic Team for football. He will play at Boston College next year.

• Five members earned All-League Honors and five earned Honorable Mention for football. One member earned All-League for soccer.

• One member of this class was invited to play in the 36th Annual Shriners All-Star Football Classic later this month. He will attend Middlebury this Fall.

• During the Winter season, members received All League Honors in basketball, hockey and wrestling.

• Members of your class participated in the Division II New England Prep School swimming and diving championships.

• Two members of this class served as co-captains of the Varsity Ski Team this year and helped us earn our first ever NEPSAC title in skiing.

• Lacrosse, baseball, tennis and golf teams all were competitive with bright futures.

Finally, your extraordinary list of college acceptances. Gentlemen, the school is a much better school with today’s graduation. Your reputation and the school’s reputation go hand in hand. When you do well your school does well. You are St. Sebastian’s and this is your school.

As President of the Board of Trustees, it is my responsibility to encourage each member of the Class of 2014 to continue to live the mission of the school no matter where the future takes you. Live by the words “the ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and

just person, a gentleman of courage, honor and wisdom, a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love and to serve God and neighbor.”

As I conclude my remarks today, I would like to share some words from an American singer/songwriter, Phillip Phillips. When I listen and reflect on these lyrics, I think these words could easily come from any of you to a fellow classmate as you congratulate one another and remind yourselves, Arrows forever!

When life leaves you high and dryI’ll be at your door tonight if you need help I’ll shut down the city lights,I’ll lie, cheat, I’ll beg and bribe to make you well, When enemies are at your door I’ll carry you away from warI’ll share in your suffering to make you wellAnd I would do it for you I’m not moving onI’ll love you long after you’re goneWhen you fall like a statueI’m going to be there to catch youPut you on your feetYou’re my back bone, you’re my cornerstoneYou’re my crutch when my legs stop movingYou’re my headstart, you’re my rugged heartYou’re the pulse that I’ve always needed

Gentlemen, I would now like to close my remarks with one word—Congratulations!

CommenCement 2014

Proud alumni fathers join Headmaster Bill Burke and their sons prior to Commencement. From left: James and John Fiore ’79, John Jr. and John McNamara ’81, John and Devin Birmingham ’84, Headmaster Burke, Mark ’81 and Andrew Warren, John ’84 and Desmond DiGiovanni, Peter ’79 and Morgan Rockett.


Congratulations to you gentlemen on your graduation today from St. Sebastian’s. Do you get nervous when someone gets up and has a folder in front of them? I know you guys do. How long’s this guy going to go

on? So I decided to forget about what I had written, and to do a little bit of something else with you this morning.

As you can tell, I’m a Benedictine monk. I’m the only guy dressed like this in the whole place, and this particular outfit is a little old. It’s been about 1,500 years that I’ve been wearing it; that’s why I look so much different than everybody else.

I’d like to thank John Ryan for his kind introduction. I did forget him in my office; thank God he had enough nerve to leave after two hours.

I know that graduation speakers are, and what they say is, almost never remembered. Even who they were is rarely remembered. I only remember my graduation speaker at my graduation from St. Benedict’s Prep in 1963 because he was the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, Arthur Costello. And on the stage presenting our diplomas to us was the Abbot of our monastery, Abbot Patrick O’Brien. So this may not make sense to the members of the Class of 2014, it would make a lot of sense to the parents and grandparents that are here, but I’m one of the few people who had Abbot and Costello at his graduation.

I come to this sacred place committed to the protection of the martyr Sebastian. You’ve come here today for this commencement ceremony from places, I imagine, like Needham and Newton, Wellesley and Waltham, Belmont and Boston. And there was another gathering of Saints that went on centuries ago at another place committed to the protection of the martyr Sebastian that celebrated and prayed in the catacombs in Rome. Father Paris can no doubt speak to you about it.

But I want to share, just for a few minutes, this theme. If you come from where I come from, you can’t speak to anyone without having a theme. And the theme I want to speak to you about is “don’t forget your keys.” Look at somebody next to you and tell them, “Don’t forget your keys.” And if you have your phone on you—I don’t want to make anybody get in trouble this morning— but if you have your phone, you may want to take it out and tweet somebody: don’t forget your keys. You can do that anytime you want while I’m speaking.

Somebody needs to know that today, the entrance into places—at least where I live; I don’t know about here in Needham—depends on having your key. If you’ve forgotten your key, you can get into

some kind of difficulty. I’ve had that happen, where I’ve forgotten my keys, and left them in the monastery, and gone out. And when I try to reenter the monastery, because we’re surrounded by a big fence, I had to climb over (on a number of occasions) a 15-foot-high gate. The older I’ve gotten the more difficult it’s been to climb the gate, always hoping that a radio car would not go by and snatch me up, thinking that I was trying to break into this monastery.

And when I got over the gate, I then had to confront the door that enters the monastery. I couldn’t get in that way either. I had to climb a fire escape to wake up another one of the members of my community to come down and let me in. So forgetting your key can be a real problem. But if you’ve only forgotten it, you usually know where to go back and get it. You also don’t want to lose your key, because losing your key leads to disaster.

I would suggest to you this morning that the keys to where you want to get are prayer and good works. Now, someone in the Class of 2014 is saying now he’s going to start to preach. You don’t want me to start to preach, because if you put somebody in a church behind an ambo who preaches in a black church, they may go on for a long time. I don’t want to do that this morning. And if someone were to shout at me I might go on even a little longer, so be quiet. So, prayer and good works. But let me try to say it in a different way for you: sing like a bird, and work like a bee.

I noticed that birds sing at various times of the day. They sing in the morning when the sun comes up, they sing in the evening when the sun goes down, they sing in the midday when everyone is busy about work. And sometimes you can hear them sing, as I did this morning, while it’s still dark. So I recommend to you, members of the Class of 2014: sing in the morning when you get up, praise God; sing in the evening when you go to bed, thank God; sing in the darkest moments of your life, and beg God. Sing, St. Sebastian’s, sing every day, sing several times a day, sing in praise of God. It’s in praise of God and in prayer that your key will open you to the Kingdom of Heaven—the Kingdom of Heaven here and

Keynote Address“Don’t forget your keys.”BY REv. EDWiN D. LEAHY, O.S.B.Headmaster, St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J.

CommenCement 2014


the Kingdom of Heaven on the other side of Jordan. Sing like a bird, and you’ll find that very rarely do you hear one bird singing. If you listen in the morning, one bird will start to sing and before you know it another one will sing. If you begin to sing, others will sing with you. Somebody whose life may be difficult may be able to sing a song because they hear you singing. Someone who may be struggling with the diminishment that comes with age may hear you sing and they’ll sing along with you. Sing, St. Sebastian’s, sing every day. And then work like a bee.

A bee is an interesting creature to observe. I live in the middle of downtown Newark—concrete everywhere. But you find bees. Bees look for something to extract pollen from. Bees look for water so that they can take what they’ve extracted from the plant, and the water, and make something sweet. Sweet honey. In fact they tell me that if you take locally created honey, it does something to heal your allergies. Bees are amazing. They can find pollen anywhere, and even in the strangest places. I’ve seen bees, where I live, in abandoned lots. Places that have been destroyed by anger and depression; bees can find flowers. Cracks in the sidewalk that everyone else ignores, a bee finds a flower where it can draw pollen.

Find pollen in the strangest places; don’t be afraid to go into the places that have been depressed. Don’t be afraid to go into the places where people are suffering. Don’t be afraid to go into the places where people are dying. Don’t be afraid to find pollen to create sweetness in the life of somebody who needs sweetness, because you can identify it and bring it to them. Be a bee. Work like a bee. Bees work themselves to death. Work every day creating honey so on the day when you die the key to the Kingdom will be yours.

Sing like a bird, work like a bee, and be an optimist. When I didn’t know quite what to say to you gentlemen, I prayed to John Ryan’s mother. John’s mother died years ago when she was very young. And I prayed for her intercession with the Lord, along with St. Sebastian’s, that I might be able to say something that you might be able to remember at least a word of, if not remember me.

I called Mary Ryan when she was dying of cancer, and I said, “Mary, how ya doin’?”

She said, “Ed, let me tell you a story.”There were identical twins, one was an optimist, and one was a

pessimist. They split the twins, and they wanted to know how they could be identical twins and be so opposite of one another. They took the pessimist and put him in a room with all brand-new toys. They took the optimist and they put him in a separate room with a pile of horse manure.

They were observed through a one-way window, and the pessimist was sitting, throwing his toys against the wall, complaining, breaking them, and sitting idly, not even playing with them. They observed the optimist, and he was digging in the horse manure. Imagine. They watched it for a while and those

observing went into the room. They asked the pessimist, “What’s the problem?”

“I don’t like any of these toys.” He did nothing but complain about what they put in there—all brand-new things for him. You know what it’s like; nothing made him happy. They went in with the optimist and they said, “What are you doing?”

He said, “With this much horse crap there’s got to be a pony in here somewhere.”

With that, Mary Ryan said, “I’m just looking for the pony, Ed.” And she hung up the phone.

So in addition to singing like a bird and working like a bee, I want you to keep looking for the pony. No matter what life brings you, no matter what the sufferings, no matter what the trials, no matter what the tribulations. You have no idea the difficulties that may come to somebody that you love—a sick child, a sick wife— just keep looking for the pony. And when you fall, get up.

The story is told about a desert father who was an old man, and a young disciple came to him, and he said, “Father, I’ve sinned.”

The old man said to him, “Get up.” A few months later the disciple came back and figured that he

would get a harsh reaction from the master when he would go to tell him that he committed the same sin again. He went back to the desert father and said, “Father, I have sinned.”

And the old man looked at him and said, “Get up.”And a third time, a year later, the disciple came back to the

desert father and he said, “Father, I have sinned.”The old man said, “Get up.” When you fall, get up. As long as you can look up, you can get

up. And in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you’ve got to be up. I don’t know anybody who got in on their back. So when you fall, when weaknesses come, when you fail, when you don’t accomplish what you wanted to accomplish—get up.

As you leave today, whether you communicate by Facebook or phone, Twitter or text, remind one another: Don’t forget your keys. When you come to reunions, ask one another, “Do you have your keys?”

I’m proud of you today; I admire your intelligence; I’m counting on your prayers. And don’t forget your keys. Somebody is relying on you. Somebody needs to hear the Good News from you. Somebody needs to become a bird and sing because of you. Somebody needs to benefit from the work that you do as a bee. Somebody who’s a pessimist may turn into an optimist because they looked for the pony with you. Keep looking for the pony, St. Sebastian’s. And when you fall, get up.

Thanks for listening. Marlon, you can sing at my funeral anytime you want.

“If you begin to sing, others will sing with you. Somebody whose life may be difficult may be able to sing a song because they hear you singing...”

CommenCement 2014


Mr. Burke, Father Arens, Mr. Nerbonne, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Elcock, Father Leahy, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the faculty, parents, guests, and brothers of the Class of 2014:

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you as I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of the St. Sebastian’s community and to be able to speak with you today. St. Sebastian’s is such a special place with great tradition and caring stewardship. The leadership of Mr. Burke, Father Arens, Mr. Nerbonne, and Mr. Sullivan is remarkable and I know it is fully appreciated by each and every one of us.

As I reflect on my years at St. Sebastian’s, three things dominate my memories: first, the incredible efforts of the faculty and administration; second, the richness of the educational experience; and third, the collegiality and accomplishments of our class.

With respect to the efforts of the faculty, I can’t imagine a more skillful and supportive team of people. Every member of the faculty puts in his or her best effort in the classroom, on the athletic fields and carries out a wide range of administrative responsibilities. All of this is done with the aim of making the school a better place and enriching our experiences here and beyond. From extra help on difficult classroom concepts, to late afternoon team practices, to figuring out and executing innumerable necessary tasks, St. Sebastian’s faculty members go above and beyond in their efforts with students every day and serve as great role models for all of us.

Though I would like to talk with you about all of the teachers I have had here at St. Sebastian’s, in the interest of time, I will comment on just two that influenced me in meaningful ways. The first is Mr. Palmaccio who was my math teacher back in 8th grade. A 1962 St. Sebastian’s graduate, Mr. Palmaccio embodies the concept of giving time and help to others. It isn’t uncommon to see a group of students of all ages sitting around Mr. Palmaccio at the crack of dawn at a table in Ward Hall receiving assistance on a math concept or problem. I was one of those students many times and will forever be grateful. In fact, Mr. Palmaccio’s giving doesn’t stop at the boundaries of St. Sebastian’s as he also established and supports a school in Liberia to give a helping hand to less fortunate students. This concept of giving back is also embraced by Mr. Schell who is a relatively more recent addition to the St. Sebastian’s faculty, but has already made a major impact in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in college counseling. Much like Mr. Palmaccio, Mr. Schell gives an all out effort to St. Sebastian’s,

but also finds time to help others outside of our community. He has started an organization, called the Cannonball Foundation, to assist underprivileged youth in developing their baseball and college preparation skills. These two teachers and countless others are not only great instructors, but awesome role models for us to seek to emulate in the future as we embark on our journeys after St. Sebastian’s.

The richness of the educational experience at St. Sebastian’s has been extraordinary. By this, I am not only referencing the efforts put forth by our teachers and administration, but also the breadth and depth of the educational experience. It is easy for most of us to take things for granted, but I know we all appreciate the uniqueness of the Chapel Speech Program. Likewise, the Writing Program has raised the skill level of each of us, which will be crucial in years to come. The All School Read program and speaker series has brought us tremendous guests who have shared their life journeys. For example, Travis Roy, who suffered a tragic injury that paralyzed him, and Louie Zamperini, whose life was chronicled in Unbroken, both taught us about perseverance and determination. Stephen Pemberton, a man who grew up in an abusive foster home, told us his life story and determined search for his family as an adult. Courtney Bent, who altered her career to start a non-profit organization to provide cameras for people with disabilities, showed us how giving can positively impact the lives of others in very meaningful ways. These true life struggles and good deeds combined with the thoughtful insights provided by Mr. Burke and others are elements of education that cannot be quantified.

Finally, with respect to our class, the Class of 2014, I will say that it is a great class. It is a class with a lot of camaraderie. It is a class that played hard, but also worked hard. I’m proud of our class. I believe we are well rounded and extremely accomplished. To note only a few achievements, I list the following:

For years, Connor Strachan and Justin Bellinger have been legendary in their leadership on the football and baseball fields helping teams to many victories and championships. I wish

Valedictory AddressIt’s Time to Give BackBY CALEB F. ALDRiCH ’14

CommenCement 2014


them academic and athletic success at Boston College and Duke and only ask, if they choose to pursue professional careers, to not sign with the Jets or the Yankees. Other noteworthy accomplishments are the efforts of Joe Kearney and John O’Leary on the lacrosse fields, helping us to many winning seasons and a championship and being asked to bring their talents across town to Harvard.

In the academic arena, John Bartlett was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. That’s an awesome achievement attained by less than 1% of test takers.

In the world of entertainment, Jack Goldman and Marlon Matthews have been exceptional at St. Sebastian’s and will undoubtedly continue to excel for many years to come.

In the realm of community service, Patrick Rivard has been outstanding, starting the blanket drive in 7th grade and leading it ever since.

And most impressive to me, two of our classmates, Matt Ouellette and Chris Callahan, are going to attend West Point. If you want to change the world, you have to aim high. That’s what I believe they are doing by serving our great nation.

Now that I have reveled to some degree in our accomplishments at St. Sebastian’s, it is time to look forward to what we can do to make our country and the world better. There is so much more for each and every one of us to do. I don’t want to belittle in any way what any one of us has accomplished, but we need to have perspective and realize that what we do in the future is so much more important than what we have done to this day. Each and every one of us has received a great education. We should thank the St. Sebastian’s community and our parents for this fact. It is time for us to give back to our supporters by giving our best efforts in the future. In thinking about a way to

convey the importance of putting a best foot forward, I will share with you a passage given to me on a plaque by my grandmother when I was twelve years old. It is a quote she displayed in a paper version on her kitchen cabinet when her kids were growing up. The words are from our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge. President Coolidge said:

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing in the world is more common thanunsuccessful men with talent.Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts.Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

We have been given this great gift of education and experiences. I believe that the best way we can repay those who have educated and supported us is to work hard, achieve successes, help others, and give back to our communities in ways that would make the St. Sebastian’s community, our parents, and supporters proud.

Now, on behalf of the entire class, I would like to thank all the members of the faculty one last time. I also want to express my gratitude to my family. Mom, Dad, and Cole, thank you for all your love and support over the years.

Finally, members of the Class of 2014, it has been an honor to be with you the past five years. The friendships and memories we have forged within these walls will last for the rest of our lives. Hopefully we will all have many more memories when we come back for reunions and gatherings. We will be Arrows forever. Thank you and God bless.

“We have been given this great gift of education and experiences. I believe that the best way we can repay those who have educated and supported us is to work hard, achieve successes, help others, and give back to our communities...”

CommenCement 2014

Seniors give thanks to their parents during the Commencement ceremony. Teddy Griffin ’14 thanks faculty member Karl Grohmann (center) and Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne (right).


Mr. Burke, Father Arens, Mr. Nerbonne, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Elcock, Father Leahy, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the faculty, parents, guests, and brothers of the Class of 2014:

I still have a vivid image in my head of a particular event that occurred during the fall of freshman year, in my first few months as a Seb’s student. I’m sitting in a study hall with a group of other 9th graders, listening to them reminisce about students who had been their classmates in 7th and 8th grade, but went somewhere else for high school. One classmate, Chris O’Shea, turns to me and asks if I remember a kid named Joe Meers and all his reputed behavior quirks. I give him a blank look and he thinks for a moment, then says, “Oh sorry, I forgot you’re new here. It feels like you’ve been at Seb’s since 7th grade.”

St. Sebastian’s has the difficult task of transforming boys into men in 4-6 short years. It is a challenge taken on by schools all across the country, but one not always met to a satisfactory degree. While all schools deliver to their best ability the knowledge and skills a student must possess to succeed in life, they often miss the many other elements required to form a person prepared to go out and serve the world.

Among other things, becoming a man involves gaining knowledge, maturity, and empathy. Knowledge is the easiest factor for a school to impart, and with the highly qualified teachers and well-reputed curriculum employed at this school, this trait is an easy check off the list. But it isn’t only brought about by the teachers—students at this school work together to help each other grow in their knowledge. I spent countless nights junior year on conference calls with Cam Kelly, Marlon Matthews, and Pat McGowan, who were in my physics class. We would help each other get through Webassign, the online assignment system that everyone here eventually gets to know so well. We would go through one question at a time making sure everyone understood it, and no one would hang up until we had all finished, or at least were close enough to be satisfied.

Maturity is gained both inside the classroom and elsewhere in a high school student’s life. The responsibility of schoolwork, as well as an enforced dress and behavioral code, provide guidelines during the school day, and after school the packed schedules most students here have require the time management skills of a truly mature person. The most powerful lesson that students gain here on their quest for maturity, however, is a phrase repeated at every sports game, field trip, or other school-related event: “remember who you represent.” Often, those words are the only ones necessary to transform a bunch of

underclassmen goofing off at a debate tournament into a group of polite, respectful gentlemen from St. Sebastian’s. Maturity is also knowing when to make appropriate jokes to lighten the mood. At the freshmen orientation on my first day at Seb’s, I was nervous, to say the least. When I sat down at a table in Ward Hall with some of my new classmates, though, Brian Curley immediately started picking everyone’s brains to find jokes that would entertain the new guy. Jack Goldman then proceeded to rattle off every joke he could think of that involved former VP Dick Cheney, which was a lot. They weren’t very good jokes, but it sure helped to make me feel more comfortable as a part of this new community.

Empathy is the element of manhood least often found in high school graduates. Without empathy, a student will enter college unwilling to connect to other people, and then have further trouble later on in life. After years of competing with their classmates and focusing on building a personal resume to show off to colleges, many students lose one of the most important parts of growing up. Friendship. Camaraderie. And at an all boys school like St. Sebastian’s, brotherhood.

The St. Sebastian’s bond is a tight one. The small size of the school, the atmosphere of acceptance, and especially the fact that students can and do stay at school long after the day is over really help us grow closer with our teachers and each other. I’ve never heard of another place where students create study guides for their peers to use for an upcoming test and expect nothing in return, or where kids encourage each other to get their homework done early so that, after hours of their own club and sport obligations, they can carpool into Boston to spend the rest of the night watching the hockey team play at Fenway Park. Here at Seb’s, you will find crowds at plays, Moot Court competitions, chess matches, and even middle school sporting events. You could walk into the mini McCulloch room at 6 p.m. on a random weekday to find a group of kids simply

Salutatory AddressTransforming Boys into MenBY JOHN F. BARTLETT ’14

CommenCement 2014


eating pizza and chatting. These boys have likely asked their parents to pick them up later than usual just because they are not yet ready to leave school. Henry’s Corner is the biggest fan section in the ISL, not because of our school’s size, but because we care about our fellow students and want to see them succeed. We share empathy for each other, just as our teachers do for us in the classroom. Most of you have heard Mr. Burke say that “peer pressure at St. Sebastian’s is a positive influence.” This peer pressure is what gives us direction as we move towards adulthood. It is a guardrail on a path that otherwise would have signs only few and far between. All the intelligence in the world can’t help a man with no direction and no way to connect with others.

The late writer Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” During these years at St. Sebastian’s, we become an integral part of each others’ lives, to the point where life before is just a distant memory. Amidst all the facts and details of an academically driven life, we at this school help each other grow into manhood through the close bonds we make, sharing our struggles and our successes as each of us becomes “a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom, a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor.”

Here I’d like to thank my family for bringing me to where I am now; they are strong members of the St. Sebastian’s community, and the most important part of my life as well. Mom and Dad, thanks for driving me to school every day through junior year, making sure I got my homework done most nights, and supporting me along the way while not pushing too hard. Most importantly, thanks for telling me to apply to St. Sebastian’s; it has been the decision of a lifetime. Sarah, thanks for giving me sisterly advice about college and girls. Peter and Julia, thanks for constantly pulling me away from my homework just to chat or show me something cool you found on the internet; that’s what siblings are for.

Now to my fellow graduating seniors: Remember this community of St. Sebastian’s and all the people who make it, who lifted you up and made you the men you are today. If in ten, thirty, or fifty years you can’t remember our names, the things we said, or what exactly we did in these halls, at least remember how we made you feel as we shaped you into a man. Proceed with us in your hearts, and you will go far. Thank you.

“Amidst all the facts and details of an academically driven life, we at this school help each other grow into manhood through the close bonds we make, sharing our struggles and our successes...”

CommenCement 2014

Jay Daukas ’14, Dan Fulham ’14 and David Abelson ’14

Seniors line up for the Headmaster’s Walk across campus.


Dedication of St. Sebastian’s Way

Headmaster Burke’s remarks:Far and away the most ambitious, most complex and most creative of the Senior Class gifts, this gorgeous St. Sebastian’s Way, given in honor of the outstanding Class of 2014 by you, their loving parents, is almost impossible to describe, but what a beauty to behold!

Perhaps John Stefanoni, one of our extraordinarily devoted maintenance workers, a man who has made his way up and down this corridor hundreds of times, says it best: “One way of putting it is: When you go by, you have to stop.”

Under the guidance of our outstanding architect and parent of two Arrows, Rob Olson, we struggled through every phase of the project. We even struggled with the name. What should we call this space? In contention were St. Sebastian’s Mission Hall and The St. Sebastian’s Experience. Then it came to us: St. Sebastian’s Way. A thru way, to be sure, a well traveled avenue for students and faculty, for other members of our community, and for our many guests, but it was all of that before we adorned these walls with words and images proclaiming our mission, our purpose, our mode or way of being and going. So Way it is and St. Sebastian’s Way it ever shall be. Saecula Saeculorum.

We recite our mission and proclaim what we hold most sacred at Admissions Open House, where I think we first put the hook in you, and we publish the same in our catalogue and magazine and we post it on our website. Now, thanks to you, the walls themselves will shout the good news, and I am so very, very grateful.

From the depths of my soul, I thank you all.

Marking the beginning of Commencement Week, parents of the Class of 2014 gathered on Sunday, June 1, for a reception and dinner to dedicate this year’s Senior Class gift. St. Sebastian’s Way, a corridor on the first floor of the Math, Science & Library Center, honors the mission and tradition of the school, as well as its students, faculty, and trustees.


These powerful images, these remarkable challenges and comforts, are carved into the walls before us in words of Holy Scripture and the wisdom of saints and scholars, in the words of our Mission Statement. The mark and meaning of those words and actions are, in a manner, carved into us—into each of the class of 2014—and are displayed for future generations of Arrows. Lord, let these not be static words or images, but living and breathing and deepening invitations to the fullness of life to which You call us. We ask You, let Your Blessing enlighten this St. Sebastian’s Way, and reside here, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, to Your Glory, One God forever and ever. Amen.

Lord, as we bless this gift of the Class of 2014 and their parents, let it be a constant reference point of our history and experience together. Help what happens in this space to be a ready compass to help us sail a steady course of progress in this our beloved St. Sebastian’s. May what is displayed here be a continuance of all that is good in the words and actions offered, in the images presented, and in our Mission Statement. Let us, Lord, hear them again and again transformed by Your Holy Spirit:SeekingEngagingPursuingEmbracingIncludingNurturingInspiringExcellingStructuringStrivingSucceedingBeing moralBeing justBeing a gentlemanHaving courageHaving honorHaving wisdomLearningContinuingGrowingKnowingLovingServingGod and Neighbor

FatHer JoHn arens’ Blessing:

TOP: Seniors gather with Father Arens to bless St. Sebastian’s Way.

ABOvE: One of three panels that span the length of the corridor, gracing the walls with images and words that represent the School mission.

LEFT: Members of the Senior Class Gift Committee gather at the reception to celebrate the gift made possible by the parents of the Class of 2014.



A few highlights: Frank very often and most enthusiastically proclaimed his love for the Catholic Church and for St.

Sebastian’s School, and, from time to time, lamented that he was not in possession of a St. Sebastian’s diploma. Happily, we took care of that matter by ceremoniously presenting him with a diploma and naming him our first and only Honorary Graduate. Positively beaming when Stephen was elected student body President for the 1995-96 academic year, Frank could not have been more justifiably proud of his son. And how thrilled he was to see his grandsons, Erik Ward ’09 and Donavon

Ward ’11, become Arrows! And how delighted he was (and we all were) that his beloved mother, Mary Whitney Ward, was healthy, in attendance, and very much the guest of honor in 1998, when Frank and Eileen dedicated our gracious great room/dining hall. That night, Frank explained that his mother, who had been widowed early in life, succeeded in raising and educating her children on the salary she earned during her 40 year stint working in the dining hall at a well known hall in Massachusetts: The Harvard Club on Commonwealth Avenue. “Well,” Frank added “now, there’s going to be an even more famous hall in Massachusetts with

her name on it: Mary Whitney Ward Hall at St. Sebastian’s School!” Thunderous applause ensued.

After making major gift after major gift to our capital projects, Frank called me to his office one day, expressed his belief that our teachers comprised the best work force he had ever seen, and informed me that he and Eileen would be making an enormous gift to our endowment to boost faculty salaries. Not only did this tremendous gift enable us to raise teacher compensation levels most significantly, but, in essence, the gift established our endowment. Frank and Eileen continued to show their respect, admiration, and affection for the people who serve our students by sponsoring raffles—at first for cars and then for substantial amounts of money—at our Annual Faculty/Staff Christmas Party.

Greatly saddened by Frank’s passing, we pray that he rests in heaven and that his family and friends will be comforted by our Lord’s peace, the peace that surpasses all human understanding.

Trustee Emeritus, father of trustee Stephen ’96, and grandfather of Erik ’09 and Donovan ’11

1943-2014

Tribute by Headmaster William L. Burke III

FRANK M. WARD

No one could ever measure or express all that Frank Ward and his beautiful family mean to St. Sebastian’s School. His youngest son, Stephen, and I joined the St. Sebastian’s family in 1990—he as a 7th grader and I as Headmaster. In short order, Frank was welcomed onto our board, and what phenomenally generous gifts of time, talent, and treasure he and Eileen devoted to their beloved School!

The Passing of a Giant


I married my beautiful wife, Roberta, almost ten years ago and proceedings for the wedding started with rehearsal at a church right down the road from

here. A typical wedding rehearsal, some 30 family and friends were there and the plan, as usual, was to run through the wedding, practice vows, and go to dinner. Now, standing in front of everyone, I faced my Roberta and began to run through our practice marriage. It should be no surprise that Father Arens was our priest directing the rehearsal. At that moment, however, with 30 onlookers, a mere fraction of today’s crowd, the gravity of what I was doing overtook me and I completely dissolved into a slobbering mess. Father Arens gave me moment and made a joke to help me through, but I couldn’t get it together. I can still remember the embar-rassment as I looked around the room but my father’s face particularly stood out. He looked at me with complete dismay; even Father Arens looked disgusted, but I couldn’t stop.

I was so amped up that my head was still buzzing when we got to the rehearsal dinner. There, the same crowd buzzed with conversation, and they got into drinks and a great dinner. They laughed and talked, but not me. I was stricken with anxiety—imagine how I feel right now! And so I got up from the table and went to the bar. No one noticed, or so I thought, but, out of nowhere, there was my dad. “I need to speak to you son.” At that moment I thought: “Here it is, my

father son moment when my dad offers his wisdom and sends me off with the secret of success and good wishes.” He leaned into me, squeezed my arm and said: “What was that in Church? You looked like a big baby in there—be a man, son; be a man.” He turned on his heels and went back to dinner. I was now completely floored and ripped with the fresh anxiety that I was going to cry on the altar during the actual wedding. The next day I was scared to death, but, just at the last moment, as I left the sacristy and faced my beautiful wife, I was graced with complete calm. Thank you, God, I thought: I won’t disappoint my Dad. I remember turning to look at the crowd and take in the whole scene and I found my father’s face and there he was, sobbing like a giant baby! Oh, how I still appreciate the irony of that!

My father was born Francis Michael Ward in Roxbury, Massachusetts to his beloved mother, Mary, and his father, Joseph. The Wards had six children, Roseleen, Marianne, the twins, Frankie and Johnny, Joe, and Susan. They, like so many others, piled into a three family home, a three deckah. Theirs was on Alpine St.

An event that would shape all of their lives: their father, Joe, died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage—my dad and Johnny were eight years old. My grandmother, whom I remember well, was suddenly faced with the typically damning news that she would somehow have to raise up six kids, in the city, alone. As if that

weren’t enough, my father’s twin, Johnny, lost a leg at the tender age of eleven from what they thought at the time was cancer; the cruelty of that would haunt my father forever. Mrs. Ward, however, managed to pull through. Her sister, Dottie, moved in for years while her husband was in quarantine from the war and her daughter, Nancy, became my father’s fourth sister. My grandmother eventually went to work for the Harvard Club of Boston as a server, then, eventually, as manager, and she toiled there for forty years. She loved Elvis. That work ethic, though, would not only pull the family through, but would inspire a young Frank to help improve his family’s situation and to ease his mother’s burden. Later in life, whenever there was some sort of business brought to my grandmother, she would say: “I have to check with Frankie.” I’d like to point out that when my dad was an adult, she was the only one who could call him Frankie.

My father was a young kid when he met my even younger mother whom he would refer to as the most beautiful creature there ever was. He said that often and to the end. My mother recounted the other day the moment she met my Dad as if it were yesterday. She lived on the third floor of her Dorchester three deckah on Hamilton Street, and she went downstairs to the first floor apartment to visit her girlfriend who lived there. When she entered the kitchen, she found a newspaper being held up and blocking the face of her future husband, who was also friendly with the first floor inhabitants. Sensing someone across from him, my 17-year-old dad lowered the paper—the Record American my mom recalled—to see who was there, revealing his thick frock of red hair dressed for BC High with a sport coat and tie on. Of course, he was reading the paper at 17. My mother still remembers the hello, a surprised “hello.” A hello heavy with weight of destiny,

A LEGACY OF LOVE & GENEROSITYEulogy given by Stephen Ward ’96

Good morning. This is nerve racking. I have thought of this moment before, what to say. I suppose a son thinks of this as his father begins to age and I have thought of it more and more since my father’s heart episode last June. What would I say? How would I begin? Where does a son start to remember his father who happened to be such a larger than life person? Then this story came to me:


they would go on to marry and have five children and eleven grandchildren. Believe it or not, my father always referenced himself as a “nerd,” a loner, and he would always tell me that he could never understand what a woman like my mother would see in him—she was so beautiful, he would say. Mom, it’s a good thing you did, though, because everything that Dad built—his family, his huge business, the endless philanthropy—was because of you and that single moment, it strikes me, that single hello in that kitchen in Dorchester.

Years later on a weekend away from at least several children, my parents happened upon Osterville. My mother and father, still in their twenties, came upon the Eastbay Lodge in Osterville, now long gone, where they loved to stay. My mother loved just driving around and looking at the beautiful homes and she expressed to my dad how she would just love to live in one some day. My father told me this same story at another time and he told me how it pained him to pull the car over and tell my mother that she shouldn’t dream of that. He told her that they would just never be able to afford living there. The richness

of that! Not only would they purchase a summer home in Osterville, but he would become known as Mayor of it.

Just a couple weeks ago, my mother went to visit my brother, Tom, where he lives in Hawaii. My dad, not interested in travel, stayed home and underestimated how much he would miss my mother. He called or emailed me every day to express how lost he was without her and how he just couldn’t wait until she got home.

My father’s working career was so vast and impressive that it is very difficult do it justice in merely a few minutes. My father’s cousin, Nancy, told me once that my dad’s father died and was buried on a Friday and my father went to work on his first job by Monday, a paper route in Boston—8 years old! My father’s drive to work and make a better life for his family, his whole family, was so strong and unyielding to any negative force that the poor kid from Roxbury, fatherless at eight years old, went on to build the third largest lighting manufacturing company in the world, Sylvania Lighting. At his peak, he manufactured a staggering 1.6 billion light bulbs every year, employing 14,000

people to do it. He had plants in over 15 countries, and he held dozens of patents of things that he himself created. A brilliant engineering mind, he invented things like the Provision Scope, and the modern day copy machine may not have been possible had it not been for him. He also had two of the most successful stock offerings that Wall Street had ever seen, just to say the few.

My father believed in what he called “fortuitous events.” In building his business, he said God presented them to him often and he was fortunate enough to realize that he needed to act on them. He said that he took only 10 percent of the credit for his success; the other 90 percent was God’s hand. Often at night, when I was near, maybe on his deck down in Osterville, he would say: “Son, look out there, look at all those lights. You want to know the best thing about light bulbs, son? They all burn out.” And he would laugh every time. He loved his light bulbs and he loved the people who helped build them even more. And his people loved him, as displayed today with the huge number of you who have come back to send him off.

Frank Ward (sitting) surrounded by his family.


Growing up, my father would tell us how he would buy turkeys for all his people at Thanksgiving, a tradition that he loved, and a tradition that I carried on at the dairy business that he helped form with me over the last decade. He loved that I did that and he would ask me every year, usually when I pulled my own bird out of the oven: “How many turkeys went out this year, son?” I would proudly report the increasing number every year. “It looks like four pallets of turkeys this year, Dad.” “Oh that’s great, son,” he would say, but without fail he would lean in to me and say: “I needed tractor trailers to send my turkeys, son.” Oh, would he laugh at that, a perpetual one upper. I learned everything I know about business from my dad but sadly I know I had merely scratched the surface.

With all of his success, he never forgot where he came from. One of his favorite stories to tell that reflected this best occurred one afternoon outside a Hyannis

restaurant called the Captain’s Table. As we all know, my dad was an impressive cigarette smoker, although I want to acknowledge publicly for him that he had quit smoking since his heart problems last June, an accomplishment that he was proud of and astonished by. When he had smoked though, he was often seen outside of Wimpys, or Five Bays, and on this particular day, at the Captain’s Table, when two elderly women approached to come in, he slid over and grabbed the door for them. He did that every time. At that moment, one of the women said: “I know you! You’re that nice young doorman from Wimpys.” Oh he would roar telling that story and he would always laugh and say: “My how the mighty fall.”

Comments like those make me realize I will miss his quick wit; he was so fast with those one liners. One of my favorites is worth mentioning. At my parents’ Cape house, which is on the water, they

were always being visited by transient fishermen. Men and woman from all over would come and walk right through their yard to fish on the beach or on his dock. They would stay all day long and often leave a big mess behind. Well, this would make my father beyond angry. He would yell at them to get off his beach and stop trespassing, and he would yell so loud that you could hear him up town or at the marina across the way. It became a feud as rowdy and well known as Hatfield vs. McCoy. Well, on this particular day, my father went up on the bridge next to his house to gain a better vantage point for yelling, and, as he was in the midst of a particularly colorful tirade, he was interrupted by someone on the road behind him: “Hey, mister, why don’t you try being a little more Christian and leave those people alone.” My father turned to find none other than Joe Kennedy sitting there on his bicycle, and, without missing a beat, my father pointed his well pointed finger in the face of old Joe for Oils, and said: “No Kennedy is gonna tell me about being Christian. Why don’t you go get a bus and take them all over to the compound?”

My friend, Mike Nerbonne, from St. Sebastian’s School texted me this thought: “Many successful men drift from Faith because the world’s success makes them think only of themselves. Frank was the exact opposite. The more he achieved, the more he came to believe that God was blessing him for a higher purpose to serve the Holy Church and to support her ministries to the people of God.” How true. My dad often quipped: “I’m still here because God’s not done spending my money.”

My father’s philanthropies, like his business, are far too great to capture here. He loved the Church and became known as one of the largest single contributors to the Archdiocese of Boston. He helped St Sebastian’s School with its first major capital campaign, which helped to rebuild the academic building and, more important to my father, he created the endowment, which helped to increase teachers’ salaries, and he placed himself as the School’s largest benefactor ever! Of course, when he was given the chance to name the dining hall, he named it for his

Frank Ward with his wife, Eileen, and his mother, Mary, at the dedication of Ward Hall in 1998.


mother, not for himself like so many others would have, and proclaimed that now there will be a hall—with “Mumma’s” name on it—much more famous than the hall at the Harvard Club, where she had worked.

A quick story about his mother—I remember her funeral. She died at about the height of my father’s career and at the peak of his charity work with the Archdiocese of Boston. And so it seemed that every Catholic priest in Massachusetts was there on the altar and the funeral mass was celebrated by Cardinal Law himself. They all wanted to be there for my dad. It was the biggest funeral I’d ever seen. I was sitting in the front row with my family and I can still hear my dad. At the most serious of moments, he leaned to my mother and said under his breath: “If they only knew she was Protestant.” My father would not be happy that I just let that out. Her husband was Catholic, though, and so she raised her kids Catholic.

Philanthropies large and small, my father loved to help build schools like his beloved Pope John High School in Hyannis or simply helping someone who was having trouble paying his or her mortgage. One large endeavor, though, needs mentioning. Somewhere in or around 1962 the Dictator Fidel Castro of Cuba being true to the atheism of communist doctrine publicly stated: “I have never been a believer and I have total conviction that there is only one life.”

Now, somewhere, my father is saying: “Get the hook, please!” But this has a point, I promise. Raised a Roman Catholic, Castro was publicly excommunicated by the Pope. And so it was, for the next 30 plus years, there was no Christmas in Cuba. As he aged, however, Castro felt he had made a mistake. I’m simplifying the story, certainly, but Castro reached out to Pope John Paul II and asked for forgiveness. The Pope came to Cuba in 1998 and that year formally reinstated Christmas. On that visit, the pope realized that there was some basic business to be had: Seminaries and convents needed to be built first and foremost for the training of new priests. The word was put forth from his Holiness and his Cardinals set to work raising money and putting people together to build the first seminary in Cuba. So

who do we call when there is business to be done? Cardinal Law, Archbishop of Boston, tagged none other than Frank M. Ward, and, so, he and my mother and a cabinet of upper level clergy flew on his jet plane with special clearance from our government to Cuba. My father’s mission was to negotiate the purchase of land for the new seminary, which he was going to build. Eventually, they were brought to the site, but it was an old industrial building, half falling down. Needless to say, my father and the priests were all disappointed and most everyone was afraid to say that the site wouldn’t do. In a private meeting to talk about the project with Castro’s ministers (who were wearing fatigues no less) and none other than his brother, Raul, my father shined. Afraid of no man, my father told Raul Castro that the old building wouldn’t do; it was no place for educating holy men. I know that the Cardinal and his secretary couldn’t believe that my dad had just told off a communist dictatorship, but I’m not surprised. Certainly, my mother isn’t.

The next morning they were brought to a rolling pasture, some beautiful acreage that was being used as a pig farm. “How is this, Mr. Ward?” There, today, stands the first Seminary in Cuba since the time a mistaken dictator tried to extinguish God’s light, and my father, the poor kid from Roxbury, built it. upon boarding his plane to come home, my father was tapped on the shoulder by a young Cuban man who handed him a box of cigars, which, my father later learned had been made only for Fidel. “These,” he said, “are from Raul.”

My father died on Friday morning, Good Friday, and when I was making those sad calls my friend Charlie remarked: “Wow, Good Friday, he just couldn’t be out done by Jesus.” Oh, man, we laughed at that, but the significance of his passing

on that day is palpable to me. You should know his father died years before on Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. I believe that only the truly special would be brought home on the same day Jesus died for us. There was a man named Dismas, the first to go to heaven after Jesus’ crucifixion, who became known as the Penitent Thief; he was the poor soul crucified next to Jesus on Good Friday and he cried: “Jesus, remember me when you come to your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

One year ago, I was getting ready for my annual vacation in Florida with my own family. We have gone to Naples for ten years now and I was always trying to get my parents to go. I thought my dad would just love it there and so every year I asked him to come and every year he said: “No thank you.” “Florida is a Petri dish,” he would say. But last year was different. We were having dinner together. I met him because I was going on vacation and I said: “Dad, why don’t come with us?” He turned and said “Son, I spent 10,000 breakfasts alone in disgusting hotels across the world and I can’t imagine what I missed. I just want to be home.”

Dad, I hope you are seeing now this huge crowd that loves you, and, to quote my father-in-law, Bob Redden, let me say: “The legacy a man leaves behind can be measured by the volume of the hearts and minds of the people he touched and helped on his journey through life.” Your legacy is massive.

So now I will take this moment to say publicly and loudly that I love you Dad, and I will miss you until I see you again.

“Dad, I hope you are seeing now this huge crowd that loves you, and, to quote my father-in-law, Bob Redden, let me say: ‘The legacy a man leaves behind can be measured by the volume of the hearts and minds of the people he touched and helped on his journey through life.’ Your legacy is massive.”


AROUND CAMPUS

twelve seniors inducted into the cum laude societyHeadmaster Bill Burke, Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne, and faculty member David Cornish inducted 12 senior students into the Cum Laude Society during a ceremony held April 25. Andrew Wasynczuk P’14,’17, MBA Class of 1983, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, provided the keynote address.

The Cum Laude Society is dedicated to honoring scholastic achievement in secondary schools.

Modeled after Phi Beta Kappa, the Society has grown to over 350 Chapters located in public and independent schools in the united States, Canada, England, France, Spain, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

Class of 2014 Inductees:Caleb F. Aldrich, John F. Bartlett, Zachary C. Chambers, Conor E. Craven, William M. DuFour, Daniel W. Fulham, Joseph M. Kearney, William J. Kenney, Connor S. Murray, Matthew R. Ouellette, Brandon G. Sweeney, and Luke J. Wasynczuk

News and Notes from Our School Community

Dr. rob Martello Delivers lecture on Paul revere Dr. Rob Martello visited St. Sebastian’s School on April 30 as part of the Birmingham Lecture Series, generously sponsored by Karen Birmingham P’84, GP’14, wife of the late John P. Birmingham, Jr. ’59. Students, faculty, and friends were treated to Dr. Martello’s fascinating presentation on the life of Paul Revere, with emphasis on his pre- and post-revolutionary career—subjects often overshadowed by Revere’s famous midnight ride.

A Professor of the History of Science and Technology at Olin College, Dr. Martello received his Ph.D. from MIT’s program in the History and Social Study of Science and Technology. His acclaimed book, Midnight Ride, Industrial Dawn: Paul Revere and the Rise of American Enterprise, was based on his dissertation.

Grandparents’ DayMore than 300 grandparents joined their grandsons at St. Sebastian’s annual Grandparents’ Day celebration on April 29. As the grandparents enjoyed a luncheon, they were treated to musical performances from several students and Senior John McNamara delivered his Chapel speech, a moving tribute to his grandfather. Grandparents and students then headed to class before celebrating Mass with Fr. John Arens. The afternoon concluded with a dessert reception in Ward Hall and pictures to commemorate a wonderful day.

From left: Trevor Martin ’19 with his brother, Christopher ’17, and his grandmother, Leni Gottlieb.

Neil Melley ’18 enjoys some dessert with his grandfather, Stephen Melley.

WWW.STSEBASTIANSSCHOOL.ORG | 27WWW.STSEBASTIANSSCHOOL.ORG | 27

Actus tests students’ Knowledge of “Aeneid”St. Sebastian’s annual Vergilian Actus took place on May 6. Richard Thomas, George Martin Lane Professor of the Classics at Harvard, conducted a public examination of St. Sebastian’s students in the Latin IV Advanced Placement class, which studied Vergil’s “Aeneid.” Professor Thomas asked each of the

16 students to read aloud, translate, and reflect on the meaning of Vergil’s words.

Students participating were Jack Adams ’15, Cole Aldrich ’16, Tom Caravolas ’15, Cedric Depestre ’15, Chris Haley ’15, Justin Lee ’15, Ryan Lee ’15, Jimmy Mitchell ’15, Chris Potvin ’16, Johnny Ryan ’15, Will Supple ’15, Doyle Silvia ’15, Kenny Vallace ’15, Scott Westvold ’15, Tyler Wiik ’15, and Chris Wolpe ’15.

Sophomore and Junior students with Harvard Professor Richard Thomas (center).

Mastering the Art of oratory On May 21, four students participated in the Annual Rhetoric Competition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. St. Sebastian’s entered this annual Competition for the first time this year. The ancient vases and statues of the MFA’s early Greek gallery served as the perfect backdrop as students delivered memorized performances of selected passages from Homer’s great epic poems, “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey.” Performers were judged on accuracy, emotion and diction. Several Boston area public and independent schools participated in the event.

Marty White ’18, Jack-Patrick Milbury ’19, Griffin Wagner ’19 and Will Supple ’15, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

inspired by chinese legendOn May 5 each year in Japan, children celebrate “Tango no Sekku” or “Children’s Day” by hanging wind carp streamers called koinobori. The tradition was inspired by the Chinese legend of a carp swimming successfully upstream against the waterfall to become a dragon and reflects the wish that like the koi, young children will aspire to face adversity with courage, determination and spirited energy. Continuing to be inspired by her school-sponsored journey through Asia in the summer of 2012, art teacher Deirdre Rynne had her students make koinobori again this year. Each student designed his own template, resulting in beautiful works of art.

AROUND CAMPUS


MPA celebrates seniors at its Annual Banquet On May 22, Men with Positive Attitudes (MPA) hosted its annual banquet, a feast of food, family and friends. The attendees were moved by the powerful words shared by the graduating seniors and the soulful singing of Will Supple ’15 accompanied by Joe Kerwin ’15 on the guitar. Rev. V. Gordon Glenn III ’90 gave a stirring, historical talk on the history of MPA as seen through the eyes of its predecessor STEPS (Students of the Ethnic Peoples Society). His speech ended with his offering an excerpt from Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” seamlessly weaving together the School’s 2014-15 theme of “Community” and MPA’s annual theme “Thina Simunye: We Are Together.”

AROUND CAMPUS

A Voice for the ArtsFor the first time, St. Sebastian’s opened its literary magazine, The Quiver, to schools from all around New England. Published each spring, the magazine provides high school students with an open forum to share their creative work outside the structured environment of the classroom. This year’s edition includes many amazing submissions from students at St. Sebastian’s as well as several other schools. From poetry and short stories to artwork and photography, The Quiver represents a wide range of talents.

Cover photo taken by James Fiore ’14

Zac Chambers ’14 and Shawn Lynch ’15

Seniors Zac Chambers, Marlon Matthews, Joe Tran, Aturo Adkins, Zac Taye and Jordan Brydie

Judges Philip Weiner, Marian Ryan and Denise Caspar with Moot Court finalists William McCarthy, Anthony Canavan, Christopher Haley and Mac Morris.

Moot court winners DeclaredSt. Sebastian’s 7th Annual Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the History Department, culminated in the final round on May 21. The student “lawyer” team of Anthony Canavan ’15 and William McCarthy ’15 took on classmates Mac Morris ’15 and Christopher Haley ’15. The court was presided over by the Honorable Denise Casper, a Federal District Court Judge, the Honorable Philip Weiner, an international war crimes Judge, and the Honorable Marian Ryan, Middlesex District Attorney. Both teams presented well-prepared arguments and showcased their oral advocacy skills, but in the end, the judges declared Canavan and McCarthy the winners. Congratulations to both teams for a great effort.


undergraduate & College Book Awards

William McCarthy ’15, Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne and Tyler Wiik ’15.

collEGE BooK AwArDs:

Brown university John J. Ryan IV ’15

Bryant universityAnthony J. Canavan ’15

college of the holy cross Edgar E. Escobar ’15

harvard university William D. McCarthy ’15 Tyler C. Wiik ’15

Merrimack college Matthew T. Rocco ’15

Middlebury college Macarthur W. Morris ’15

regis college Kenneth M. Vallace ’15

st. Anselm collegeChristopher A. Wolpe ’15

st. Michael’s college James H. Hunt ’15

st. lawrence universityColin P. Connolly ’15

trinity college-DublinChristopher G. Haley ’15

university of VirginiaJames C. DeSisto ’15

Villanova universityJack R. Adams ’15

wheeling Jesuit university Scott H. Westvold ’15

williams college Joseph J. Kerwin ’15

Yale university William S. D’Orsi ’15

unDErGrADuAtE AwArDs:

Joseph compagnone Memorial AwardThomas J. Caravolas ’15

John P. Birmingham, Jr. Writing Award Andrew M. Elcock ’17 Christopher B. Hailer ’17

Kevin t. Mutch AwardMatthew P. Doherty ’15 Daniel J. Higgins ’15

Gandolfo Award Luke N. Jones ’17 William D. McCarthy ’15 James P. Ryan ’16John J. Ryan IV ’15Tyler C. Wiik ’15

Grace S. and Raymond M. Vorce, Sr. AwardJoseph J. Kerwin ’15

Robert J. Joyce, Jr. AwardWilliam D. McCarthy ’15

william P. Judge Award Brendan M. McKenzie ’18

Frank J. Hennessey, Jr. AwardMacarthur W. Morris ’15

Jason Keating Award Joseph R. O’Donnell ’19

Kevin Ghelli Award Tyson C. Reed, Jr. ’15

James P.B. McDonough AwardChristian E. Reenstierna, Jr. ’15

Catholic Citizenship AwardJohn J. Ryan IV

william P. Judge scholarship Tyler C. Wiik ’15

St. Sebastian’s School is proud to recognize the following students who were presented with College Book and Memorial Awards for their achievements during the undergraduate Awards Assembly held on Wednesday, May 28.

Daniel Higgins ’15, Tom Mutch and Matthew Doherty ’15.

Alumni Association welcomes the class of 2014 to its ranksThe Class of 2014 began its final week at St. Sebastian’s with the School’s annual Senior Class-Alumni Breakfast on May 29. The Alumni Association Board joined alumni fathers and grandparents to celebrate the Class of 2014. Special recognition was also given to several alumni fathers and grandfathers in honor of their sons’ and grandsons’ graduation.

Alumni Association President John McNamara ’81, P’14,’18, Board of Trustees President Jim Elcock ’77, P’09, and Thayer Wade ’13 each addressed the soon-to-be graduates, offering advice for the future, and welcoming the class to the alumni ranks.

The Class of 2014 then toured St. Sebastian’s Way, the Senior Class Gift funded by their parents, before heading to Chapel to share their senior service project experiences.

TOP: Brandon Sweeney ’14 and Justin Nicklas ’14 with alumnus Paul Abbate ’84. BOTTTOM: Seniors help themselves to a delicious breakfast.


event HiGHLiGHTSHeadmaster scholarship golf tournamentMore than 150 St. Sebastian’s parents, alumni, and friends hit the links at Woodland Country Club on May 5 for the School’s Headmaster Scholarship Golf Tournament. The event raised more than $200,000 for the Headmaster Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to St. Sebastian’s students.

Thank you to Event Chair Bob Reardon P’15 and his wife, Debbie, as well as the St. Sebastian’s Men’s Association and the Guild of St. Irene, for their tireless efforts to make this event a fantastic success. Thank you also to all of our sponsors and participants for your generous support of the tournament.

TOP: Bob Reardon P’15 congratulates John McNamara ‘81,P’14,’18 as Brian O’Rourke P’15 holds the pin. BOTTOM, FROM LEFT: Brian Strachan P’14 confirms that he is “closest to the hole”; Special guest Rene Rancourt, who sings the National Anthem before each Bruins home game, kicks off the tournament by singing an enthusiastic rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

Parents of Alumni ReceptionOn April 22, St. Sebastian’s hosted a reception in Ward Hall honoring parents of alumni. More than 100 past parents attended the gathering, catching up and sharing memories. Before guests departed, Headmaster Burke offered brief remarks, thanking everyone for coming, and for helping to make the School the incredibly strong, vibrant community it is today.

guild of st. irene Fashion showClose to 200 members of the Guild of St. Irene enjoyed an evening of fun and fashion at their annual closing event on May 20. The Dinner & Fashion Show began with shopping and socializing followed by dinner as senior mom models strutted down the catwalk in the latest fashion trends. A lovely time was had by all thanks to the hard work of Co-Chairs Jan Aldrich P’16 and Alyson Karpowicz P’16 and the event committee.

From left: Ed Davis ’65, Director of Alumni Relations, with Patty Burke P’95,’97,’00,’04 and Margo and Joe Tansey ’69,P’03.

Mothers of seniors model outfits put together by Lyn Evans Potpourri Designs.


St. Sebastian’s students showcased their talents at the Fine Arts Department’s annual Spring Revue on May 9. The Slings & Arrows Players brought comedy to the stage with three student-directed plays, starting with Tom Taggart’s “Two Boys Meet Girl,” and “When Mothers Meet,” directed by Marlon

Matthews ’14 and Geoff Wade ’15. The evening’s drama portion concluded with “Going up,” written and directed by David Korzeniowski ’16 and Owen Finnegan ’16.

After intermission, the Spring Revue turned to music, entertaining the audience with sets from both the Pop Rock Ensemble and the Jazz Band. Pop Rock took the stage first, performing hits from Elton John and The Beatles. Jazz Band followed with a trio of songs from Kool & the Gang, Michael Bublé, and Pharrell.

Spring Revue


Varsity BaseballBY COACH MiKE SCHELL

It was a memorable season for the varsity baseball team. Throughout the season, each player’s effort, preparation and purpose never waned and, as a team, we accomplished our preseason goal of modeling competitive greatness; respecting the game and each person’s efforts; and working as hard at repeating as ISL sportsmen of the year, as we would at winning the championship. By this standard, not our 14 – 3 record, our spring was most impressive.

Our success was the product of countless contributions received from every player, but especially our special cohort of seniors. Outfielder Shane McDonald provided one of the best memories of the year when he scorched a fastball off the fence to clear the bases for the go-ahead runs against Worcester Academy early in the season. Conor Duffy is leaving the starting shortstop position after two fine years with the leather. Conor will continue to grow in all facets of his game at Salve Regina, and I know two of the most important reasons

why will be his love of the game and strong heart. Classmate Justin Nicklas was a rock physically and emotionally behind the plate. He handled pitchers with maturity and intelligence. Stonehill is fortunate to receive such a driven player. For the second straight season, starting pitcher Richard Arms was one of the league’s best. A relentless fighter and skilled athlete, Richard was a leader when he toed the rubber. More great performances on and off the mound await him at Bowdoin. First baseman and Co-Captain Justin Bellinger has been a staple in the middle of the Arrows lineup since he was a freshman and for the last four years has been among the ISL’s leading offensive players. Justin’s fierce competitiveness and skill will make him a vital member of Duke university’s baseball team. Rounding out the senior class is fellow Captain Andrew Corcoran, who provided immeasurable levels of leadership. Andrew anchored the lineup in the cleanup position for most of the season and combined with classmates Bellinger and Nicklas to provide a threatening 3-4-5 offensive punch. Andrew has a penchant for coming through in the clutch. In addition to his game winning hit against Groton,

Andrew rose to the occasion when needed most, especially against Belmont Hill, BB&N and Thayer, sparking game-turning rallies and motivating teammates to raise their game. I know Andrew will continue to lead in special ways on and off the field at Middlebury and beyond.

The Arrows’ strong performance was also the product of excellent play from each underclassman. Junior Pat McGowan finished the season as one of the ISL’s top pitchers, while classmate Christian Reenstierna emerged as the team’s most valuable reliever. Matt Doherty controlled centerfield and was one of the club’s most clutch hitters and dynamic baserunners. Fellow juniors John Ryan, Danny Higgins, Jack Duffy, Justin Lee and Tyler Wiik—a talented outfielder who refused to allow a season-ending injury keep him from providing leadership on the sidelines—and sophomore Maynel Fuentes were impressive every time when called. Each player always competed to raise the level of play within himself and others. Special thanks to junior Brendan Albertson for his diligence and sincerity in exceeding all expectations as manager.

Sophomore Sean Harrington was excellent behind the plate and provided

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a reliable bat in every game. Like Sean, classmate Mike Calabro played with passion and poise in his first year at second base, where he shared duties with freshman Brian Craven, who also showed greatness with the glove. Craven’s classmates, Blake Gallagher and Tommy Seidl, were among the team’s top players. Gallagher showcased his strong arm and solid glove at the hot corner and sent balls surging off his bat in the middle of the lineup, while Seidl tracked down all balls sent his way in the outfield with tremendous athleticism and impressive baseball instincts. Offensively, Seidl terrorized opponents with his lightning speed around the bases.

This spring marked the first season in almost two decades that didn’t bring Coach Paul Lepley to our dugout. For the previous 18 seasons, Paul humbly shared his keen knowledge of the game and understanding of the emotional and physical needs of players. His teachings continuously guide me in promoting the personal and athletic potential living within each player.

Each year, St. Sebastian’s offers the Paul Lepley Award to a player for his commitment to the sport of baseball and the strengthening of the program. This year’s recipients are Andrew Corcoran and Justin Bellinger. In addition to receiving this high honor, Corcoran and Bellinger join teammates McGowan and Doherty as members of the 2014 All-ISL team, while Arms garners Honorable Mention.

Thank you to the entire Athletics Department, especially our outstanding training team and grounds crew, and to all non-varsity coaches. The St. Sebastian’s baseball program grows stronger because of your invaluable contributions to our athletes’ development and to our program’s culture of camaraderie and competitiveness. Thank you to fellow varsity coaches Richard Connolly and JP Craven, whose knowledge and passion for the whole player, emphasizing mental and emotional toughness and resilience, make each day an invaluable building opportunity.

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From left: Coach Connolly, Coach Schell, Seniors Justin Nicklas, Andrew Corcoran, Richard Arms, Conor Duffy, Shane McDonald, Justin Bellinger, and Coach Craven ‘06.


Varsity LacrosseBY GREG BARLETTA ’15

The varsity lacrosse team may have been one filled with youth and little experience, but its members poured on the intensity and hard work every day, resulting in a great season. Captains John O’Leary, Joseph Kearney, and Christopher Callahan displayed outstanding leadership, rallying the team from a 0-2 start to finish the season as one of the league’s top teams. The Arrows suffered heartbreaking one goal losses to the ISL’s top three teams, but showed resilience and determination by completing the year with an overall winning record of 9-7.

The season opened with a tough 6-4 loss against Phillips Exeter, one of New England’s top programs, followed

by a loss against Nobles. Despite these discouraging first two games, the team persevered and went on a four-game winning streak against Lawrence Academy, Groton, St. George’s, and St. Paul’s. Beating St. Paul’s, a strong team, was an important win that lifted the team off its feet. After being up 4-1 at the half, we let the Pelicans come back into the game, tying the score at 4-4 to end the third quarter. However, the Arrows rallied to win the fourth quarter and ultimately won the game 6-5.

The rivalry match against Belmont Hill proved to be one of the team’s most difficult games. St. Sebastian’s was down 4-1 at halftime, but fought back to take the lead 5-4 late in the fourth quarter, a comeback led by clutch shooting from freshmen Jack Frisoli and Michael Connolly. With just nine seconds left, Belmont Hill managed to score and after a hard fought battle, the Arrows fell 6-5

in overtime. Following this tough loss, the team came away with an easy 10-3 victory over BB&N.

The next game, against an undefeated Middlesex squad, began with a strong first possession by the Arrows, ending with a goal from Tyson Reed ’15. This gave the team some early momentum and entering halftime, the Arrows led Middlesex 3-1. The Bears came out of halftime with a jolt of energy, scoring four unanswered goals. With a late goal from the Arrows offense, we cut the deficit to one, but fell short in a fourth quarter loss of 5-4.

To finish the week, the boys were on the road to face Rivers. The Arrows started the game slow as senior defensemen Joe Kearney, Will Kenney, and Conor Craven worked hard on long offensive possessions from Rivers to keep the team in the game. At the half, the score was tied at 2-2. The third quarter was a goalie battle as both teams failed to score. Strong play in the cage was shown by goaltender Greg Barletta ’15 as he made six vital saves to maintain a tight game. In the end, Rivers scored three quick goals, and although the Arrows went on to tack on one more, the final outcome was 5-3. After a vigorous week, the team collectively showcased their skills in a 14-6 win over Milton Academy.

On the following Saturday, the Arrows encountered Governor’s Academy, another ISL powerhouse. Last year’s meeting ended with an exciting overtime win, but this year the story unluckily went differently. Governor’s grabbed a speedy 3-0 lead, but once again the Arrows fought their way back into the game. Midway through the fourth quarter, midfielder James DeSisto ’15 hammered the twine off an ally dodge, digging the team’s way to a comeback. But the Governor’s offense stalled, chewing minutes off the clock to secure their win.

A few days later, the Arrows traveled to St. Mark’s for another combined team effort to win both offensively and defensively as rookies were given the opportunity to prove themselves. The young guns did their jobs like veterans,

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supporting the team to tally 15 goals on the score sheet. And then there was Brooks, a respectable opponent. Netting nine goals and holding them to none, St. Sebastian’s accomplished a game of perfection. Through diligent stick work demonstrated by attackmen John O’Leary ’14, Vaughn Gendron ’15, and Cam Balboni ’16, we had our foot down on the gas pedal for all 48 minutes. Strong play was all over the field in our ground balls, rides, and clears, exhibiting textbook lacrosse.

With the season winding down, the Monday after Brooks came Thayer Academy. After being down 6-2 at halftime, the Arrows wrestled back into the game valiantly with huge goals from Gabe Maxwell ’15 and key faceoffs won by Angus O’Rourke ’15. Yet, the comeback wasn’t enough as we fell to the Tigers 6-5. Thayer finished the season as the ISL’s champions; it is safe to say that we played an awesome game against the league’s best. To wrap up the season, Roxbury Latin came to Greendale Avenue. Prior to our first game, RL easily beat us with in a 10-3 blowout. After the scrimmage, this game was immediately highlighted on our schedule as one of our biggest games of the season. The Foxes struck first on the scoreboard, but we answered

with urgency, granting us a 3-1 lead at halftime. Throughout the game, midfielder George Barrett ’15 dominated the grounds, winning many important ground balls. Midfielder Chris Callahan ’14 took the initiative as captain by firing a rocket past the RL goalie. In the end, we stood victorious, sending the seniors off with a 6-5 win.

Watching the team grow on and off the field this season was incredible. After losing eight all star seniors from last year, this year’s team worked hard through adversity each day in practice. From team dinners to captain’s practices, the bonds created amongst one another will be kept sacred for many years. Juniors Tyson Reed, George Barrett, James DeSisto, and Greg Barletta were elected captains for next year’s team. Voted by the league’s coaches, Joe Kearney and Greg Barletta were chosen for ISL All-League, while John O’Leary, Will Kenney, and Conor Craven were granted ISL Honorable Mention. Lacrosse, a sport played year-round, will not fade away from the players in the off-season. Better yet, the seniors that leave the team will cherish the times shared on and off the field with this close-knit group of Arrows.


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Spring Athletic AwardsThe following students were recognized for their performance on the Arrows varsity baseball, golf, lacrosse, sailing, and tennis teams during an Athletic Awards Assembly on May 27:

All-League ISL BASEBALL: Justin Bellinger ’14, Andrew Corcoran ’14, Patrick McGowan ’15, Matthew Doherty ’15

GOLF: Alejandro Soto ’16

LACROSSE: Greg Barletta ’15; Joe Kearney ’14

TENNIS: Weston Brach ’16

Honorable Mention All-League BASEBALL: Richard Arms ’14

LACROSSE: Conor Craven ’14, Will Kenney ’14, John O’Leary ’14

TENNIS: Caleb Aldrich ’14

ISL Top Hitter Award (Baseball) Justin Bellinger ’14

Paul Lepley Award (Baseball) Presented by the coaches to the players who show the qualities of commitment, teamwork, and dedication to the sport of baseball at St. Sebastian’s School:

Andrew Corcoran ’14 and Justin Bellinger ’14

Vincent C. Murphy Letterman Award Presented to members of the Senior Class who have earned a Varsity Letter in each season from their sophomore through senior years:

Richard Arms ’14 and Matt Ouellette ’14


Varsity Golf BY COACH JiM SULLivAN

There was much excitement in the air as the 2014 golf season got underway. Led by Captains Luke Wasynczuk, Kevin Ginns and Ryan McGuirk, veterans Alejandro Soto ’16, Mike Mullowney ’16, Matt Barletta ’14, Will DuFour ’14, and Owen Kehoe ’14 were joined by newcomers Andrew Giacchetto ’19, Robert Lemone ’16 and Peter Mullin ’16 to form the 2014 Arrows Varsity Golf Team.

The first match was against non-league opponent Tabor Academy at the oceanside Kittansett Golf Club. In a seesaw battle, the Arrows, led by Robert Lemone’s excellent score of 37, eked out a one shot victory. Next up, in a tri-match, were league champion Belmont Hill and runner-up Nobles. On a chilly wet afternoon in April at Charles River Country Club the Arrows were soundly defeated by these two powerhouses. Twenty-one players took to the golf course and 13 of them scored in the mid to high 30s for the nine hole match. Eleven out of the 13 came from

the opposing teams. Several Arrows played well, led by Ryan McGuirk and Robert Lemone, but only Ryan found the winner’s circle.

There was little time to dwell on the losses; the very next day the Arrows found themselves in another tri-match with BB&N and St. George’s at Belmont Country Club. A victory over St. George’s came early, but the BB&N match went down to the wire. The Arrows jumped to an early lead with Alejo Soto, Ryan McGuirk and Andrew Giacchetto recording victories at the 1, 3, and 5 positions. BB&N tied up the match, winning all the even numbered matches. It was not until Owen Kehoe, at the 7 spot, defeated his opponent that the Arrows secured the victory against BB&N.

In this season of rescheduled events due to poor weather, the Arrows found themselves in a third tri-match against Milton Academy and Governor’s Academy. Here the Arrows split, recording a victory over Governor’s, but a narrow loss to Milton (4.5-2.5). Ryan McGuirk continued his winning ways with two victories and newcomers Peter Mullin, Andrew Giacchetto and Robert Lemone tied their opponents in the Milton

match. In the Governor’s match, Kevin Ginns and Luke Wasynczuk recorded their first victories to help secure that match.

Belmont Hill was the next opponent for the Arrows and again this talented team soundly defeated the Arrows by a score of 5.5–1.5.The Arrows’ points came from Ryan McGuirk and Robert Lemone. After seven matches the team had a 3-4 league record. Clearly this team was stronger than its record. With a belief in themselves and a renewed determination, the team embarked on a strong run and won 11 out of the next 12 matches, losing only to Nobles. During this hot streak, all the Arrows found their game and recorded strong winning records: Alejo Soto at 7-2-1; Robert Lemone at 7-2-1; Ryan McGuirk at 8-1; Kevin Ginns at 6-3-1; Luke Wasynczuk at 7-3; Andrew Giacchetto at 4-0; Peter Mullin at 4-2; Matt Barletta at 8-1-1; Owen Kehoe at 4-2; and the injured Will DuFour (1-1) and Mike Mullowney (1-0). All this added up to a third place tie with Belmont Hill in the final league standing, falling one point short of co-champions BB&N and Nobles.

The ISL Tournament was held on May 19 at Red Tail Golf Club in Devens. The team consisted of Alejo Soto, Robert Lemone, Ryan McGuirk, Kevin Ginns and Luke Wasynczuk. Counting the best four scores out of five in this 18-hole event, the Arrows posted a score of 328 and a 6th place finish in the field of 13 teams. Both Alejo Soto and Robert Lemone broke 80 with scores of 77 and 78 respectively. Alejo earned All League Honors with his 7th place finish. This marks the third time in the past four years that Alejo has earned All League Honors. This is quite an accomplishment for a tenth grader.

The loss of seniors Ginns, Wasynczuk, Barletta, DuFour and Kehoe will leave big holes to fill. However, the future does look bright with many returning stars and an undefeated junior varsity team.

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Varsity TennisBY COACH BRiAN RiCHTER

Despite fielding one of its youngest squads in recent years, the 2014 varsity tennis team had a successful spring. It scored well against some of the top teams, won the matches that it should have, and beat the two teams that finished with identical records—two matches that could easily have gone the other way. The team finished with a 6-9 league record (7-10 overall), which places them roughly in the middle of a strong ISL pack.

Three matches in particular tell the narrative of this year’s team. To start the season, the Arrows faced Nobles, frequently a top-ISL team. We took two sets in the doubles round. Senior Captain Caleb Aldrich and Weston Brach ’16 took their set at #1, winning a close 8-6 set. At #2 doubles, the reliable duo of Erik Jones ’16 and Jayson Barros ’18 took their set 8-5. As the singles round played itself out, we found ourselves tied 6-6 with three players remaining on the courts, each in the second set. Because two of these players won their first sets, an upset win was not an unreasonable aspiration. As it turned out though, we dropped the three remaining sets for a disappointing 6-9 loss.

Much later in the season, we faced St. Mark’s for an away match that promised to be close. Like the Nobles’ match, we took two doubles points at #1 and #2. And once again, we found ourselves tied at 6-6 with three remaining players on the courts, each in his second set. Caleb Aldrich (#2) won his first set, as did Jayson Barros (#4). And Luke Jones ’17 dropped a close first set 4-6. For a moment it seemed like déjà vu all over again. Barros was the first of the three to finish, taking his second set 6-2, leaving the Arrows needing one more point to clinch the win. Jones’ was the next match to finish. In an exciting set, he won a tie-breaker to secure the win, a memorable accomplishment for a first-year player. unaware of Jones’ outcome, Aldrich was not yet done. To put this W in bold-face, he took his second set 7-5 for a gratifying 9-6 win.

Near the end of the season, the Arrows faced Brooks School, a solid team that had suffered a couple of upset losses earlier in the season. And missing Michael Wadsworth ’16—a steady singles performer for the Arrows—meant a new line-up against a focused team. Brooks came to St. Sebastian’s determined not to let this match get away from them. And the Brooks’ players made this resolve loud and clear

in the doubles round, with Brooks taking all three doubles match-ups. They took two sets 8-6 at the #1 and #2 positions. At #3 Christian Locurto ’16 and Luke Jones dropped another close set 8-5. Three close sets, but close counts for nothing, and that’s what we had going into the singles round.

Odds were against us—we had never won a match after dropping all three doubles sets. But this is a team that never


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lets up, even for a single point. Sonny Huang ’16, playing #6, took both of his sets 6-4, 6-3. Luke Jones added another point to the effort, winning a close first set 6-4. Jayson Barros’ two sets (6-2, 6-1) then brought the team total to 5. After dropping his first set 1-6, Erik Jones won 7 points to 5 in his second set tie-breaker. And Weston Brach (#1) took a close first set 6-4 for the team’s seventh point, bringing the Arrows even with Brooks.

With all other matches complete, both teams filtered onto the courts to root on their champions as Brach took on his adversary. Pushing his opponent to the brink with a few booming serves, some intrepid volleying, and a couple of crosscourt winners, Brach took the set 6-3 to secure the team’s most exciting win of

the season. For his play throughout the season, Weston earned the distinction of an ISL All-League player.

With this being one of the youngest teams in recent history, we graduate only one senior, Caleb Aldrich—two-year captain and a reliable team member for five years. The epitome of perseverance and gentlemanly conduct, Aldrich has shown us the best of what high-school competition can be and demonstrated to the ISL the best of St. Sebastian’s. He is well-deserving of the team’s second honor, earning All-League Honorable Mention, and will be missed.

Varsity Sailing BY COACH DEiRDRE RYNNE

While other teams cancelled practice and postponed races due to a cold frost, the rugged Sailing team headed out to Boston Harbor. Nineteen years ago Fr. John Arens co-founded the Sailing team and last year saw the most dramatic change with a move of home port venue and rise in divisional placement. Both Coach Arens and Coach Rynne report that the team is still adjusting to those changes.

This season, the team spent 26 days out on the water and competed against some of the best teams in New England. Arrows Sailing also traveled to Marblehead, Scituate, Hull, Hingham, Winthrop, Marina Bay and Lake Cochichuate. In unseasonably cold weather on April 26, we raced in the competitive Double Handed National Qualifier, the O’Day at Tabor Academy. We traveled to Martha’s Vineyard to race their top-ranked team on May 2. We came in second in the B Division South Team Racing Rankings and even though our division record was 1:7, our team enjoyed team camaraderie.

Captain Andrew Warner ’14 led the team this season as they stuck out regattas and races that weren’t always going our way. An accomplished and competitive sailor in his own right, Warner had some admirable finishes against some of the top ranked sailors in New England. Warner captured his love of sailing beautifully in a recent chapel speech, recounting how he finds peace and comfort amidst the chaos and competitiveness of the starting line. The job of a sailor is to read and react to the ever moving invisible wind and to find the quickest way around the course. Warner excelled in reading the wind and handling his boat.

Seniors Alex Pappas, Jay Daukas and Matt Ouellette made contributions throughout their time on the team. Matt, a three-sport athlete, joined the team as a newcomer last year and has proved a quick study.

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The season concluded on May 21 after three days of racing on the Charles River. The team earned 21st place in the Massachusetts Bay League Championships and 12th in the semi-finals for the MIT State Open, which was unfortunately not enough to make it to the finals. The lessons learned off the water are equally as important as the tactics on the course. The sport demands sportsmanship, seamanship and fosters communal spirit.

Shawn Lynch ’15 has dedicated five years already to Arrows Sailing and will lead the team as captain next season. He will join John Flatley ’15, James Hunt ’15, John Petro ’17 and Finn Mulligan ’18 next season. For the first time in the history of the team, we had no new members join this season. We know many have come to St. Sebastian’s offering their sailing experience and certainly we would appreciate those with experience to come out for a great season next spring and welcome those interested in the sport to seek out Fr. John or Coach Rynne with questions.

One of the great opportunities for our Arrows sailors is the experience

racing against some of the best sailors in the country. It’s a lifelong sport and the sailing world is small. We’re pleased so many of our sailors have forged friendships and love hearing from our

accomplished alumni! Next year will mark the 20th season of Arrows Sailing and we hope to have a night to celebrate the team. Alumni interested in attending should be in touch with Coach Rynne.

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The claSSeS of 4’S & 9’S ReuniTe

More than 200 alumni, their spouses, faculty, and friends attended Reunion 2014 in mid-May. The festivities

kicked off on Friday, May 16, with a re-ception for the milestone Classes of 1989 and 1964 followed by their 25th and 50th Reunion dinners. The Class of 1964 took a trip down memory lane, watching a video featuring photos from as far back as their seventh-grade year. The Class of 1989 toured the renovated Birmingham Aca-demic Building and the new Science, Math & Library Building.

On Saturday, the Classes of 1945 through 1964 gathered at Headmaster Burke’s home for a luncheon hosted by him and his wife, Patty. The day

continued with tours of the campus, and an opportunity to hear about life at St. Sebastian’s from current seniors. Our returning Arrows also had a chance to watch baseball, lacrosse, and tennis before honoring departed classmates during a Memorial Mass celebrated by Fr. John Arens in the St. Sebastian’s Chapel.

The event concluded with the annual Headmaster’s Cocktail Reception and Clambake. Before dinner, Arrows, friends, and family gathered on the Class of 2013 Courtyard for the reception and class photos. The group then made its way to Ward Hall for a delicious feast of lobsters and steak. It was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with classmates and faculty, share memories and make new ones.

reunion awards

the alumni who traveled the farthest:David Gorman ’54 (Vero Beach, FL); Dan Nugent ’59 (Suwanee, GA); Brian Foley ’64 (Marina Del Ray, CA); Al Fortune ’64 (Stuart, FL); Christopher McGillicuddy ’69 (Evanston, IL); James Foley ’84 (Hudson, OH); Walter Tonra ’84 (Norfolk, VA); Dennis Joyce ’94 (Puyallup, WA); Jacob Maurer ’99 (Seattle, WA); Robert Dudley ’04 (Durham, NC); Matthew Spalluzzi ’04 (Baltimore, MA); Thomas White ’04 (Chicago, IL)

The class with the largest gift:1964 (more than $50,000)

the class with the greatest number in attendance:2009 (25)

the class with the greatest percentage in attendance:1964 (63%)

reunion 2014

ABOvE: Members of the Class of 2004 catch up with faculty member Dave Thomas before the Clambake. RiGHT: Brothers Richard Ferrone ’64 and Dr. Joe Ferrone ’54 at the Headmaster’s Luncheon.


reunion 2014

TOP ROW: Fred Carroll ’64, Dan Archabal ’64 and Al Fortune ’64; Members of the Class of 1979 catch up during the Clambake MiDDLE ROW: Joe Scalia ’89 and Thomas Beaton ’89 at the 25th Reunion Dinner; Ryan Murphy ’04 and Monica Baytos enjoy some lobster; James Pantano ’09, Steve Flannery ’09 and J.P. Judge ’09. BOTTOM ROW: Ed Quirk ’47, P’73,’76,’77,’80,’82,GP’08,’09,’15 and Richard Griffin ’47 at the Headmaster’s Luncheon; Members of the Class of 2009 share a laugh.


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1949 1954

1959 1964

1969 1974

1949 65tH reunionMurray Regan and Paul Corcoran

1954 60tH reunionJoe Craven, Peter volante, Walter Rich, Joe Ferrone, Larry Connell, Mark Gallagher, Sheldon Daly, David Gorman, Richard Shea, and David Kurris

1959 55tH reunionDan Nugent, Bob Hueston, Corky Cronin, Paul Daley, Jim Devine, Burke Healy, and Kevin Connell

1964 50tH reunionBack row (from left): Ed Whelan, Richard Casey, Rick Commander, Richard Zens, Larry Sheehan, Herb Minkel, Tom Gagen, Tim Cronin, Dan Williams, Jack Cook, Dan Hess,

Don Terry, and Brian Foley; Front row: Peter Mullin, Dick Doyle, Hugh O’Brien, Glenn Murphy, Hugh D’Ambrosio, Tom Akstens, Peter Costello, Dan Archabal, Rich Ferrone, and Dan Crane

1969 45tH reunionBack row (from left): Biff Harney, Mike Ready, Tom Casey, Mark Duffey, Joe Tansey, David Sylvester, William O’Donnell, and Lee Myles; Front row: Chris Galligan, Jack McKeon, Msgr. Contons, Chris McGillicuddy, Dave Foley, and Bob Falconi

1974 40tH reunionKevin O’Malley, Michael McNamara, Paul King, Jack O’Doherty, and Peter Galligan

1979 35tH reunionBack row (from left): Kern Fitzgerald, Tom Finucane, Mark O’Friel, and Peter Rockett; Middle row: Mark Ruelle, Rick Stanton, Dan Moore, John Fiore, Peter Kennedy; Front row: Owen Dugan, Jay Mulhern, Mike O’Toole, and Thomas Ouellet

REUNiON ATTENDEES BY CLASS YEAR


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1979 1984

1989 1994

1999 2004 2009

1984 30tH reunionBack row (from left): Wally Tonra, Paul Abbate, James Foley, and Devin Birmingham; Middle row: John DiGiovanni, Joe Noone, Brian Murphy, Stephen Grande, Daniel Sullivan; Front row: John Mc-Callum, Steve Mullin, and Justin Kennedy

1989 25tH reunionBack row (from left): Paul Fay, Norman Praught, Rob Kraemer, Tom Beaton, Brian Murphy, Pat Hegarty, Robert McGurrin, Craig

Collins, Chris Barletta, Jason Connol-ly, and Joe Mercadante; Front row: Jeff Korzon, Dan Murphy, Chris Baynes, Dennis Thornton, Brett Fish, John DiSciullo, Joe Scalia, and Fred Brewer

1994 20tH reunionBack row (from left): Joe Cugini, Jim Spagnuolo, Peter Donatelli, Chris Danehy, and Stephen Zrike; Middle row: Casey Condron, Marc Mingolelli; Front row: Dennis Joyce, Neil Callanan, James Llewellyn and Brian Quigg

1999 15tH reunionBack row (from left): Gil Schipani, Michael Flaherty, Brad Parker, Jacob Maurer, Bill Clifford; Front row: Rich Wunder, Tim Kelleher, Adam Trossello, Eddie Doherty, Barry Connolly, and Patrick Martin

2004 10tH reunionBack row (from left): Ted Brzek, and Robert Dudley; Middle row: Michael Buckley, Ryan Murphy, and Sam Burke; Front row: Brian Egan, Matt vicidomino, Andrew Digan, and Geoff Meuller

2009 5tH reunionBack row (from left): Matt Murphy, Luke Regan, Steve Flannery, Jim Pantano, Dan Halloran, Mac Lalor, and J.P. Judge; Third row: Corey Willis, Sean O’Malley, Nick Sennott, Terrell Diggs, Tom Keeley, Kyle White, Jamie Curley, Cedric White, and Tyler Smith; Second row: John Power, Alan Donovan, Nick Fico, Chris Brown, Luke Sullivan, Teddy Downs, and Mike Duffy; Front row: Cole Max-well, John Wolfe, Jake Dagdigian, Tucker Quirk, Derek Morrison, Casey Cronin, Mike Foley, and Dan Shapiro


1951Joseph Edward de Vicq sends his regards from San Antonio, TX. He is currently retired, having served 26 years in the united States Air Force and 25 years with Department of Veterans Affairs. He became a widower in 2000 and has two grandchildren and two daughters, one in Crofton, MD, and the other San Antonio. He’s on the lookout for a 1951 St. Sebastian’s yearbook — if anyone has one up for sale, let him know.

1965Mike costello and his wife, Carolann, reside on Martha’s Vineyard. They recently returned from a month long tour of Italy where they saw the Pope in Rome and spent a week on the Amalfi Coast, where they have made arrangements for a month-long stay in September.

Mike ferrone and his wife, Ranata, also live on the Vineyard. The two Mikes have offered to serve as tour guides to any ‘65 Arrows who would like to visit the island.frank Burke and Ed Davis were joined by Andrew Kelley ’00 and Jimmy Madison ’00 for a successful fishing and mountain climbing trip at South Branch Pond in Northern Baxter Park in Maine. The young men kept the old timers on the move and no naps were allowed. Besides fishing and climbing, Arrow story-telling, cribbage world championships, gourmet meals, kayaking, and battles with black flies were the main activities. Plans are already being made for next year’s adventure.

1970 Ted Curtin is almost done with college tuitions. Talia graduated from Connecticut

College last year, while Lindsay and Sara are entering senior year at Wheaton and Marist, respectively. He highly recommends all three colleges to prospective applicants.

1972Richard P. Tierney, M.D., works as an anesthesiologist at Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, WI.

1973Mark canavan lives in Plymouth, MA, where he covers the Northeast as National Accounts Sales Manager for Packaging Corporation of America.

1975On September 21, 2013, along with 11 other men, Paul Coletti was ordained a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church by Cardinal O’Malley at the Cathedral of the Holy

Cross. He is currently assigned to Saint Matthias Parish in Marlborough, MA where it is an honor to serve. He continues to work full time at John Hancock Investments in Boston. He and his wife, Kim, celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in 2013. They have two daughters, Marissa, 26, and Leah, 23.

1979 One of the proudest moments of Peter Rockett’s life was to be able to award his son, Morgan, with his diploma at St. Sebastian’s 2014 Commencement Exercises. It was great to be there with classmate John fiore whose son, James, also graduated. Professionally, Peter is the Vice President at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and was recently elected National Treasurer for the Board of Financial Executives International.

ClaSS noteSNotes and Announcements from Arrows Alumni

Celebrating Monsignor Contons’ 90th BirthdayOn Saturday, May 10, 2014, St. Sebastian’s Monsignor Albert Contons celebrated his 90th Birthday at the venitia Restaurant in South Boston with Ed ’65 and Toni Davis and a host of St. Sebastian’s alumni, spouses, and friends.

Monsignor Contons served on the St. Sebastian’s faculty from 1953-1973. He taught French, Latin, and Religion, and also served as the varsity Tennis coach. A close friend of many Arrows, Monsignor is still an active participant in St. Sebastian’s alumni events, including May’s Reunion 2014.


ClaSS noteS

Jimmy Madison ’00, Ed Davis ’65, Frank Burke ’65, and Andrew Kelley ’00

’65 Paul Coletti being ordained as a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church by Cardinal O’Malley.

Career advisory networkConnecting members of the St. Sebastian’s Community

The St. Sebastian’s Career Advisory network links alumni, especially recent graduates, with alumni and parents who are willing to share their experiences, offer valuable advice, and possibly provide employment leads. The network also serves as a way to connect members of the St. Sebastian’s community with other well-established alumni and parents who share similar vocations.

More than 500 people representing a wide range of professions are already part of the network, and the potential for growth is tremendous.

to become an advisor or learn how to access the list of career advisors, visit:

www.stsebs.org/careers

“One memory that has stayed strong comes from Math class with Father Gilmartin. He would always tell us that we had ‘to keep up with the Russians!’ Study hard every day so we would not fall behind in the space race! At the end of every quiz or exam, he would select a random number. We had three seconds to write down the square root of that number. No slide-rulers or Ti calculators (they weren’t invented yet). i can still get to the square root of 17 = 4.123!! There is a mental trick that is lost on students today. (i’ll never tell.)”

—Thomas Whalen Jr. ’71

’75


ClaSS noteS

Rev. virgil Gordon Glenn iii with his daughter virginia

’90

1982christopher Kennedy recently began a new career as a realtor at Vogt Realty Group in Boston. His success is the direct result of referrals from clients and friends, and he welcomes anyone to contact him personally for any real estate needs.

1990Over the Memorial Day weekend in May, rev. Virgil Gordon Glenn iii was honored to be the speaker for St. Sebastian’s MPA banquet. It was his first time back to campus since moving from Massachusetts in 1997. He was amazed at all the wonderful changes he witnessed, adding that it was wonderful to visit with his former teachers and share moments with

the graduating seniors and underclassmen at the banquet. His parents, Virgil G. Glenn, Jr. and Essie S. Glenn, were present as well and had a wonderful time.

1991Last spring Bill Bowman joined Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as the Vice President of Cyber Security. His three girls attend Montrose School in Medfield and his boys attend St. Benedict’s Elementary in Natick. Bill’s wife volunteers at both schools as an art teacher and an advisor.

1993Jamie o’leary has been named head coach of the boys varsity hockey team at Needham High School. He previously served as Needham’s assistant coach during the 2012-2013 season.

1997Carl Corazinni was named the head coach of the Boys Varsity Hockey Team at St. Mark’s School. Carl had been the head coach at Weston High School for the last three years.

1998Elliott Otto sends greetings from the Bay area! He and his wife, son and daughter recently moved from their home in Berkeley to a new home in Alameda, a quiet town directly across the Bay from San Francisco. He is still practicing as a CPA, crunching numbers at a local tax firm. He and his wife had a great time at his 15th Reunion and are already looking forward to his 20th in 2018.

WHAT’S NEW?keep your classmates updated by sending us your news!

send us photos, too! Submit class notes and photos at:stsebs.org/classnotes

Deadline for next issue: DECEMBER 1, 2014 Photos will be published based on quality and available space. Please be sure to send the highest quality image possible and identify everyone.

Arrows connect in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 2014. Chris Averill ’02, Jay Tansey ’03, Brian Compagnone ’92, and David Cuzzi ’92 (pictured left to right) joined the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation for a small business event in the U.S. Senate Kennedy Caucus Room on Capitol Hill.


Elliott Otto ’98 with his family

’98

Kevin thomas hickey ’69, at the age of 63, answered a late vocation and began his new life. With his family sitting in the front pew, including his mother Mary and brothers John ’65 and Brian ’71, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston by Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on May 24 this year.

A product of Catholic education, Kevin attended Catholic grammar school at Saint Paul School in Wellesley and Saint Bridget’s in Framingham, then St. Sebastian’s School before heading to the university of Notre Dame. After graduating with a degree in marketing in 1973, he worked in banking and in hospital administration. Kevin married Claire Leonard in 1979. Following a seven-year battle with cancer, Claire—his wife of 20 years—passed away in 1999.

After much deliberation and prayer about his future vocation, Kevin entered Blessed John XXIII Seminary in Weston in August 2010. During a recent speech at the Seminary, he credited his inspiration and faith to Claire. Kevin and Claire were parishioners at Saint Clare Parish in Braintree, whose pastor, Reverend Paul Sughrue, as well as Reverend Thomas C. Foley, a senior priest, were instrumental in helping Kevin discover his vocation. It was Father Foley who called Kevin and asked if he’d ever thought of becoming a priest.

By offering a unique preparation program to mature seminarians, Blessed John XXIII Seminary provided Hickey with a new path, one he never expected, but has given him a way to help others. No doubt he will bring wisdom and experience as he serves the parish collective of Saint Edward the Confessor in Medfield and Saint Jude in Norfolk. Congratulations, Father Kevin.

Answering a Second Calling

2000John haydon and his wife, Carissa, welcomed a beautiful baby girl to their family, Sophie Mary.Peter sally married Sarah Tremblay on March 1, 2014. Peter currently works for Blue Cross Blue Shield in Boston. Andrei Doohovskoy recently moved back to the Boston area with his wife, Mary, and daughter, Maya. He had previously been stationed at Fort Drum with the uS Army. Keon webbe married Selina Joseph on June 20, 2014 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. James Madison married Leah Voltoline on July 17, 2014 in New Symerna Beach, FL. He currently works at Manulife Asset Management in Boston and the couple resides in Millis, MA.

2001 Peter Bekker graduated from the u.C. San Diego School of Medicine in 2011, and is due to graduate from his residency in anesthesiology at Mass General in 2015. He and his wife are expecting a daughter in August.

2002richard Baker recently received his MBA from F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.Patrick o’neil and his wife, Allison, celebrated the birth of their first child, Jake, on October 26, 2013.Michael Stratton, his wife, Laura, and daughter, Emma, welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Lydia Anne, to their family on April 16, 2014.

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ClaSS noteS


2003tom Digan and his wife, Braiden, celebrated the birth of their first child, Luke Thomas.wesley Mateo and Victoria Kauer recently became engaged. Their wedding will take place in Moultonborough, NH, in October 2015.Matt Moran and his wife, Liz, are expecting their second child. Joe scardino married Lindsay Brown on June 27, 2014, in Foxboro, MA.

2004Andrew Baker recently graduated from Tufts Dental School. He will join his family’s practice in Braintree, MA.

Tony Coskren ’01 married Taylor Cronin, daughter of Kevin Cronin ’68, on June 21, 2014 at Oyster Harbors Club in Osterville, MA, with many Arrows in attendance. Front row, from left: Matt Ruscitto ’01, Jamie Stoddard ’01, Tim Coskren ’00, Mark McLean ’01, Brian Flaherty ’01, Kevin Cronin ’68, and Jay Leonard ’01. Back row, from left: Brian Pinch ’04, David Cacciola ’01, Fr. John Arens, Michael Coskren ’04, Nicholas Coskren ’05, bride and groom, Tony ’01 and Taylor, Headmaster Bill Burke, Michael White ’01, Peter White ’72, Michael (Corky) Cronin ’59, and Eugene O’Malley ’68

ClaSS noteS

’01

uPcoMinG AluMni EVEnts

september27 Homecoming St. Sebastian’s vs. Roxbury Latin

october 23 Alumni dinner

november 10 washington, d.C. reception

11 new York reception

25 Boston Business Breakfast

26 Class of 2014 Yearbook reception

29 Alumni sports day

For more information on these events, please contact the Alumni office at 781-247-0121.

Save the DateMay 15 & 16REUNION

2015 If you are a member of a St. Sebastian’s class ending in 5 or 0, it’s time to start planning your reunion. We can’t wait to see you! Sports captains from the Class of 1965.


Kevin Gill and his wife, Heather Marie, welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Taegen Rose, on March 31, 2014.Kyle harrington is engaged to Elyse Sherman.

2005chris Kovalcik is living in Minneapolis, MN. He got engaged to Kelsey Norberg on July 4, 2014.

2007shane Ecclesine and Julia Kacos celebrated their engagement on April 27, 2014. Their wedding is set for the summer of 2015.tim smith is engaged to Ally Izzo.

2008Greg Mateo and Colleen Smith recently became engaged. Colleen is the sister of Tim Smith ’07.

2009John wolfe graduated from Princeton on June 3, 2014. In addition to receiving his B.A. in

psychology, John was awarded the university’s Edward E. Jones Memorial Prize for producing the top thesis in social psychology. His work, “The Secret Agent Effect: A self-serving discrepancy in estimates of covert peer-to-peer learning,” was judged to be most outstanding for its innovative research and excellent composition. John was also elected a member of the scientific research society Sigma Xi.

2012Christopher Barletta has completed his second year at Northeastern university.Jack connolly, who will begin his junior year at Dartmouth, was named co-captain of the 2014-2015 Dartmouth College lacrosse team. tyler M. sweeney was recently accepted into the Farrell School of Business at Wake Forest university, where he will pursue his degree in finance. This fall he will study abroad in Barcelona.

ClaSS noteS

Patrick rynne ’01 has always had a magnetism to water, a love he shares with his sister Deirdre, Head Sailing Coach and art teacher at St. Sebastian’s. His passion for the ocean was born in him as a youngster, sailing at the mere age of two, and carried him from All-American skipper at Brown university to campaigning for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing with the u.S. Sailing Team. It drew him to the sport of competitive kite racing, combining his love of sailing and surfing. And it’s shaped his career: he has degrees in material and ocean engineering and is currently working on his Ph.D. in applied marine physics at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

Rynne is also using that passion to make a difference. In 2011, he founded a film-making project called Waterlust as an experiment to get people thinking about their personal relationships with water and what it means to them. “The idea is that if you can inspire somebody to think, that critical thinking can lead to increased consciousness about our environmental challenges,” says Rynne.

As Creative Director of the project, Rynne produces film and photography focused on water-related science, sport and art. The more than 20 short films on waterlust.org have taken over a million viewers from the canals of Venice to the shores of Cuba and were among the official selections of the 2013 Woods Hole and 2013 San Francisco Ocean Film Festivals. Through these engaging and immersive videos, Rynne hopes to educate and shift perceptions, reminding people that water is one of our most precious natural resources.

To learn more about this exciting project, visit www.waterlust.org.

A Passion for Water

“During my sophomore year, the old ice rink’s roof collapsed under the weight of accumulated snow. i remember sharing those 5:00 AM bus rides to Belmont Hill with my teammates for hockey practice...youthful exuberance! And the

following year, we all pitched in and did anything we could to get the new rink ready. it was a lot of work and dedication, but we were all so excited for the new rink!” —ElliotOtto’98


We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the graduates and friends of St. Sebastian’s School whose deaths are reported with sorrow.

“Happy are those who have died in the Lord!Happy indeed the Spirit says;Now they can rest forever after their work,Since their good deeds go with them.” —Revelation 14:13

Reba CampbellMay 2, 2014Grandmother of Christopher D. Rodowicz ’13

Rita EmelloApril 15, 2014Mother of David Emello ’84 Vincent J. GandolfoJune 24, 2014Father of Vincent Gandolfo, Jr. ’73

Oliver W. HenniganJune 16, 2014Father of Oliver Hennigan ’73, Brian Hennigan ’74, Mark Hennigan ’78, Dennis Hennigan ’88, stepfather of Paul Brien ’76, Anthony Brien ’86; grandfather of Andrew Brien ’07

Robert LaniganApril 25, 2014Husband of Doris Barlow Lanigan, St. Sebastian’s Secretary from 1954-1989; step-father of Dr. David Barlow, Past Trustee

John P. MartinJune 6, 2014Grandfather of Matthew E. Duffy ’07, Michael G. Duffy ’09, and Conor P. Duffy ’14

Joseph J. PulginiJuly 6, 2014Father of John A. Pulgini ’85

Marilyn MutchMay 16, 2014Mother of the late Kevin T. Mutch ’80 and sister of Ronald R. Rich ’68

Virginia ParkerMay 17, 2014Grandmother of Matthew A. Simon ’06 and Zachary J. Simon ’09

Joan RubyJuly 7, 2014Mother of Mark T. Brennan ’70

Frank M. WardApril 18, 2014Father of Stephen P. Ward ’96; grandfather of Erik ’09 and Donovan C. Ward ’11

in memoriam



in memoriam

Joseph M. Corsetti ’60Joe passed away on April 14, 2014. The standout athlete of his graduating class, Joe was one of the finest football players ever to wear the Red and Black, and according to

St. Sebastian’s Coach Tom Green ’49, the fastest man to graduate. He went on to Villanova and spent many successful years in the hospitality industry. Joe is survived by his wife, Stephanie; his children, Dawn, Joe Jr., and Marcus; and his granddaughter, Jaydyn.

Kevin A. Dalton ’71Kevin passed away on April 16, 2014. After graduating from St. Sebastian’s and St. Michael’s College in Vermont, Kevin worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield and Bay State Health

Company. In 1996, he and his wife, Mary, moved to Sarasota, FL, where he worked as a real estate agent. He was an avid golfer, a passionate Boston sports fan, and a lover of friends and family, by whom he will be sorely missed.

Brian J. Kenney ’94Brian died on June 25, 2014, at his home in Tampa, FL. After St. Sebastian’s, he attended Assumption College in Worcester, and had been working

as a self-employed commercial real estate broker in the Tampa area. He is preceded in death by his father, Peter, and survived by his mother, Susan Barry, her husband William, step-sister Colleen, step-brother Brian, godmother Kathleen Bresnahan, and godfather and uncle Richard Monaghan, as well as many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Thomas A. O’Shea ’49Tom passed away on May 10, 2014. After his time on Nonantum Hill, he matriculated at Northeastern university and graduated in 1955. He then served with the

u.S. Army’s 8th Infantry Division and was honorably discharged in 1962. For 30 years, Tom worked at Northrop Corporation in Norwood, MA, and retired to Brewster, MA, in 1985. He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Rosalie, and survived by his brother, Roger; his children, Thomas Jr., Elaine, Stephen, Joan, and Susan; and his many grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Edward S. Scullane, Jr. ’57Ed passed away on April 23, 2014. From eighth grade through his senior year at St. Sebastian’s he was a standout in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and in

his extracurricular activities. His hard work took him from Nonantum Hill to Chestnut Hill where he earned his degree at Boston College. He is preceded in death by his parents, Veralene and Edward, and his sister, Barbara; and survived by many cousins, classmates, and friends who miss him dearly.

Paul T. Shea ’91Paul passed away suddenly on April 18, 2014. He earned his degree from Boston College after graduating from St. Sebastian’s and began his career as a mortgage

broker. He spent much of his time in the insurance industry, but Paul also tried his hand quite successfully at standup comedy and music. He was the life of every party and well loved by everyone he knew. Paul is survived by his parents, Lois and Paul, his brother, Peter, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

THE STORY BEHiND THE BOW TiE

Shortly after my graduation from Middlebury College in 1973, my future wife, Patty, pulled a bow tie from a bin in the original Filene’s Basement in downtown Boston, held it up to my neck, and told me that I

would look good wearing it. She taught me how to tie it, and I have been sporting bow ties ever since.

Several years ago, Ron Peters, the father of one of our 7th graders, suggested that he purchase bow ties for our 63 seniors in the Class of 2006 and have me teach our young men to tie them prior to the Baccalaureate Mass and Dinner on the eve of our Commencement. Beautiful, custom made, red and black bow ties arrived in time for me to teach our quick learners, who proudly wore them to the Mass and Dinner.

By longstanding tradition, our graduates wear St. Sebastian’s Alumni neck ties to Commencement. So what happened to the brand new bow ties? In the early AM, a father, responding to the spark of inspiration, put the word out to the other fathers that they should join him in wearing their sons’ bow ties to Commencement that morning. In many cases, the soon-to-be graduates employed very new knowledge in teaching their fathers to tie bow ties.

So, two new traditions were born in 2006, and, for the past nine years, St. Sebastian’s seniors have worn bow ties to Mass and Dinner on the eve of Commencement, and their fathers have worn them to the ceremony the next morning.

BY HEADMASTER WiLLiAM L. BURKE iii

John McNamara ‘81 getting some help from his son, Johnny ‘14, on the morning of Commencement.

HomeComingSeptember 27, 2014

www.stsebs.org/homecoming

1191 greendale Avenueneedham, massachusetts 02492

William L. Burke iiiHeadmaster

Richard F. ArmsDirector of Alumni & Development

Christine Y. RobertsonDirector of Communications

nonprofit org.US Postage

PAIDBoston, mA

Permit no. 19943

Members of the Class of 2014 attempt to tie their new bow ties on the eve of Commencement.

Documents

St. Sebastian's Magazine - Issue III, 2013-14