t o d ay s u m m e r 2 0 2 2
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2021–2022
Peter B LaMontagne ’84, P’14, ’17, ’21, ’25, ’25 Chair
Nathan M. Brawn ’02, Vice Chair
Rev John T “Jack” Butler, S J
Michael J Cianchette ’02
Amber R Collins ’04
Rev Brian J Conley, S J , Superior of the Jesuits of Maine
Margaret Florentine
Marco Giancotti P’16, ’18, ’21
Shawn Hawthorne ’02
Catherine Hyde P’20, Secretary
Carl J “CJ” LeFevre ’89, P’20
Timothy J McGonagle ’92
Rev. Robert J. Pecoraro, S.J., President
Rev Cyril P Opeil, S J
John Richardson ’09
Jonathan E Smith ’86, P’10, ’12, ’14
Stephen Train ’86, P’16, ’19
James A Ward ’63
Rev John C Wronski, S J
ADMINISTRATION
Rev. Robert J. Pecoraro, S.J., President
Michael S Komich, Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations
John J Moran, Ed D , Principal
Sarah Scola, Assistant to the President and Director of Operations
Randolph H Shaw, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
CHEVERUS TODAY
Published by The Office of Institutional Advancement
Editor: Jeannette N. Wycoff, Director of Communications wycoff@cheverus org
Cheverus High School
267 Ocean Avenue
Portland, ME 04103-5707
207 774 6238 www cheverus org
Readers, please direct all correspondence or address changes to: alumni@cheverus org
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Rev Robert J Pecoraro, S J
Jeannette N Wycoff
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dave Bates
Jeannette N Wycoff
Cindy Russell
Bethany G Hanley
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Think Design
In an effort to care for our common home: If you receive a magazine for a family member no longer living at this address, please help us update our records. Contact advancement@cheverus org
On the cover: Students enjoy conversation with Fr Greg Boyle, S J , the founder of Homeboy Industries, after he spoke to the student body in May Boyle was the Ignatian Year Speaker
Inside cover: In March, the Cheverus girls basketball team, led by Coach Billy Goodman, captured their first state championship with a 49-36 win over Gorham for the AA state title The team finished the season with an 18-3 record
Dear Cheverus Community,
This summer, the entire Ignatian family celebrated the close of the Ignatian Year on July 31, the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. For 14 months, the Society of Jesus and all its apostolic works across the globe celebrated the 500th anniversar y of the conversion of Ignatius, from a wounded soldier to a fer vent pilgrim. This transformation changed his life and our lives today.
Throughout this past school year, as we collectively emerged from our own dark time of the pandemic, we have looked to our Ignatian heritage to orient us.
In this issue of C h e ve r u s To d a y, we recognize some of the ways in which Cheverus differentiates itself as a Catholic, Jesuit school, including the 50 years of the Arrupe Project – the embodiment of faith that does justice – and three remarkable recipients of the 2022 Magis Awards. We also celebrate the long line of Jesuits who have ser ved at Cheverus during their priestly formation, honor the recent graduates and our outstanding Golden Grads who raised a record-breaking $100,000 for their class scholarship, and remember the enduring message of treasuring our common humanity from the Ignatian Speaker, Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.
When Greg visited campus this May, he said “Cheverus is not a place you come to – it is a place you go from” and emphasized the ver y specific task for all of us when we “ go from Cheverus – to create a community of kinship such that God, in fact, might recognize it ”
We know all too well that these times are stretching our hearts and minds in unimaginable ways. We only need to look to our patron saint to find a path for ward to a hope-filled future. That jarring strike that transformed the life of the once-brash man into a deeply spiritual one illustrates that transformation is accessible to each and ever y one of us. As Zoe Baker ’ 22 said at graduation, we need to “ accept and embrace change.” The conversion of hearts and minds is a limitless process.
As this special year concludes, may Ignatius continue to be our model and Christ our constant companion.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.
For Cheverus,
Fr. Robert J. Pecoraro, S.J. President
C H E V E R U S T O DAY 3
50 YEARS OF SERVICE
The essence of the initiative has remained the same over half a centur y: an immersive ser vice project where seniors ser ve in their community, reflect on their experiences, and share their learnings with underclassmen.
For many students, their Arrupe Project placements can be disappointing at first pass. In the spring of 1991, Mark Tardif ’ 91 was assigned to ser ve at St Mar y ’ s School in Biddeford. He was not thrilled with the assignment. However, once he arrived at the small parochial school, he began to make connections with the kids, “and it really brought things into perspective ”
As a senior, Tardif discovered the diversity of his community, and empathy and compassion grew in his heart. Thirty-one years later, as a middle school teacher in Scarborough Public Schools, Tardif now ser ves as an Arrupe site supervisor and has done so for over a decade.
For his May Project, Bill Burke ’82 was assigned to the Barron Center, a skilled nursing facility operated by the city of Portland that continues to be a ser vice site. Burke said his experience allowed him, “to see beyond myself and the small world I grew up in. I got to experience God's people at a very vulnerable point in their lives.” Burke now ser ves as the principal of St Brigid School, an Arrupe ser vice site He said the transformative experience is an opportunity for, “the largely unmeasured and untested skills students learn at home and at Cheverus,” to be “combined with a responsibility for others ”
Jeffrey Tremblay, head of school at Levey Day School in Portland, has been a site super visor for the Arrupe Project for the five years he has led the Jewish day school. He recognized the most impactful part of being a ser vice site is, “the relationships the older students make with our younger ones It 's amazing!”
Theology teacher Dan Haskell ’ 90 led the program for 15 years. He did his May Project at what was then called the Cerebral Palsy Center, now called the Morrison Development Center. He said, “It was one of the best things I did in my life. Of course, it was awkward at first, but I was working alongside
extraordinar y people, so I paid attention to them and tried to mirror what they were doing.”
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This year, histor y teacher Maureen Curran took the reins from Haskell. She said community ser vice capstone projects are a “prevalent trend in education today,” but “ 50 years ago, Cheverus was an outlier ” She pointed to the unique approach Cheverus takes, our students ser ve in the context of Ignatian values… The Arrupe Projects give them an opportunity to put those concepts into action ”
Curran said, “At the end of my first year teaching here, I remember Richie Ashley ’ 97 and Dan Costigan ’82 encouraging me to get involved in the Arrupe Projects to better understand what Cheverus is truly about.”
Weekly student reflections often examine the difficulties encountered working in new environments and interacting with new people. In his final reflection, Emmet Schuele ’ 22 said his experience taught him that growth can happen when we are challenged, “My journey to and through my time at the Root Cellar was something I'll never forget. Doing something so out of my normal comfort zone opened up my eyes to how much good there really is in people.” Curran said that reading the student reflections and hearing the accolades from site super visors at the end of May made the experience a powerful one She said leading the program was, “without a doubt, one of the most meaningful experiences of my 23-year teaching career. ”
After 50 years, the Arrupe Project continues to fulfill its original intention of creating opportunities for students to live a faith that does justice through action.
C H E V E R U S T O DAY 5
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“accept and embrace change”
On the evening of June 6, 94 students in the Cheverus Class of 2022 gathered one last time in front of friends and family to receive their diplomas at Merrill Auditorium.
Class President Matthew Bellantoni ser ved as emcee Zoe Baker, Outstanding Senior and All Around Student, addressed her classmates and the audience with sage advice: “ With ever ything that has happened over the past few years, I have learned one especially valuable lesson: to accept and embrace change. Change is inevitable, the future is something that is out of our control ”
Valedictorian Emma Tweed, echoed a similar theme and called on her peers to be brave in the next chapter of their lives: “ Too often, we live in fear of failing and allow our past mistakes to define us…So, fellow classmates, be courageous. Instead of asking ourselves: What do we want to be when we grow up, ’ ask ‘ Who do we want to be when we grow up?’ This small change centers the question around what we do now, beginning in this ver y moment. ”
Zoe Baker and Robert Crean, accompanied by Mr. Chris Humphrey, performed a beautiful rendition of Gre e n Da y ’ s Go o d R i d d a n c e ( Ti m e o f yo u r Li f e ) before classmates were recognized with various academic awards.
Golden Graduate Jerr y Conley ’ 72 was the graduation speaker. With his signature one-liners he drew laughs before he emphasized the value of a Cheverus High School education, both in terms of academic preparation as well as preparing students for a rapidly changing world. He concluded by speaking to the audience, Your presence is a testament to your own faith in this school and what it stands for ” He then called on graduates and all present, to follow the Jesuit mantra, to be people for others – the world will certainly be a better place if we do.”
To see a list of graduates and award recipients, please visit graduation.cheverus.org.
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Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.
Acharismatic stor yteller, Fr. Greg Boyle captivated two audiences at Cheverus this spring with his powerful message of kinship, wrapped in stories of tender humanity. Fr. Boyle was the Ignatian Year Speaker, sponsored by the Ignatian family in Portland – Cheverus High School, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Ignatian Spirituality Partnership of Maine, St. Brigid School, and the Ignatian Volunteer Corp. of Maine.
The founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-inter vention, rehabilitation, and re-entr y program in the world, based in East L A , Fr Boyle authored the 2010 Ne w Yo rk Ti m e s bestseller Ta t t o o s o n t h e He a r t : T h e Powe r o f B o u n d l e s s C o m p a s s i o n and Ba rk i n g t o t h e C h o i r : T h e Powe r o f R a d i c a l K i n s h i p , the 2021–2022 Cheverus Community Read. His latest book, T h e W h o l e L a n g u a g e : T h e Powe r o f Ex t ra va g a n t Te n d e r n e s s , was the focus of his talks.
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The morning audience included Cheverus students as well as middle schoolers from St. Brigid School. Boyle addressed the students saying Cheverus and St Brigid School, “ are not schools you come to, they are schools you go from.” He said we are all tasked with something ver y specific when we “ go from” Cheverus and St. Brigid, “ We want to create a community of kinship such that God, in fact, might recognize it.”
In the evening, more than 450 members of the greater Portland community gathered in the Keegan Gymnasium to listen to Fr Boyle Cheverus President Fr. Robert Pecoraro, S.J. introduced him and highlighted his personal connection to Boyle’s gang-inter vention work, For my long experiment – a six-month experience as part of my novitiate – I worked at Homeboy Industries To this day, this experience of working with and living in the community at Casa Luís Espinal in East Los Angeles was one of my most formative experiences as a Jesuit. It shaped me as a priest and as a person ”
Boyle spoke of kinship and reminded the audience of St. Mother Teresa’s simple statement, “ we belong to each other.” His artful use of humor drew listeners in so they could better understand his powerful message of our shared humanity. He cautioned that:
“You
don't go out to the margins to make a difference – because then it 's about you. It can't be You go to the margins so that the people there make you different Then it is about us ” “
He concluded with a message about the opportunity for each person in the room to be a channel of extravagant tenderness, “ We want to receive the tender glance from our God who loves us, without measuring, without regret. So that we can become that tender glance to the world ”
To watch a recording of the evening talk, please visit gregboyle cheverus org
C H E V E R U S T O DAY 9
A n d r e w Gl e a s o n ’ 0 8
Ignatian Formation: Gleason was first introduced to the Ignatian family when he came to Cheverus. He attended LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY, then Creighton University in Omaha, NE for graduate school. While at Creighton, he was the Project Coordinator for the university's service programs in the Dominican Republic, the Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC). After graduate school, Gleason became the International Program Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. These Ignatian experiences led him to his current work as Senior Director, Gender Equality & Social Justice at Save the Children US.
There is an amazing value that has always been near and dear to my heart to this day, this idea and value of accompaniment. Really walking side-by-side with people. That has come true throughout my education, at LeMoyne College, a Catholic, Jesuit university, at Creighton University doing my graduate work, but also in the pursuit of my lifelong work of addressing injustice.”
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Every other year, Cheverus recognizes those in our community who live according to the Magis.
This year (pictured left to right), Gerard P. Conley, Class of 1972, P ’12, ’14, ’17; John H.R. Mullen P’01, ’08, ’12 Cheverus Principal and educator 1979–2019, and Jane Elizabeth Glass, Cheverus Librarian, Webmaster and educator 1997–present; were recognized and celebrated on the last day of March.
This year 's ceremony brought together so many who have shaped Cheverus over the last 40 years. The evening was marked by great emotion, a fair number of laughs, and an enduring love for the school and its mission
John Mullen
Gary Hoyt, P ’99 a Cheverus educator from 1975– 2017, who served as athletics director for 37 years, introduced his friend and former colleague John Mullen, who spoke of his own personal transformation that occurred over his 40-year tenure at Cheverus “O ver time, my association and collaboration with the people of Cheverus – the faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and students – exposed me to the school mission and the Magis by their example,” said Mullen He was emotive as he expressed profound gratitude for all that he had learned from his colleagues during his time as a teacher, a coach, and as principal
To view a highlight video and photos from the ceremony, please visit magis cheverus org
Jane Glass
Kate Coddaire, Director of College Advising, introduced her colleague of 22 years, Jane Glass As the school Librarian for 25 years, Glass said that the role of the librarian is to serve, but her role as a Jesuit educator goes beyond helping students in the library, “for me going to Kairos, announcing sports, judging debates and attending music and drama events are all ways of loving the students as whole persons – beyond what I see in the classroom and in the library ”
Jerry Conley
Introduced by current trustee Marco Giancotti, P’16, P’18, P’21, Jerry Conley took the stage, and with his sharp wit had people laughing before emphasizing the formative role his Cheverus education played in his life and in the lives of so many graduates Conley said, “Cheverus is different. It not only opens doors in life for all who come here, it opens its students’ minds, to better prepare them for taking on the challenges, which we all face in this ever-changing world ”
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2022
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In May, for the first time in three years, Cheverus hosted an in-person Gala The gymnasium was transformed into an inviting setting for guests to mix and mingle, while the auction opened a week before the event and remained online This year, the Gala celebrated the Ignatian Year and the 80th anniversary of Jesuit leadership at Cheverus
Fr. Bob Pecoraro, S.J. welcomed attendees to the celebration, “All of us here tonight are part of the rich tapestry of Jesuit communities, set in motion by the conversion of St Ignatius half a millennium ago ”
Student speaker Carlos MacDonald ’23 spoke about cura personalis, the care of the person that is a central tenet of Jesuit education He recounted his freshman theology teacher Jose Peralta’s impact on positively shaping his Cheverus experience right from the start, with a simple hello at the summer enrichment program before his freshman year. MacDonald said Peralta made an effort to introduce himself to each student present in the library and asked about their families and interests “The thing that really stuck out to me was that he took the time to get to know me because he truly wanted to know who I was,” he said
A video compilation celebrating the Ignatian identity of Cheverus was then shared with the audience. Board Chair Peter LaMontagne ’84, P’14, ’17, ’21, ’25, ’25 followed and provided context to the evening's gathering, we are an integral part of an enduring educational and spiritual movement that now spans thousands of schools with millions of graduates around the globe This shared history and heritage unite us ” LaMontagne optimistically concluded, “While it is an honor to participate in a tradition that spans half a millennium, Cheverus’ best years are still to come.”
To view the video shared at the Gala, please visit gala.cheverus.org
E RU S G A L A
C H E V
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Rev. Kevin Hughes, S.J. will be joining the Cheverus faculty to teach theology and ser ve in the Campus Ministr y department. A graduate of the Jesuit high school in Philadelphia, St Joseph’s Preparator y School, he holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Master of Divinity. Fr. Hughes taught math and science at McQuaid Jesuit High in Rochester, NY as part of his formation. In addition, members of our community may remember Fr Hughes from when he ser ved as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Hope Parish.
Cheverus is pleased to announce Director of Alumni Relations
Will Tuttle has joined the Advancement Team.
Will spent 13 years at the Fessenden School in West Newton, MA, where he held numerous roles including associate director of academic technology, innovation coach for the Ciongoli Center for Innovation, histor y, science, and programming teacher, IT coordinator, hockey, lacrosse, and football coach, and member of residential life. For the past two years, Will has ser ved as remote learning IT assistant at Thornton Academy, where he has super vised, implemented, and supported a variety of remote learning initiatives. He is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and Nazareth College of Rochester His brother Spencer is a 2009 graduate of Cheverus.
Will currently ser ves as head coach of Cheverus boys lacrosse As director of alumni relations, he is eager to connect and work with the Cheverus community. He can be reached via email at tuttle@cheverus.org.
Please help the Alumni Office better ser ve you by filling out this brief, anonymous sur vey alumnisurvey.cheverus.org
C H E V E R U S T O DAY 1 3 GET INVOLVED! alumni.cheverus.org
Welcome to Cheverus!
j e s u i t l e g a c y
L to R: Ms. Jane Glass, Mr. Rodger Cilley, Ms. K athy Little, Mr. Richie Ashley ’97, Fr. George Collins, S.J., Fr. Tom Simisky, S.J., Mr Brendan Gottschall, S J , Fr Mario Powell, S J , Fr Bob Pecoraro, S J , Fr Sean Hager ty, S J , Fr Joe O’Keefe, S J , Fr Michael Boughton, S J , Fr Bill Campbell, S J , Fr Jack Hanwell, S J , Fr James Ferrus, S J , Mr Dan Haskell ’90, Fr Bob Levens, S J , Fr. Bob Keane, S.J., Mr. Paul Johnson
In the 80 years that the Society of Jesus has led Cheverus, the school has had a rich histor y of Jesuits ser ving at the school. In June, Fr. Sean Hagerty, S.J. was ordained at Fordham University. Hagerty was a scholastic at Cheverus from 2017 to 2019, taught theology, and drove the school bus for extracurricular events. His ordination brought together over 150 Jesuits from the East Province and the opportunity to gather those who have ser ved at Cheverus as well as some long-time faculty members
Liwanga Awarded Jesuit Spirit in Service Schol arship
In recognition of the Ignatian Year, the Jesuit Spirit of Ser vice Scholarship was awarded to Immaculata Liwanga ’26 in June. Liwanga is an active volunteer in her parish, both as an altar ser ver and a summer camp counselor. She expressed her excitement about joining the Cheverus community, “Cheverus has the people, culture, and faith that will allow me to grow into the person God created me to be.”
In keeping with the Catholic, Jesuit heritage, and informed by the school’s commitment to living as women and men in ser vice to others, earlier this year Cheverus announced this special full, four-year scholarship, open to ninth grade applicants whose contributions to their community through ser vice and leadership warrant special recognition.
In her essay, Liwanga referenced 1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift, use it to ser ve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. ” She said, “I believe this perfectly sums up the vision Cheverus has for its students we are all called to use our talents for the good of other people ”
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Ke v i n Co n ca n n o n ’ 5 9 a n d h i s s o n Jo h n Co n ca n n o n ’ 9 8
Ignatian Formation: Kevin Concannon met the Jesuits at Cheverus, as member of the Class of 1959. He retired in 2017 from the USDA as Under Secretary Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. Two of his sons also graduated from Cheverus, Michael ’87 and John ’98 John went on to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, then served for a year after college with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. John currently serves as the vice president of the Cheverus Alumni Council and works at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The values that Cheverus promoted as well as Jesuit education generally, was not only integrity and social concerns for others, but it was competence Jesuit education has a way of imbuing certain values ”
– Kevin Concannon ’59
I had a Jesuit trifecta – attended Cheverus, went to Holy Cross, and ser ved in the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. I don't think I would be doing what I do today if I had not had those experiences.”
– John Concannon ’98
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For the most up-to-date information, please visit Cheverus.org CheverusHighSchool @cheverus @cheverus
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