Letter from the Headmaster
From seed to shade CISTERCIAN PREPARATORY SCHOOL Rev. Paul McCormick Headmaster
Fr. Lawrence Brophy ’01 Head of Middle School
Greg Novinski ’82
Assistant Headmaster Head of Upper School
Fr. Anthony Bigney Director of Admissions
Chris Blackwell
Director of College Counseling
Erin Hart
Director of Development and Alumni Relations
André Bruce
Director of Athletics and Physical Education
Shae Armstrong ’98 President, Cistercian Alumni Association
School Board
Rt. Rev. Peter Verhalen ’73 Rev. Thomas Esposito Rev. Bernard Marton Rev. Paul McCormick Adebola Adesanya Victor Arias Kathleen M. Muldoon Joan D. Raff J. Mark Roppolo ’88 Peter P. Smith ’74 Gloria Tarpley Jere W. Thompson, Jr. ’74 Matthew Wilson
“(The kingdom of God) is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32)
S
o much in this issue of the Continuum reminds me of this parable as I marvel at the expansive relationships that bind together our alumni across the nation and world. In our feature article, it is through their native passion for the sport of soccer that the Hungarian founders Fr. Paul McCormick effectively laid the foundation for what would become decades of great coaches and tenacious athletes with ties binding them together long after graduation. In “The Great Cistercian Road Show,” Cart Weiland ’04 recounts our outreach
In this issue
Volume 48, Number 2
Two Sixtieth Anniversary Ordination Celebrations
Continuum Erin Hart Publisher
Rooted in tRadition
Brigitte Gimenez Editor
Jim Reisch
Photography Editor
FigDesign
The Great Cistercian
Layout
Published each spring and fall by Cistercian Preparatory School
Road Show
3660 Cistercian Road Irving, TX 75039 469-499-5400 www.cistercian.org Cistercian Preparatory School was founded with the aim of preparing talented boys for the colleges of their choice by challenging their minds with excellent academic programs, molding their character through the values of Catholic education, and offering them guidance with both understanding and discipline. Cistercian Preparatory School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, nationality, or ethnic origin in the administration of its admission and education policies, financial aid programs, athletic programs, and other activities.
in recent years to visit with alumni across the country. From Los Angeles to Boston, Atlanta to Seattle, the branches that have sprung from this smallest of seeds truly extend to the full width and breadth of our nation. In his commentary, alumnus Clay Tillotson ’11 shares with poignancy and humor some of the key lessons he learned while at Cistercian. And, as always, Fr. Roch captures the spirit of this issue as he reflects on the many invisible bonds that unite and uphold us. (Be sure to enjoy the tributes to Frs. Roch and Julius who marked their 60th anniversary of ordination!!) Finally, the 2020–2021 Annual Report highlights the entire Cistercian family’s generous care and concern for helping ensure the ongoing mission of this small school in Irving to form and educate promising young men to one day become the branches from which others may benefit and “dwell in its shade.”
Fr Roch Kereszty Fr. Julius Leloczky Cistercian’s ties to the golden age of Hungarian soccer Mark Talkington ’79
Alumni outreach has increased in recent years. But how do alumni meetups outside of Texas get off the ground, and what’s the key to their success?
8 10 44
Cart Weiland ’04
Departments
News & Notes 4 Annual Report of Giving 17 Class Notes 51 Afterthoughts 59 A Mysterious Bond Unites Us by Fr. Roch Kereszty 60 Cover photo by Jim Reisch
Continuum
FALL 2021
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