Alumni News

News Briefs

Lido Aldini ‘10 has worked in the emergency room at Troy Beaumont for the last five years. In recent weeks, he has also been in the hospital’s ICU, working with COVID-19 patients. During the crisis, Aldini has moved in with a friend, who also works at the hospital, to reduce his family’s exposure to the coronavirus. “Normally, I would bring a backpack to work,” Aldini said. “But now, I just bring my phone and wallet, and use alcohol wipes.” The Adrian College graduate has a degree in Biology, and is currently studying nursing; he is on track to graduate in December 2021.

Drew Beesley ‘16 finished his senior year at Michigan State University. With another year of athletic eligibility, he will remain with the Spartans’ football program. He hopes to see significant playing time in 2020 as a defensive end. His younger brother, Will, is currently a sophomore at De La Salle.

Nico Ciavaglia ‘16 attends St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, where he plays Division II golf. When the university announced sweeping changes to the athletic program on April 15, Ciavaglia began an online petition in an attempt to save the program. His efforts generated nearly 20,000 signatures. The university has not made a decision, but is considering ways to save the program. Ciavaglia was a two-time AllCatholic golfer, who began his college career at Oakland University. He is on an academic scholarship.

Following a 12-hour shift, Dominic Ricci ‘19 was recently featured on Fox 2 Detroit for playing piano in the lobby of Troy Beaumont Hospital for fellow employees. It was the first time he ever played in public. Ricci has worked as a technical aide since August 2019 and is a full-time student at Oakland University, majoring in Biology.

Tru Wilson ‘16 graduated this spring from the University of Michigan. He has signed with Northern Colorado as a fifthyear graduate transfer for the upcoming college season.

Alumni Golf Leagues Make Anticipated Return

Once the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted for golfers in Michigan, the 2020 alumni golf leagues filled quickly. The Monday and Tuesday night leagues teed off in early May at the Orchards Golf Club in Washington Township. Golfers are adhering to social-distancing guidelines, and walking the course as carts are prohibited. Although this generates a different feel, the golfers are happy to be playing. Since 2018, Jeff Spicuzzi ‘08 has participated in the leagues while helping run the league website with updated pairings and tee times. “The start of the De La Salle golf leagues is an excit ing time that I now look forward to each year,” he said. “It is a great opportunity to connect with De La Salle alumni and friends in a fun environment.”

Alumnus heads new basilica in Detroit

Ste. Anne de Detroit

For Monsignor Chuck Kosanke the news that his parish, Ste. Anne de Detroit, was named a minor basilica, was both thrilling and humbling. “This designation is very rare,” said Kosanke, a De La Salle Collegiate alumnus from 1977. “There are 17,000 churches in the United States, and we are now No. 86.” However, the global COVID-19 pandemic has suspended the planned dedication. Currently, there are plans to schedule a September date. Worldwide, approximately 1,700 churches hold the ba silica designation. Ste. Anne’s is the second parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit to be named a basilica; the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak received the designation in 2015. St. Adalbert in Grand Rapids was named a basilica in 1980. “This is a great affirmation of our mission, and will help us continue our mission in the future,” Kosanke said. “I feel really humbled and happy that Ste. Anne has been recognized.” Kosanke hopes the basilica designation will help with fundraising efforts for a new roof, a new HVAC system, and furnace, and work on the exterior walls. He says the $25 million restora tion project is organized into three phases, with interior work in Phase 2, and redoing the plaza in front of the church in Phase 3. The basilica designation was a lengthy process, sparked by a visit to the parish three years ago by the Sistine Chapel Choir. When Pope Francis reviewed the choir’s itinerary, he noted the concert would be free. The choir direc tor told Kosanke how touched the Pope was. Kosanke then decided to start the process to become a basilica. Requisite materials included historical documentation, photographs, and information about the parish’s ministries, all norms established in a 1989 Vatican document. Kosanke presented the materials to Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who forwarded the application to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in July 2018. From there, the conference sent the materials to the Vatican. Vigneron received a favorable reply last January. Originally a church that served the French-speaking Catholic population of Detroit, Ste. Anne now serves the Hispanic population in southwest Detroit and has nearly 600 families in its congregation. Ste. Anne hosts more weddings than any parish in the city and has become a stop on bicycle tours through Detroit’s historic districts. Ste. Anne, continued on next page

Monsignor and his parishioners

Ste. Anne, continued from previous page Kosanke says Mass in English and Spanish; during the coronavirus crisis, Masses are streamed from the parish website. He also serves as the pastor of adjacent Holy Trinity parish, founded in 1834, in the adjacent Corktown neighborhood, which also sponsors a K-8 grade school as well as a medical clinic, legal office, and food pantry. Founded in 1701, the same year as the City of Detroit, Ste. Anne was the only place of worship in the city for the first 100 years of its existence. In addition to being the oldest parish in Detroit, Ste. Anne is the second oldest continually operat ing church in the United States; the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, in St. Augustine Florida, is the oldest, founded in 1565. The current Ste. Anne’s structure, built in 1886 in a Gothic style, features side altars, stained glass windows and statues, and a starred ceiling. It is the eighth building used as a church; the original church was built in downtown Detroit in 1818. Artifacts from the 1818 church, including the cornerstone, the communion rail, and statues, were installed in 1886. Father Gabriel Richard, who led the parish in the early 1800s, was buried in the 1818 church, and his remains are also located at Ste. Anne, in a crypt below the main altar.

Monsignor Kosanke recovers from COVID-19

Monsignor Chuck Kosanke, De La Salle Collegiate Class of 1977, was one of those infected by the COVID-19 virus, but he is now recovered and back to work. While visiting friends in western Michigan, he first experienced COVID-19 symptoms on March 22. Three days later, he was admitted to Muskegon’s Mercy Hospital; he was released March 30. “I had a mild case, and was never in any danger,” Kosanke said. “Compared to other people, I was very fortunate.” Kosanke did feel tired and slept a lot for about a week, but says he now feels “as good as new.” When he returned to the Detroit area on April 5, he moved into his parents’ vacant home in Grosse Pointe Woods to continue self-quarantine. His par ents moved to a ranch home in Clinton Township earlier this year, and Kosanke’s presence in the home lasted until May 6. “Once the realtors were able to show houses again, I moved back to the rectory at Ste. Anne’s,” Kosanke said. Both of Kosanke’s parishes, Ste. Anne and Holy Trinity, sponsor a lot of outreach programs, particularly a food pantry. “We’ve gone from 30 families a week to 150,” Kosanke said. “Many of our parishioners haven’t worked in two months.” He cites the increase in donations of both food and money to keep the pantry stocked. “We don’t want anyone to go hungry,” Kosanke said. “That would be criminal.” Kosanke plans to donate plasma to the Red Cross after May 15. “Hopefully, that will help people in need,” he said.

Danna is selected in NFL Draft

De La Salle Collegiate alumnus Michael Danna, who helped lead the Pilots to a Division 2 state football championship in 2014, was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. As a high school senior, Danna was an all-state special mention from the Associated Press, ranked No. 15 on the Detroit Free Press Fab 50, named to the Free Press, Detroit News, and MLive Dream teams. He was also part of the Detroit News Blue Chip list and All-Metro East first team. During his senior season, Danna tallied 52 tackles in just nine games. As a junior, he set single-season school re cords for tackles for loss (20) and sacks (10). He also holds the career sacks mark with 17.5. He will be inducted into the Detroit Catholic League Hall of Fame later this year. “He was athletic, coachable, a team guy, a great student and he was a leader,” former Pilots coach Paul Verska said. “He was among the youngest seniors on the team. I knew he would continue to get bigger, better, stronger, and develop.” After being redshirted as a freshman at Central Michigan University, Danna played three seasons for the Chippewas. During that time, he compiled 151 total tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks. He was named First Team All-MAC and team MVP, in 2018. After graduating from CMU with a degree in entrepre neurship, Danna transferred to the University of Michigan. Last fall, he finished with 38 total tackles and three sacks in 13 games. At Michigan, Danna was reunited with former De La Salle teammate, Tru Wilson, who will play this fall as a graduate transfer at Northern Colorado. Also, Danna played against former prep teammate Drew Besley, who is a defensive lineman at Michigan State.

Mike Danna ‘15 while a player at De La Salle

“We played against each other two years at Central and being able to play against him again when he was at Michigan was a fun experience,” Beesley said. “One thing I learned from Mike was just no matter what the circum stances, keep grinding, and keep working hard. I’m very happy for him.” Danna is just the second student-athlete in De La Salle his tory ever selected in the NFL Draft. Keith Karpinski, who starred at Penn State, was taken by the Detroit Lions in the 11th round in 1989.

Alumni hoop it up

The De La Salle Collegiate alumni basketball tournament was a great success once again. Alumni ranging from the classes of the 1970s to as recent as 2018 joined together for an action-packed day at the Bill Fox Gymnasium filled with competitive basketball, bond ing, and a great deal of fun. The winners of the alumni basketball tournament Joseph Novak family trophy was the 2017/2018 combined team, which consisted of the following players: Justin Fischer, Luke Pfromm, Kole Gjonaj, Keith Larson, Ryan Anderson, Brendan Kraiza, and Giovanni Plumaj. They defeated the team put together by the classes of 2010 through 2013 in the champion ship game. “I really think the alumni tournament is important and it is a fun way to reconnect with your past teammates and past alumni,” said Justin Fischer ‘18, the current starting point guard at Lake Superior State University. “Everyone plays hard and it is really fun. Hopefully, we can keep this tournament going for a long time.” Fischer was a three-year varsity basketball player at De La Salle from 2015-2018 and was one of the leading contributors on the 2018 team that advanced to the Final Four of the MHSAA state tournament. In a touching tribute to the late John Schmid, a business teach er at De La Salle Collegiate from 1975 to 2005, the 70s/80s game was dedicated to his life and the impact Schmid had on the men when they once roamed the halls of De La Salle. Schmid, unfortunately, passed away on January 24, 2020, after a battle with Lou Gerhig’s Disease. The two teams held a moment of silence for Schmid prior to the tip-off of their game. Classes from the 1970s through the 1980s, 2002, 2003, 2009, also participated in the event. The tournament was sponsored by Joe Thomas, ‘02 Thomas Financial and DJ Hill, ‘89 of Jet’s Pizza.

Mrs. Debbie Schmid, along with members of her family, and the winning Alumni Tournament team.