Issuu

Holy Ghost Prep MAGAZINE

125 Things YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT HGP

ISSUE NO. 10

W I N T E R 2024

Inside THIS ISSUE Departments 42 Campus News 46 Alumni News 48 Athletic News 52 Class Notes

Features 2

125 Things You May or May Not Know about HGP By Michael Bradley and Bill Doherty As one final celebration of the 125th anniversary of Holy Ghost Prep, Holy Ghost Prep Magazine has compiled 125 things you may or may not know about HGP.

Truly a Special Night On April 21, 2023, Holy Ghost Prep celebrated its 125th anniversary in grand style with a gala that drew over 300 guests to the Belle Voir Mansion in Bensalem. It was a night of dinner, dancing, and celebrating the school’s rich 125-year history.

Time of Change By Bill Doherty Holy Ghost Prep athletics looks substantially different this school year with the opening of the Duaime Athletic Complex, the installation of a brand-new Chapman Arena floor, and the new Evans Family Fitness Center. In addition, HGP has new head coaches—both alums in Tom Heston ’12 and John Ritchie ’06 — leading two of the school’s signature sports programs (basketball and ice hockey). Holy Ghost Prep Magazine examines this significant time of change for HGP athletics.

Holy Ghost’s Trailblazer By Michael Bradley HGP icon John Mundy ’65 started the cross-country and track and field programs at Holy Ghost Prep while he was still a student and has been one of the program’s coaches ever since. Needless to say, Mundy has influenced countless HGP runners over the decades.

Be Social Stay connected to Holy Ghost Prep! Facebook: HolyGhostPrep X: @holyghostprep Instagram: Instagram.com/HolyGhostPrep LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/grps/HolyGhost-Prep-Alumni-Network-1093977/ about Snapchat: Keyword: holyghostprep

Cover photo: Douglas Benedict, Academic Image

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

Prepped for Success By Matthew Jordan and Bill Doherty Brandon Fey, Emiliano Salazar, Spencer Wert, Dominic Rivera, and Will Macan, all members of Holy Ghost Prep’s Class of 2023, truly blossomed during their four years on campus. They all left their mark at Ghost and were clearly prepared for what’s next.

Welcome

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT WITH THE CALENDAR having just flipped to 2024, it’s natural to take a look back at the year that was.

In our case, this was another historic year at Ghost as we celebrated the 125th anniversary of our school with the theme: “Celebrating our past, focusing on our future.” This issue of Holy Ghost Prep Magazine captures this message—and the year that just concluded—extremely well. The cover story is one final celebration of the 125th anniversary of Holy Ghost Prep, as Holy Ghost Prep Magazine has compiled 125 things you may or may not know about HGP. This feature—compiled by Bill Doherty, a seasoned storyteller who serves as our director of communications—is a fun mix of stories, facts, and memories designed to expand your knowledge and love of HGP.

The cover story is a fun mix of stories, facts, and memories designed to expand

In addition, this issue includes a profile of beloved HGP icon John Mundy ’65, a man who started the Ghost track and field program as a student and continues to work with our studentathletes on the brand-new track that bears his name.

This issue of the magazine also looks ahead to your knowledge and HGP’s exciting future. For instance, the Holy Ghost Prep athletic landscape looks substantially different with the building and opening of the love of HGP.” Duaime Athletic Complex, the installation of a brand-new Chapman Arena floor, and the new Evans Family Fitness Center. In addition, HGP has new head coaches—both alums in Tom Heston ’12 and John Ritchie ’06—leading two of the school’s signature sports programs (basketball and ice hockey). This issue of Holy Ghost Prep Magazine examines this significant time of change for HGP athletics. And as always, the issue includes campus, athletic, and alumni news as well as feature stories on current students who are excelling in the everchanging learning environment here at HGP.

PHOTO CREDIT: DOUGLAS BENEDICT, ACADEMIC IMAGE

Holy Ghost Prep Magazine Issue 10, Winter 2024 Holy Ghost Prep Magazine is published twice yearly by Holy Ghost’s Office of Communications and is distributed to alumni, parents, and friends of Holy Ghost Preparatory School. EDITOR

Bill Doherty CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Michael Bradley Bill Doherty Matthew Jordan Mike Biglin PROOFREADER

David Caruso CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Douglas Benedict, Academic Image Michael Branscom Catalano Studio Desiree Hoelzle Lisa Varley Holy Ghost Prep’s Executive Team PRESIDENT

Gregory J. Geruson ’79 PRINCIPAL

Kevin Burke EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

We hope you enjoy this issue. Send us an email to keep in touch. And with the new year just underway, I hope that you and your loved ones are blessed with health and happiness in 2024.

Jayme Karolyi

In One Heart and One Mind,

Bill Doherty

Matt Dwyer CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS

Ryan Abramson ’94 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Michael Jacobs ’01 DESIGN

Karp Graphic Design

Gregory J. Geruson ’79, President @presgjg

HOLY GHOST PREPARATORY SCHOOL

2429 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA 19020 215.639.2102

WINTER 2024

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

As one final celebration of the 125th anniversary of Holy Ghost Prep, Holy Ghost Prep Magazine has compiled 125 things you may or may not know about HGP. Beginning with the inside story on the building and installation of the now-beloved Firebird statue as a prank by members of the Class of 2006, this feature will be a mix of stories, facts, and memories all designed to expand your knowledge and love of the school.

You May or May Not Know about HGP

WINTER 2024

→ 1 One Lasting Monument BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

A F T ER WEEKS OF PL A NNING A ND H A RD WORK , in the moment when it was all supposed to come together, the bold and determined members of the Holy Ghost Class of 2006 needed a hero. They had conceived the statue. They had molded it. Constructed it. Transported it. Even established its base. But when it was time to place the torso of the mighty Firebird onto its resting spot, there was a problem. It was too heavy. Until Evan Cumming stepped forward. The tallest member of the 12-man contingent decided it was time for him to be the hero. “He said, ‘Get out my way,’” recalls Devon D’Andrea. “He grabbed ahold of that thing and hoisted it up on top of its legs. It was really cool to see.” There have been plenty of pranks pulled by Ghost senior classes over the years, but only one continues to be part of the school’s everyday fabric. That is the Firebird statue constructed and installed by D’Andrea, Cumming, and their co-conspirators in the spring of 2006. It features a head fashioned after the school’s mascot and a body adorned with the coat-and-tie uniform worn by Holy Ghost students. And it remains rooted—about three feet into the ground—on the lawn overlooking the brand-new Duaime Athletic Complex. It took weeks to complete the project but only a few hours to position it. In the wee hours of the Friday night (and Saturday morning) after the 2006 Baccalaureate Mass, with rain pelting down and time dwindling before the commencement ceremony, the 12 young men assembled and planted their creation, which has become an important part of the Ghost experience for students, faculty, staff, and alumni alike. “It turned out so far above our expectations,” D’Andrea says. “For it to stand the test of time speaks volumes to it. It’s part of the school’s lore. I don’t know if I would classify it as a prank. It’s more of a gift.” Though the project required a dozen creators, D’Andrea says the primary engine was Paul Kawoczka, who remembers brainstorming possible prank ideas at a conference table in Founders Hall. “Paul was the visionary behind it,” D’Andrea says. Kawoczka had a significant interest in art, and he fashioned the head out of clay in the studio. The next step was to get hold of a mannequin that could serve as the basis for the mold of the body. The students created a silicon framework of the statue’s body, which included a coat, tie, and pants. They filled the mold with concrete and created two separate pieces of the statue, making it easier to transport. Gene Curran, who says he was brought into the project late because Kawoczka and D’Andrea were afraid he would spoil the secret—“I had a loud mouth,” he says, laughing—remembers being given a special, but important job. “Andrew [Wittenberg] and I literally put baggies on our bare feet and were mixing concrete in a tub in Paul’s garage,” he says. “Paul was nervous that we were going to get concrete on the floor.” The night before graduation, the crew used D’Andrea’s father’s truck to transport the pieces to campus. Since it was pouring rain, they brought along a pop-up tent to protect the area where they would install the statue. After establishing the base and using a spigot at the school for the water necessary to mix the concrete, they added the legs, torso, and head. A solid steel pipe runs through the statue, allowing the sections to “swivel” some, according to D’Andrea. No one could predict how the statue would be received the next morning. “We didn’t know if we were going to be arrested,” D’Andrea admits. There was also the possibility they would be instructed to remove the work of art. But everyone loved it; even Tony Chapman ’71, Holy Ghost Prep’s disciplinarian, thought it was great. “For him to be jovial and smiling about it was so cool,” D’Andrea says.

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

Not everybody was so happy. Curran said some classmates were angry they weren’t included; they refused to have their pictures taken with the statue. But they came around. In fact, it is now hard to find anyone who is dissatisfied with it. That’s why it’s still standing on the lawn. It sports a graduation gown each spring. During this summer’s construction of the Duaime Athletic Complex, it could be seen with a hard hat and safety vest. Holy Ghost Prep president Gregory J. Geruson ’79 says “it’s just really clever” and praises the group for their ingenuity. “We were surprised it lasted a week, and now it’s 17 years,” he says. “Anytime I’m on campus, I check it out. It’s in pretty good shape. That’s very cool.” And further proof that Holy Ghost students can do just about anything.

→ 2 Your ears aren’t deceiving you.

Waze and Google Maps still refer to the driveway next to the HGP faculty parking lot entrance as a road called Baden Hausen Lane, named after the Baden Hausen Corporation whose factory was at the edge of the property near the Delaware River. The garage now used to store HGP facility vehicles was formerly a foreign car repair business on Baden Hausen Lane.

→ 3 None of the three students on

this cover of Holy Ghost Prep Magazine— current seniors Paul Pabalan, Daniel Swider, and Daniel Fitzpatrick—hesitated for a second to do the sparkler cover shot.

→ 4 The Holy Ghost Prep community

Holy Ghost Prep is the only Spiritan high school in the United States.

consists of four Houses: Brottier, des Places, Laval, and Libermann. In order to strengthen brotherhood, personal connections, and school spirit, every student and adult in the HGP community (faculty, staff, and administrators) is part of a House, which is made up of smaller Unum groups. Each year, the four Houses compete against one another in various events to win the annual Spiritan Cup. des Places enters the 2023-24 school year as the defending Spiritan Cup champion and has won the crown three of the past five years.

→ 5 Five of Holy Ghost Prep’s 13

current head varsity athletics coaches are HGP alums: Greg Olenski ’10 (baseball), Tom Heston ’12 (basketball), John Richie

’06 (ice hockey), Ken Lawson ’92 (soccer), and Justin Goulet ’99 (tennis).

→ 6 The trees in front of Cornwells Hall are Ginkgo trees. The berries that fall each October have a really unpleasant smell, but some people collect them to turn them into dietary supplements and even tea.

→ 7 As the only Spiritan high school in the United States, Holy Ghost Prep is guided by the Seven Core Components of a Spiritan School: Openness to the Spirit, Sense of Community, Concern for the Poor, Global Vision, Commitment to Service, Academic Excellence, and Personal Development.

→ 8 Pat Haneman, a 2008 HGP

alum who serves as vice president of basketball strategy and analytics for the Milwaukee Bucks, received an NBA championship ring in 2021.

→ 9 Over the years, there has been

much discussion about why the “front entrance” of Cornwells Hall is in the back of the building rather than facing Bristol Pike. It turns out that Rev. John T. Murphy, C.S.Sp. decided that the building should face east so that passengers traveling on the railroad to and from New York City would have the best view of then–Holy Ghost Apostolic College. Perhaps we could get PennDOT to trim the trees so I-95 passengers could see it today!

WINTER 2024

→ 10 Since becoming Holy Ghost Prep in 1959, the school has had 10 different leaders:

Rev. Henry Wehrheim, C.S.Sp. (Headmaster, 1959-61) Rev. John McGovern, C.S.Sp. (Headmaster, 1961-63) Rev. Francis Meehan, C.S.Sp. (Headmaster, 1963-65) Rev. David Marshall, C.S.Sp. (Headmaster, 1965-69) Rev. Francis Hanley, C.S.Sp. (Headmaster, 1969-77) Rev. Patrick McNally, C.S.Sp. (Headmaster, 1977-87) Rev. Sean O’Connell, C.S.Sp. (Headmaster, 1987-90) Rev. James P. McCloskey, C.S.Sp. ’70 (Headmaster, 1990-2001; President, 2001-02 and 2013-15) Rev. Jeffrey T. Duaime, C.S.Sp. ’76 (President, 2002-13) Gregory J. Geruson ’79 (President, 2015-present)

→ 11 The original site for the Firebird Fieldhouse was supposed to be along the train tracks at the back of campus. The site had to be changed when 11 acres were acquired by eminent domain for the building of I-95.

→ 12 Cornwells Hall is still home

and used to be King’s Highway back in the 1700s. Legend has it that George Washington and his troops stopped by the large beech tree at the main entrance to the school’s property.

→ 14 In a move that was way

ahead of its time, 14 Holy Ghost Prep seniors enrolled in a first-year pilot program during the 1971-72 school year with then–Holy Family College in which English and mathematics courses were offered for college credit. In addition to earning college credits, the HGP seniors in the program had access to the Holy Family library during after-school hours and no doubt loved helping Ghost go “co-ed.” Occasionally, Fr. Brown would find seniors stopping at Dora’s for breakfast after their Holy Family College class when they were expected in class in Cornwells.

member of the Holy Ghost Prep science faculty over the summer of 2023. His hiring brings the total number of HGP alums who are back working at their alma mater in either full-time faculty, administrative, or leadership roles to 15. Seibert joins Ryan Abramson ’94, Kevin Bushek ’04, Tony Chapman ’71, John Fitzpatrick ’89, Rick Gabriele ’00, Gregory J. Geruson ’79, Justin Goulet ’99, Tom Heston ’12, Pat Hoelzle ’01, Mike Jacobs ’01, Patrick McGhee ’03, Luke Profy ’17, John Scanlon ’01, and Tom Saxton ’95.

→ 16 According to archival records,

→ 13 Holy Ghost Prep’s campus sits

Prep opened the Holt Center, the school’s new 27,000-square-foot performing arts, athletic, and activity space. The Holt Center has had a major impact on the

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

→ 15 Mark Seibert ’18 became a

to what were considered automatic fire doors when the building was erected. How did the doors work, you ask? The large fire doors contained a lead fusible link. If a fire started and the area got hot enough, the link would melt and the door would automatically close to keep the fire from spreading, thus protecting the property behind the doors. Two or three decades ago, longtime HGP facilities whiz Rich Malley remembers being asked to deactivate the fusible link function. The doors remain a Cornwells conversation piece today.

on Route 13 (Bristol Pike). The road is one of the oldest roads in the United States

Bristol Pike is one of the oldest roads in the United States.

the stone used to build the beautiful stone Gothic revival academic building Cornwells Hall was taken from an active quarry in Port Deposit, Maryland.

→ 17 According to Holy Ghost

Prep alum Tom McManus ’86, the large sycamore tree outside the entrance of Spiritan Hall dates back to the American Revolution era.

→ 18 In March 2018, Holy Ghost

performing arts and athletic programs at Holy Ghost Prep. The building is home to the Di Paolo Family Gymnasium, a practice gym with six basketball hoops; the Frank Frederico ’00 Performing Arts Theater, a state-of-the-art performing arts space for school plays and concerts; music rehearsal spaces specifically tailored to accommodate both group and individual instruction; an erg room for HGP rowing; a golf simulator; and indoor batting cages and pitching mounds, so HGP baseball players are able to sharpen their skills year-round.

→ 19 During the 2019 PIAA Class 19

2A swimming and diving championships at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium, Holy Ghost Prep’s Andrew Iannacone set a school record and broke the 57-second barrier for the first time in the 100-yard breaststroke. His time of 56.20 broke his own school record of 57.52 set when he won the 2018 District One title. (His 57.52 broke a school record that had stood for 26 years.) Iannacone is now swimming at Rider University.

→ 20 Tony Chapman’s basketball 20

Tony Chapman won 928 games as HGP’s basketball coach.

uniform number 20 is retired, the only person in school history to achieve that feat. In 45 years as head coach, Chapman, a 1971 HGP grad, amassed a record of 928-351. His teams won 23 Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) titles, nine District One championships, and two Eastern state titles, reaching the PIAA state finals in 1999 and 2004.

→ 21 Much beloved Louise

Martucci, the first president of the Mothers’ Guild who later became the secretary for the school, would make all the “gravy” for the HGP forensics team’s annual spaghetti dinner. That was one of the many reasons she was lovingly known as “Momma Martucci.”

→ 22 The shield of Holy Ghost

Prep is a dynamic symbol of Spiritan influence, tradition, and history. The fleur-de-lis, translated as lily, has twofold significance. It is representative of France at the time of the monarchy, which is where and when the Spiritans

were founded. It is also connected to the Virgin Mary. The whiteness and beauty of the lily is symbolic of the purity of Mary Immaculate, whom the Spiritans have always held as a patron. The dove and the flame represent the Holy Spirit. The combination of the fleur-de-lis and the image of the Holy Spirit in one shield symbolizes the combining of two orders—the Congregation of the Holy Ghost founded by Claude des Places and the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary founded by Francis Libermann. During Libermann’s time, the Pope requested the merger of the two orders, which is why the official name of the Spiritan congregation is the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary.

→ 23 Holy Ghost Prep’s Class

of 2023’s collective talents didn’t go unnoticed, as HGP’s most recent graduating class received a combined $31,574,292 in college scholarships.

→ 24 Holy Ghost Prep was not

always the only boys prep school in Lower Bucks County. Marist Prep School (also called St. Mary’s Manor) was located in Penndel, Pa. Longtime HGP college guidance counselor and baseball coach Ted Grabowski attended that school. The school and seminary closed and it is now the site of Cairn University.

→ 25 Holy Ghost Prep alum Tom

Cacchio ’79 recalls Fr. Hanley speaking at an emergency student assembly, reading a letter from the PIAA regarding excessive rowdiness at basketball games. The entire student body then pounded in unison on the tables and shouted, “We are Holy Ghost!”

→ 26 The Holy Ghost Prep

golf team has produced three PIAA state champions since 2015: Steve Cerbara (2015), Liam Hart (2017), and Calen Sanderson (2020). Cerbara and Hart played golf and graduated from Drexel University, while Sanderson is in his sophomore year and golfs at the University of Notre Dame.

WINTER 2024

→ 27 Holy Ghost Prep’s forensics

program is one of the school’s signature programs. HGP forensics has produced 27 individual national champions (counting duo partners, it has 35 national champions to its credit.)

→ 28 The Holt Center was

originally a Bound’s Beverage warehouse and store that customers could drive through. But what most people don’t know is that the property also had a house on it that was moved to Bristol, Pa. and an apartment on the second floor of the building. It also briefly housed a fresh fish store.

→ 29 The Leadership Externship

Advantage Program (LEAP) initiative connects juniors who have interest in pursuing a particular field of study with members of the Holy Ghost Prep alumni community, who provide real-life experience in the work environment. Students receive hands-on knowledge in a professional setting, while developing a relationship with an alum in the HGP community. Since 2015, LEAP has provided hundreds of Holy Ghost Prep students with real-world experience in their area of interest as they begin to focus on their collegiate and professional pursuits.

→ 30 There used to be a huge

koi fish pond behind Spiritan Hall that has since been filled in. Along with a vegetable garden, retired Spiritans used to care for the fish. Many an HGP student’s 30-minute detention would be spent pulling weeds and feeding the fish.

→ 31 Dominic Gallo ’24 became

the 31st recipient of the Leona E. Downey Memorial Scholarship this past spring. The Downey Scholarship is presented to an HGP student who best exhibits a blend of academic ability, a sound work ethic, and a strong school spirit. The recipient fully supports and practices the Catholic beliefs and values taught at Holy Ghost Prep. The previous winners were:

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

1990s: Joseph DePasquale (1996), Ryan Becker (1997), Adam Zagacki (1998), Brian Novick (1999) 2000s: Mark Pascua (2000), Thomas McSorley (2001), Nicholas Cinciruk, Jr. (2002), Edward Reily (2003), Michael Frawley (2004), Evan Cumming (2005), Jerry Chao (2006), Larry Kozakowski (2007), Michael Piece (2008), Rory Gledhill and Andrew Bryk (both 2009) 2010s: Christopher Chukala (2010), Brennan Oakes (2011), Robert Reading and Conner Smith (both 2012), Timothy French and Bennett Zaba (both 2013), Patrick Dineen (2014), Eric Kasperowicz (2015), Luke Profy (2016), Mason El-Habr (2017), Tony Carbino (2018), Daniel Behr (2019)

2020s: Brandon Dorsey (2020), James Corbett (2021), AJ Olczak (2022)

→ 32 Beginning in September

of 1969 and continuing until his “last lecture,” his commencement address to the graduating class of 2014, John Buettler ’64 was an iconic figure at Holy Ghost Prep. He served as teacher, forensics coach, counselor, and mentor to his students for over 45 years—a record number of years teaching at HGP.

→ 33 Two Ghost alums are

currently working as members of the national media in the National Hockey League: Frank Seravalli ’06 and Stephen Whyno ’04. Pat Leonard ’02 previously covered the New York Rangers, but has moved on to the NFL beat, covering the New York Giants and the NFL as a whole for the New York Daily News.

→ 34 The site of Founders’

Hall was once an outdoor tennis and basketball court.

→ 35 When HGP was founded,

Cornwells Heights/Bensalem was known as Maud, Pa. The name changed to Cornwells Heights in 1912 and to Bensalem in 1979. The founding documents from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that survive use the town name Maud.

Tony Figliola and John Buettler (both above) built HGP forensics into a national power.

→ 36 Holy Ghost Prep’s Chapel

was built in 1909 and dedicated on Pentecost Sunday 1910 by Archbishop P.J. Ryan. The chalice that Archbishop Ryan used that day was presented to the school as a gift and is still used today to celebrate special occasion Masses at Ghost.

→ 37 Another priceless object on

display in the Chapel—and also used for special Masses—is a chalice consecrated by Pope Leo XIII. It was Pope Leo XIII who gave permission to establish the Holy Ghost Prep Apostolic College on May 11, 1897—the school that would eventually become HGP.

→ 38 When the Chapel was

originally built, folks had to enter from outside. It was not enclosed by the south wing of Cornwells Hall until the 1920s.

→ 39 The Chapel was built mostly

with funds that were generously donated by Mrs. Lucy Drexel. St. Katherine Drexel herself donated $10,000 to the effort and, in return, the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans) agreed to provide priests for her missionary work.

→ 40 As you walk toward the

main altar, the stained glass windows on the right-hand side are dedicated to the life of the Blessed Mother and the windows on the left are dedicated to the life of Jesus.

→ 41 Look up to the Chapel’s

ceiling and one can immediately see that the arches are shaped like the ribs of a ship. In fact, if you looked at the ceiling upside down, it would look like an ark— perhaps Noah’s ark.

→ 42 At the base of each ceiling

arch (there are 12 of them on each side) is the head of Saint Louis of France (1200s). Along with the frequent use of the fleur-de-lis symbol throughout the Chapel, these figures remind us of the French origin of the Spiritans.

→ 43 The fleur-de-lis symbol that

is repeated over and over again on the Chapel’s ceiling is a symbol of the Trinity, much like the shamrock symbolizes it in Ireland.

→ 44 Mary, the mother of Jesus, is placed in the center of the large stained glass window behind the altar that depicts Pentecost Sunday. At the time the Chapel was built, the order was called the Congregation of the Holy Ghost and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Today, the order of priests is commonly referred to as the Spiritans.

If you look at the Chapel ceiling upside down, it would look like an ark—perhaps Noah's ark.

→ 45 The Chapel was damaged

by a fire on December 28, 2009. The side altars were almost completely destroyed.

→ 46 The 2009 fire was caused by an accident that occurred during the reroofing of the side altar area. Three of the stained glass windows in the main part of the Chapel were damaged and smoke/ water damage was extensive.

→ 47 In 2015, HGP started “Bring

Your Brother to School Day” and nearly 60 younger brothers come to campus each fall. .

→ 48 In 2018, the U.S. Marines

visited HGP, landing a helicopter on Fran Nick Field. Thanks to U.S. Navy commander Chris Serafin (Andrew ’19), students and neighbors toured the CH-53 helicopter and learned how it worked.

→ 49 In 2019, Holy Ghost Prep

started the “Be First” program, a special early application process for legacy applicants (sons of alums and brothers of current and alumni families) and high-achieving seventh graders. Today, there are nearly 200 Be Firsters enrolled at HGP.

→ 50 The main altar in the

Holy Ghost Prep Chapel is dedicated in memory of James and Catherine McHale.

WINTER 2024

→ 51 The pumphouse that supplied the well water for the seminary in the early days was located on the southwest corner of the faculty parking lot.

→ 52 In 2021, to celebrate our

newest Firebirds (and to stay socially distanced), HGP started the “First Firebirds” parade. This nighttime event included lighting up the HGP campus and cheering on the new students in a car parade. The tradition continues today.

→ 53 The HGP shield emblem, as

it exists today, is a modernized version of the original and has retained the original features. According to John Buettler ’64, the original emblem was created by Father Robert Heim, who taught French and religion at HGP in the 1960s. As a young priest, Father Heim spent significant time in France studying art and became an accomplished artist. Later, prior to coming to HGP, he served as a Navy chaplain. As Holy Ghost Prep took form, changing from the Missionary College to the Preparatory School, Father Heim was asked to create an emblem for the new institution. He created the shield, with the dove symbolizing, of course, the Holy Spirit. In the upper left of the shield is a rectangle containing a fleur-de-lis.

→ 54 There have been a few

Latin teachers over the years at HGP, but the three most recent have all been HGP alumni named John: John Buettler ’64, John Fitzpatrick ’89, and John Scanlon ’01. Dr. Scanlon, who currently teaches Latin at Ghost, jokes with his students named John that they’d better really pay attention because they’re going to be his replacement someday.

→ 55 A sad event that touched

the entire Cornwells community deeply was the death of Mother Katharine Drexel at the age of 96 on March 3, 1955.

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

→ 56 There is a huge iron water

collection cistern in the Cornwells Hall clock tower. Before the installation of public water, the water would collect in the cistern for use (it wasn’t potable) throughout the building. It’s still there today.

The original HGP shield was designed in the ’60s by Father Robert Heim, an accomplished artist and teacher.

→ 57 The windows in Holy Ghost

Prep’s chapel were not all completed by the same artist. After the fire during Christmas break 2009, a stained glass window expert was called in and explained to the school’s powers-that-be that (at least) two different artists had worked on the windows. The evidence was in the colors—some of the colors were lighter or darker depending on the maker.

→ 58 All of the stained glass windows were restored in the main Chapel after the 2009 fire. .

→ 59 On Sept. 10, 1959, Holy

Ghost Prep officially became a day school with 45 seminarians and 17 day students. The first day students arrived at 8:15 a.m. on that warm and humid historic day and left after the last in a series of 20-minute class periods. There were two afternoon softball games for the seminarians, followed by a hot dog roast at 6:15 p.m., a night study hall, and then meditation and night prayers before lights out at 9:30 p.m.

→ 60 Father Henry J. Brown,

C.S.Sp. ’50, a Naval intelligence officer turned priest, arrived on campus as the director of seminarians in 1960. During his long and successful tenure at Holy Ghost Prep, Father Brown helped hundreds of HGP young men to develop a moral compass.

→ 61 On May 24, 1961, ground

was broken to convert a cornfield into Holy Ghost Prep’s new gymnasium and fieldhouse. Four students—Melvin Christie ’62, John Sakovich ’64, Jim Hofstaedter ’63, and William Kopar

’63—put the first shovels in the ground, along with Father Federici, the school’s rector. The fieldhouse opened 10 months later.

→ 67 In 1967, the school

→ 62 In April of 1962, HGP’s first-

graduating senior, and Tony Chapman ’71, an underclassman at the time, have a powerful memory from the 1968 HGP graduation ceremony. Robert F. Kennedy had been assassinated a few days before, and the train carrying his body from his funeral in New York City to his burial at Arlington National Cemetery stopped for about an hour just across I-95 from HGP. Instead of an address to the graduates from the speaker, the entire audience went out on the baseball/soccer field and could see the casket inside the train. Chapman’s recollection is that the graduation crowd was saying the rosary. Flis recalls that the train encountered severe delays, partly because of the large crowds, and that Kennedy was not buried at Arlington until after dark.

ever student council elections were held. A group of then-HGP juniors pitched the idea in late 1961. Father John McGovern, C.S.Sp. and Father Henry Brown, C.S.Sp. ’50 approved the idea and the HGP student council was born.

→ 63 On Feb. 24, 1963, Holy

Ghost Prep students—under the direction of Claire Winkler, a part-time teacher and the only lay person associated with the school at that time—presented their first theater production (an evening of three one-act plays) to an enthusiastic crowd of about 300 people.

→ 64 John Buettler ’64 recalls

The first HGP yearbook was published for the 1963-64 school year.

that the first Holy Ghost Prep yearbook was for his senior year (the 1963-64 graduation year). Needless to say, the most significant event of that school year was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. To commemorate that tragic event and to honor President Kennedy, on the very last page of that first yearbook, in the lower right hand corner, is a drawing by Father Robert Heim, an HGP religion and French teacher in the 1960s, of a casually-dressed Kennedy walking away out of the yearbook.

→ 65 There were 48 seniors in

HGP’s Class of 1965. Three members of the class—Bernard DeAngelis, John Jaszczak, and Gerard Smith—graduated with the highest honors, while a pair of 1965 grads from Bristol, Pa. (John Mundy and Vince Profy) would return to Ghost and would leave indelible marks as a longtime track coach and a teacher/ librarian/administrator, respectively.

→ 66 The school’s 1966

production of Arsenic and Old Lace on April 23-24, presented by the Holy Ghost Prep Dramatics Club, was the first show in the school’s history to have both boys and girls in its cast.

discontinued the seminary program.

→ 68 Both William Flis ’68, a

→ 69 In 1969, new Holy Ghost

Prep board member Charlie Gindele ’71 was a sophomore statistician for the HGP varsity basketball team. On a weekend in early January, then-HGP senior Frank Weiss scored 59 points on Friday night against St. Pius X in Pottstown (the school closed in 2010) and then 42 points on Sunday afternoon at home against Lansdale Catholic of the old Suburban Catholic League. Gindele was so impressed that he wrote a letter to Sports Illustrated about Weiss’ accomplishment of scoring 101 points in two games over one weekend. A few weeks later, after confirming the feat, Sports Illustrated included Frank in their “Faces in the Crowd” section of the magazine. The issue date was February 3, 1969 and featured the Boston Bruins’ Bobby Orr on the cover. Weiss’ scoring prowess got HGP’s fledgling basketball program, under second-year coach Tom Kaczor, noticed in the greater Philadelphia area and began attracting college coaches to recruit Weiss. At the end of the season, he signed a letter of intent with Herb Magee to attend Philadelphia College

WINTER 2024

of Textiles and Science. A few weeks later, Weiss received a call and a visit from Bobby Knight, the head coach at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point. Weiss changed his mind and attended West Point, where he played freshman ball and then spent three years on the varsity team under Knight.

a rooster, ferrets, baby squirrels, a piranha, a skunk, and a tarantula. Bliss wanted her students to “be immersed in life as they learned.” The approach worked, as a number of Bliss’ students went on to become doctors, researchers, veterinarians, health care practitioners, and science teachers.

→ 70 John Ellis ’70 scored the

→ 72 In 1972, Holy Ghost Prep’s

first goal in Holy Ghost Prep varsity soccer history with a sliding kick past Archbishop Wood goalie Fred Klemmer. However, the Firebirds fell by a 4-1 score on Sept. 17, 1969 against Wood.

→ 71 Marie (McGoldrick) Bliss was

a trailblazer at Holy Ghost Prep as the school’s first full-time female teacher beginning in the middle of the 1970-71 school year. During her remarkable 46-year tenure at Holy Ghost Prep, Bliss ignited a passion for science in the lives of countless students. As an extra part of the science curriculum, Bliss started what many called the “HGP Zoo,” adopting what became a menagerie that included hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, snakes, lizards, turtles, chickens, quail,

intramural sports committee, under the direction of Jeff Stanley ’72, fielded the most diverse program that HGP had seen in years—adding handball and street hockey to the old standbys of football, soccer, and basketball.

→ 73 The introduction of soda

machines into the school, an initiative driven by the 1972-73 student council, was met with enthusiasm by the student body.

→ 74 The 1973-74 varsity

basketball team, coached by Tom Kaczor, finished 25-4 and captured the 1974 PIAA Class C state championship with a 63-48 title game victory over Union High School. 75

→ 75 Best Prom Location Ever BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

WIT H FE W E XC EP T IONS — S U C H A S T HE PH YS IC A L LY GIF T ED, athletically skilled, or just plain supremely confident—high school boys have for decades struggled with ways to convince that Perfect Date to accompany them to the prom. Back in the 1970s, before outrageous “promposals” included things like skywriters and flash mobs, Holy Ghost Prep students looking for accompaniment to the combined junior-senior prom didn’t need theatrics. They had the Latin Casino. The legendary Philadelphia-area nightclub, which opened in the city in 1943 and moved to Cherry Hill 16 years later, hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment. Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Dean Martin, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, and the Jackson 5 all performed there. And from 1970-77, before it became a disco, it hosted Holy Ghost students and their dates. “[Bishop] Conwell girls and Nazareth girls absolutely wanted to go to our prom,” says Joe Myshko ’77. “Latin Casino had every high-class act. That made for a great date.” During the eight-year run, prom couples were treated to shows in a Las Vegas–style setting from 12

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

legendary acts such as The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Fifth Dimension, and The Spinners. Students would attend a pre-show reception, have dinner in the main dining room, catch the show, then head to a post-prom reception, and sometimes—in the words of Myshko—a “post-post-prom” party. It was a singular experience not enjoyed by students at other schools. “Last year, I was talking to some people, and I told them we had The Supremes at our prom,” says Carmen Russo ’72. “They said, ‘The real Supremes? My God.’ Most people had their proms at school. My wife went to Lincoln, and when I told her about our prom, she was impressed.” In 1970, The Four Tops played. In ’71, it was The Supremes, although Diana Ross had left the band by then; Mary Wilson was still part of the group. The Fifth Dimension played in 1972 and ’76, and The Temptations were on the bill three times. They appeared with The Supremes in ’73 and by themselves in 1974 and ’75. The final Motown prom featured The Spinners, who had people dancing in the aisles to “Rubberband Man.” “We had a great time,” says Fred Langan ’72. “The Latin Casino was a very popular destination. It was a fancy place. It was like taking your girlfriend to a place that was very prestigious. “It was better than a deejay in the gym.” John Ellis ’70 recalls that Motown singer Tammi Terrell died in March of 1970, just a few days before Ghost’s prom. As a result, many Motown artists—including Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, and Smokey Robinson—were in Philadelphia for the funeral. They gathered to sing a tribute to Terrell at the Latin Casino before the prom’s regularly scheduled Four Tops show that night—thrilling the 1970 HGP prom guests in attendance. “It was quite a scene!” recalls Ellis. Russo was part of the prom committee his senior year and reports the students saved for the big night with a “Christmas Club” style program that required them to bring in $10 a week from December through March. That covered the cost of the prom, along with the charm that students gave to their dates to wear on a chain. “It was the top of the class ring,” he says. “It had a red stone and ‘Holy Ghost Prep’ engraved on it.” In the early ’70s, the idea of limousine travel to the prom was not too widely accepted, so the students had to find rides across the bridge. Joe Conley remembers double-dating with his friend, Charlie Gindele ’71, who “had a really nice car.” Russo triple-dated with two other couples and served as navigator, since his mom made his father drive him to the Latin the week before to make sure he knew where he was going. By the latter part of the decade, things had changed, and Myshko remembers five couples splitting the cost of a limo for the 1977 event. But that was the end of the Latin Casino experience. As casinos began to open in Atlantic City, they lured entertainers with promises of more money, and the famed nightclub changed formats and became the Emerald City disco. Instead of seeing a big-time act at an iconic venue, students attended the 1978 prom at Merion Caterers in Cinnaminson. They headed to Kings II Caterers in Levittown for the afterparty. To say it wasn’t the same is an understatement. “Not only didn’t the students get to go there, but being a Holy Ghost boy, you were kind of prominent because of the Latin Casino,” Myshko says. “Girls at other schools definitely wanted to connect with you.” Greg Geruson ’79, Holy Ghost Prep’s president, spent his freshman and sophomore years at Ghost looking forward to his chance to spend his prom at the Latin Casino. By the time he was a junior, it was all over. “I’m absolutely salty about it,” he says. Geruson remembers hearing upperclassmen speaking about the experience and still is disappointed he didn’t have the chance. “I was crushed,” he says. “I couldn’t believe it. I just thought it was a great venue and a great place to go for a prom. Everybody else went to their gym or a local catering hall. Who was going to the Latin Casino? Ghost was.” And it was incredible.

WINTER 2024

→ 76 Holy Ghost Prep’s Class of

1976 — in true U.S. Bicentennial spirit — had 76 graduates in it.

→ 77 In 1977, Rev. Patrick J.

McNally, C.S.Sp. returned to Holy Ghost Prep — where he taught all levels of mathematics from 1958 until 1969 — to become the school’s headmaster, replacing Rev. Francis X. Hanley, C.S.Sp.. Father McNally remained the headmaster at Ghost for a decade. During his tenure, Father McNally moved away from a fixed curriculum toward an elective system and created the offices of the academic dean and disciplinarian. In addition, he initiated a financial aid program and introduced AP and honors classes to the HGP curriculum.

→ 78 John Buettler’s 10-year

tenure as the HGP speech and debate moderator came to an end after the 1978-79 season. Buettler produced 22 city champions, 10 state champions, and three national titlists. His 1978-79 team produced two city champions (Greg Geruson, Alex Macones) and two state champions (Ken Selvaggi, Greg Burton). In addition, Jim McClure finished second and Ken Selvaggi fourth in the 1979 national tournament.

→ 79 Frank Rauch ’79 will never

forget Father Andrew A. O’Rourke teaching theology, and his uncanny ability to know who was not paying attention and then demonstrating a Major League–worthy pickoff move with a chalk-filled eraser, delivering a perfect strike. Rauch’s best estimate was that he was throwing at about 60 miles per hour.

→ 80 In October 1980, Holy

Ghost Prep participated in a nationally prominent speech and debate tournament at the Bronx High School of Science, where Steve Mudry ’81 won the

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

oral interpretation—becoming the first champion in Tony Figliola’s legendary forensics coaching career.

→ 81 Among the Holy Ghost

alumni who have IMDb pages are John Quilty ’81, Paul McCrane ’78, and Rand Geiger ’02.

→ 82 Father Bill Smith, a Spanish teacher at Holy Ghost Prep, loved to golf and formed the first-ever HGP varsity golf team in 1982. Don Furmanski ’83, who played on the team, recalls the early days: “We had a perfect record the first two years of the team (1982 and 1983). We never won a match. But we had fun playing at Torresdale Frankford Country Club and John F. Byrne, one of the city golf courses in NE Philly, as our home courses.” According to Furmanski, one of the benefits of playing on HGP’s brand-new varsity golf team — which was comprised mostly of Father Smith’s Spanish students — were Friday postpractice trips to Taco Bell at Woodhaven Mall for dinner.

→ 83 In the 1980s, Holy Ghost

Prep had an Explorers Club. During the 1983-84 school year, the Explorers—led by faculty co-moderators Thomas Corley (the science department chair) and William Gallagher (the social studies chair — conducted a number of excursions, including a ski trip to the Poconos, a mammoth mountain hike in Mansfield, Vermont, and a journey to Lake Ockanickon.

→ 84 Holy Ghost Prep

celebrated its 25th anniversary as a college preparatory school in 1984. On September 26, 1984, John Cardinal Krol, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, celebrated a special 25th anniversary Mass for the student body and the faculty/staff.

HGP’s Class of 1976 had 76 graduates in it.

Holy Ghost Prep’s soccer team won its first state title in 1992.

→ 85 The Holy Ghost Prep

forensics team captured the 1985 national championship by earning the most sweepstakes points at the National Catholic Forensic League grand finals in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Three outstanding individual performances — Richard Johnson (national champion in original oratory), Brian Canniff (national champion in oral interpretation of literature), and Brian Regli (second place in extemporaneous speaking) — led the Firebirds to the national team title.

→ 86 The priests moved out of

Cornwells Hall in 1986 — freeing up more classroom space for the rapidly growing school.

→ 87 The 1987-88 school year

marked the end of an era. Mrs. Louise Martucci — or “Mrs. M” as she was lovingly known—retired after 15 years as school secretary. Before being hired at Ghost by her longtime friend Rev. Francis X. Hanley, C.S.Sp. in 1973, Mrs. Martucci was a supervisor for Penn Fruit.

→ 88 In the summer of 1988, four 91

→ 91 John Scanlon ’01 was one

of four HGP students who ceremonially broke ground for Founders Hall. Scanlon represented the sophomore class. When he looks out of his classroom window that he teaches in today (Founders 206), Scanlon can look down at the spot where he broke ground.

→ 92 Holy Ghost Prep’s soccer

team won its first state title in 1992. It was the second of three consecutive trips to the state title game for Fran Nick’s Firebirds.

→ 93 The HGP Board of Trustees

was established and a mission statement for the school was approved in 1993.

→ 94 The tiles in the entrance

of Cornwells Hall are original Moravian tiles from the time the building was built and are from Henry Mercer’s factory in Bucks County. They were covered by carpet until Rev. James P. McCloskey, C.S.Sp.’70, the headmaster, asked that the carpet be removed in the early 1990s. And voila, beautiful tiles!

Holy Ghost Prep students became the first in school history to participate in a student exchange program. From June 15 until July 13, the HGP students traveled throughout Germany, including stops in Monschau, Koln, East Berlin, and West Berlin.

→ 89 Brother Pat Staunton, C.S.Sp. and Rev. John Sawicki, C.S.Sp.’75 assisted Mrs. Dorothy Gannon’s ecology class with their 1989 senior class project: the planting of yew trees outside the Chapel that provide shade to this day.

→ 90 The 1989-90 school year

saw the introduction of a new initiative at Ghost and other area high schools called Students Against Drunk Driving (S.A.D.D.).

WINTER 2024

→ 95 Prank of the Century BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

WHEN J OE IUL I A NO T HINKS B AC K on the legendary stunt pulled by some of his classmates in the spring of 2002, a few things stand out. First, stenciling the letters HGP on three lanes of I-95 between the Street Road and Woodhaven Road exits required substantial planning and ingenuity. Second, few—if any—of his Holy Ghost classmates knew about the prank in advance. Finally, he thinks it’s time for the perpetrators to step forward and tell everybody just how they were able to accomplish such a daring stunt. “There should be some anniversary when they produce a TikTok video of how they did it,” says Iuliano, a member of the Class of ’02. That’s not likely to happen. Despite more than two decades having passed since the prank, the men most likely to have perpetrated the display of school and class spirit are still not talking. Even though the fine at the time would have been a relatively meager 50 bucks, and there is no way the local officials would come looking for the money now, it’s impossible to learn anything. It’s as if everyone involved took the advice Jimmy Conway gave Henry Hill in Goodfellas: “Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.” Want proof? Here’s an email from someone who “might” have had a role: “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. If you’re having trouble finding someone who knows details, maybe the article was just meant to be written exactly as you said: Holy Ghost lore. Some say this happened. Others say that happened. One thing no one has been able to explain is XYZ. Sounds like the perfect way to leave a legend as a legend.” We do know some of the story. Early in the week before graduation, a group of Ghost seniors was able to stencil HGP ’02 across three lanes of the heavily traveled highway, “deflowering I-95,” as Iuliano put it. It happened at a time when the graduates “did not have a lot of obligations” at school, according to Iuliano, so conducting immediate interrogations was practically impossible. The prank surprised most of the students, and certainly administrators, who then began speculating who might have done it. “I think nobody had any idea until it happened,” Iuliano says. PennDOT officials were “enraged,” according to an article that appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on May 31. Although the fine was small, Charles Metzger, a PennDOT spokesman, said the cost of erasing the letters would be $1,111.32. More importantly, Metzger was concerned about the potential harm to anyone hit by a speeding car on I-95. “The chances of survival are almost nil for any pedestrian hit by interstate traffic,” he said in the article. That danger makes the caper even more impressive—or ill-advised. This wasn’t a lighthearted stunt. Any misstep could have had serious consequences, whether from the police who might have happened upon the students while they were at work or from a motorist traveling at 70 mph. 16

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

Since no one was hurt or arrested, the prank has stood as the gold standard for senior classes ever since. It made the news. It promoted the school. It caused aggravation for state government. That’s a triple crown worthy of hall of fame status for those involved and a source of tremendous pride for the Class of ’02. Even HGP administrators seemed a little impressed. When interviewed for the Inquirer article, Ghost president Greg Geruson, who was then the school’s vice president, pointed to the class’ strong academic performance when speculating on how the students could have been successful. “This happens to be a very bright and creative class, but this was much, much too risky,” he said, before letting the reporter know the average SAT score of the class was 1240. So the mystery persists, and no one is talking in a display of omerta that would impress Michael Corleone. Until someone decides it is time to tell the whole story, all that is left is speculation. And pride, just as there was 22 years ago. “I think there was a certain level of chest pumping as a collective,” Iuliano says. “It was a representation of our year. It was done at a high level in a public space. It was a sense of pride for the school. There was no harm done to anybody, and nothing was damaged. This was a good job. “It was like, ‘Go HGP!’” For all to see.

→ 96 Back in 1996, a wooded

area of campus was cleared for the construction of Fran Nick Field and John Mundy ’65 Track.

→ 97 In 1997, iconic Holy

Ghost Prep coaches Tony Chapman ’71 (basketball) and Ted Grabowski (baseball) each picked up their 400th career coaching victory at Ghost.

→ 98 The only undefeated

100

coaches in Holy Ghost Prep sports history are Bill McGeever and John Seravalli. In 1998, with no coach and the threat of not having a season, McGeever, the father of HGP lacrosse player Gerard McGeever, took the reins as head coach of the varsity lacrosse team. Bill was a mailman in Port Richmond, so he finished his day around 2 p.m. and was able to make practice. Despite the fact that he had no lacrosse background, the Firebirds got off to a 2-0 start under McGeever, who then needed gallbladder surgery and therefore had to “retire” as the Ghost lacrosse coach. Does he ever bring up his perfect 2-0 record? “He does occasionally make mention of his record. But my friends who still call him ‘Coach’ always bring it up,” says Gerard.

Seravalli has taken a more traditional path to his 5-0 record. A longtime assistant varsity ice hockey coach, Seravalli served under three head coaches in his nearly 20-year career at HGP. Due to illnesses and work commitments, John had to “fill in” as the head coach five times and never lost.

→ 99 Founders’ Hall opened its

doors in 1999. Father McCloskey and then–development director Greg Geruson ’79 were the visionaries and chief fundraisers for HGP’s most ambitious building project in decades.

→ 100 In 1997, Holy Ghost Prep celebrated its 100th anniversary.

WINTER 2024

→ 101

Holy Ghost’s Dog Days

BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

T HE C A L L C A ME IN ON A S UNDAY MORNING in spring 1982, and it did not bring good news. On the other line was legendary Holy Ghost disciplinarian, Father Henry Brown, and he had a simple, direct message for Brian Urbanski: “If you don’t return the dog today, you aren’t going to graduate.” Urbanski’s mother was confused. “Do we have a dog in the house?” ‘If you want to see it, open the garage door,’” Brian says. “I wasn’t going to lie.” And he wasn’t going to waste any time, either. Father Brown wasn’t joking around—he never did—and it was up to Urbanski to round up his band of pranksters to get the hound back to campus. “Someone had ratted us out,” Urbanski says. “I don’t know who.” The dog has been a rather unusual symbol of the school for decades and now can be found cemented to the ground outside Spiritan Hall, where it is occasionally painted or otherwise adorned, usually by seniors, in a nod to tradition or as the result of a momentary burst of mischief. It is part of the Ghost fabric and something of a talisman for current students and alumni alike. “That’s the brotherhood,” says Sam Hellings ’83, who has his own history with the dog. “In some boys’ minds, it has the flavor of a symbol or a mascot. We always looked forward to seeing it when we came to the main entrance.” The dog has endured plenty, but nothing as traumatic as its 1982 trip from campus to the Urbanski garage. On a Friday evening not long before graduation, Urbanski took advantage of a trip by his parents to the Poconos to hold a “gathering” at his house for some Ghost students and a collection of acquaintances from local girls’ schools. As the evening progressed, someone (legend has it the person was a member of the Urbanski family) had the idea to “get the dog.” Since the Urbanskis had been mechanically inclined for generations, they happened to have a Pep Boys two-ton hydraulic jack in their garage. A few inspired seniors grabbed it, tossed it into the family’s 1962 Pontiac Tempest, and headed to campus. Urbanski stayed behind to “host the female guests at this Firebird gathering.” The group of students made it to Ghost and uprooted the dog with the jack. In the process of jamming the trophy into the Tempest’s trunk, they dented the fender and left other reminders of the escapade on the car’s body. “There was damage to the vehicle,” Urbanski says. Even though the dog didn’t fit completely in the trunk, the kidnapping party wanted more. Someone mentioned there was a second dog at the Cornwells Country Club, so the group headed there. There were too many people around to execute such a spectacular theft, so they merely appropriated the flagstick from the 18th hole. One can only imagine the sight of a 20-year-old automotive relic chugging down the street with a giant cast-iron dog in the trunk and a flagpole sticking out the window. The dog made it back to the Urbanski house (the flag ended up at Harley-Davidson of Philadelphia) and students unloaded it into the garage, where the bolts attached to its feet scuffed up the floor. Urbanski’s parents still live in the house, and the marks remain visible. Urbanski now owns the car, which retains the “paw prints” and actually runs. 18

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

After the Sunday morning call, the boys gathered and brought the dog back to campus, where Brother Pat, then the maintenance chief, welcomed it and stored it in a shed. No one ever said a word about it, but you can bet the members of that class still talk about it.

“If you don’t return the dog today, you aren’t going to graduate.” —Rev. Henry J. Brown, C.S.Sp.’50

“We always say, ‘I’m from the class of 1982; we stole the dog,’” says Father Bill Christy, C.S.Sp., who has been a campus minister at Duquesne University for 10 years. “But I did not steal the dog. I had an alibi. I was at Marine Corps boot camp on Parris Island. I took my last exam and went straight to boot camp.” While Father Bill is in the clear, Kevin Frawley ’08 is not. In the spring of his senior year, he and classmate Franco Macaro grabbed some red and blue exterior latex paint and headed to campus one night with a two-pronged goal. First, they were going to paint the box truck the school’s maintenance crew drove around campus. Next, they would paint the dog. They thought the shed housing the truck would be open, but it was not. Not wanting to waste their supplies, the two students painted the dog red and tagged it with their class year (HGP ’08). “The dog is a tradition,” Frawley says. “It gives you a connection to the history of the school because you’re part of it. To do something you know people were doing before you were even born is cool. You know you are part of a network. “I can meet someone from Holy Ghost who graduated in 1975, and he can say, ‘I remember when we painted the dog.’ I can say, ‘Dude, me too.’” Over the years, students have painted the dog green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It has been adorned with tiger stripes. When the Flyers won a big game, it was orange. When the Eagles won, it was green. “It’s one of those things that help provide a full picture of the Holy Ghost Prep experience,” says Holy Ghost Prep president Greg Geruson ’79, who insists he never engaged in any artwork regarding the statue. “It adds to the aura and uniqueness of the school.” Hellings’ contribution to the lore was certainly unique. The dog was residing in the maintenance shed during his senior year, and he told his mother something had to be done to it as graduation approached. “She said, ‘Why not put a collar on it?’” So Hellings got some red and blue ribbon and fashioned a collar that he placed on the canine statue. He swears there is a photo somewhere of his handiwork, but more than that, his gesture, which came a year after the 1982 wild ride, was a reminder of how the dog remains part of the experience for many Holy Ghost students. “That’s the glue,” he says. “Class of ’82, you did well. But don’t forget about us.”

WINTER 2024

→ 102 How big a part of Holy

Ghost Prep’s lore is the cast-iron dog named Spirit? HGP alum Chris Potter remembers a song being written about the dog—to the tune of the traditional folk song and nursery rhyme “Billy Boy.”

→ 103 Back in 1963, the makeup

of the Holy Ghost Prep faculty was 90% religious and 10% lay people. Thirty years later, the faculty was 92% lay people and 8% religious.

→ 104 Eamon de Valera, the future president of Ireland, visited Cornwells in 1919.

→ 105 Holy Ghost Preparatory

School was founded in 1897 as a preparatory and junior collegiate seminary for young men who were studying to become members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. At that time, the school was called Holy Ghost Apostolic College and educated seminarians from first-year high school through second-year college. Each student lived at the seminary in areas that today have been made into classrooms. In the 1920s, the name of the school was changed to Holy Ghost Missionary College, a reflection of the important Spiritan apostolate in the African missions that continues to this day.

→ 106 In 106 games with the

his name engraved on the Cup. In all, 3,300 names have been engraved on the trophy. The Penguins have won five Stanley Cups overall, including two while Britt has worked for the team. The latest time that the Penguins won the NHL title, Britt proudly brought the Stanley Cup to Holy Ghost Prep’s campus on August 28, 2017.

→ 108 Paraclete House, a free-

standing building on campus, burned down in the early 1920s—taking many of HGP’s early documents with it.

→ 109 When the Spiritans’

community room in Cornwells Hall (it’s now Assenmacher Physics Lab in the STEM Tower) was transformed into a lab in the mid-1990s, HGP maintenance workers found an autographed piece of wooden paneling. It was autographed by the Spiritan who had designed/installed the wood paneling.

ceremony for Holy Ghost Prep’s Class of 1989 was interrupted by fire engines entering the gym parking lot because a parking lot light pole caught fire.

→ 111 There used to be a small

convenience store across the street named Dora’s where Ghost students could buy a bottle of Coke during the school day.

→ 112 Brother Patrick Staunton,

→ 107 In NHL history, 107

→ 114 Founded in 2020, Holy

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

104

→ 110 The outdoor graduation

Colorado Rockies this season, Nolan Jones blossomed into one of the National League’s top rookies. Think we’re exaggerating? This season, Jones batted .297 and became the first rookie in Major League history to register 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 19 outfield assists. And from a couple time zones away here in Bensalem, we celebrated every single one of his tape-measure home runs and his 100-mile-plus throws from the outfield.

teams have won the Stanley Cup. Jim Britt ’00, who works for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is the only HGP alum to have

103

107

C.S.Sp. once vacuumed bees off trees near the gazebo, so that a graduation ceremony in the 1970s could proceed.

→ 113 Ryan Gunderson ’03 is

the first Ghost alum to play Division I hockey (at the University of Vermont) and pro hockey (17 seasons and counting). He also represented the United States in the 2018 Olympics.

Ghost Prep’s Parent Diversity Council (PDC) is a parent group that works closely with school leadership to ensure

109

Founded in 1897, the school was called Holy Ghost Apostolic College.

a welcoming environment for all HGP families. Each spring, the PDC holds a Multicultural Mass celebrating the student diversity that greatly enriches Holy Ghost Prep.

Stasik credits HGP’s Neil Tagliamonte, who finished just in front of a Lower Moreland top-five runner to deny them a point, with helping the Firebirds capture the title.

→ 115 Gregory Nowak ’77 and

→ 121 Bristol High School’s track

→ 116 The Firebird Fieldhouse

→ 122 For decades, the HGP

Kevin McPhillips ’76 became Holy Ghost Prep’s first-ever national forensics champions in 1976.

was renovated in 2003.

→ 117 The night before the 1993

114

state championship soccer game, the entire HGP soccer team shaved their heads in the hotel. “Our parents did not know. We had winter hats on during warmups, as it was a rainy/snowy day, until the National Anthem played and we removed our hats,” recalls Matt Pirolli ’95. “Needless to say, our mothers were speechless.” The more aerodynamic Firebirds battled hard, but weren’t able to win a second straight state title— losing a hard-fought 1-0 game to Quaker Valley.

→ 118 In 2015, the school’s

118th year of existence, Holy Ghost Prep appointed Gregory J. Geruson ’79 as its first lay president.

→ 119 The pews in HGP’s 118

Chapel of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit face each other and not the main altar, because the Chapel was initially designed for the seminarians and their daily prayers. The psalms were read and chanted in a traditional monastic style during daily prayers, with each side alternating the chant.

→ 120 Led by an eighth-place

124

finish by Eric Stasik ’80, Holy Ghost Prep won its first cross-country championship on October 19, 1978 in the newly formed Bicentennial Athletic League. Stasik was a junior at the time. The other top five finishers (and therefore point scorers) for HGP that day were Dave DiPaolo, Tom Hartsough, and Bob McGrady.

was HGP’s home in the 1970s for track and field. The Firebirds held all of their dual meets there.

facilities staff plowed snow and pulled up tree stumps using a 1966 Jeep CJ5. The Jeep was finally retired in 2015 with less than 30,000 miles on it because the floor rotted out and getting parts for the aging beauty became extremely difficult, says longtime HGP facilities employee Rich Malley.

→ 123 Nelson J. Pérez, the

Archbishop of Philadelphia, visited Holy Ghost Prep on March 17, 2021. The visit by Archbishop Pérez, the son of Cuban émigrés who is the first-ever Hispanic Archbishop of Philadelphia, added another historic chapter to HGP’s already rich history. Back on May 15, 1910, HGP’s Chapel of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit was blessed and dedicated with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Ryan, then the Archbishop of Philadelphia. The exact same chalice that Archbishop Ryan used back in 1910, was used again during the March 2021 Mass in the Firebird Fieldhouse by Archbishop Pérez.

→ 124 It turns out that Justin

Goulet’s decades-long streak of good hair days hasn’t happened by accident. Evan Davis ’17 reports that Goulet, a 1996 Ghost alum who serves as an English teacher and the department chair, keeps a bottle of shampoo in his desk drawer for bad hair days and other follicle emergencies.

→ 125 During the 2022-23 school year, Holy Ghost Prep held a yearlong celebration of its 125th anniversary.

WINTER 2024

HGP’s 125th GALA Truly A Special Night

n April 21, 2023, Holy Ghost Prep celebrated its 125th anniversary in grand style with a gala that drew over 300 guests to the Belle Voir Mansion in Bensalem. It was a night of dinner, dancing, and celebrating the school’s rich 125-year history. The night’s short program included an opening prayer by Very Rev. Donald McEachin, C.S.Sp., the Provincial Superior of the Spiritans, welcoming remarks by Holy Ghost Prep president Gregory J. Geruson ’79, and a champagne toast by Marty Connor ’82, the then–acting chair of Holy Ghost Prep’s Board of Trustees. “These are truly exciting times for Holy Ghost Prep as we celebrate the past, deliver on the present, and build the future,” said Geruson. “Over time, we have come to appreciate our Spiritan charism and the idea of always finding ways to be open to the Spirit. At the foundation of all that we do is our faith, and faith enables change to happen. Whether it was the purchase of the first few acres of land back in the 1890s, the transition from seminary to a day prep school, or the building of the new Duaime Athletic Complex, we remain focused on the HGP mission.” Connor, the CFO of Toll Brothers, credited Holy Ghost with setting him on the path to success and then lauded the school’s current trajectory and toasted its bright future. “Holy Ghost Prep is truly a special place. By nearly every mea“By nearly every sure that matters—the quality of measure that matters, the faculty, staff, and administraHoly Ghost Prep tion, the college outcomes, the curriculum excellence, as well as continues to excel.” the alumni giving and support— —MARTY CONNOR ’82, Holy Ghost Prep continues to exHOLY GHOST PREP’S BOARD cel,” said Connor during his toast. CHAIR

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

WINTER 2024

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

Time of

CHANGE Holy Ghost Prep athletics looks substantially different this school year with the opening of the Duaime Athletic Complex, the installation of a brand-new Chapman Arena floor, and the new Evans Family Fitness Center. In addition, HGP has new head coaches— both alums in Tom Heston ’12 and John Ritchie ’06—leading two of the school’s signature sports programs (basketball and ice hockey). In the pages ahead, Holy Ghost Prep Magazine will examine this significant time of change for HGP athletics.

WINTER 2024

HGP Builds Its Field of Dreams BY BILL DOHERT Y

More extensive coverage of DAC, its generous donors, and all those who made this historic project possible will be included in the next issue of Holy Ghost Prep Magazine, once the fundraising for the complex is complete. THE CONSTANT HUM of construction vehicles emanating from the Duaime Athletic Complex was part of the daily soundtrack starting in May and continuing all summer long at Holy Ghost Prep. But the final results are breathtaking. Named for Rev. Jeffrey Duaime, C.S.Sp. ’76 (an HGP alum who was the school’s president for 11 years and served on HGP’s Board of Trustees), the multi-million-dollar outdoor athletic complex includes a stateof-the-art, multi-sport turf field, a new running track, new and expanded seating, and lights to benefit the school’s soccer, lacrosse, track and field, cross-country, and ultimate frisbee programs. The heart of the DAC is the state-of-the art, professional-grade AstroTurf field specifically designed for increased performance and extended playing time. The surface is used by colleges and universities throughout the country, including Cal Berkeley and Penn State. Complementing this field is an all-weather sports track that is considered the ideal surface for developing track and field athletes. This track is considered best-in-class and includes two jumping sand pits, high jump, pole vault, and all-new field for the throws.

NEW FLOOR FOR A NEW ERA OF HGP HOOPS Holy Ghost Prep did a major upgrade to the gym floor in the Chapman Arena, beginning in late July. The floor was completely stripped down to the oak and then relined and finished. The job took 15 business days to complete, but there was a new floor in place when students arrived in late August.

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

The sophisticated underground turf and Acco track drain system ensure the shortest downtime from bad weather events. The Musco lighting has advanced ball tracking capabilities for better visibility. And the LED lighting and app-based light management are considered the gold standard for night-

WORTH THE WEIGHT Thanks to the generosity of the Evans family (whose three sons are Nick Evans ’19, Jack Evans ’23, and Matt Evans ’26), the HGP Fitness Center is completely renovated. The weight room was freshly painted in Holy Ghost Prep colors, the new rubber flooring installation was completed in mid-July, and new Sorinex exercise equipment was installed in mid-August.

time soccer, ultimate frisbee, and lacrosse competitions. The DAC also includes seating for over 500, built on a four-foot platform, that makes the viewing experience first-class. “The Duaime Athletic Complex is a place where contests will be waged, victories will be celebrated, memories will be made, and the bonds of friendship will be strengthened,” says Holy Ghost Prep president Gregory J. Geruson ’79. Although just months old, memories are being made already. The official opening night for the complex was dubbed “Firebird Frenzy” on September 15 vs. Lansdale Catholic—freshman game at 3:45 p.m., JV game at 5 p.m., and then the varsity played under the lights starting at 7 p.m. The atmosphere was festive and fun-filled. It was a “Friday Night Lights”–type happening—with alums coming back with their kids and the hill packed with parents and current students. Adding to the day was the fact that honorary captains for the game were past coaches Jack Walls, Bill Snyder, Bill Gallagher ’72, Lea Nick (representing her husband, Fran Nick), Chris Ferhle ’99, and Ken Lawson ’92. And then to cap off the night, HGP’s Matt Cancelliere scored the first varsity goal in Duaime Athletic Complex history to give Ghost a 1-0 overtime win over Lansdale Catholic. The impact of the field can already be felt in other ways—particularly in admissions—as the state-of-the-art complex has created even more buzz among prospective families about Ghost. Plus, the school has entered into a multi-year agreement with Yardley-Makefield Soccer (YMS), so YMS youth teams of all ages are practicing and playing on the Fran Nick Field multiple nights per week.

Replacing a Legend BY BILL DOHERT Y

AFTER AN EXTENSIVE search, Holy Ghost Prep realized that the best man for the job was already on campus and hired Tom Heston ’12 to be the next head varsity basketball coach. For the past six years, Heston has taught chemistry at Ghost and had been a varsity assistant basketball coach at his alma mater under the legendary Tony Chapman. Heston played for Chapman at Holy Ghost Prep before becoming a four-year starter at King’s College. After graduating from college, Heston was an assistant coach at Conwell-Egan for one season before returning to Ghost as a teacher and assistant coach under Chapman. Each season, Heston’s coaching responsibilities have increased—allowing him to be ready to take over for his mentor. In addition, Heston coached for five years in the East Coast Power AAU program. “Tony Chapman has been a great mentor and friend since I graduated high school,” says Heston. “He has taught me so much about basketball, relationships, and being a representative of HGP. I am very excited about this new opportunity and applying what I have learned from him.” Heston replaces Chapman, who finished his illustrious coaching career at Holy Ghost Prep with a mind-boggling 928-351 record. While he is retired from coaching, Chapman remains at the school in his role as Holy Ghost Prep’s dean of students, and he is confident that Heston is the right man for the job. “I think Tom is a great choice to be the next coach,” says Chapman. “He has shown outstanding loyalty to the program—both as a player and a coach—and great loyalty to me personally over the years. He loves HGP and I feel will work extremely hard to give the players a great experience.” Holy Ghost Prep president Gregory J. Geruson ’79 also believes that Heston was the perfect selection. “Tom is the right man at the right time for the job. He is a student of the game,” says Geruson. “His work ethic and his commitment to the school and our Spiritan charism are incredible. He carries a quiet confidence that sets a great example for his athletes.” Heston is excited to continue the tradition of excellence of HGP basketball, while putting his own stamp on the Firebirds program. “We will be introducing the next chapter of Holy Ghost Prep basketball that respects our traditions but puts us in a position to grow and thrive in the unique Philadelphia high school basketball landscape,” says Heston.

WINTER 2024

AN INCREDIBLE COACHING CAREER Holy Ghost Prep’s legendary coach Tony Chapman, one of only six high school basketball coaches in Pennsylvania history to reach the 900-win plateau, retired from coaching this spring. Chapman finished his illustrious coaching career at Holy Ghost Prep with an impressive 928-351 record. “For more than 40 years, we have been blessed to have Tony Chapman at Holy Ghost Prep,” says Holy Ghost president Gregory J. Geruson ’79. “The success that Tony has enjoyed as a coach and the number of young men’s lives he has impacted are truly remarkable. His commitment to our Spiritan mission, his love of his athletes, and the respect he has earned from so many is a testament to his character and his actions.” While he is retiring from coaching, Chapman remains at the school in his role as Holy Ghost Prep’s dean of students. He decided to stop coaching for a number of reasons—the biggest of which is his desire for more family time. “My family has sacrificed a lot over the years. It’s time to spend more time with them,” said Chapman. The ever-modest Chapman doesn’t make a fuss about his decision to stop coaching and about his coaching success, including his mind-boggling 928 career wins. “The numbers have never been important to me,” says Chapman. “You just want to do the best you can for the kids and try to let

Holy Ghost Prep athletic director Craig Conlin is extremely pleased with the choice of Heston to lead the basketball program. “I want to thank our student-athletes, alumni, and community members whose perspective has helped to shape the search committee’s vision for the future,” says Conlin. “I could not be more excited to have Tom Heston as the new leader of our HGP basketball program." "As a Holy Ghost Prep alum, Tom will use his experience and knowledge of basketball to teach our young men many life lessons. I am eager to support him with this transition."

them have success.” Chapman’s teams had a lot of success over the years. During his tenure, the Firebirds won 23 Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) titles, nine District 1 crowns, and two Eastern state titles. His uniform number 20 was retired in January 2019 and will never be worn by a Holy Ghost Prep hoops player again—the first time that a number has ever been retired by the school. The gym in HGP’s Firebird Fieldhouse, of course, is named Chapman Arena in his honor. “Coach Chapman is an amazing coach. I knew that before I arrived at HGP. What I learned in working with him every day is that he is an even better educator,” says Holy Ghost Prep principal Kevin Burke. “His consistency in coaching is matched by his consistency and effort in the classrooms and hallways on our campus. “We appreciate the countless ways in which he positively impacts and will continue to impact our Spiritan community.” —BILL DOHERT Y

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

Landing His Dream Job BY BILL DOHERT Y

team, which is comprised of many of the area’s top players, including some Ghost players.

SINCE GRADUATING FROM the University of Rhode Island in 2010, Holy Ghost Prep alum John Ritchie spent the past dozen years building his ice hockey coaching credentials. All of his hard work has paid off as Ritchie ’06 landed his dream job: being named the new head ice hockey coach at his alma mater, Holy Ghost Prep, this past spring. “Over the course of my life, I have been very fortunate to have great teachers, mentors, and coaches that I have been able to use as a model,” says Ritchie. “I am thrilled to now have the ability to come back to the school that provided much of the foundation for the person I am today. “I hope to provide the same experience for our student-athletes as they navigate some of the most exciting times of their life while continuing to build on the past success of the ice hockey program.” Inspired by the influential teachers and coaches he had growing up, Ritchie became a teacher and coach himself. He has been a special education and social studies teacher at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, N.J. since 2012. He has been a head high school ice hockey coach at both Lawrence High School (winning the 2012 Trentonian Coach of the Year) and at the Princeton Day School (where he was head coach of the girls’ ice hockey program from 2019 until 2022). Ritchie holds a Level 5 USA Hockey coaching certification and has coached multiple youth club teams. In fact, he currently serves as the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Elite U-18 prep

He has replaced Gump Whiteside, the head ice hockey coach at Holy Ghost Prep for the past 15 years, who decided to retire from coaching to focus on his growing responsibilities as HGP’s assistant director of facilities and assistant director of athletics. Prior to the 2022-23 Holy Ghost Prep ice hockey season, Whiteside hired Ritchie to be an assistant coach for the Firebirds. But Whiteside knew that his Ghost coaching window was one, maybe two more seasons, tops. Suspecting that Ritchie had what it took to be his successor, Whiteside intentionally gave his new assistant coach much more responsibility than a first-year assistant normally might get. “John is a really bright young coach,” said Whiteside. “So I put him in charge of designing our practices as well as doing video review work and the pre-scout review. And everything we gave him, John hit out of the park. “He’s a terrific hire to be Holy Ghost Prep’s new head coach. The program is in great hands.” Like any hockey coach worth his salt, Ritchie knows that this goal (becoming the head coach at his alma mater) wouldn’t have happened without the assist from Whiteside, whose accomplishments include winning a Pennsylvania state championship (2015), two AAA Flyers Cup championships (2015 and 2017), and five National Scholastic Invitational championships.

ready outstanding staff. “I have learned so much from his leadership throughout the year and it is something I will be indebted to him for as long as I coach. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to coach on the same bench as him and even more so that I have gained a mentor for life in Gump.” Holy Ghost Prep athletic director Craig Conlin believes that Ritchie is the right man to replace Whiteside. “We are excited that HGP alum John Ritchie will be our new head coach. He understands the tradition of HGP hockey and how important it is to our school, our alumni, our fans, and our entire community. Coach Ritchie replaces Gump Whiteside, who has had an amazing career on the ice and behind the bench,” says Conlin. “Our scholar-athletes have learned so much from Coach Whiteside and Coach Ritchie, and we look forward to having him prepare them for future success. Coach Ritchie certainly knows what it takes to win and we’re excited to have him home at HGP, leading our program for years to come. We believe Coach Ritchie and his staff will find more young men, just like him, to proudly wear the HGP sweater.”

“I have had the ability to work with many different individuals over the course of my coaching career and Gump is at the top. He is someone who cares deeply about his staff and players and has a strong conviction that everyone should have a purpose,” says Ritchie. “I cannot thank him enough for delegating the responsibilities to me that he did over the course of the season, because it allowed me to find my role within an al-

WINTER 2024

HGP ICON:

JOHN MUNDY ’65

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

HOLY GHOST’S TR AILBL A ZER

BY MICHAEL BR ADLE Y

t’s not uncommon for children to know their parents’ wedding anniversary. Some close friends might also remember those special occasions. But it’s rather unusual to find a member of a high school track team capable of recollecting such a date for his coach.

Don’t tell Frank Angiolillo that. For decades, he has been able to tell you when John Mundy ’65 got married. The day of Mundy’s wedding, in 1969, Angiolillo won the two-miler at the William Tennent Invitational. Since Mundy was otherwise indisposed, the coach wasn’t able to commend his charge on the performance in person. Instead, he called him. While on his honeymoon. Ever since, Angiolillo has received a call from Mundy on that day. “It gives you an idea of what kind of guy he is,” says Angiolillo, a 1969 Holy Ghost Prep graduate.

team. Custer wasn’t keen on the concept, but he had a suggestion. “Why don’t you do it?” So, Mundy did. Thanks to his perseverance and indominable spirit, Holy Ghost Prep ended up with indoor and outdoor track teams and cross-country squads. It wasn’t too glamorous at first—HGP didn’t get its own track until the spring of 1997—but Mundy’s efforts gave runners and jumpers at the school the chance to train and compete. He continued his efforts when he went to then-West Chester State College to study and during his 50-year career in public and private school education. He eventually returned to Ghost to work in the Development Office and never stopped coaching.

“He taught us to believe in ourselves.” —FR ANK ANGIOLILLO ’69

While Mundy isn’t in the habit of calling all of the former—and current—track and field athletes he has coached, many remember him the same way, as a caring, giving man who wanted them to improve as athletes, but most of all to fulfill their potential as people. Mundy, who started the HGP track and cross-country programs while still a student, has dedicated his life to working with young people. His substantial impact has been felt by thousands. “Mr. Mundy was an outstanding coach, and outside of my dad, he was one of the biggest, if not the biggest influence in my life,” says Ted Kuriger ’84, a hurdler and jumper while at Ghost. “He was a great mentor. He was always positive and always reassuring. I never saw him rip anybody or yell at them.” Holy Ghost Prep didn’t have a track team when Mundy was a student. It didn’t have a track, much less long jump or high jump pits. Pole vault? Come on. But Mundy was fast, and after the school’s field day during his freshman year, in 1962, he badgered then-gym coach Bob Custer about starting a track

“I am very grateful to the many coaches and associates who helped to build the Holy Ghost Prep track program over the years and allowed me to remain part of it, especially Mike Meistering and Hugh Mundy,” says Mundy. This upcoming spring, Mundy will work with the HGP throwers on the state-of-the-art track that bears his name in the brand-new Duaime Athletic Complex, imparting the wisdom of many years and helping them become men. “I describe him as a man of vision but also a man of execution,” says Holy Ghost Prep president Gregory J. Geruson ’79, for whom Mundy worked when he started in the Development Office. “He doesn’t just see what can happen; he makes it happen. Throughout his time with the program, he saw people with potential and built them into champions.” Mundy’s resume—in addition to his time at Ghost— includes stints as an educational administrator and as the creator and director of the Mill Street Run in

WINTER 2024

“I wasn’t the type of person who was trying to find myself or explore,” he says. “I absolutely knew who I was.” At first, Mundy was a teacher at Cornwells Elementary School, across the street from Holy Ghost Prep. Five years later, he became assistant principal at Armstrong Middle School on Street Road. That was a little bit different experience than his time as a student at Ghost. Bristol, Pa. He has always been very clear about his goals in life and is committed to finishing anything he begins. Mundy coached champions during his career, but he was far more interested in helping Holy Ghost Prep students mature and develop. For instance, when Kuriger was trying to figure out where to run in college, Mundy was the one who recommended Haverford College. There, Kuriger competed for Hall of Fame coach Tom Donnelly and had a great experience, thanks in large part to Donnelly’s connections in the track world. At times, the Haverford team would work out with runners from other schools, like Villanova Olympian Sydney Maree. “Mr. Mundy wasn’t a teacher of mine, but he was always interested in my grades and what I was doing school-wise,” Kuriger says. “He was super interested in helping me choose the right college.”

“That was battlefield training,” he says. “There were a few incidents where I was rolling around on the floor, trying to subdue kids.” Despite facing those interesting situations, Mundy had time to craft a student-centered philosophy. He wanted to make sure children’s emotional needs were being met. When he heard a teacher yelling at a child who was having trouble sitting still, Mundy became upset. “I was putting together what I thought a school experience should be,” he says. He found that at Pen Ryn School, where he immediately volunteered his assistance and later ended up on the board. By 1978, 10 years after he graduated from West Chester, he was head of school and spent 20 years in that position. It wasn’t merely a desk job. Sure, Mundy had to worry about budgets, but when it snowed, he would get up on the roof and shovel. He enjoyed it, but there was always a desire to return home.

During the late 1960s, it wasn’t unusual to hear of young people taking time away from college or the workforce to travel the world and figure out where they fit into it. It was a different time, and the lure of countercultural delights and anti-establishment behavior was strong for many.

That happened in 1998, when Mundy moved to the Holy Ghost Prep Development Office to work under Geruson. He continued as head coach until 2002, 40 years after he founded the track and cross-country programs. But Mundy wasn’t about to leave the sport he loved.

Not for Mundy.

“I tell people that I was head coach for 40 years, and I spent the next 20 learning how to be an assistant,” Mundy says. “I’m still learning, and I’m getting better at it.”

He graduated from West Chester in three-and-a-half years. While there, he ran on a team that won the freshman IC4A cross-country championship in New York—while still coaching track and cross-country at Ghost. Mundy graduated on a Friday in December of 1968 and started a job the following Monday morning. 32

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

In the early 1970s, Holy Ghost Prep finished first or second in the Pennsylvania Catholic School competition four straight years. Many HGP athletes earned

medals at the PIAA district and championship meets, including Kuriger, who as a senior in 1984 finished second in the high hurdles, third in the triple jump, and “third or fourth” in the long jump at the state championships. That’s pretty impressive, considering he practiced hurdles on “a little strip of asphalt next to the soccer field.” Since HGP didn’t get a track until 1997, Mundy and his charges had to be extremely creative. He laid out a “track” that was a fifth of a mile on what is now the current Ghost baseball field. It was the team’s home, but it wasn’t always so popular with other schools. Pennsbury came to campus for a meet, and while the Falcons’ coach understood the makeshift nature of the HGP facilities, he was adamant about a return trip. “He said, ‘I understand your situation, but we are never coming down to run on this grass track ever again,’” Mundy says with a laugh. In 1968, the cross-country team won the first sports trophy in school history when it finished third in the Catholic War Veterans Race in Fairmount Park. That year, the HGP harriers also won the Suburban Catholic League title. Mundy wanted to win, but he also wanted to promote the sport and respect the athletes. Angiolillo says that one Friday night, after a basketball game, some members of the track team were smoking cigars on campus. Mundy came upon them, and instead of getting angry, he merely pointed out that athletes shouldn’t be smoking. “He handled it in a calm, proactive way,” Angiolillo says. That was Mundy. He always cared about his athletes first. He ended his head coaching tenure in 2002 but still works because he can guide Holy Ghost’s throwers in their athletic endeavors and beyond. “I want to mentor them,” he says. If a performer has a bad day, Mundy gets “to give them a little B-12 shot,” as he refers to his encouragement. He is still active, although he chooses to walk now, instead of running or cycling. He can’t brag enough about his daughter, Christine, and he calls his young granddaughter, Rachel, “a miracle.” His wife, Ann,

died six years ago. Mundy loves his family, and he loves track, whether he is coaching or directing the Mill Street Run. His has been a life full of purpose devoted to others. Angiolillo tells a story from 1969, when he was the two-mile Catholic school state champion runner on the track team. Holy Ghost Prep was returning from a meet at Lehigh University, where he had run two races. Mundy told him, “By the way, I entered you in an invitational two-mile at an all-star meet tonight at Neshaminy High School. Don’t worry. I called your parents, and they said it was okay.” Angiolillo was ready to go, especially when Mundy told him he expected him to win. So, Angiolillo ran with the lead pack and made a late move, only to get nipped at the tape by another runner. The finish mattered little. Mundy’s faith in him was everything. “He taught us to believe in ourselves,” Angiolillo says. That’s something John Mundy is still doing for Holy Ghost athletes today. A frequent contributor to Holy Ghost Prep Magazine, Michael Bradley is a writer and broadcaster in suburban Philadelphia. He is the author of 33 books and is a professor in the communication department at Villanova University.

NEXT UP: FRAN HARTNETT This John Mundy feature is the latest in a series of pieces on HGP icons. In the next issue of Holy Ghost Prep Magazine, we will profile Fran Hartnett, who taught several subjects for 26 years at Holy Ghost Prep, from 1965 to 1991, and was named teacher emeritus. In 1990, he received a distinguished service award for Catholic education from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

WINTER 2024

FEY

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

RIVERA

WERT

MACAN

SALAZAR

Prepped for Success

BRANDON FEY EMILIANO SALAZAR SPENCER WERT DOMINIC RIVERA WILL MACAN All members of Holy Ghost Prep’s Class of 2023, they truly blossomed during their four years on campus. They all left their mark at Ghost and are clearly prepared for what’s next.

W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 35

MAKING HIS OWN HISTORY sk Brandon Fey ’23 where his lifelong love of history originates from and the 2023 HGP graduate quickly credits his late father Roger. “I used to watch World War II documentaries with him, as well as other historic movies,” recalls Fey. But then Roger Fey passed away suddenly in March of 2014 at the age of 46, shaking the Fey family, including then nine-yearold Brandon, and the entire Somerton community where Roger coached youth sports and served as the den leader for Brandon’s Boy Scout Troop 367. “His passing changed me obviously, probably made me a little more serious, a little less carefree,” says Brandon. “But my mom (Jackie) and my grandparents were incredible. They were always there for my brother Tyler and I, always loving and supporting us.” Brandon was particularly close with his grandfather Albert Faville, who lived across the street from him his entire life. They shared a deep personal connection until Faville passed away in January of Brandon’s junior year. “Brandon knows better than anyone that life is short and you have to make the most of it. So, he strives every day to make a positive impact on those around him, like his father and grandparents did,” says Holy Ghost Prep’s dean of academics Patrick Hoelzle ’01. “He has kept their spirits alive by being a positive male role model for his younger brother Tyler (now a junior at Ghost). Brandon’s become a young man that his father and grandparents would be proud of.” Fey certainly has done that, graduating summa cum laude from Holy Ghost Prep and winning the Holy Ghost Fathers and Brothers Award for Christian Living at this past June’s graduation. While at Ghost, Fey was the driving force behind the creation of the HGP Historical Preservation and Exhibition Society. The student-run club engaged with real historic sites like Washington

“Brandon knows better than anyone that life is short and you have to make the most of it.” —PATRICK HOELZLE ’01

Crossing Historic Park where they staffed the annual Crossing of the Delaware recreation and also assisted Jackie Gear, HGP’s director of annual giving and alumni engagement, with the planning of an HGP alumni veterans’ luncheon. In the winter of 2023, Fey—who gained some rowing expertise through the HGP crew team—was one of the re-enactors helping to row George Washington across the Delaware at Washington Crossing Historic Park. “Brandon Fey is one of the best Brandon Fey ’23 history students I’ve worked with Gettysburg College in my 23 years of teaching,” says Tom Eckerle, chair of the social studies department at Holy Ghost Prep. Eckerle served as Fey’s faculty moderator for both the HGP Historical Preservation and Exhibition Society and the mock trial team. In addition to those two clubs, Fey was the president of HGP Campus Ministry, a member of National Honor Society, an Unum leader, and served as an editor of The Flame (the student newspaper) and Lampoon (Holy Ghost Prep’s annual humor magazine). Due to his academic excellence and the clear impact he had on the Holy Ghost Prep community, Fey received the prestigious Eisenhower Scholarship to attend Gettysburg College as a double major in history and international affairs and relations. He believes that Gettysburg College’s unique location—situated in a world-famous town that is known for a defining moment in American history and is only 80 minutes from Washington, D.C.—will provide him with access and opportunity to pursue his dreams. “Gettysburg just felt like home to me,” says Fey, who is currently mulling whether he wants to one day become a State Department diplomat, a journalist, or a lawyer. “And I think no matter which career path I choose, Gettysburg College will challenge me and provide me with the necessary tools to succeed, just like Holy Ghost Prep did.” —BY BILL DOHERTY

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

DREAMING BIG ow that his time as a Holy Ghost Prep student is over, Emiliano Salazar ’23 is not thinking small about his future. His current aspirations? “To become president of the United States or to sit on the Supreme Court one day. Either one works,” says Salazar. Any backups, in case those options don’t pan out? “Actually, when I think about it, my dream job would be mayor of Philadelphia,” he says. Salazar’s pursuit of such worthy goals began this fall at Villanova University, where he is majoring in political science, with an eye toward an eventual degree in administrative law. Salazar happily admits to being something of a policy wonk in regards to his chosen field. He first discovered his affinity for sound, data-driven policy as a way of improving people’s lives as a member of HGP’s Model UN team. He fondly recalls most people’s reactions to his descriptions of debating court jurisdiction at the International Court of Justice in New York City. “It was a group of 15 students sitting at a square conference table, applying different statutes to the various cases that came before them,” recalls Salazar. “A lot of people were like, ‘That’s so boring, that’s not fun. But it was fun for me.” Salazar’s interest in how public policy can benefit large populations isn’t merely theoretical. Throughout his time at Holy Ghost Prep, he showed that he was ready to roll up his sleeves to support causes and candidates that he cared about. He canvassed last year for Rebecca Rhynhart, a fellow policy wonk, in her unsuccessful bid to become Philadelphia’s Democratic candidate for mayor in the May primary. He served as an intern at Abogados Vicentinos, an international organization that advocates for social justice around the world.

Emiliano Salazar ’23 Villanova University

victims of the war in Ukraine. “I like getting my hands dirty,” says Salazar. “There has never been a moment when I didn’t want to be involved and try to help out.” Salazar’s evolution as both a humanitarian and a student received a big assist from Maria Lehr-Fortino, his Spanish teacher, Model UN moderator, and mentor at HGP. He still remembers her singling him out when she spotted him walking past her Model UN table at the Guidance Department’s Activity Fair at the start of his freshman year. “I don’t know what she saw in me. I had no experience in public speaking, let alone debating in front of other students from around the world,” Salazar recalls. “She told me to believe in myself, so I did exactly that.” Another inspiration was his former English teacher Trish O’Connor, whom Salazar refers to as one of his greatest teachers at Holy Ghost Prep. “But greatest does not mean easiest,” he says. “When I took her class, I thought it would be like every other English class I had, which meant that I would do well. But that didn’t happen right away. Dr. O’Connor challenged me to write papers that were deeper and more thoughtful about what we were reading. She told me that I needed to start thinking more outside the box.” Those are lessons that should serve Salazar well in his efforts to make a difference in the fields of law and government. “Even though it’s written, there are many ways to interpret any law, and that’s what sparks the debate,” says Salazar. “Not everyone is willing to compromise. But in the end, it’s about people coming together to build a resolution.” With Emiliano Salazar at the table for such debates, it’s not hard to imagine beneficial solutions to public policy from this impressive 2023 HGP graduate. —BY MATTHEW JORDAN

“Dr. O’Connor challenged me to write papers that were deeper and more thoughtful about what we were reading.”

In addition, he helped launch the Firebird Fellowship Club, which raises funds for worthy causes, such as last year’s initiative for WINTER 2024

DESTINED FOR SUCCESS uring Holy Ghost Prep’s 2023 commencement exercises back in early June, the names of the graduates were called in alphabetical order. So Spencer King Wert—“King” is his mom’s maiden name—was the 102nd and final member of HGP’s Class of 2023 to receive his high school diploma. It was a rare moment when Wert, a young man with a royal middle name and one of the most accomplished students in last year’s senior class, wasn’t at the front of the line at an academic ceremony. Wert graduated summa cum laude with a 4.462 GPA on a 4.0 weighted scale. His impressive high school resume resulted in Wert being accepted into some of the nation’s most elite universities. In the end, he chose Georgetown University, where he will be a double major in the renowned McDonough School of Business. “Spencer is a competitor at heart. He has so much drive not just on the tennis court, but in the classroom and in Model UN,” says Maria LehrFortino, an HGP Spanish teacher who serves as the faculty moderator of Ghost’s Model UN team and who saw Wert’s drive to succeed up close in that role. “His spirit and drive are the very skills that helped him get into Georgetown and they will be the skillset that allow Spencer to succeed there. He also takes great pride in his school and displays his passion for his specific Spencer King Wert ’23 interests openly. I have no doubts Georgetown University that Spencer will be successful at Georgetown, and I know that he will take every opportunity to experience all that Georgetown has to offer him.” Wert certainly took full advantage of everything Holy Ghost Prep had to offer—excelling in the classroom in an AP-heavy course load while playing two varsity sports (tennis and basketball) and as one of the leaders of the Model UN team in his junior and senior years. In addition, he was a National Honor Society member who willingly tutored other HGP students and also dedicated his time 38

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

to Ghost Around the World, an HGP organization that provides help to Spiritan apostolates around the world. “I believe that the academic rigor, the time management skills that I was able to develop, and the quality of the teachers at Ghost have prepared me to succeed at Georgetown,” says Wert. “Holy Ghost Prep made me a more well-rounded student, and classes like AP research and AP seminar prepared me to do the in-depth research and writing that a top-level university like Georgetown will expect me to do.” Combine those traits with Wert’s natural leadership skills and a competitive nature honed both in sports and Model UN competitions, and this young man seems destined for success—at Georgetown and in life after college. “Spencer Wert is a creative thinker, always looking for new challenges and experiences,” says Grace Opdyke, associate director of college guidance at Holy Ghost Prep. “He will bring this passion to Georgetown University and will, I am certain, achieve great success.” Despite not joining the HGP tennis team until his junior year, Wert played first doubles and was chosen a captain and the team’s sportsmanship award winner as a senior. “Spencer consistently led by both word and example,” says Holy Ghost Prep tennis coach and English department chair Justin Goulet ’99. “He will be leaving behind huge shoes for us to fill. He was one of our best captains ever. “Spencer’s work ethic is tremendous and he never backs away from a challenge. He will push himself until he ultimately achieves his goal, and that will no doubt serve him well both at Georgetown University and in his career.” —BY BILL DOHERTY

“Spencer Wert is a creative thinker, always looking for new challenges and experiences.” —GR ACE OPDYKE

ENGINEERING HIS OWN PATH here occupational pursuits are concerned, not everyone associates the words art and engineering with one another right away. But in his endeavors in and out of school thus far, Dominic Rivera ’23 has forged a strong bond between the two. Kevin Bushek, an engineering teacher at Holy Ghost Prep, saw that connection in HGP’s Brennan Family Innovation Lab : “My absolute favorite thing about Mr. Rivera is, no matter what he was working on, it was always about art. The machines and designs he would come up with were these amazing blends of function and form.” Tapping “right-brain” creativity to solve problems that seem to require more logical solutions is what drew Rivera to his chosen field. “Engineering combines my two favorite skills: inventing and drawing,” he says. “I love sketching out my ideas and then trying to transform them into something real.” Bushek wasn’t alone in recognizing Rivera’s artistic talents. His paintings earned prizes and acclaim, including the Art Award at HGP’s graduation in June. Despite such accolades, Rivera’s collegiate focus will be on engineering, not art. “It surprised a lot of people that I was not going into an art major,” says Rivera. “I plan to keep art as a major “My absolute favorite thing part of my life, but on about Mr. Rivera is, no the side.”

matter what he was working Rivera’s opportunities on, it was always about art." to design and create

are continuing at Drexel University, where he is in the school’s accelerated five-year program to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Completing such a program requires not only significant ambition, but significant resources. The cost is not something that Rivera need worry about, however, since Drexel selected him as one of its 65 Liberty Scholars. —KEVIN BUSHEK

An initiative that aims to assist students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, Drexel’s Liberty Scholars program awards selected students with a renewable scholarship that covers 100 percent of tuition and fees. The program offers other benefits as well, including year-round support from a dedicated faculty mentor, and a Living Learning Community where all scholars live during their first two years.

Dominic Rivera ’23 Drexel University Rivera is well aware of the possibilities that such a generous award can create. “Growing up in North Philly, I was given a lot of opportunities that other children from my area were not. My mentors always told me to ‘pay it forward’ one day. That’s what I plan to continue doing as an adult.” When it comes to giving back, Rivera has already been plenty busy. He served on the Youth Advisory Committee for the city’s Police Athletic League, and met with Kensington’s district captain recently to discuss how to make recreation centers such as PAL’s more effective at keeping neighborhood youth both safe and productive. He’s spoken on panels to city officials about the challenges of living in North Philadelphia. In addition, Rivera and some friends opened a pop-up food stand as part of the Bodega Project, a youth entrepreneur program in the city. For their enterprise, he and his team created “The Perfect Taste,” which created and provided free Puerto Rican cuisine to residents of Kensington and nearby neighborhoods. As team leader, treasurer, and chef, Rivera was involved in every aspect of the business. He was rewarded for his efforts with an opportunity to serve on former Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. With such achievements behind him and many more ahead, Rivera seems poised to prove that the arts, both visual and culinary, will continue to complement his skills as both an imaginative problem solver and an ongoing advocate for his neighborhood. —BY MATTHEW JORDAN

WINTER 2024

A TIRELESS WORKER rior to his senior year at Holy Ghost Prep, Will Macan ’23 toured a handful of top-tier Southern schools: Wake Forest, North Carolina, Richmond, and the University of Virginia. Macan, one of the top students in HGP’s Class of 2023, knew that he couldn’t go wrong with any of those choices. But he had the most intel on Wake Forest. His older brother, Kyle, graduated from Wake Forest in the spring of 2023 with a job already lined up as an investment banking analyst for Piper Sandler in San Francisco. “I liked Wake Forest and North Carolina the best out of the schools I visited,” said Macan. “But I knew these schools are highly competitive, so I wanted to apply early decision to one of them to maximize my chances of getting in. “The more I looked into the schools, the more I realized that Wake Forest was the right choice for me. The business school is great and has done right by my brother. The campus is really nice. I really like the guys in my brother’s fraternity and plan to rush there as a freshman. It just felt like the right fit.” Applying early decision worked out perfectly for Macan, who brought a tireless work ethic and an interesting set of skills to Winston Salem, N.C. In addition to majoring in business and pledging a fraternity, Macan thinks he will give club lacrosse a try, too. A three-year varsity lacrosse starter at Holy Ghost Prep, Macan finished with 101 career points, including 26 goals and 14 assists as a senior captain for the Firebirds.

Will Macan ’23 Wake Forest

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

“I think two of the best traits Will has are his work ethic and his poise,” says Mark Whartenby, director of campus ministry who also serves as an assistant lacrosse coach at Holy Ghost Prep. “If you know him, you know he works hard in all areas of his life, but his presence is calm, collected, and focused no matter what is going on. In good or difficult situations, he consistently keeps his composure and is a leader for others to look toward.”

Macan honed his work ethic at a series of interesting part-time jobs—working at a full-service gas station (pumping gas, filling tires with air, other duties as assigned), serving as an apprentice to an area handyman, and helping out at a nearby gym in Newtown, Pa. Despite his many responsibilities inside and outside the classroom, Macan somehow carved out time to serve as a team manager for the HGP ice hockey team in his senior year. “Hard work, grit, and dedication are three characteristics I would use to describe Will,” says AnnMarie Reteneller, director of college guidance at Holy Ghost Prep. “He is a unique young man with many talents and a genuine desire to learn new things. “Will approaches life with enthusiasm and sincerity. He isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and work hard to reach his goals. Those characteristics will serve him well at Wake Forest and in his life after college.” Macan, who graduated summa cum laude and received a Silver Cup of Recognition at this past spring’s commencement as one of the highest achievers in HGP’s Class of 2023, feels fully prepared for Wake Forest. “One of the most important skills that Holy Ghost taught me was time management,” says Macan. “I learned how to make the most of my free periods and how to juggle a varsity sport, challenging classes, and part-time jobs. I think the time management skills I learned at Ghost will really benefit me in college.” —BY BILL DOHERTY

“Hard work, grit, and dedication are three characteristics I would use to describe Will.” —ANNEMARIE RETENELLER

HGP CLASS OF 2023: WHERE THEY HEADED AFTER GHOST

oly Ghost Prep’s Class of 2023 is a group of unique and talented individuals who excelled in the classroom, on the stage, in laboratories, in community service efforts, and on the playing fields. This accomplished group of 102 students is continuing their academic careers at 44 different schools in 12 different states. “The wonderful array of college admissions offers that Holy Ghost’s Class of 2023 received is a reflection of the students’ many talents in and out of the classroom,” says AnnMarie Reteneller, Holy Ghost Prep’s director of college guidance. “As the world of college admissions becomes more competitive every year, it is a source of pride that colleges recognize Holy Ghost’s excellent academic preparation and the significant contributions that our graduates are poised to make to their college communities.” Kevin Burke, principal of Holy Ghost Prep, says: “The Class of 2023 left an indelible mark on Holy Ghost Prep. It’s a credit to them, their parents, our teachers, and our College Guidance Office that they are attending such an impressive list of colleges and universities. They are undoubtedly prepared to make a difference within their college communities, just as they have done in ours.” The students in Holy Ghost Prep’s Class of 2023 headed to the following schools after Ghost (listed alphabetically): Albright University Alvernia University Arcadia University Arizona State University Bryn Athyn College College of the Holy Cross DeSales University Drexel University Duquesne University Eastern University Fairfield University Georgetown University

George Washington University Gettysburg University Gwynedd Mercy University High Point University Kent State University La Salle University Lehigh University Louisiana State University Marist University Mount St. Mary’s University Northeastern University Pennsylvania College of Technology

Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State UniversityAbington Rider University Saint Joseph’s University Seton Hall University Temple University Thomas Jefferson University University of Cincinnati University of Colorado University of Connecticut University of Florida University of Pittsburgh

University of South Carolina University of South Florida University of Tampa Ursinus College Villanova University Wake Forest University West Chester University Widener University

WINTER 2024

Campus NEWS

Valedictorian Brendan Boutilier

Salutatorian Seamus McDermott

George Graffy ’82

Holy Ghost Prep Graduates Its Class of 2023 Holy Ghost Preparatory School graduated 102 seniors at its commencement exercises on Saturday, June 3 on the campus lawn behind Cornwells Hall. During the ceremony, students were recognized for their accomplishments and were reminded by Brendan Boutilier to take the lessons learned at Ghost and to apply them in college and in life. Boutilier weaved the “Think Ghost” theme throughout his cleverly constructed valedictorian speech. “The brotherhood and community that we have learned and built does not stop today, it does not end here,” said Boutilier. “We will hold it within us as we move on with our lives. We will bring it into our workplace with colleagues and into our daily lives with friends and family. Through the community at Ghost, we have learned to be compassionate, hardworking leaders, eager to succeed. I challenge each and every one of you to continue to ‘Think Ghost’ every day in college and beyond.” Besides Boutilier, the other featured graduation speakers were salutatorian Seamus McDermott, Holy Ghost Prep president Gregory J. Geruson ’79, and George Graffy ’82, the CEO of Smart Circle and a member of Holy Ghost Prep’s Board of Trustees. “But before you leave HGP to begin authoring life’s next chapter, I want to offer you one piece of advice. And it’s a really simple piece of advice: Stay connected—never lose that sense of community and brotherhood that is Holy Ghost Prep,” Geruson told the graduates. “It is not as easy to do as it sounds. Friends move, life changes, career opportunities unfold. But you are a remarkably close group. My prayer for you is that it always remains that way.” In his salutatorian speech, McDermott reassured his classmates that “no Holy Ghost Prep will hold its matter what path we take, HGP has given us the strength, confidence, and annual commencement exercises resilience to face whatever lies ahead for us.” for the Class of 2024 on June 1, Graffy assured HGP’s Class of 2023 that they were ready for what’s next 2024 on the Clock Tower lawn. in life, while urging them to surround themselves with positive people, be willing to say “yes” in life, and live life to its fullest by having short-term and long-term scorecards and then working tirelessly toward fulfilling their goals.

Pomp and Circumstance

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

HGP Welcomes 12 New Employees Holy Ghost Prep welcomed 12 new employees for the 202324 academic year. The collective credentials of the new employees are truly impressive, and HGP is excited to have each and every one of them on the team: Paul Morrissey is a new member of HGP’s math department. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Villanova University with 19 years of teaching experience. Jenny Daily is a new member of the world language department. She is a graduate of Columbia University and Temple University. She will be teaching American sign language. Dr. Steve Tomshaw will be teaching AP physics at Ghost. He is returning to HGP after his retirement a few years ago. He will return as a part-time faculty member. We are blessed to have his 25 years of experience as a physics teacher. Mark Seibert is a new member of the science department. He is a graduate of Holy Ghost Prep and recently graduated from Gettysburg College. He will be teaching physics and chemistry and coaching JV baseball this year. Chic Kelly will be teaching AP economics as a part-time faculty member. He is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University and Villanova University. He has been teaching at the secondary and higher education levels since 1994. Kevin Fenstermaker will be joining our social studies department. He is a graduate of Rosemont College and Gwynedd Mercy University. Kate Forster will be joining our theology department. She is a graduate of La Salle University with a masters in biblical theology. She has been teaching theology for 15 years. MaryAnn Davies is HGP’s new counseling intern. She comes to HGP from the University of Pennsylvania’s masters in school and mental health counseling program. She will be working with HGP’s counseling department in supporting the academic and behavioral needs of HGP students. In addition to the eight new faces on the academic side, Holy Ghost Prep welcomes four new staff members for the 2023-24 academic year: Morgan Nappi joined Holy Ghost Prep’s Business Office as chief accountant. She comes to Holy Ghost Prep from the Shipley School where she worked with HGP’s CFO Jayme Karolyi for the past few years. She joins Jayme and Jeannine Chimbos, who has been promoted to controller, to form a very strong team. Dave Benson joined our facilities team. He has an extensive background in a myriad of areas, including proficiency in carpentry, electric, plumbing, and roofing. Dave is the father of a current HGP sophomore (David) and is excited to be a part of the HGP facilities team. BJ Carolan is the school’s new athletic trainer. He brings over 20 years of experience in emergency care and more than a decade of experience as an athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach to Holy Ghost Prep. Steve Vito, an alumni parent, is the part-time manager of HGP’s school store.

HGP Music Department Adds New Ensemble With about 30 founding members, the Firebird Pops is the newest addition to Holy Ghost Prep’s performance programming. Comprised of performers from every musical family, the group blends concert band, orchestra, jazz band, rock band, and choir into one comprehensive ensemble. In the style of professional groups such as the Hollywood Studio Symphony, this ensemble performs a broad repertoire that incorporates jazz, classical music, music for film, contemporary pop, and world music. The Firebird Pops debuted at the school’s 2023 Christmas concert on December 12 in the Frederico Theater.

Brendan DiEnna ’24 Receives National Merit® Scholarship Commendation Holy Ghost Prep current senior Brendan DiEnna was named a commended student in the 2024 National Merit® Scholarship program. A letter of commendation from HGP and the National Merit® Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) was recently presented to him. “We couldn’t be more proud of Brendan,” says Holy Ghost Prep principal Kevin Burke. “To be a National Merit commended student is a great honor. Brendan has truly excelled in the classroom and has blossomed as a leader here at Ghost.” DiEnna was honored for his exceptional academic promise demonstrated by his performance on the 2022 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit® Scholarship Qualifying Test. He was among 34,000 students nationwide to be recognized with a letter of commendation for their exceptional academic achievements.

WINTER 2024

Campus NEWS Celebrating HGP’s Best and Brightest Many of Holy Ghost Prep’s best and brightest students in the Classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026 were recognized at an Academic Honors Convocation on May 30. In addition to a slew of academic awards and inductions into honor societies for excellence in world languages, mathematics, English, and science, a series of scholarships and prestigious prizes were presented over the course of the ceremony. Dominic Gallo ’24 received the Downey Scholarship, a scholarship that is presented to an HGP student who best exhibits a blend of academic ability, a sound work ethic, and a strong school spirit. The recipient fully supports and practices the Catholic beliefs and values taught at Holy Ghost Prep. Brandon Schultz ’24 was presented with the Francis J. Marx ’00 Scholarship, a scholarship that is awarded to a Holy Ghost Prep student who demonstrates leadership, sound academic ability, and a commitment to giving back to HGP. This scholarship is named in memory of Francis J. Marx ’00, a brilliant young man who died tragically at the age of 21 in 2004. Timothy Devine ’24 and Thomas McGinley ’24 both received the Thomas F. Flynn Scholarship, which is presented to a member of the current junior class of Holy Ghost Prep who best demonstrates an adventurous spirit, a sense of independence, sound academic ability, service to the school community, and physical and athletic rigor. Tyler Fey ’25 was awarded the Clare McGovern-Warning Scholarship (in memory of St. Katharine Drexel), given to a current junior who demonstrates a love of God, demonstrated by a willingness to use personal resources for others; a faithful regard for religious obligations; a diligence toward schoolwork; assumption of family responsibilities; efforts to reach out to people different than himself; and efforts to embrace all members of the school community. Owen Smith ’24 received the Amy Kohler Memorial Scholarship, which is presented to a Holy Ghost Prep student who demonstrates exceptional all-around character. This recipient is a student who participates in extracurricular activities, contributes significantly to the school, and challenges himself in the classroom. Christian Webster ’26 and Nicholas Riccio ’26 both received Kevin Montgomery National Honors Society scholarships, named in honor of Kevin Montgomery, a Holy Ghost Prep student whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 17 from complications of a diabetic attack in 1998. Montgomery, who carried a 3.98 GPA and was set to attend Duquesne University in the fall of 1998, was one of those students who dove into everything that Holy Ghost Prep had to offer. He also found time to tutor his classmates and ended up being the driving

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

force behind the creation of the Holy Ghost Prep National Honor Society tutoring program. Logan Peterson ’24 was chosen as the National Art Honor Society Scholarship winner, and Dominic Gallo ’24 was the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award winner. The John Buettler Outstanding Spiritan Educator Award winner, as voted on by the Holy Ghost Prep faculty and staff, was presented to math teacher extraordinaire Gerri Carmine. A truly deserving recipient, Gerri has delivered decades of teaching excellence to HGP students. In addition, the following awards were presented at Holy Ghost’s Honors Convocation on May 30: The Harvard Prize Book Award (awarded to a rising senior who demonstrates excellence in scholarship and achievement in other non-academic areas deemed to be worthy by reason of scholarship, character, school spirit, influence, and all-around ability): Brendan DiEnna ’24 Rensselaer Medal: Colin Bainbridge ’24 Excellence in Art Awards: Josh DelMoral ’24, Cian Kirn ’24, Logan Peterson ’24, Noah Schneider ’24, James Bannon ’25, Thomas Farrell ’25, Liam Power ’25, Patrick Tavernier ’25, Cillian Bender ’26, Sean Boedewig ’26, Anthony Ciasullo ’26, Henry Walsh ’26 Excellence in Music Awards: Daniel Swider ’24, Kevin Taylor ’24, Mark Bonetti ’25, Chase Halpin ’25, Jeremiah Muturi ’25, Cole Rosini ’25, Ryan Boyle ’26, John McDonough ’26, Bradley McNally ’26, Luke Stone ’26 Excellence in Social Studies Awards: Ivo Braganza ’24, Brendan DiEnna’24, Dominic Gallo ’24, Andrew Zulewski ’24, Brendan Bittmann ’25, Daniel Fawber ’25, Ryan Mendez ’25,

Liam Winkler ’25, Marcel Chattopadhyay ’26, Brendan Meehan ’26, Nicholas Riccio ’26, Luke Stone ’26 Excellence in English Awards: Sean Boyle ’24, Ivo Braganza ’24, Dominic Gallo ’24, Michael Lucas ’24, Brendan Bittmann ’25, Ryan Mendez ’25, Cole Rosini ’25, Liam Winkler ’25, James Esposito ’26, Matthew Evans ’26, Ayden Kobryn ’26, Nicholas Riccio ’26 Excellence in Science Awards: Preston Abitz ’24, Brendan DiEnna ’24, Matthew Koptyakoc ’24, Michael Lucas ’24, Joshua Manangan ’25, Corum Mo ’25, Braden Wetzler ’25, Liam Winkler ’25, Cillian Binder ’26, Ryan Boyle ’26, Matthew Evans ’26, Sean Garvey ’26 Excellence in Religion Awards: Timothy Devine ’24, Dylan Fair ’24, Thomas McGinley ’24, Ralph Smolczynski ’24, Oscar Herrera ’25, Robert Juliano ’25, Braden Wetzler ’25, Liam Winkler ’25, Cillian Binder ’26, Owen Leary ’26, Nicholas Riccio ’26, Jude Ringen ’26 Excellence in Computer Science Awards: Sean Boyle ’24, Ivo Braganza ’24, Justin Glabicki ’24, Michael Lucas ’24, Daniel Nipper ’24, Jacob Hackman ’25, Daniel Perez ’25, Liam Winkler ’25, Jeffrey Boorse ’26 Excellence in Mathematics Awards: Sean Boyle ’24, Justin Glabicki ’24, Matthew Koptyakov ’24, Daniel Nipper ’24, Brendan Bittmann ’25, Joshua Manangan ’25, Guru Patel ’25, Cole Rosini ’25, Cillian Binder ’26, Jackson Culhane ’26, Xyrus Mangapit ’26, Mathew Riendeau ’26 Top Mathlete Scorers (by year): Michael Pimble ’23, Daniel Nipper ’24, Daniel Perez ’25, Mathew Riendeau ’26 Excellence in French Awards: John Gavaghan ’26 (level one); Patrick Tavernier ’25 and Braden Wetzler ’25 (level two); Daniel Nipper ’24 (level three) Excellence in Latin Awards: Patrick McGowan ’26 (level one); Allan Adrayan ’25, Joshua Manangan ’25, and Anthony Marrero ’25 (level two); Donald Holdren ’24 and Logan Peterson ’24 (level three) Excellence in Spanish Awards: James Esposito ’26, Matthew Pienkowski ’26, O’Bryan Pierre ’26, Nate Spangler ’26, and Christian Webster ’26 (level one); Brady Bell ’26, Cole Rosini ’25, Robert Segarich ’25, Aidan Sloan ’25, and Charles Steinmetz ’25 (level two); Justin Glabicki ’24, Oscar Herrera ’25, and Liam Winkler ’25 (level three)

Jayme Karolyi Is HGP’s New CFO After an extensive national search, Jayme Karolyi was selected as Holy Ghost Prep’s chief financial officer (CFO) and assumed the role during the summer. With 23 years of experience as an accounting professional who rose up the ranks at the Shipley School, Karolyi has a proven track record of managing employees, increasing efficiency and productivity, identifying and implementing improvements to streamline processes, and reducing costs through analytical review and strategic planning. Karolyi came to Holy Ghost Prep from the Shipley School, an elite independent school in Bryn Mawr. Hired in 2000 as the school’s chief accountant, Karolyi steadily moved up at Shipley—serving as the school’s controller from 2009 through 2016, then as the director of finance from 2016 until 2022, and then as the school’s interim CFO during the 2022-23 school year. Karolyi is honored to be Holy Ghost Prep’s new CFO. “From the moment I stepped onto Holy Ghost’s campus, I knew this is where I wanted to be. Everyone I met was so welcoming, enthused, and I felt an instant connection to both the people and institution,” says Karolyi. “When meeting a group of students, I witnessed firsthand their excitement working in the STEM lab. Their smiles were infectious, and it was abundantly clear how special Holy Ghost is from their perspective. “I am so very honored and excited to be a part of this amazing school, rich with a Spiritan history, a mission to help form young men into honorable, moral, upstanding adults with deep religious faith to help guide them through life.” Holy Ghost Prep president Gregory J. Geruson ’79 says: “I was impressed by Jayme’s enthusiasm and energy about taking on a new challenge here at Ghost, her instant and genuine connection with the Spiritan mission of Holy Ghost Prep, her very personable nature, and her depth of experience in independent schools. She is a likable, articulate, and confident leader who is making our already strong leadership team here at Holy Ghost Prep even stronger.”

WINTER 2024

Alumni NEWS

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:

James McKenna and Zach Pers ’23

Barrel of Fun BY MIKE BIGLIN

After graduating from Holy Ghost Prep in June, best friends Zach Pers and James McKenna were excited to head down the Jersey shore—but for different reasons than one would assume. Pers and McKenna were focused on introducing the shore-goers to their clothing line, Barrel Apparel, while also trying to get their t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts into some of the souvenir stores on the historic boardwalks of Ocean City and Wildwood. Yah, not the usual summer fare for a pair of 18-year-old guys. “We thought about it kind of late, so it’s been hard, as store managers have already allotted for their inventory this summer,” Pers said. “They told us to contact them before the season starts next year, because a lot of them liked the product and are interested.” “That’s the step we want to take,” added McKenna. “Once we get a deal, we feel like it’ll open the door to more. But for now, we’ll keep selling online—and we’re pretty much selling out.” So McKenna and Pers are hitting the boardwalk with their wares, trying to get their names and company out there to a wider audience. “We get out there, wear our stuff, show people the website and what we stand for,” Pers said. “The feedback has been amazing.” And this is not just a high school dalliance for these two. They are both freshmen at Fairfield University now, with the goal of taking Barrel Apparel to new heights. “With the strength of Fairfield’s great business program and professors, we think it will really help us grow the company, and we want to take it as big as it can possibly get,” says McKenna. Their mentors at Holy Ghost believe in them, as well.

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

“Their drive and persistence are very unique for two young guys,” said Grace Opdyke, associate director of college guidance at Holy Ghost Prep. “I’m convinced the product they’re putting out there is going places. I think we’re going to see this do well.” Opdyke, along with fellow associate guidance directors AnnMarie Reteneller and Joe Dembik, were the boys’ “three biggest supporters,” according to Pers. “Half of our time, we were sitting in their office, talking with them. We couldn’t have asked for a better support or experience through high school.” McKenna also lauded the support of HGP president Greg Geruson as a key factor for their burgeoning company. “Holy Ghost was the best four years of my life,” McKenna said. “And there’s no doubt the experiences I had at Ghost led me to start the company.” Pers gives McKenna credit for getting the train rolling during their junior year. “The whole thing was James’ idea,” Pers said. “He said in class one day, kind of as a joke, that we should run our own t-shirt company. I responded, ‘That would be cool; we should try something.’” “So I started designing some ideas, Zach came up with the logo, and we just went from there,” McKenna added. They both wanted to base the company around helping people, and pledged to give 15 percent of their earnings to charity. They started by giving to the cancer fund created by sister school Nazareth Academy, where they raised over $500 from their early sales. Pers said that while he’s “more of the creative one, I guess,” they both create ideas for logos and shirt designs, handle the marketing, and run all their social media accounts. “It’s been really cool,” Pers said. “He’s been my best friend since sophomore year. We’re together on a team with each other as coaches. It’s really a dynamic duo. … And walking the halls (at Holy Ghost), people knew us as the Barrel Apparel Guys, which was just so cool to me.” Opdyke lauded their courage and humility in forging their success so far. “They sought out the right people and right information,” she said. “They didn’t just try to do this on their own. If they wanted it to be real, they had to follow the right path.” An added benefit of attending Fairfield together is that Justin Zamparelli, a 1992 Holy Ghost Prep grad who serves as general counsel for Vineyard Vines and met with the boys while serving as HGP’s Executive in Residence, is based out of Fairfield. And Fairfield has an internship program with Vineyard Vines through the business school. “I think Fairfield is going to be huge for us,” Pers said. “It will give the both of us so many opportunities to learn and grow.” The pair will also continue their love for athletics—with former varsity player Pers playing club ice hockey, and McKenna set to be manager of the basketball team. “They’re really behaving like grown businessmen,” Opdyke observed. “Yet they’re two of the funniest and most enjoyable guys you would ever want to meet. They can make you laugh in an instant. They have terrific people skills, and I think that’s what is going to help them the most.”

John Fitzpatrick ’89 Receives the McCloskey Award

50-Year Reunion On June 4, Holy Ghost Prep welcomed back a handful of alumni and guests in celebration of the 50th Reunion for the Class of 1973. The daylong celebration included taking part in the graduation ceremony, tours of campus, and a special cocktail reception and dinner. FYI, the 50-year reunion for the Class of 1974 will take place on June 1, 2024. Don’t miss out on the chance to reminisce, reconnect, and remember the good old days at Ghost.

HGP’s Mount Rushmore Just before the start of the 2023-24 school year, the Bucks County Courier Times did its Mount Rushmore of student-athletes from the 2000s for each area high school. Congrats to the four Holy Ghost Prep athletes who were chosen: Ryan Gunderson ’03 (ice hockey), Nolan Jones ’16 (baseball), Brett Manney ’04 (lacrosse/basketball/soccer), and Calen Sanderson ’22 (golf).

VOLUNTEER to be a class agent. Do you keep in touch with your HGP classmates on a regular basis? If so, we need you. Please contact Jackie Gear at jgear@holyghostprep.org to become a class agent.

During the 2023 commencement exercises on June 3, John Fitzpatrick ’89, who is now in his 31st year as a member of the faculty, was honored with the Reverend James P. McCloskey, C.S.Sp. ’70 Award. The award is given to “an alumnus whose profound generosity, commitment, and support demonstrates a unique understanding of the mission of Holy Ghost Prep.” “As a tireless educator, a champion of our Spiritan charism, an advisor and mentor, and a man with unending loyalty to the school and his colleagues, John Fitzpatrick is the ideal recipient of this award,” says Holy Ghost president Gregory J. Geruson ’79. “Decades of Holy Ghost Prep students and co-workers have all been touched by Fitz’s enormous contributions to this school.” Fitzpatrick is certainly a deserving McCloskey Award recipient. In addition to being an alum, an outstanding teacher for the past three decades, and the father of both a ’20 graduate (Ryan) and a current senior (Dan ’24), he is the chair of HGP’s Religion Department and a member of the three-person HGP Ministry Team—along with the school’s Spiritan Chaplain (Father Dan Sormani, C.S.Sp.) and the school’s director of campus ministry and service (Mark Whartenby). The Ministry Team works collaboratively to pursue new community service opportunities, evaluates the current Religion Department class offerings and looks for ways to strengthen the program, and educates the entire community (faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni) about what it means to be Spiritan. Yet another sign of his tireless commitment to Holy Ghost Prep is the fact that Fitzpatrick made the 27th service trip of his three-decade HGP career last spring (this one to West Virginia)—missing only the 2002 trip due to the birth of his older son and 2020 and 2021, when there were no trips due to COVID. “I feel truly honored to receive the McCloskey Award and am grateful for the recognition of my efforts,” Fitzpatrick said. “The Spiritan values I learned at both HGP and Duquesne University have shaped significantly the person I have become. HGP is my second home, a place about which I care deeply.” Fitzpatrick joins an illustrious group of McCloskey Award winners: 2002 Fr. James McCloskey ’70 2003 Leonard Moss ’50 2004 John Buettler ’64 2005 Joseph Blaston ’75 2006 Joseph Quinlan ’71 2007 Frank Guarrieri ’70 2008 Anthony Geonnotti ’76 2009 John Mundy ’65 2010 Anthony Naccarato ’84

2011 Thomas Holt ’81 2013 Fr. Jeffrey Duaime ’76 2016 John Di Paolo ’87 2017 Bob Watters ’81 2018 Tony Chapman ’71 2019 Vincent Profy ’65 2021 Gregory Nowak ’77 2022 Jerry Stahlecker ’83

WINTER 2024

Athletic NEWS Holy Ghost Prep Celebrates Tony Chapman Day Holy Ghost Prep celebrated its legendary basketball coach Tony Chapman ’71 with Tony Chapman Day on Thursday, Sept. 28. Chapman won 928 games during his storied high school coaching career at HGP—hence, the idea to celebrate him on 9-28 to correspond with his gaudy win total at Ghost. The all-day event began with an 8 a.m. meeting in the Chapman Arena, where Coach Chapman’s impact on basketball in the Holy Ghost Prep community and on the state and county levels was clearly evident. The guest list included Brendan McCusker from the office of U.S. congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, state representative K.C. Tomlinson, state senator Jimmy Dillon ’96, Bensalem mayor Joe DiGirolamo, Bensalem council members Ed Kisselback, Joe Knowles, and Stacey Champion, and Bucks County commissioner Gene DiGirolamo. The area politicians brought proclamations officially declaring Sept. 28, 2023 as Tony Chapman Day in Bensalem, in Bucks County, and throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A heartwarming moment occurred when Dillon, a 1996 Holy Ghost Prep graduate who starred for Chapman before going on to play college hoops at the University of Notre Dame, spoke about Tony’s impact on his life. As part of his remarks, Dillon read from a supportive letter that Chapman wrote to him in 1996 just before he headed off to South Bend to play for the Irish. Another highlight was when Jack Crouse, a Spanish teacher at Ghost who has served as an assistant coach under Chapman, delivered a cleverly constructed speech around the 3 Doors Down song “Be Like That.” In his speech, Crouse cited all of the positive qualities of his role model Chapman and expressed his desire that maybe one day he could be like that. Tony Chapman Day concluded with a fun-filled evening celebration, sponsored by HGP’s Class of 1971, in the Chapman Arena with approximately 200 guests in attendance—representing all stages of Chapman’s 45 years as head coach. The evening’s speakers were state senators Jimmy Dillon and Frank Farry; Chapman’s oldest and dearest friend, Joe Quinlan ’71 (the two have known one another since 1959); Tom Heston ’12 (who played for Chapman, coached alongside him, and will now replace him as the Firebirds’ head basketball coach and whose speech outlined what Heston called Chapman’s “10 Commandments of Basketball”); and Holy Ghost Prep president Greg Geruson ’79. “All told, Tony won 928 games during his Holy Ghost Prep coaching career, which is why we are here celebrating on 9-28. Think about that number, 928, for a moment. It’s mind-boggling,” said Geruson. “But if you ask me, Tony’s real legacy is having positively affected the lives of thousands of students at a very key time in their lives. “Tony is an amazing basketball coach; the numbers prove that. But he’s even a better person.” —BY BILL DOHERTY

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

Getting Their Hall Pass Nine former Holy Ghost Prep student-athletes will be inducted into the HGP Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at the Bensalem Township Golf Course. The nine former standouts that comprise the newest HGP Athletic Hall of Fame induction class are: Ryan Larkin ’96 (basketball) Ryan Gunderson ’03 (ice hockey) Jim Kennedy ’05 (baseball) Chris Crawford ’12 (golf) Ryan Horgan ’12 (track and field) Zach Israel ’12 (cross-country) Tim Lazorko ’12 (soccer) Connor Pietrak ’12 (tennis) Greg Wozniak ’13 (lacrosse)

WINTER 2024

Athletic NEWS From Core Creek to College Rowing

In just four years, Allison Boehm has taken the Holy Ghost Prep rowing program to unprecedented heights, with her top boat earning back-to-back trips to the scholastic nationals. This newfound success has led to more of her rowers graduating from rowing for Ghost in Core Creek Park to becoming college rowers. The 2022-23 season was Boehm’s best yet. Despite losing eight seniors, including three from her top boat, she forged a new quartet and guided them to an 11th place finish at the 2023 nationals—the program’s best showing, even better than last year’s vaunted crew. And two more rowers from her program, who became the best of friends, are now Division 1 college athletes. Coxswain Matt Huot, the leader of HGP’s top boat for three seasons, is now on the College of Holy Cross crew team. Meanwhile, the most unlikely success story is Matt McKeown, who had never done any sport until joining crew at the start of

his junior year, and is now rowing at La Salle University. “Matt Huot is very special to my husband (head assistant coach John) and I, as he was with us since day one,” Boehm said. “Matt McKeown, he took a different path. I talked him into joining the team the summer going into his junior year, and getting in a boat completely transformed his entire life.” Four-plus years ago, Huot came out for HGP’s “Learn to Row” camp, but Boehm took one look at the diminutive freshman and knew where she could use him. “We talked with him about being a coxswain,” she said. “He was a little discouraged at first—he really wanted to row—but then he just ran with it.” As coxswain, Huot is in charge of the boat—mainly its steering, but he also sets the boat’s pace through audible commands to his rowers. Huot liked the thrill of steering the boat in a race, but found other tangible by-products to his job. “I really love the leadership opportunities it presents, and how you learn to handle things under pressure,” he said. “I remember in my first race the steering snapped, and I had to steer by grabbing the broken wires. Keeping calm under stress, making decisions, those are things I really enjoy about it.” Huot also liked the influence he could have on individual rowers, Matt Huot (Holy Cross, pictured) and especially the novices. And no one was Matt McKeown (La Salle University) greener than McKeown, who finished are the two latest Holy Ghost Prep sophomore year lacking confidence and alums who rowed for Allison Boehm with his weight over 300 pounds. and are now college rowers. The other Two years later, the 6-foot-3 McKeGhost products who are currently own was down to 240 pounds and tied college rowers are: for the second fastest time on the team Joel Bevenour, La Salle University on the ergometer (i.e. rowing machine, or “erg”). He is now a freshman rower Stash Gondek, Villanova University for Ivo Krakic’s solid La Salle University Ronald Greipp, La Salle University program.

A BOATLOAD OF COLLEGE ROWERS

Sam Hicks, Jacksonville University 50

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

“With rowing, you’re always looking toward the next goal, so it’s kind of hard to look back,” McKeown said. “But focusing on what I have to work on, I’m realizing how far I’ve come. It’s been pretty difficult, but I felt motivated through it all.” Huot said that McKeown’s work ethic was evident from the start. “You could see how much he wanted to get better,” Huot said. “He became the guy that loved the erg room the most, and he was one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen on the team.” McKeown said their relationship has come really far the past two years. “I was lonely sophomore year. But once I started rowing, I found many great friendships,” he said. “The four seniors on the team, we grew really close. We hung out outside of school all the time and being on a close-knit team was a big change for me.” Going into his senior season, McKeown knew he wanted to row collegiately. His marked improvement and work ethic over that year caught the eye of Krakic, who already had two HGP alums on his Explorers’ roster: junior captain Joel Bevenour and sophomore Ronald Greipp. “Ivo knows our program,” said Boehm, “and he sees Matt as a novice that he can mold into his program.” McKeown continues to work hard at La Salle, where he is majoring in biology. As for Huot, he is part of Holy Cross’ Navy ROTC program, with eyes on becoming a naval officer. He is studying chemistry and minoring in naval science. “He’s the total package for a college coxswain—size, build, work ethic, attitude—and he’s amazing at it,” Boehm said. “Holy Cross is going to love him. Matt’s always two steps ahead of me; he’s like another coach on the water, always giving exactly what the team needs.” —BY MIKE BIGLIN

HGP’s Cross-Country Team Wins Fourth Straight District One Title The Holy Ghost Prep cross-country team captured a fourth straight PIAA District One Class 2A cross-country team title on October 27 at Lehigh University. The Firebirds had four top-10 finishers in the District One race and all four were district medalists: senior Papakojo Danquah (fourth place), junior Daniel Perez (fifth place), senior Maurece Jean-Brian (ninth place), senior Brendan DiEnna (10th place). Freshman Jack Loveman took 17th place, while sophomore Patrick McGowan and freshman Owen Bittman finished 24th and 29th, respectively. “It is incredible to win a fourth straight District One championship and it’s a testament to the hard work and determination of Holy Ghost Prep’s scholarly young crosscountry gentlemen,” said Holy Ghost Prep cross-country coach Mike Meistering. “We would not have been able to do it without the leadership of our seniors and the scoring help from our freshmen and sophomores.” On November 5, HGP's cross-country team finished its 2023 season with a 10th place team finish at the PIAA District One Class 2A state championship meet in Hershey, Pa.

Teeing Off for Ghost Athletics On October 25, more than 100 golfers participated in the 2023 HGP Golf Classic at the Union League Golf Club at Torresdale. Thanks to the generosity of the golfers and the sponsors, the annual event raised nearly $37,000 for HGP athletics. The three title sponsors were Holt Logistics Corp., Margiotti & Kroll Pediatrics, and Denise Maggetti Nowak and the Nowak family in memory of Gregory Nowak ’77. The corporate sponsor for the golf outing was Seravalli Contractors Inc.

WINTER 2024

Class NOTES Please take a moment to send us information for the next issue of Holy Ghost Prep Magazine. We would love to hear from you, and we are all interested in what you are doing with your life. Please send information (including high-res photos) to either Jackie Gear, director of annual giving and alumni engagement, at jgear@holyghostprep.org or Bill Doherty, director of communications, at wdoherty@holyghostprep.org.

1968

1969

presented by Dave Yoho & Associates. Dave is a 95-year-old legend in the home improvement industry, and his company has trained many companies in the industry. Charlie was humbled by this honor, which he considers the capstone of his career, and vows to help others become legends in the industry, too. During a ceremony on June 24, Peter Bogucki ’71 was named an honorary citizen of the town of Brzesc Kujawski, Poland. He and his archaeological research collaborator, Ryszard Grygiel, were presented with a celebratory volume of essays in their honor: Walking Among Ancient Trees, which was co-edited by Peter Obst ’72.

1976 TAKING YOU TO PLACES YOU'D RATHER NOT GO: A Journey with Cancer Paperback and Kindle ebook available now on Amazon.

Joe Ryan, Ph.D. retired from Vanderbilt University in 2023. Joe was a professor of management. He taught courses on strategic leadership in the business school’s executive education program. Also, Joe recently created a website and information portal for cancer patients and their caregivers. This website is based on his father’s poignant cancer and faith memoir that Joe published in 2021. An audio version of the book is posted on the website: JohnPRyanSR. com. The book is full of practical wisdom needed when facing a serious illness and would be helpful to readers interested in deepening their faith commitment.

Robert Boyer, professor emeritus at Drexel University, is now posting impressive numbers rather than studying them. Robert was an age group award finisher in the Philadelphia Marathon in 2021 and 2022. He also qualified for and ran the Boston Marathon in 2022 and 2023.

1971

Think Engaged. Think Ghost.

1986 Charlie Gindele traveled to Herndon, Va. in September to accept the “Legends of the Home Improvements Industry” award

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

Last spring, John Hoffman retired after 37 years at Johnson & Johnson. During the final 23 years of his career, he effectively led Johnson & Johnson’s health policy & advocacy function to shape policies to ensure that patients and providers have optimal access to the therapies they need, with a particular focus on health disparities. John is pictured here at his J&J retirement party with his son Bryan Hoffman, a 2006 HGP grad. John didn’t stay retired long at all—he started his own healthcare policy and advocacy consulting firm, Advocate for Access, LLC, in May 2023.

Bill Brosius was hired this past summer as a full-time instructor of intelligence studies at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa. after spending the past two years as

an adjunct instructor there. Bill is an alum of the Mercyhurst Intelligence Studies Department (MS in applied intelligence, 2002) and, after several years working in national security and competitive intelligence, he can pass along that knowledge and experience to his students.

2000 Nick Gesualdi is currently head of global marketing for VRBO. He previously served as global brand manager for Amazon and Prime, where he led strategy, creative, and production of Amazon’s marketing campaigns for Super Bowls 51, 53, and 54.

2003 Christopher Scanlon successfully defended his dissertation for the doctor of education program at Northeastern University in early 2023. His study was titled “An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of First-Generation College Students’ Involvement Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Christopher currently works at Harvard University as the director of leaves.

Looking to get more

INVOLVED? Work with the HGP Alumni Association in offering your time and talent to the school. Serve as CLASS AGENT to help promote HGP events and giving Volunteer for LEAP (HGP’s student externship program) KEN LORENCE ’05/President 64lorence@gmail.com JIM ESPOSITO ’97/Co-Vice President esposit832@hotmail.com DAVE PASCONE ’03/ Co-Vice President dave.pascone@gmail.com

Christopher Vito recently joined the University of Delaware, where he serves in the Office of Communications and Marketing as assistant vice president of strategic issues management.

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

WINTER 2024

Class NOTES

A Vintage Ghost Graduate BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

hen Sean Blue arrives at his five-acre farm in northern California that serves as an escape hatch from the southern California life he shares with his wife, Patrice, he is welcomed by a “chore list” that is quite different from what is on his calendar on a typical day at Bank of America. It isn’t just the usual home maintenance work. The Blues’ vineyard, La Vina Azul, puts out between 150200 cases of pinot noir annually, and there is always something for Blue to do, leading up to the annual mid-September grape harvest. The physical activity involved in the process is a welcome diversion for Blue, who happened upon the wine ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: business completely by chance but who now sees it as a huge part of the couple’s life. “We travel with it,” says Blue, who graduated from Holy Ghost in 1985. “We bring it to restaurants. It’s a vehicle for us socially. We meet people in the hospitality business and other businesses because of it. The wine is a method of connection.” Although Blue never saw himself as a vintner, he has embraced it. The same goes for his career. He went to the University of New Hampshire to study marine biology. “It took about a semester to realize I wasn’t going to be a biologist,” he says. He switched to economics and began a path that brought him to the international credit desk at Bank of America and a home in Newport Beach. Blue never saw himself living in southern California and working in the banking world. He sure didn’t see himself growing grapes. He didn’t even think he would end up at Ghost. His father and grandfather went to St. Joseph’s Prep, and most of the kids at his grade school—St. Ignatius in Yardley—went to then–Bishop Egan. But Blue’s brother, Vincent, broke the family tradition and started at HGP, so it made sense that Sean would follow. At Ghost, he ran cross-country four years and track for two. He was also a member of the Explorers Club, which sponsored multi-day backpacking trips. After graduating from New Hampshire in 1989, Blue spent two years in New York City working for Bankers Trust (on the banking side) and Merrill Lynch (on the trading side), before heading to the University of North Carolina to get an MBA. While there, he interned at Citibank and was later offered a spot in its training program, where he had the opportunity to spend time in all of the institution’s departments. He chose corporate bonds and stayed in New York until a spot opened in Los Angeles. “It was an opportunity to move to a bigger platform in client coverage and in terms of market presence,” Blue says. “I asked to be transferred to L.A.” It was a big move, but Blue lasted just a year with Citi in southern California. In June of ’97, he opened up the West Coast office for NationsBank. “It was a nice opportunity to create something,” he says. A year later, Bank of America (BOA) bought Nations, but Blue stayed with BOA and continued building the

Sean Blue ’85

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

The Blues' vineyard, La Vina Azul, puts out between 150-200 cases of pinot noir annually.

operation. In 2009, BOA bought Merrill Lynch, creating the largest bank in the U.S. and giving Blue tremendous resources to service clients in the institutional credit fixed income realm. The position is ever changing, due to the daily unpredictability of markets and the geopolitical climate. That’s a big reason why Blue likes what he does. “Also, being out here for so long has given me a chance to develop relationships with clients,” he says. “I’ve been with many of my clients for 15 to 18 years. Our kids have grown up together, and their success is my success.” Life in L.A. has created many opportunities for Blue and his family—he and Patrice have a 24-year-old daughter, Mullaney—but the time they spend at and around the vineyard in Carmel is particularly enjoyable. Blue never intended to be on this path, but a friend told him that if he and Patrice would farm the grapes (along with their vineyard manager), he would make the wine. “We took a flyer,” Blue says. La Vina Azul makes only pinot noir and does not blend its grapes with those from any other vineyard. Its 2016, 2017, and 2018 vintages all sold out, its 2019 version is available, and the 2020 bottles debuted this summer. Patrice flies up to the vineyard a few times a year to make sure things are in order, and Blue arrives to be a gentleman farmer—and to play golf at The Preserve, a nearby course on a 20,000-acre nature preserve on the Monterey Peninsula, when he can. “I love it,” he says. “It’s a complete escape.” Blue returns to the Philadelphia area when he can and delights in visiting his brothers and sisters. In the fall of 2022, he was able to see the Phillies close out the Braves in the National League Division Series on a Saturday and catch the Eagles-Cowboys game the next night. “It was brilliant,” he says. And a great way to get away from those California to-do lists.

Invest in the Future. Invest in Ghost. Annual giving is the lifeblood of Holy Ghost Prep, providing tangible, bottom-line support to the school’s key priority areas. But the act of giving to our annual fund, no matter the size of your gift, is what matters. Annual fund participation is a vote of confidence in Holy Ghost Prep’s leadership and its current direction, and sets an example to others. An unrestricted gift to the Holy Ghost Fund allows us to: • Direct funds to the area(s) of greatest need • Invest in the professional development of our faculty/ staff • Continue to provide cutting-edge programming To preserve our place as one of the premier independent Catholic schools in the state, Holy Ghost Prep needs the generous financial support of its alumni, parents, and friends on an annual basis. Simply use the giving envelope in this issue of the magazine or visit www.holyghostprep.org/onlinegiving to make an annual fund gift today.

The Holy Ghost Fund WINTER 2024

Class NOTES 2004

high school sweetheart Taylor—making her Taylor Taylor.

2017

Silvio Trentalange was promoted to partner at Dilworth Paxson LLP in Philadelphia. Silvio represents businesses in complex and commercial litigations focusing on breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, tortious interference with business relations, unfair competition, labor and employment issues, and white collar defense. Silvio lives in South Philadelphia with his wife, Kelly, and their baby daughter, Stella.

2007

other accomplishments. Major DiGregorio received his BS in neuroscience from the College of William & Mary in 2012 and his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017. He is board certified in internal medicine and is currently assigned to the 96th Medical Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

2013

Evan Davis recently earned an MBA with a concentration in data analytics from Widener University. In September, Evan started a job at KPMG as an advisory associate in the Enterprise Solutions SAP practice. He also won the award for Outstanding Student in the Master of Business Administration Program at Widener University’s 52nd annual School of Business Administration awards banquet.

2018

Christopher Lucarini and his wife, Angela Rose, welcomed Lorenzo Evo (pictured), a beautiful bundle of love and joy. Christopher is a mathematics and special education teacher at Bucks County Technical High School and is also a PIAA basketball referee. His wife is a licensed professional counselor. The couple lives in Newtown—with Lorenzo.

Conner Smith and his wife, Tori, were married this summer in Annapolis, Maryland and then had their marriage blessed by Pope Francis in Rome.

2015

2008 Major Alexander M. DiGregorio was awarded the Air and Space Achievement Medal by the Department of the Air Force for outstanding achievement of accomplishments while assigned as a staff internist. He was cited for his “exceptional treatment knowledge and use of novel treatment regimens,” among

H O LY G H O S T P R E P M AGA Z I N E

Alex Taylor, now an HGP assistant ice hockey coach, was recently married to his

Luke Aquaro won the NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey championship at Hobart College in 2023. He also played for Team USA in the World University Games in 2023. He is HGP's second NCAA hockey national champion (the other being Paul Burns ’10).

2019

Last May, Jack Rittenmeyer graduated from Penn State Smeal School of Business and the Sapphire Leadership Academic Program with a degree in finance as well as a minor in Spanish. Degree in hand, Jack moved to Boston in July to work as a real estate rotational program analyst for Berkadia, a commercial real estate firm revolving around mortgage banking, investment sales, and debt servicing.

2022

TURN YOUR Pennsylvania Taxes into Scholarship Assistance

The Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program is quickly becoming a popular way for many Holy Ghost Prep families and businesses to contribute scholarship dollars to our school. In the past few years, Holy Ghost Prep has gone from $50,000 in annual EITC support to over $400,000 in the current fiscal year. Individuals have taken advantage of this opportunity by making a direct donation to a Holy Ghost Prep Special Purpose Entity (SPE) created for this program. Donors will receive 90% credit for that donation toward their annual Pa. tax bill. Holy Ghost Prep uses those dollars to provide scholarships to students with financial need and/or students living within the boundaries of an underperforming school district as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Don’t let another year go by without directing your tax dollars to Holy Ghost Prep! Here’s what two of our EITC donors are saying:

“My Pennsylvania tax dollars now go to Holy Ghost to support our students—and the process was extraordinarily simple!” —BOB WATTERS ’81

Aden Zogorski, a business major at Penn State, worked as a video manager for the PSU football team during the exciting 2023 season. In that role, Aden did statistics and analytics work for the Nittany Lion program.

“I have been participating in the Pa. tax credit program for the past four years and just renewed my commitment for two more years. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is thinking about joining.” —TOM MCMANUS ’86, P’20, P’24

To learn more about using your Pa. tax dollars to help HGP students reach their goals, please contact Matt Dwyer, Executive Director of Development, at mdwyer@holyghostprep.org or 215.352.6956.

WINTER 2024

Holy Ghost Prep Magazine Office of Communications 2429 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA 19020 www.holyghostprep.org

Now is the time to

#THINKGHOST

In the pages of this magazine, you read some Holy Ghost Prep success stories. These accomplishments don’t happen by accident. With a 9-to-1 student-tofaculty ratio, our unmatched faculty gets to personally know each student, as well as his hopes and dreams. All of our graduates go to college, so students leave Ghost perfectly equipped to make those dreams come true. Now is the perfect time to #ThinkGhost. Take a tour, schedule a visit, or tell a friend about the amazing opportunities that only happen at HGP. To learn more, visit THINKGHOST.ORG or scan the QR code TODAY!