JANUARY 2025
CRUSADER HAPPENINGS
Morris Catholic High School Newsletter
Letter from the President
BRIAN VOHDEN
Dear Crusaders,
As we bid farewell to another year and welcome the dawn of a new one, I extend my warmest wishes for a Happy New Year to all members of the Morris Catholic community – our students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and friends
This time of year is filled with a unique energy, a sense of renewal and hope for the future From the vibrant celebrations around the world on New Year's Eve to the quiet moments of reflection and gratitude in the days after, the start of a new year offers a chance to embrace fresh beginnings and set new goals.
At Morris Catholic, we are particularly excited about the year ahead. Acceptance letters for the Class of 2029 class are being mailed, seniors are beginning to formalize their plans beyond the walls of Morris Catholic, new academic programs are being developed, and some exciting campus improvement projects are coming to fruition This progress will undoubtedly shape the future of our institution and provide enriching experiences for current and future generations of Crusaders
I am incredibly proud of the entire Morris Catholic community and the many ways in which you contribute to the school's success. Your dedication, hard work, and unwavering support are what make me so proud to be a Crusader.
I encourage you to stay connected with Morris Catholic. Whether it's cheering on our student-athletes at an upcoming game, supporting essential scholarships such as the Christopher Harris Thomas Scholarship or Crusaders Helping Crusaders, contributing to our annual fund, or volunteering at a school event, your time, treasure, and talent, regardless of size, make a significant difference On a final note, I especially encourage you to mark your calendars for our annual auction on April 11 This is our single largest fundraiser of the year Get out your passports because this year’s theme is Around the World.
Wishing you all a year filled with joy, success, and happiness.
Mr. Brian Vohden President
AROUND THE HALLS
Christmas at MC
Thank you to our Student Council and Senior Leadership teams Over the course of December, MC was action packed with activities, service opportunities, and chances to engage with one another From themed dress down days, to class parties, giveaways, and service collections, and our Annual Christmas Mass, our students felt the Christmas spirit! Thank you to all those who made this possible.
College Acceptances
Our seniors are in the process of receiving their acceptances to college and our wall of honor is growing! Over 75% of our students have already been accepted into almost 100 different colleges and universities!
The MC Investment Club Visits Wall Street
The students in our Investment Club traveled to Wall Street in December for a behind the ropes tour of the NY Stock Exchange. Advisor, Kevin Heal, '83 organized a tour of the floor, a behind the scenes filming at CNBC and they saw where the bell is rung each day. The students then had lunch together to discuss the experience Thank you to Kevin Heal and Ms. Maureen O'Connor our club advisors for a great experience.
Welcome Class of 2029
On January 16, we sent out our first round of acceptance notifications to over 100 prospective Crusaders to welcome them to the Crusader family, and there are more letters on the way! We welcomed them on campus on January 29 at our Annual Accepted Students Night! We are thrilled for this next generation of Crusaders and to guide them through the registration process.
Campus Ministry
During the months of December and January, it is our mission to give back. Our National Honor Society held its annual toy drive and our houses held their annual collections of food, toiletries, and gift cards. All of these were donated to Catholic Charities and St. Peter’s Orphanage. In addition, we continued to provide relief for hurricane victims and held a coat drive to benefit Jersey Cares and Howard’s Mission
Junior Ring and Pin Ceremony
It is a Morris Catholic tradition to honor our Junior class in December as they are officially called as leaders of the community
On December 5, we held our Junior Ring and Pin ceremony and welcomed all of our juniors and their families to Mass After we celebrate together, our parent board hosts a light reception for them before they head off to prepare for our Junior Formal
Fine & Performing Arts Update
Despite the snow on January 19, two members of our Drama Club attended the NJ Thespian Festival in South Jersey Congratulations to Marissa Tufaro on earning a Superior Award for Acting Solo in Contrasting Monologues and Sara Tavares on earning a Superior Award for Musical Theatre Solo and the prestigious Senior Performance Scholarship awarded by the NJ Thespian Chapter of the Educational Theatre Association.
Sara and Marissa also were accepted into the Morris Area Honors Choir This was their third year participating and was a 10-day experience inclusive of 5 rehearsals and a concert on Saturday, January 18.
The Dance, Music, and Fine Arts programs showcased their talented students in the annual Christmas Concert & Art Show in December. The Art Show featured selected artworks from the Visual Arts, Graphic Arts, and AP Studio art classes in the Crusader Commons The Crusader Choir and Concert Band students performed beautifully, reminding our school community of the power of music The dance recital highlighted both beginner and advanced dancers, including original student choreography.
The Performing Arts students just finished auditions for the Winter One Act, Order Up, an original play written and directed by students in the Theatre Studies 3 & 4 Honors classes Performances will be Thursday, March 13 at 7 pm and Saturday, March 15 at 2 pm. Students are also auditioning for the spring musical, Mamma Mia, which will be performed this spring.
Crusaders in Florida
Alumni Spotlight
Bailey Chant, ‘19
We want to wish a congratulations to MC Alum, Bailey Chant, ‘19 who has recently started her professional soccer career with Acharnaikos Women FC in Greece. Following MC, Bailey attended NJIT where she continued her soccer career and went on to be named to the America East All-Championship team in 2023
Do you have an alumni story to share with us? Email socialmedia@morriscatholic.org with your story and photo!
Attention Alumni & Friends of MC
If you are living in Florida, join us on February 25 in Miami! We are thrilled to partner with Matt Whelan, '82 at St. Thomas University in Miami for a chance to gather, reconnect, and meet President Vohden and hear his vision of Morris Catholic's Future.
RSVP to Maureen O'Connor at moconnor@morriscatholic org
Reunions
Thank you to all those who have attended our recent reunions!
The Class of 1989 held their reunion in November, MC Hockey Alum gathered in December for the Annual Alumni Hockey Game and we welcomed alumni from 2010- 2020 to join us at Double Tap Brewery in early January to reconnect with MC.
Thank you for your optimism and your support of MC. We were so happy to see you.
Up Next...
Class of 1965 - May 24
The Class of 1965 60th Reunion will be held on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at the Exchange....Details for follow!
Class of 1975 - October 11
The Class of '75 50th Reunion will be held October 11th, 2025. Invitations will be mailed in the Spring of 2025. More information will be available in due course. If you have any questions please email: David Dalia davidjdalia@gmail.com Angela Timpani. angela.timpani@gmail.com
Athletics
Winter Sports at MC
We are so proud of our winter athletes who always make a great impact in their divisions Our Girls Basketball team is currently undefeated and ranked #1 in the State of New Jersey Our Boys Basketball team is having a fantastic season with a record of 10-6 Our fencers have broken records this season and our Girls Sabre team finished 2nd in Districts, plus two Crusaders are individual state finalists Our Competition Cheerleaders placed first in the Perfect Storm Competition and our hockey team has had a very exciting season with one of our Crusaders scoring five goals in a game, a first for our team In addition to a number of personal accomplishments, we have had incredible participation this year on our winter track team with athletes medaling in nearly every event It is a great season to be a Crusader athlete
Wrestling is Back!
After a long hiatus due to COVID, we are thrilled to offer wresting once again through a co-op program with Newark Academy. We currently have three wrestle ti ith great success, one of which just placed fourth in the Essex County Tournament! We are truly looking forward to future participation and partnerships in the future.
Advertise and Support Athletics
We are currently in the process of creating season posters for our spring sports. If you would like to advertise your business on these posters, contact our Athletic Director James Smith at jsmith@morriscatholic.org
MC Board of Trustees
New Board Member
CHARLES PAPPALARDO
A member of the Morris Catholic High School Class of 1984, Charles has joined the Morris Catholic High School Board of Trustees as a member of the Finance Committee. He is a seasoned financial executive with expertise in financial and administrative leadership within the financial services and insurance industries. Since 2015, Charles has served as an Executive Director for Wealth Management Technology and Morgan Stanley. He oversees financial planning, resource management, administration and strategic initiatives for the global organization Charles holds a BS in Economics and Finance and an MBA in corporate finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University
Student Spotlight
Mia Pauldo, ‘25
Current Senior, Mia Pauldo, was one of twenty four athletes nationwide to be selected to the McDonald’s All American Games to be held at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn on April 1, 2025 Be sure to follow Mia as she plays in this incredible event!
Mia is currently ranked 11 nationwide for the 2025 HoopGurlz ranking for ESPNW 100 and has committed to the University of Tennessee for basketball She and her twin sister, Mya, have been developing their brand for @twinbackcourt23 with nearly 38,000 followers over their high school career.
We have a number of events coming up. Join us!
Mardi Gras Bingo - Join us in February to benefit our MC Boosters!
Career Day - We are looking for presenters for Career Day on March 12. Contact Maureen O’Connnor if you are interested in participation at moconnor@morriscatholic.org
Annual 5k - Join us on March 15 for our Annual 5k!
Spring Auction - April 11 is our Auction! This year ’ s theme is Around the World. Join us for a great evening.
WaystoDonate
Field Signage Sponsorship
Are you a business owner who would like to advertise on our athletic fields? Learn more HERE.
Paving the Way Campaign
Leave your legacy at Morris Catholic. Learn more about our Paving the Way legacy campaign HERE This makes a great gift for a tricky to buy for MC Alum!
Spring Auction Sponsorship
We are looking for sponsors for our Spring Auction! See the form HERE and all of our sponsor levels below
