Year-End Faculty Awards
LASALLIAN EDUCATOR: TIV CUMBERBATCH
The Lasallian Educator Award is presented annually to an exemplary educator whose work is a sign of faith to all who model the Lasallian charism by touching the hearts and inspiring the minds of students entrusted to his or her care.
Director of Instrumental Music and Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair, Tiv Cumberbatch, joined Sacred Heart Cathedral in 2019. Since his arrival, Sacred Heart Cathedral’s Instrumental Music program has become a shining beacon of excellence and has set the standard for high school instrumental music in the Bay Area. From school masses and concerts to half-time performances at the Chase Center and Kezar Stadium, Tiv can be seen leading his students to achieve a level of performance akin to professional musicians.
“He holds students to a high level of expectation, and supports them in meeting this expectation with love, care, joy and depths of relationships,” said a colleague.
“Mr. Cumberbatch’s leadership has transformed our music program into a model of creativity, discipline, and Lasallian-Vincentian educational values,” another colleague said.
The most rewarding part of his job is not the performances. It’s the light-bulb moment. “Seeing the look on the kids’ faces when they actually get it—the light bulb moment—there’s nothing like it,” Cumberbatch said.
Congratulations to Tiv Cumberbatch, this year’s Lasallian Educator Awardee.
VINCENTIAN SERVICE AWARD: KIM FREUDENBERG
The Vincentian Service Award is presented annually to a faculty or staff member whose work is inspired by the Charity of Christ and who models the Vincentian charism by ministering with compassion, mildness, cordiality, respect and devotion.
Instructor of Science Kim Freudenberg arrived at Sacred Heart Cathedral in 2012, and ever since, she continues to demonstrate an unwavering dedication and commitment to her students and their well-being. “This person has done so many things to benefit others that are never spoken of or mentioned. They have never sought any kind of star status, but have always placed themselves and their talents at the disposal of others in and out of the classroom,” said a colleague.
Few truly realize the far-reaching impact Freudenberg has had on the SHC community. Quietly and without fanfare, she has played a pivotal role in enabling students from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend SHC and flourish. Beyond the boundaries of her professional duties, she has transformed lives, embodying the very spirit and vision of the school’s Founders. The work she has done in Health Classes, service retreats, parent association presentations and in national media to address the problems of youth gambling is a testament to her desire to serve her community.
Congratulations to Kim Freudenberg, this year’s Vincentian Service Awardee.
Tiv Cumberbatch
Kim Freudenberg
RICH SANSOE ’71
When Richard Sansoe attended Sacred Heart, it was a very different place. “It was the Wild West around here,” he says. He grew with it, taking one of the first mixed-gender classes as a junior, returning in 1981 to coach varsity Football and Track & Field, teaching English before moving into full-time Social Studies. He saw Sacred Heart merge with Cathedral, a softening in teaching methods and fight songs and experienced the shift to Bring Your Own Device and digital learning. He designed and taught four history electives (Civil War, Vietnam, Homefront and Modern America), guided countless students to success on AP tests, and has welcomed children of colleagues and the children of his own former students into his classroom. Colleagues say he pushed students to never settle for mediocrity and always told them they could do better. He put students first, with tough love and care.
Now, after an even 50 years of teaching, the legendary straight-talking storytelling social studies teacher is retiring. “And if it weren't for these knees,” he says, “I’d probably keep going.”
Sansoe didn’t expect to go into education. Though he has a deep passion and encyclopedic memory for history in all its colors and anecdotes, he doesn’t consider himself to be a scholar. It took an ultimatum from his father and a round working in his uncle’s steel company—coincidentally on the same steel that would build the foundation of the Cathedral itself— to change his mind and his approach to education. He thinks it’s an important lesson for today’s students. “You’d better learn how to hit the ground,” he says. “You don’t hit the ground; you can’t get up. Churchill said it best, ‘Failure is not complete… You have to learn how to advocate for yourself, and you have to learn how to serve yourself.’”
He reminds teachers to look beyond numeric measures of success. “You can’t lose sight of (students’) basic humanity. They’re kids, but they’re people. Sometimes we forget that. And they’re closer to adulthood than they are to hopscotch. We have to treat them like that.”
Even after 50 years, retirement feels like it has come quickly. “It’s like the hourglass. You know, the last grains are the ones that seem to fall out quicker. But I’ve had a nice ride. If there’s one thing that I'm proud of, I think I was very accessible and very much a student’s teacher. We’re not robots... I like that connection. I’m gonna miss that very much.”
Annika Daley ’15
Tenaya Fortrell
Katie Esling ’09
Fidel Pugh
Caesar Smith ’98
Antoine Evans
Hector Rosales
Jason Zachos
Jorell Chavez
Willem Simpson ’13
Rich Sansoe ’71
Ttake on the world
SHC ROBOTICS STEPS INTO THE RING
By Lucie Duffort
he 2026 FIRST Robotics World Championship was held in Houston, Texas, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Fifty thousand attendees were present, representing 66 countries. Nineteen thousand students competed, split into 1,055 teams, 600 of them high school teams. Every high school in San Francisco competed for a spot in this competition. Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory’s Green Machine Robotics Team was the only rookie team from Northern California to earn an invitation.
FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. It is a nonprofit organization that runs competitions for team-based K-12 robotics programs involving challenges that require building robots to perform a task, such as collecting and throwing yellow balls for points at a target. It is the largest and most prestigious high school robotics competition currently in existence.
For SHC Robotics to gain access, they had to build a robot, participate in district-level events, advance to the state championship and win the rookie all-star award for Northern California.
“Every year the competition is completely different in terms of how the game is played,” explains Instructor of Science and Robotics Moderator James Robertson. “The contest details were announced this year on January 10. Teams had roughly six weeks to build their robots before the competitions began. Teams participated in two district-level events, and they can sign up for a variety of locations. We chose the San Francisco event hosted by Saint Ignatius (SI), and one in Contra Costa.”
“There are a few things that do not change, and that includes the size of the arena, and that each round, three high schools form an alliance and battle against three other schools. The first 20 seconds are fully auton-
omous and require the robots to score points using only sensor feedback. After this period, the teams have another two minutes and 40 seconds to drive the robot partially assisted by smart sensors.”
“The events always take place over several days. Teams arrive and set up their work pits, test the robots and take the robots for inspection. The next day, you have about 10 hours of qualifying matches, where three teams are randomly chosen to go against three other teams. You might have an alliance with a team that you go against in the next round. The next day, teams continue to participate in qualifying matches. The top eight teams out of 40 then select their alliances, and the eight alliances battle for the winning spot,” Robertson said. “Along with all this, there are panels of judges walking through and interviewing the kids about their robot, the team, and their outreach efforts.”
At the district competition hosted at SI, our Robotics Team won the Rookie All-Star award, guaranteeing access to the state championship. At the Contra Costa competition, they were awarded the rarely given Judges Award. They won again at State, competing against all of Northern California’s rookie all-stars, many with budgets and equipment that far surpassed our own, a robotics program that Robertson has been revitalizing in the four years since he arrived at SHC.
Robertson teaches two engineering courses: Making, Hacking & Tinkering- an introduction to engineering and autonomous robotics, and a morning Robotics class focused on competition. The courses have evolved over the last four years, and this year there were two competition courses: one taught by Robertson and another led by new Instructor of Math, August Oppenheimer, which focused on the Pioneers in Engineering (PiE) Robotics Competition at UC Berkeley. Students of any level can join, and many find a love of engineering, develop new skills and gain a perspective on the breadth of needs for engineering and innovation.
Linh Chi Doan ’27, who will be president of next year’s FIRST team, said, “I had first joined robotics when I was in Mr. Robertson’s physics class as a freshman. During my sophomore year, we began participating in the (PiE) Robotics Competition, and that was when I began to love robotics. Even though I didn’t know much about engineering, everyone was willing to help and teach me what they knew. By the end of that competition, we had won the Best Mechanical
Design Award and were extremely excited to keep on building up a bigger robotics legacy. In 2026, we took a huge leap by participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Since I had already been on the robotics team for two years by then, I was able to work on a bit of the mechanical side, building the chassis for the robot. Although I had remained captain and lead mechanical in the PiE competition, I became lead outreach for the FRC team, organizing STEM workshops for community outreach and planning cleanups for the team to attend. FRC was the next step in growing the robotics community at SHC, and the community and support that I have found through it have been invaluable to my high school journey.”
Community outreach is a central part of the FIRST competition, and one that aligns beautifully with SHC’s Lasallian Vincentian values. “FIRST requires teams to engage in a variety of outreach efforts, and we have conducted multiple community cleanups, STEM workshops and robotics demos,” notes Robertson. Doan founded the “First Inventors” program, an
organization that enables members of the robotics team to volunteer, host workshops at local elementary and middle schools as well as libraries and provide mentorship to young students in STEM. The Robotics team believes that education should be a right, not a privilege and has prioritized
Attention to detail
Crowds thronged to this year's competition
Game faces on
underserved students in neighborhoods, beginning with the Tenderloin, to spread their knowledge, and hopefully ignite an interest in engineering. In their experience, simple exposure is often enough, and there are many pathways to access.
Isabel Lapena ’26 uncovered a love for engineering when she had to pivot from other activities on campus and discovered the SHC Robotics Team. She quickly developed skills and experienced an unexpected passion. “After stopping soccer due to an injury, I found myself with a lot of free time last year and casually joined the internal robotics competition. From there, I became the Lead Project Manager of the SHC Robotics Team, overseeing documentation, the engineering portfolio and game strategy. Although my robotics journey started casually, I stayed because I found a really strong and welcoming community as well as a new activity to push me out of my comfort zone.”
The engineering portfolio Lapena mentions is another requirement for presentation at FIRST and represents an enormous amount of collaborative record work—a 56-page document that outlines and summarizes all aspects of the team’s work. It includes an introduction of the team and their mentors, summaries of their outreach, plans, challenges and solutions, mechanical and electrical specificities around their robot, as well as information about coding and programming and specific preparation for the world event. Members of the student team were assigned sections to write, but Lapena herself edited the full document. Heading to Cal Poly for Art & Design in the Fall, she credits her experience with the competition for not only giving her technical knowledge and training but fine-tuning her communication, organization and leadership skills. Her experience speaks to the wide-reaching skills that this competition and SHC Robotics can provide.
Robertson gushes about Lapena and all of his students. This is unsurprising considering the amount of time and care he puts into the program. He prioritizes learning above all else, believing in students taking on leadership roles and learning from successes and failures. “The kids are so impressive in their leadership and have developed a deep understanding of their area. They understand that each person has an area of expertise, and students know who to consult with questions,” he said. Each decision about the design of the robot, the focus on tasks and use of materials, the build and every aspect of the management of the robot goes to the student team. Robertson has one vote, just like each of the students. Students own the process and the outcome.
It can be difficult for a layperson to understand the expansive work required for this competition. Robertson estimates that his student team leads have put in 550-600 hours each outside of the school day. “This is a very intense experience with moments of lack of sleep and too many energy drinks and pizza dinners.”
In addition to late nights and pepperoni, competing in the World arena brought a sense of perspective and possibility to students. Ryan Fogerty ’26 said, “The first thing that comes to mind is the sheer scale of the FIRST Robotics Competition. I have never been involved in an organization this large or seen robots this large. FRC has scale in two ways: the actual robots are huge (100 lbs is normal), and FRC itself is a global organization.
When we were at the championship, we were directly across from a team from the UK, and we played with teams from Israel. Politics aside, it was so cool to talk to people from other countries.”
Exchanging with teams from all over the world enables students to overcome differences, to exchange perspectives, and to understand the excitement of working towards a common goal, even in competition. Though technically competing, teams approached, admired and learned from each other. Many SHC students highlighted the fact that more experienced teams came to see them to offer their rookies a helping hand with on-the-spot mechanical concepts, coding challenges and more.
In fact, because they were newcomers to FIRST, SHC’s Robotics Team benefited from quite a bit of support from other schools. Former SHC Mathematics Instructor and Assistant Director of Studies Brian Murphy, currently Robotic Mentor at SI, reached out to provide guidance,
The battle is joined
Behind the scenes teamwork
share mentorship and lab tours. Because our team was new, it didn’t have backstock of material from past competitions, which could have derailed their efforts. Murphy facilitated the lending of essential equipment, including Limelight cameras that would function with SHC Robotics’ operating system in order to enable robot movement and targeting. Receiving support and encouragement from a rival school is a wonderful model and lesson for our students.
The world’s competition wrapped up on May 2. SHC Robotics took an admirable 2nd in the Rookie All-Star race. After grueling nights and high levels of adrenaline, they had to return to school with two weeks left to finish the year.
Many were reeling from the experience, but virtually all of those interviewed expressed a desire to continue to pursue engineering or engineering-related fields. Recently graduated seniors are attending UCLA, Stanford, Cal Poly, and Santa Clara University, among others, and they are majoring in Computer Science, Engineering, Art & Design. There is a sense of camaraderie and partnership in learning that lasts beyond the competition.
Cillian Bermingham ’26 notes that, though he has personally been involved with Robotics since his freshman year, this competition was an important moment in his high school career. “One of my big hopes was that we would enter FRC before I left the school. I love how professional everything is with the event itself and the other teams competing. Everything appears well managed and well mannered.” He recognizes how this type of competition could affect him down the line: “I believe that being able to connect with people I met over FRC will prove incredibly useful. I also hope to come back at some point to mentor our school’s team.”
There will be much for Bermingham, other returning students, and adult mentors to do in the years to come. Robertson will be expanding Robotics courses next year to include two levels for experienced students. The club will sponsor a joint team with De Marillac Academy and another with the Chinese Immersion Academy. Robertson hopes to expand materials to include back-stock and enable preparation and troubleshooting. The robotics lab—a workspace in the Student Life Center equipped with
electronics, soldering stations and carefully packed tech gear, in addition to fairy lights, encouraging signs, and student creations hung just out of reach—will include more fabrication tools, a laser cutter and a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine to work with raw materials. With this year’s successes under their belts, they will apply for more grants for their projects.
Robotics is well-positioned to thrive, grow and continue to make the SHC community proud.
Whiteboarding solutions is part of the process
The humble beginnings of the SHC Robotics Lab
2025-26 SHC Robotics Team
SPRING SPORTS RECAP
BASEBALL
The Sacred Heart Cathedral baseball team put together a competitive spring season, finishing 12-16 overall. SHC earned the No. 4 seed in the CCS Division II playoffs and hosted Archbishop Mitty in the opening round, falling in a tightly contested 4-2 game. The Irish also had several student-athletes sign with colleges to continue their baseball careers. Jacob Vines ’26 signed with the University of the Pacific; Alexei Tioupine ’26 and Max Matthews ’26 signed with Puget Sound; and Max Nylander ’26 signed with Whittier. Vines capped off a standout senior season by earning All-WCAL 1st Team honors, while Cooper Rogers Lewis ’26 was named to All-WCAL 2nd Team. Johnny Nepomuceno ’26 and Chase Deninger ’26 also received WCAL Honorable Mention recognition.
By Charlie Strella ’ 19
boys GOLF
The Irish boys golf team competed throughout the WCAL season and highlighted the year with a league victory over Riordan. The team also traveled to the prestigious Monterey Classic, where it finished 27th overall against strong competition from across California. Ryan Butler ’26 played a solid round in Monterey, shooting a 77, which was good for 57th. He earned a WCAL Honorable Mention for his standout year. Bobby Nelson ’27 also finished the year strong, earning a
Chasin Deninger ’26 goes yard
All’s good with Jackson Jeung ’27
Sean Butler ’26 and teammates
Jacob Vines ’26 dealing from the bump
Lucas Fung ’26
CCS qualification spot after shooting a 76 at the WCAL Tournament. The season provided valuable experience for Sacred Heart Cathedral's golfers as they continued to develop and compete against some of the top programs in Northern California.
boys LACROSSE
The SHC boys lacrosse team continued to make program history during the 2026 season. The Irish finished 6-11 overall and posted an impressive record outside league play with wins over Riordan, Dougherty Valley, Sonoma Academy, Hillsdale and College Park. Their lone WCAL win came against Mitty. SHC has achieved a significant milestone by qualifying for the CCS playoffs for the first time in the program's sixyear history. Entering the section playoffs as the No. 6 seed, the Irish fell to Live Oak in the first round. Midfielder Jackson Perkins ’27 received All-WCAL 1st Team honors for his outstanding performance throughout the year. Marq McLean ’27, Mateo Norris ’27, Ian Wellbeloved ’27 and Erwan Blanc-Paques ’27 also received Honorable Mention recognition. The team hopes to build on its first postseason qualification and looks forward to making postseason appearances the new norm for the program.
girls LACROSSE
The girls lacrosse team embraced a new challenge this spring after moving up to the middle tier Foothill Division of the WBAL following last year's Alpine Division championship season. Sacred Heart Cathedral picked up victories over Urban, Bentley and league opponent Sequoia while continuing to compete and grow against stronger competition throughout the year. The Fightin’ Irish gained valuable experience in one of the more competitive leagues while continuing to build the program's foundation. All-league honors include Mavis Slagle ’28 (All-WBAL 1st Team), Margaret Manuel ’27 (All-WBAL 2nd Team) and Simone Myers ’27 and Chelsea Blair ’26 received Honorable Mention.
Mavis Slagle ’28 battling for position
Jackson Perkins ’27
Lucas Esposto ’26 probing the defense
Bonnie Hatch ’28 surveying the field
SOFTBALL
The Fightin’ Irish softball team showcased an impressive offense throughout the spring season. Sacred Heart Cathedral recorded victories over Lincoln, Lowell and Urban, including a 23-run output against Lincoln, a 21-run performance against Lowell and a 20-0 victory over Urban. Francesca Moralejo ’27 led the Irish offensively, delivering a standout season with home runs, 31 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. Pitcher Kaylen Edora ’27 earned AllWCAL 1st Team honors for her work in the circle, while Moralejo and Lynn Wheeler ’29 were named to the All-WCAL 2nd Team. Delilah Sampior ’27 also earned WCAL Honorable Mention recognition.
SWIMMING
Sacred Heart Cathedral swimming put together another strong year, highlighted by several CCS qualifiers and school-record performances. The girls' 200 medley relay team of Ryland Pugh ’28, Isabella Devlin ’27, Berlyn Ring ’27 and Maggie Crehan ’27 qualified for CCS, setting an SHC school record with a time of 3:51.03. Ring also had a standout season, individually qualifying for CCS in both the 50m and 100m freestyle, finishing 34th overall in the 50m freestyle. On the boys' side, Konstantin Kornach ’26 continued to set SHC records, lowering his own school record in the 200m freestyle while also competing in the 100m butterfly at CCS. The Irish showcased the program's impressive depth in the pool, building significant momentum for future seasons.
boys TENNIS
The SHC boys’ tennis team posted a much-improved record of 8-13 in the 2026 campaign. The Fightin’ Irish earned both of their WCAL victories against Riordan and enjoyed a strong showing at the California Tennis Classic in Fresno, where the program dominated its division with four wins. Adrian Balsam ’26 was recognized for his strong season with WCAL Honorable Mention honors. With continued development and experience, the Irish took positive steps forward as a program.
Kaylen Edora ’27
Gianna Minella '26 watching it into her glove
Kingsly Lin ’29 coming up for air
Lucas Kwan ’27
Rowan Davin ’27
SHC 200 meter relay team
Dylan John Pacubus ’26
TRACK & FIELD
The Sacred Heart Cathedral track and field program delivered another impressive spring season filled with CCS qualifiers, school records and collegiate signings. The Irish qualified several athletes for CCS, including the girls' 4x800 relay team of Veronica Panina ’26, Annabel Chung ’28, Annalisa Covucci ’28 and Maya Pfalzer ’27, the girls' 4x100m relay, Ava Linder ’28 in the 200 and 400, Annalee Nist ’29 in the 400, the girls' 4x400 relay, and Will Lofberg ’27 in the discus. Linder and Nist advanced to CCS Finals in the 400, joined by both girls' relay teams. At WCAL Finals, the 4x800 relay placed second and set a school record with a time of 9:30.32. Linder also set SHC school records in the 100, 200, and 400 on her way to qualifying for the CIF State meet in the 400. Sacred Heart Cathedral also celebrated four seniors continuing their athletic careers: Michael Burns ’26 at Franklin and Marshall, Tessa Wehrle ’26 at Claremont McKenna and Kaitlyn Lam ’26 and Cory Wong ’26 at Occidental.
boys VOLLEYBALL
The Fightin’ Irish boys' volleyball team had a solid season, capped off with a CCS postseason berth. SHC secured the No. 3 seed in Division II and hosted matches against Pacific Collegiate and Monterey, sweeping both to advance to the semifinals. Even though the Irish faced a tough loss in their semifinal match against Santa Cruz, the program had a fantastic season overall. Setter Dylan Yee ’26 was recognized with All-WCAL 2nd Team honors for his exceptional playmaking, while outside hitter Miles Rafloski ’26 received an Honorable Mention from the WCAL.
GET IRISH
Harrison Van ’27 & Cory Wong ’26
Massive block
Lewis Fannon ’27 goes sky high
Eye of the tiger: Josie Kernisan ’26
college -bound ATHLETES
Throughout their time at SHC, the student-athletes of the Class of 2026 have seen one CIF state title, two Northern California titles, one WBAL title and eight CCS titles, and set several school and league records during their four years in green, white and blue. Many will go on to compete in new colors in college, but they’ll always be Fightin’ Irish.
MICHAEL BURNS
Franklin and Marshall (Cross Country)
KAITLYN LAM
Occidental (Track & Field)
ZOE LEE
Carnegie Mellon (Volleyball)
MAX MATTHEWS
Puget Sound (Baseball)
MADI MULLINS
North Carolina A&T (Volleyball)
MAX NYLANDER
Whittier (Baseball)
TYJA STARKS
Alabama State (Football)
ALEXEI TIOUPINE
Puget Sound (Baseball)
JACOB VINES
University of the Pacific (Baseball)
TESSA WEHRLE
Claremont McKenna (Track & Field)
MICKEY WILLIAMS
Colorado State (Football)
CORY WONG
Occidental (Track & Field)
LEO SAGOLLA
University of Minnesota (Gymnastics)
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student artwork: ap studio art
As in previous years, SHC Visual Arts students are consistently producing high-level work. On this spread and the following, we present the summative works of both the AP Studio Art and AP Photography classes this year, led by instructors Brian McHugh and Hannah Donkin, respectively. Great job, Irish Artists!
Daniel Kutner ’26
Kate Lee ’26
Christoph Schroeder ’26
Lena Zhang ’26
Isabel Lapena ’26
Isabel Lapena ’26
Lena Zhang ’26
Christoph Schroeder ’26
Sofia Diaz ’26
Sarah Gantulga ’26
Daniel Kutner ’26
Lena Zhang ’26
student artwork: ap photography
Sasuke Kwan ’26
Darren Fung ’26
Miles Ajoste ’26
Leo Sagolla ’26
Luka More ’26
Luka More ’26
Sasuke Kwan ’26
Jack Thorpe ’26
Keenan Carper ’26
Anthony McCarthy ’26
Brody O'Sullivan ’26
Leo Sagolla ’26
1951
This past April, Chuck Figone received his SHC senior varsity jacket from John Vigo ’81 and former SHC Board of Regents member, former SHC football coach and current SHC Football supporter, John Kruger.
1954
Doris Grimley attended the De Marillac Academy Annual Scholarship Benefit this past March at the Westin St. Francis. She is pictured with Sr. Marianne, DC, and Sr. Catherine, DC.
1965
St. Vincent Class of ’65 members Peggy Vorhis Lindstrom, Janet Hart Leone, Carol Morrison Roman, Ana Patterson Jovel, Beverly Estrada Pacheco and Kathy Fields Cendak enjoyed a post-4th Annual Christmas Toy Drive luncheon at Original Joe’s Westlake.
1966
Congratulations to Mario Balestrieri on being inducted into the Ygnacio Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame. His accolades include Assistant Track Coach from 1972 to 1974 with a record of 34–0, multiple basketball league championships and a North Coast Section championship and leading the U19 USA Basketball team to a 3-0 record versus the People’s Republic of China 3–0. Additional roles included Athletic Director, League Commissioner, and Athletic Administrator.
Sally and Ken Hogarty took the opportunity to take a beautiful sunset picture on vacation in Hawaii.
1968
Steve Krauss ’69 and members of the SH Class of 1968 met in April at Cafe Bellini in Petaluma.
Pictured: Ken Lee, Steve Krauss, Tony Giovanzana, Mike McKay, Bill Barulich, Jules Friedel, John Gallagher, Herb Neves, Terry Casey, Rick Casorla, Mike Beere, Paul Bolton, Chris Callen, Joey Carrillo, George Castagnola, Jim Gilmore
Right side (back to front): Larry Chula, Tom Tarantino, Ron Fontana
1970
Members of the Sacred Heart Class of 1970 gathered together this past March at Rich Azzolino’s restaurant, Sotto Mare in North Beach. Pictured: John Mizera, Kenneth Gandofo, Marty Monfredini, Steven Wiessler
Pictured: Claudio Luporini, Mike Kerns, Don Bottarini, Ed Bourne, Br. Chris Brady, FSC, John Cavallero, Robert Mcmillan, David Barry, Bob Mondin, Greg Baccari, Laurence Urmini, James Mullane, Fred Sanchez, Herman Hernandez, Steve Zahn, Matt Harrington, Rich Azzolino
1974
Members of the SH Class of 1974 met in April at Metro Lafayette for lunch. Pictured: Wynne Lum, John Butler, Chuck Nastari, George Guillory, Albert Miranda, Rob Aveson, Tom Walsh, Peter Sitov, Paul Ortiz, Hector (Pepe) Elizondo, Steve Collins, Dan Solorzano, Tom Santos, Steve Gizzi, Peter Malatesta.
1975
Thomas Mourgos’ wife, Nevetta Lynn Mourgos, passed in March after a long battle with cancer. He would like to thank all the SHC Alumni who donated to his wife’s GoFundMe campaign.
1976
Alfred Galindo will be seeking a seat on the Jefferson Parish School Board in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. In retirement, he looks forward to continuing to serve his community, as the lessons learned at Sacred Heart have grounded him in service to others. Good luck, Alfred!
1978
Members of the 1977 and 1978 Irish Baseball teams met last November at Firenze By Night restaurant in North Beach. The 1977 team was one win away from winning a WCAL Championship and defeated previously unbeaten, and no. 1 in the country, El Camino High School. The ’77 Irish helped lay the groundwork for the 1978 Irish to win the WCAL and post a record of 25-4 that year. They enjoyed a great meal and shared countless baseball stories.
Pictured: Dave Bloom, Bob “Big Doc” Baldocchi, Coach Steve Franceschi, Mike Howard ’77, Coach Tad Tassone ’69, Nick Toboni ’77, Lou Pinotti, Ron Stuhler ’77, Joe Carrozzi ’77, Angel Sanchez ’79, Ron Ragusa ’79, Bob “Lil Doc” Baldocchi, Team Manager John DelGrosso, Dennis Rosario ’77, Jeff Lakers ’79, Tony Ventura, Tony Rogers ’79, Ken Viola, Tom White ’77, Matt Gallegos, Bob Bodeker
1980
After 32 years, Phil Wing is running again for the California State Assembly. Good luck this election season, Phillip!
1982
Members of the SH Class of 1982 in attendance at the Friday the 13th Luncheon at Capurro’s Restaurant.
1985
Before the Bruce-Mahoney game against St. Ignatius at Oracle Park, Stefan Indart ’26 read an inspirational letter written by Carlos De La Fuente to the Varsity Baseball team.
1986
Ron Nocetti, Executive Director of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), with Phil Doherty ’95 (pictured left) at the CIF Basketball Championships at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento, California.
1989
Craig Giannino helped plan an SHC Baseball Alumni reunion this past March at Gino and Carlo. A time was had by all, and we can’t wait to see more guys at next year’s reunion.
1991
Congratulations to Tracie (Tra’Renee) Herbert Chambers on being announced as the In-Arena Emcee for the Portland Fire, one of the WNBA’s new expansion teams!
1995
Tracy Courtney O’Keefe, a SFFD Captain, attended the USF Women’s in Leadership and Philanthropy Symposium this past March at the Olympic Club. She ran into Shawn McGuire ’05, one of her former SHC freshmen volleyball athletes.
1996
Three generations of graduates, one proud moment. Mia Harsha ’25 pictured on her SHC graduation day outside the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption with her mother, Lindsay McGlenon Nieri, and her stepfather, Michael Nieri ’75
1997
Peter Lunny coaches Track and Field at St. Gabriel. He ran into SHC Track and Field coach Andy Chan at Kezar back in May and exchanged t-shirts.
1999
Cathy Collette, Regional Vice President, West Coast Sales for PadSquad, was awarded the She Runs It Working Mother of the Year Award for Established Moms this past February. The organization defines Established Mothers as moms with an oldest child aged 7-17. They thrive in their busy lives and have positively impacted other working mothers with management skills and strategies. Congrats Cathy!
2000
Jim Moylan’s SF Flame baseball teams were invited to Dr. Joe Jayme ’01 SHFT Movement’s first night of the Recovery Club. The goal of the Recovery Club is to learn ways to prevent injury and keep athletes’ bodies performing at a high level.
2002
Dr. Sharon David DiPierro assisted with SHC Sports Medicine on-campus preparticipation physical evaluations in early June. She was a member of the Sports Medicine Club during her time at SHC. She is a pediatrician at the Ravenswood Family Health Center in East Palo Alto, serving mostly underprivileged families, and an Adjunct Clinical Instructor in pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Annie Scudder Gabillet, Deputy Director of Communications for Mayor Daniel Lurie, helped organize a journalism round table at Mayor Lurie’s Office. Students from the SHC Emerald, along with moderator Lucie Duffort and Director of Communications, Marcus Tolero ’98, participated in the opportunity.
2005
Congratulations to Danielle McCray on the birth of her triplets, Amir, Brielle and Aman. They join their older brother, Andre II.
2007
Andrew Behti married Evelyn Reynada-Ortiz on July 5, 2025 at The Ranch at Silver Creek in San Jose. In attendance were fellow SHC alums Marc Macaraeg, Jonathan Omai, Joshua Lopez, Thomas Power and Brendan Dimech ’10
2014
Sarah Walley, a math teacher at Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, MI, received Marian High School’s Archdiocese of Detroit Teacher of Excellence award. Congrats Sarah!
2015
Dr. Bruno Valan assisted with SHC Sports Medicine on-campus preparticipation physical evaluations in early June. Bruno was a member of the Football and Basketball teams while at SHC. He started his career as an engineer and eventually went into medicine. He’s a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine and is completing his first year of orthopedic surgery residency at UCSF.
2016
Isabella Cerri-Quiros and her husband, Isiah, are pictured with their baby boy, Nico. They’re loving being new parents and can’t wait to show him all the beautiful parts of San Francisco!
2017
Daly City Police Officer
Michael Carman was nominated by his patrol sergeants for his outstanding service, dedication and character. Officer Carman also continues a proud family legacy. Following in his father Robert Carman’s footsteps, a retired Daly City Police sergeant, he carries the same badge number and shares the same commitment to service and dedication to the community. Congratulations, Officer Carman, and thank you for your continued service.
2020
Paul O’Driscoll, Jr. proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Alyssa Myers, on February 28 at Crissy Fields while their dog, Kiki, looked on. Paul and Alyssa adopted Kiki while they were both undergrads at the University of Arizona. Paul was recently accepted to the University of Arizona School of Veterinary Medicine. Congrats to Paul and Alyssa!
2021
Veronica Zeidman recently graduated with an MS in Athletic Training from the University of Pittsburgh. Also, she recently passed the Board of Certification Exam and is officially a Certified Athletic Trainer. She will be moving back to the Bay Area very soon, as she has been named the Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Oakland Roots professional soccer team.
2023
Saifo Haddad, a finance major at St. Mary’s College, works at his family’s businesses and recently completed a finance internship at Spacelab Healthcare, a medical device manufacturer in Washington State. He hopes to use his degree to work in finance or real estate.
2024
Alex Gilliland is a business and marketing major at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He just accepted an offer to work full-time at SharkNinja, a product design and technology company, from July to December.
Char Gilliland, a sophomore at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, will be studying abroad in Siena, Italy, this summer for art history and studio art, and then she’s off to Athens, Greece, in the fall for a semester abroad. She has taken a lot of ancient Greek, so she’s excited to explore the classic ruins.
2025
Adriana Giomi and Arden Walsh were reunited on the softball field when Manhattan College played San Jose State at the Cal Poly tournament in late February.
Celebratory Giving Program
Listed on the following pages are the names of SHC community members’ family, friends and loved ones who are listed in SHC’s Book of Remembrance. Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD, the Christian Brothers and the Daughters of Charity offer prayers and Masses for the special intentions requested in honor of members of our school community each month. Please remember them in your prayers.
This list reflects contributions made from March 7, 2026 through June 3, 2026.
IN HONOR
Ken Hogarty ’66
Larry Simi ’66 & Janet Rogers
Bill Link
Larry Simi ’66 & Janet Rogers
Joan O’Neill
Ken Hogarty ’66 & Sally Hogarty
WELL WISHES
Pete Calabro ’64
Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan
IN MEMORY
Harvey Anderson ’74
Bob King
Winifred Anderson
Bob King
Patricia King Barsocchini ’54
Doris Grimley ’54
Carol Jones Hupke ’54 & Peter Hupke
Jean Baptiste Bidgegaray
Mary Curutchet & Sons
Christopher Brignetti ’88
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
Jim Casey
Jerry Sobeck ’69 & Susie Sobeck
Joseph Castanchoa
Mary Curutchet & Sons
Martha Melara
The passing of Martha Melara, a 25-year veteran and Instructor of Spanish at Sacred Heart Cathedral, marks the loss of a cherished member of the school community who served as both a teacher and the Spanish Club Moderator.
Martha joined SHC in 2000, and her long tenure of over two decades established her as a central figure and a cornerstone in the World Languages department, where she positively shaped the educational journey of countless students. Beyond the classroom, her role in the Spanish Club highlighted her commitment to fostering cultural appreciation and student engagement.
Colleagues remember her through these reflections:
“Her distinct laughter will forever be missed,” Marie Bernard, World Languages Chair commented.
“Martha was more than an educator; she was a mentor and a true force of wisdom that sparked curiosity and held her colleagues and students to the highest standard of excellence,” reflected Greta Betteo. “She was a loving engine that led our group with integrity and authority.”
“I always admired her commitment to improving her teaching by attending study groups and workshops, learning new instructional methods, and continually refining her approach. Not only was she a good friend of mine, but she was also a model teacher for me,” remarked Chikara Abe.
“Martha was a true artist in every sense of the word,” reflected Oscar Miranda. “Her elegance and colorful style made her a walking masterpiece. She was always ready to strike a pose and share a smile, but what truly set her apart was her boundless willingness to help others. She gave her heart to this school, and her spirit will forever color the halls of our World Language Department."
Martha’s family and colleagues noted her remarkable resilience and grace in dealing with health challenges over the past year. She is remembered for living out Catholic ideals of mercy, charity, and love, drawing daily strength from her faith. Rest in peace, Martha.
George Ducousso ’69
Marie & Linda Ducousso
Ronico Egcasenza, Ed.D. ’59
Brother Joseph Grima ’59
Robert Ellis ’55
Pat Ellis ’56 & Diane Ellis
Phil Farrelly ’58
Mark Fabbri ’70
Marty Monfredini ’70 & Denise Monfredini
J Garvey ’88
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
Frank Grima ’63
Brother Joseph Grima ’59
George Habeeb
Dom Panina ’80 & Colleen Panina
Rich Henderson ’63
Jack Driscoll ’66
John McGreevy ’69 & Lori McGreevy
Jerry Sobeck ’69 & Susie Sobeck
Beverly Reinhard Hendon ’55
Kelly Molloy
Arthur Huie ’75
Michael Nerney ’75 & Roselle Nerney
Katherine King
Bob King
Richard Klein ’70
Patty Shea Diner ’65 & Chris Diner, Sr. ’65
Janet Holland ’77
Marty Monfredini ’70 & Denise Monfredini
Jerry Sobeck ’69 &
Susie Sobeck
Charles Stuber ’70 & Judy Hastings-Stuber
Trudie Lockwood ’73
Grace Rodriguez Nelson ’73 & Barry Nelson
Charles Love
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
George Lynch, Jr. ’67
Sue Lynch
Martha Melara
Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan
Michael Nerney ’75 & Roselle Nerney
Rose Moisant
Carol Jones Hupke ’54 & Peter Hupke
Lynn Mourgos
Michael Nerney ’75 & Roselle Nerney
Mike Mullan ’66
Francis Maxwell
Marty Gent ’66 & Jane Gent
John Murphy ’55
Joe & Maggie Murphy
Dennis O’Keefe ’59
Phil Farrelly ’58
Brother Joseph Grima ’59
Pete Pagano
Elizabeth Gallegos Glynn
Vanguard Properties
Samantha Pawlowski
Herman Gallegos
“Do not have any anxiety about the future. Leave everything in God’s hands for he will take care of you.”
ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE
Julian Pardini ’49
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
Nancy Singleton
Shawn Singleton ’88
Bradley Thomas ’59
Brother Joseph Grima ’59
Arthur Villegas ’55
Yvette Villegas
Steve Wilson
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
IN REMEMBRANCE
Dorothy Armstrong
Scott Armstrong ’02
Louise Bacigalupi
Dom Panina ’80 & Colleen Panina
Laura Leone
Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan
Matt Gallegos ’78 & Denise Gallegos and Family
Ray Leonard
We remember in our prayers the alumni who have recently passed away.
Patricia King Barsocchini ’54
Joseph Buhagiar ’74
Frank Butler ’37
Steven Chiapelone ’80
Noel DeSouza ’82
Harry Hovan ’52
John Klein ’70
Janice Paganini Lucia ’65
Jon Mitomi ’82
Ray Nann ’51
Chris Phillips ’85
Joan Murphy Purcell ’55
Miguel Talavera ’71
Dave Young ’59
*The alumni acknowledged here are only those for whom we received notification.
James Casey
A second-generation Irish American, James Casey was born in San Francisco to James and Katherine (Lynch) Casey. Along with his two sisters, Barbara and Carol, the family settled in the Ingleside District, where he attended St. Emydius School and then Archbishop Riordan High School.
After high school, Jim enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and completed bootcamp in 1962 at Camp Pendleton. In addition, he attended the University of San Francisco and received a degree in history in 1964.
Jim was known for his generous spirit, strong work ethic, and kind heart. A gifted historian and beloved teacher, he spent many years teaching history at Sacred Heart High School, where he also served passionately as athletic director and football coach. During his time at SH, he touched the lives of countless students and athletes.
Above all, Jim loved his family deeply. He shared 60 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Joyce, and was a devoted father to his daughters, Angela and Gina, and a proud Nonno to three grandsons, Erik ’11, Darius, and Cyrus. Nothing brought him greater joy than watching his grandsons grow into the young men they have become. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
LEAVE YOUR LEGACY FOR FUTURE STUDENTS
Help us assure the future of our important educational mission. If you want to have a more lasting impact beyond your lifetime, consider leaving a gift to Sacred Heart Cathedral in your will, trust or by beneficiary designation. Creating your legacy is easy and the gift costs you nothing now. Contact John Vigo ’81 at jvigo@shcp.edu for more information. Moving or changing contact info? Please email advancement@shcp.edu with up-to-date information.
