St. Sebastian's Magazine, Fall 2022/Winter 2023

S T. S EBASTIAN’S FALL 2022 / WINTER 2023

MAGAZINE

2022-2023 Board of Trustees Seán Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap. Chairman William L. Burke, III P’95,’97,’00,’04, GP’23 Executive Officer, Headmaster James L. Elcock ’77, P’08 President James F. Mooney, III P’18 Vice President Barbara E. Connolly Secretary David M. Calabro ’78, P’16 Treasurer Members: Rev. John M. Borders III P’03 Tara B. Ciongoli P’25,’25,’27 Casey M. Condron ’94, P’23,’24,’28 Devin C. Condron ’92,’29,’29 Timothy J. Connelly P’17,’19 Catherine C. Daniel P’15,’18,’20 Timothy P. Doherty ’87, P’17 Stephen M. DuFour P’14,’18,’21 William B. Evans ’77, P’17 Michael R. Frisoli P’17,’19,’21,’22,’26 Dana W. Fulham P’14,’24 Dr. Chris Hahm P’22,’26 John W. Hueber ’71 Kathleen F. Ix P’22 Susanne C. Joyce P’20,’26 Carolyn M. Lemone P’16,’18 Michael J. Maguire ’91, P’22,’25 Shawn D. Martin P’17,’18,’19 Peter J. McLaughlin ’55, GP’13,’19,’24,’24 John E. McNamara ’81, P’14,’18 John A. Piccione ’76 Dr. Edward T. Ryan P’23 Randall P. Seidl P’17,’19 Troy L. Stanfield P’21 Kurt R. Steinkrauss ’91, P’19 Brian S. Strachan P’11,’14 Robert V. Wallace, Jr. ’89, P’25 Stephen P. Ward ’96, P’24,’25,’27 Andrew A. Wasynczuk P’14,’17,’27 Kristen D. Maxwell P’25 President, Guild of St. Irene Richard C. Walsh P’22,’24 President, Men’s Association Peter A. Galligan ’74 President, Alumni Association Trustees Emeriti: David F. Gately ’73 J. Brad Griffith ’58, GP’19,’23

FALL 2022 / WINTER 2023

S T. S EBASTIAN’ S M AGAZINE

IN EVERY ISSUE

16 Our Year of Wisdom

2

Headmaster’s Letter

3

Around Campus

12

New Faculty

14

New Trustees

34

Event Highlights

36

25 Years of Service

Family Center

42

Fine Arts

A day of festivities celebrate the official naming of the West Campus Center on September 22

48

Fall Sports

54

Alumni Events

57

Class Notes

66

In Memoriam

24 Blessing the Oratory The School community gathers to bless St. Sebastian’s new outdoor worship site

28 Dedication of the Burke

44 Henry T. Lane Memorial

Mass & Rink Rededication The Lane Family and friends of Arrows hockey celebrate Henry’s legacy and the renovated rink

Assistant Headmaster Michael P. Nerbonne Director of Advancement Richard F. Arms P’14

FEATURES Headmaster Burke’s remarks on “Wisdom,” the one-word theme for the academic year

Headmaster William L. Burke, III P’95,’97,’00,’04, GP’23

Editor and Designer Christine Y. Robertson, Director of Communications Principal Photographer Brett Crawford, Visual Media Coordinator Contributors Allie Colgan, Communications Associate Editorial Advisor Michael Deschenes, Director of Library & Information Services

St. Sebastian’s Magazine is published two times a year by the Communications Office.

Correspondence concerning the magazine should be sent to: communications@stsebs.org St. Sebastian’s School 1191 Greendale Avenue Needham, MA 02492 781.449.5200 www.stsebs.org

Blessing of the Oratory

24

Henry T. Lane Rink Rededication

44

St. Sebastian’s School Mission Statement A Catholic independent school, St. Sebastian’s seeks to engage young men in the pursuit of truth through faith and reason. By embracing Gospel values in an inclusive, nurturing community and by inspiring intellectual excellence in a structured liberal arts curriculum, St. Sebastian’s strives to empower students for success in college and in life. The ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom, a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor.

COVER: Headmaster Bill Burke with his wife, Patty, and four sons, Dan ’97, Will ’95, Matt ’00 and Sam ’04, at the dedication of the Burke Family Center on September 22, 2022.

INSIDE COVER: The main entrance to the Burke Family Center glowing at night.

From the desk of the headmaster Wi llia m L . Bu r k e I II

We Are One When chatting with outstanding English teacher, Dean Adams, the other day, I was struck by a poster on his classroom wall depicting one of my heroes, Frederick Douglass. Beneath the image of this great man are these stirring words: The Soul that is within me No man can degrade.

As I let that message sink in, C.S. Lewis’s memorable assertion came to mind: Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.

When we rightly regard every person as a gift from God endowed with a soul made for eternity, we realize that we walk on hallowed ground. We are inspired anew to hold sacred our relationships, and we grow in our resolve to love God, to work hard, and to take good care of one another.

Every October, during our Admissions Open House program, we promise prospective families that our students will be known and loved and called to greatness by great people.

Happily, before the year is out, so many of our new family members tell us that we overdeliver on our promise.

In our mission statement, we proclaim that ours is an inclusive, nurturing community.

All are welcome here. We are one. If you doubt this reality, please visit our Chapel some morning and listen to our young men pray for one another and applaud one another and watch them embrace one another at the sign of peace as they strengthen the bonds of their brotherhood.

In his Chapel speech this week, one of our 9th graders, in celebrating the beauty and truth of his St. Sebastian’s experience, asserted: No one is excluded.

Clearly, our culture is one of unity and harmony. And it is the responsibility of every student, every family member, every faculty member, every staff member, every alumnus, every trustee, and every friend to welcome, to include, and to uplift one another.

I thank you all for all that you do to advance the most important mission of your most grateful School.

May we connect soon and often, and may God continue to bless you and your loved ones every sacred step of the way.

With love and gratitude,

William L. Burke III Headmaster

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AROUND CAMPUS

News & Notes from Our School Community FALL 2022 / WINTER 2023 | 3

AROUND CAMPUS

A Foundation of Grit, Faith & Friendship Continuing the tradition of inviting an alumnus to speak at the annual Founder’s Day Assembly, St. Sebastian’s welcomed back Steve Mullin ’84, P’23 to help mark 81 years, to the day, that the school held its first day of classes on September 29. After being introduced by his son, Trevor ’23, Mullin shared memories of being an Arrow during a pivotal moment in the School’s history when the campus moved from Nonantum Hill in Newton to its current location in Needham. Despite the challenges of the limited facilities in Newton, one academic building and one field, St. Sebastian’s was built on a culture that Mullin likened to a “band of brothers” who were always there for each other, on the field, in the classroom, and in their personal lives.

He encouraged today’s Arrows to value their time here and work on developing friendships which will stand the test of time. From his early days in Newton to his senior year in Needham, the foundation of grit, faith and friendship was firmly established in the St. Sebastian’s culture— seemingly a precursor to today’s motto: “Love God, work hard, take good care of one another.”

Steve Mullin ’84, P’23 speaks about his experiences as an Arrow in the 1980s during Founder’s Day.

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Noah Welch ’01 stands with family members and faculty members Sean McCann, Jed Doherty, Steve Dagdigian, Headmaster Bill Burke, and Matt Burke after speaking to the community about his past career as an NHL and Olympic hockey player.

Noah Welch ’01 Shares His Journey to Fulfillment

N

oah Welch ’01 addressed the St. Sebastian's community on October 18, telling his story of growing up in a broken home in Brighton, MA, and how he dreamed as a child of playing in the NHL and in the Olympics.

In his senior year at St. Sebastian's, Welch was a captain of the 2000-01 hockey team, helping to lead the team to a 29-1-1 season, winning the ISL Keller Division and the New England Division 1 Prep School Championships.

He went on to play for Harvard University, captaining the 2004-05 team, and was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame this fall. Drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2001 draft, Welch made his NHL debut toward the end of the 2005-06 season and played for a few teams in the NHL before joining a team in the Swedish Elite League (SEL). He won the SEL Championship in 2015 as a member of the Växjö Lakers and was named the MVP of the playoffs. In 2018, he served as an alternate captain of the US Olympic Hockey Team.

Although Welch ultimately achieved his dreams of becoming a professional hockey player and Olympian, he shared how he put hockey before God, thus making an idol out of the sport and the lifestyle. As a result, he found fleeting happiness in his success on the ice. A season-ending injury which left him feeling down proved to be a turning point, changing his life forever as he found fulfillment in God. Welch left the students with four suggestions to ponder for the rest of their lives: dream big; pursue excellence; trust God; and to do all things for His glory.

“Excellence is not perfection. Excellence is doing the very best you can with what you have at any given moment.” —Noah Welch ’01

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Honoring Our Veterans At the Needham Veterans Day Ceremony on November 11, Landon Bailey ’23 delivered a moving speech and Ben Goffredo ’24 sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. Their participation continues a tradition of St. Sebastian’s students being involved in the ceremony, held at Memorial Park to thank and honor those who have so bravely defended and sacrificed for our country. In his speech, Bailey gave personal examples of those who embody what service means, including his best friend Kristian Nordby ’22, who spoke at the same event last year and is currently a freshman at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In expressing his gratitude to our veterans, Bailey noted, “Every veteran’s story is different, but what all of them have in common is selflessness, service, and sacrifice. Whatever the reason was to serve, all you great men and women put your own individual pursuits aside to fight for and protect everyone else.”

70 Students Inducted into the NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY This fall, 70 St. Sebastian’s students were inducted into the Sr. Evelyn C. Barrett, O.P. Chapter of the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society aims to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, stimulate a desire to render service, promote leadership, and develop character.

CLASS OF 2023 John A. Boyle

William Tryder

Albis M. Felix

Cooper W. Wright

George G. Flatley

Jeffrey A. Young

Oliver F. O'Donnell

CLASS OF 2024

Landon Bailey ’23 is joined by fellow classmates and friends, Assistant Dean of Students Dan Burke, Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne, and Headmaster Bill Burke after delivering a speech at the Needham Veterans Day Ceremony.

Eight Arrows Recognized as

National Scholars Congratulations to seniors Matthew DeAnzeris, Noah Janchar, Michael Kalinichenko, Andrew McNeill, Ethan Merithew, Patrick Sliz, and Alex Yang for being named as Commended Students by the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. Recognized for their exceptional academic promise, these students placed among the top 3% of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) last fall.

Dhaniel Ramos ’23 was also honored with an Award for Excellence in Academic Achievement by the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program.

George E. Addona Brendan W. Arcara Aiden J. Barclay John M. Barry Raif S. Boit Deven S. Carkner Kamden S. Carkner Neal R. Carlson Matthew P. Cataldo Gianluca Centola Lochlan C. Chisholm Jack C. Condron Aidan B. Connors Jack R. Connors Owen J. Connors B. Patrick Cooney IV Matthew C. Dalto Stephen J. DeMatteo Jonathan J. Demosthene Tyler J. Derenzo Rui Do Rosario Henry J. duBose Luke S. Eastwood Quinn B. Feyler Liam C. Field Brendan T. Fulham Liam V. Gavin Daniel E. Gillis Benjamin C. Goffredo Brian D. Hall John R. Harney James R. Joyce

Kellan R. Kilmartin James Y. Ko Charles J. Leverone Dylan M. Lipof Owen T. Lynch Hugh H. MacArthur, Jr. Ronan I. Massenburg Chase W. McCann Seamus M. McDonough John J. McHugh Matthew McLaughlin Nicolas McLaughlin Christopher J. Merageas Isaac M. Mitchell Jack A. Mulka Sebu P. Najarian Max J. Proia Michael J. Quinn Perry J. Rassiger Benjamin L. Scemama Brendan M. Schmidt Elliot C. Slayne Michael A. Spalla Derron J. St. Marie Colin K. Sullivan Christopher J. Thompson Ye Tian Cormac A. Walsh Luke R. Ward John F. Williams Edward B. Zhang

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AROUND CAMPUS

A Christmas Program Filled with Spirit On December 16, the St. Sebastian’s Community kicked off Christmas Break with a festive Christmas program, celebrating the season with song and scripture.

During the first part of the program, Fr. John Arens provided an opening prayer, students read scripture and the St. Sebastian's Schola, Mass Ensemble and Faculty Chorale performed several traditional Christmas pieces. Highlights of the program included Music Ministry Director Meyer Chambers’ performance of “I Wonder as I Wander,” and a wonderful faculty performance of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Kera Wiggin on vocals and Stefan Cressotti on guitar.

The Jazz Pop Chamber Ensemble, with special guest musicians from the Ursuline School Ensemble, picked up the tempo during the second half of the program, delivering fantastic renditions of “Santa Clause is Coming to Town,” “Holiday Road,” and a riveting performance of “Christmas Eve / Sarajevo.”

TOP: St. Sebastian’s Schola, Mass Ensemble and Faculty Chorale perform several traditional Christmas songs. BOTTOM LEFT: The guitar section of the Jazz Pop Chamber Ensemble showcase their skills during the instrumental medley of Christmas Eve/Sarajevo. BOTTOM RIGHT: Juniors Ben Goffredo and Derron St. Marie sing favorite holiday tunes.

UNITY DAY EXPLORES LESSONS FROM HISTORY On November 23, St. Sebastian's faculty and students celebrated Unity Day. The purpose of this annual St. Sebastian’s tradition is to heighten our awareness of every person’s dignity and to strengthen the bonds that unite us so that all may grow in our capacity and resolve to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor.

Christian Walkes, Associate Director of Education and Interpretation at the Museum of African History, served as the keynote speaker. Walkes gave a presentation on New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving and interpreting the contributions of African Americans, and the African Meeting House, the oldest original black church building in America which played a pivotal role in the abolitionist movement. Students then broke off into small groups in classrooms throughout the School to watch “Jubilee, Juneteenth, and the Thirteenth,” a documentary made by the museum, followed by engaging student-led discussions.

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AROUND CAMPUS

D

Arrows Debaters Expertly Engage and Persuade uring the first few months of the academic year, our Debate Team participated in four tournaments hosted by Stoneleigh-Burnham, St. Sebastian’s, Hotchkiss and St. Paul’s. Our debaters delivered impressive individual and team performances in both the Novice and Advanced Divisions at these competitions against other independent schools, with several team members also serving as judges. Categories ranged from Interpretive Reading to Impromptu, Extemporaneous and Cross-Examination.

Congratulations to the following Arrows who earned Individual Speaking Prizes and/or Team Prizes: Raif Boit ’24, Aiden Mack ’27, Jonathan Demosthene ’24 and Andrew MacDougall ’27.

LEFT: Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne with Raif Boit ’24 and his 3rd place prize in the Interpretive Reading Category. MIDDLE: Aiden Mack ’27 with his Speaker’s Prize. RIGHT: Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne with Andrew MacDougall ’27 and Jonathan Demosthene ’24, who both won awards for compiling perfect records in the novice debating division.

Finance Academy Speaker Series Two St. Sebastian’s parents delivered fantastic presentations to members of the Finance Academy this fall.

On October 18, Lance McInerney P'22,'23, Institutional Portfolio Manager at Fidelity Investments, spoke about investing for retirement. Breaking down the philosophy of creating a retirement portfolio, McInerney explained its two parts, glide path and active management. His advice for investing included creating a pros and cons list for every investment, talking to those who have different opinions and insights, and making decisions based on new data as it emerges. He closed the meeting by discussing the effect of geopolitics on active management investments, using the example of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on the economy of Sri Lanka.

Latin Club Holds Latin Mass On December 15, St. Sebastian’s students and family members gathered for the Latin Club’s annual Latin Mass and Dinner. Fr. Arens celebrated the Mass with musical support from St. Sebastian's Schola and Mass Ensemble and a chorus from Montrose School. Mass was followed by dinner in Ward Hall and the traditional reading of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas in Latin by Charlie Bacon ’23 and Alex Yang ’23.

LEFT: Alex Yang ’23 reads ’Twas the Night Before Christmas in Latin. RIGHT: Members of the Latin Club with Fr. John Arens.

Carolyn Massenburg P’24,’26 with members of the Finance Academy and Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne.

On October 28, Carolyn Massenburg P’24,’26, VP and General Counsel at Manulife Asset Management US LLC (MIMUS), gave a presentation centered around a company’s core values, asset management, and sustainable investing. She emphasized that the key to strong teams is the ability to trust your colleagues and share their values, ultimately building a supportive, diverse, and thriving workplace.

Massenburg spoke about how Manulife demonstrates its commitment to its core values through sustainable investing and its diversity, equity, and inclusion program (“DEI”). She shared one of the most important values in business—say what you do and do what you say— explaining that regulated investment advisors will be measured by their actions and ability to put their client’s interest above their own.

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AROUND CAMPUS

ARROWS OFF CAMPUS

From orientations, to trips and retreats, here are some of the ways Arrows have spent time connecting, learning and reflecting off campus.

Juniors Tour Our Nation’s Capital The Class of 2024 journeyed to Washington, D.C. for the annual junior class trip during Veterans Day weekend. Over the course of three days, they visited inspiring national monuments, impressive museums and historic government buildings, from the Smithsonian Museums to Mount Vernon and the U.S. Capitol. Highlights of the trip included a night tour of the monuments and some free time to explore the charming historic neighborhood of Georgetown. The trip was a great experience and one these Arrows will always remember.

An Adventurous Orientation There’s nothing that builds camaraderie more than going on an adventure together!

On September 8, the 7th and 8th grade students took class trips as part of orientation.

The day was filled with zip-lining and obstacle courses at TreeTop, hiking along the Charles River, and Capture the Flag as our newest Arrows got to know each other.

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Senior Retreat on Cape Cod Twenty-seven members of the Class of 2023 gathered at the Craigville Retreat Center on the Cape for their Senior Retreat from November 13-15.

Led by Chaplain Fr. Arens and faculty members, Joe Cressotti, Stephen Salomone, Ryan Patrico, and Chris Lynch, the senior Arrows enjoyed time in reflection, contemplation, prayer, and recreation. After a busy first quarter full of sports, studies, and college applications, the seniors were able to recharge their bodies and minds in the tranquil setting of Craigville Beach. Whether it was attending evening mass, waking up early to watch the sunrise, or playing football on the beach, the classmates made the most of their time together.

AROUND CAMPUS

Serving

750

bags of groceries for those in need were prepared by NHS students over the course of three hours

Our Neighbors

I

ntegral to the St. Sebastian’s mission, our Service Program lives the order of the day of loving God, working hard, and taking good care of one another. Below are just a few of the many ways our students have served our neighbors recently.

Backpack Drive Supports San Miguel For over 16 years, St. Sebastian's has enjoyed a wonderful and rewarding partnership with the San Miguel School in Providence, RI. San Miguel is a Lasallian middle school for boys whose mission is to "break the cycle of poverty through education."

This past summer, the Classes of 2025 and 2026 and their parents purchased school supplies and backpacks for the San Miguel students. Under the generous and inspired leadership of Jennifer Walsh P'22, '24, the two grades donated 64 backpacks filled with a variety of essential school supplies to ease the financial hardship faced by our brothers at San Miguel.

On September 8, Mrs. Walsh and Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne, along with a group of seven Arrows, traveled to San Miguel to deliver the backpacks. Because of the overwhelming generosity of so many of our students and parents, a donation of over $1,800 was also made to the San Miguel Compassionate Care Fund which supports San Miguel students and families.

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backpacks filled with school supplies, from folders to markers and glue, were donated by the Classes of 2025 and 2026

National Honor Society Hosts Two Successful Drives The St. Sebastian’s community continued its tradition of coming together to make a difference for our neighbors in need at Catholic Charities in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Thanksgiving Food Drive and the Christmas Warmth Drive were both a huge success, helping to restock shelves for those in need of food in the days following Thanksgiving and keeping our neighbors warm with donations of hundreds of gloves, hats, scarves and socks.

Throughout the fall, National Honor Society students volunteered their Saturday mornings at Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry in Dorchester, helping to bag groceries, which the organization then gives out during the week. On one Saturday alone, Arrows prepared a record 750 bags in three hours! Members of the senior class also helped out at the food pantry on November 14 as part of a service day, preparing and distributing over 300 bags of groceries along with the team at Catholic Charities.

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AROUND CAMPUS

7th and 8th grade students participate in the annual pumpkin carving contest.

A GLIMPSE

along Greendale Avenue

Fine Arts teacher Manuel Pettine teaches a guitar class.

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Seniors drop coffee filters and collect data while conducting a science project in the Innovation Lab.

AROUND CAMPUS

The varsity football team reviews game footage with Head Coach Dan Burke in the video classroom.

Arrows put their balloon cars to the test during Olivia Uhlman’s science class.

A great number of Arrows from across all grade levels turn out for a Men with Positive Attitudes meeting.

Ronan Massenburg ’24 holds this year’s Christmas card featuring his artwork.

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New Faces

ON CAMPUS St. Sebastian’s is pleased to welcome its newest faculty and staff members, a talented group who are already making an impact in the classrooms and on the School community.

JON BARTLETT Director of Athletics

Jon comes to St. Sebastian’s from Boston College High School, where he was Athletic Director for over 20 years. During his tenure at BC High, Jon also served as Head Football Coach and Dean of Students. Jon has a B.A. in Government from Colby College and a Masters in Education Administration from Boston College. He resides in Acton with his wife Julie, daughter Bridget, and son Brexton.

JULIA BURNET Faculty, Science

After graduating from Elon University with a B.S. in Biochemistry, Julia ventured into healthcare. She learned directly from Danish/Swedish physicians when she studied abroad in Denmark and then worked as a medical assistant for a family medicine practice in New Jersey. Before coming to St. Sebastian's, Julia tutored students in SAT/ACT, advanced math, and writing—where she fell in love with teaching. Her passion for science and education brought her to St. Sebastian's, where she now teaches chemistry to the 10th grade. Outside of school, Julia enjoys playing video games, exploring new places, traveling, and learning new languages (currently practicing ASL). She lives in Canton with her 10-year-old cat, Diego.

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ALLIE COLGAN

Communications Associate After graduating from Providence College in 2021 with a B.S. in Marketing, Allie worked for a year in social media and marketing at SENT Ventures, a Catholic nonprofit.

Although this is her first time working at Sebs, Allie is no stranger to the St. Sebastian’s community. Being a sister to two Arrows alumni, much of her adolescence was impacted by this great school, and she is thrilled to partake in the order of the day and share it with others through her work. Outside of work, Allie enjoys cooking, painting, and running around South Boston, where she lives with friends from Providence College.

DAVID MCCARTHY Faculty, Mathematics

Dave joined the Math Department this year after teaching math for the last 14 years (18 years total) at Bellingham High School. He also coached all levels of high school baseball for 15 years. Dave graduated from Amherst College and was a 4-year member of the varsity baseball team. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1982. Dave spent 15 years in the private sector before beginning his teaching career. He earned his M.A. in Math Education from Western Governors University. Dave is married, has two adult sons, and is a huge Notre Dame football fan.

KARI MCPARTLAND P’08 Director of Annual Giving

Kari McPartland first came to know St. Sebastian’s when her son Brendan ’08 enrolled in 2004.

Kari was an active member of the Guild of St. Irene and spent time on the Executive Committee. Kari rejoins us after spending the last 15 years in the Advancement Office at Dana Hall School where she was the Director of the Dana Fund. Her daughter, Allison, is an ’09 graduate of Dana. She began her career in the investment business working with Massachusetts Public Pension systems at Alex Brown and Sons and held her Series 7 and 63 NASD licenses. She is a strong proponent of single sex education, having graduated from the Laurel School in Cleveland. She earned a B.A. in Economics from Bucknell University and an M.Ed. from Lesley University. Kari and her husband Jim reside in Dover.

TREVOR MCLEAN

Assistant Director of Admissions In addition to joining the Admissions Department, Trevor teaches Geography and coaches basketball and football. A Boston native, he attended the Carroll School (Lincoln, MA) before graduating from Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH). Trevor then chose to enroll at Emerson College, knowing he would get the opportunity to be much closer to family and friends while pursuing his college degree. At Emerson, he was a three-year captain of the Men’s Basketball team. He graduated from Emerson in the spring of 2022 with a major in Communication Studies and a minor in Public Relations. He currently resides in Scituate.

MARCELA NIETO SARRE Faculty, Spanish

A Spanish-native speaker from Mexico, Marcela earned her B.A. in education at Universidad de las Americas Puebla, and received a full scholarship to study her master’s degree in Development Studies at the University of Sussex (United Kingdom). Marcela worked for ten years in non-profit organizations in Mexico before deciding to pursue a career teaching Spanish and got a certification by Universidad de Barcelona. Marcela and her husband moved to Boston two years ago, where her husband earned an MBA from Babson College. Marcela teaches Spanish to seventh and eleventh graders.

Bringing the Classroom

OUTDOORS

Juniors in Kera Wiggin’s American Literature classes grew radishes over 30 days while reading Thoreau’s “Bean Field” and studying transcendentalism. As they gardened, they discussed transcendental quotations and engaged in activities that support transcendental philosophy such as stream of consciousness writings and guided meditations.

“Let us be grateful to the ones who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

—Marcel Proust

SKIP WRIGHTSON ’97 Faculty, Fine Arts

Skip earned a B.A. from the University of Vermont in 2001 with a focus on painting and art history. He later completed the Classical Animation program at the Vancouver Film School and went on to create animated short films which screened at Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Annecy+ program in France. He taught animation at Northeastern University and taught middle school students at Provincetown Arts Association Museum’s ArtReach Program. Skip has worked on TV shows for PBS and NBC like WordGirl and Astroblast! He is currently working on a new short animated film about sea monsters. He and his wife, Karen, have a 2-year-old son named Remy Francis.

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Joining the Board St. Sebastian’s is very fortunate to have an exceptional group of parents, alumni, and friends of the School who give generously of their time and share their wisdom as members of the Board of Trustees. We are pleased to welcome our newest members of the Board.

Tara Ciongoli P’25 ’25 ’27 Tara and her husband, Gregory, live in Wellesley with their four sons, Ty '25, Ace '25, Duke '27, and Griff. Tara is a Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Advisor at Equality Asset Management, a private equity firm in Boston with a mission to help build exceptional companies. She also serves on The Fessenden School Board of Trustees, Boston Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital's Stepping Strong Advisory Board.

She is a graduate of Princeton University and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Dr. Hyeouk “Chris” Hahm P’22 ’26 Chris and her husband, Seung, live in Newton. They have three sons, David ’26, Andrew ’22 (Amherst College) and Christian (BU BS/MD program). Dr. Hahm is a Professor and Associate Dean of Research at Boston University’s School of Social Work and the first Asian American in the graduate school’s program to be promoted to full professor. Through her groundbreaking research, she is dedicated to reducing health disparities among the under-served populations with a particular emphasis on building empirical evidence of health risk behaviors. She bridges epidemiology, theory building, and intervention development to better understand the causes of depression, self-harm, and suicidal behaviors among the Asian American population. Dr. Hahm has developed culturally grounded interventions called “AWARE” and “Youth AWARE,” which have been implemented in colleges and high schools. She has authored more than 70 peerreviewed journal publications, given 230 professional talks locally, nationally and internationally, and her work has been featured in numerous media, from NPR to The Economist.

Devin Condron ’92 Devin and his wife, Erin, live in Wellesley. An alumnus of the Class of 1992, he is the proud father of five children. He is a Managing Director in Private Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley in Boston. Devin received a B.A. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. He rejoins St. Sebastian’s Board of Trustees, having previously served from 2005 to 2019. He also serves on the boards of The Fessenden School and Newton Country Day School.

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Michael Maguire ’91 P’22 ’25 Michael and his wife, Amy, live in Hingham. They are the proud parents of five children, including two Arrows, Aidan ’22 (Duke University) and Devin ’25. Michael is an alumnus of St. Sebastian's Class of 1991. He is a Healthcare Portfolio Manager at Putnam Investments. Michael also supports Heroes in Transition, a charity on Cape Cod supporting military veterans, is a founding advisor of Life Science Cares, an industry charity supporting efforts to end poverty in Boston, and is actively involved in St. Mary’s Parish in Hanover. Michael is a graduate of Boston College and has an MBA from Carnegie Mellon Business School.

Kristen D. Maxwell P’25 President of the Guild of St. Irene Kristen and her husband, John, live in Hingham and have one son, Joseph ’25, and two daughters, Grace (University of St. Andrews) and Margot (Bucknell). She earned a B.A. from Suffolk University. Kristen is a project manager at Gauthier Stacy, Inc. and Principal at Maxwell House LLC, where she designs, furnishes and markets turn-key vacation homes. She also serves on the Storybook Ball Committee at Mass General Hospital and the Leadership Council at Rosie’s Place. She is a trustee at Derby Academy and serves on their Development Committee. She previously served as a trustee at the Old Colony Montessori School.

Dr. Edward Ryan P’23 Ed and his wife, Krista, live in Wellesley with their son, Edward ’23. Dr. Ryan is a physicianscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is the Director of Global Infectious Diseases, and a Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard University.

His work largely focuses on infections affecting impoverished humans in resourcelimited settings. He oversees an international investigative enterprise and his efforts are supported by the NIH, CDC and foundations. He is the author of over 350 scholarly works. Dr. Ryan received a B.S. in Biochemical Sciences from Princeton University and an M.D. from Harvard University.

Richard C. Walsh P’22 ’24 President of the Men’s Association Richard and his wife, Jen, live in Hingham with their two sons, Cotter ’22 (USC) and Cormac ’24. Richard is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Walsh Brothers, Inc., a family-owned and operated company since 1901. He represents the fourth generation of ownership of Walsh Brothers, Inc., a leading construction management firm well known for its work on complex, high-quality and sensitive building projects in a wide range of industries and specialties for world-class health care and academic institutions. Richard is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He is also co-director of Tedy’s Team, a trustee at Cristo Rey Boston High School, a founding trustee of the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, Rhode Island, and a past trustee at Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

ACADEMIC WORKSHOPS

Writing | Debate & Public Speaking Innovation Lab | Math | Biotechnology

Summer 2023

Sessions run from 9am-12pm for either one or two weeks.

Open to all boys entering grades 5–9 These five distinct workshops, run by our experienced St. Sebastian’s faculty, are an enriching learning opportunity for students looking for a challenging and fun summer experience.

For dates and to register:

stsebs.org/workshops FALL 2022 / WINTERFALL 20232018 | 15| 15

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OUR YEAR OF

WISDOM September 12, 2022 / Opening remarks for the academic year

BY HEADMASTER WILLIAM L. BURKE III

The significance—and ultimately the quality—of the work we do is determined by our understanding of the story in which we are taking part.

These are the words of Wendell Berry, author of our All School Read, Fidelity.

The story in which we are taking part is a love story, and it began long before St. Sebastian’s was founded and long before any of us was born, and, happily, it’s a never-ending story. Made in the image and likeness of God, we devote ourselves to living happy, healthy, holy lives of love and service in this world by loving God, working hard, and taking good care of one another and keeping the hope of heaven ever before us. In the words of Harvard Business School professor, Arthur Brooks, who spoke here last year, The goal is to get to heaven and to take as many people with us as possible. So, that’s our story, our game plan, how we roll—by beginning with the end in mind and living freely, fully, and lovingly every sacred moment of the present.

It’s all a gift, a gift from God: Our lives, our faith, our families, our friends, this School, our ability to see and hear and think and read and write and walk and talk and block and tackle and pass and shoot and draw and paint and sing and dance—all gifts from our gracious and loving God, the giver of all good gifts. May we ever praise God for His great goodness, thank God for His bounteous gifts, and ask God for continued blessings, as St. Thomas Aquinas does in these words: “Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a

heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you.”

By tradition, we have with us this morning our outstanding Board of Trustees President, Mr. Jim Elcock ’77 P’08, and our newest trustees, who are engaged in their orientation program.

Let us welcome them and express our gratitude to them.

Trustees are intelligent, talented, energetic, deep-thinking, deep-feeling, kind and giving, truly great people of faith and honor who govern our School so magnificently well.

Their major duties include hiring and supporting and at the proper time replacing the headmaster, overseeing strategic planning, and assuming ultimate financial responsibility for our School.

Theirs is a leading role in advancing our School’s mission, which I’m honored to recite: A Catholic independent School, St. Sebastian’s seeks to engage young men in the pursuit of truth through faith and reason.

By embracing gospel values in an inclusive, nurturing community and by inspiring intellectual excellence in a structured liberal arts curriculum, St. Sebastian’s strives to empower students for success in college and in life.

The ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom, a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor.

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How richly blessed we are to be guided, supported, and inspired by our clear, important mission; our unified, focused board of trustees; our gifted, devoted faculty; our talented, dedicated staff; our loyal, engaged alumni; our bright, promising students; and our selfless, loving families— each of us striving to cooperate with the grace of God—’tis a beauty to behold!

We’re not perfect, and we never will be, but I love every one of you, and I love the way we’re trending.

As I shared in our opening faculty meeting last week, we can all benefit greatly by visiting Mr. Wilbur’s laboratory/ classroom in our science center and casting our eyes upon the many stirring quotations posted on the wall.

I have found this one by David Starr Jordan, founder of Stanford University, most apt: “Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.”

Of course, “knowing what to do next” presupposes that there is an objective reality, a universal right and a universal wrong, a way we ought to behave and a way we ought not to behave. It’s right to be kind; it’s wrong to be cruel. It’s right to be honest; it’s wrong to be dishonest. These shouldn’t be debatable concepts, and, thankfully, at this School, they are not.

Our faith teaches us that WISDOM, our year’s theme, is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Dictionary definitions include: the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise; the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships; insight, enlightenment, perception, prudence, sapience, sagacity, common sense.

Wisdom and her powerfully positive essence are all good things, great things, and, as we have just been reminded, wisdom is in our mission statement: the ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom…

Listen to these poetic descriptors of wisdom from the Bible’s Book of Wisdom: Wisdom is a kindly spirit… Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her and found by those who seek her… in her is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly, firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing…she is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty…she is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of His goodness…compared to light, she takes precedence, for that, indeed, night supplants, but wickedness prevails not over wisdom.

Talk about power! Here are some antonyms—words which express the opposite of wisdom: density, dullness, brainlessness, foolishness, idiocy, craziness.

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Please, give me wisdom, this most precious gift of the Holy Spirit and an unbeatable strength developed through experience.

A few years ago, a St. Sebastian’s parent honored me greatly by presenting me with this sturdy mug; it’s emblazoned with words, which I consider to be aspirational: that is, they describe not the person I am, but the person I hope ever more fully to become.

Let me read them to you. On one side, it says: “Man of Wisdom.” The other side reads: “Blessed is the man who uses knowledge and experience to improve the well-being of others, who guides with respect, and encourages with love.”

And underneath is this passage: “Make me know your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4) Man of Wisdom. Woman of Wisdom. Doesn’t each of us want to hear that language applied to us? Don’t we all want to gain knowledge and experience, to improve the well-being of others, to guide with respect and encourage with love? Don’t we all want the Lord to show us His ways and His paths?

Montaigne, a brilliant French philosopher of the Renaissance era, has this to say about wisdom: “We can be knowledgeable with other men’s knowledge, but we cannot be wise with other men’s wisdom.”

We pray for the divine light of wisdom and truth and the Lord gives them to us, and we build up our wisdom muscles throughout our personal journeys—most often through our responses to adversity. As has been said: Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.

We’re all going to make mistakes, but, if we learn from them, we gain wisdom, and, ideally, do not make the same mistake again. As legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, famously exhorts: “Make all your mistakes new mistakes.”

And so we, like Solomon, ask God for wisdom. Listen to this Old Testament Passage: …the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.

God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered: “O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father, David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act…give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong…the Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this—not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right—I will do as you requested. I will give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and afterward there will be no one to equal you. (1 Kings 3) The lesson here is: we can live for ourselves alone and be miserable, or we can live for the Lord and others and be joyful.

Let me tell you a story, which I believe some of you have heard. Years ago, I was watching a soccer game. You know how it goes: the team benches are on one side for the field, and we fans stand along the opposite sideline. An opposing player ran past us, kicked a long high curving ball, which our goalkeeper caught and punted far downfield. The opponent reversed his direction to get back on defense and was soon running right in front of us again only in the opposite direction. Well, you know how a ball can have such a significant sideways arc that it can arc into the goal before it bends back out and into the goalkeeper’s hands? Well, this is what the kicker believed had happened, and he was running stride for stride with the referee and screaming at the top of his lungs: “You blew it. You blew it. You blew it. That was a goal. You’re horrible.” It was so abusive and so loud and so constant. There’s no way the ref could ignore it. The referee slams on the brakes. The player slams on the brakes. Mano a mano, tête-à-tête. Tableau. Right in front of us. Tension reigned supreme. And the ref said: “And to think I had a perfect day going.” The opponent smiled and shook his head and resumed his run downfield. The ref smiled and winked at us and moved on. And we rose, lifted by that delightful, joyful feeling of relief. The grip of tension released.

Euphoria held sway.

The ref could have escalated by flashing a yellow card or red card, but he de-escalated. Clear-thinking and wise and with supreme equanimity, he made time his friend. He owned the moment between stimulus and response. That “perfect day” he had going became eminently more so.

We’re all going to make mistakes, but, if we learn from them, we gain wisdom, and, ideally, do not make the same mistake again.

—Headmaster William L. Burke III

His composed, witty, creative and upbeat response calls to mind these words from our friend, Montaigne: “The most certain sign of wisdom is continual cheerfulness; her state is like the things above the moon, always clear and serene.”

And it calls to mind these words from scripture: …the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

(James 3:17) Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18) The fool gives vent to his anger; but by biding his time, the wise man calms it. (Proverbs 29:11) And finally, Jesus tells his disciples: Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. (Luke 21:14,15) So many times, we have big moments, and we don’t know how to respond or what to say and you just pray to the Lord.

The Lord will provide the words; just put yourself where you need to be and the words will come.

As has been said: Hurt people hurt people; healed people heal people. So, if our words or actions are hurting others, if we’re chirping at or being nasty to another person, chances are that we are hurting inside ourselves, and we’re in great need of healing. Hurt people hurt people. Healed people heal people. May we forever seek wisdom and forgiveness. And going forward, may all our words and actions be uplifting.

Let us turn for a few moments to the stories in our All School Read. One of my graduate school professors loved to remind us that one of the great values of novels and short stories is that they give us a wonderful and instructive hum and buzz of another time and another place.

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The characters in Wendell Berry’s stories evince a depth, a truth, a wisdom, a sense of commitment to God, to one another, and to our planet that I find most admirable.

In the story “Are You Alright?” the characters are described in these words: They practiced an old-fashioned independence, an old-fashioned generosity, and an oldfashioned fidelity to their word and their friends.

So we must always be ready. Pray without ceasing. These are the words of Miss Della Budge in the story: “Pray Without Ceasing”.

Now, “pray without ceasing” is one of the five three-word phrases from sacred scripture I like to offer as a mini-sermon of sorts: God is love. Love never fails. Love one another. Pray without ceasing. Be not afraid.

And though I often say the words “pray without ceasing,” I must confess I never fully comprehended the message.

Thank God, our hearts beat without ceasing, and we almost always breathe without ceasing, but how, I often wondered, can we possibly pray or do anything else without ceasing?

And then from on high came an epiphany. In the Cloud of Unknowing by an anonymous 14th Century English author, we find this definition of prayer: In itself, prayer is simply a reverent, conscious openness to God filled with the desire to grow in goodness and overcome evil.

So, prayer is really just an openness. That’s it! Just be open to God, who made us and who loves us more than we can love, and our life becomes a prayer, a life stance, way of living, a way of being. Our life becomes a prayer. Our hearts beat on and we pray without ceasing. And we are always ready, as ready as that soccer ref.

I truly love Berry’s treatment of the power of forgiveness.

Mary Penn reflects on her husband in these words: … her parents’ rejection of him had cost him dearly. Even as he defied

Plumb the depths of soul to discover your passion, your truest self, and summon the courage to develop it and share it with the world. Be a difference maker.

—Headmaster William L. Burke III

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them to matter to him, they held a power over him he could not shake off. In his inability to forgive them, he consented to this power, and their rejection stood by him and measured him day by day.

Unfortunately, her husband is locked in resentment, and resentment is drinking poison and waiting for the other guy to die. If we harbor resentment, happiness will dock elsewhere.

What a contrast Andy presents in “Pray Without Ceasing”: My grandfather made a peace here that has joined many who otherwise would have been divided. I am a child of his forgiveness.

Finally, this passage from Fidelity describing Hannah, whose first husband died young, is truly magnificent: She thought it strange and wonderful that she had been given all these to love. She thought it a blessing that she had loved them to the limit of her grief at parting with them, and that grief had only deepened and clarified her love. Since her first grief had brought her fully to birth and wakefulness in this world, an unstinting compassion had moved in her, like a live stream flowing deep underground, by which she knew herself and others and the world. It was her truest self, that stream always astir inside her that was at once pity and love, knowledge and faith, forgiveness, grief, and joy. It made her fearful, and it made her unafraid.

What a deep person she is. How inspiring. Every person wants to be part of something great. Each wants to be as wise, as just, as balanced, and as brave as he or she can be and wants to fall ever more deeply in love with learning. So become the person you are called to be, the unique person only you can be. Plumb the depths of soul to discover your passion, your truest self, and summon the courage to develop it and share it with the world. Be a difference maker.

In 2016, we were blessed to hear from famous historian and author, David McCullough, who asserted: There’s nothing inevitable about history. He reminded us that history is the story of real people making real decisions in real time. And things did not have to turn out the way they have. And the decisions they make truly make all the difference.

As you may know, David McCullough passed away on August 7. The next day, I received this message from his son, Geoff: Hello Bill, on the way back from St Sebastian’s from our time there with you and the assembly, my father said schools like yours are true difference makers. He died last night. You and he are difference makers to so many. All the best, Geoff.

When Geoff wrote “you”, he meant you, the School, and every member of our St. Sebastian’s family, every one of us who makes real decisions in real time, every one of us who chooses to ask for wisdom, to pray without ceasing, to be healed and to heal.

On August 30, I received this message from Chris Riley.

An Arrow from the Class of 2013, Chris is a graduate of Harvard and of the University of California at Berkeley Law School.

Dear Headmaster Burke, I hope this email finds you and your family well, and that you and all the faculty are excited for the beginning of a new school year!

I have been thinking a lot about Saint Sebastian’s this summer, as attending my fifth Harvard reunion has put my tenth high school reunion next on the calendar. And I wanted to reach out to say how enduringly proud I am to be an Arrow.

I have spent this past year working with a federal judge in Portland, Oregon. We have had the opportunity to talk a fair amount about her daughters’ experiences at their high school—a well-regarded private school in Oregon—as one is applying to colleges and the other recently graduated from Dartmouth. The daughter applying to colleges has felt that her peers do not want her to get into her top choices, because that would mean one fewer spot for them. As a result, she has not told some of her closest friends where she is applying.

The daughter graduating from college was blindsided by the academic rigor she found at Dartmouth and took a few semesters to find her footing.

How foreign that all sounds given my experience at Saint Sebastian’s! I cannot imagine having had more supportive peers or teachers in high school. I cannot imagine having felt more prepared for college academics than I did after years of learning from Mr. Lynch, Mr. Wilbur, and Mr. Cleary (or any other number of formative teachers I was lucky enough to know). I cannot imagine being a lawyer without Mr. Nerbonne’s debate coaching. And I certainly cannot imagine navigating life—graduate school, work, cross-country moves, marriage—without the religious and moral lessons I learned at Saint Sebastian’s, without the work ethic instilled there, and without the intellectual curiosity to be a lifelong learner fostered there.

Needless to say, I feel unbelievably blessed to be an Arrow, and I hope that I am able to make every institution that I am a part of a little more like Seb’s. I am so looking forward to visiting campus in May 2023 for reunion, but until then I will keep the students, faculty, and alumni in my prayers.

Warmly, Chris

There’s so much to like about this letter, but I choose to focus on the supportive culture he describes. Every Arrow wants to succeed, and he wants his brother Arrows to succeed as well. May we commit ourselves to strengthening our very healthy culture.

Abraham Lincoln proclaims: “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”

Gentlemen, if I stop you and ask how you’re doing, may I hear: I’m wiser today than I was yesterday, but I have a long way to go. And should you ask how I’m doing, I hope to say, with true conviction: I’m wiser today than I was yesterday, but I have a long way to go.

May we all go deep and long together in this year of Wisdom and forever.

In closing, I offer this well-known prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr: God, give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

AMEN.

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A Powerful Pilgrimage

Last August, five upperclassmen along with faculty member John Ryan took a nine-day pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.

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he group of Arrows traveled with other first-year pilgrims in high school through the nonprofit organization, Our Lady’s Pilgrimage (OLP). Lourdes has a rich history of miraculous healings and is best known as the holy place where the Virgin Mother appeared to a young Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Years in the making, this trip had been in Headmaster Burke’s heart ever since he learned about OLP but was unfortunately postponed due to the pandemic. After such a successful journey, the pilgrimage to Lourdes will hopefully become a tradition for years to come.

The dual purpose of the pilgrimage was faith and service, which the boys started on right away. After arriving in Lourdes, the Arrows attended mass at the Poor Clares, visited the Massabielle Grotto, and assisted at the train station, 22 | ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE

which according to Ryan, “was some of their best work.” At the station, they helped wheelchair-bound pilgrims exit the trains, board the buses, and transfer their luggage. This was no small feat, as in some cases, the Arrows had to lift and carry the sick from one place to another.

At daily mass, the boys set up wheelchairs, helped the sick and disabled get comfortable, and held up umbrellas when it rained. The boys also manned the ropes during various visits to the Grotto to ensure safety and orderliness. Ryan reminisced on their service saying, “Many of the boys made connections with some of the sick people or some of the kids, and it was really nice to see.” Ben Garrity ’23 affirmed this sentiment: “The environment of Lourdes allowed me and my classmates to push our intentions beyond ourselves and onto the lives of the sick who awaited our love. I found myself able to become who I am supposed to be: a man for others.”

One special moment came when the Arrows had the honor of carrying the statue of the Virgin Mother during the nightly procession. For about a half mile, the boys carried the statue and walked by candlelight with around 4,000 others.

Recounting the procession, Ryan shared, “There were some moments where you could tell the boys were touched, really thought about their faith, and felt the presence of Jesus.”

During their free time, the boys visited the various chapels around Lourdes and immersed themselves in the beauty and holiness of the area. As they walked around Lourdes, they kept their hands busy crafting cord chaplets, or prayer beads, which OLP taught them how to make. They spent the first few days making as many as they could, and then they handed them out to fellow pilgrims along their travels.

While the boys grew in their faith in France, back in Needham, a special place of prayer called the Oratory was being built on the St. Sebastian’s campus. Wanting to share a piece of their journey with the rest of the School, the boys brought a piece of rock home from the river at the Grotto to be placed in the stone wall of the Oratory. Ryan, a Notre

Dame alumnus, noted that the inspiration for this idea came from the university’s famous Grotto, which holds a rock from Lourdes that people touch after lighting a candle as a nod to the holy place from which it came.

The theme of “living for others” prevailed throughout the entire trip and continued to inspire the boys after they returned home from their first-ever pilgrimage. “To be in the city of Lourdes with the presence of such holiness really opened my eyes to embrace God and his mission in me. I have a duty to use what I learned and accept God into my life back home,” shared Tyler Derenzo ’24. Not only did the boys forge connections with the people in Lourdes, but the experience also strengthened their friendships with each other, and according to Derenzo, the trip brought him close to some classmates whom he had previously never known. From forever bonding the students who attended the pilgrimage and encouraging them to live with purpose, to elevating the Oratory for all future generations of Arrows, it’s clear that this trip will have powerful effects for years to come.

TOP LEFT: Arrows and other members of OLP carry torches during the nightly procession. TOP MIDDLE: Jack Daly ’23 with a fellow pilgrim during the outdoor Mass for the Feast of the Assumption. FAR RIGHT: (From L to R) Caspar Touloukian ’23, Ben Garrity ’23, John Ryan, Jack Daly ’23, and Tyler Derenzo ’24 outside the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. BOTTOM LEFT: The group from St. Sebastian’s pictured with other members of OLP. BOTTOM MIDDLE: Caspar Touloukian ’23 (front right) and Brian Grande ’23 (back right) carrying the statue of the Virgin Mother during the nightly procession.

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IN MEMORIAM

Oratory Blessing the

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IN MEMORIAM

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On Friday, November 4, the entire school community gathered to bless the Oratory, St. Sebastian’s new outdoor worship site located adjacent to the Burke Family Center.

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esigned by our architect, Rob Olson P’15,’18, the Oratory features a gorgeous statue of The Blessed Mother holding the Christ Child, sculpted from marble in Italy by Steve Shaheen, and a stone wall built by Jim Schmidlein and the other gifted, hardworking artisans of Architectural Paving & Stone of Weymouth. This beautiful space was made possible by funds raised from the 2021 Christmas Auction. Thanks in large measure to the leadership of then Guild President, Julie Mulvey P’17,’21,’26, and Auction Co-chairs, Grace White P’18,’22 and Susan Weiss P’23, the necessary funds were raised in a matter of moments during “Raise the Paddle” and we are beyond grateful to the many parents, alumni, trustees, and friends who gave so generously to this inspiring project.

The idea of the Oratory had long been in Headmaster Burke’s head and in his heart. In late August of 2007, Eric Ward ’09, a rising St. Sebastian’s junior, died in an automobile accident in his hometown of Medfield. After learning of Erik’s death, Arrows studying at the University of Notre Dame gathered at its famous Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes to pray for him, his family and friends and their beloved St. Sebastian’s School. Their response in this moment of tragedy, and the special place where they grieved together, inspired Headmaster Burke’s dream of creating an outdoor worship site on St. Sebastian’s campus. Notre Dame’s Grotto replicates on a one-seventh scale the famed French shrine in Lourdes, where Holy Mary, mother of God 26 | ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE

TOP: Dean of Students Brendan Sullivan, Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne, Headmaster Bill Burke, Peggy and Jim McDonough P’05, and Fr. John Arens at the Oratory blessing. BOTTOM LEFT: Fr. Arens blesses St. Sebastian’s new outdoor worship site. BOTTOM RIGHT: The entire school community gathers for the ceremony.

appeared to Saint Bernadette. Fittingly, a stone brought back from a pilgrimage to Lourdes by science teacher John Ryan and five Arrows this past summer is placed in the wall of The Oratory.

With the vision finally turned into reality, the blessing of the Oratory was a momentous and moving occasion for St. Sebastian’s. As the student body, faculty and staff surrounded the site and watched from above on

the balcony outside of Martin Hall, Fr. John delivered beautiful words of scripture and prayer, calling on “all who gaze upon this sculpted image to be moved to know and embrace the reality it represents.” During his remarks, Headmaster Burke encouraged members of the school community to visit whenever compelled. “A place open to the heavens 24/7. No need to unlock the Church or the Chapel. This Oratory,

“A place open to the heavens 24/7. No need to unlock the Church or the Chapel. This Oratory, this holy site, is now and ever shall be accessible to all. Individuals and groups can come here to pray, to meditate, to worship...

Any time is a great time, the right time to pray, to pray without ceasing.”

—Headmaster William L. Burke III

this holy site, is now and ever shall be accessible to all. Individuals and groups can come here to pray, to meditate, to worship. Before and after tests and performances and games. You name it.

Any time is a great time, the right time to pray, to pray without ceasing. And what a place to pray, on this hill above the waters of the Charles River!”

Joining in the blessing were Jim and Peggy McDonough, loving parents of their only child, James P. McDonough ’05, who tragically died in an accident in 2011. The McDonoughs have long shared the dream of this worship site with a memorial to their son and have given generously of their prayers and of their resources to support this project.

The plaque, integrated into the stone wall, reads: “In Loving Memory of James P. McDonough, Class of 2005, A True Arrow of Passion and Grace.”

During his remarks, Headmaster Burke remembered James as “a high energy, happy, multi-talented, deep-thinking, deep-feeling, kind and giving, lovable and loving gift to our world. He loved St. Sebastian’s and he loved life, and made sure everyone around him did, too. May we all strive to live our lives as James lived his, exuding and inspiring the good, the true, and the beautiful, each of us resolving to become ever more fully ‘A true Arrow of Passion and Grace.’”

In this community of spiritual depth, the Oratory is the perfect new addition to our campus—a sacred space open to every member of our St. Sebastian’s family, at any hour every day of the year.

A statue of The Blessed Mother holding the Christ Child serves as a focal point of the Oratory.

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Dedication of

The Burke Family Center September 22, 2022, was a momentous day for St. Sebastian's School. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the West Campus Center, completed in 2018 as part of the Spirit & People Campaign, was officially dedicated and will forever more be known as the Burke Family Center.

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he naming of the facility recognizes Headmaster Burke’s visionary leadership and serves as an enduring tribute to the Burke Family and their extraordinary impact on St. Sebastian’s. This special dedication was fittingly part of a celebration to mark the conclusion of the Spirit & People Campaign, which transformed our school by blessing us not only with this magnificent new structure for athletics, performing arts and administrative offices, but also led to a significant increase to our endowment.

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The festivities began in the afternoon with the unveiling of the Burke Family Center signage over the entrance and two beautiful plaques installed in Martin Hall—one honoring the Burke Family and the other with the verse, 1 John 4:19—“We love, because He first loved us”—along with quotes from Headmaster Burke. The plaques were revealed by Bill and Patty Burke following a blessing from Fr. John Arens.

As the Burkes entered the competition gym for the schoolwide dedication of the Burke Family Center, they were greeted with a thunderous ovation from the entire student body, along with faculty, staff and trustees. Fr. John Arens gave a prayer and blessing, and Student Council President Connor Dumouchel ’23 spoke on behalf of the student body.

Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne, trustee Jim Mooney P’18 and Dean of Students Brendan Sullivan each shared heartfelt remarks to honor Bill, Patty and their family.

A picture of the immediate Burke Family, surrounded by a matte signed by every student, was then presented to Bill and Patty. Finally, both Bill and Patty took the podium to share their love of and gratitude for St. Sebastian’s, emphasizing that the word “Family” in the name of the facility represents the entire school community.

I am so honored to be speaking on behalf of the student body in order to honor you and the Burke Family. I can almost guarantee every person here has a story on how you’ve enhanced their Sebs experience, including me… Mr. Burke, you are one of the most compassionate men I’ve ever met, and you are the reason Sebs is run as well as it is.”

—Connor Dumouchel ’23, Student Council President

Family is the Center of our dedication of this complex as we ask Your Blessing this day and always. You, Lord, have given us all to be formers of Family present and future. You have brought us together to express our appreciation of the Burke Family and their example of devotion. We humbly ask Your Blessing upon the interplay of Families, and the generosity of Love in the embrace of enduring relationship.

—Fr. John Arens

TOP LEFT: Patty and Bill unveil one of the plaques in Martin Hall. TOP RIGHT: Patty with three of her sons, Will ’95, Dan ’97 and Matt ’00. MIDDLE: Connor Dumouchel ’23 gives heartfelt remarks. BOTTOM: Fr. Arens blesses the Burke Family Center.

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Seb’s is a goodness factory. I’ve said to

Mr. Burke so many times, “I just didn’t know a school could do that.” I remain in awe of what it did for our son, and, honestly, I don’t think that awe will ever fade. I am so proud to serve this school. I am so blessed to call Mr. Burke my friend. I am so happy that the Burke family is honored with this space. There is no name more deserving to be on this building.”

Bill leaves a lasting mark on all of us, and on everyone he encounters.

For me, that indelible mark is one of a strong moral leader, a problem solver, a role model, a mentor, and especially as a friend… Bill and Patty, thank you both for your devotion, your service, and the love which you have shared with our community.

—Brendan Sullivan, Dean of Students

TOP: Brendan Sullivan, Fr. John Arens, Jim Mooney, Bill and Patty Burke, Mike Nerbonne and Jim Elcock. BOTTOM: A photograph of the Burke Family, surrounded by a mat signed by the entire student body, is presented to the Burkes by Brendan Sullivan.

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—James F. Mooney III P’18, Trustee

That evening, campaign and leadership donors, along with trustees and members of the Burke Family, gathered for the main event to celebrate the incredible impact of the Spirit & People Campaign and the dedication of the Burke Family Center. Guests arrived through Martin Hall, taking in the new plaques before making their way to the competition gym for a cocktail reception. Fr. Arens’ opening prayer was followed by a speech from recent alumnus, Andrew Hahm ’22, a freshman at Amherst College, who spoke about his experience as an Arrow and the many positive ways the Burke Family has touched his life. In addressing the crowd, Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne shared his thoughts on the befitting naming of the Burke Family Center. Campaign co-chair Bill O’Malley P’09,’10,’13 gave a celebratory speech highlighting his Campaign Co-Chair and dear friend, Jack Connors, the investment made by the school community, and the opportunity to honor the Burkes.

The celebration continued as the more than 300 attendees moved to the Wrestling Room for dinner. After Board President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08 welcomed the guests, a video about the Spirit & People Campaign was shown, highlighting the success of the Burke Family Center facility and how its spaces aided in continuing in-person learning during the pandemic. Campaign Co-Chair Jack Connors GP’20,’23,’24,’24,’26 and John Harrington GP’16,’21,’25, Chairman of the Yawkey Foundation, gave touching speeches and a second video was shown that specifically honored Headmaster Burke and his family, which included his five youngest grandchildren.

Clearly overwhelmed by the kind words shared throughout the day’s festivities, Bill and Patty each took the podium to share their heartfelt appreciation and love for the St. Sebastian’s community and their family. Headmaster Burke shared, “Patty, I love you, and I’m so proud to have my name with yours on this building. Will, Dan, Matt, and Sam: We love you with all our hearts and are so very proud of, happy for, and grateful to you. We came here as a package deal 32 years ago. You were 13, 11, 8, and 4. The original six.

Now in my 33rd year, I delight in the truth that I have never been here without a son. Our first 14 years, Patty and I were current parents. When Dan joined our faculty in 2002, Sam ’04 was a junior, Matt joined our faculty a few years ago.

Will’s son, Liam, is a senior here, and our other grandsons, Jackson, Dillon, Mackey, Owen, and Sean have their hearts set on becoming Arrows. God, family, job. Where does one end and the other begin?”

During her powerful speech, Patty proclaimed, “Every committee member, every donor, every visionary, every worker, every supporter, known and unknown, labored and served to do the next right thing for love of God, family, St. Sebastian’s School, and future generations and created the West Campus Center and expanded endowment…Think of all that has already happened here, all the kids who have had new chances and opportunities to come face to face with themselves and each other, and all those that will come through and the zillions of experiences yet to be. YOU made this happen and then you extend yourselves to honor Bill, beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, St. Sebastian’s headmaster, and great friend of and to so many by naming this building after him.”

Both Bill and Patty received a standing ovation following their remarks. Fittingly, Fr. Michael Drea brought the evening’s celebration to a close with a prayer of gratitude. It was a bright day for our school that will be remembered in the annals of St. Sebastian’s.

TOP: Patty introduces her grandchildren while Bill holds two of his grandsons, Mackey and Sean. MIDDLE: The wrestling room is filled with Spirit & People Campaign donors and other friends of the School community. BOTTOM: Recent graduate Andrew Hahm shares the special memories he made in the new facility as a student.

The Burke Family Center gathers people and empowers them with energy and warmth, just the way Headmaster Burke does for the St. Sebastian’s community every day.

—Andrew Hahm ’22

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When Bill Burke, a 39-year old English teacher and coach, was chosen as Head of School here at St. Sebastian’s in 1990, no one dared dream of the transformation he designed and led. It was a good school when he got here, and it is a great school today—competitive at every level in the ISL. When you arrive on this campus, you see the first-class buildings, fields, and classrooms. It’s what you don’t see that makes this place so special. It’s the spirit of this place. Love God. Work Hard. And Take Good Care of One Another. I cannot think of anyone who is a greater example of these values than our friend, the man we honor this evening: Bill Burke.”

—John M. Connors GP’20,’23,’24,’24,’26 Spirit & People Campaign Co-Chair

Bill’s leadership, vision and relationship with the Board have been the motivation for three decades of trustees to constantly look to the future and ask “how can we improve... how do we get better?”, come up with a plan, and act on it.

—James L. Elcock ’77, P’08, President of the Board of Trustees

Spirit & People Campaign Co-Chairs Jack Connors and Bill O’Malley share a joyful moment.

Not only do we close out the Campaign tonight, but we close it out in style, honoring Bill and Patty and their wonderful family—and how fitting that we honor the Burke family as their fingerprints are all over this place, literally! Did the Burkes make the campus more beautiful? Yes. Is the Science, Math & Library Center amazing? Yes. Did they emphasize writing and speaking skills? They did.

Is the academic rigor incredible? Indeed. Is the faculty bright, engaged, committed and tireless?

They sure are. Is the Burke Family Center absolutely beautiful? It certainly is. The Burke Family has been instrumental in all of the above. But their biggest contribution, in my mind, has been to the culture of the School—love God, love one another, love thy neighbor, love our differences, love unconditionally, love, love, love. Lots of love around this place and it all begins with the Burke Family!

— William A. O'Malley P'09,'10,'13, Spirit & People Campaign Co-Chair

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When our Board and so many of our generous donors and supporters wished to honor Bill with a monument fitting for his decades of generous service and leadership of our beloved School, they chose this spectacular edifice... When Bill learned of this plan, he responded in the only way he knows: not for me, but for my family. What a fitting tribute from Bill to Patty and to Will, Dan, Matt and Sam and their families. But Bill’s gesture, I would suggest, goes much deeper and broader. By including all of us as extended family members in their expansive, even exponential love which I referenced earlier, Bill and Patty are in a way placing all of our names on this beautiful space.

All of us here tonight are familiar with or know persons who are great leaders within our communities, our workplace, and nationally or on a worldwide scale— and I believe none of us here have ever witnessed a reception so full of respect and warmth and love as Bill and Patty received here this evening.

—John Harrington GP’16,’21,’25

— Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne

TOP: Headmaster Burke gives John Harrington a warm embrace. BOTTOM: Patty Burke introduces her son and Assistant Dean of Students, Dan, his wife, Kathryn, and their two children, Dilllon and Jackson.

We bring this evening’s celebration to a close with hearts overflowing with gratitude. Our gratitude is so rightly directed, firstly, to You for the countless blessings that You have lovingly bestowed on St. Sebastian’s School for 81 years. Our gratitude for the abundant generosity of so many that has made this night possible is simply not able to be captured in mere words but spoken from our hearts with sincere love. Our gratitude for those who assumed a posture of determined and dedicated leadership throughout the Spirit & People Campaign can never be adequately expressed, but know that we stand before them holding each in high esteem.

Our gratitude for the Burke Family: honored this night in the naming of the Burke Family Center.

Bless Bill and Patty and their family, Father, who each day guide us all to grow closer to You by living out the mission of St. Sebastian’s School.”

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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS 25th Annual Boston Business Breakfast Current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends of St. Sebastian’s gathered at the Boston College Club for the 25th annual Boston Business Breakfast on November 22. The event was a wonderful opportunity for members of the St. Sebastian’s family to network and reconnect.

In front of a packed house, St. Sebastian's Headmaster Bill Burke opened with a few words and said a prayer before Board of Trustees President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08 shared his remarks. Following breakfast, trustee Mike Frisoli P’17,’19,’21,’22,’26, Vice Chairman at Newmark, delivered the keynote speech on the current state of the commercial real estate market.

NEW PARENT DINNER On September 29, parents of new students were welcomed in Ward Hall by faculty members, administrators, and fellow parents at the annual New Parent Dinner. A cocktail reception started the night off, which gave guests a chance to chat with different members of the School community.

Following dinner, the new families had the opportunity to hear from student representative Alex Baynes ’23, as well as from several of our parents about upcoming events and ways to get involved at St. Sebastian’s.

Class of 2026 Parent Reception Headmaster Bill Burke & Patty Burke hosted a reception in the Burke Family Center for the parents of students in the Class of 2026 on October 11. For this class of parents, whose sons started at St. Sebastian’s during the pandemic in the fall of 2020, the event was a welcome opportunity to be together on campus and hear in-person updates from Headmaster Burke.

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TOP: Mike Frisoli P’17,’19,’21,’22,’26, Vice Chairman at Newmark, gives the keynote speech. BOTTOM: Ed Weiss P’23, Mark Warner ’81, P’11,’14 and Chris Warner ’11 chat at the Boston College Club during the Boston Business Breakfast.

A Festive Night of Fundraising

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he Annual Christmas Auction & Dinner was held at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport on the evening of December 3. Guild of St. Irene President Kristin Maxwell P’25 and Auction Co-chairs Julie Mulvey P’17,’21,‘26 and Kelly Stenberg P’25 did a fabulous job of leading a large group of St. Sebastian’s moms to plan, assemble items, decorate and create a festive night. Special thanks to our auctioneers, Joe Amorosino P’24, Scott Mutryn P’25,’26, and Wendy Thurmond P’25,’28 for inspiring a wonderful live auction and keeping it fun. Several students were in attendance to help sell raffle tickets and Gianluca Centola ’24 was on hand during the live auction to introduce the chess board he made in the Innovation Lab, after previously making a dartboard last year.

The biggest highlight of the night came when attendees exceeded the fundraising goal to help support the Teach and Be Taught Fund during our Raise the Paddle.

The entire night was filled with joy, providing a wonderful opportunity for parents and friends of the St. Sebastian’s community to gather during the Christmas season. We are eternally grateful to all those who contributed to making this evening a tremendous success, from the donors, sponsors and advertisers to those who attended and bid.

TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT: Headmaster Bill Burke recognizes Guild of St. Irene President Kristin Maxwell P’25 and Auction Co-chairs Kelly Stenberg P’25 and Julie Mulvey P’17,‘21,‘26. n Justin and Tonda Bourque P’25 and Mike and Karen Volo P’23 enjoy drinks and conversation during the reception. n Auctioneers Joe Amorosino P’24 and Scott Mutryn P’25,’26 lead an entertaining game of Heads or Tails during dinner. n Dean of Students Brendan Sullivan and Tahisha Skeen-Deloach P’23 chat during the silent auction portion of the evening. n Headmaster Bill Burke with Class of 2027 parents, Jill Fulginite, Kristin Weber, Amy MacDougall, Tania Diaz, and Alberto Machuca.

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25 years of service

Mark Rogers and Rafael De-Jesus join the Wall of Honor in recognition of their 25 years of service to St. Sebastian’s School

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MARK ROGERS Thoughtful. Wise. Caring. Patient. These are the words that come to mind when students, alumni and colleagues think of Mark Rogers.

Whether leading the Fine Arts Department, directing a play or teaching English class, Mark emanates a warmth and openness that has inspired Arrows to discover their strengths in the classroom and on the stage since he began working at St. Sebastian’s in 1996.

hen recalling how he came to be employed at St. Sebastian’s, Mark joked, “I worked here before I worked here.” His wife, Sally, who had joined the Fine Arts faculty in 1989, recruited Mark to help build set pieces for the fall play she was directing.

“I must have been making quite a racket with my screw gun and circular saw. A couple days later, I received a friendly letter from Bill Burke, thanking me for helping Sally. The letter was accompanied by a check.” A week or so later, the same thing happened again: big racket, check in the mail. When the opportunity to officially work at St. Sebastian’s arose a short time later, Mark didn’t hesitate to jump onboard.

For the first few years, Mark worked part-time and filled in for Sally during her maternity leave. It was the perfect arrangement while he and Sally were raising their young children, Nellie and Cam—she continued to teach the drama classes and Mark directed the plays. When Sally moved onto a new opportunity, Mark took on the fulltime role, teaching drama and English classes and continuing to run the Drama Club.

Although Mark came to St. Sebastian’s with extensive theater experience and had done some teaching, he’d never taught theater or directed a play before.

He acted exclusively for several years— mostly on stage with a little bit of TV and film mixed in—and extrapolated from what he’d learned by watching the various directors. The first play he directed at St. Sebastian’s was Molière’s classic comedy The Imaginary Invalid, in which he’d performed in his acting days and thought the boys would enjoy.

The performance took place in the Atrium, an open space that existed before Ward Hall was built, using a few rented light poles to provide theatrical lighting.

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“Over the years, young men have discovered their acting talents because of Mark’s mentoring. He understands the strengths of each of his actors perhaps before they do, draws performances out of a student, and inspires them to dig deeper.”

—Deirdre Rynne-Annan

Since those early days, the Fine Arts Department, and its facilities, have expanded greatly and Mark has taken on a larger role, becoming chair of the department in the mid-2000’s. In addition to guiding the Slings & Arrows Players in the Drama Club, he continues to teach English and drama to 7th and 8th grade students. The walls of his classroom in the Art Building are lined with posters from the plays he’s directed, making an impression on students when they come into class for the first time and bringing back memories when alumni return to campus to visit.

On any given day, you can find Mark beginning a class by playing his guitar, providing one-on-one feedback on an English paper, or helping a struggling actor remember his lines late into the evening—all with the same calm rapport.

His comforting presence creates a safe environment for a middle school student delivering his first monologue in front of the class or an actor testing a performance approach. “Over the years young men have discovered their acting talents because of Mark’s mentoring,” shared his colleague, Deirdre RynneAnnan. “He understands the strengths of each of his actors perhaps before they do, draws performances out of a student and inspires them to dig deeper.

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TOP LEFT: Mark encourages one of his young thespians during a drama class in 1997. TOP RIGHT: Anthony Perez ’19 and Cole Tremblay ’19, who joined forces to write and direct the original play, Imaginary Friends, stand with their mentor. BOTTOM: Mark gives feedback to 8th grade Arrows as they practice a skit this past December.

And they do because they trust and respect him!”

Under Mark’s careful guidance and encouragement, Arrows with all levels of acting experience have soared during their days as Arrows and beyond.

Former student David Korzeniowski ’16 shared, “He helped me root out ‘interrospeak” from my monologues, gave me confidence to go onstage, and made drama practices some of my favorite late nights on St. Sebastian’s’ campus. My time with Mr. Rogers and the Drama Club vastly improved my

public speaking and performance under pressure, skills that are crucial in my work as a broadcaster today.”

When Mark first started working at St. Sebastian’s, the Drama Club entered the drama festival competitively and made it to the state finals in 1999. As exciting as this was, Mark recognized that being competitive meant being more selective in material and casting.

At some point, he decided to only select plays where he could cast everybody who tried out—from the seasoned actor to the shy 7th grader to the varsity

athlete trying something new in the offseason. “There’s not a lot of other extracurriculars where the middle school age group spends so much time with upperclassmen,” noted Mark. “I love the camaraderie of the club. It’s wonderful to watch seventh graders and 12th graders working together on a play.”

Mark has consistently given his actors creative freedom, knowing when to step in and when to step back.

“When Mr. Rogers provided feedback, it was always helpful, but he always had the trust in us as actors to make the decisions for our performance,” shared Owen Finnegan ’16. “This feeling of ownership was really important in shaping me as an actor.” The greatest example of students taking command is the winter play. In 2012, when Mark Lane ’12 approached Mark with an original script, he not only agreed to try it, but also had the senior direct the one act play. This launched a new tradition in which several Arrows have written and directed the second play of the year.

Bringing an original piece to the drama festival, just a few weeks later, has proven to be a successful strategy, with several students winning play-writing and acting awards over the years.

Mark’s role in the winter play varies from advisor to peacekeeper, and

sometimes wrangler. CJ Santosuosso ’15 recalls how Mark was originally reluctant to let him produce The Rise and Fall, his artistic take on the events that led up to and followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. “After a disastrous first rehearsal, I feared his reservations were correct. Though I was concerned, Mr. Rogers was patient, allowing the cast and I to work each night on the show,” recalled CJ. “Slowly things began to click. One night, a couple weeks before we performed in Ward Hall, he pulled me aside and said, ‘I’m glad you didn’t listen to me.’ That to me is the embodiment of who Mr. Rogers is. He will root for his students to succeed no matter what.”

The unfailing commitment Mark bestows upon his students and actors extends to his colleagues as well. For the past fifteen years, he has led the Fine Arts Department in weekly meetings, offering sage advice, supporting new ideas, and inserting humorous anecdotes to provide a sometimes much-needed laugh. Under his tenure, the department has expanded curriculum, facility and technological resources. “Mark has cemented himself as a stalwart mentor and inspirational educator who always makes and takes time to lend an ear of

support,” noted Deirdre. “Our whole department is so grateful for his steady hand at the helm and for his friendship.”

Headmaster Burke reinforced these sentiments at the Faculty-Trustee Dinner in November where Mark was honored for his 25 years of service: “A loving husband, a great father, and a pure educator, Mark exemplifies the spirit of St. Sebastian’s at our very best.

He exudes and inspires the good, true, and beautiful, and is the very essence of loyalty and committed friendship as evinced by his enduring connection with longtime walking partner, Pat Colton, who passed last January.”

Mark is equally grateful for the commitment of his colleagues.

“Generosity is all over the place. People are generous with their time, generous with their expertise, generous with their mutual support,” shared Mark at the Faculty-Trustee Dinner. “I consider myself very fortunate to have worked here for twenty-five years with so many generous colleagues, like the members of the Fine Arts Department, dedicated, talented souls all.”

Thank you, Mark, for serving as an effective leader and sharing your passion for the craft with countless Arrows.

LEFT: Mark with his son, Cam, and wife, Sally at the Faculty-Trustee Dinner on November 10 where he was honored for his 25 years of service to St. Sebastian’s. RIGHT: Fine Arts faculty members Barrett Ellis, Courtney Bent, Skip Wrightson, Deirdre Rynne-Annan and Jay Wu support Mark on his great achievement.

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RAFAEL DE-JESUS Everybody knows Rafi, and Rafi knows everybody. The sous chef in St. Sebastian’s kitchen is not only an expert cook, but a friend to students and faculty alike and a fantastic mentor to his co-workers. Beloved by our entire school community, for the past 25 years Rafi has spread his contagious positivity and led by example with his faithful work ethic.

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he opportunity to be part of the kitchen staff at St. Sebastian’s came about through a chance encounter.

While at the dentist with his young children in 1997, Rafi bumped into a former co-worker, Matt Grimes, who had been a tremendous help to him and his wife, Ianette, when they first moved here from Puerto Rico. When Rafi mentioned he was looking for a job, Matt shared an opening through Sage Dining to work at a good school, with good benefits and good room for growth. In recalling this serendipitous meeting, Rafi said, “Of course, I said yes, and since then, it has been an incredible experience where I’m learning new things every day.”

Rafi’s main responsibility is to prepare the day-to-day hot meals for St. Sebastian’s students and faculty. He arrives every morning by 7:00 am to begin getting ready for lunch. On the longest days, when there are special events in the evening, it might be 10:00 pm or later before he heads home to Fall River. For 25 years, he has been doing this routine, and always with the same energy. Head Chef Mike Fuller, who has worked with Rafi for over ten years, praised his attitude: “Rafi’s commitment is one of his biggest strengths. He wants to serve the community and does an excellent job at it.” Dean of Students Brendan Sullivan agreed: “On days when his colleagues are out sick and the delivery truck hasn’t arrived on time, you will never hear a word of complaint or frustration from Rafi. You will hear ‘I have faith in Him’ and ‘God Bless,’ but nothing negative. It is an honor to work with a man of such deep faith and commitment.”

Rafi takes pride in everything he does.

Serving lunch to 375 hungry boys every day is not easy, but he executes his job with great skill, using the equipment and food supplies available to ensure that the food is fresh and looks its best. From making pizza every Friday (one of his favorite things to cook for the students), to baking cookies for meetings or cooking a pasta dish for a sports banquet, he gives the same focus to preparing the

food. From time to time, Rafi has the creative freedom to experiment, incorporating meals derived from his Puerto Rican background or creating a special recipe for one of the school’s many events. Recently, he and Chef Fuller collaborated on a risotto station for the Faculty-Trustee Dinner that was a huge hit.

Over the years, Rafi’s role has expanded to take on more leadership responsibilities in the kitchen. The loving father of three children and nine grandchildren enjoys being part of a team and sets a great example for everyone around him with his positive approach. For several years, his wife, Ianette, worked alongside him, and he extends this sense of family to all his co-workers, whether they are new or have been part of the team for a while.

“Rafi is a great ambassador for both St. Sebastian’s and Sage in how he conducts himself amongst the team and supports new team members,” noted Mike. “He takes ownership of trying to teach those who are new the right way to do things, but in such an uplifting way, never negative.”

Rafi’s spirited presence is felt by those who enter Ward Hall for lunch every day. “If your sky dims to a darker shade of grey, and nothing seems to be going right in your life, do yourself a favor—make a bee line to our kitchen, and find Rafi, our pure hearted gentle giant of infinite goodness and boundless positive energy,” shared Headmaster Bill Burke. “After spending even a few graced moments with him, you’ll be convinced of this powerfully beautiful truth expressed by the poet Robert Browning: ‘God’s in His heaven—All’s right with the world!’” Despite being busy from the moment he arrives at school each day, Rafi somehow finds the time to learn the name of every student and touch base with faculty and staff. He knows many of the alumni as well, connecting with them at Reunion and other special events throughout the year.

Whether it’s a new recipe or a new name, Rafi has never stopped learning

since he set foot on St. Sebastian’s campus. “I want to do my best and keep growing with the school that I have learned so much from. St. Sebastian’s is my school, too—my university,” Rafi shared during the Faculty-Trustee Dinner last November where he was recognized for his 25 years of service.

“It has been an honor and a privilege working here, getting to know so many people through the years.” The love Rafi has for St. Sebastian’s is mutual—we are beyond blessed to have him as part of our school community.

“If your sky dims to a darker shade of grey, and nothing seems to be going right in your life, do yourself a favor—make a bee line to our kitchen, and find Rafi, our pure hearted gentle giant of infinite goodness and boundless positive energy.”

—Headmaster Bill Burke

TOP LEFT: Rafi with fellow members of the kitchen staff in 2001. TOP RIGHT: Twenty-one years later, Rafi stands in the same kitchen with Chef Mike Fuller. BOTTOM: Members of the De-Jesus Family gather for a photo at the Faculty-Trustee Dinner in Ward Hall.

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FINE ARTS

“Wrestling with Time” Photographic self-portraits by Landon Bailey '23 (left) and Colin Dowdle '23 (right).

SURREAL SELF-PORTRAITS AP Photography students were tasked with taking a self-portrait and then using Photoshop to blend the portrait with at least one other photograph they’d taken. The resulting compositions were creative and unique!

“Wrestling with Time,” by Derron St. Marie ’24, is both a critique and product of commitment.

From the artist: "This piece intends to portray the challenge students wrestle when trying to juggle school, sports, the arts and passion projects. Students often find themselves being pulled in many directions by their various commitments. As such, students find themselves racing the clock..." Derron worked over many months during free study hall periods. Practice, planning, revising and editing is a vital part of learning. When we celebrate a finished piece, it is important to celebrate the journey as well!

Peace & Beauty AP Photography student Alex Maalouf ’23 and AP Art History students Alex Roth ’23 and Will Hansen ’23 took an inspirational field trip to the Drikung Meditation Center for a visit with the Venerable Lama Konchok Sonam. The center houses the only replica in the US of the sacred Jowo Rinpoche Buddha in Lhasa, Tibet. During the visit, the students learned about the statue, Tibetan Buddhism, meditation practices, and Ven. Lama Sonam's personal journey.

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LET IT GLOW! Members of the Clay Club had fun making Christmas tree votives which were glazed before bringing home to add to their holiday decor.

FINE ARTS

The Slings & Arrows Players, St. Sebastian's

drama club, delivered an incredible performance of The Explorers Club on November 4 and 5, 2022. Written by Nell Benjamin, The Explorers Club is a spoof of an English gentlemen's adventure club set in 1889. A woman scientist, not particularly welcome by all the members, gives a lecture about a lost city she has discovered. Things go downhill fairly rapidly after that. The actors and the crew excelled under the guidance of faculty member Mark Rogers. Special thanks to Brigid Ryan, daughter of faculty member John Ryan and a senior at Ursuline Academy, for joining the cast to take on a lead role as Phyllida Spotte-Hume.

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MEMORIAL MASS & RINK REDEDICATION

Honoring the Legacy of Henry T. Lane On Saturday, September 17, 2022, the Lane Family and St. Sebastian’s alumni, parents and friends of Arrows Hockey gathered to celebrate the life of Henry T. Lane ’49, P’77—longtime teacher, hockey coach and Athletic Director of St. Sebastian’s—and to rededicate the Henry T. Lane Rink, following the near completion of the Henry T. Lane Rink Improvement Project.

Henry Lane’s children, Mark ’77 and Jennifer, stand proudly on either side of the dedication plaque, flanked by Mark’s wife, Sue, his children, Graham and Lily, and Jennifer’s husband, Patrick.

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he day began with a Memorial Mass for Henry under the tents on the West Campus fields. Nearly every decade of St. Sebastian’s 80-year history was represented, with Arrows in attendance spanning from the 1950’s to current students. The Mass was led by Fr. John Arens, with Henry’s daughter, Jennifer, serving as a reader.

Following a moving video highlighting Henry’s tenure at St. Sebastian’s, guests were treated to tributes from his friends and family.

Jack Sullivan ’66, P’00 recalled touching, and at times comical, memories of Henry, his former hockey coach, friend, and best man in his wedding. He noted how Henry was a great competitor, whether coaching hockey or playing tennis with his daughter, but always with a positive attitude. “He had an unbelievable memory,” shared Jack. “He’d say, you know what, Sull, back in 1966, if you didn’t miss that shot, we could have won that game...

He could tell you who played, who did what, for years back. It was unbelievable because he worked that into his storytelling, and always with that sense of humor.”

Headmaster Burke then gave a heartfelt speech honoring Henry and thanked the many members of the community who supported the Henry T. Lane Rink Improvement Project, greatly enhancing the facility for our student-athletes, improving skater safety, and elevating the experience for fans and spectators. He individually acknowledged each member of the project committee, several of them in attendance, noting their connection to Arrows Hockey and accomplishments on the ice.

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Henry’s son, Mark ’77, shared the many wonderful memories he had with his father while growing up and attending St. Sebastian’s. Illustrating how much progress has been made since the early days at St. Sebastian’s, he drew comparisons with the outdoor rink on Nonantum Hill, where players and fans alike had to brave the elements on a cold, windy day.

Mark recalled the backbreaking work had to be done by players and other students to maintain the rink, from weeding to shoveling ice and snow. “It was a real collaborative effort that worked for over 30 years. But my father recognized as anyone would, that it was not a sustainable situation for the long-term. So when the school announced the move to Needham, he was thrilled... We now have a great rink with a great name, and he would be very happy today.”

Following the Mass and tributes to Henry, guests then made their way down to the hockey rink for the rededication of the Henry T. Lane Rink, originally dedicated on January 11, 1997. Mark and Jennifer Lane unveiled the new Henry Lane tribute plaques and Fr. John Arens blessed the rink. Attendees then had a chance to view the improvements, with alumni stopping to peruse and find themselves on the Arrows Team wall, displaying photos of each of the 79 varsity teams since the hockey program’s inception in 1943. Other highlights included the new ice level warming room, featuring photographs and plaques celebrating the achievements of many teams and players, and the muraled walls flanking the entrance to the warming room, celebrating the rich heritage and history of Arrows Hockey. Families then laced up and took to the ice.

Through the support of over 230 donors to the Henry T. Lane Rink Improvement Project, St. Sebastian’s was able to revitalize the rink with the new ice level warming room and displays of the Arrows Hockey legacy, the installation of state-of-the-art boards and glass, new permanent viewing stands, a tribute wall to Henry, improvements to the west and east walls, and new scoreboards. These renovations breathe new life into a facility so central to the heart of our School, while also celebrating St. Sebastian’s rich hockey heritage and continuing to honor the legacy of a man who dedicated so much of his life to the institution he loved.

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CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE John J. Doherty ’62 P’86 ’87 GP’17 ’25 Timothy P. Doherty ’87 P’17 James L. Elcock ’77 P’08 Michael J. Grier ’93 P‘22 Noah P. Hanifin ’15 Joseph G. Harney ’92 P’21’24 ’27 Joseph A. Hulbig ’92 P’28 Michael A. & Lori J. Joyce P ’17 ’20 Stephen P. Maskell ’74 P’09 Peter J. McLaughlin ’55 GP’13 ’19 ‘24 ’24 John A. Murphy P ’17 ’20 John B. Sullivan, Jr. ’66 P’00 Joseph L. Tansey, Jr. ’69 P’03 Noah P. Welch ’01

TOP: Guests check out the display highlighting the history of Arrows hockey while children skate on the new ice. n BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT: Brothers Tim ’00 and Tony ’01 Coskren gather with their children and parents, Tim and Paula, before the family skate. n Jack Sullivan ’66, P’00 speaks about his former coach, teacher and friend, Henry Lane, during the Memorial Mass. n Attendees watch a film about Henry, featuring footage in which he shared memories of St. Sebastian’s. n Fr. John Arens blesses the rink. n Former players, Frank Harrington ’74, Tim Real ’91, and Joe Hulbig ’92, joined by his son William ’28, view the plaques in the new warming room.

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FALL SPORTS ISL CHAMPIONS

Varsity Football

BY COACH DAN BURKE

“Nothing worth having was ever achieved without effort.” This Theodore Roosevelt quote captures the attitude of this team, a team that was ready to put forth the effort required to be successful starting last winter. After finishing 3-5 last season, and knowing that the margin between victory and defeat was so small last year and always is in this league, the captains, Landon Bailey, Ryan Donovan, and Zion Simmons, and the rest of the senior leaders decided that this team was going to work harder in the offseason and in practice than they ever had before. All of this hard work, dedication, and unity earned us a 6-2

48 | ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE

record and a share of the ISL title, the best finish for the program since the 2018 season.

In addition, this team had two angels looking over us this season. On the back of our helmets we wore the initials KK and RN in memory of Ken Kelly, father of George Kelly ’26, and Regina Najarian, mother of Sebu ’24. Playing for them, their brothers on the team, and their extended Seb’s football family gave the team extra motivation each week.

As the season started with high hopes after all of the hard work in the offseason, we wanted to make sure we did not get too far ahead of ourselves and adopted a “1-0 each week” mentality. Starting with Governor's week one, we knew we had a tough matchup since we had lost in one score games the last two times we opened the season with them. We got off to a great start in the game but up just 14-6 at halftime, it looked like it

could have been heading the way of another one score game. The extra work in the offseason and preseason paid off though as we had reserves in the tank, scoring three second half TDs on the way to a 34-12 win over a strong Governor's team who also finished the ISL season at 6-2.

The defense was outstanding in that game and all season, finishing as the stingiest defense in the ISL, yielding just 13.1 points per game in league play.

Quarterback Ty Ciongoli ’25 threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns in his first varsity start to lead the offense.

1-0 after week one, we knew we hadn’t accomplished our larger goals yet and, in our minds, reset our record to 0-0.

After a gritty 14-6 victory over Nobles in week two to go 1-0 that week, our third game was our Homecoming game vs. Belmont Hill. On a beautiful day in front of hundreds of alumni, family, and friends, the Arrows jumped

FALL SPORTS

out to an early lead when Quincy Pickett ’23 stripped the ball from the Belmont Hill quarterback and fellow defensive lineman Jordan Atkinson ’23 scooped up the fumble and returned it for a touchdown. A couple second half scores by the offense and tough Arrows defense throughout brought us to 1-0 for the third week in a row with a 24-8 win, punctuated by the fans rushing the field to celebrate the Homecoming victory with their Arrows brothers.

Coming off a week four 20-3 win down at Tabor, the table was set for a showdown with also undefeated Lawrence Academy in what was one of the best St. Seb’s football games in recent memory. Lawrence Academy struck first and looked to take a 7-0 lead into halftime, but the Arrows offense executed a 95-yard drive that began with just 1:23 left, ultimately scoring on a 49-yard screen pass from Ty Ciongoli ’25 to George Kelly ’26 with eight seconds left in the half. That touchdown evened the score and won us momentum that we retained for the remainder of the game on the way to a

19-14 victory. Now at 5-0, we felt great about the start but maintained our 1-0 every week approach. Unfortunately, we dropped our next two in close games to Milton Academy (20-13) and to BB&N (21-20). After these tough losses, the team did not give up, and the senior leaders made sure that we were going to do all we could to be ready to go 1-0 in the final week vs. Thayer. On slippery terrain and in wild, stormy weather that gave way to tropical heat, two interceptions, one touchdown, and two 2-pt. conversions by tri-captain Zion Simmons ’23 led the way to a tight 23-21 victory in the final regular season game, leaving us with a 6-2 ISL record.

We knew that this victory likely secured us a NEPSAC Bowl berth, and shortly after our game, we learned that the only one loss team left in the league, Lawrence Academy, lost their final game, resulting in a three-way tie for the ISL title between them, us, and Governor's. We were ecstatic when we arrived back on campus from Thayer and were able to celebrate the ISL title in the locker room together.

We found out the next day that we did receive a berth into the Dave Coratti NEPSAC Bowl Game vs. Brooks (7-1) the following weekend up at their campus in North Andover. Brooks jumped out to a quick start, and we were not able to respond in the first half, resulting in a 21-0 deficit heading into the second half. While we played much better on both sides of the ball in the second half, Brooks ended up holding on for a 21-12 win.

Football and sports in general are about a lot more than wins and losses, and even if this team had not earned an ISL Championship, this season would have been a success because of how tight we were as a team. I always want our guys to love competing together, to never give up in any situation, to play with respect and dignity, and to respond well to adversity. There is no doubt that this team lived up to those expectations, and so much of that is due to the leadership of the Class of 2023.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Captain Zion Simmons ’23 runs with the ball for extra yards. LEFT: John Boyle ’23 makes a catch during the Friday night game under the lights against Milton. RIGHT: Captain Ryan Donovan ’23 makes a tackle on a Brooks’ player.

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FALL SPORTS

Varsity Soccer

BY COACH WOODY REDPATH

Though the season was bookended by two 3-0 losses to eventual Class A New England Champion Worcester Academy, the St. Sebastian’s soccer team put forth its strongest season in recent memory. When all the wins, losses, and ties were tabulated, the Arrows were 11-2-2 in the league play – landing them in 3rd place— and 12-4-2 overall, good enough for the 8th seed in the Class A Tournament!

St. Sebastian’s opened league play with an away game at Nobles on a bright, warm fall afternoon after a week of heavy rain. This game would set the tone for the rest of the year; a true high school soccer battle, with physical play, hard slide tackles, and a couple of talking to’s from the ref! Sebs came out on top 4-1 with goals coming from Kellan Kilmartin ’24, Matt Malloy ’23, Alex Perkin ’25, and Jack Mulka ’24.

JD Munro ’26 recorded his first ISL win in net for the Arrows! A true sign of success was the brown and green stains of the field on the previously bright, white jerseys of the Arrows.

Down 1-0 against Rivers, a score line that in years past may have felt too much to overcome, the Arrows showed their mettle. Mulka scored two beautiful goals off two wonderful assists from newcomer Griffin Collins ’26. The back line of co-captain Alex Baynes ’23, Kilmartin, Nick Adams ’24, and Luke Brassard ’24 held strong to preserve the 2-1 win over Rivers who threw everything at them, including the kitchen sink.

In early October, the Arrows traveled to Andover to see if they could put a stop to Brooks’ undefeated run. To say the game was high paced, back and forth, and gray-hair inducing would be an understatement. Sebs got on the board first when Brendan 50 | ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE

TOP: Varsity soccer players form a defensive wall to try and block a free kick. BOTTOM LEFT: Captain Alex Baynes ’23 heads the ball as Jacob Pichay ’26 looks on. BOTTOM RIGHT: Captain Oliver O’Donnell ’23 controls possession of the ball.

Schmidt ’24 finished calmly off a sneaky through ball from cocaptain Oliver O’Donnell ’23. Brooks responded quickly, earning a penalty kick late in the first half. While some would assume the momentum would swing back into Brooks’ favor, that was not the case as Mulka finished expertly on the run during the second

minute of the second half. The steely resolve of the Arrows midfield and back line would not be tarnished as they held on strong to defeat the Bishops 2-1. Timmy Weiss ’23, Sebastian Martinez- Moule ’26 and Jacob Pichay ’25 stood tall!

Another notable highlight of the season included a Saturday Night Game

FALL ATHLETIC AWARDS versus St. George’s in which the Arrows were victorious and witnessed some fantastic costumes from Henry’s Corner as they cheered from the sidelines. In the end, St. Sebastian’s had victories against three New England tournament bound teams, including one against Brooks, the Class B Champion. The only defeats during the season came against Milton Academy (finalist of the Class A Tournament), Worcester Academy (champions of the Class A Tournament), and an extremely disciplined and hardworking BB&N squad.

Statistically, Mulka was the second leading scorer in the ISL with 17 goals and 4 assists; Schmidt was the fourth leading scorer in the league with 12 goals and 8 assists; freshman Griffin Collins finished the season with 5 goals and 12 assists (best in the ISL). In spite of the many personal successes and accomplishments of this group, the boys fought for one another from day one.

On behalf of the team, thank you very much to all of those who supported us along our beautiful journey this year. We could not have done it without you all.

The following student-athletes were recognized for their performance during the fall season.

FOOTBALL ISL All League Award Jordan Atkinson ’23, Landon Bailey ’23, Jack Boyle ’23, Ryan Donovan ’23, Dominic Funke ’26, Quincy Pickett ’23, Zion Simmons ’23

ISL Honorable Mention Justin Bourque ’25, George Kelly ’26, AJ Lysko ’23

ISL Lineman of the Year Quincy Pickett ’23

ATHLETIC CLINICS BASKETBALL | SOCCER LACROSSE | FLAG FOOTBALL

Ennis Award Presented to a senior who displays the qualities of commitment, teamwork, and dedication to the football program.

Brett Porter ’23

Big Hit Award Presented to the player who makes a positive impact on our opponents.

Zion Simmons ’23

SOCCER ISL All League Award Kellan Kilmartin ’24, Jack Mulka ’24, Brendan Schmidt ’24

ISL Honorable Mention Alex Baynes ’23, Oliver O’Donnell ’23

Peter Kerr Award

These one-week clinics, run by our experienced St. Sebastian's faculty, are designed to sharpen the skills of student-athletes.

Grade-based sessions open to all boys entering grades 3-9 For more information, include dates & rates:

stsebs.org/summer

Presented to the soccer player who displays sportsmanship, dedication, and commitment to the soccer program.

Tim Weiss ’23

CROSS COUNTRY ISL All League Award Jack Connors ’24, Samuel Hinman ’23, John Joyce ’27

Coaches Award For the Runner who in his performance, leadership, and example best contributes to the success of the St. Sebastian's Varsity Cross Country Team.

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FALL SPORTS

Varsity Cross Country

BY COACH JOSEF CRESSOTTI

The 2022 Arrows Cross Country season was one of the best in the program’s history. With a fifth place finish at the ISL Championship and an 11-8 record during the regular season, the Arrows finished never higher in over twenty years.

The team, led by captains Sam Hinman ’23, Will Hansen ’23, and Jack Connors ’24, showed their great promise in the first ISL race of the season. Against a perennially tough Groton team, who would go on to finish 2nd in the league, St. Sebastian’s XC lost by just three points. The Arrows took the 3rd through 6th positions in Connors (17:56), Hinman (18:15), 8th grader John Joyce (18:21), and 9th grader Sebastian Culleton (18:34).

Newcomer Chris Thompson (’26), in his first ISL race, broke 20 minutes, to round out the team’s top five. With such a strong corps of runners, the

Arrows would be a fierce opponent to the rest of the ISL. For the next seven weeks, the Arrows trained intensely along the banks of the Charles and in the marshes of Cutler Park, in the hope of improving upon their 8th place finish at ISL's last year. Each member of the team was committed to this goal and encouraged each other to run their best. Returning seniors Michael Kalinichenko, Matthew Choumenkovitch, Thomas Devlin, and Jack Faggiano were joined by juniors Jonathan Demosthene and Liam Gavin. Completing the roster, the team welcomed new additions Chris Thompson '24, Eddie Zhang ’24, Bobby Brady ’24, and Pelle Russo ’24.

Over the next two meets, the Arrows would improve their times, earning victories against Thayer and Brooks while suffering close defeats to Belmont Hill, Tabor, and St. Mark’s.

Jack Connors achieved his first outright victory in a race by beating runners from Brooks, Belmont Hill, and Tabor on a hilly Andover course.

On the Friday of Homecoming Weekend, in front of a boisterous Henry’s Corner, the Arrows beat

Captain Jack Connors ’24 races to the finish line during St. Sebastian’s Homecoming race at The Rashi School in Dedham.

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Milton and Rivers, while coming up short against last year’s champion, Roxbury Latin. As in years past, our home fans transformed the outer fence of the Rashi School’s athletic field into Boylston Street of the Boston Marathon. Runners, Arrows and opponents alike, were greeted with cheers and high fives as they sped to the finish line.

The Arrows continued to improve over the next three weeks, finishing 5-1 against their remaining opponents.

In the team’s race against BB&N and Dexter at Fresh Pond, Jack Connors came in first at 16:42, followed by Joyce (17:10), Culleton (17:15), and Hinman (17:36). Chris Thompson posted a season best time of 18:34 to finish fifth for the team.

The highlight of the season was the team’s fifth place finish at the ISL Championship in Wrentham. With an average time of 17:26, the Arrows were only four points away from being on the podium. Both Jack Connors (8th) and Sam Hinman (14th) earned medals for their performance in that race. Of the twelve runners who ran that day, seven set personal records. As a team, the Arrows made huge strides from the start of the season. They beat three teams to whom they previously had lost and cut the gap with each team who beat them in the final. Additionally, no team whom they had beaten came out ahead of them in the final race.

For their performance during the season and the ISL Championship, Jack Connors, Sam Hinman, and John Joyce were named All-ISL. Jack Connors, who ranked 6th in the league and won three races outright, received the Cross Country Coach's Award.

While the Arrows will be losing six seniors next year, with four of our five top runners returning, and promising runners coming up from the middle school team, hopes are high for the 2023 season.

HOMECOMING

A

lumni, students, parents and faculty gathered with great enthusiasm on Saturday, October 8, to celebrate St. Sebastian's Homecoming and to cheer on the varsity football team in their victory over Belmont Hill and the soccer team in their match against Milton Academy.

Younger Arrows fans enjoyed face painting, pumpkin decorating and balloon animals! It was great to see our sidelines filled with so many members of our St. Sebastian’s family!

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ALUMNI EVENTS

ALUMNI GATHERINGS

Celebrating

Championship Anniversaries This fall, we honored two championship anniversaries. The ISL championship football, basketball and golf teams from the 1982-83 season celebrated the 40th anniversary of this banner year at Homecoming. The undefeated 2012 ISL and NEPSAC Championship football team returned to campus ten years later to be honored before the Friday night lights game against Milton Academy on October 28. From reminiscing plays with Coach Souza to reconnecting with teammates, it was wonderful to welcome these Arrows back home.

Director of Advancement Rich Arms and Headmaster Bill Burke meet with alumni at The Harvard Club in New York.

Receptions in DC & NYC

TOP: Alumni who were part of the ISL championship football, basketball and golf teams in 1982-83 gathered before Homecoming on October 8. BOTTOM: Members of the 2012 ISL and NEPSAC Championship football team pose for a photo with their former coach, Athletic Coordinator Robert Souza.

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On November 15 and 16, Headmaster Burke took St. Sebastian’s on the road, making his way down the east coast to spend time with alumni in New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Mark O’Friel ’79 hosted the New York gathering at the Harvard Club, where alumni saw a brief slideshow of all the activity that has been taking place on campus in recent months. On his next stop in Philadelphia, Headmaster Burke met a small group of alumni for lunch at the White Dog Café before catching the train to Washington D.C. The D.C. portion of the road trip overlapped with the Class of 2024’s Junior Class Trip to our nation’s capital.

The reception at the Holiday Inn Capitol gave alumni the opportunity to not only hear the update on the School from Headmaster Burke, but meet current students.

Matt Choi ’22, Tommy Cronin ’22, and Will McInerney ’22, all freshmen at Georgetown University, gave several students a tour of campus on Monday afternoon.

Matt Choi also addressed the juniors at the reception, reminding them to enjoy their time at St. Sebastian’s, and expressed his thanks for all of the “intangible” benefits of being an Arrow. Brian Compagnone ’92 shared his experience after St. Sebastian’s, encouraging the juniors to pursue a lifelong learning path. Closing out the speaking program, Ryan Kennedy ’93 traced his career path from young sports media analyst to business school to the FBI and ultimately, a cyber security start up. Kennedy strongly encouraged members of the Class of 2024 to consider service to their country, including the United States Armed Services, in their future plans.

ALUMNI EVENTS

Class of 2022 Yearbook Reception The Class of 2022 returned to St. Sebastian's on Wednesday, November 23, for the annual Yearbook Reception, where they spent the afternoon reminiscing with former classmates and catching up with faculty. During the reception, our recent grads received their copy of The Arrow. The 2022 edition of the yearbook was dedicated to Dan Burke ’97: “A selfless, compassionate English teacher and multi-sport coach, he has put his heart and soul into helping transform the boys of St. Sebastian’s into men.”

After Fr. Arens opened the event with a blessing for the Class of 2022, Director of Alumni Programs Mike Melley, Class Agent Jack Flynn ’22 and Headmaster Bill Burke addressed the crowd of Arrows gathered in Martin Hall before they enjoyed lunch together.

Alumni hockey players enjoy playing on the newly renovated Henry T. Lane Rink during the annual Alumni Sports Day.

ALUMNI SPORTS DAY On Saturday, November 26, 41 Arrows visited St. Sebastian’s campus to participate in our annual Alumni Sports Day. In addition to hockey and basketball, this year we added Ultimate. Coach Ben Brown had 22 current and former team members on the field.

After the games and good times had by all, Jon Bartlett hosted lunch and shared a few words with the group about his goals and objectives as St. Sebastian’s new Athletic Director.

Headmaster Bill Burke stands with members of the Class of 2022 during their Yearbook Reception.

Mark your calendars for November 25, 2023, and join us on the rink, courts or fields next year!

Thanksgiving Eve Social St. Sebastian's alumni from the Classes of 20042018 gathered on Wednesday, November 23, at Shenannigans in South Boston. Home for the Thanksgiving holiday, nearly 50 alumni stopped by to reconnect with friends and classmates at this annual event. Mark your calendars and we will see you all again next year!

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ALUMNI EVENTS

ALUMNI

RECEPTION

F

ollowing an opening prayer and a classic Ole & Lars joke from Fr. Arens, Alumni Board President Peter Galligan ’74 opened the reception and welcomed alumni gathered in Martin Hall.

The Recent Alumni Service Award, now in its third year, was presented to Mike Buckley for his ongoing commitment to St. Sebastian’s and the Class of 2004. Headmaster Burke thanked Mike for his many contributions as an alumnus, including Class Agent, Reunion Committee Member, and Alumni Board member.

Addressing the assembled alumni, Mike emphasized Headmaster Burke’s mantra: the essence of life is in relationships. “I’m fortunate to have a close group of friends from St Seb’s, some of whom are here tonight. We developed strong and close relationships as friends and

St. Sebastian’s hosted its Alumni Reception on October 27, 2022, bringing Arrows from across seven decades together. During the event, two of our loyal Arrows, Steve Maskell ’74, P’09 and Mike Buckley ’04, were honored with alumni awards.

families while students here, and we are fortunate to sustain and deepen those relationships as we have children of our own and take good care of one another as our lives evolve.” Congratulations to Mike on this well-deserved honor.

Steve Maskell arrived at Nonantum Hill in the fall of 1967 and immediately it felt like home. A standout hockey player, Steve led the varsity team in points in 1974, and was also a varsity golfer—two sports he has excelled at in his adult life. Throughout his time as an alumnus, Steve has served as a dedicated Class Agent, a Reunion Committee member, and recently served on the Henry T. Lane Rink Renovation Committee. Reflecting on the full duration of his commitment to St. Sebastian’s, Maskell shared, “The change that has happened in our community over the years is nothing short of astounding: buildings,

LEFT: Mike Buckley ’04 (far right) with his father, Michael, Headmaster Bill Burke, and his wife, Jenna. MIDDLE: Alumni Board President Peter Galligan ’74 addresses the crowd gathered in Martin Hall. RIGHT: Headmaster Bill Burke with Steve Maskell ’74, P’09 and his wife, Vicki.

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successful capital campaigns, growing endowment, excellence in academics and athletics. All this positive change has been the result of the assembled group’s effort and through the countless others who are not here this evening.

The collective hard work and the ability to embrace change by so many people who give so much of themselves in countless ways continues to define our school both on and off campus.

Our community is often spoken of in ways that I could never have imagined or anticipated all those years ago.

Positive change for certain. A gift for me, for you, and for future generations.”

Congratulations, and thank you to Steve, an Arrow forever!

CLASS NOTES

One Arrow taking good care of another in the rain as 2022 / WINTER 2023 | 57 they head to class onFALL Nonantum Hill in the early 1980s.

CLASS NOTES

WHAT’S

NEW? Keep your classmates up to date on your accomplishments, family members, travels, or anything else new in your life.

Send us photos, too!

Submit class notes and photos online at:

stsebs.org/classnotes Deadline for next issue:

JULY 1, 2023 Photos will be published based on quality and available space.

Please be sure to send the highest quality image possible and identify everyone in the photo.

1970

Joe Curnane, Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, shares: “I had a memorable Thanksgiving dinner with the University of Notre Dame hockey team. If you’re going to have dinner with 30 Fighting Irishmen, South Boston is the place to go!” (see photo).

1971

Gleason Gallagher shares: “The Class of 1971 would like to acknowledge the continuous hard work of Alumni Assistant Director Fred Daly for his non-stop support and coordination of our class events. Whether it’s a class gathering for a football game, a warm-up for a hockey game, a class golf challenge, the Annual Alumni Giving Day, or a simple campus visit, Fred is always available to assist with guidance and coordination. He’s a pro and a tremendous asset to our class.

Thanks, Fred!”

George Morrissey reports: “John Harney ’71, Brian Campbell ’71, Mark Bergin ’71, Peter Quirk ’82, and I, all enjoyed ourselves at my daughter Dana’s wedding to her BC classmate, Brendan Schroeder, at the Harvard Club in early December. Also present were our late best friend Packy’s sons and St. Sebastian’s alumni, Colin ’08 and Luke ’13 Packenham, and their mother, Susan Packenham. A good time was had by all.”

1973

Dan May writes: “Eight bells and all is well. I’m looking forward to seeing many of my fellow classmates at the upcoming 50th.”

1974

Kevin O’Malley shares: “Several members of the Class of 1974 have been meeting three to four times per year for dinner at O’Hara’s in Newton.

’70

’70 Joe Curnane ’70 (center) with members of the Notre Dame hockey team in South Boston. n A group of 1970 classmates and spouses gathered on December 10 at the home of Joe’70 and Susan Abely. Pictured are (from left): Ted Curtin, Joe Abely, Joe Duffey, Patrick Tracy, and Fred Daly.

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CLASS NOTES

Michael McManama has done a great job of pulling together these feasts. Attendees include Peter Galligan, Paul King, Jack O’Doherty, Kevin O’Malley, Kevin White, Mike Gwynn, Steve Maskell, Rob Connors, Beaver Gallagher, and several honorary members, including Mark Delli Priscolli and Brian Burke.

Our recent dinner included Class of 1973 stalwarts Marty Galligan, Tim Clapp, and Bob Lawler. Our stories of hijinks at the old school on Farlow Rd remain the same but seem to get funnier every year.

Any 1973-74 classmate can e-mail: kevinomalley348@gmail.com and you’ll be added to the invite list. Go Arrows!!”

1975

Donald Maloney writes: “On January 23, 2023, I turn 65! This is my fifth Christmas at Hale House in Boston.

I have had several new nieces and

nephews born in 2022, and my niece Laura of Wellesley is expecting twins ’96 in April of next year.” Regarding his time at St. Sebastian’s Donald reminisces: “I most fondly remember watching (and participating in) hockey games coached by Henry Lane on Nonantum Hill.”

1977

Thomas Flannery shares: “Hi Everyone, Hope you all are doing well. I finally retired last year from Ernst & Young after 40 years!

Currently enjoying retirement in West Harwich on the Cape and the winter months in Naples, Florida.

Gina and I get lots of visits from our four boys which is great when we are all together. If you are on the Cape or in Naples, please reach out. Happy to connect, play some golf or grab lunch or dinner.”

MARCH

RECEPTIONS

in Florida If you live in Florida or are looking for a great excuse to head to warmer climates, join us! All members of the St. Sebastian’s community are welcome, including alumni, parents, and grandparents.

3/10 North Palm Beach 3/14 Naples For more details and to RSVP: > stsebs.org/palmbeach > stsebs.org/naples

’68

’62 On August 25, 2022, 1962 classmates and friends set sail on a three-hour tour out of Scituate Harbor. These six nautical gentlemen included (from left): Romie Murphy, Gerry Kelley, Tom Galligan ’62, Paul Murphy ’62, Fred Corcoran ’62, and Ed Kirk ’62. n Paul Maloof '68 on vacation in Portugal in front of the Tower of Belem in the seaside city of Belem.

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CLASS NOTES

ARROWS

CONNECT Looking for an internship, industry contacts, first job, next job, or career advice?

The Arrows Connect network is the place to start.

Arrows Connect is our own networking directory connecting members of the St. Sebastian’s community to each other. Your profile has already been set up by the Alumni Office. Just upload your LinkedIn profile to the site, answer a few short questions and your profile will be complete.

As a member of Arrows Connect, you can access an extensive directory of professionals, find qualified candidates to hire, post job offerings, volunteer to be a mentor, and more.

Register today to make the most of your St. Sebastian’s network!

arrowsconnect.org

6th Annual Nonantum Cup Members of the Classes of 1970 and 1971 gathered at Granite Links Golf Club on August 17, 2022, for the sixth annual Nonantum Cup. The ’71 Arrows came away with the victory, but a good time was had by all. From left to right: Joe Maiella, John Romano, Patrick Tracy, Jay Harrington, Joe Duffey, Mark Brennan, Ted Curtin, Fred Daly, Mark Birmingham, Joe Abely, Gleason Gallagher, Bill Thompson, Joe Tansey, Rich Hoy, Brian Campbell, Mark Bergin, Jay Harney, Greg Cronin, Tom Whalen, Bill Coogan and George Morrissey.

STAY CONNECTED Follow us on Instagram @StSebastiansSchool Like us on Facebook /Stsebs Follow us on Twitter @StSebsNeedham Watch us on YouTube @st.sebastiansschool9749 Connect with us on LinkedIn St. Sebastian’s School Alumni, connect with us by joining our Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/stsebastiansschoolalumni

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CLASS NOTES

REUNION

2023 MAY 12 & 13 Calling all 3’s and 8’s!

Reserve your seat for Reunion weekend.

Mark your calendar now and help us fill your class table!

If you would like to be involved in the Reunion planning, please contact Mike Melley in the Alumni Office at michael_melley@stsebs.org.

We can’t wait to see you in May!

Register online at:

www.stsebs.org/reunion

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CLASS NOTES

1986

Michael Vaccaro writes: “In 2022, I was named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. My daughter has moved back to Cambridge to get a Ph.D. She regularly runs into St. Sebastian’s grads.”

1990

Save the Date April 4, 2023

St. Sebastian's 7th annual giving day will take place on Tuesday, April 4.

On Arrows Forever Day, we ask our alumni and other members of the St. Sebastian's community to give in support of the Annual Fund. We hope you will help us make Arrows Forever Day a success again this year. Every gift counts!

Rev. Dr. Virgil Gordon Glenn III reports: “In September 2022, I was reassigned to the pastorate of Grant Chapel A.M.E. Church in Wichita, Kansas. I was appointed to the Board of Instructors for the Midwest Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which is charged with guiding new ministers in matters of faith and study leading to ordination in our denomination. I continue to serve as the President of the A.M.E. Ministerial Alliance of the Midwest Conference and the VicePresident of the Methodist Ministers Fellowship of Greater Kansas City.

My wife, Rachel, and I have a college sophomore and 4th grader who are growing and learning at or above their level.” (see photo)

2004

Andrew Digan shares: “After one year as a guidance counselor at BC High (hoping I never have to coach against the Arrows ever again), I am moving to Portland, Maine to become a guidance counselor at Cheverus High, a coed, Jesuit high school.”

2006

This past year Ted Dillon and his wife, Jenn, welcomed their second son, Charles Ryan, to the family.

They also moved from Charlestown to Ipswich for some more space for the growing family. This fall Ted was promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Clean Energy Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage climatetech. (see photo)

’09

On October 1, 2022, Matt Murphy ’09 married Jennifer Ziobro joined by a wedding party full of Arrows from the Class of 2009, including Tyler Smith, Billy O’Brien, Steve Rogers, Richard Renwick, Luke Regan, Cedric White, and Sean O’Malley.

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CLASS NOTES

’90

’73

’08

’84

’06

’06 Vin Gandolfo ’73 hosted several of his classmates for golf and lunch at the Bay Club on November 11, 2022. A good time was had by all. What a great way to kick off their 50th Reunion celebration! n Rev. Dr. Virgil Gordon Glenn III ’90 and his wife Rachel. n On July 28, 2022, for the second year in a row, the Class of 1984 was hosted by Marty Kane ’84 at the Agawam Hunt Club in Rhode Island for a day of golf and good times. Pictured (from left): John McCallum, Coach Souza, Bill Meagher, Marty Kane, John O’Hearn, John DiGiovanni, Doug Angelone, Brian Murphy, Steve Grande, and Justin Kennedy (Dan Sullivan attended but not pictured). n Brendan ’08 and Lauren McPartland’s first child, Sophie Emerson McPartland, at three months old. n James O’Brien ’06 married Rosie Bailey on July 30, 2022, in Cambridge, England. n Ted Dillon ’06 with his wife, Jenn, and their two children.

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CLASS NOTES

’22

’15

’17

During his annual trip to Washington, D.C. to visit with alumni, Headmaster Burke caught up with three Arrows from the Class of 2022 who are freshmen at Georgetown University—Will McInerney, Matt Choi, and Tommy Cronin. n Headmaster Bill Burke and several Arrows alumni attended the Thursday Men’s Prayer Breakfast at the Union Club in Boston for a hearty meal and a spiritually inspiring message. From left: Headmaster Burke, David Korzeniowski ’16, Scott Kingsley ’13, Ryan Colgan ’16, Edosa Onaiwu ’15, and Andrew Corcoran ’14. n Members of the classes of 2015 and 2017 (Will Allen, Pat Reed, Doyle Silvia, Eric Jeremiah, Ryan Martin, Tyson Reed, Greg Barletta, Angus O’Rourke, Mark Heffernan, Bryan Doe, Will Roche, Mitch Heffernan, Jack Doherty, and Bryan O’Donnell) attended the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers college football game on November 5th in Athens, Georgia.

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CLASS NOTES

2019

Brendan Murphy, Holy Cross Class of 2023, was recently inducted into the Holy Cross Chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, The Honor Society of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (see photo). Founded in 1915, the Society recognizes those students who distinguish themselves in scholarship, loyalty, and service.

Each chapter can nominate no more than 4% of their junior and senior classes and nominated students must rank in the top 15% of their class.

A history major and philosophy minor, Murphy has been a Dean’s list scholar, an intern for the Worcester District Attorney, and has also been inducted into the National Philosophy Honor Society, Phi Sigma Tau. He has organized food and clothing drives at Holy Cross for the Mustard Seed, a Catholic food kitchen in Worcester, where he has been a regular volunteer, and currently serves as Program Director.

ALUMNI GOLF OUTING May 12, 2023 / 8:00 am Shotgun Start South Shore Country Club, Hingham, MA Open to all St. Sebastian’s alumni Registration and sponsorship information:

www.stsebs.org/alumnigolf

’19 Brendan Murphy ’19 at the induction ceremony for the Holy Cross Chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu.

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IN MEMORIAM We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the graduates and friends of St. Sebastian’s School whose deaths are reported with sorrow.

ALUMNI RELATIVES & FRIENDS Patricia Burke August 10, 2022 Mother of Headmaster Burke, grandmother of Will ’95, Dan ’97, Matt ’00, Sam ’04 and greatgrandmother of Liam ’23 Kevin Callanan July 7, 2022 Son of Neil ’94 and nephew of Ean ’88 Maryellen Denning July 21, 2022 Mother of Brian Denning ’93 James “Chris” DeSisto August 24, 2022 Father of Jim ’85 and John ’88 and grandfather of James ’15 and Matthew ’18 DeSisto, and Ryan Harrity ’08

Margaret McCue July 28, 2022 Mother of Mark ’71 and the late Peter ’70, and grandmother of Andrew ’07 Dr. Samuel Moschella August 21, 2022 Father of Thomas ’72 Paul Paget August 22, 2022 Father of Mark ’74 Lee Pierce July 25, 2022 Mother of Shelby ’84 and Allen ’85

Sheila Dickson August 29, 2022 Grandmother of William Roche ’17

Mary Sylvester November 10, 2022 Mother of David ’69 and Howie ’78

Rose Finnegan September 10, 2022 Grandmother of John Judge ’09, the late William Judge ’11, and Henry ’14, Cameron ’16, and Owen ’16 Finnegan

Anne Tuohy September 18, 2022 Mother of Michael ’96 and Gregory ’00

Barbara Fitzgerald November 12, 2022 Mother of James ’75, Brendan ’78 and Kern ’79, and grandmother of Brady ’03, Shea ’05, Garrett ’07 and James III ’10.

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Abraham Heck November 22, 2022 Father of Paul ’84

IN MEMORIAM

Timothy B. Daly ’56

Tim passed away on September 18, 2022. During his days as an Arrow, Tim was involved in a number of sports including, football, basketball, and hockey. Upon graduating from St. Sebastian’s, Tim attended Boston College and then Boston College Law School. He spent his career working in the insurance industry until his retirement from Cigna in 1996. He will be profoundly missed by his devoted wife of 61 years, Gael; his eight loving children, Timothy, Maura, Andrea, Robert, Dinneen, Peter, Kevin, and Greg; 25 grandchildren; and his three brothers, Sheldon ’54, William, and David ’65. He was also the uncle of two St. Sebastian’s alumni, Christopher ’92 and Bill ’88 Cahill.

Richard D. Ferrone ’64

Richard passed away on October 3, 2022. During his days as an Arrow, Richard played football and tennis, and was an avid member of the Dramatic Society. Following his graduation from St. Sebastian’s, he attended the College of the Holy Cross and Boston College Law School. After working for the Labor Department in Washington, D.C., Richard pursued his dream of acting. He was part of the inaugural season of Tony Randall’s National Actor’s Theatre, spent eight seasons at Trinity Rep in Providence, RI, appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional theaters. He was a member of TACT (The Actor’s Company Theatre) The Actor’s Center, and on the National and Local Boards of SAG/AFTRA. He is survived by his beloved wife, actress Cynthia Darlow; daughter-in-law Cathy Erenzo; grandchildren Jesse and Alex; siblings Joe ’54, Gabrielle, Anna, and Michael ’65; 25 nieces and nephews; and 38 grand-nieces and grandnephews, including Arrows Alex Baynes ’23 and Trevor Mullin ’23. He was predeceased by his brother Daniel ’55.

This listing contains deaths reported before December 20 , 2022. To see a complete listing of alumni who have passed away within the past 12 months please go to www.stsebs.org/inmemoriam.

To report a death of a St. Sebastian’s alumnus or relative to the Advancement Office, please contact Kelsey Kane at kelsey_kane@stsebs.org.

William H. “Bill” Flanagan ’49

Bill passed away on August 21, 2022.

While at St. Sebastian’s, Bill focused his energy on academic pursuits and after graduating, he attended Boston College. He began his career in the insurance industry with John Hancock in 1961, then with Allstate in 1963. In 1988, he founded Flanagan Insurance Agency, Inc. in Lexington, MA. Bill was also a proud cofounder of the allMass Group, a local network of insurance agencies. He is survived by his wife, Clare, and his children, Kay, Carol, William Joseph, Ann Marie, Susan, Edward, and Richard. Bill is also survived by 18 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren, all of whom he adored, including St. Sebastian’s alum Nick Flanagan ’14.

Patrick A. Hammitt ’91

Patrick passed away at the age of 49 on August 17, 2022. While at St. Sebastian’s, he was an avid member of the hockey team, which was a passion he carried with him throughout his life and into coaching youth leagues. After graduating from St. Sebastian’s, Patrick attended Merrimack College. The best times in his life were spent outdoors teaching his children new things and showing them how to be adventurous. He loved being out on the water with God either while surfing or fishing. He is survived by his mother Dawn; his wife, Suzanne; his beloved children, Rylee and Easton; and his siblings, Michael and Heather.

Joseph G. “Gerry” Riley, Jr. ’65

Gerry passed away at the age of 74 on July 25, 2022. While at St. Sebastian’s, he was an active member of the hockey and football teams. After graduation, Gerry attended the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and was a proud member of the hockey team at both institutions. He served his country as a member of the United States Navy and completed two tours of duty in Vietnam from 1969-1972, serving honorably on both the U.S.S. Sacramento and the U.S.S. Arikara. Gerry was predeceased by his wife, Keri, and is survived by his two sons, Michael and Mark, both from his previous marriage to Jane E. Keane. He is also survived by his four siblings, Thomas, Miriam, Robert ’69, and Christopher ’74, and five grandchildren.

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From the Archives 1952

On September 21, 1952, our beloved statue of St. Sebastian was dedicated on the School’s original campus on Nonantum Hill in Newton. Given in memory of Robert E. Higgins ’46, a Trappist Monk, the marble statue was a gift from the School’s alumni. Showing St. Sebastian in full dress uniform as a captain of the Praetorian Guard, the statue made an immediate impact on the entire school community. Forty years later, when the campus was moved to its current location on Greendale Avenue during the 1982-83 Christmas break, the statue came, too. For over 70 years, from one campus to the other, it has stood as a treasured symbol of the School’s patron saint and the values he embodied.

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1962, English classroom

Leaving a

Lasting Legacy St. Sebastian’s planned giving society was founded in the late 1990s and named in honor of the School’s first headmaster, Monsignor Charles D. McInnis, a devoted and beloved leader. The purpose of the Society is to recognize and honor the individuals and families who support St. Sebastian’s by making a gift by will (bequest) or other legacy gift to support the School.

There are many reasons members of our community choose to remember St. Sebastian’s in their estate plans. Some remember our School to say thank you for the education, athletics, and friendships they experienced here, while others are touched by the inclusive, nurturing community that strives to empower students for success in college and in life.

Please consider joining a growing number of alumni, parents and friends who haven chosen to remember St. Sebastian’s with a legacy gift, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of our students, teachers, and alumni community.

For more information about gift planning and including St. Sebastian’s in your estate plans, contact Rich Arms, Director of Advancement, at 781.247.0116 or richard_arms@stsebs.org or visit plannedgiving.stsebs.org.

Monsignor Charles D. McInnis Society

1191 Greendale Avenue Needham, Massachusetts 02492

Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAID Boston, MA Permit No. 19943

Arrows hockey players check out the muraled walls highlighting St. Sebs hockey history.