Issuu

President’s Letter Alumni Happenings

Junior Ring Ceremony National Honor Society Induction Spring Musical Friar’s of St. Francis Alumni News and Notes Sports Recap On the Road In Assisi In Memoriam Justinian

4 5

6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14 15

The Friar’s of St. Francis High School

Dear Friends, Alleluia, Alleluia. Ok I’m sorry, we are not supposed to rejoice during the season of Lent. However, it is wonderful that most of the restrictions have been lifted and we can begin to move toward what we perceive to be normal. Unfortunately, normal may have changed a little bit and we will need to be cautiously on guard moving forward. We will continue to provide our young men with a stable educational environment moving forward. We will continue to be on alert for any lingering effects of the pandemic which may influence the mental health of our young men. The TAU days have been a wonderful way of checking up on the various needs of our students. The purpose of the TAU days is to create a means of communicating in small groups what may be happening. Faculty and staff are able to bond with their group, and students may feel more comfortable in sharing what is occurring in their lives. At the very least it has provided a distraction from the daily routine of classes. Congratulations are in order to recognize the next President of St. Francis High School, Fr. Matthew Foley, OFM Conv. effective June 25, 2022. Fr. Matt has been in the education ministry of the Province since his ordination, first serving at Archbishop Curley High School as a teacher and campus ministry for ten years and here at St. Francis for the past four years. Certainly, I am grateful to our Province leadership in making this appointment early so we can begin a transition of leadership, giving Fr. Matt a chance to meet many alums and benefactors of St. Francis. So far the transition is going extremely well, and I would ask that you all grant Fr. Matt the same generosities and welcome that was afforded to me. As a famous commercial states: We are in good hands. Remember we are in the midst of our Annual Giving Appeal. Please be as generous as you can. The Annual Giving Appeal supports our tuition assistance program here, and so many need financial help to attend St. Francis. I would also like to remind you that the Justinian 40 auction will be held on May 7th. It is the major fundraiser of the school. Please, plan on helping us out by donating a gift to be auctioned and on attending if you can. Justinian 40 will be on campus and it may be a great time to celebrate the end of restrictions or plan on attending to welcome Fr. Matthew as president and to spend money in support of St. Francis.

God Bless,

Fr. Michael Sajda, OFM Conv. President

WINTER 2022

SFHS Family Gathers for Memorial Mass After a two-year absence, our community was able to come together in person on March 13th to remember deceased Alumni and other members of the St. Francis High School Family that have gone on to meet our Father in heaven before us. Over one hundred Alumni, students, parents, alumni parents, faculty and friends were present as school President Fr. Michael Sajda, OFM Conv. concelebrated Mass in the beautiful school chapel with incoming President Fr. Matthew Foley, OFM Conv. and Fr. Charles Jagodzinski, OFM Conv. Following Mass, a continental breakfast was served in the Student Dining Room. Special thanks to Mr. Chris DeVries and the St. Francis Chorus for providing musical inspiration to those in attendance. In addition, thanks to Mr. Rick Izzo ’79 for providing the delicious treats from Panera Bread.

SFHS Alumni Association Hosts First Family Open Skate On Sunday, February 13th nearly 100 children and grandchildren of St. Francis High School Alumni attended the inaugural SFHS Alumni Association Open Skate at the East Aurora Classic Rink. Chilly temperatures and sunshine greeted the families along with Reggie the Raider who made his first ever appearance on skates. Each child in attendance received a complimentary SF winter hat and all were treated to a pizza lunch from Leo’s Pizzeria in the comfortable confines of the warming lodge. Scheduled as an alternative to the Association’s Annual Family Day due to COVID concerns regarding indoor gatherings, the Open Skate was such a success that it will be added to the calendar of events again 2022-23. We look forward to seeing even more St. Francis Families at the Open Skate and Family Day next year!

ST. FRANCIS TAU | VOL. 13 NO. 2 Published three times a year by the St. Francis High School Office for Institutional Advancement

4129 Lake Shore Road | Hamburg, NY 14075 | 716-627-1200 | www.stfrancishigh.org SUE SCHAFFSTALL Editor VP of Communications & Marketing BR. TIM BLANCHARD, OFM, CONV. Associate Editor PAUL BARTELL ’88 VP of Development & Alumni Relations Alumni News and Notes

FR. MARK DAVID SKURA ’71, OFM Conv. Cover Design

FINE ARTS Fr. Mark David

PHOTOGRAPHY Br. Tim Blanchard, OFM Conv. Toni Lambert Yearbook Staff Lifetouch Photography Rory Reichenberg

CONTRIBUTORS Jenny Attea James Giallella ’23 Austin Hammer ’24 Ryan Harrington ’22

PROOFREADING Pat Kaczmarczyk Mary Lou Stahl

WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS... SCHAFFSTALLS@STFRANCISHIGH.ORG

The TAU

Junior Ring Ceremony

National Honor Society Induction Ceremony Forty-one students were inducted into the Dr. Leo Michalek, Sr. Chapter of the St. Francis High School National Honor Society on January 14, 2022. Moderator - Dr. Mary Lou Stahl

WINTER 2022

The TAU

THE FRIARS OF ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL

BY SUE SCHAFFSTALL

Francis High School was 2006 when there were eight. We were holding at four Friars for a number of years and this school year brought us three Friars, almost doubling their ranks and presence on campus. Fr. Max Avila teaches Spanish and has a tendency to wear crazy hats, came to St. Francis in the 2018-2019 school year. That same year, Friar Matt Foley began his ministry at St. Francis as a religion teacher and Campus Minister. Friar Matt is the President elect of St. Francis and will

even as a lucky number is a concept that most of us have heard at one time or another.

Seven is the number of charity, grace, and the Holy Spirit. It was also used by the early writers as the number of completion and perfection. Many instances of this use appear in Biblical writings. There is

6 | WINTER 2022

reference to the seven deadly sins, and the seven joys and the seven sorrows of the Virgin, as well as the seven seals on the Book of Life and the seven churches in the Apocalypse. There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church and at present, there are seven Friars who are working at St. Francis High School. The last time there were at least seven Friars on staff at St.

become the schools third President when Fr. Michael retires at the end of June. Br. Tim Blanchard is the youngest Friar at St. Francis, having professed his solemn vows on July 30, 2021. Br. Tim is the genius behind the popular “teacher feature” at St. Francis titled “Friars, Fries and Frosties.” He serves as the schools social and digital media coordinator. Br. Michael Duffy joined the St. Francis High School family as Principal in the fall of 2021. (See the last edition of the Tau

for the full story) Another newcomer this year is Fr. Bryan Hajovsky who teaches science. Fr. Bryan was at St. Francis High School in the 2015-2016 school year for his teaching year. Fr. Michael Sajda is the current President of St. Francis. He came to St. Francis in 2001 as Principal and assumed the duties as President in 2006. Fr. Michael will retire, after 44 years in education, on June 24, 2022. Fr. Mark David Skura is a 1971 graduate of St. Francis, the only Friar on staff to hold that honor. He returned to St. Francis to teach in the 1982-83 school year, where he would remain for 36 years. A brief stint as Associate Pastor of St. Anne Catholic Church in Columbus, GA took him away from St. Francis for the 2018-2019 year. We are happy to say that Fr. Mark David came back to St. Francis in 2019 and is still with us! Seven may be a lucky number, but we like to consider ourselves blessed that we have seven Friars at St. Francis High School. Pax et Bonum! PS: Another edition of Friars, Fries and Frosties is on the way!

The TAU

ALUMNI NEWS 1950s Joe Plandowski ’58 has been added to the Cannabis Advisory Committee for Nantucket, MA. MA allows the sale of cannabis products for medical and recreational purposes.

1960s Gary Salzyn(ski) ’65 and his wife Carolyn have been retired since 2010 and reside in Blue Ridge, GA. Carolyn graduated ‘70 from SUNYAB with her Nursing degree and Gary graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Superior with Political Science & History majors in ’69. Carolyn was a nurse, and Gary worked as a Surety (Bonding) underwriter. Last year they celebrated their 50th Anniversary.

1970s Gene Gebhard ’71 reports he is happily living the coastal life in Charleston, SC where he “has accumulated several children and a dozen grandchildren.” Gene owns several Pearle Vision Centers in Buffalo, Rochester and Charleston. Deacon John Lozano ’72 recently published the book “Good News in Bad Times- Finding Spiritual Meaning in the Midst of Uncertainty.” It was published by TWENTY-THIRD PUBLICATIONS. He also created and hosts the Podcast site: “Real Life Christianity with Deacon John Lozano” John sends warm regards to all his classmates and looks forward to seeing as many as possible at their 50th reunion. Tim McNamara ’74 retired in December, 2017 only to return to work in August, 2018 after being recruited to his dream job as a Commissioner/Mediator with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Recently transferred to Buffalo after starting his career with FMCS in Erie, PA. Tim and his wife Pauline have lived in Lake View, NY since 1998 and are grandparents to two boys and two girls with a fifth grandchild, and a third granddaughter, expected in May 2022. His three children, two daughters and their husbands and son (Curran ’11) and his fiance live in the Village of Hamburg. Also, he is the unofficial Class of ’74 social organizer having organized local (monthly pre-COVID) and occasionally out of town get togethers. Joe McQuillen ’75 is one of the top mortgage bankers in the Chicago area. He has been married to his wife Sally (a therapist) for over 30 years. Joe has three adult children, and one on the other side. After a canoe accident in 2016 took the life of his oldest son Christopher, Joe began to research the metaphysical and has published two successful books. “My Search For Christopher on the Other Side” and “We’re Not Done Yet Pop, My Lessons From the Other Side.” If any member of the St. Francis Family would like a copy of either book, he would be happy to send one free of

WINTER 2022

charge. Along with writing, Joe speaks to families who have lost children. He also sits on the board of In Balance Ranch Academy, a boarding school for boys between the ages of 14 and 18 years old. Joe is grateful to St. Francis for the huge impact on him as it provided a spiritual foundation that played a large part in his life, especially after the tragic accident that claimed the life of his son. Joseph Guttuso ’79 moved to Tampa, FL from Boca Raton, FL to become the Director of Land Development for American Homes Development in 2019. He remarried in September, 2020 to his wife Debbue Lindo Guttuso.

1980s Gerald Mead ’80 recently retired from a 35-year career at SUNY Buffalo State College which included tenures as a curator at the Burchfield Penney Art Center (the art museum at the College) and lecturer in the Design, Fine Arts and Art Education Departments. Chris Kania ’86 was named Head of Western New York Commercial Banking at M & T Bank. Chris has been with the Commercial Banking Team since 1998 and in his new role will be responsible for building relationships with small and mid-sized businesses while creating differentiated strategies to serve customers throughout WNY and Southern Ontario. He is also active in the Buffalo Community as a Board Member and past chair of the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and chair of Leadership Buffalo. Keith Calveric ’87 is about to release his first solo album after singing/performing/writing music for over 35 years. Available on all major streaming services on April 1st, the six song EP ‘Untold’ is a diverse and cathartic collection of highly personal songs reflecting on the most significant events of his life. Keith enlisted Multi-Grammy Award winning producer/engineer Neil Dorfsman (Springsteen, Sting, Dire Straits, Paul McCartney) to help guide him through the process and lend his talents to preproduction work as well as mixing two tracks on the album. Keith also brought in Grammy Award winner Jon Kaplan (Black Pumas, Zach Williams, Sara Bareilles) to mix one track. Through ‘Untold,’ Keith melds a wide array of musical influences into a style all his own. Keith began his professional career as the lead singer of Johny Vegas (1992-1999), a pop rock band who released three independent albums and played nearly 150 shows a year from coast to coast, sharing the stage with bands such as The Goo Goo Dolls, Weezer, Blues Traveller, Bare Naked Ladies, 10,000 Maniacs and many more. Johny Vegas sold over 30,000 copies of their albums combined. For more info please go to keithcalveric.com.

AND NOTES... Christopher Kovacs ’89 wanted to let his classmates know that, after living in New York City for over a decade, he is happily moving back to Buffalo and looks forward catching up with everyone and becoming more a more active part of the SFHS Alumni Association. Jim Kubiak ’89 was recently named the first head football coach at Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY. After graduating from St. Francis, Jim went on to have a stellar collegiate career as a quarterback at the Naval Academy as well a six year professional career in the NFL, NFL Europe and the Arena Football League. After his playing days, his passion for football led to stints as a coach and executive in the AFL, a college coach and as an analyst/columnist for several media outlets including the Buffalo News. In addition to being Hilbert’s Head Coach, Jim currently is the owner/operator of the Western New York Quarterback Academy. He and his wife Jennifer have three children, Abby, Anna and Alaina.

1990s

Andrew Pfeiffer ’95 and Rob Kubiak ’95 came together at SFHS to resurrect SFTV, and now they’re at it again. Andy launched Arthur Elliott in 2007, a full-service marketing communications firm, in Charlotte, NC and it has grown steadily ever since. Recently, Rob joined the team, working on client strategy from the Buffalo office. Companies from across the country have elevated their brand working with Andy and Rob, and they encourage all St. Francis alums to check out their latest work at arthurelliott.com! Todd Zielinski ’95 and his Assistant Coach/son Dylan Zielinski ’24 coached The SS. Peter and Paul 8th grade boys basketball team to an undefeated Father Baker League season (10-0) and a 14-2 overall record. Pictured are incoming SFHS Freshman Matt Zielinski ’26, Todd ’95 and Dylan ’24.

2000s Joe Scarsella ’00 recently formed The Assist Foundation, a youth sports non-profit. The mission is, to provide youth in Western New York the opportunity to participate in sports regardless of their socioeconomic situation. Fellow Alumni Bernie Switzer ’95 and Jason Gordon ’97 are Board Members. The Foundation recently completed a 14-week beginner ice hockey program sponsored by Variety Club, where 30 youth in the City of Buffalo got the chance to participate free of charge learning how to play hockey. They also partnered with Buffalo PAL to run a learn to skate program on

synthetic ice at the Hennepin Community Center. If you want to learn more check out the website www.theassistfoundation716.org Peter Shrader ’00 and his wife Trish are pleased to announce the birth of their first son, Charles William, was born on January 6, 2022 weighing in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces.

Jeff Bubar ’01 recently started a new position as a Management and Program Analyst for the Office of Field Operations Headquarters at U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington, DC. Angelo Colucci ’03 was promoted to homicide detective at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Homicide is generally considered the highest detective rank on any police department, and the LVMPD is considered one of the elite homicide departments in the country with a case solve rate at 92%. Detective Colucci has been with the LVMPD for 13 years. Dr, Anthony DiMateo ’03 has been a practicing board-certified urologist at Butler Health System in Butler, PA since 2017, focusing primarily on minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and benign prostate hyperplasia. He is also currently the chairman of the department of surgery. My wife, Molly, is a primary care physician. They have two young sons, 7 and 1 years old. Jacob A. Miller ’04 married Mallory Lewis on March 19, 2022 at a destination wedding outside Zion National Park. Jacob and Mallory met in 2017 while working together at the Cleveland Clinic. Jacob and Mallory now live in Cincinnati, OH, where Jacob works as a flight nurse practitioner with University of Cincinnati Air Care and Mallory is a perioperative nurse at Beacon Orthopedics. Jacob will be completing his Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree at the University of Cincinnati this spring. Michael Ellement ’06 was named a partner at James and Hoffman, PC in Washington, DC, where he practices labor and employment law. His work in recent years has involved protecting the rights of workers during the pandemic. He represented a teachers’ union in litigation and collective bargaining, which led to increased safety protections for teachers and students during the return to in-person learning. He also represented fast food employees in securing a novel injunction against a major chain that was alleged to have created a public nuisance by operating without appropriate safety measures in place. continued on page 14

The TAU

R P E A T C N I W RTS RE SPO RT

MBE

I LA : Y BY & TON H P RA RD CHA TOG PHO M BLAN I BR. T

BASKETBALL The Red Raiders faced one of the toughest schedules in WNY for the 2021-22 season. Highlights of the non-league schedule include wins over McKinley, Christian Brothers Academy and McQuaid and tournament wins over Williamsville East and Health Sciences Charter School which earned them the championship of the Live Like Luca Holiday Tournament hosted by St. Francis. They finished the season with an overall record of 12-13 and a league record of 4-8 which tied them for 4th in the MMHSAA. The season ended in the quarterfinals of the Manhattan Cup playoffs with a heartbreaking 62-60 loss to Bishop Timon St. Jude. Leading the way offensively was forward and senior captain Brendan Reid, 1st Team AllCatholic, who averaged 12.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game followed by forward Logan Reaska, 3rd Team All-Catholic, who averaged 12 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. Senior captain CJ Moore manned the point guard position and averaged 10 pts per game to go along with a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. Junior Sammy Marry led the team on the defensive end while also scoring 10 points a game. Sophomore center Marcus Harrison controlled the paint for the Red Raiders. Off the bench, the team was led by senior guard/forward Darnell Dallas and sophomore guards Jeremiah Neely and Nick Bienko.

BOWLING The Varsity Bowling season saw the squad make huge improvements to their game from the previous season, both in terms of individual performance and team achievement. The guys finished 21-24, finishing in 4th place. The team was led by freshman anchor Jack Tebeau, who finished 2nd in the league and 5th in the state in average (206), making 1st Team All-Catholic and finished 5th in the step-ladder finals at the NYSCHSAA State Championship. His high set of 718 was tops in the league and he

WINTER 2022

rolled a high game of 277. Junior James Giallella finished with a 164 average and had the league high game with 278. The team was rounded out by Seniors Gerald Eberl, Anthony Snyder, and Ryan Adymy. Snyder’s high game was 230, while Eberl was a 213 and Adymy a 198. Freshman Matthew Kotlowski rounded out the starters this season. Congratulations to Coach Jason Cretacci who hit the 100th career match win milestone this season.

PREP HOCKEY The Prep Hockey team was a junior class heavy team with only 5 seniors. The Red Raiders were competitive in the MPHL and traveled to Syracuse, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Lake Forest and Burlington for tournaments. The team finished the year 10-24 improving as the year went on and learning how to play at an extremely high level. Highlights of the season were the win against Shadyside in OT and beating undefeated Gilmour in league play. St. Francis was the only team to beat Gilmour in league play the whole year. The Red Raiders learned and grew as a team so much this season. It takes a huge commitment to play Prep Hockey and we are very proud of all the players. Congratulations to Colton Clendening and Hunter Nowak for being named MPHL 2nd Team All-Stars.

FEDERATION HOCKEY The Fed Hockey Team was a veteran-heavy team with 13 seniors. The team finished with an overall record of 8 wins, 6 regulation losses, 2 overtime losses, and 2 ties. The team made the playoffs as the 4th seed and defeated Canisius for the third time this season in the quarterfinals thanks to a goal by Senior Kyle Wicka with 16 seconds left in the game. The team went on to defeat division winner St. Mary’s 1-0 in the semi-finals but lost 2-1 in overtime to Nichols in the Niagara Cup Championship game. The Red Raiders were led by senior captain Sam Chiavetta who was the leading point-getter with 8 goals and 14 assists. Goaltending was split between senior Jack Zuchlewski and junior Brendan Walczak. Zuchlewski helped lead the team between the pipes throughout the playoff run to the finals and was awarded the first annual Miguel Rodriguez Outstanding Goaltender Award at the Championship game.

VARSITY CLUB HOCKEY The Varsity Club Hockey team had a competitive season with an overall record of 7-8-2. Despite a small roster of upperclassmen, the team still fought hard until the end and had several positives to remember the season by. The main highlight of the season included a 6-game winning streak toward the end of league play and defeating West Seneca in the first round of the WNYHSCHL playoffs. Goalie Nick Eckhert was terrific in net throughout the season and was a steadying force for the team.

INDOOR TRACK After a 2020-21 canceled season, the Indoor Track team returned determined and focused. Distance runner Joe Pivarunas broke the school record in the Two Mile, running 10:13. He was also ranked 3rd in WNY and 8th in CHSAA in the 1000m and top 10 in WNY in both the Mile and Two Mile. In the 600, Mike Durski ran a top 3 time in WNY and top 10 in CHSAA. Mike was also the team’s top 55m sprinter. Juniors Bryce Roberts and Sam Hallmark also hit CHSAA qualifying times in the 55m. In the jumps, Junior Andrew Krug scored points in 2 events at the CHSAA meet, placing 2nd in High Jump and 3rd in Long Jump. Krug qualified for the NYS Federation Meet in the High Jump and finished ranked 2nd in WNY. He also posted a top 10 time in the 55m Hurdles. Also in the High Jump, Junior Erik Shattenberg ranked 3rd in WNY and 4th in CHSAA. In the throws, Senior Gerald Eberl led the way on the team in Shot Put while Connor Baker led the team in the Weight Throw.

SWIMMING The St. Francis Swim team wrapped up competition with a 3rd place finish at the All-Catholic Championships. Junior Jude Strittmatter broke a 30-year-old school record in the 100 yard fly with a time of 51.88 at the meet. Strittmatter also won the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:47.87. Senior Tom Kashino placed 2nd in the 100 yard backstroke. The 200 yard freestyle relay of Sam Comstock, Jude Strittmatter, Tom Kashino, and Doyle Knodel placed second, while the 400 yard freestyle relay of Ben Zambron, Ethan Karalus, Sam Comstock, and

Hunter LaMoy placed 3rd. The 200 yard medley relay consisting of Jude Strittmatter, Tom Kashino, Zach Seifert, and Doyle Knodel also placed 3rd. Overall it was a good season for the team, as all 13 members went personal bests throughout the season.

WRESTLING The Red Raider grapplers won another championship this season, posting a perfect 4-0 record in Monsignor Martin league competition. Senior Captains Liam Edwards and Tyler Wilkinson, and junior captain Jimmy Gordon led the way for the Red Raiders. Edwards, ranked as HM in WNY all season, won the MMHSAA All-Catholic title at 145 lbs. He led the team in wins with 34 and earned his milestone 100 career win in his first match at the CHSAA championships where he finished 3rd. Wilkinson, who also achieved the 100 career win milestone this season, finished 3rd at the All-Catholic tournament and 6th at the CHSAA championships for the second time in his career. Junior Bryce Roberts (132) and Sophomore Jack Coughlin (285) both earned All-Catholic honors. Freshmen Gabe Chase (102), Migel Marquez (118) and sophomore Connor Miller (172) all earned 2nd place at the All-Catholic Tourney. Miller won 27 matches this season and earned 5th place at the CHSAA Tournament. At the All-Catholic tournament, Sophomore Brandon Drummond (172) and freshman Will Hanson (215) placed 3rd, Freshmen Tucker Jobe (145) and Joe Littlejohn (160) placed 4th, while freshman Karol Krzyszton (215), sophomore Ethan Metro (182), and junior Nick Siler (138) placed 5th. Congratulations to Coach Messore on receiving MMHSAA Coach of the Year honors.

SOCCER Correction: Junior Owen Mulderig was named 1st Team All-Catholic and All WNY Large School for the 2021 Soccer season. He finished the season second on the team in goals scored (7) and led the team with 5 assists.

The TAU

ON THE ROAD IN ASSISI

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RORY REICHENBERG

For 10 days in February, while some students were home playing video games or soaking up the sun on a beach, 17 St. Francis Students along with Mr. Reichenberg, Friar Matt and Friar Bryan traveled to the homeland of our patron Saint Francis for a Pilgrimage to Assisi. one would expect. Wow, I really miss that gelato now. When the trip was over, I came back spiritually and culturally enlightened. I realized things about myself that I hadn’t before, and I feel more at peace than ever.

Ryan Harrington ’22

Austin Hammer ’24 Before landing I didn’t know what to expect from Italy. My expectations were high, but I didn’t know what I was really hoping to learn out of the pilgrimage yet. Arriving in Rome I was surprised by how foreign yet familiar everything felt while walking through the ancient stone streets. I would look to my right and see a store selling Disney memorabilia then look to my left and see a castle or church that’s thousands of years old. Our first visit to St. Peter’s Square was surreal to me. It was just so incredible looking at the Vatican towering over us at dusk. The next day we departed for Assisi where I feel like I had truly found my home in Italy. When approaching the city, the massive

WINTER 2022

St. Francis Basilica immediately stands out against the rest of the buildings just by its sheer size and position right on a cliff. There were so many beautiful churches in such a small area it seemed like there would never be enough people to fill them. Over our time in Assisi, we would visit almost all of these churches and every single one would astonish me with its historical and spiritual significance. I was definitely not the most religious out of our whole group, but praying in the tomb of St. Francis was probably the most connected I’ve felt to God in my whole life. Certain things like getting to walk around the castle ruins at the top of Assisi where St. Francis may have fought was amazing and the mass we had there was incredible even though the eucharist almost blew away! The gelato, pasta, lamb, and calzones were amazing as

@D espite the hassle of traveling during a pandemic, when we arrived in Assisi everything was worth it. There were beautiful views from the hotel, with a stunning rooftop garden that laid out the entire city before you. Assisi is something of an anomaly with very little modern interference, aside from a few bathrooms. Each day we would wake up to breakfast, then set out (usually walking) to take in the sights. Some of my favorites were St. Clare’s Basilica, St. Francis’ tomb, and the piatsa, all of which held a calm peaceful feeling, different from the kind of thing we would see in a square at home. @Many things were different from home in Assisi, and it was a bit of a culture shock. I don’t think I’ve ever had so many people trying to sell me things all at once, be it handmade rosaries, leather belts, or caps, but Assisi has its own sort of world order. During the trip we had plenty of time to pray and reflect. Personally, I enjoyed mass both outside, and later at the tomb of St. Francis, though devotion was given proper time as well. I was given the opportunity to pray before the body of St. Clare, and the real crucifix that spoke to St. Francis, among many other things. As we made our way along, we also dove into the lives of Sts. Francis and Clare. I had done a project on St. Clare earlier in a religion class, but

I had long since forgotten the poignancy of her story, and how she left everything behind to join a group, and constantly had to fight to stay really touched me. @Among the things I learned, I brought home with me a sense of ‘prayer on the go,’ often we would only have a quick break, or a minute to ourselves, and I learned to bring prayer into that time, taking as many moments as I could. I think prayer is one of the few activities in life where quantity matters just as much, if not more than quality. When attempting to pray you might not always get into the right headspace, or feel like you’re reaching anything, but that’s okay. God doesn’t care if you’re having deep profound thoughts. He doesn’t care if you’re changing the world. God just cares that you’re trying.

James Giallella ’23 As soon as we made it to Assisi it took me no time at all to decide that every penny spent was worth it. The memories made there will last me a lifetime. @Before Assisi, however, there was Rome. Rome was a very “interesting” place to say the least. Honestly, I thought I was bad at driving until I went there. The first thirty minutes of the ride in Rome was spent laughing at the traffic. There are no traffic laws in Rome, only suggestions. Along with great services our hotel was in close walking distance to Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica. While we didn’t go in, the sheer size of the building shocked me. After only being to OLV Basilica for my entire life, I suppose I wasn’t prepared for the grandiosity of Rome. As great as Rome was, however, it couldn’t hold a candle to Assisi.

@Assisi, while spiritually awakening was also physically awakening. I never have had so much good food in one amount of time as I did in Assisi. The fact that I ate so much and didn’t gain any weight shocked me. It must have been walking. Sister Maryann was a real trooper for keeping up with us for so long. I don’t know if I’d be able to walk so many miles if I was an old nun. Speaking of Sister Maryann, thank you Sister Maryann for teaching me to appreciate singing. I’ve never sang outside of the shower before and the idea of singing at every meal and Mass challenged me. However, it probably took one day for me to realize how much of a blessing it truly was.

I began to love it and its way of speaking the goodness of God. At the end of it all my friends and I were singing on the rooftop of Papa Giovanni (our hotel). Along with the singing was crying because I truly think no one wanted to leave, including me. @I must thank my school for allowing me to go on this pilgrimage. I’ve never been as attached to a location until I came to Assisi. My father and I are already planning for another trip. It definitely put things in perspective for me. One final “thank you” to God, for creating Assisi and all other things good. I pray that it continues to be such a symbol of peace.

@Assisi is the physical representation of tranquility. It was quiet when it needed to be and bustling when it needed to be. There was a perfect balance of material and spiritual and while not as grand as Rome it was quite more than what I was used to. St. Francis Basilica was my favorite spot art wise. There is a great painting of Revelation behind the altar which really captivated me. In fact, the whole idea of being where the guy my school is named after is crazy. I saw where one of the most important Christian figures was born, lived, and died all in one week. So much life and influence in one place.

The TAU

In Memoriam

Please remember in your prayers the following members of the St. Francis High School Family who have recently passed away.

ALUMNI +John Arent ’61 (Bishop Ryan)

+Charles Levi ’65

+Michael Beyer 05

+Richard Mata ’96

+Phil Fronckowiak ’52

+John McBride ’77

+Frank Dzielski ’53

+Denis O’Donnell ’68

+Thomas Hebert ’82

+ Wallace Popielinski ’61

+Kevin Heiss ’97

+Gregg Rautenstrauch ’75

+Dennis Hoak ’73

+Richard Skrok ’61 (Bishop Ryan)

+Stan Kapron ’57 (Bishop Ryan)

+Jordan Tokarczyk ’09

FRIENDS AND FAMILY +Kathleen Dolan Mother of Greg ’82 and Kevin Finbar ’75 Aunt of Kevin ’86 and Robert Gavin ’81

+Anna Nenadal Grandmother of Nicholas Tournour ’25 +John Rooney Grandfather of Luke Wallace ’23

+Patricia Gannon Mother of James Gannon ’95 and Grandmother of Jean-Luc Gannon ’24

+Elaine Rudnicki Grandmother of Jason Rudnicki ’23

+Kathy Giardina Mother of Tony Giardina ’88 and Grandmother of Anthony ’23 and Sal Giardina ’25

+Barbara Shaughnessy Mother of Martin Shaughnessy ’79 Grandmother of Martin Shaughnessy II ’11, James ’12 and Sean ’14 Cook

+Robert B. Hooper Father of Deacon Robert ’73, Deacon Mark ’76 and David Hooper ’84 Grandfather of Tim Hooper ’05, Chris ’00 and Jeff McIntyre ’05 +Richard Izzo Sr. Father of Richard Izzo ’79 +Jane Judice Grandmother of Nicholas Iglewski ’22 +Scott Kashino Father of Thomas Kashino ’22 +Darin Kotlowski Father of Matthew Kotlowski ’25

+Dorothy Was Grandmother of Andrew Lanigan ’02, Faculty Member +Don Webber Father of Kate Taggart, Assistant to the President, Kevin ’85 and Scott Webber ’89 Grandfather of Robert ’06, Andrew ’09, Sean ’17, Charles Taggart ’23 and Matthew Richey ’08 +Michael Zawisky Father of Alan ’00, John P. ’02, Matthew ’97, and Michael Zawisky ’91

Please note that St. Francis High School publishes memorials at the request of family and/or friends of the deceased and reserves the right to edit for content.

WINTER 2022

ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES continued from page 9 Michael Hoak ’07 was promoted and has become a Principal at EwingCole in New York City. EwingCole is a nationally recognized, fully integrated architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firm employing over 500 people throughout the country. Mike currently live in Jersey City, NJ. Erik Prentice ’07 and his wife Cydney welcomed their first son into the world. Rhett Franklin Prentice was born on Sept. 23, 2021. Kevin Prentice ’09 published his first novel, Independence, through Solstice Publishing on December 1, 2021.

2010s Staff Sgt. Michael J. Maroney ’13 is currently serving in the United States Army. He recently finished an overseas assignment with the Eighth Army Band at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, and is now assigned as a musician with The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, Official Escort to the President. Located at Ft. Myer, VA, the corps is a part of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), the Army’s oldest active infantry regiment. Hans F. Schober ’15 earned his Pharm D from Duquesne University’s Mylan School of Pharmacy in May of 2021. While pursuing his studies, Hans played Ice Hockey for the Duquesnse University Dukes and was also employed as a pharmacy intern. Dr. Schober is currently employed as a staff pharmacist for Giant Eagle in the greater Pittsburgh area. Sean Donovan ’18 graduated early from LeMoyne College and was hired as a Video Producer at Abbey Mecca, a branding, advertising and digital marketing agency in downtown Buffalo, NY.

Celebrating 40 Years of Justinian

Saturday, May 7, 2022 RESERVATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED. VISIT stfrancishigh.org OR CONTACT KATE TAGGART AT (716) 627-1200

Fr. Michael Sajda, OFM Conv., President of St. Francis High School announced the Co-chairs of Justinian XL. Pictured from left to right: Michael ’88 and Michele Allen (Matthew’17, Andrew’22) Jane Harrington (Ryan’22) and Lisa and Edward Karalus (Adam’17, Ethan’22) Fr. Michael.

CONTINUING THEIR FOOTBALL CAREERS IN COLLEGE

Congratulations to Jimmy “Bear” Scott who signed his national letter of intent with the ACC Champions University of Pittsburgh and Kimal Clark who signed with FCS Central Connecticut State University.

The TAU

4129 Lake Shore Road • Hamburg, NY 14075-0185 www.stfrancishigh.org

FATHER AND SON COMMUNION BREAKFAST

Upcoming Alumni Events SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2022 Bocce Ball Tournament

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022 Alumni Golf Tournament

ALUMNI NEW AND NOTES? CONTACT

MR. PAUL BARTELL ’88,

VP of Development and Alumni Relations

THE TRADITION CONTINUES Follow your favorite SFHS Sports Teams @SFHS_Athletics

716-627-1200 or bartellp@stfrancishigh.org Like us on Facebook St. Francis High School Athol Springs