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Keeping alumni, families and friends connected to Saint Agnes School

Continuing THE Legacy

THE Aggie Archives

The Class of 2016 celebrates the 75th Commencement

SUMMER 2016

Keeping you connected | SUMMER 20162

the ranks of Aggies who have become teaching faculty!

Like Ben, Maria was involved in many things at Saint Agnes. A National Honor Society (NHS) member and a three sport athlete (soccer, basketball, track), Maria received the prestigious “Athena Award” this past spring for her many accomplishments on the field of play. Maria is a stellar student. She finished her high school career with over a 4.0 cumulative GPA and completed 13 honors courses including Spanish V – as a junior! Ms. Larson, Maria’s junior year English instructor, honored her at the Senior Banquet with the following words: “What appear as effortless gifts are hard earned skills and virtues, developed by

well-roundedness and excellence we hope for in our graduates. As such, it is, and will be, the highest honor we award to our graduating seniors.

Last year, a new award was created for graduating

seniors who exemplify the spirit of Saint Agnes School: The Aggie Award. These students are individuals who have achieved excellence in all areas: faith, academics, activities, athletics, character, virtue, leadership, friendship, and service. As the plaque itself states, they “represent best the hopes and goals as expressed in the mission and vision of Saint Agnes School.”

This year, the award has been giv-en a new title, the Palm Award. It now bears the name and symbol of our patroness, Saint Agnes, who holds the palm branch as a symbol of victory. The faculty members nominate and select one young woman and one young man who best embody the

a life centered on love for Christ, grounded in respect for parents, and nurtured by tireless com-mitment.” Maria heads off to the University of Minnesota this fall to pursue a degree in Nursing.

Benjamin Seifert and Maria Turch are the recipients of the 2016 Palm Award. Ben has been involved in varsity soccer, the spring musical (with a lead as the Scarecrow in 2016’s The Wizard of Oz), and has made the Dean’s List and Honor Roll for academ-ics. At the Senior Banquet, Mr. Berthiaume, Ben’s Latin teacher, said the following: “He is quick to deflect praise, and even quicker to poke fun at himself. Ben is unassuming yet courageous. He doesn’t back down from challenges. His airy cheerfulness is contagious. He’s great with little kids and demonstrates a maturity beyond his years.” Ben plans to attend the University of Wisconsin, Superior to pursue a degree in Elementary Educa-tion. Perhaps he will return to his alma mater one day to join

Distinguished

Saint Agnes Palm Award

HonoreesMaria Teresa Turch and

Benjamin Francis Seifert

Saint Agnes School CLASS OF 2016

3Keeping you connected | SUMMER 2016

means to be struck dumb with awe. When was the last time we have been struck dumb with awe? When have we been so amazed by something that we literally had no words to describe it? So many people nowadays look at the world with cynical eyes and only see its flaws, which often results in a despairing and apathetic attitude towards life. But I am here to re-mind you that when God saw the earth, He said it was good. So let yourself see the wonder of God’s

creation and allow yourself to be overwhelmed by His Goodness.”

We are certainly stupefied by Bridget’s accomplishments and wish her the best as she heads off to the University of South Dakota this fall to pursue a degree in Pre-Law.

Bridget Geerts and Maria Mc-Donald share many talents

in common, but one that stands out is this: both have had perfect academic records throughout their entire high school careers! These two young women (also both members of NHS) are exemplary students with gifts ranging from the humanities to Latin to math and science. Maria, who is a competitive Irish dancer, earned department honors for her accomplishments in math and Latin. One of her teachers said of her: “Maria is a model of Marian virtue. All of those wonderful adjectives that are used to describe the Blessed Mother aptly describe Maria as well – pure, gentle, loving, sweet, mild, humble, faithful, and comforting. Like Mary, Maria is thoughtful and ponders things deep in her heart.” Maria will pursue Exercise Science at the

University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.

At Commencement, Bridget, our Valedictorian, began the address to her classmates with the wise words of Aristotle, who once said that “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Bridget earned department honors in English, math, and science, but she could have also been a champion in speech and debate, for her valedictory address was crafted masterfully and delivered beautifully. She offered some amusing yet serious advice to her classmates, saying, “If I could give you just one piece of parting advice, I would say this – be stupid. Yes, that’s right, I said to be stupid. Not in the modern sense of the word, but in the sense that it was originally intended. The word stupid comes from the Latin word, stupeo, stupare, which literally translated

Distinguished Honors

Valedictorian Bridget Lee Geerts

Salutatorian Maria Therese McDonald

Dr. Ferdinandt, Maria, Bridget and Fr. Moriarty

Saint Agnes School CLASS OF 2016


2016Class ofSarah Jane Anderson, daughter of Brian and the late

Elizabeth AndersonMatthew David Boeser, son of Rachael and William BoeserJames Todd Bushey, son of Susan and Kevin BusheyEmily Vilen Dahlstrom, daughter of Nikki and Andy DahlstromElena Helia de Vera, daughter of Jennifer and Michael de VeraChristopher Anthony Devora, son of Patricia Devora and the late

William JohnsonLeo Kevin Dittman, son of Joan and Mark DittmanMary Jane Frances Eischen, daughter of Kathleen and Michael EischenJennifer Falcon, daughter of Escolatica Valencia Daniel James FarrellNHS, son of Barbara and James FarrellAnna Jane Fossand, daughter of Magdalene and Clark FossandNoelani Aki Franzitta, daughter of Amy and Scott FranzittaNeil Charles Gaworski, son of Cherlyn and Joseph GaworskiBridget Lee Geerts*NHS, daughter of Joyce and Dieter GeertsMadaline Gabrielle Marie Graner, daughter of Tina and

Richard GranerStephen Nicholas Grau-Kubista, son of Rochelle Grau and

Joseph KubistaKimberly Carol Hansmann*NHS, daughter of Amy and

Douglas HansmannJoseph Philip Harrington, son of Catherine and Thomas HarringtonJonah Nicholas Hintgen*NHS, son of Kristine and Christopher HintgenAnna Rose Hobbs, daughter of Maria and Mark HobbsDaniel Paul Humphrey, son of Mary and Thomas HumphreyErick Matthew Klein, son of Deana and Gerald KleinEmily Ruth Klimisch*NHS, daughter of Maura and Alan KlimischSamuel Joseph Koessl, son of Georgine and Stephen KoesslKathryn Rose Kueppers, daughter of Vicki and Joseph KueppersMadison Regan Lanning, daughter of Amy Moore and David LanningWyatt Donald Lanning, son of Amy Moore and David LanningEmily Jean Luke, daughter of Amy and Kelly LukeMichael Thomas Maloney*, son of Anne and John MaloneyDominic Daniel Maslow, son of Tonia and Thomas MaslowMaria Therese McDonald*NHS, daughter of Chris and Paul McDonaldDan Thanh Nguyen*, son of Nhi and Chung NguyenViet Pattrick Pham*NHS, son of Trang Nguyen and Hoang PhamDuy Dinh Phan*NHS, son of Thuy and Dao PhanIan Max Rasmussen*, son of Darcy and Kendall RasmussenGeraldinie Beana Regis, daughter of Geraldine RegisIsabella Lucille Rossini, daughter of Alisa and John RossiniMadison Marie Sandquist, daughter of Nicole and Nicholas SandquistMarissa Anne Schneider, daughter of Heidi and James SchneiderBenjamin Francis Seifert, son of Nancy and James SeifertCatherine Charmian Seifert*, daughter of Carrie and

Jeffrey SeifertMaggie Jo Selner*NHS, daughter of Brenda and Gregory SelnerJoseph Michael Shearer, son of Terese and John ShearerLiam Thomas Skulley*NHS, son of Stephanie and Thomas SkulleyLucy Rose Stariha, daughter of Amy and Jeffrey StarihaAlula Tela Tesfay, son of Tsehay Legesse and Tesfay WoldemichaelCharles Joseph Thibault, son of Gretchen and Daniel ThibaultClare Therese Tichawa, daughter of Theresa and Thomas TichawaMaria Teresa Turch*NHS, daughter of Charla and Steven TurchMatthew Joseph Twaroski, son of Anita and Clifford TwaroskiLucia Mary UppgaardNHS, daughter of Marie and David UppgaardPeter James Vaske, son of Karin and James VaskeEmily Rose Wallrich, daughter of Jane and James WallrichCaroline Sindhu Williams, daughter of Joan and John WilliamsFranklin Jerald Wright*, son of Donna and Ronald WrightPeter Jacob Zimmerman, son of Susan and Dan Zimmerman


Distinguished honorsSAINT AGNES PALM AWARD Maria Teresa Turch, Benjamin Francis SeifertVALEDICTORIANBridget Lee GeertsSALUTATORIANMaria Therese McDonaldDepartment awardsDRAMAJonah Hintgen, Benjamin SeifertENGLISHBridget Geerts, Dan FarrellHISTORYMary Jane Eischen, Benjamin SeifertLATINMaria McDonald, Michael MaloneyMATHEMATICSBridget Geerts, Maria McDonaldPHYSICAL EDUCATIONLiam Skulley, Alula Tesfay

SCIENCEBridget Geerts, Michael MaloneySPANISHKimberly Hansmann, Lucia UppgaardSTUDIO ARTLucy Stariha, Caroline WilliamsTHEOLOGYLucia Uppgaard, Michael MaloneyVOCAL MUSICClare Tichawa, Joseph ShearerSelected awards KOPP FAMILY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPSBridget Geerts, Maria McDonald RED CROSS SCHOLARSHIPWyatt LanningSISTER ADRIENNE AWARD FOR CHARACTER, LEADERSHIP & SERVICEKimberly HansmannSONS & DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AWARD FOR PATRIOTISMCharles Thibault

Honors and Awards from the Class of 2016

Selected Quotes from the Class of 2016“Keep the joy of Jesus as your strength – be happy and at peace, accept whatever He takes with a smile.” –BLESSED MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA

“The only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” – ALBERT SCHWEITZER

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” – MARY ANN RADMACHER

“No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.” – J.R.R. TOLKIEN

“But the Lord said unto me, ‘Say not, I am too young: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.’” – JEREMIAH 1:7

“It is easy to acknowledge, but almost impossible to realize for long, that we are mirrors whose bright-ness, if we are bright, is wholly derived from the sun that shines upon us.” – C.S. LEWIS

“The most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice, and with extreme effort.” – ST. PADRE PIO

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. JACKSON BROWN, JR.

“There’s some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” – SAMWISE GAMGEE IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN

“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” – EDMUND BURKE

The Class of 2016: Our 75th Graduating Class!Wyatt Lanning and future Aggie, Mac Flood.

Commencement speaker Excerpts from Dr. Naughton’s address to the graduates:KNOW THYSELF: You and I are on a great adventure, an adventure that transcends our petty concerns and calls us to great nobility and virtue. Your education has been an encounter with this adventure and is meant to reveal to you the gap between who you’ve been created to be and who you actually are. KNOW THE GOOD: I hope you can remember a very simple principle that comes from a very great thinker, Blessed John Henry Newman, and he says this: “the good is always useful, but the useful is not always good”. While your education is useful, giving you the knowledge and skills to succeed in life, this utility does not define its center. Your education at its core has developed a habit of

wonder that enables you to see a larger whole that opens you to the goods of life and develops you as a person going beyond the mere use of things to their deeper created purpose. KNOW GOD: We cannot know ourselves or the depths of the good of ourselves without God. One of the biggest challenges in life is that we create small worlds for ourselves, so small in fact that it is hard for God to enter into it. Enlarge your soul to receive what is good as well as what is true and beautiful in this world and the next.

2016 Commencement Speaker, Dr. Michael J. Naughton, Director of the Center for Catholic Studies, University of St. Thomas

Keeping you connected | SUMMER 2016 7

The Class of 2016: Our 75th Graduating Class!

Neil Gaworski chats with Officer Joe Sandquist, ‘96, about his pursuit of a career in law enforcement.

Choir grads sing their diplomas.


Maria Turch, ‘16 Steven Turch, ‘75

Anna Hobbs, ‘16 Mark Hobbs, ‘92

Emily Wallrich, ‘16 Jane (Krump) Wallrich, ‘79 James Wallrich, ‘78

Dominic Maslow, ‘16 Thomas Maslow, ‘84 Daniel Maslow, ’52 Patricia (Burke) Maslow, ‘48 grade

school*

Matthew Twaroski, ‘16 Anita (Burns) Twaroski, ‘75

Anita (Wood) Burns, ‘53

*Photo not available, as there were

no grade school yearbooks in 1948.

These 2016 graduates have

followed in the footsteps of their

parents and grandparents

and carry on the tradition of

excellence at Saint Agnes School.

Honoring Legacy

Graduates

Madison Sandquist, ‘16 Nicole (Nelson) Sandquist, ‘89

Nicholas Sandquist, ‘89 Stephen Grau-Kubista, ‘16 Joseph Kubista, ‘91


Track Sends Six to Section Championship RoundThe track team advanced six athletes to the section 4A championships this year. Alex Haeg and Grace Grau-Kubista advanced in the 400-meter dash and Justin Bennett advanced in the 100- and 400-meter dashes. Adaya Sandifer advanced in the 200-meter dash, Hannah Hafner advanced in the 300-meter hurdles and Emily Schaeffer advanced in the high jump. Bennett finished eighth in the 100-meter dash, Schaeffer placed fifth in the high jump, and Grace Grau-Kubista finished sixth in the 400-meter dash.

Softball Earns #1 SeedThe varsity softball team advanced to the section championship game before falling 9-7 to champion Concordia Academy. The Aggies, who finished the year 16-10 overall, had earned the #1 seed in section 4AA, but fell to the #2 seeded Concordia Academy in the semifinal round of playoffs. The Aggies rebounded by beating the defending state champs, New Life Academy, and advanced

to the section final vs. Concordia. In the first game, the Aggies beat Concordia 9-1, forcing a second game. The championship game was tied heading into the final frame, but Concordia scored four runs in the 7th inning and the Aggies could only answer with two of their own. Senior Pitcher Anna Fossand, a four-year varsity starter, finished the year with 15 wins. Fossand racked up 104 hits throughout her varsity career. The team also earned all-state academic honors.

Baseball Continues Winning Ways

Aggie baseball enjoyed another successful season finishing 17-9 overall. The Aggies finished third in a tough Tri

Metro conference, their highest finish since winning the conference in 2005. They earned the #3 seed and finished

third in the section 4AA playoffs going 4-2 before being eliminated by eventual

section champion Minnehaha Academy.

This is the eleventh time that the varsity baseball team has earned all-state

academic honors in the past 12 years.

SPORTS


Coming Soon! Helene Houle Auditorium

On May 26, 2016, we announced with great joy that we have secured the necessary funds to begin construction on the new auditorium! This much anticipated addition to the Ubel Activity Center has been made possible through the generosity of many parents, alumni and friends, and through a more recent and significant gift from John Nasseff and Helene Houle.

With this latest gift, the new auditorium will be named in Helene’s honor. As a result, we will return home to our own stage in time for the 2017 Spring Musical! In addition, we look forward to having this space to host guest lectures, school assemblies, special events and much more. And the athletic and phy-ed departments are thrilled to know that there will soon be less demand for gym space as events begin to move into the auditorium.

We are profoundly grateful for all those who have stepped forward in support of this historic project, and we invite anyone who has not yet participated to join us in the “Take a Seat” challenge. Established by an anonymous donor in honor of David and Nancy Johnson, your $250 donation towards one seat will be

matched, allowing you to double your impact. A limited number of seats remain.

Some funding must still be secured for items such as technical equip-ment, lights and sound; therefore additional opportunities to assist will be forthcoming. In the interim, we will be able to supplement the needs of productions and events held on campus with rental equipment.

To support this project, visit SaintAgnesSchool.org or use the enclosed envelope and designate your gift to the auditorium. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Mrs. Jean Houghton at 651-925-8810 or [email protected].

Future home of the Helene Houle Auditorium.

The auditorium will become home to events such as these: grade school programs, choral and instrumental music concerts, theatrical performances, school assemblies and guest lectures.


AlumniUpcoming Class Reunions

Class of 1956: A 60-year reunion will be held in early September of 2016. Watch for more information from Carol (Pelzer) Delisle this summer.

Class of 1961: A 55-year reunion will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at Sucker Lake Shelter #2 in Vadnais Heights from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Flyers with additional information will be mailed soon.

Class of 1966: 50-Year Reunion! Save the date for Saturday, Septem-ber 17, 2016 at Grumpy’s Bar in Roseville. More information will be coming. Join the “St. Agnes Class of 1966” Facebook page for updates and send questions or suggestions to Greg Stephanie at 612-280-2193 or [email protected].

Class of 1971: Save the date for Saturday, October 1, 2016. Anyone interested in helping plan may contact Mary Rush at [email protected].

Class of 1976: The 40-year reunion will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2016 in the new Ubel Activity Center on the Saint Agnes School campus. Invitations will be mailed in August.

We are in need of addresses for the following classmates: Jerry Dill, Mike Dubois, Kathy Gombkoto, Don Hogan, Pam Jacobsen, Barry Johnson, Barbara Jung, Tom Kittel, Louise Klein, Joan Kowalski, Mary Lou Larson, Mike McCarthy, Virginia Mottl, Jeannine Mueller, Patty Robinette, Mary Rongitsch, Linda Switala, Renee Wallraff and Jim Wilson. If you have contact information for any these classmates, please contact Deb Mathias at [email protected] or Michele McDonald Pastorius at 651-769-4419.

Class of 1986: A 30-year reunion is planned for October 15, 2016 at Bonfire on Grand Avenue. More details will be forthcoming.

Last chance! Nearly sold

out!2016 Aggie Open Golf TournamentMonday, July 18Shotgun start 12:00 PMComo Golf CourseDinner and prizes to follow $125 per player$85 for young alumni (’06 -’16)$40 dinner only option

Registration includes 18 holes of golf, motorized golf cart, boxed lunch at the course, buffet dinner and prizes.

Not a golfer? Join us for dinner!$40 includes buffet dinner, dessert and participation in auction and raffle drawings.

Cash bar available. Dinner expected to begin about 4:30pm at TST Creative Catering/Ideal Hall, located at 1494 N. Dale St. in St. Paul.

Contact Athletic Director Mike Streitz today to inquire about remaining availability or reserve a place for dinner: 651-925-8705, [email protected].

Proceeds benefit the Aggie Athletic ProgramThe Class of 1991 gathered for their 25th reunion at O’Gara’s in St. Paul. 21 of our classmates were able to attend. It was a great time plotting and planning our quest for world domination. Plus, catching up with old friends wasn’t bad either. It’s hard to believe we are closer to retirement than we are to graduation. We can’t wait to see what Heidi has planned for our 30th reunion!


Non-ProfitOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MN

Permit #490

Saint Agnes School530 Lafond AvenueSt. Paul, MN 55103

Change Service Requested

SAVE THE

DATE!Thursday, Sept. 22

Alumni Memorial Mass and BrunchChurch of Saint Agnes

9:30 AM Mass and Complimentary Brunch

Friday, Sept. 23Tailgate BBQ and Football Game

Sea Foam Stadium, Concordia College6:00 PM Tailgate Under the Tent

7:30 PM Kick-Off, Aggies vs. Concordia Academy

Saturday, Sept. 24Hall of Fame Induction

Mancini’s Char House, St. Paul12:00 PM Luncheon and Ceremony

2016 InducteesTed Steichen, ‘52, baseball, basketball

Sam Gagliardi, ‘89, football, hockey, track, Molly Budzien Keim, ‘96, basketball, softball, volleyball

Donnie Preston, ‘98, basketball, football

Plan to participate in this year’s Homecoming activities. You are always welcome home! Questions? Contact the Alumni Office at

651-925-8880 or [email protected].

2016

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