the empire winter 2013

Winter 2013

THEmpire

The Official Magazine of Alumni, Family, and Friends of

Roman Catholic High School

A Priceless Education and a

Timeless Look Since 1890

2 Roman Catholic High School

Catholic High AlumniFostering Faith...Expanding Knowledge

President/RectorRev. John B. Flanagan

PrincipalMr. Robert P. O’Neill

~Alumni Association

President Mr. Joseph J. Flaherty ’56

Executive Director of Institutional Advancement

Ms. Denise LePera

Director of Development and Communications

Mr. Steven M. Ziegler ’04

Coordinator of Development Services

Mrs. Terri Evans

BookkeeperMrs. Kathleen Kelly

Contributors John Coyle Mike Daily ’64 Lawrence J. Elliott ’66 Rev. John B. Flanagan Joseph J. Flaherty ’56 Mike Finnegan ’75 Tom Kearney ’58 Chris Gibbons ’79 John Livewell ’91 Leo Lynch ’64 Steve Patton ’08 John T. Richards Pat Shanahan

Editor: Steve Ziegler ’04 Thank you to all Alums who send in their class notes each issue!

Table of Contents

Communion Breakfast ................................pg. 4

Cahill Club ...............................................pg. 5

A Final Note .............................................pg. 5

Legends of the Fall ....................................pg. 6

SHOF ......................................................pg. 6

Reflection .................................................pg. 7

Cahilites of WWI .......................................pg. 9

MLK Day .................................................pg. 10

Mock Trial ................................................pg. 11

Romanauction/Chance Drawing ..................pg. 16

125th Anniversary ......................................pg. 19

The UsualsFrom the Desk of the Rector ....................pg. 3

A Message from theAlumni President ....................................pg. 4

Alumni Calendar .....................................pg. 11

Around Roman .......................................pg. 12

Class Notes .............................................pg. 14

Necrology

Roman Catholic High School301 N. Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107For more information, contact

[email protected]

To have your intentions included at daily Mass at Catholic High, contact

[email protected]

Please contact Terri Evans regarding omissions or

additional deceased alumni, family and friends at [email protected] or

215-627-5487, ext. 310.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made in the

name of your loved one to Roman Catholic High School.

Contact Terri Evans for more information.

(as of February 8, 2013)

AlumniVincent J. Mianulli ’32James E. O’Donnell ’36Father Hugh J. Connaghan, ’41Anthony J. Sessa ’42William J. Hare ’43Walter J. Graham ’44Charles J. Boyce ’44Paul V. Weathers ’46Joseph Debrigida ’47Abraham Cianfrini ’47Francis J. Lawler ’47Joseph T. Danks ’47Hugh A. Mooney ’48John F. Callahan ’48Robert J. Furlong ’49John McLaughlin ’50Paul H. Walkovic ’52Albert J. Visek ’52Wilmer H. Glaser ’52Martin J. Kalamas ’53Thomas Gidley ’55Robert James ’55Leonard Bruzas ’57Edward P. Stevenson ’57Harry Rothwein ’57John J. Brinkmann ’57James W. Mara ’57John A. McElroy ’57Ronald E. Iacovelli ’61Donald W. Grebloski ’63James J. Johnson ’64Joseph C. Quigley ’65Edward J. Henry ’67Dennis J. Brennan ’67Gerald Orivivo ’68John P. Fracek ’68Bruce Shepherdson ’71Richard J. Wagenhoffer ’72James J. Harrington ’73John H. McKeever ’77

FamilyMs. Bernadette Ampthor sister of Francis ’42, aunt of Robert ’74 and Blane ’78Ms. Anna B. Baronett mother of Michael ’86Ms. Margaret Mary Bell mother of Dr. Michael Bell RCHS FacultyMr. Benedict Bidus husband of Ella, former RCHS Staff and father of Raymond ’78

Mr. Nello Chiodetti brother of Dom ’46 and Larry ’48

Mr. Charles Clothier father of David ’78 and grandmother of David ’07

Ms. Romaine M. Conway mother of James ’60Mr. Francis T. D’Angelo father of Francis ’78Ms. Irene C. D’Angelo mother of Francis ’78Mr. Francis X. Dirvin brother of Herbert ’45Mr. Thomas M. Hannigan father of Timothy ’66Jennie Jimenez wife of Louis ’50Ms. Thelma King wife of Gerald ’49Mr. Eric Konopka father of Eric ’02Mr. Edward J. Leonard brother of Thomas ’64Mrs. Mary Nelson wife of Thomas ’51Ms. Elizabeth Pellicciotti grandmother of Daniel ’11 and Brett ’12

Mrs. Mary Rodgers mother of William ’81,

Robert ’81 and Richard ’83Mrs. Mary Ruppert grandmother of Joseph Miller ’78 and Michael Miller ’80

Mr. Michael P. Smith brother of Patrick ’77Mr. Louis J. Toriello brother of Dominic ’70Mr. H. John Wilson grandfather of Jen

DiGiovanni Faculty & StaffMs. Mary Winchester mother of William ’75

3 The Empire

Rev. John B. Flanagan13th Rector of

Roman Catholic

From the Desk of the Rector“JUG will be in Room 26 immediately after school today,” bellows Mr. Kane, the Assistant Principal for Student Services (the Disciplinarian). Mr. Terry Kane humbly accepted a much deserved Loyalty Award at graduation last year. He has earned the respect of the student body over the past decade for his strict but fair ways. Getting back to JUG, which is also known as “Justice under God,” and commonly called deten-tion in other schools. Most of us have had one or two over the years. I took the opportunity to talk to the JUG guys for a few minutes about starting the New Year off well here at Roman, and fellow students.

Before I left, I said, “Where do you think I’m going now?”

“Home” was the response. “No, I’m heading to an alumni gathering, called the Ancient Order of Cahillites.” They were intrigued as I mentioned that Ed Keenan ’54 organizes fellow alumni to gather several times a year. They could not believe that Mr. Stanley Nanczuk ’35 would be in attendance. “Wow, how old is he?” I told the Roman guys that for being one of the senior alumni, Stan still loves Roman, and still wears his school tie. The legacy and love of Roman is alive and well at Broad and Vine and beyond. Roman’s school store is now offering a new alumni tie. Visit our home page, www.RomanCatholicHS.com, then click on “School Store” and “Alumni.”

To the alumni, thank you for your continued love of your alma mater. Whether it’s a kind word, a cheer for the Cahillites, or your gen-erous support, it goes a long way in making Roman successful.

Alumni involvement has been a major support in so many ways over the years. Larry Elliott ’66 has led the charge as alumni president most recently and has been treasurer and an active trustee for 30 years. On behalf of the entire Roman Family, I thank Larry for his tireless dedication and commitment. Larry assumed the role of immediate past President with the New Year and passes the presidential responsibilities to Joe Flaherty ’56. One of Joe’s first orders of business is to establish a 125th anniversary committee, as Jim Marino ’75 accepted being the chairman for the 125th. Thomas Cahill’s dream continues into the 21st century with great numbers and future vision.

468 students took the Scholarship/Entrance Exam. The scholarship, acceptance and interview letters have been mailed to the incom-ing freshman class. With the current enrollment at 1,022 students, we hope to enroll 275 students into the Class of 2017. Recruitment continues to grow in Delaware and Chester Counties with interest in Paoli and Malvern. As alumni, please direct parents and students to pursue their secondary education at Roman Catholic.

The Communion Breakfast is one of the richest traditions here. I thank John Malloy ’62 and Class of ’62 Committee for organizing an-other great day. Fr. Sean Bransfield ’91 was the guest celebrant and homilist at the Mass and Astronaut Chris Ferguson was the keynote speaker. Please consider attending this year on November 17th. For the next 3 years the Communion Breakfast and the Philadelphia Marathon will be on different Sundays, so traffic will be less congested. The Annual Communion Breakfast is at the heart and soul of our mission and continues to be the biggest alumni gathering of the year, rivaling the Day at the Bay.

A 1908 original framed version of the “Purple and Gold” was just hung in the school’s board room. Its final stanza reminds you, loyal alumni, “Then stand by the flag, the young and the old; Its colors are yours, the Purple and Gold!; A smile on the lip, a tear in the eye; Salute ye the colors of Catholic High: Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah! Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah!” As alumni, I salute you and all your efforts for Catholic High. They are paying dividends and producing solid students, Catholic and Christian gentlemen and another generation of proud and loyal alumni.

God bless you and God bless the Roman Family!


It is with great pride that I assume the position of Alumni President, knowing that I have such a dedicated group of men always willing to serve their alma mater. I thank Larry Elliott ’66 for his service to our alumni association over the past three decades and especially for the past five years as president. In the next three years, I plan to work closely with the Office of Institutional Advancement in continuing the success of Catholic High. The popularity of Roman Catholic in the Delaware Valley is astounding to many, but it is really the result of hard work of every member of the Roman family. While we all share a sense of Roman pride, the reality is that many alums are not as involved with Catholic High as they could be. I have made it one of my goals to get them more involved. Keeping Roman vibrant in the coming years will require a tremendous effort from those of us who benefited from an education at Broad and Vine. I have noticed that over the past decade, attendance at the Communion Breakfast has

steadily declined. As the faithful crowd of attendees grows older, it is important for younger generations to keep this tradition alive. Work-ing within the by-laws established by the Board of Trustees, I plan to implement several working committees representative of various class years. In doing this, more alumni will have the opportunity to become involved at different levels and truly understand what it means to be a Cahillite. As this year progresses, I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at different functions. Get involved by joining us at Trustees meetings and offering your input regarding Catholic High. The more we work together, the better the environment will be that we create for our students.

Sincerely,

Joseph J. Flaherty ’56President, RCHS Alumni Association

2012 Communion Breakfast

Alums reminisce while hanging out in the Alumni Quadrangle.

Join Us Next YearThe 2013 Communion Breakfast, Mass, and

Homecoming will be held on Sunday, November 24th. The date will not conflict with the

Philadelphia Marathon and the Open Bar format has returned to the Homecoming Reception.

Toastmaster Bill Collins ’62 jokes about his classmates during the Communion Breakfast.

50th Reunion Chair John Malloy ’62 and Father Flanagan pass the baton to next year’s 50th Reunion Chair, ‘Gator’ McCoy ’63.

Butch Paramore ’63 and J.A. Okuri ’62 laugh about the old days at the homecoming reception.

Matt Johnston ’10, Steve Johnston ’10 and Stefan Johnson ’10 enjoy their fall break at the Communion Breakfast Homecoming.

A Message from the Alumni President


Cahill Club Hosts 10th Annual BanquetThe Cahill Club celebrates its 10th year with a dinner the evening of May 22, 2013, at Flourtown Country Club,

150 McCloskey Road, Flourtown, PA 19031. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are at 6PM and dinner is at 7PM. 2013 Cahill Club Inductees

Thomas E. Cahill Award – Richard W. Vassallo, M.D. ’59Distinguished Alumni Award – John J. Griffin ’74

James McSherry ’40 Appreciation Award for Service – Thomas F. Kearney ’58James McSherry’40 Appreciation Award for Service – William J. Myers ’50 (posthumously)

Teacher of the Year – John SfrisiStudent of the Year – Robert Rowan ’13

To Register for the Cahill Club Dinner, visit www.RCHSAlumni.org/CahillClub

A Final NoteDear Fellow Alums, Writing this letter is bittersweet as it is the last letter I will be submitting to The Empire as Alumni President. I wel-come Joe Flaherty ’56 as president for the upcoming year and wish him the best of luck. As a volunteer for the Alumni Association, not only as President but also as Treasurer, I have had the privilege of being a part of many substantial achievements over the years. Our campus has been expanded by making two major additions; Renaissance Hall and McSherry Hall. In the past 20 years, there has been significant growth in the endowment fund at Catholic High. We have also worked hard to reach a point where we can provide our students with over $300,000 in schol-arships and grants each year. This can be attributed to the amazing leadership we have had at every level through the years.

Being back and forth so much to my old stomping grounds has been exhilarating to say the least. I will remain involved at Roman Catholic on the Finance Committee for the Board of Advisors as well as the Board of Trustees. It has certainly been a great run. I watched Roman grow from a time of despair to a true time of Renaissance that is still ongoing. We are respected as a strong alumni association, but we are so much more than that in the areas of fundraising and development. During my tenure as president, I was fortunate enough to see the evolution of the Office of Institutional Advancement and see a true pride among young alums who come back to join us for meetings and school functions. Just as I was inspired by the men who came before me, I hope to motivate the next generation of alums who will one day be leading the charge as prominent Cahillites. Always remember that without our work as alums, there would be no Purple & Gold to salute. Thank you for making my experience as Alumni President an enjoyable one. Please continue your support in any capacity you can. As we have seen in the past, we can only achieve greatness by working together.

Sincerely,

Larry Elliott ’66

Roman Students Perform at Carnegie Hall James Corcoran ’13 and Patrick Masluk ’14 performed for the American Honors Performance Series on Sunday, February 10th. There were over 1,000 applicants for the series from all across the United States, Canada, and Central America. Masluk, a baritone sax player with 8 years of experience joined an ensemble on the stage to play a 45-minute set of “Danzon #2,” “Angels in the Architecture,” and Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide.” “The experience was more than I could have hoped for. I enjoyed meeting and playing with musicians from all over the country,” says Masluk. “It’s really amazing that I got to look out at an audience from the same stage where Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong performed.” The American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall challenges elite students to perform at their very best. Stu-dents rehearse and perform under master conductors and have the opportunity to perform before invited representatives from collegiate and professional music programs. Though much of the students’ time is focused on performance preparation, the week also allows students to experience the best of the sights and the performance arts in New York City.


Sports Hall of Fame Inducts the Class of 2013

Friday, April 5, 2013Williamson’s Restaurant

Route 611 and Blair Mill RoadHorsham, PA

Cash Bar Reception: 5:30 p.m. Dinner: 7:00 p.m.

Awards: Immediately Following Dinner

For dinner ticket information, contact: Patrick Smith ’77 at (267) 616-2371 (cell),

[email protected]

To order your tickets or purchase an ad online go to www.RCHSAlumni.org/SHOF

The SHOF Class of 2013Brooks Ricca ’45

Football & Basketball

Bill Snow ’63Basketball – Track & Field

John Siorek ’79Basketball

Delano Benton ’90Football

1992 Football Team

Jim ‘Bugsy’ Martin ’95Football & Baseball

Gavin Nangle ’00Crew

Tamal Forcion ’01Basketball

Pat CainSoccer Coach

Special AwardsJoseph ‘Goldie’ Graham ’33 Memorial Award

Bill Keenan ’67

John J. Hoban ’35 Memorial Award John Pensabene, RCHS Faculty

William ‘Speedy’ Morris Community Award Walt Rambo, RCHS Fathers Club

John J. Gillen ’33

Memorial Interleague Award Kevin Quinn, St. Joseph’s University

Legends of the Fall: Bob Richards ’39The following article and pictures are credited to John T. Richards, nephew of Bob Richards. Bob Richards played varsity football in an era when the gridiron was dominated by great players. Richards went on to play sandlot football with the Zephyr A.C. and was awarded a Mini-Maxwell. I am not positive, but the awards presentation picture below may be the Maxwell awards dinner. As reported by a local paper from the era: “Zephyr A.C. ace center and former Roman Catholic High School star received the greatest award that any High School, Collegiate, and Sandlot star could ever receive. On Monday, November 13th, Bob Richards joined High School and College stars at a banquet held in their honor where they received the Maxwell Trophy for being the outstanding stars of the season. Bob has also received the honor as the only Sandlot star ever to win such an award.”

Bob also played on military teams up to and including the January 1, 1950 Rice Bowl in oc-cupied Japan at what was then called Kinnick Stadium in Tokyo. They did have football and US Navy aviation in common, but Nile Kinnick was 3-4 years or more ahead of Bob. Attached is a signed photo of Kinnick in his Iowa sweater sent in 1940 from Iowa City to my dad, John Sr. in Philadelphia. My dad would have been about 14 and Bob about 18 and just finishing high school (I believe). I am guessing maybe Bob requested the signed photo for his younger brother. That is what I understood over the years. Once people are gone (my dad and Bob have both passed away), you start digging through stuff and far more questions come up than were ever answered over the years.

AthleticsBasketball: In Roman’s 73-48 victory over Father Judge on January 6th, Rashann London ’14, a 6’2” junior went 11 for 17 from floor to score 30 points and also had 4 assists. Football: Senior William Fuller ’13 repre-sented Roman Catholic at the Semper Fi High School All-American Game in California.Ice Hockey: The Roman Catholic High School Ice Hockey team is currently in first place in their division with a record of 9-1 including a big win over Malvern Prep.

7 The Empire

ReflectionBy John Coyle, RCHS Faculty

John Coyle is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education and is required to write a reflection each week. This reflection was writ-ten following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

This will be the last reflection that I write for the school year, but it will not be the last reflection that I write. These reviews have allowed for critique, collaboration, and ultimately growth. Education is almost like a life form, it is constantly evolving. To pause and reflect on what has worked and what hasn’t, what has been perfected and what needs to change to fit an ever changing landscape, is es-sential as we work towards improving the kind of education we offer to the youth of this world. I will continue to write these reflections as they have offered me the chance to take a serious look at the work that I do, the career that I have chosen, and most importantly the impact that I leave on the kids that I teach. Most of my previous reflections have been about the topics that I teach, or the projects my kids are working on in class. Today I will be writing something a little different.

As I sit here writing this reflection, I need to acknowledge that this is a weekend of mourning for education in this country. Only two days ago a man carried out an act at an elementary school in Connecticut, which has sent shockwaves of sadness throughout the na-tion. What is happening in our world today? There are millions of educators in this country, and millions more that will enter that field of study. We believe that there is a purpose, a meaning to educating humanity in various aspects of life. We grow, both as individuals and a collective, when we are able to have a deeper understanding of the world around us. We help, encourage, and challenge each other to be better than we currently are. We find ways to do things that were previously thought impossible.

We encourage creativity, and foster a sense of wonderment. We ask questions and don’t always have the answers. We hope that the next generation will be the one that ultimately figures everything out. We promote unity, understanding, and compassion. As human beings, we create so much more than we destroy. We are here to create. We will create new medicines that will cure diseases. We will create the technology to give sight to the blind. We will create hope. We will create promise. We will create.

With the notion of creation, comes its counterpart in destruction. Anything that is has its opposite. Good has evil, right has wrong, and creation has destruction. We will have our detractors. We will have those who attempt to destroy. We will have those who will at-tempt to destroy hope. We will have those who will attempt to destroy promise. But that is all they will ever do, is attempt. They will never win because we will not allow them to win. We will do what we have always done. We will mourn, we will question and doubt, we will reflect, we will learn, we will laugh, we will go back to being happy, we will move on without forgetting, and we will continue to work towards the creation of a better and brighter tomorrow.

A posting by a friend on Facebook said that we should remember the victims. We should not acknowledge or give any sort of thought to the man who attempted to make us forget that humanity is good. We should remember the innocent children, and the adults who acted as the kinds of heroes all of us aspire to be when faced with the unthinkable. His post said that we should pick the name of one child and remember his or her name, rather than the name of the man who did this.

I chose the name Chase. I don’t know exactly why his parents chose this name, but its meaning will have its own impact on me. You and I never met each other Chase. But your name alone stands out as a sign of encouragement. I hope to always be able to chase my dreams. I hope to always be able to chase that promise and hope that I talked about earlier, whether they seem to be just out of reach, or miles away as they do right now. And I always hope that when faced with the tragedy and sorrow that sometimes goes with life, that we will chase away those demons. I will always remember your name Chase.

All of us are chasing something. Sometimes we aren’t even sure what it is, and we wish someone would come and show us what we’re looking for. I think we are all working towards the idea that what we do and don’t do, what we say and don't say, is ultimately for the good of the world. We are chasing happiness and fulfillment as if they are these unattainable goals that are always slightly out of reach. But we have shown they are not.

It’s Christmas time. And in only a few days families will gather together. The parties that are thrown and the presents that are ex-changed will remind all of us of the love that we have in our lives. Whether we are celebrating our first holiday with new additions to our family, or our first holiday without a loved one, or with the same group as we did last year, we will be surrounded by the joy, happiness and love that we sometimes feel like we are chasing.

We will not let this deter us from continuing. We will continue to endure. We will continue to learn and to educate. We will con-tinue to create. We will continue to love.


McSherry Hall On December 5th, the Board of Advisors and Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees held their annual joint meeting. One item discussed was the renaming of the McSherry Annex to “McSherry Hall.” In a unanimous deci-sion, the board voted in favor of the name change. James G. McSherry ’40 was one of the most dedicated alums ever to step foot inside Roman Catholic High School. As described by Ed Keenan ’54, Chair of the Historic Preserva-tion committee, the name change “adds a touch of class to the memory of a classy guy.” McSherry Hall is located at 324 N. 13th Street (13th and Wood Streets). The building houses the Office of Institutional Advancement, Alumni & Develop-ment Office, archive room, RCHS sports medicine elective, weight room, and three classrooms.

Super Bowl Block Pool Winners

1st Half WinnerRuthann

Lynch MacMullin

2nd Half WinnerChris McCoy ’94

All Proceeds Benefit Roman Catholic

High School

In November 1918, at the 11th Hour of the 11th Day in the 11th Month - the guns finally fell silent, and one of the greatest conflicts that the world had ever known finally came to an end. It was initially referred to as The Great War, but it is now commonly known as World War I, and the human casualties resulting from it were almost unimaginable. 20th century technology was employed against outdated 19th century war tactics and the results were horrifying. Machine guns routinely decimated rows of troops, forcing the soldiers into muddy, rat-infested trenches where they lived like ani-mals. Disease was rampant, and weapons of mass destruction in the form of poison gas and lethal chemicals were used by both sides. When the war concluded, 16 million were killed and over 20 million were wounded. Of the estimated 16 million killed, 10 million were military personnel. An entire generation of European men was virtually wiped out. Unfortunately, the suffering was not confined to just Eu-rope. Despite the fact that the United States entered the war relatively late, and only really experienced some 8 months of combat, over 116,000 U.S. soldiers were killed and 205,000 wounded in that short period of time. Over 100,000 Phila-delphians served in the armed forces during the Great War, primarily in the 28th and 79th Divisions, and over 2,000 lost their lives, and approximately 1,000 of them were Catho-lics from the Philadelphia Archdiocese. But based upon the Memorial Plaques that hang on the walls of Roman Catholic High School, and honor those killed In World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the recent Persian Gulf Wars, it seemed that no alumni from Roman had died in The Great War, for there was no plaque for the Cahillites of World War I. Even when I was a student here at Roman in the 1970s, I had always wondered how our school had managed to come through that horrific war unscathed. But as the years went by, and my knowledge of military history and World War I deepened, I began to doubt that there were no Roman alums who had died during World War I. A few years ago, I finally resolved to learn the truth. With the help of Ed Keenan from the Class of 1954, we learned that nearly 800 Cahillites served in World War I, and when we reviewed the 1919 yearbook we discovered our first clue as to those who were killed. The Alumni Section featured a short passage that read: “Some fourteen of our Alumni have made the supreme sacrifice and laid down their lives in the fields of France for their country.” We now knew the number – 14, but still no names. But during a review of the 1918 yearbook, we learned that on November 28, 1917 the Roman Alumni formally presented to the school a Memo-rial Flag, the first of its kind in Philadelphia, with two gold stars on a purple background to commemorate the first two from Roman who were killed in the war: E.J. Kelly and W. Kimmel. Subsequent research has revealed that W. Kimmel was likely a mis-spelling of Raymond Hummell from the Class of 1911. And I’m happy to report that my article in The Philadelphia Inquirer about this search prompted Richard

Currie to contact me and let me know that his Uncle, Richard Currie from the Class of 1911, was also a Roman alum who died in World War I. So we now have 3 confirmed names, but 11 Cahillites that are still unknown. We don’t know if there ever was a plaque to honor the fallen, I believe there probably was, but it could have been lost during the school’s numerous renovations, or possibly destroyed in the 1959 fire at our school. The Alumni and Board of Trustees commissioned this beautiful new Memorial Plaque that you see here today, and we have reserved space on it for the names of the missing, and will place their names upon it when we find them. This search has been difficult, and I’ve had many promis-ing leads that have not panned out, but I will not give up. I ask all of you here today to please help me find these remain-ing names. I have the list of all Philadelphians who died during the War, and it will probably come down to a painstak-ing process of comparing this list with a list of Roman alums from that time period with the hope that it leads to the discov-ery of the missing names. Any help would be appreciated. Some might ask: “Why try to find these names? It’s been so long - why does it matter?” And there is an epitaph from the gravestone of a soldier killed in World War I that I believe answers these questions. It reads: “To the World He Was A Soldier, To Me He Was All The World.” It was obviously written by a family member. Remember that Thomas Cahill and his wife never had any children of their own, and we refer to ourselves as “sons of Cahill”. That makes all of us brothers - except for one of students out there who is my son. We’ve placed that epitaph on this plaque as a reminder that these Cahillites are not just soldiers to us, but they are family, and family always matters. So, although these 14 Cahillites attended Roman over 100 years ago, they are still our broth-ers, and it’s important that all of us ensure that they are not forgotten. And it’s not just the WW I veterans, but we should always remember and honor all of the Cahillites who have fought and died in all of the wars – those that have been fought in the past – those that are being fought now, and those that may be fought in the future. To the students today, I have a message: Remember these Cahillite veterans who are here today. Remember those whose names are upon the Memorial Plaques that hang upon the first floor wall, and who sacrificed all of their tomor-rows so that you and I would have a today. Remember these Cahillites, for they once walked these same halls that you walk now. And whenever you leave this historic building, I want you to hold your head high for you can proudly exclaim what so very many wish that they could say, but what so very few can. For you can say that “I am a Cahillite.”

Chris Gibbons can be reached at [email protected]

9 The Empire

The Cahillites of World War IBy Chris Gibbons ’79


Advertise Your Business and Support Roman!The Empire is read by over 10,000 Alumni, Family and Friends of Roman Catholic

High School. If you would like to advertise your business at affordable rates, contact Steve Ziegler ’04, Director of Development & Communications at 215.627.5487

ext. 311 or [email protected]

Advertising with us directly benefits the Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association, dedicated to keeping the mission and message of Catholic High alive while

providing scholarships and tuition assistance to the next generation of Cahillites.

Conversations of Kings (Queens): Roman and Hallahan Students Honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Saturday, January 19th, students from Roman Catholic, Hallahan, The Philadelphia Mennonite School and Friends Select gathered to discuss the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and reflect on injustice in today’s society. The event was held at Roman and sponsored by NewCORE, a New Conversation on Race & Ethnicity. Conversation of Kings (Queens), serves as a contemporary catalyst and forum for issuing meaningful and responsible multicultural, interfaith, honest, concurrent conversations with local leaders, civically engaged citizens, students and volunteers, that is community based and memorializing of the leadership and peace and justice work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the American Civil Rights Movement. Since that time, we, as a nation, have strived to realize Dr. King’s dream and many of us, like Dr. King, have engaged in a meaningful work and substantial conversations to embody the Beloved Community. Students read Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and wrote their own letter back to the respected leader. They also heard inspir-ing words from Rev. Dr. Malcolm T. Byrd, President of NewCORE, Richard Negrin, Esq. Deputy Mayor for Administration and Coordi-nation and Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia, and Rev. Charles McNeil. Special thank you to Marilyn Abraham (Hallahan), Marissa Colston (Friends Select), and Steve Ziegler ’04 (Roman Catholic) for organizing the event.

Left: Sam Godwin ’13 (left) and Kevin Morse ’14 (right) talk about Dr. King’s impact on their lives with students from J.W. Hallahan.Middle: Rev. Charles McNeil, “The Mayor of South Philly,” addresses the students about his admiration for Dr. King.Right: Deputy Mayor Richard Negrin discusses the importance of diversity in Philadelphia and in our society as a whole.Right Bottom: Matt Lawson ’15 and Chris Jones ’13 work on their letter during the Conversation of Kings.

11 The Empire

Alumni CalendarCome & Speak Italian with Us!

March 5th - May 7th (Tuesday Evenings)

A 10 week course in Italian Language and culture

Contact Joe Farinella, [email protected]

Cahill Cup ClassicMay 7th

Whitemarsh Valley Country Club 1 PM

www.RCHSAlumni.org/CahillCup

Cahill Club Dinner May 22nd

6 PMwww.RCHSAlumni.org/

CahillClub

Baccalaureate/GraduationJune 7th

Cathedral-Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

6:30 PM

Roman Night at the Phillies June 18th

7 PMwww.RCHSAlumni.org/Nightat-

thePhillies

John Hoban ’59 Golf Outing June 24th

Center Square Golf Course8:30 AM

June 2013 Alumni Golf Outing

Details to Follow

Day at the BaySunday, August 4thKeenan’s Irish Pub

North Wildwood, NJ

Friday, September 27thFrank Lally ’72 Golf Outing

Saturday, October 19thGeorge Boyle ’49 Golf Outing

Communion Breakfast & Homecoming

Sunday, November 17th Cathedral-Basilica of

Ss. Peter and Paul

3rd Annual John M. Gibbons Jr. R.C.H.S. Scholarship

Fundraiser September 28, 2013

Fireman’s Memorial Hall Conshohocken, Pa

Contact - Chris Gibbons ’79 ([email protected])

On Friday, January 4th, forty-two members of the RCHS mock trial team traveled to the University of Pittsburgh to compete against 44 other Pennsyl-vania high school mock trial teams in the University’s 9th annual invitational tournament. Roman Mock Trial fielded four separate trial teams- two varsity and two JV teams. All of the teams finished with records above .500 (winning at least half of their trials) and the Varsity A team missed out on placing first in the tournament by only two points in their final round against the eventual tourna-ment champions, Quigley Catholic High School. One senior, Pat Prendergast and one junior, Jon Lai took home “best wit-ness” awards for their performances in the tournament. The team was accompanied by Ro-man’s eight member coaching staff: Steven Patton ’08, John Prendergast ’08, Brian McBeth ’08, Paul Dunne ’10, Ste-ven Johnston ’10, Ray Wilson ’12, Eric

Von Hofen ’10 and John Pensabene. On Saturday, January 12th, Mock Trial defeated Holy Ghost Prep to win the LaSalle University Invitational tournament, taking yet another step toward the city title. The regional competition, where the teams will try and recapture the city championship that they won two years ago, will take place over several rounds throughout the months of February and March.

Mock Trial Travels to Pittsburgh, Prepares for a Prosperous SeasonBy Steve Patton ’08, Head Coach, RCHS Mock Trial


AROUND Roman Senior Competes in

International Taekwon-Do CompetionOver 1,500 competitors traveled from 44 different countries and represented 143 different clubs and schools at the Tae-kwon-Do World Cup in Brighton, England. Shree Gandhi, a member of our senior class at Roman Catholic, was one of those 1,500 who worked his way to second place in the third degree black belt division where he earned himself a silver medal. This division is the highest competitive level possible. Roman is very proud of his accomplishments and wishes him luck in his future competitions!

SoccerThe Roman Catholic Soccer Team is a force to be reckoned with even after they leave our turf. The 2012 team, who competed in the Catholic League this season along with schools such as La Salle and St. Joe’s Prep, made their way to the playoffs before being defeated by Archbishop Ryan in the quarterfinals. Similarly, RJ Fisher ’11 and Tim Hinchey ’11, alumni of the RCHS team and current mem-bers of Alvernia University’s Men’s Soccer team, helped their squad claim the 2012 ECAC Tournament Champion-ship in a 2-1 victory over Marywood University in a double overtime. Congratulations to both teams!

Senior Cameron Spiller ’13 and Junior Stephen Kostyk ’14, pictured left, have been accepted into a Junior Achievement Program working with Business Professionals down-town hoping to gain valuable and marketable experience.

Senior Business Law students took a walking trip to the National Constitution Center on Friday January 4, 2013. The classes recently studied the history of the 1920s in class with our monthly video documentary, so the “Prohibition” Exhibit supplemented what they learned from the film.

Roman Business Law students studying Criminal Law were visited by former FOP President Rich Costello on November 20, 2012 (Father of alumnus Jack Costello) Always an interesting speaker, Mr. Costello is very candid and infor-mative discussing law enforcement, politics, the media, and local current events. On January 8th, Mr. Jude Conroy of the District Attorney’s Office visited the same classes and discussed his job prosecuting homicide cases in Philadelphia for the past 20 years. Guest speakers add an interesting perspective to the learning process and are widely used in the Business Department at Roman.

Business Students Put Their Skills to Work

13 The Empire

ROMANRoman Senior Profiled in Phaith Magazine

Senior Alvin Chiverton ’13 was profiled in Phaith in an article entitled “An aver-age young man, an uncommonly good soul.” Chiverton balances the high school demands of class, sports, and a girlfriend while also ensuring that his father makes it on time to his kidney dialysis appointments and working at his home parish, St. Athanasius. He plans to attend college, perhaps West Chester University and his mother believes he would make a great politician. Regarding the article, Chiver-ton said, “My real goal is to show that all of our youth are not the same, I know that a majority of teens today are all looked at the same and I just enjoy proving that there are still some out there that respect others with their utmost ability.”

To read Lou Baldwin’s complete article on Alvin, visit www.PhaithMagazine.com

Students Participate in the Snowflake Project for Sandy

Hook Elementary SchoolThe tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School was mourned across this nation by people of every age. Students at Roman Catholic High School decided to pay their respects by par-ticipating in the Snowflake Project. Organized nationally via the Internet by a teacher at another Connecticut elementary school, the project called on students to create decorative snowflakes to be hung in the new Sandy Hook school building following the holiday break. Roman CATAPULT teachers Helen Durando and Roe Melaragni spearheaded the project. “When we heard about the project we were so glad for the opportunity to help. Our students jumped at the chance to bring smiles to the Sandy Hook children,” Durando and Melaragni say. Forty Roman students were involved with the Snowflake Project. They were glad to give the Sandy Hook kids “moral sup-port.” The students agreed that it was important to provide comfort to the students and families during this time of suffering.

Roman’s Chairman of the Board Visits His RootsDan DiLella ’69, chairman of the RCHS Board of Advisors took a trip to Italy to the town of Mirabello Sannitico, a small town in the Italian region of Molise, part of the province of Campobasso, where he learned more about his ancestry and was honored by the town’s government.

1944: It with great sadness we report that Charlie Boyce, “The Quiet Man” died as a victim of super storm Sandy. His home in Abington, Montgomery County lost power during the storm. Charlie became disoriented in the middle of the night and fell down the steps. He was a loyal Cahillite and served as an usher at the annual Communion Break-fast for the past 15 years. You were a good man Charlie Boyce. May you rest in peace. – Jim Lloyd ’44

1951: Michael F. Smith, Esq. attended St. Joseph’s University and Temple University School of Law after graduating from Ro-man. He was recently honored by the Mont-gomery Bar Association for having practiced law for 50 years.

1960: Cocktails: A Global History is a book written by Joseph M. Carlin ’60 and was made available worldwide this past Sep-tember. It has been distributed in the United States through the University of Chicago Press. As part of a series published by Reak-tion Books, this is the newest book which includes many delicious cocktail recipes and the history of some of the most popular drinks in our society.

Roman received a letter from a St. Mary’s Catholic School in a small town in Michigan during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. In it, the 8th grade children expressed their thoughts and concerns for all those affected by the storm, including the Roman family. All twelve students signed the letter and send their prayers to us all.

Roman Math Teacher Published in National NewsletterA mathematics newsletter that Mrs. Marga-ret Deckman regularly writes for has won a national competition! Mrs. Deckman is one of three columnists contributing to the ATMOPAV newsletter. (ATMOPAV stands for “Association of Teachers of Mathemat-ics of Philadelphia and Vicinity” – you can see why the acronym is used!) Her topics concern the use of technology in the teach-ing of mathematics. She has been writing for the newsletter for more than two decades. The newsletter’s editor, Ms. Lynn Hughes of The Miquon School, submitted two is-sues of the newsletter to the Board of the

National Council of Teachers of Mathemat-ics, NCTM, and was notified that the paper was selected as this year’s winning affiliate publication. Mrs. Deckman has been teach-ing mathematics at Roman since 1985, this year marks her 50th anniversary as a teacher of mathematics.

1962: Ronald M. Clancy is a Christmas-mu-sic historian who lives in Lower Township, N.J. He is the founder of Christmas Classics Ltd. in Cape May. Ronald’s story, which be-gan in St. John’s Orphan Asylum where he fell in love with Christmas songs at midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, was featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer and earned him the name “King of Christmas Songs.”

1994: Joe McAvoy is one half of the musi-cal duo Germany Hill. He and friend Felix Fitzsimmons recently released their self-titled debut album as well as “A Christmas Tune,” a song dedicated to the victims of Sandy Hook. Joe is currently writing and producing original music for various com-mercial and artistic purposes including: jingle writing, movie and TV usage. The band’s album and more can be found on www.germanyhill.com

Bernard J. Moran is a 1st Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He has spent 18 years in the Marine Corps and recently re-enlisted. Bernard has been to both Af-ghanistan and Iraq. During his last tour in Afghanistan, Bernard was in charge of locat-ing and destroying IEDs (roadside bombs). Bernard is very proud of his time spent at Roman and we are extremely grateful for his service to our country. Semper Fi.

2002: Chris Caruso wed Christina Chris-tinzio on October 13th at Saint Monica Church in South Philadelphia. Congratula-tions to the newlywed couple whose first date took place at Roman’s Homecoming Dance in 2001!

2002: Dan Ginion, a Sergeant in the Phila-delphia Police Department’s 6th District, saved a family of five, including two small children and a kitten from a raging house fire at the 600 block of Perth Place on December 22nd. We commend Sergeant Ginion on his courageous work as a first responder.

2009: Alex Nafranowicz, currently enrolled at the University of Scranton, will spend his summer with one hundred and four fellow students on a service trip to the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. He will work to live out the missionary value of St. Ignatius in the com-munity and remain committed to service and justice.

2010 & 2011: Gabe Keown is currently a ju-nior at St. Leo University. He is a member of the ROTC program and contracted with the U.S. Army last April. He is currently on the Dean’s List with a 3.66 GPA and the Captain of the Men’s Swim Team. He was invited to the Argentina Swimming Nationals. It will be Gabe’s first international meet and he plans to travel through South America after the meet.

Specialist Dennis Bernard Flanagan ’10, 3rd US Cavalry, Fort Hood, Texas US Army and Private Michael Patrick Flanagan ’11, 326 Combat Engineers, 101 Airborne, Air Assualt, US Army are currently in Afghani-stan until September, 2013. John Joseph Flanagan ’13 is currently a senior at RCHS and signed up for the US Navy. Our prayers are with Dennis and Patrick. Best of luck to John Joseph.

2012: Roberto S. Harris-Barron ’12 received “Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week” from his football coaches at Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA.

2013: John James Gallagher Jr. was wel-comed into the National Society of High School Scholars this past August in rec-ognition of his academic achievement and excellence.

45th Reunion for the Class of 1968September 28, 2013

Radisson Hotel(Route 1 & Old Lincoln Highway)

Please contact Al Price ’68 at [email protected] if you will be

attending or would like to help.Also, any changes in your address or

e-mail address can be sent to [email protected].


Class Notes…And So Much More!

15 The Empire

Improving as a Player, Growing as a PersonThis letter was written by a recent grad to Lacrosse Head Coach Jim Brennan ’97

Dear Coach,I know the season is over now and I just wanted to take the time to thank you for everything that you have done for me. Coming in here from North, I wasn’t really sure how to adjust and make friends and Lacrosse was just the outlet. Your style of coaching took me awhile to figure out because I was always curious as to why we were doing everything. But, it finally clicked in my head that you do all of those things to make us better. Roman cares about the sport and they are on a mission for excellence and that is all thanks to you. I apologize for any times I have complained or made penalties or got in fights in games or in practice. You really have changed my life as a player and a man because you taught me to play with heart and to play smart. I wish I had you as a coach for four years because I would have loved to learn the sport as a freshman. My parents always tell me that everything happens for a reasons and you know that when North closed it was the toughest time for me, but I think the reason was for me to come to Roman and meet more friends and learn the sport the right way, help me be able to play in college, to learn fair play and learn to play for the name on the chest. I just wanted thank you again and know that I give you full credit for how much I have improved as an all-around person and also as a player. So thank you very much, coach, for making the hardest adjustment I went through a whole lot easier. Sincerely, John Kradzinski ’12

REFLECTIONS: (CLASS OF 1952)By James Hughes ’52On November 16, 2012 the RCHS Class of 1952 celebrated their 60th reunion at the Overbrook Country Club in Villanova, PA. Barry Siegfried , Jim Heil and Tom O’Donnell did a terrific job in organizing the reunion. We are proud of the many achievements made by our classmates. Many of us came from poor families. As we use to say we didn’t know that we were poor. However many of us had to pay our own way through college and some of us received academic and sports scholarships. We produced one priest and one Christian Brother, a judge, a trial lawyer, engineers, people who created successful businesses. Many became top leaders in management as well as teachers and professors at prestigious universi-ties. Our class produced a president of a national labor union, pharmacists, air plane pilots, professionals in sports, lead-ers in the military, mechanics, carpenters, electricians and real estate brokers.

We are all indebted to Catholic High for giving us the tools to succeed in our careers. We were instilled with integrity so that we could face life with confidence, which made us gentlemen in our fields.

It is great to see how Roman Catholic High School has become a great academic institution. It is one of the best Catholic high schools in our country. We are proud that we are part of this great legacy.

On Thursday, January 17th, incoming freshmen who received a $1,000 scholarship or more to Roman Catholic were honored with their families at the Class of 2017 Scholarship Reception. Congratulations to these young men who represent the top of the 468 students applying to RCHS and will undoubtedly continue the success of Catholic High in the coming years.


Bernadette AmphthorFrancis & Teresa Beach ScholarshipChristopher Berg ’95Msgr. Bonner FoundationEnglish “Bouie” Fisher ScholarshipJoseph Bowen ’23 ScholarshipGeorge Boyle ’49 ScholarshipBPG Properties Ltd.Byerschool FoundationCahill Club ScholarshipJoseph B. Callaghan ’51Joseph Camp ’56Joey F. Casey Memorial Inc.Center City Legal ProductionsClass of 1939 ScholarshipClass of 1952 ScholarshipClass of 1957 ScholarshipCharles Colgan ’45 ScholarshipConnelly FoundationDan DiLella ’69 Leadership AwardDiLella Family ScholarshipGeorge & Dolores Everett ScholarshipFaculty & Staff ScholarshipRobert Fahey

Charles Fuller ’56 ScholarshipJohn M. Gibbons, Jr. ’72Joseph R. Glancey, Esq. ’45Margaret & Thomas Graham ScholarshipGreater Philadelphia Chapter of UNICOJoseph M. Hare ’32 ScholarshipJohn Hoban, Jr. ’59 ScholarshipEthel Mae Hocker FoundationBarry Howard, Esq.Richard A. Kajkowski ’06Kandra Family Foundation ScholarshipJohn and Alice Kane ’36 ScholarshipPatrick Kerr ’05 ScholarshipTimothy Kosmin ’99Francis P. Lally ’72 ScholarshipJoseph Maksin ’46 ScholarshipLouis Marino ’82 ScholarshipGene McCoy ’61 MemorialJames D. McMenamin ’45Dr. Dorothy McMullenJames and Nellie McSherry Scholarship

McSherry Brothers ScholarshipLouis A Merlini ’40 ScholarshipLt. John T. Murphy ’40 ScholarshipStanley J. Nanczuk ’35John J. Naughton ’83 ScholarshipNighswander Family ScholarshipJeremiah O’GradyJ. Murt O’Hara ’41 ScholarshipJohn J. O’Hara ’38 ScholarshipJ. Brian O’Neill Scholarship William Palmer ’05 ScholarshipArthur P. PasquarellaDavid J. Phillips ’89 ScholarshipPNC BankThe Scholler FoundationJoseph J. Sculley ’46 ScholarshipJohn F. Spino ’64 ScholarshipSusan and John ’43 White ScholarshipHenry and Catherine Zakrzewski Scholarship

On Thursday, January 31st, the Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association honored the donors who make scholarships at Roman possible with the 4th Annual Donor Scholarship Reception in the McShain Media and Information Center.

In grateful recognition of those who, through their abundant generosity, have made Catholic education possible to young men in Philadelphia. Your efforts in providing scholarships or tuition assistance through the Adopt-a-Student Program or the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program to Roman Catholic High School make the dream of Thomas E. Cahill a reality.

June 14, 2013 ~ 1:00 pm ~ RCHS Cafeteria(Doors open at 12:30 pm)

301 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107(Corner of Broad and Vine Streets)

Returns can be made through June 10, 2013

A late fee of $25 will be charged to all Organizationsmaking returns after June 10, 2013

**PLEASE NOTE – ALL UNUSED CHANCES MUST BE RETURNED TO RCHS**

First $5,000.00Second $2,000.00Third - Fifth $1,000.00

Seller receives $100 prize

TOTAL PRIZES: $10,500.00

Contact Terri Evans, Coordinator of Development Services to order your chances. 215.627.5487 ext. 310

or [email protected]

Cahill Chance DrawingTo RSVP for Romauction, visit

www.RCHSAlumni.org/Romauction2013

17 The Empire17 The EmpireDon’t Just Make a Gift – Plan It

• Guarantee that Roman will be successful for generations to come.

• Plan for your own financial future, save taxes, increase retirement earnings, and protect your assets.

• Gain extra tax benefits and help us more generously.• Make a gift we can count on in the future, but that costs

you nothing during your lifetime.

For More Information Visit www.RCHSAlumni.org/PlannedGiving


The cast of Roman and Hallahan’s production of Ragtime continued the great tradition of theater at Catholic High while transporting the audience back to the turn of the 20th century.

Left: Tyler Gondos ’13 follows through, hop-ing for a strike. Tyler has been a member of Roman’s bowling team throughout his career as a Roman student.

Right: Olympian Glenn Ochal ’04 inspires the newest inductees into the National Honor Society.

Below: Philip Forrence ’14 and William Ru-bin ’13 are deservingly inducted into NHS.

Incoming freshmen learn to dance during their taste of Spanish class at Roman Catholic on Universal Visitation Day.

For additional information, contactRoman Catholic High School301 N. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107

Alumni & Development Office: (215) 627-5487Fax: (215) 627-2179E-Mail: [email protected]

www.RomanCatholicHS.com

Like Us on FacebookRoman Catholic High School Alumni Association

Follow Us on Twitter@RomanCatholicHS

Watch Us on You TubeRomanCatholicHS

19 The Empire

Roman Catholic High School1890-2015

Celebrating 125 Years!

Over the next two years, we will be working to make Roman

Catholic High School’s 125th Anniversary an event like no

other. Be sure to follow us on our social media sites and

www.RCHSAlumni.org to find out what’s happening. We could also use your help. Send us your

pictures, stories, and Catholic High memorabilia for our archives to be used in our publications during our

celebration.

All mail can be sent to Roman Catholic High School

301 N. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107

&[email protected]

Mike Alvarez ’10 - Totally prepared me for college. Some classes I had at Roman were actually more challenging than the ones at the University!

George Johnson - One thing my education at Catholic High taught me was to be open minded and respectful of different points of view, even if I didn’t agree with them. Going to school with people from different neighborhoods, socioeconomic statuses and ethnicities provides an expanded worldview that most kids don’t get until college.

Rob Johnson - Roman’s Catholic education helped me be the best I could be, see the good in others, and provided a caring en-vironment for me to grow into an educated young man.

Chris Nowaczyk ’92 - First, Catholic schools offer excellent academic prepara-tion for future study and for life. Second, Catholic school teachers are dedicated to the development of the whole student — the learner, artist, athlete and musician. Finally, and most importantly, Catholic schools offer a community where God is at the center and all persons are accepted and respected. Roman has always epitomized these traits, through Faith and Science. Roman culti-vates a lifelong sense of camaraderie for all the men who have had the good fortune to walk its hallowed halls for over a century.

Paul Dunn ’10 - Roman taught me the importance of hard work and dedication by challenging me both academically and socially. It is hard to put four years of excellence into a short paragraph, but I can

certainly say that I am a changed man after leaving Broad & Vine. RCHS gave me a better understanding of myself, my family, and my religion. Above all, a Catholic Edu-cation at Roman gave me broader perspec-tive on the world around me.

Timothy Hinchey ’11 - It made me a man. Not just in class, but in the real world. I know for a fact that without the education I received at Roman, both in the class and out through the school, I would not be where I am today. I take nothing for granted and take what I learned at Roman and apply it at this level in college. I am truly proud to be a RCHS Alumni. With it being the best alumni in the world, all that have attended there are better off in the future with what-ever comes into their paths.

Sam Rondinelli ’93 - Taught me the disci-pline, responsibility and motivation needed for life. Once you hit college and the real world, it is all on you to make what you want of it all.

Matthew McShane ’11 - It helped to prepare me for any future endeavor I may have and it taught me how to live the life of a good person.

Rev. Richard J. Smith ’01 - It was during my time at Roman that I discovered my vocation to the priesthood. I now have been ordained for nearly four years and I always tip my hat to Roman for helping me get to see God’s call in my life.

John Beacham ’65 - It made me a man.

Top Facebook Posts from Catholic Schools WeekOn Facebook, we asked our Alumns, “What did Roman do for you?”

Roman Catholic High School The Empire301 N. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage PaidPhiladelphia, PAPermit No. 201

Have Your Reunion at Roman!

Start Planning Your Class Reunion or Get

a Few Classes Together and have a

Group Reunion.Contact 215.627.5487 or [email protected] to

get involved.

the empire winter 2013

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