Following the 5 PM Mass on Saturday, April 6th, Alumni, family of Alumni, and friends of the Academy gathered in Meletia Hall for the Saint Anselm Catholic Academy Alumni Association – Graduate Memories Spring Social. Those in attendance, representing decades of commitment to Catholic values and to the highest standards of education, enjoyed an evening of fine food and great conversation.
In his opening words of welcome, Alumni Association President John Thomas spoke about the goals of the Association in keeping graduates connected with (and supporting) the Academy. John paid tribute to several individuals of the St. Anselm family who have recently passed: St. Anselm Youth Activities Presidents: Joseph Verponi 71-73, Joseph McHugh 84-86, Kathleen (Nan) Shea 86-89, and also Joseph DiSalvo – Youth Activities Scouts and Little League leader, as persons whose energy and commitment to service contributed so greatly to the students, the Academy, and the Parish.
Tours were available, with student guides: Jacqueline Ghorra, and Jennifer Sarji (Grade 8), Grace Ruocco, and Juli-Anne Sarji (Grade 7), to show how the building has been modernized while staying true to its core values. The new gym floor, the computer lab and the smart boards in every classroom were the highlights of the tour, though certainly many of the tour participants must have personally felt a sense of nostalgia as they saw the rooms where they studied and learned, made new friends and recalled classmates and teachers.
While dining, those in attendance had the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a 50/50 and for lovely gift baskets, donated for the event by the Hindy Family, Charmed by JLM, the Soto Family and the Thomas Family, thank you to the basket donors. Toward the end of the evening, President John Thomas of the Alumni Association and Principal Kevin Flanagan of the Academy were assisted in drawing the winning tickets by two alumni the oldest alum and the one who traveled the farthest (Nevada!). Congratulations to all the lucky winners! Thank you to the individuals, whose purchase of the raffle tickets was part of the fun for the evening, and to those individuals who made contributions to the Academy. The money raised will certainly help to support the wonderful programs at St. Anselm.
Of course, an evening such as was enjoyed on the 6th requires the work of many hands, and so – thank you to a wonderful committee, who so ably assisted President John Thomas: Jeanine DeLuca Condon, Andrew White, Roy Gerardi, Eileen Downey, and Sandy Thomas. We trust that the Alumni Association will continue to thrive and maintain the legacy of Catholic education that is St. Anselm.
All the best,
The St. Anselm Publicity Committee