S P R I N G 2 0 16
Focus
T H E A L U M N A E M A G A Z I N E O F M O U N T S T. M A R Y A C A D E M Y
A Year of Mercy
How do you define mercy? And more importantly, how do you live it?
And the award goes to…
Alumnae award recipients are recognized.
Who was there
Reminisce and see who you missed at our Mountie events!
Focus
THE ALUMNAE MAGAZINE OF
M O U N T S T. M A R Y A C A D E M Y
SPRING 2016
Dawn Hurley Riggie ’71
Principal
Julie Rosenecker Wojick ’85
Assistant Principal for Institutional Advancement
Alexandra Kogler Fussell ’96
Coordinator of Alumnae and Public Relations
Contributing Writer and Editor
Bonnie G. May
Coordinator of Institutional Advancement
Telesco Creative Group
Design Services
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Please contact Alexandra Kogler Fussell ’96
at [email protected] or
(716) 877-1358 ext. 304.
Dear Sister Alumnae,
This year, the theme “We Are Called” is directing our teachings and efforts. This message dovetails
beautifully with Pope Francis’ challenge to us all to make this the Year of Mercy. We are invited to
give love, kindness, and unbounded generosity, and we are offered the opportunity to encounter
the incredible mercy of God.
As Catholics, our liturgy makes the risen Christ seen, heard,
and felt in a world that so desperately needs Him. We believe
we are made in the image and likeness of God, and our
baptism commits us to be alive in Christ, living in ways
that allow others to see Christ alive in us.
The theme “We are Called” reminds us of two popular songs.
In Tom Conry’s song “Anthem,” we sing, “We are called,
we are chosen, we are Christ for one another.” And in David
Haas’ song “We Are Called” we recognize “We are called to act
with justice…to love tenderly...to serve one another…to walk
humbly with God.” These songs serve to remind us of our
purpose and guide us in our lives.
We listen to the Word. We share Eucharist. We are empowered
to go out in to the world. As the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur
who charted our path did, we continue to work to help the
girls in our care grow to be young women dedicated to leaning,
moral integrity and service to and acceptance of others. This
work is lived each and every day at Mount St. Mary Academy.
We have accepted the challenge to serve one another,
and our students have been very busy in this:
• The entire freshman class spends the last day of the school
year together working at Buffalo’s St. Luke’s Mission of
Mercy cleaning, sorting clothing, stocking shelves—whatever
is needed.
• At our annual class retreats, students make lasagnas for
a local food kitchen and dignity bags and blankets for those
in need.
• Our students, athletic teams, clubs and faculty unite to raise
funds and awareness for causes such as breast and pediatric
cancers, leukemia and lymphoma and organizations such
as Catholic Charities, the American Cancer Society, and
the March of Dimes—to name just a few.
• Our students collected warm winter clothing for the
Code Blue Project at St. Luke’s.
I could go on and on…but what is truly amazing is that
our students are not only understanding the need for
action, but understanding that encountering mercy means
encountering God.
Thank you for sharing in this good work. Thank you for
your kind, prayerful and loving support. Please continue
to support Mount St. Mary Academy in any way you can.
Thank you on behalf of our students here now and on behalf
of those yet to join us.
Dawn Hurley Riggie ’71
Principal
Dear Friends,
It should come as no surprise to any of us that exceptional Mounties are everywhere. I hear stories all the time of terrific
Mountie encounters—the hardworking mom on the PTA at your child’s school, the nurse who was so compassionate,
the new neighbor who was so welcoming—surprise, they’re all Mounties!
Mounties are kind, caring, passionately driven and committed to their causes. They’re the women who just can’t seem to say
“no” when asked for help. The women who jump right in before you can even ask. (We’ve recognized some of these women
at our annual Alumnae Award presentation. Turn to page 14 to see some very familiar faces.)
In my job as alumnae coordinator, I talk to amazing women every day. I have the great joy of getting to know Mounties,
working by their sides, hearing their ideas—and my life is richer for it.
But as I started writing our article on the Year of Mercy, even I was amazed at the number of alumnae who devoted their life’s
work to those around them. Because here’s another word that defines Mounties—selfless. These Mounties are merciful and
compassionate beings, who care for those in need. Though they talk about the issues closest to their hearts, they often downplay
their own contribution, or in many cases don’t see it as cause for praise.
People like Rachel Stumpf Wells ’82. When Rachel passed away last year, even her mother and former MSM Physical Education
teacher Mrs. Sally Stumpf, was surprised to hear some of the stories of how Rachel had affected lives across the country.
Though Mrs. Stumpf knew about Rachel’s care for friends and neighbors, she was shocked to find that Rachel spent a great deal
of time blogging and communicating with individuals from all over the country who needed counseling. Though Rachel did it
quietly, she impacted hundreds of lives.
We’ve profiled four of our alumnae in our article (see page 14), but what I’ve discovered is there are enough stories to fill
a book. People like Suzanne Leous ’82, Adair Luhr Kearney ’78, Christine Mitrowski Bylewski ’70, Lisa Battaglia Garvey ’96,
and so many more!
If you don’t see your name (or that really deserving classmate!) it might
be because I don’t know your story. And I want to know your story. We all want
to know your story. Walking these halls every day, I see the need for your
stories to be told. The young Mounties in our school community
look up to you as role models and follow in your footsteps.
Please consider taking a moment to share your story with me!
Warmest Regards,
Alexandra Kogler Fussell ’96
Coordinator of Alumnae and Public Relations
hardworking
Mountıes
drıven
carıng mercıful
kınd
selfless
commited
compassionate
welcomıng
MOUNT ST. MARY ACADEMY HAS A NEW FACEBOOK PAGE!
We started 2016 with a brand new page. Please take a moment to like our page
so that you can stay up to date on all the latest news. Facebook.com/msmacademy
4
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
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A Year
Mercy
of
By Alexandra Kogler Fussell ’96
Last spring, Pope Francis declared an extraordinary jubilee year,
something that hasn’t been done since 1983. That means that
for Mount St. Mary Academy’s students and young alumnae,
this extraordinary jubilee is the first in their lifetime. A truly
extraordinary thing.
Even for those of us who remember previous jubilees, an
extraordinary one makes us take a little notice. While many
extraordinary years are proclaimed in honor of an anniversary of
a special event—the birth of Mary or the Redemption of Christ,
for example—this year is about a very human attribute, mercy.
Pope Francis, known to many as the Pope of Mercy, calls on
us to show mercy towards others and receive God’s mercy.
But what is mercy? Pope Francis tells us that mercy is not an
abstract word, but how many of us contemplate the meaning of
the word? How do you define mercy? And more importantly,
how do you live it?
CELEBRATING THE JUBILEE
Mornings at Mount St. Mary Academy are joyful. Students
hustle and bustle from their lockers to homeroom.
They greet each other in explosions of conversation,
bottled up after passing a whole night without seeing
each other. Teachers talk over the hullabaloo to organize
homeroom projects.
And then the voice of Monica Saltarelli ’82, MSM’s new
Campus Minister, takes over the airwaves as she greets
the student body and begins prayers with a quote from
Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy meditations.
Starting the day with mercy sets the tone for the religious
teachings during this jubilee year. In a modern world where
quiet moments for contemplation are often filled by scrolling
through social media’s news and views, teaching students to
truly understand the concept of mercy is a challenge, one that
Saltarelli is embracing.
“The word mercy really comes from the heart and viewing
people in a non-judgmental way,” says Saltarelli. “It means
reaching out to see the face of Christ in those we encounter.”
Extending outside the religion classroom are global themes
which involve the whole student body and stretch the students’
vision beyond
their everyday
lives. The school
has focused on
special topics of
human trafficking
and now, during
this Lenten season,
the poverty in the interior
regions of Africa by focusing
on the Sisters of St. Mary’s missions.
“We’re not just looking at this issue as an examination of
extreme poverty, but looking at a sense of joy,” says Saltarelli.
“What comes from mercy is an experience of joy.”
SERVICE IS JUST WHO WE ARE
Give and gifts will be given to you. Caroline Polino Kos ’07,
co-moderator of Mount St. Mary Academy’s service
organization, Z-Club, called forth students to lead the
club’s toy drive with this passage from the Gospel of Luke.
She’s finding the reward of joy is motivating a huge service
movement at Mount St. Mary.
“The emphasis is not just on getting service hours done, it’s
on the motivation for service,” says Kos.
She and her co-moderator, Michelle Mays Grabowski ’00,
have seen student enrollment in Z-Club increase dramatically
this year, now including one-third of the student population.
Teaching mercy in the classroom requires concrete examples,
made real in the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
The group, which recently organized a food drive that
Examining the Works of Mercy within the context of scripture,
resulted in the collection of over 7,000 food items, has
combined with practicing their actions, helps to bring home
volunteered at St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy over ten times
the message.
this winter, allowing students to see the results of their actions
first
hand.
Saltarelli invited the Sisters of St. Mary back to MSM to help
share their experiences in the community, serving as role
models of the Works of Mercy in action. The Sisters shared
stories of the people they work with on the West Side of
Buffalo, the Somali-Bantu refugees in their community,
and their definitions of compassion and mercy. With years
of experience in the missions and social work, the Sisters
helped to bridge the gap between local and global realities.
“You see the people who don’t have what you have,” says Kos.
“Even just coming back to the Mount after volunteering, you
see you’re lucky to be here and that there are people in your
own school who don’t have as much as you do.”
Working together as a team of volunteers, Z-Club members
are able to lean on each other for support when dealing with
continued on pg. 8
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
7
A Y E A R O F M E R C Y continued from pg. 7
revelations of disparity. But it also introduces new means
to address their concerns for the community and avenues
to practice works of mercy.
“Service is part of who we are; it’s part of why girls come to the
Mount,” says Kos. “I feel we value service as part of everything
we do. In every class, we talk about what you can do for other
people or even just a
conversation about being
humble. Service is just
who we are. It’s not a
requirement, it’s not an
expectation, it’s just who
we are as Mounties.”
‘‘Service
is just who
’’
we are.
Kos says she sees at least 80% of MSM students interested
in pursuing a personal mission of mercy. Though many
students participate in volunteer activities with St. Luke’s,
others are interested in Journey’s End or the Somali-Bantu
project. Last year alone, MSM students performed over
27,000 hours of community service.
WELCOMING THE STRANGER
Nancy Connolly Polino ’79 has had a chance to see the
Mount St. Mary girls in action.
come to the church to register “their families” for Christmas
gifts – standing in long lines with a fear of not being able to
provide for their children. Students and volunteers meet with
each family to talk about their needs and wish lists, something
that often leads to a more personal connection.
As the Z-Club members came back to package presents, often
a student would get the same family she had registered. Polino
recalls the excitement the students showed ‘shopping’ for
their families, picking toys and stocking stuffers to fit a child’s
wish list or picking a theme for a family’s gift.
But students also felt that anxiety they had seen on their families’
faces during registration. The first day that the Mount girls came
to package gifts, the mission’s supply shelves were filled. But when
the students next visited, the mission didn’t have a lot of stuffed
animals or stocking stuffers to give. Polino recalls, “The girls came
to us saying, ‘What are we going to do? We have to do something!’
They were heartbroken and determined to get more.”
“These girls are really and truly a gift,” Polino continues.
“They are wonderful, wonderful young ladies. They just
open themselves up and their hearts come pouring out.
It’s incredible to watch.”
Fourteen years ago, Polino got involved with St. Luke’s Mission
of Mercy through a project to foster student volunteerism at
her children’s school. What started as helping with St. Luke’s
Thanksgiving and Christmas food drives has expanded to a
life’s passion for Polino, who now additionally organizes the
Christmas toy drive, the Easter basket drive, as well as three
auctions a year and numerous other collections for the mission.
“My parents always instilled in us the need to help each other.
Not just ourselves and our family, but that we’re here to help
each other,” says Polino. “I think, ‘Well, somewhere down the
road, I might need something.’ What I need now is what I get
from the people that I help or work with. They give me joy
and I give them joy.”
Polino’s joy is part of what makes her a wonderful role model
to the MSM students involved in St. Luke’s.
One of the Z-Club’s major endeavors this year was to help
with the mission’s Christmas toy drive. Over 800 people
8
Z-Club members Lillian Mueller ’18 and Lily Stafford ’18 prepare gifts for
St. Luke’s Christmas toy drive.
Even when the girls aren’t at St. Luke’s, they are often working
to help those families they have encountered. Whether peeling
price tags off thousands of stocking stuffers, stuffing Easter eggs
for the over 800 Easter baskets given out, or collecting food for
a food drive, in some ways the volunteers are answering a prayer.
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
This year, the Z-Club collected five pallets of food. Though
Thanksgiving food drives often carry supplies over into
January, often the food pantry runs dry by February, one
of the peak times of need. As families struggle to afford heat
or medical care, food is often sparse. “This year, the pantry
was very low on food and all of a sudden the five pallets of
food that the Mount collected came to St. Luke’s. Why?”
Polino rhetorically asks. God works in mysterious ways.
But the need is always growing. St. Luke’s started as a mission
on the East Side of Buffalo to serve people who are homeless,
the working poor, or those who need help. Now, the mission
sees a growing number of refugee families, people living with
mental health issues, homeless and underserved veterans, and
more. Over the past decade, the number of people fed in the
kitchens daily has doubled, and there are now over 2,600
families helped by the Thanksgiving food drive, up from
1,500 when Polino started.
The mission is in constant need of food (and monetary
donations for food), toiletries, housewares, baby care items
and more. “Whatever the season is in your house, it is
at St. Luke’s, too,” says Polino.
“It’s so important at St. Luke’s that everyone feels wanted
or needed, like they’re a part of something,” says Polino.
“We’re all here on this Earth; no one should ever be alone.”
SHELTERING THE HOMELESS
When Mounties graduate and go on to college, the sense of
service to and acceptance of others goes with them. We see that
in young graduate, Mary Teresa Galante ’10, who has traveled
on four mission trips since graduating from the Mount.
Mary Teresa Galante ‘10 loved the opportunity to connect with the children in
Montecristo, El Salvador.
Those experiences keep her driven to do more. In 2013,
she spent seven weeks in Tikapur, Nepal on a mission called
‘Bridge to Nepal’ which helps freed slaves settle into new
homes and build schools. While she was there, she assisted
in teaching English classes at the schools and helped provide
flood relief for villages affected by monsoon season.
“When I found that I was struggling to find and keep a grasp
on who I was, I was reminded of the experiences my brother,
Michael, had on his mission trip,” says Galante who talked
over her frustrations with her friend Anna Saltarelli ’10.
Anna encouraged her to become involved in Young Life.
Young Life opens the doors towards volunteerism, providing
emotional support and training for those new to encountering
situations of poverty. But all the training in the world couldn’t
prepare Galante for the lessons she would learn.
“In my mind, I was going on this trip to help and teach others,”
she says. “What truly happened was that I discovered these
Driven by her faith, Galante has become actively involved with ‘others’ were my family and they were the ones who did the
teaching and helping. I learned things about myself and I
the Young Life organization, a youth group that works with
learned
what generosity truly meant.”
kids to help them grow in their faith. With Young Life, she
has visited the village of Montecristo, El Salvador three times.
Galante and others help the community to create stability and HEALING THE SICK
improve quality of life by building latrines, painting buildings, For Maggie McLaughlin ’02, a big part of mercy and compassion
is having an inner voice that drives you to help people.
delivering supplies, cleaning up garbage and more.
“Though manual work is a big part of what we do, the true
work is fostering their relationship in faith and with each
other,” says Galante.
“I think in order to have that desire, this want to help, you have to
stay connected to people,” says McLaughlin. “And that sounds
really simple, but nowadays it’s very easy to lose our connection.”
continued on pg. 10
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
9
A Y E A R O F M E R C Y continued from pg. 9
Working as an ER nurse, McLaughlin sees a lot of need for
compassion and mercy. Often under the pressure of time, it
can become easy to focus on the medical issue more than the
human being, something that McLaughlin sees in herself and
nurses around her as burn-out.
In Peru, she traveled to mountainous villages that have
poor access to medical care and helped treat issues ranging
from malnutrition to dysentery. As a nurse practitioner,
McLaughlin hopes to be able to use her skills to do more and
until then, she will try to work on her connection with others.
“I can tell when it’s
time for me to travel
again when I can feel
myself going into my own life
too much. Just getting up, going
to work, doing the things that I love,
but losing that connection to life
and other people.”
For McLaughlin, travel isn’t about finding relaxation or
picturesque locations to recover from stress, it’s about
connecting with people from different walks of life who help
expand her global perspective. During one trip to Cambodia,
she became friends with her guide, a young woman named
Saroun who shared stories of her life and visions of her
dreams for the future. After her return, McLaughlin helped
set up a fund to help Saroun.
“She didn’t have running water or a bathroom or a lot of things,
so the money we collected… it’s a lot to her,” says McLaughlin,
who stays in touch with her new friend. Those connections are
part of what feeds her desire to help those in need.
“When you connect with other people, you see not so much
the differences in each other, but the similarities,” says
McLaughlin. “Whether you go to a third world country or
the ER, you see people who are less fortunate or suffering,
not the difference in their skin color or culture or tradition.
What really grabs you is that someone is a mother or father,
sister or brother. They’re really living life the same way that
you are, striving to be happy, to be loved, to be healthy.”
Maggie McLaughlin ‘02 during a visit to Peru.
“Not everyone can join Doctors Without Borders, or travel
the world and volunteer with an endless cash supply,” says
McLaughlin. “However, what everyone can do is wake
up every day and remind themselves they have the ability
to change the world by merely spreading happiness and
compassion in everyday life.”
McLaughlin is currently in graduate school at D’Youville College,
PRAY FOR THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
while working as a travel nurse. She accepts temporary contracts
“In general, the American public is terrified of death and it’s
close to home and family, including her grandmother Marian
part of living! It comes for all of us.” As the new Attending
Joyce and her mother Kathleen Joyce McLaughlin ’80, whom
Physician at Hospice Buffalo, Dr. Roslyn Romanowski ’78 is
she credits with teaching her to love all people equally. Accepting
very comfortable with the subject of death. She encourages
short term contracts will one day allow her to pursue her dream.
everyone to become more comfortable with the subject and
A medical mission trip to Peru’s Sacred Valley sparked
talk in families about the end of life. Crossing that comfort
McLaughlin’s interest in pursuing a nurse practitioner degree. zone can bring a great deal of peace.
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F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
In her patients’ final days, compassion and mercy are at the center
of medical care. After over twenty-five years working in oncology,
Romanowski jumped into her new position as an opportunity to focus
on personal and individual care. “In Hospice, I have the chance to
do home visits, which I just love! I go to the patient and don’t have the
pressure of a full waiting room hurrying me through the visit. I get to
spend time with people and their families, and talk to them about things
that are important to them.”
That personal connection is the recurring thread that appears so
often when people talk about mercy. At its crux, mercy depends on a
personal connection in which no one is any different from anyone else.
“I think my belief in mercy is very helpful to me in my work, because
I can think about that as people are moving through their last days,”
says Romanowski. “It’s wonderful to know that there’s mercy there for
all of us. No matter what we do or how awful we can be, because we’re
all human and no one is perfect. So I’m very grateful for mercy.”
With death as the outcome, Romanowski still finds joy in the work
that she does. With palliative care, there are simple pleasures, small
adjustments, little improvements that carry big meaning. “If someone
is very ill or in a lot of pain, to take away that pain and make them
comfortable so that they can talk to their family, that’s a fabulous thing.
And I can get really excited over that!”
“And there’s always hope,” she says. “There may not be hope for a cure,
but there’s always hope for a good quality of life.”
WORKS OF MERCY
The definition of mercy is shaped in the minds of MSM students by the
works of mercy they see around them. Alumnae and faculty teach the
next generation through their compassion and acceptance of others.
As Pope Francis tweeted to this tech-developed demographic, “In today’s
society in which forgiveness is so rare, mercy is even more important.”
Campus Minister Saltarelli is working to show students that mercy is
present in many ways, subtle and grand. In third world countries and
hospitals, or in their own homes.
“Whether out in the community helping the poor or simply in showing
patience to a family member or friend, students have to look at ways
that they can do simple things and encounter each other, using works
of mercy,” says Saltarelli.
Once the students practice works of mercy, they discover that joy is not
very far behind. And that’s a cause for a jubilee celebration.
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
DOING SOMETHING PERSONAL
Meet Ting Gao. A quiet MSM senior who has
already been accepted to Yale University and
continues to rack up scholarship dollars as
the year goes on. A compassionate young
woman with a great deal of energy to help
others. Founder of a nonprofit organization.
Third Non-Profit, Ting’s organization founded and run by students
from Mount St. Mary Academy, aims to look out for the overlooked.
“I used to tutor for inner city kids, and I would see how little they
had,” says Ting. “I was frustrated and wanted to do something.”
Ting launched a school supply drive during the winter months
after noticing that many of her students would receive donations
in the fall, but would have run out during the winter months.
By collecting donations with other students and recycling ink
cartridges and cell phone batteries, Third Non-Profit was able
to make their first donation.
Now, these students are collecting again for the Somali-Bantu
Project in Buffalo. Run by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, the
Somali-Bantu project provides tutoring and afterschool care for
refugees. The need for this care has proven overwhelming, and the
Sisters find themselves in constant need of supplies and resources.
In addition to helping students in need, Third NonProfit tries to
respond to moments of crisis. After the terror attacks in Paris,
senior Sara Ngo traveled to Paris and sprinkled the city with
pennies that the group had stenciled with the message
“H.O.P.E. – Hold On, Pain Ends.”
“We wanted to do something in a personal way, to bring a smile
to people’s faces,” says Ting.
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One Mission Complete, Another Mi
Throughout the time of the Belgian Congo, the dictatorship
of Mobutu (when the country became “Zaire”), and after the
formation of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990’s,
the Sisters’ mission remained the same: bringing the Good
News of the Gospel, in Word and in act, to the most needy in
remote places in the Congo.
“When our Sisters went there, they were among the first to have
schools for girls. In Djuma, in 1960, we started the first math/
science major high school for Congolese girls in our whole
region. Otherwise the girls would have to go to Kinshasa for
this option,” says Sister.
Today, the Sisters have Pre-K and Kindergarten at the
orphanage and at one of their five other grade schools, and
they plan on opening another in Kinshasa in September, 2016.
They have three excellent high schools with specialties in teacher
training, science, nutrition and home-making.
Sister Mary Vincent and Mother Elizabeth in the Sisters’ Mission at Djuma in 1965.
The Sisters established and maintain a clinic in Kikoti and
a few Sisters work in the hospitals/clinics in other villages.
Many of our alumnae remember the years of sending supply
boxes to the missions, but what you may not know is that the
missions are at a whole new level now, as experienced in the
life’s work of one alumna, Sister Mary Vincent (née Clare
Marie Kogler ’52).
Sister Mary Vincent stayed in the Congo most of her missionary
years, though she spent several years in Cameroon and Rwanda
also. In 2012, she decided it was time for her to leave Africa.
When Sister Mary Vincent, the first sister from the Buffalo
province to be sent to Africa as a missionary, arrived in the
mission center in Djuma, there were other Sisters from
Belgium and Canada, as well as lay missionaries from Belgium.
Change has come to the Congo, and these Congolese Sisters
are finding new ways to face it.
“I was the last SSMN missionary still in Congo. The Belgian,
Canadian and other Sisters had gone back to their countries
“My choice of the Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur was because of because of health reasons. There were already over 70 African
Sisters in the Congo-Cameroon province of the SSMN.
their missionary presence in Africa since 1923. I was sure that I
was called to missionary life in Africa,” says Sister Mary Vincent, I was still very happy in Africa, but it seemed the right time
who entered in 1952. After making her perpetual vows, she was for me to ‘disappear’ and for our African Sisters to carry
on the mission.”
offered the chance to go to the Belgian Congo in 1962.
The Sisters had been asked by the bishop to first start a diocesan
congregation for young women, which they did in 1943. It was
only in 1956 that the Sisters of Saint Mary were able to open their
own novitiate for the formation of young Congolese women.
12
Recently, hospitals have encountered cases of cyanide poisoning,
resulting from the dietary dependence on cassava or manioc—
a staple in the diet of the people of that region. The Sisters of
Saint Mary have put their organizational skills to creative use
providing corn flour to the villagers to prevent the spread of the
epidemic. This is another way the Sisters minister to the poor.
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
Mission Begins
Solar power and improvements to water systems are
accompanied by new cellphone towers which finally bring
telephonic communication to the interior. Congolese citizens
who live in big cities like Kinshasa can have access to all the
Western luxuries that money can provide, but those who live
and struggle in the interior go without modern conveniences.
One concept that might be particularly difficult for students
to grasp is how hard families work for their daughters to attend
the Sisters’ high school in Djuma. Many of the students live
right at the school, in extremely simple conditions, because
“The Church is vibrant. The people
are joyful because they know that
God hears the cry of the poor.”
their homes are so far away. Some of the students are children
who grew up at the orphanage who lost their mothers to the
ravages of illness and poor living conditions.
After her return to the U.S., Sister Mary Vincent became
familiar with the phrase of ‘first world problems,’ which has
helped her explain life in other areas of the world.
Teachers and Sisters at today’s Djuma mission.
The African Sisters must still have a missionary spirit and
accept living in difficult situations in order to continue to
serve the poor right in their own countries. They’re facing
challenges all the time.
“But the church is vibrant,” says Sister Mary Vincent. “The
people are joyful because they know that God hears the cry
of the poor. They have time for God and sing His praises in
extremely beautiful liturgical celebrations. It is important that
they continue to do so.”
During Lent, Sr. Mary Vincent will be speaking to Mount St.
Mary Academy’s religion classes, sharing with students pictures
of the mission and helping to form a picture in their minds of
life in the interior of Africa.
In the Sisters’ mission in Fatundu, solar power allowed for
one light bulb in the dining room, two bulbs in the chapel, a
bulb in each bedroom and one or two bulbs in the classrooms
so that the children could study in the evening. It was not
uncommon for the children to lack school supplies as basic as
erasers and rulers. In the third world, one can get along with so
little. And they are grateful for that.
“I’m amazed at the ‘power of publicity’ here in the U. S.
which kind of ‘enslaves us’ into spending so much money
and sometimes time, too, for non-essential things,” says Sister.
“While most of us here live with ‘more than enough,’ most of
our brothers and sisters in the third world countries have ‘less
than enough’ to live on.”
Memorialize a Tree
Last year, MSM planted new trees around our front
circle and walkway. If you would like to dedicate a tree
to someone you love or in honor of your class, please
contact Julie Rosenecker Wojick ’85, Assistant Principal
for Institutional Advancement, at (716) 877-1358 x. 415
or [email protected].
WELCOME HOME
Alumnae Sunday 2015
Our annual Alumnae Award presentation was held at Alumnae Sunday in the beginning of the school year. The event, which
welcomes hundreds of alumnae and former teachers back to the school for Mass and Brunch, pays special honor to reunion
classes and our award recipients. This year, we honored six individuals who have left their mark on Mount St. Mary Academy.
We would like to especially thank Patricia Dietrich Burngasser ’75 who volunteered her creative talents and donated our altar
decorations and centerpieces. The centerpieces, created by Floral Accents of North Tonawanda, were sold to attendees to
raise funds for the Elizabeth Reiser Scholarship Fund.
The Larkin Family, Mary Larkin, Joe Larkin and Mary Larkin Schroer ’69,
accepted Patricia Larkin’s Alumna of the Year award in her memory.
ALUMNA OF THE YEAR PATRICIA KENNEDY LARKIN ’45
As a young Mount St. Mary student, Pat was a friend to all. Considerate
and caring, she became a natural class leader. Her wonderful sense
of humor and kindness put those around her at ease and her sense
of loyalty and camaraderie helped keep her class close throughout the
years. Pat and her late husband, Dick, were extraordinary supporters
of St. Christopher’s school and parish. Together they received a Papal
honor given for outstanding loyalty and service to the Catholic Church.
Pat served as a Lady of the Holy Sepulchre and was a member of the
Bishop’s Council of the Laity for the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.
Sadly, Pat passed away last year. In her loving honor, we have dedicated
an auditorium seat in the front row where she can always be remembered
as a part of our community and a true Mountie.
ALUMNA OF THE YEAR ELIZABETH REISER ’75
Liz exemplifies the Mount St. Mary spirit, working hard for her school
and community while spreading joy everywhere she goes. She has
chaired our Chrysalis Auction, helped MC our Reverse Raffle, served
on committees, organized class reunions and events, and she has since
returned to the Mount to teach our Introduction to Health Services
course. She is actively involved in St. Andrew’s Awaken program,
organizing volunteers to greet parishioners at Mass, hosting events,
communicating news of the church to the community. She teaches
religious education, organizes bible study classes, and even helps out
in St. Andrew’s Country Day School’s library.
Members of the Class of 1975 gathered in honor of classmate
Liz Reiser. Judith Lask Lowes ’75, Alumna of the Year Liz Reiser ’75,
Patricia Dietrich Burngasser ’75, Sue Christy Hartl ’75,
Eileen Treanor Bridge ’75.
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F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
SOPHIA AWARD RECIPIENT MARY FEENEY BURICH ’79
Mary currently serves as the First Vice President and Director
of Internal Communication at First Niagara Financial Group.
Throughout her career with area corporations including Delaware
North Companies, E.K. Ward & Associates and Fisher Price, Mary’s
expertise in communications and media relations has been recognized.
She has shared her talents and wisdom with those nearest to her heart,
most importantly Mount St. Mary Academy through her tenure as a
member of our Board of Trustees, advisement of our Academy Scholars
honors program, and active participation throughout the community.
Nancy Schimenti ’78, Dawn Hurley Riggie ’71, Peg O’Brien Simons ’78,
Sophia Award Recipient Mary Feeney Burich ’79 and Keith Burich.
Distinguished Educators Trudy and Ken Feltges.
Honorary Alumnus John Hathaway and his wife, Bonnie.
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
DISTINGUISHED EDUCATORS KEN AND TRUDY FELTGES
For many years, Ken and Trudy Feltges have shared their talents with
the Mount, both working together and individually. Mrs. Trudy Feltges
taught English throughout the 1980s and 1990s and is the former chair
of the English Department. Her style of teaching captivated her students
and inspired a love of literature for so many. After his retirement
in 2002, Mr. Kenneth Feltges joined the faculty sharing his love of
literature, film and photography with his students. Whether reenacting
the assassination of Julius Caesar or writing poetry, Mr. Feltges’ classes
were always lively and riveting. Though both have permanently retired
from teaching, they are never distant from the Mount. In recent years,
Ken and Trudy have relaunched the annual Evening of Words and Music,
a poetry reading and concert to highlight student talents and raise money
for the Guardian Angel Scholarship Fund.
HONORARY ALUMNUS JOHN HATHAWAY
In 2002, John proposed an instrumental department at Mount
St. Mary Academy that would take untrained musicians and set them
marching in parades throughout the country. Starting from scratch,
John worked with students of varying musical experience to create New
York State’s first all-female, fully-instrumented marching band. Today,
our instrumental program includes a Marching Band, Concert Band,
Jazz Ensemble, Strings Ensemble, Color Guard, and Dance Team.
Through his hard work and dedication, John has given the students
of Mount St. Mary Academy not only the gift of music, but the gifts
of confidence, leadership, and perseverance. John has always said,
“He’s just one of the girls,” and now he is!
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WHO WAS THERE
REVERSE RAFFLE, NOVEMBER 7, 2015
Our Reverse Raffle was a tremendous success, raising over $30,000 for the school. We
thank all the alumnae, parents and friends who helped us sell 394 out of our 400 tickets.
Tickets will go on sale for the 2016 raffle this summer – buy early so you don’t miss your
chance! Congratulations to Mary McMahon Jakiel ’75 (pictured left), our Reverse Raffle
2016 winner! Mary and her husband Steve took home our grand prize of $10,000.
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HOLIDAY BAZAAR, DECEMBER 6, 2015
The MSM Alumnae Association is bringing back
the annual holiday bazaar! With over 70 vendors,
this year’s craft show offered Christmas gift
inspiration for lots of shoppers. This annual event
will be held again on December 4, 2016.
1 Alumnae board member and volunteer,
Kerry Steffan ’01 and vendor Carol Sadlocha
Michel ’67.
2
2 Betsy Leous Bressette ’77 and her mother
peruse some of the craft show offerings.
3 Vendor and Alumnae Board member
Cindy Morgante Buffamonte ’81.
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WHO WAS THERE
Do you have some
great shots from
an MSM event?
Email them to Alexandra Kogler Fussell ’96
at [email protected] and they
may be featured in our next issue of Focus!
Dr. Davina Moss-King ’86, President of Positive Direction and Associates, spoke with
Mount St. Mary students about recognizing and dealing with stress. Pictured is senior
Kristen Gorney with Dr. Moss-King, and her classmates Danielle Cunliffe and Grace Driscoll.
JUNIOR RING CEREMONY, DECEMBER 8, 2015
Continuing the family tradition, juniors invite Mount St. Mary alumnae family members to
present their junior rings. The red rose ceremony is held on the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception, and this year started the school’s celebration of the Year of Mercy.
1 Judith Davern Matecki ’58 presented her granddaughter Chloe Matecki’s ring.
2 Tina Palmisano McNulty ’81 presented her daughter Amanda’s ring together with
Amanda’s aunts, Sharon Birmingham Mezzio ’83 and Maria Palmisano Hartman ’86.
3 Elizabeth Hacherl and Mia Zuchlewski show off a matching set of Mountie rings.
4 Nora Kearney ’09 flew in from Boston to surprise her sister Maeve, shown here with
their niece Colleen (future Mountie).
5 Grandparents Henry Kuchta, Helen Kuchta, along with Kelly Burns and her mother,
Karen Kuchta Burns ’83. Kelly is an Alumnae Scholarship recipient.
6 The Connolly family celebrate their most recent Mountie, Emily’s, junior ring day. Caroline
Polino Kos ’07, Nancy Connolly Polino ’79, Emily Trotman, Betsy Connolly Harris ’73, and
Katie Connolly Trotman ’86 were among the family members presenting Emily’s ring.
B​ etty Barrett Carmichael ‘45 was
delighted to have her school ring returned
to her through the powers of Facebook!
Betty lost her ring at a Buffalo-area
Wegmans, where it was found by
Danielle Blount ’09. Danielle shared it on
Facebook, and our alumnae quickly jumped
to the cause and found the rightful owner.
Are you our Facebook fan? We started a
brand new page in 2016, please take a
moment to like it and join our community
at www.facebook.com/msmacademy.
WHO WAS THERE
Do you have china that you would be willing to donate?
Our Christmas Tea grows larger every year, and we are in need of cups and saucers, tea pots, creamers and sugar bowls!
Please contact Alexandra Kogler Fussell ’96 at (716) 877-1358 x. 304 or [email protected] to arrange your donation.
WHO WAS THERE
CHRISTMAS HIGH TEA,
DECEMBER 14, 2015
During a not so snowy December day,
over 100 alumnae enjoyed a moment
of Christmas tranquility at our annual
high tea. This newer tradition allows
our retired alumnae an opportunity to
reconnect over tea sandwiches and
cookies. MSM students serve our guests
piping hot cups of Earl Grey while they
enjoy a selection of Christmas carols
sung by our Gemtones chorus.
TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT:
Mary Theresa Furfari Colson ’54 greets friend
Kathleen Nessler Tasker ’57.
Margaret Daley Ruhland ’56 and Lois Cummins
McCormick ’56 talk with Kathleen Flynn Clune ’58.
Gerry Kraetzer MacMahon ’50 listens to the
MSM Gemtones Chorus sing Christmas carols.
Rose Furfari Buscaglia ’60 shares a warm
conversation with her sister’s classmates.
MIDDLE ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT:
Junior Emily Ngo serves hot tea to our guests.
The Class of 1966, including Kathy Frank and Barbara
Sizemore Brossard in the foreground,
pause for a photo.
Seated, Jane Gilbert Mulseka ’56, Lois Cummins
McCormick ’56, Margaret Daley Ruhland ’56,
Josephine Siener Black ’56. Standing, Maureen
Hitzges ’56, Kathleen Nessler Tasker ’57 and
Sharon Schulz Darisse ’65.
BOTTOM ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT:
Seated, Kathleen Mahaney McLuckie ’64,
Sue Torrell Hemedinger ’64, Lori Jaquays Racle ’64,
Joy Sarkisian ’64. Standing, Karen Maislin ’64,
Judy Hauiese ’64, Cathy Corbett Chretien ’64,
Linda Young Beardi ’64.
Seated, Peggy Wolf Baetzhold ’61, Patricia
Ryan-Dudek ’61, Kathy Brady Connelly ’61,
Janet Fries Moibus ’61, Charlene Hill Gore ’61.
Standing, Leslie Chambers ’61, Marilee
McKeone Ferry ’61, Mary Dougherty Elias ’61,
Sue Glaser Power ’61.
Seated Arline Annunziato Brock ’54, Marcia Kieta
Illig ’54, Barbara Czaja Robertson ’54, Judith Czaja
Bisantz ’59. Standing, Mary Jane Cygan Wilhelm
’62, Mary Weigand Munger ’54, Mary Theresa
Furfari Colson ’54, Marcella Forde Uhlman ’54.
Photos courtesy of Knight Studio.
WHO WAS THERE
LADIES’ NIGHT GIFT GATHERING AT CLASSICS V
JANUARY 21, 2016
Our annual Ladies’ Night Gift Gathering drew alumnae, parents
and faculty to support our annual Chrysalis Auction. Hosted by
Lisa May, mother of Christina May Mugler ’02, this dinner is a
wonderful opportunity for friends to spend time together while
getting a preview of some of the items up for bid in our auction.
Left to right: Caillin Keefe ’13, Celine Keefe ’09, Bridget Kanaley ’77, and Ann Jenkins Santiago
’77. • Amanda McCann ’17 and her mother Ann Streer McCann ’85. • Sue Almeter and her
daughter, Chrysalis co-chair Amy Almeter Pearl ’83. • Donna Hoelscher Suchan ’78, Emily
Curtin ’09, Kaitlyn Curtin ’12, Kim Hoeslcher ’81, and Kathy Hoelscher Glieco ’81.
WINE AND CHOCOLATE GIFT GATHERING
FEBRUARY 4, 2016
Hosted by our Chrysalis Auction chairs, Mary L. Almeter ’48, Amy
Almeter Pearl ’83, Maggie Almeter Shotwell ’86 and Liz Almeter HAA
’94, our Wine and Chocolate party got a new upgrade this year with
a wine tasting offered by Butler Wine and Spirits. Guests tried out a
selection of wines while enjoying chocolate treats. Gifts collected at
this gathering will also benefit our Chrysalis Auction.
Left to right: Chrysalis Auction co-chair Mary L. Almeter ’48, Kathy Almeter, and Sue
Almeter. • Cindy Morgante Buffamonte ’81 and Janice Butler of Butler Wine and
Spirits. • Rose Quebral and Mary Anne Kaminska Brick ’79. • Jennifer Gress Carr ’95,
Maria Velasco Deyell ’95, and Chrysalis Auction Co-Chair Liz Almeter, HAA ’94.
Claire Ruth Swanson Smith ’42 was
honored by the Navy and local officials
for her service in the WAVs during World
War II. The ceremony, which was held
at the Wingate Wallace “National Night
Out” Block Party, brought neighbors
and alumnae together to celebrate
Claire’s achievements.
Back row Lt to Rt.: Katie Mulhern ’17, Erica
Harms ’16, Rebecca Harms ’14, Darlynn Ruiz
Harms ’82, Mary Ann Moriarity ’73, Peggy Wolf
Gennaro ’54. Front Row: Barbara Huber, retired
MSM French teacher, Kate Huber ’93, and
Claire Ruth Swanson Smith ’42.
REUNION CALENDAR
Did you graduate in a year ending in -1 or -6? There’s a reunion in your future!
Save the date for these upcoming reunion celebrations:
60 55 50
Class of 1956
Class of 1961
Class of 1966
Class Contact:
Lois Cummins McCormick
[email protected]
Class Contact:
Kathy Brady Connelly
[email protected]
Class Contact:
Barb Sizemore Brossard
[email protected]
September 11, 2016
September 11, 2016
45 40
Class of 1971
Class of 1976
July 29 and 30, 2016
September 10 and 11, 2016
Class Contact:
Beth Volk McMahon
[email protected]
Class Contact:
Genny DeNisco DeCarlo
(716) 689-9059
September 11, 2016
PLEASE REMEMBER
All alumnae—reunion year or not—
are welcome to join us at our annual
Alumnae Sunday Mass and Brunch,
which will be held on Sunday,
September 11! Further information
will be available this summer.
Other Reunions Underway
CLASS OF 1986 Class Contact: Katie Bannigan Conway, [email protected]
CLASS OF 1996 Class Contact: Alexandra Kogler Fussell, [email protected], and Jennifer Pitz-Jones, [email protected]
CLASS OF 2001 Class Contact: Dede Carroll Whelehan, [email protected], and Kerry Steffan, [email protected]
CLASS OF 2006 Class Contact: Brittany Weber and Katelyn Pellegrino, [email protected]
CLASS OF 2011 Class Contact: Sarah Kingston, [email protected]
Reunion Chairs Needed
CLASS OF 1981 • CLASS OF 1991
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
21
mount st. mary academy
Alumnae Golf Tournament
may 13, 2016
Chestnut Hill Country Club, Darien Center, NY
The Mount St. Mary Academy Alumnae Board is pleased to host the second annual Golf Tournament
in support of the Alumnae Scholarship Fund. Non-alumnae, men and women golfers of any skill level
are welcome to attend. All proceeds will benefit the MSM Alumnae Scholarship Fund.
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. — Registration
11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. — Lunch
12:30 p.m. — Shotgun Start (Scramble)
5:30 p.m. — Cocktails and Hors d’Oeuvres
6:30 p.m. — Steak Dinner
RSVP by May 6, 2016. $100 per golfer. For more price and sponsorship options visit
www.msmacademy.org or contact Alex Fussell at [email protected] or (716) 877-1358 ext. 304.
A L U M N A E U P D AT E S
• Doris Rossi Norton ’59 is happily retired from a career
in education.
• Margaret Davin Piorkowski ’67 lives in Florida from
October to June and then travels home to Eureka, CA
where her twin nine-year-old granddaughters live.
She also has a 15-month-old granddaughter in Virginia.
• Maureen McCarron ’71 and her husband, Mark Deprez,
welcomed their second grandchild, John Joseph, born
to their daughter and son-in-law, Kate and Jared Ransom
of Honeoye, NY. Baby “Jack” is named for Maureen's dad
and joins his big brother, Erik, age 5 years.
• Jennifer Pawlowski ’96 will graduate with honors from
Bryant and Stratton College in October with a Criminal
Justice degree and will be continuing her studies towards a
Bachelors and Masters in Psychology from Penn State. She
plans to work with juveniles in the Criminal Justice system.
• Jane Judge ’03 received her PhD in History in June,
2015 from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Jane
had completed her BA at Canisius College in May, 2007
majoring in History, French, and International Relations.
She then attended Middleburg College, VT where she
earned an MA in French civilization in 2009. After
receiving an MS in Intellectual History in 2011 from the
University of Edinburgh, she stayed on to finish her work
on the PhD. In January 2016 she moved on to Louvain,
Belgium (where she was born) doing post doctoral work
through a 12-month fellowship from the Belgian American
Education Foundation.
• Alison Becker Brzozowiec ’04 has worked at GEICO
for seven years, where she is a supervisor and loves it.
She got married in 2013, with Katie Meka ’04 serving as
bridesmaid. Alison is expecting her first child in April.
• Elise Rahner ’11 graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of the
Arts degree in Creative Writing and English from Canisius
College. A week after graduating, she attended New York
University's Summer Publishing Institute for two months,
where she learned the basics about magazine, digital, and
book publishing. Within a week of returning home, she
was hired as the Communications Assistant at the Bar
Association of Erie County, where she helps put together
the not-for-profit's monthly newsletter and runs their
social media accounts.
INTERESTED IN HOSTING A REUNION IN YOUR HOMETOWN?
PLEASE CONTACT ALEXANDRA KOGLER FUSSELL ’96 AT [email protected] OR (716) 877-1358 EXT. 304.
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
23
A L U M N A E U P D AT E S
Weddings
• Danielle Donner ’07 and Alexander Eadie, April 25, 2015.
• Jessie Sun '00 and Nick Dentice, July 23, 2015.
Bridesmaids included Elissa Pellegrino Gianadda ’00,
Kelly Kreuz Hansen ’00, Lindsey Sun Yahn ’02.
• Chelsea Hans ’10 and Robert Hudson, August 8, 2015.
Crystal Hans ’11 served as her sister’s Maid of Honor.
• Colleen Carney Brown ’88 and Wesley Brown,
August 16, 2015.
• Allison Englert ’05 and Justin Wild, July 17, 2015.
Amy Heiser ’05 was a bridesmaid.
From left to right: Amy Heiser '05, Gale Klocke Sander ’61, Gale Sander Podsiadlo ’84,
Justin Wild, Allison Englert Wild '05, Eileen Sander Klein ’90, Doreen Kozuchowski Barr ’66,
Brittany Bush '03, and Melanie Kozuchowski Jachimowicz ’73.
• Lindsey Whissel ’04 and Casey Fenton, October 17, 2015.
Kelly Jakiel Copps ’04 was a bridesmaid.
• Laura Mullane ’06 and Ben Whipple, November 14, 2015.
Lisa Mullane DeBadts ’03 was the Matron of Honor.
Births
• Caleb Charles, son of Charlie and Valerie Fry
Freeburg ’03, July 1, 2015. Elliana is his big sister.
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• Avery Ruth, daughter of Jeff and Mary Lynn
Arlotta Siegel '04, September 13, 2015.
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
A L U M N A E U P D AT E S
In Memoriam
• Carol Hoey Pritchard ’58, March 5, 2014.
• Joan Foley Whiteman ’55, January 30, 2015, sister of
Mary Foley Schulz ’50, aunt of Katherine Schulz Clunie ’69.
• Michele McLaughlin ’83, March 6, 2015,
sister of Ann Marie McLaughlin Fickes ’79
and Mary Ellen McLaughlin Prentice ’82.
• Henry Jaworek, March 8, 2015, father of
Anita Jaworek Endres ’68, Brenda Jaworek Cottone ’70,
Deborah Jaworek Walsh ’73 and Christine Jaworek
Hanley ’74, and grandfather of Lauren Walsh ’12.
• Patricia Kennedy Larkin ’45, April 10, 2015,
mother of Mary Larkin Schroer ’69, the late
Ann Larkin-Dunn ’72, and the late Elizabeth Larkin
Hebborn ’74, grandmother of Karen Larkin ’09,
sister of Mary Ann Kennedy Whalen ’44 and the late
Kathleen Kennedy McGarth ’49.
• Sister Ann Miner, SSMN, May 27, 2015,
sister of Jewel Miner Lukacz ’50.
• Carol Matzner Aviles ’64, June 13, 2015, sister of
Janice Matzner Williams ’65, Sandra Matzner Cichocki ’66
and Joan Matzner ’68.
• Ethel Vogt Farrar ’41, June 14, 2015.
• Mary Pendy Koessler ’45, June 16, 2015.
• Rachel Stumpf Wells ’82, July 6, 2014,
daughter of former MSM teacher Sally Stumpf.
• John McCormick, August 16, 2015,
husband of Barbara Bennett McCormick ’48.
• Walter D. Conway, PhD, September 1, 2015,
father of Celine Conway Murphy ’85.
• Karen King Babcock, September 28, 2015,
daughter of Susan Parker Mason ’45.
• Terrence Hartnett, October 7, 2015,
brother of Sharon Hartnett Campbell ’62.
• Edmund Cray, October 21, 2014,
father of Maureen Cray Gannon ’79.
• Kevin Garvey, October 31, 2015,
son of Sue Murray Garvey ’72.
• Mary Ann Sheffield Stelley ’54, November 13, 2015.
• Mark Kleppe, November 15, 2015,
father of Hilary Kleppe Palombo ’03.
• Theresa Marie Eucaliptus, November 18, 2015,
mother of Nina Eucaliptus Juncewicz ’89 and
Frances Pecoraro-Eucaliptus ’89, grandmother
of Teresa Juncewicz ’20.
• Mary Ellen Seifert Sinclair ’47, November 25, 2015,
mother of Kathleen Sinclair Lannen ’74 and
Anne Sinclair Evans ’77, grandmother of
Erin Sinclair ’13 and Emily Sinclair ’18.
• Sr. Beverly Schleider, SSMN, November 27, 2015.
• Sr. Therese Marie Sullivan, SSMN, December 10, 2015.
• Sr. Mary (Robert) Thompson ’45, SSMN, July 7, 2015,
sister of the late Arlene Thompson Denney ’52.
• Joyce Leitch Napierala ’53, January 17, 2016
• Gregory Frey, July 9, 2015, husband of
Colleen Hollenbeck Frey ’53.
• Emma Hutter, January 18, 2016,
daughter of Krista Lang Hutter ’95.
• Margaret Mary May ’43, August 9, 2015.
• Peter M. McKee, February 8, 2016, father of Katie McKee ’03
and husband of former MSM teacher Diane McKee.
• Joseph McLaughlin, August 15, 2015, father of Ann Marie
McLaughlin Fickes ’79, Mary Ellen McLaughlin Prentice ’82
and the late Michele McLaughlin ’83.
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
25
A Letter to The Mount and its Members
Marcia Nichols Kester ’68
Before I start, I would like to ask you about a situation
I frequently find myself in.
It seems that where ever I go (for example, the doctor’s office)
I come out thinking, “I am old enough to be that person’s
mother!” Does this happen to you, too?
When communicating with Alex Fussell, I could not resist asking
her what year she graduated from the Mount. She replied,
“1996.” I then confessed that our youngest child graduated from
high school in 1995. What a shocker!! Here we go again!
So, Alex (my new daughter) asked me to write about how
graduating from MSM affected my life.
Picture it: It was 1964 and I received an “acceptance letter”
from the Mount stating I could start my freshman year in
September. YES, I wanted to go to the Mount! Granted, it
was an all-girls school taught by nuns. But,—it’s confession
time!—the real reason I wanted to go to the Mount was purely
for its social connections.
26
It was common knowledge that whenever the Mount had a
dance, all those fine young lads from St. Joseph’s Collegiate,
Canisius and Cardinal O’Hara were all invited and expected
to attend. Who could argue with those facts?
The Mount was not just about classroom education. We were
all introduced to music, art, sports, debates, and even speech.
At that time, we were all vaguely aware that throughout history
women were not given equal pay for the same job as men were.
We knew this was wrong, but I remember being taught ‘You can
do whatever you want with your lives. Gender should not matter.’
Looking back on those four years, it’s hard to believe how very
young we were. I don’t think any of us realized how very strong
the Sisters who taught us were. I’m not sure if it was their
prayers or dedication to education that helped us the most.
At our last reunion almost every career was represented. It
was evident at our reunion we all had grown up and matured.
Well, at least a third of us! We continue to learn and grow.
To quote one of my favorite classmates, Louise, “It’s a joy to
belong to such a great group!”
F O C U S • The Alumnae Magazine of Mount St. Mary Academy
2015-16 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Kathy Hoelscher Glieco '81, President
Mary Beth Brown ’77, Vice President
Ashley Allen, Secretary/Treasurer
Linda Balkin
Sr. Nancy Charlesworth '55
John Crainer
Joseph Emminger
Lisa Battaglia Garvey '96
Kevin Hardwick
Mollie McGorry '03
Mary Ossei-Anto Owusu ’99
Elizabeth Philage
Sarah Taylor '05
Rev. Joseph Vatter
2015-16 ALUMNAE BOARD MEMBERS
Danielle Blount ’09
Betsy Leous Bressette ’77
Cindy Morgante Buffamonte ’81
Christine Grabowski Campanella ’69
Emily Curtin ’09
Kim Hoelscher Curtin ’81
Jennifer Englert DeRose ’89
Colleen Talty Feyko ’79
Alexandra Kogler Fussell ’96
Amber Nixon Hartman ’93
Celine Keefe ’09
Stephanie Ohol King ’05
Chloe Macdonald ’09
Anne Reiser Meegan ’85
Mary O’Brien Merigold ’76
Melissa Mosgeller ’03
Marquisha Muldrow Mushat ’00
Kelly Hennessy Oldenburg ’97
Do you belong in the Hall of Fame?
We’re seeking nominees for our Sports Hall of Fame, which recognizes
those athletes, coaches and athletic benefactors who have achieved
the highest honor in their sports. Visit MSMAthletics.org to nominate
yourself or someone you know.
Roslyn Romanowski ’78
Peg O’Brien Simons ’78
Donna Carney Spicer ’54
Kerry Steffan ’01
Deirdre Carroll Whelehan ’01
27
NON-PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE
Mount St. Mary Academy
3756 Delaware Avenue
Kenmore, New York 14217
PAID
BUFFALO, NY
PERMIT N0 601
Focus
THE ALUMNAE MAGAZINE OF MOUNT ST. MARY ACADEMY
SPRING 2016
Upcoming Events
MSM Alumnae Gathering in Orlando
Alumnae Association Pancake Breakfast
March 24 at 6:00 p.m.
Radisson Resort Orlando Celebration
May 22 from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Applebee’s Restaurant (Niagara Falls Blvd.)
Chrysalis Auction and Dinner
Alumnae Sunday Mass and Brunch
April 9 at 5:00 p.m.
Mount St. Mary Academy Auditorium
September 11 at 10:00 a.m.
Mount St. Mary Academy Auditorium
Alumnae Golf Tournament
Please contact us at (716) 877-1358
for more information or to make a
reservation for these events.
May 13 at 12:30 p.m.
Chestnut Hill Country Club
Parents: If Focus is addressed to a daughter who no longer
lives at your home, please email the correct address to
Alexandra Kogler Fussell ’96 at [email protected]
or call (716) 877-1358 x. 304.