SUMMER EDITION 2020
This
is the 45th edition of the Golden Burrs Quarterly Newsletter brought to
you by your Events Committee members.
In
this issue under the "West Catholic Prep
Banner"
you will find updates
on the Alumni Communion Breakfast and Burrs at the Beach;
announcements regarding Graduation and Baccalaureate Mass plans, and
information about College acceptance and scholarship dollars earned by the
Class of 2020; a Tribute to the Class of 2020; and the appointment of
Andrew Brady as Interim President of West Catholic Prep.
Sadly, Bobby Devine, West Catholic Class of 1954,
passed away on May 19, 2020. His obituary and
a report by Ed Kerr '60 on the historic 1953 West Catholic win
over Overbrook for the City Championship is republished
below.
Also, there is a report about Brother Richard Kestler who will be celebrating his 60th anniversary as
a Christian Brother.
In
the "News Features" photos of the Blue
Angels and Thunderbirds Philly fly over are shown.
Also,
there is a link to an article that was in the Sports section of the
Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer about what George Light's
grandson, Brendan Dougherty, did with his spare time during the
pandemic.
Sadly,
we have learned of the passing of our
classmate Bill Kohlenberg
who came to West from St. Barnabas parish. Bill was a regular attendee at our annual class luncheons
and at Burrs at the Beach.
We conclude
this edition with mail received from our Classmates and Friends;"Remember
When" archives submitted by Gerry Vernot featuring stats about West Catholic's 1956 Cross
Country Catholic League Championship and a newspaper article about the
1957 City Title win; prayer requests for
classmates who are ill; remembrances for our deceased
classmates; and Rich Buzza's "Final Thought".
EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH WEST CATHOLIC
PREP
ANNUAL
ALUMNI COMMUNION BREAKFAST POSTPONED
The
annual Alumni Communion, scheduled for May 3, 2020, has been postponed due to
the Coronavirus. We will advise you when a new date has been set.
BURRS
AT THE BEACH 2020 CANCELLED
Due to the Coronavirus Burrs at the Beach
scheduled for June 28, 2020 has been cancelled.
Tickets costing $5.00 each for a cash
prize drawing of $1,000 can be purchased by contacting George
Light at: georgelightwchs@hotmail.com, Mobile:
610-996-2015.
ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING BACCALAUREATE MASS AND GRADUATION
Dear
West Catholic Prep Community.
At
a time in our country, in fact in the world, when everything we took for
granted has been upended, it is more important than ever that we remain a
strong school community and we do that by supporting each other and trusting
each other. For us, the leadership of West Catholic Preparatory High School,
our highest priority remains keeping our students and their families healthy
and safe as we stand united against the tragedy of COVID-19 in our everyday
lives.
For
our seniors and senior families, the impact is particularly hard. We know that
graduation, Baccalaureate Mass, and proms are long anticipated celebrations of
their journey and their achievements. We share in their disappointment. We wish
we could stand with our seniors for these well-deserved and memorable events in
their education and their life experiences.
The
reality of restrictions on gatherings of more than 10 people does not permit us
to give our seniors the great and proud tradition of a West Catholic
Preparatory graduation in person as planned.
As
Archbishop Perez has said, we are a people of great hope. We need to gather up
our hope and our faith to help us accept what we cannot change. Our students
and their families have demonstrated great strength and courage throughout this
challenging and difficult chapter of their high school experience. Since March
16, together they have learned, together they have prayed, together they have
socialized, together they have given back-all
virtually. Together we will find a way to make the graduation experience a safe
and rich experience virtually as well.
At
West Catholic Preparatory, we have been working very hard on a plan for how
this will be achieved. We are planning for a virtual baccalaureate Mass and a
virtual graduation ceremony. We will very shortly be sharing the details with
our students. And if and when there has been easing of government restrictions,
we hope to plan additional celebratory events during the summer or into the
fall. In the meantime, know that our students very much in our hearts and minds
even though we apart.
May God bless you and keep you safe.
Mr.
Paul Colistra
President
Mrs. Kelly M. Lanza
Principal
COLLEGE
ACCEPTANCE AND SCHOLARSHIPS EARNED
Gleaned from West Catholic Website
The Class of 2020 has
earned 100% college acceptance and more than $24,000,000 in college
scholarships.
Below are some highlights
of the achievements of this class.
389 - Number of colleges
to which our graduates were accepted
55 -
Number of colleges our graduates are attending
6 - Number of graduates
attending trade schools or enlisting in the armed services
$24,605,904 - total
scholarship dollars earned.
Congratulations to the
Class of 2020.
WEST
CATHOLIC TRIBUTE TO THE CLASS OF 2020
In late May, the
Administrators, Staff & Faculty of West Catholic visited the homes of the
Senior Class of 2020 to drop off gift packages. Here
are a few of the pictures that were posted on Facebook.
ANNOUNCEMENT
OF ANDREW BRADY'S APPOINTMENT AS INTERIM PRESIDENT OF WCPHS
May 13, 2020 Dear Members of the West Catholic
Preparatory High School Community, It is my sincere hope that this letter finds
you and all of your loved ones well during a very difficult and challenging
time for many in the face of this global pandemic. In February, we communicated that school
President Mr. Paul Colistra would be departing West
Catholic Preparatory High School (WCPHS) at the conclusion of the 2019-2020
school year. Today, we are pleased to share that as the
national search for a president for WCPHS continues, Mr. Andrew Brady will be
appointed interim President effective July 1st. Mr. Brady is a proud
alumnus (class 0f 2002) and currently serves as the Vice President for
Institutional Advancement at the school. Mr. Brady served WCPHS first as a faculty
member 2006-2010 and returned in January 2013 for two years as Director of
Annual Giving. He then served as Development Director for Business Leadership
Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS) before coming back to WCPHS in 2016 in
his current role. Along with the WCPHS Board of Directors,
please join me in expressing gratitude and congratulations to Mr. Brady as he
steps into this interim role. Mr. Brady truly embodies the Lasallian values
of WCPHS and his commitment to the school and proven leadership qualities
will allow him to continue to support the mission of WCPHS. Faith in the Future, the Office of Catholic
Education and the WCPHS Board of Directors will continue its national search
for a permanent president. I reiterate what we shared in February, this will
be an inclusive and transparent process, and we are committed to finding a
successor who embodies the virtues of WCPHS, represents our growing
community, and propels the school forward. We are committed to the belief that every
student should be provided with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed
throughout their high school years and beyond. Faith in the Future and the
Office of Catholic Education will continue to support WCPHS’ administration
to ensure every student is provided a path to become the best version of
their God-given self. Please know of my continued gratitude for your
ongoing support of this historic and beloved Philadelphia Catholic high school. Sincerely, Irene Horstmann Hannan Chief Executive Officer Faith in the Future Foundation OBITUARY
FOR BOBBY DEVINE CLASS OF 1954 Robert "Bobby" Devine - February
8, 1935 ~ May 19, 2020 (age 85)
Robert "Bobby" Devine, of Hershey's Mill, passed
away on May 19, 2020 at the age of 85. Graduate of West Catholic and
Notre Dame.
Loving Husband of M. Therese (nee
Hughes) Cosgrove-Devine. Beloved brother of the late Margaret Hastings,
Joseph, Edward, Jack, and Rev. Daniel Devine. Also survived by many
nieces, nephews and cousins. Due to the Pandemic funeral services
will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, family request
contributions be made to West Catholic H.S., 4501 Chestnut St, Phila,
PA 19139 or Ss. Peter & Paul Church, 1325 Boot Rd, West Chester,
PA 19380. |
|
NEWS FEATURES
PHILLY
FLY OVER OF THE BLUE
ANGELS AND THUNDERBIRDS
April 28, 2020 -
Photos taken from near the Philadelphia Art Museum
Photo by: Heather Khalifa AP
INTERESTING ARTICLE ABOUT WHAT BRENDAN DOUGHERTY DID DURING
THE PANDEMIC
Below is a link to an
article that appeared in the May 31, 2020 Sunday Inquirer. It is all
about what Brendan Dougherty, the grandson of our own George Light, did
with his spare time during the pandemic.
George Light: Frank, Great job on the newsletter, great
for you to keep all of our class in touch. THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.
George
Brother Kevin Stanton: Many
thanks for the Spring issue Frank. Are you
feeling like a Trappist monk yet?
Peace, Br. Kevin
Rich Loftus: Thanks Frank. I especially enjoyed the newspaper
clippings about our awesome track/cross country team.
John Gillespie: Frank:Thanks for yet another great
job communicating with our classmates. I had shoulder replacement at the
end of January and the recovery has been challenging. This was the fifth
shoulder surgery of my life. Could be worst, I suppose. Best to all of our classmates.
Des Butler: Thanks for another enjoyable
newsletter! I particularly enjoyed the track/cross country clips that
Gerry Vernot shared. And I thought that I was
the possessor of too many 'old" items that I have stuck away. With
this period of self confining I may be able to review
the 'good old days'. Again thank you and those who aid in keeping the
Class of 58 informed and providing opportunities to get together.
We also are doing a small bit of reducing/giving away things we
are unlikely to need (until we do). A grandson recently married and
bought a house so we have the opportunity to give them
substantial amount of furnishing that we are unlikely to use
again. I'm even (reluctantly) dispossessing some books that I never will
read again or in many cases never read in the first place. Des
Tom Hughes: Hi Frank, I am so sorry to hear about the
death of Bill Kohlenberg. We went to St Barny's together and of course to West. We
always were at Burrs at the Beach together along with the rest of the
St.Barny boys. The last time I saw Bill was at
the B@B about three
years ago and he stated that he had early stages of dementia and that it would
be his last B@B. I told
him to hang in there and try your best to continue to live his life the best he
could. I had a few beers with him and that was the last time we
talked. I really liked Bill, he was such a down to earth guy and you
could discuss anything with him even through you haven't seen him in
many months.
May Bill rest in peace and God bless him.
Best Regards, Tom
Hughes
THANK
YOU FROM THE KOHLENBERG FAMILY
EARLIEST
MEMORIES FROM THE 1940's and 1950's
submitted by:
GERRY VERNOT
Frank,
The below docs are about the 1956 Catholic
League Cross Country Championship win by West Catholic. We then
lost the City Championship to West Philly in 1956, but regained the City
Title in 1957. Gerry
WEST
CATHOLIC CROSS COUNTRY 1956
WEST
CATHOLIC CROSS COUNTRY - 1957 CITY CHAMPIONS
PLEASE
REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Care
for the Sick -Transfiguration Church
WE REMEMBER and ask for your prayers for those who are ill,
especially Dave Crines who is
recovering from a stroke, Tom Henry who is
battling Hodgkin Lymphoma, Bob
Dougherty who had a total hip replacement in
November, Brother Larry Dempsey who is suffering
from dementia and now resides at the Lincroft, NJ nursing home, Brother Robert Sentman who is dealing with back problems, Father Richard McAndrews who has Parkinson's disease and now
resides at Little Flower Manor Nursing Home, and Barry Carey who suffered a
heart attack in May.
Our Webmaster Jim Prendergast completed Chemo
and Radiation treatments in February. A post treatment Cat Scan and other test revealed that the cancer has
spread. Jim needs your prayers; please keep them coming.
Two former teachers from West are in need of prayers; Brother Gregory
Cavalier has moved to the nursing home in Lincroft,
NJ, and former Brother Gratian Joseph (John Gardiner) is in the
beginning stage of Alzheimer's disease.
WE REMEMBER and pray for all of our deceased classmates who have
gone to their eternal reward, especially Bill Kohlenberg.
WILLIAM
F. KOHLENBERG JR. - April 23,
2020
May
Bill Rest In Peace.
FINAL
THOUGHT
submitted by:
RICH BUZZA
AWARD
PRESENTATION TO JAMES J. PRENDERGAST
Our 2020 Annual Luncheon had it's
usual D-Day planning as Brother Richard referred to it, but it was not to
be. This year, the Committee planned to honor our own Jim
Prendergast. The Committee had planned many times in the past years to
honor Jim, but one thing or another, healthwise,
always seemed to pop up and postpone the presentation. This year we were
determined to honor Jim and it took a worldwide pandemic to stop us.
The Award Presentation reads as follows:
The Golden Burrs Events Committee has voted
unanimously to award this Certificate of Appreciation for your efforts as an
original member of the Class of 1958 Golden Burrs organizing committee.
It is with much gratitude that we recognize your commitment and long term
devotion to creation and maintaining the Golden Burrs Website. This
worldwide publicity and professionalism of your Website has greatly
contributed to the success and recognition of our great class of
1958.
We framed this award and sent it to Jim so
that he can display it proudly on his office wall.
God
Bless WEST CATHOLIC! Live Jesus in our Hearts. Forever.
KEEP
THE SPIRIT ALIVE!
THIS E-MAIL IS BEING SENT TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE WEST CATHOLIC
BOYS' CLASS OF 1958 AND FRIENDS OF THE CLASS. IF YOU NO LONGER WISH TO
RECEIVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS OR IF YOU ARE RECEIVING UNSOLICITED E-MAILS FROM
ANYONE PERTAINING TO THE CLASS OF 1958, PLEASE NOTIFY FRANK ADOLF
AT: FJAPFA1539@COMCAST.NET