St. Joseph's 2011 Graduates Buoyed By Hope & Trust
 St. Joe seniors line up to enter the church on Sunday. More photos can be found here. |
The 46 seniors and family and friends fill St. Joseph's Church to bid farewell to the parochial school where they had spent the last five years — but not to the St. Joe family of which they will continue to be a part.
"We have been wishing all year to move on to great happiness and success in both college and life beyond those years ... it is time to make it a reality," said class valedictorian McKensie Saldo. "Whatever we are wishing for, we have the tools and the power to make those wishes come true."
It was the St. Joe family — family, school, church — that has prepared the class socially, spiritually and responsibly to take on the challenges of the world, to be confident and hopeful, she said. "We close this chapter of our lives with great sadness that we must leave St. Joe behind but also with great happiness in looking back at the fun times we had together ... we look forward with hope and dreams."
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"Despite all the trials and tribulations we stuck together as Crusaders together in the small halls of St. Joseph Central High School," she said, even though they didn't look much like crusaders in their royal purple gowns. No armor, no swords, no maidens being rescued. "We only carry an open mind and responsibility for ourselves and for others."
Rather, she said, being a Crusader came from within, as being risk-takers, to trusting each other, to working in the community, to surviving chemistry class — all preparation to "compassionately conquer the world."
"We are on the brink of becoming heroes next year and in the years to come; our armor may be dented or maybe even rusty, but what is forever in our hearts can never be dented, rusted or broken."
Principal Francis X. Foley, who was appointed as principal at the beginning of the school year, thanked the class for for their feedback, but joked they should maintain their sense of humor because they'll need it if their children turn out like them.
"I had the joy of being here in your senior year; I will always be grateful for what you've given me," he said, encouraging them to see their faith "as a tremendous resource and consolation."
Usually St. Joseph's is the fourth and final of the Catholic high schools Springfield Biship Timothy A. McDonnell presides over. Not this year, after last week's disastrous tornado that hit Cathedral High School and the clerical retirement home across the street in Springfield.
"I've been talking to people whose homes are now rubble, talking to people whose businesses are no long possible, I've been talking to people who have lost everything," said the bishop. But in the midst of the disaster he, too, saw hope and trust from the people who emerged after the storm to clean up, to help neighbors, to lend a hand.
He compared the class to a sapling he saw that had not only withstood the fierce wind and but become a support for the large aluminum cross that had stood atop the now demolished chapel at the retirement home. There it was leaning against the young tree; at its base what was left of a cross that had been inside the chapel — Christ's head.
"The message I give you is simply this: you are the future, you are the body of the Christ, you are the hope of the church," said the bishop. "You have learned what it means to live your life carrying it out.
"This a class on a scale of 1-10 is an 11."
The graduates are:
Pierre Abellie, Rafaela Pinto, Zachary Aserr, Steven Barscz, Christopher Begrowicz, Gillian Bianchi, Shelby Blattner, John Burr, Brandon Casella, Marcus Chiaretto, Cody Clark, Meghan Faas.
Joleigh Ferro, Emma Ferry, Tracy Flor, Collin Flynn, Daniel Gomez, Craig Hinkley, Martha Horton, Diana Hurley, Jeremy Johnson, William Jones, Dylan Kelsey, Kyeonghoon Kim.
Mi Young Kim, Nicholas Kline, Andrew Krahforst-Lang, Jordan LaBarre, Andrew Lenski, Kara Leslie, Dylan Loring, Nolan McCauley, Audra McMahon, Marisse-Lyn Merwin, Patrick Meunier.
Dennis Murphy, Shane O'Brien, Megan O'Donnell, Alex-Sandra Patricelli, Kevin Paul, Rayelle Pierson, Sean Rilla, McKensie Saldo, Jeremy Shea, Michael Taylor, Max Teichert.
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