Holidays: A Time for Cheer
and Prayerful Waiting
The signs of the Christmas season are beginning to appear all around us.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I recently travelled on a Rhine River cruise (see a photo from our trip at right) and was treated to numerous Christmas markets in Germany and France, all with sparkling lights, festive music, enthusiastic vendors, hot drinks, good cheer and beautiful Nativity scenes. The interiors of churches and cathedrals are adorned with wreaths, candles, and seasonal decorations which remind us of the true meaning of the Advent season — a time of prayerful waiting for the birth of our Savior.

I wish you a peaceful Advent and a blessed Christmas, a time of reflection and a time of celebration with family and friends. As always, I ask that you keep the students, faculty and staff of Saint Joseph High School in your prayers.
Henry Chandler, '67
Alumni Coordinator
Make a gift to the Fund
for Saint Joseph

Our alumni and friends are the roots of the Saint Joe community and, this holiday season, we share why we love Saint Joe. We hope you consider the gift of an exceptional and affordable Catholic education.

The Fund for Saint Joseph provides the resources needed for faith formation, class room resources, co-curricular programs, athletics, campus maintenance and more.

Consider donating an amount that relates to Saint Joe's legacy, such as $10 to commemorate 10 years in the new school, or $113 to honor Fr. Bly's classroom number.

No gift is too small, and every gift matters!
Alumni Reconnect over Pizza, Drinks at
Happy Hour event
Over 20 alumni from a wide range of graduation years came together on Thursday to the Happy Hour event at Corby's Irish Pub.

Alumni were able to catch up and compare stories of their days at Saint Joe High School, while also enjoying pizza, breadsticks and beverages.

Principal John Kennedy stepped in for Mr. Henry Chandler '67, who was unable to attend due to a brief illness, and spoke to the group about the community Saint Joe has built and continues to build upon every year.

Upcoming Reunions

Classmates interested in organizing a class reunion may contact the Alumni Office at (574) 234-2904, ext. 5, or email Alumni Coordinator Henry Chandler at hchandler@saintjoehigh.com​​​​​​​ to get started.

Class of 1973
50 Year Reunion – July 14-15, 2023
Contact: Jane Mahoney (muzikal91@aol.com)
Kathy Kiesselbach (katheeki@gmail.com)
Jennifer Helmen (helmenj@sjrmc.com)
Meet the new (and familiar) faces at Saint Joe
Katie Harshman,'93
School Nurse

As longtime nurse Mrs. Chris Kanczuzewski retired earlier this year, we welcome Mrs. Katie Harshman! Mrs. Harshman is no stranger to Saint Joe, graduating in 1993 along with her husband Marty. They have two sons at Saint Joe, a son in 6th grade at Saint Joe Grade School and a sweet golden-doodle named Ruby.

Mrs. Harshman has a B.A. in Psychology from University of Kentucky and a B.A.S. in Nursing from Saint Mary's College. She has 22 years of nursing experience, including time as a school nurse at St. Joseph Grade School.

Katie says she is most looking forward to getting to know the students more and keeping them happy and healthy.

Welcome, Mrs. Harshman!
Pat Stockrahm
Director of Finance & Business Operations

Pat Stockrahm leads the Business Office, handling the details that make Saint Joe function and overseeing operations such as IT, the cafe, and facilities/maintenance.

Pat has a B.A. in History from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the University of Texas in Dallas and previously held a C.P.A. in Indiana. She most recently served as the Business Manager at St. Joseph Parish for nine years and has been on Saint Joe's Finance Committee for several years.

Pat and her husband Michael have three children — two of whom have graduated from Saint Joe and one who is a senior. She enjoys cycling, skiing, cooking and reading.

Welcome, Pat!
Saint Joe Alumni in the Headlines

Tyler Gillean, '09, found success in the local election cycle and was voted as the St. Joseph County Republican Party Chair. He joins many Saint Joe alumni dedicated to civic engagement.

Aimee Litka, '05, was recently highlighted in the South Bend Tribune in her role as the New Prairie High School girls' basketball coach. Litka, who was part of the 2005 Girls Basketball State Championship team, is in her third season with the Cougars and spoke to the Tribune about making the program continue to trend upward. Click here for the story.

Saint Joe Hockey is proud to sponsor The Adam Milani Memorial Tournament each year in honor of Adam's memory and in support of sled hockey in our area. Coach Chris Kleva competed with Milani and, in 2010, brought the first sled hockey game to South Bend to compete against the Ft. Wayne Sled Hockey Team, which then morphed into the River City Sled Rovers program. WNDU highlighted the tournament, the River City Sled Rovers program and South Bend native Nick Witkowski who has his sights on making the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Three Student-Athletes Announce Intentions to
Compete in Collegiate Athletics
We are so proud of the three student-athletes who participated in the early signing period and signed their National Letters of Intent to compete at the collegiate level.

Congratulations to Peyton Hull (women’s soccer, Samford University), Joe Swick (men’s golf, Spring Arbor University) and Madeline Wroblewski (softball, Saint Xavier University)!
If you or an alumnus you know is not receiving communications from Saint Joseph High School — we can fix that! We want to make sure everyone receives this monthly newsletter, Focus magazine, and any other news. Please contact alumni coordinator Henry Chandler to receive communications.

To update an address, email, phone, last name, etc., please contact us here.