Hudson Catholic Day of Giving

Was a Record Setter!

Just after midnight, as April 7^th turned to the 8^th, we reported our 24-hour Day of Giving result as $49,305. A short time later, one alum decided he did not like the look of that total, so he donated $700 so that we can now crow about a $50,000 Day of Giving tally.

This is truly record-setting for Hudson Catholic, and we thank our donors from the first one, to the very last, on our day to honor St. John Baptist de La Salle by supporting the educational mission he gave us through our Christian Brothers heritage.

All told, we raised $50,311, inclusive of $25,000 in matching funds, for which we are thankful to our long-running, loyal, anonymous alumnus donor who put that up, to make for a very interesting day.

'The Wall'

How it Became the Hudson Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame

We don't even know when, precisely, it got started, but one day in 1993, we believe, a painted number 34 made its way on to the wall underneath the scoreboard on the Mercer Street side of the Gym. That number unmistakably belongs to Hall of Famer Jim Spanarkel '75.

It is the first known public display to a Hawk athlete, and was surely done as a standalone tribute rather than to initiate 'The Wall of Honor' which has become the school's official Athletic Hall of Fame comprising banners of the names, sports, and retired uniform numbers of the greatest athletes and coaches across all sports, all eras in Hudson Catholic history. And by now, perhaps we should be referring to it as 'The Walls', plural, as the banners have stretched to the Courtyard side of the Gym.

Perhaps a year or so later, Hall of Famer Mike O'Koren '76's #40 was painted alongside #34, and we were on to something. When it came time to honor #44 Big Mac, the first member of the 1,000 point/1,000 rebound club in Hawk basketball, Jim McDonough '73, thoughts turned to banners rather than painting, to stand the test of time.

In 2005, Ed Nierstedt '81's #24 was designated as the fourth jersey to be so honored. Coincident with Ed's banner-raising, then-Athletic Director Terry Matthews opted for hanging banners rather than continuing to paint the gym walls, and we were on to something. Each of the first four 'retirements' was publicly acknowledged at a Hawk basketball game. At this point, it looked like we were going to be using the Gym's walls for a Basketball Hall of Fame, after all, this is the room where our basketball heroes did their thing and earned their fame.

The following year, the first non-basketball uniform, #8, that of David Barbossa '87, went up on the wall as the first Hockey player to receive the honor. Following in succession were Chris Heger '93 (#44) for Hockey in 2008, John Furch '85 (#27) in 2011 for Baseball, and Dwayne Sabb '87 (#22) for Football in 2012. These banners were added as part of individual ceremonies that occurred either at halftime of varsity basketball games or, in the case of the hockey tributes, at Hawk hockey games.

Finally, members of the Hawk brain trust concluded that further additions to 'The Wall" should take place with regularity and plurality at events that would honor new members who would be selected by the Administration, with invited input from the broader Hudson Catholic community.

The first such event debuted in 2017, inducting Brian Ellerson '98 (#7, Baseball), Alexander Long '73 (Track), Pat Verney '99 (#61, Hockey), Louis Ken-Kwoffie '88 (#10, Soccer), Alex Luna '98 (#1, Soccer), and Coach John Cruitt (Soccer). Inductions were put on a two-school-year cycle and, in 2019, new honorees included George Macchia '82 (Swimming) Paul Lee '82 (#33, Basketball), Alberto Vasquez '99 (#6, Baseball), and Coach Frank Becht (Bowling). In 2022, the Wall expanded for Bruno Bisiacchi '84 (#15, Hockey), John Higgins '77 (Supporter), posth., Coach Paul Lenczuk (Track & Field), Coach Cory Robinson (Hockey), and Katria Stewart '15 (#11, Volleyball).

And on May 17th, the next four members who will have their banners unveiled on 'The Wall' are Reggie Cameron '13 (#5, Basketball), Kristin Cunning '15 (#6, Softball), Bobby England '83 (#8, Soccer), and Ed Roselle '80 (Wrestling). At that time, our Athletic Hall of Fame will contain 27 members: 22 athletes, 4 coaches, and 1 special honoree.

Concurrent with the upcoming induction of new members to 'The Wall' on May 17th, we are working furiously to compile the information and digitize the Wall of Honor on the school website. The Digital Wall of Honor will contain replicas of the banners that hang in the Pope Gymnasium, photos of the greats, and their profiles that demonstrate why each of them is the best of the best of all Hawk athletes -- not just great in their years, or in their sports, as compared to their competition, but great across all time in Hawk history, compared to all other Hawk athletes.

We will announce when the Digital Wall of Honor is ready for viewing.

Your Support Honors Our Past and Fuels Our Future

Manifest Your Hawk Pride with a Gift to

The Fund for Hudson Catholic

Receipt of a recent major gift and our record-shattering Day of Giving intake are propelling us toward our target of $300,000 in unrestricted giving for the year. With a little more than 2 months to go before the end of our fiscal year on June 30th, receipts for '1964: The Fund for Hudson Catholic' stand at $253,993, representing 84.7% of our goal.

We encourage our Hawks and friends to continue giving through our fiscal year end, particularly those who customarily make an annual gift but may not have done so to date, or if you may be thinking about making your first gift to Hudson Catholic. A matching gift opportunity from an employer is also a great way to make your gift more impactful. And, a recurring monthly gift is a great way to budget your giving over time.

Message From The Prez

April and May seem to be the busiest months of the year on campus, as they are filled with banquets, awards ceremonies and masses. Over the next six weeks we will have the National Honor Society Induction Ceremony, the National Thespian Society Induction Ceremony, the Spring Sports Awards Breakfast, the Senior Prom, Final Exams and the Baccalaureate Mass! In the midst of all of this, our seniors will be finalizing their decisions to attend colleges/universities, trade schools, enter the military or start careers. No matter what their decision, each will leave ready to live the Lasallian core principle of “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve”.  Our graduates are well-prepared for their next steps in life and are ready to serve others to make the world a better place. 

As always, I want to thank our Hawk family for your continued support, as you are directly responsible for many of the opportunities our students have, both during and after their time at Hudson Catholic.

Saturday, April 27

Click on the logo for tickets on the Eventbrite site

May 9, 10, 11

The Hawk Drama Society Presents

The Tony Award Winning Musical

on

The Jack Campion Stage at Hudson Catholic

Click on the logo for tickets

Saturday, June 15

Click on the image for details & tickets

Monday, June 17

Click on the image to register or sponsor

Saturday, August 17

4th annual summer get-together in Belmar

at The Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh Club

on 16th Avenue -- 3pm

No price change. A mere $85 for bar, hot buffet

Click on the logo to register and pay

Saturday, October 26

SAVE THE DATE

Hollander Hotel, St. Petersburg

Same site as last year

Reunion Reminders

1974 Planning Well Underway

Contact David Carbone '74 at

dcarbonephd@msn.com

1999 / 2014,

it's getting late!

Contact Jill Cypher at jcypher@hudsoncatholic.org

to express interest in having / helping with your class reunion

Hawk Happenings

Stevens Tech Summer

Pre-College Program Acceptances!

Seven Hawks have been accepted into the Stevens Institute of Technology Summer 2024 Pre College Program, some receiving full scholarships. These juniors and sophomores will spend a week on the Hoboken campus to experience college life and explore potential majors. Each student was given the opportunity to choose any STEM field of their interest to study for college credit this summer. The students and their programs are:

Annaliese DeLeon: Biology Genetics and Medicine

Jadyra Amaya-Garcia: Biology Genetics and Medicine 

Olivia Morgan: Biology Genetics and Medicine 

Luciano Guzman: Biology Genetics and Medicine 

Henil Patel: Pre Biomedical Engineering 

Bryan Silva: Undecided 

Zachary Mathias: Undecided

Hawk-to-Hawk Contact

One Hawk welcomes another! In this photo taken on Admitted Students Day at Wilkes University (Pa), we have three VIP Hawks. At far right is Kevin Boyle ’83, Wilkes’ VP for Advancement, helping to welcome current Hawk Jaelen Thomas ‘24, second from left, and his Dad, Jovahn Thomas, to his left.

Kevin tells it: “As luck would have it, the very first person I spoke to told me he was from Jersey City. A minute later I met his son and then let them know I was a Hudson grad myself. What a surprise all around. Jaelen was an outstanding young man, and we are happy to welcome him in September.”

Also pictured is Wilkes head football coach Dave Biever, L., for whom Jaelen will be playing in the Fall.

Hawk Contingent Remember

Brother Paul Joslin

A number of Hawks travelled to Philadelphia for recent services for the late Brother Paul Joslin, FSC, where they were greeted by some of our Christian Brother mentors and former faculty.

L. to R., Former Faculty Ana Sullivan and Anna Armenante, President-Principal Terry Matthews, Bill McGrath '79, Brother Michael Kramer, FSC, Rob Astudillo '06, Larry Basinski '70, Brian Slattery '94.

Hawk Stemmers at it again

This time it’s NJIT

Alumni Spotlight

Leadership, Service, Achievements

(and occasional whimsy)

Young Hawks Look to the Future

For Schools In Need. Brianne Brown '20, building on student and substitute teaching and tutoring experience in the Long Branch Public Schools system, has started as a Substitute Teacher across multiple school districts, as an associate of ESS, the nationwide firm for substitute staffing, while she pursues her graduate degree at Monmouth University. She was awarded Monmouth University’s School of Education Dean’s Award for Excellence in Special Education (Undergraduate) which is one of the highest awards given to an undergraduate Special Education student.

Caring Hawk. Monica Olivera '19, is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) who earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Rutgers University School of Social Work. She is a first-year School Social Worker with the Jersey City Public Schools.

Team Player. James Kemp '20 is completing his degree at Iona University, with plans to pursue an MBA in Marketing, but is first seeking a marketing internship. A 4-year member of the Hawk BaseballTeam, he captained his Gael college team, and he also coaches youth baseball.



Milestones

Marathon Men. That we know of, at least four Hawks entered and completed the 26.2-mile course of the Jersey City Marathon on Sunday, April 14^th. Chris Flores '05 finished in the top third of the race, at 3:33:48. Maykel Khilla '06 ran 4:22:54, and, completing his first Marathon ever, was Chris’ classmate, Harold Torres '05, who ran 4:09:10. And Chris Wiley '94 ran 3:48:48, besting 2,000+ other entrants.

In the accompanying photo, Manny Hernandez '05, who was all over the course supporting his classmates, snapped a candid shot of himself, Harold and Chris following completion of the race.

Flores designed the shirt he wore in the race as a hometown tribute, reflecting aspects of his life, including Greenville Ave, where he grew up, St. Paul's Greenville, his grammar school, and, of course, a tribute to his days as a Hawk! We say, "Nice Shirt!"

The Big Whistle. Ryan Knapp ‘99 (far right in photo), a St. Peter's University Hall of Famer (2014, Baseball), former Hawk Hockey and Baseball star, and an ECAC Hockey Referee, was one of four on-ice officials (linesman) in the NCAA Frozen Four championship game in St. Paul, MN between Denver and Boston College, won by Denver, 2-0. This is the third Frozen Four Final that Ryan has officiated. He had to give up his love, hockey, when he accepted a baseball scholarship to SPU, but resumed skating after graduation. He has his sites set on officiating in the NHL.

Honored. Lawman Gene Rubino '86 was saluted by the Dante Alghieri Society of Jersey City to mark the occasion on which he retired, following 27 years of service in the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

Opening. Filmmaker P.J. Leonard '80's film, Mississippi Scholar, recently screened at the Claridge Theatre in Montclair.

Final Bow. Mike Topolski '72 (Guitar, Lead Vocals), Mike Kulik ’73 (trumpet), Paul Bara ’73 (trombone), Joe Colasurdo '72 (trumpet),and Paul Pizzuti ’72 (drums), are/were members of the early 1970s local high school band, Enterprize, (yes, they played Hudson Catholic dances in the day, along with many Battle of the Bands contests) announce that the band’s 54-year run has concluded (but not the friendships). You can experience their full-circle, last performance, ‘I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know, a 1968 Blood Sweat & Tears tune -- the first number the band worked on at their first rehearsal in 1970 -- at this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/wkYZ0mAKFjU. A fitting alpha-omega moment for the group.

Paul Bara

Mike Kulik

Paul Pizzuti

Seasons Over. Former Hudson Hawk Teammates are off in different directions. Jahvon Quinerly '18 ended his collegiate basketball career at Memphis University, having tallied 1,661 points across Villanova, Alabama and Memphis; Luther Muhammad '18 ended his Finland pro league season averaging 20 points per game; and another pro, Louis King '18, has left Mexico City of the NBA 'G' League, for professional play in Puerto Rico.

There Are No Small Hawks

Land of the Giants. Author Joe Colicchio '70 shared this whimsical, if not humbling, photo from a recent trip out west. We are pretty sure that is Joe in there.



Have You……..

·    Landed your first job?

·    Retired from your last job?

·    Gotten engaged or married?

·    Celebrated a milestone anniversary?

·    Welcomed a child or grandchild?

·    Reminisced with fellow Hawks recently?

·    Taken a new job?

·    Relocated?

·    Received a promotion or honor?

Hudson Catholic welcomes any and all news about your career, education, family life, and reconnecting with other alumni. Submit a note and share your photos with the Hudson Catholic community at advancement@hudsoncatholic.org

Profile of a Dedicated Catholic Educator

Mrs. Rose Perry

Having been born and raised in Greenwich Village, and completed her BBA at Pace University in Business Education, Rose Perry began her teaching career at New York City Community College as an adjunct professor for five years.

Settling with her husband Jim in Hoboken, Rose began a 29-year teaching career at Hudson Catholic in 1981, first, as a part-time instructor of typing for seniors for a few years, before moving on to full-time status after earning her Masters Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision, and a reading Specialist certification, from St. Peter’s University.

As a member of the Business Dept. Faculty, she taught the full range of business courses that Hudson offered, ultimately earning the role of Business Dept. Chairperson. She also taught Freshman English for a few years, and for many summers welcomed new Hawks into the Summer Orientation Program. 

Along with Sr. Eleanor Ustach, Mrs. Perry co-moderated the Hawk Yearbook and the Hawk Hockey Team for many years, and chaperoned countless Hudson dances, junior and senior proms, and field trips, and was a Lay Faculty Association official for many years. 

Rose enjoyed every minute at Hudson because the students, faculty and administrators were a pleasure to work with, as was she. Rose recalls "how wonderful the LaSallian Christian Brothers were, sharing so many laughs and happy times along the way. As they say ‘If you love your job, you never work a day in your life’. That was me.“ 

Hoboken Catholic Academy, the consolidation of five Catholic grammar schools in the Mile Square City, hired Mrs. Perry as Principal in 2009 and she served a five-year tenure, during which the Academy achieved Middle States Accreditation, established the school’s first Junior National Honor Society, and worked toward Blue Ribbon School status that was achieved in the year following her retirement.

In Mrs. Perry’s final year as HCA Principal, following Super Storm Sandy, she led the movement of the entire student body to St. Nicholas School in Jersey City because HCA’s school building was deemed uninhabitable from storm damage. The school was subsequently repaired and resumed operation at its Hoboken location.

Among Rose’s pursuits in retirement, she volunteers at St. Matthew’s Lunchtime Ministry in Hoboken and serves as a trustee of the Hoboken Public Library Friends and Foundation and at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Hoboken.  

We were, indeed, lucky to have her!

A Poignant Message for Today's Hawks

From Joe Slota '72,

A Self-Admitted 'Old Guy'

At a recent Hawk Get-Together are members of the Class of '72, Peter Pizzuti, Joe Slota, Mike Morris, Mike Topolski, and Joe Colasurdo.

The class of '72 is a beacon for our youth, embodying a legacy of care and camaraderie. Our spontaneous gatherings, born of simplicity and word-of-mouth, bring post-retirement fulfillment. Life's twists since Hudson may include challenges here and there that life naturally puts before us; however, our upbringing instilled resilience. Discussing music (all of us lifelong musicians), shared memories, and the essence of life brings solace and unity. As proud alums of Hudson Catholic, we have contributed and still proceed to approach society positively.

To my Hudson family, our shared education is our legacy, immortalized in the joy of our reunions (formal or informal). I cherish these bonds and am grateful for the love we share collectively. Our class was simply the best, not better than all the rest, but a group of men who lived four formative years together and continue to not skip a beat after all of these years. It is as if we never left each other mentally and at heart, just physically, to live life to its fullest.

Message to those who are still in the Nest! I will be at Career Day next week, adding value to your thoughts, dreams, and expectations. Remember something, your dream is our history. You deserve to dream big things for your lives, no reason not to, or be inhibited from achieving limitless happiness personally or work-wise! Hudson Catholic High School, the Nest, catalyzes your development and conversion of dreams into reality. Without it, I wonder what or who I would be.

I am who I am, seriously indexed on respect, integrity, faith, family, and friends. An older man from the roots of Jersey City/Hudson County, and proud of it! Let our history feed your dreams so that when the time comes, you all can smile at being the proud people you are today. God Bless you all. - Joe ' 72

Editor's Note: this post has been picked up from a public post on the Hudson Catholic Regional High School Friends Facebook site. It has been edited and "formatted to fit your television screen."

'The Hawk' for 1985

has achieved digital status

Click on the cover to go to the 'Hawk'

Blast From The Past

When 'The Faa' Gave 'Mousey' His Due

The July 1st, 1991 edition of 'Faa's Corner' in The Jersey Journal was uncharacteristically not dedicated to the exploits of a local athlete on the field of competition, but to one of our own Hawks who made it his concern to support and help a lot of those kids who did wind up on the sports pages of the hometown newspaper. Robert Hahner '74, back in the day, was nicknamed 'Mousey' because of his 5’4” stature. The headline at the top of page 27 blared: “Mousey Hahner Big Cheese on Local Sports Scene.”

As 'The Faa', Eddie Ford, was given to the frequent use of hyperbole, he used it with effect to get his point across about our ‘Mousey’, writing that Bobby’s “kind generosity and love of competitive sports has given the opportunity to thousands of kids to play the game of their choice…….a man without whose efforts many teams and leagues wouldn’t exist.” Ford was referring to Mousey’s many team sponsorships.

Faa extolled Mousey’s childhood athletic experience in the Lincoln Park Little League and on the St. Al’s Biddy Basketball Team, which brought him to Hudson Catholic and Faa to praise Mousey as "a pretty darn good high school baseball player [and].......one of the late, great Joe ‘Rocky’ Pope’s favorite ballplayers” because he could run, field, hit, throw, and bunt.

Hahner went on to St. Peter’s College for a degree in Accounting and came to own Mac’s Video Store on West Side Avenue. His success there enabled him to plow some of the profits back into the community in which he grew up - in the Little league, the Build Better Boys Baseball League, to Hudson Catholic, and to St. Anthony’s basketball in honor of Bob Hurley Sr.’s commitment to that school and the community.

Faa ended his tribute by asking, “Who says you have to hit a home run to be a hero?”

Editor's Note: Do you know the origin of Eddie Ford's nickname, 'the Faa', that stuck with him throughout his entire adulthood? He was even referred to as the Faa in North Carolina, by the legendary Tar Heels Coach Dean Smith. Responses to advancement@hudsoncatholic.org and we'll publish it in the next issue.

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“It’s not the will to win that matters -- everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”

-- Paul 'Bear’ Bryant,

legendary University of Alabama Football Coach

Requiescant in Pace

Vita Mutatur Non Tollitur

(Life is changed, not ended)

____________________________________________

Joseph Connelly '74,

brother of Michael Connelly '75

Lizabeth Schaefer McCall,

sister of Terence Schaefer '78 and Eric Schaefer '79

Alice Niman,

mother of James Nimon '83

Kathleen Szabo,

wife of Edward Szabo '70

Carmela Venezia,

mother of Bill Venezia '70 and Tom Venezia '75

___________________________________________

Will be remembered in the annual

Alumni Mass of Remembrance

on November 3rd, 2024

The Office of Advancement ~ Gary, Jill & Jenine

201-332-5970 x118

Advancement@hudsoncatholic.org ~ OR ~ gary.ferrari@hudsoncatholic.org

We Thank

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