Friends,
As we enter the final stretch of the school year, we must pause to recognize the superstar performances of our students - artists, athletes, and everything in between. For the past several weeks we have celebrated much and recognized many.
The truly special thing about this community is the depth and breadth of our experiences. The young men at BC High have the opportunity to avail themselves of everything from the fencing team to choir performances in Switzerland. They build water pipelines in the Dominican Republic and travel to Downtown Crossing to serve as companions to those struggling with the challenges of homelessness.
They are superstars in everything they do because the fire of St. Ignatius, the passion to seek the
magis, burns within their hearts. With the Class of 2019 taking their first steps away from Morrissey Boulevard as BC High alumni, we look forward to the wide variety of things they will accomplish in adult life as they accomplished as students here. Their Jesuit education has inspired them to change the world, and we trust that they will. There is no greater example of that lifelong dedication to service than Principal Steve Hughes '73, P'98 who was our honored commencement speaker and is finishing his last few weeks as principal after more than forty years of outstanding service to our school.
I hope you'll join me in praying for Steve - and all of our students as they strive to finish this year with excellence before enjoying a well deserved rest in summer!
AMDG,
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Graduation for the Class of 2019
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On Sunday, May 19 the Class of 2019 walked the halls of our beloved school for the last time as students. At the 155th Commencement of Boston College High School Principal Steve Hughes '73, P'98 served as the graduation speaker. As Steve addressed the graduates, he reminded them that the traits of the Grad at Grad are not obscure things to which they should aspire - they are the foundation of the lives the young men have lived here for the past four or six years. Principal Hughes, ever the servant leader, lingered on the theme of love, and the importance it holds in everything we do. There was not a dry eye in the audience!
Owen Concannon '19, President of the Student Council, and Chase Thomas '19 were our wonderful student speakers. They spoke of their formative experiences here at BC High - and the brotherhood which now forever bonds them with their classmates. The Class of 2019 is off to truly wonderful things at colleges and universities across the world. We wish them the best in all that they do! Pictures from senior festivities will be uploaded to our social media accounts throughout the week.
Graduation Mass and
Rehearsal/Senior Luncheon are available now!
I also had the great privilege of welcoming back our Golden Eagles, the Class of 1969, back to campus for their 50th Reunion. On Friday, May 17 they enjoyed a fun "Back to School Day" to experience what daily life at BC High is like 50 years after they were students. On Saturday they enjoyed each other's company
through liturgy and dinner, all culminating in receiving their Golden Diplomas on Sunday alongside the Class of 2019. I was proud to raise these truly great men up as role models for the young graduates, and I know the Class of 1969 was proud to welcome them to our more than 15,000 living alumni network - confident that they will continue to carry the BC High legacy for the next 50 years.
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BC High Welcomes Mr. Adam Lewis to Campus
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I was excited for our new principal, Adam Lewis, to have the opportunity to visit campus recently. Adam met with several students, parents, faculty and staff over the course of the day. He was humbled by the warm welcome and looks forward to meeting more members of the BC High community when he arrives on Morrissey Boulevard later this spring!
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Father Greg Boyle Visits BC High
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On April 23 we were joined by Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ (author of
Tattoos on the Heart and
Barking to the Choir, as well as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest and most successful gang intervention, rehab, and reentry program in the world) through the Corcoran Living Library Lecture Series. Fr. Boyle and his homies Omar and Francisco filled our community with awe as they relayed their life stories and experiences with radical kinship in the midst of Los Angeles gang violence.
“BC High isn’t the place you’ve come to, it’s the place you go from - to stand at the margins of society... until there are no margins.” - Fr. Boyle
Photo Credit: Buuthien Hang ‘20
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Alumni Advisory Council Launched!
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I am delighted to share that under the direction of the Office of Advancement, we are now launching an Alumni Advisory Council that will be called upon to engage and support the tremendous power of our alumni across the region, nation, and globe.
The goal of the Alumni Council is to ensure that BC High alumni can foster a vibrant, dynamic community that offers broad opportunities for lifelong engagement for the purposes of social, intellectual and spiritual well-being. As leaders of the alumni community, council members will provide guidance on all aspects of the BC High Alumni Network, including philanthropic initiatives, career mentoring, service days, young alumni involvement, affinity and special interest groups, alumni retreats, diversity initiatives, and enrollment support.
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The Dever Players recently finished a lauded six-sho
w r
un of Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Je
sus Christ Superstar. Our talented student-artists and actresses from local schools poured their heart and soul into this production. I have to thank Janet PetitBon, Dann Russo, and the countless others who made this star-studded show possible.
To view photos from the show, visit this link.
On Thursday, May 2 the Arts Council of BC High hosted our first Alumni Arts Reception in recent history, continuing the renaissance of arts programming at our school. Dozens of alumni, family, and friends joined us on campus for companionship before attending the performance together. I was especially glad to welcome Trustee Gregory Bulger '68, one of our Arts Council members, to the stage before the show to say a few words. Greg's immense generosity and support of the Bulger Performing Arts Center is one of the cornerstones of the fine arts program here at BC High!
To view more photos from the reception, visit this link.
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There are stars in every single corner of our campus! Here are just a few of the things our students have been involved in:
- Over the past few weeks we have honored the Class of 2019 at both our annual Senior Awards and Athletics Banquet. These young men have made remarkable contributions to our school in so many areas.
- Congratulations to the Robotics Team for an outstanding 2019 season! After competing at the New England District Championships, the team finished ranked #52 out of the 203 teams in New England, with an overall record of 25-19-1. To view photos from the championship, visit this link.
- Several members of our community spent their Easter break on service trips in the United States and beyond... from the Romero Center in Camden, NJ to building water pipelines in the mountains of the Dominican Republic with the Hyde Center. We wish all of our students departing on trips over the next few weeks safe travels!
- Beginning Sunday, May 19 the Edward M. Kennedy Institute is hosting an exhibition collaboratively created by a consortium of five local high schools including BC High that examines the pressing issue of economic inequality through a humanist lens. An Account of Boston: Local Stories of Economic Inequality will be on display in the Institute’s main lobby through Wednesday, May 29.
- On May 2 Mr. Mark Dowling brought the Red Sox 2018 World Series Trophy to campus!
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Please join us at an upcoming event this spring:
- Wednesday, June 12 6:30 p.m. - BC High will host a free Cape Cod Baseball League game between the Wareham Gatemen and Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox at Monan Park.
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| Boston College High School | 617.474.5001 | www.bchigh.edu
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