Keeping you up to date on all things Hudson Catholic, past and present

Challenging!

That Describes This Year’s Giving Appeals

With a $50,000 Match

on the line

In kicking off our appeals for 2023-2024, for The Fund for Hudson Catholic, The Hudson Catholic Scholarship Program, and The Alumni Leadership Program, we have partnered with Hall of Famer Gerry McGraw ’72 to present a significant Challenge Gift valued at up to $50,000 and aimed at attracting new and incremental giving beyond last year’s giving levels.

The Challenge extends over the length of this school year, from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, with an appeal to the generosity of many of our Hawks throughout the ranks of alumni, for:

Every first-time gift by an Alumnus

Every gift by an Alumna

Every gift from 11 Classes:

1991, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2010,

2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Any amount that exceeds last year total giving for:

1980: $1,100

1981: $2,785

1982: $2,350

1983: $1,825

1985: $1,500

1987: $1,116

1989: $200

1992: $2,900

1993: $116

1994: $1,100

1999: $200

2000: $200

2002: $200

2003: $250

2004: $650

2005: $20

2007: $240

2009: $500

2013: $1.000

And, every dollar of giving by decade that exceeds last year’s final giving totals

$34,107 (1980s) / $14,106 (1990s) / $2,010 (2000s) / $1,400 (2010)s

Hawks, we think we can do better, and we must do better, to grow our giving into the future. And we have found match challenges to be the most impactful way to drive new and increased giving to Hudson Catholic because you like that your gifts become twice as impactful as the amount you are able to give. Collectively, we can do great things for this year’s student body and that of years to come.

President's Message

Last week, the Hudson Catholic Black & Gold Golf Outing was held at the Essex County Country Club. This was the 10^th year we have held the event and each year it has gotten better. First, congratulations to our honorees:  Ms. Anna Schreiber, faculty; Mr. Bruce Bock ’75; and Mr. Robert Peake ’86. To say the event was a success is quite the understatement.  We had more sponsors, more golfers, and more dinner guests, and, as expected, raised more money than ever before! Alums reconnected, new friends were made and a great time was had by all. What a wonderful day!

As I write this, there’s a smile on my face because, once again, our community of friends and family has stepped up to celebrate Hudson Catholic and its mission. I also have a smile on my face because I’ve already spent it! That’s correct. I know exactly where the money is going. It’s not going to be used to fix the leak in the lobby entrance roof. With your prior help I was able to do that. It’s not going to be used to defray the cost of replacing our aging fire sensors. Again, because of you I have already started that process. Rather, it’s going to help fund the financial needs of our current families because in today’s economy, it’s needed more than ever. Academic performance is within a student’s ability to manage. Conduct is within a student’s ability to manage. No student should have to leave Hudson Catholic because their family is unable to meet their tuition obligations.  

The one thing Hudson Catholic never has a problem doing is attracting students and having those students apply. The number of students who want to come to Hudson Catholic is consistently on the rise. However, the number of families who are able to pay full tuition is where we struggle. That is why events like the Black & Gold Outing and the Hall of Fame are so important to the school. Yes, they celebrate Hudson Catholic, but, more important, they enable us to open doors to opportunity for our young people.  

And those doors are leading to better and better opportunities. Our recent College Fair saw over 50 colleges and universities attend. Princeton University made a special stop by themselves a day later and Notre Dame is in this week. Hudson Catholic students are being courted by some of the best colleges and universities in the country and this only happens because of you. Until we achieve our goal of establishing a significant endowment, your gifts and the proceeds from our events are the driving forces that allow us to provide access to a quality, Catholic, values-based education to our students during these uncertain times.  As always, I cannot thank you enough!

October 12th

O'Leary's Publik House -- 788 Garfield Ave, JC

Drinks, of course, will be on Terry

Note to Alumnae

This is a great opportunity to reconnect with classmates and make new friends among our base of 587 Hawk Alumnae

October 14th

Members of the surrounding classes of 1971, 1972, 1974 and 1975, if so inclined, are invited to join in our celebration, as our school years spent with you meant a great deal to us. We would be happy to see you again for the reminiscing and enjoyment.

October 15th

Memorial Mass for Brother Patrick King, FSC

St. Aedan's Church, 3pm

Light Refreshments in Hudson Catholic Caf following

RSVP Oct. 8th to Gary Ferrari for the reception gferrari@hudsoncatholic.org

November 11th

First-ever Florida Event

Hollander Hotel -- St. Petersburg -- 1230pm Poolside

All Graduation Years / Family Friendly /Food & Drinks Available

Contact 'Rocco' Filerino '80 at filerino@gmail.com or Darren Scarpa '80 at djs713@duck.com

Date Change to Be Announced

Induction Event

at Hudson Catholic

Honoring the Greatest Athletes in Hudson Catholic History

Nomination forms may be completed and submitted at

https://hudsoncatholic.org/woh

Reunion Reminders

40 years: 1983               30 years: 1993 

20 years: 2003              10 years: 2013

Contact Jill Cypher at jcypher@hudsoncatholic.org

to express interest in having and helping with

a reunion for your class

So, You Want to

Reconnect with a Christian Brother?

We Know Where to Find Them

Many a Christian Brother would welcome hearing from you or seeing you, should you have the opportunity. For instance, Brother Ray Murphy has put out the welcome mat in Wyndmoor, PA at La Salle College High School, and Brother Tim Ahern has done likewise, from Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, NJ. If you tell us who you might care to communicate with, or visit, we can try and make that connection for you. Drop a note to advancement@hudsoncatholic.org and we'll go from there.

Alumni Spotlight

They Blazed the Trail. The Drennan Family name is synonymous with the firefighting profession in Jersey City. Steven Drennan ’77 is one in a long line of such Drennans, including 17 members over three generations (some Hawk alumni) who have collectively given our city over 500 years of service as firefighters and JCFD brass, including Steve, his father, his sons, uncles, and 10 cousins. And now a Drennan leads NJ’s largest municipal fire department. Mayor Steven Fulop recently appointed Steve Drennan, a veteran of the force since 1982, as the Acting Chief of the Jersey City Fire Department. Hearty congratulations to our brother Hawk!

Busy Bee. Bernadette Matutino ’21 has started a new position as Sales Associate at Coach while pursuing her degree in Marketing at Rutgers.

Tender Tom. Thomas Slippe ’15 is a Team Lead Manager at Chick-fil-A Restaurants in Union, NJ



Motoring. Mike Silva ’04 has opened Austin Michael Motorsports, a full custom shop, in Flemington, NJ.



View of the World. Joe Lamboy ‘83 is a Trading Operations Specialist at Allspring Global Investments in the San Francisco Bay area.

Like Father, Like Son Hall of Famers. How cool is this? Steve Dzitko's ('77) son, Steve II, is going to be inducted into the Seton Hall Prep Hall of Fame, with his baseball team. Steve II was a pitcher and on a varsity team that was great for a few years. Teammates included a few future pros.

Hawk Get Togethers

Friends Forever! Over the Labor Day Weekend, Wall of Honor member Alexander Long' 73, r., found himself in Portland, OR on business, along with his wife, Tiqui, so they looked in on our Chief Advancement Officer, and Al's classmate, Gary Ferrari '73, and his partner, Judy Smith, and they visited the Erath Wine Tasting Room, and dined at Jake's Famous Crawfish, catching up and reminiscing, among other things, about the day they met in September 1969, when they sat across from each other in Mr. Don Ruby's Freshman Homeroom!

Blast From the Past

’77 Championship Hurdle Relay Team

In possibly the longest title for any championship team anywhere, we present the 1977 Indoor Catholic Conference State Champ Shuttle Hurdle Relay Team.

And they would be......... Dave Gaffney, Steve Dzitko, and Rocco Dacchille, all ’77, and Miguel Alvarez ‘78.

Readers Respond

Bill Downey '89 was first in to identify that flash mob at the Hudson River. He ought to know -- he walked in it in, you guessed it, 1989.

Turn Your Brothers and Sisters In!

(We Need Their Email Addresses)

We lose touch with some of our graduates who move around, go off to college, start careers, get married, etc. Help us find them again and make it harder for us to lose touch. Many on this list have siblings who are Hawk alumni, so turn them in at advancement@hudsoncatholic.org or send them to hudsoncatholic.org/stay-connected to update their contact info.

“We do not walk alone in this life. There are others whose journeys are interwoven with ours in seemingly random patterns, yet have been carefully placed to reveal a remarkable tapestry. God is the weaver at that loom.”

-- Richard Paul Evans, American author

Michael Skea '74

Your Trusted Real Estate Advisor at the Jersey Shore 

Michael Silva '04

Ajay Hathiwala '09