Headmaster Update
John Thornburg
Headmaster
thornburgj@maldencatholic.org
Dear Parents,
 
Welcome back from February break! Although classes were not in session, there was a lot happening at Malden Catholic, and we have a tremendous amount to be thankful for in our school community. Here a few highlights from last week:
  • We held our first Accepted Students Rolling Rally on Saturday, February 13. This was an amazing event with 200 potential incoming families joining us for the celebration. I want to give a special thanks to all those who helped support the event. We had a great group of enthusiastic parents and students brave the cold. Thank you! Our enrollment numbers continue to be strong for next year, and we are thankful that our current families have done such a great job spreading the word about the value of a Malden Catholic education! 
  • Our winter sports teams finished their seasons over the break, and our Boys Basketball team won the Catholic Conference Championship! This was no small feat. They beat St. John’s Prep on the road to advance to the championship game at Catholic Memorial. The game was a nail-biter with MC winning the championship. This is a huge accomplishment for the team and for Malden Catholic! Congratulations to the coaching staff and the players. We are proud of you!
  • Our Boys Swim Team finished the season strong, and we are proud of all their hard work. It was the first year of our Girls Hockey program, and they did an outstanding job. They grew stronger each game and proved to the other teams that they are a force to be reckoned with. Our Girls Basketball Team had another strong season. They finished at the Notre Dame Academy Invitational and were the consolation champions. Great job!
  • Our Boys Hockey Team beat BC High in overtime! It was an exciting game with a great finish. They then continued on to the semi-finals against Xaverian, and though they did not come out on top, they played very hard. Our Boys Hockey program continues to grow stronger, and our “Blue Blades” represented our school well.
 
Now, we move into the Fall II sports season and look forward to warmer weather and I should hope that, a clear football field! I appreciate how much care and encouragement our families have provided us throughout the year!

Thank you for your support,
 
John K. Thornburg
At a Glance
Monday, February 22
Blue Day 1

Tuesday, February 23
Gold Day 1

Wednesday, February 24
Fifth Day
PSAT Grade 9 | 7:45 AM
Academic Enrichment Grades 10, 11, 12 | 8:00 AM
Lunch | 11:00 AM
Girls ROX Grade 9 | 1 PM (in school)
Boys Impact Group A | 1 PM
Girls with Impact Grades 10 and 11 | 1 PM

Thursday, February 25
Blue Day 2
Rosary in the Cafeteria | 7:30 AM

Friday, February 26
Gold Day 2
Rosary in the Cafeteria | 7:30 AM
MC bldg
Teacher Spotlight
Cindy Havice-Morales
Accounting Teacher
kucharc@maldencatholic.org
Dear Malden Catholic Community,

I joined Malden Catholic as a Computer Science and Math teacher. I have been in education for many years, having previously taught in Beverly, Lawrence, and North Reading.

Before I began my teaching career, I was a software engineer, working primarily in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and defense industries. While each of the areas are different, the underlying theme has been the same - using problem solving to help people in a significant way. In fact, in my earlier career, I worked with molecular biologists who were researching proteins and genes. I was tasked with figuring out how their software worked and recreate it in another programming language.
 
I enjoy teaching these same problem-solving skills to students, providing ways to recognize challenges and develop software and engineering solutions in a creative and meaningful way. I hope to teach them how to understand and define a problem, prepare by making a plan, try by carrying out the plan, and to reflect on how the problem was solved or to think about improvements they can make.
 
I feel blessed to be working with such a welcoming and caring community of students, parents, teachers, and staff. I look forward to the near future when I can have all of my students in one room and I can say – please turn to the person sitting next to you and discuss what we are working on!

Cindy Havice-Morales
Celebrating Black History Month
Black History Month - February
Malden Catholic is celebrating Black History Month by recognizing Black Saints in Catholicism.

For our third week, Dr. Baccari has featured the following Black Catholics as having been recognized as living a saintly life, although not officially designated a saint. Thank you to Campus Ministry for their tremendous work on these featured profiles.
Alexander Sherwood Healy
Born in 1836, Sherwood Healy had a similar experience as his brothers. He travelled up north where he attended Holy Cross. Sherwood became one of the best educated priests of his day. After being ordained in 1858 in Paris, he went on to earn a doctorate in Canon Law in Rome. An accomplished theologian, he spoke several languages and specialized in church music. Sherwood would go on to be appointed as rector of Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross. 
Charles Randolph Uncles
Charles Randolph Uncles was the son of a B & O Railroad worker and a dressmaker mother. Fr. Uncles was an extremely bright student in high school and college. He broke the color barrier in Baltimore’s St. Mary’s Seminary, at a time when segregation within and outside the Catholic Church was the norm. Fr. Uncles’ ultimate achievement, his ordination, in 1891 made headlines around the country, including those of the New York Times newspaper. Two years after his famous ordination, Father Uncles became one of the founders of the St. Joseph Society of the Sacred Heart. 
James Augustine Healy
Born in 1830, James Healy was the son of an Irish immigrant who became a successful Georgia planter. His mother Eliza Clark had been a slave on their father's plantation during a time where interracial marriages were banned in Georgia. Healy was educated in northern schools and was the valedictorian of the first graduating class at Holy Cross. Healy went on to study in Montreal and Paris where he was ordained in 1854 at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Healy became America's first black priest and years later went on to become the first black bishop ordained in the United States. 
Patrick Francis Healy 
Born in 1834, Patrick Healy was sent up north along with his brothers where he graduated from Holy Cross. Patrick entered the Jesuit order in 1850 and as part of his Jesuit duties was sent to Georgetown to teach philosophy. He would eventually go on to become president of Georgetown. According to historians, it was not until the 1960s that Patrick's racial history was revealed declaring him the first African American Jesuit and First African American president of a predominantly white university. Over 9 years he modernized the curriculum, expanded the law and medical schools, started a campus building spree and travelled nationwide on fundraising projects. Today Georgetown remembers him as its "second founder." 
Pierre Toussaint
Pierre Toussaint, who began his life as a slave. Born around 1766 in Haiti, Pierre was a descendent of the African slaves who worked in the sugarcane fields. In 1793, the Bérard family, with Pierre as one of their slaves, moved to New York.  From the time that Monsieur Bérard died, it was Pierre Toussaint who supported the Berard family by working as a hairdresser for the wealthy women of New York. When Madame Bérard died she gave Pierre his freedom, and now, free of other obligations, Pierre was finally able to marry Juliette, the young woman he loved. During his long life, Pierre was a strong witness to the love of God to all he met. He was completely dedicated to living the virtue of charity. 
 
Mother Elizabeth Seton—another saint who lived in New York during this time—started an orphanage in 1817. Pierre Toussaint provided a great deal of the support for the orphanage. He gave of his own money and constantly collected donations from his customers. Pierre and Juliette also were important in the founding of the first New York Catholic school for black children. And they supported a group of black women who were trying to form their own religious order of sisters. When Pierre Toussaint died in 1853 at the age of eighty-seven, he was well-known in New York City for his love and generosity.  
What's New?
MC Wins The Catholic Conference
Congratulations to MC's Varsity Basketball team on winning the Catholic Conference championship game! To read more about the Lancer's win, check out The Boston Globe's article here.
Sign Up For Trivia Night and Women's Day of Recollection - Presented by MC Parent Council
MC Parent Council will be hosting a Trivia Night this Thursday, February 25th from 7 - 8:30 PM. Up to 15 Teams, or 500 participants can join this terrific event hosted by an MC alum for Tag Team Trivia. There will be prizes for winners, the biggest team and best team name! Students, teachers, staff, parents, clubs, MC sports teams or any other combo are all encouraged to join and form a team. If you want to play and do not have a team, you will be added to one. Please sign up by no later than February 23 through the attached link and include your name, team name and email. You will receive a Zoom link on the day of the event. https://www.maldencatholic.org/student-life/mcpc

Women's Day of Recollection- March 7 at 12 PM
Guest speaker Sr. Norma Pimentel, MJ is a Mexican American nun of the Missionaries of Jesus and the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. Pope Francis and others have praised her for her work with refugees and immigrants coming to the United States. She also was one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people of 2020! A portion of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Sr. Norma's mission. This wonderful annual event will leave you refreshed, and your soul nurtured!  
Women's Day of Recollection sign-up may be found through this link:

Attendees will be emailed a link the week before the event. If you have any questions, please reach out to Deb Walsh at walshd@maldencatholic.org
PSAT on Wednesday, February 24
As part of our comprehensive school and college counseling program, Malden Catholic provides students with the opportunity to take the PSAT 8/9, also known as the Practice or Preliminary SAT. All 9th grade students take the PSAT 8/9 on February 24, our 5th Day, unless they are in the RED cohort. Students in the RED cohort should reach out directly to Mrs. DelGenio by Monday, February 22.

On February 24, students should arrive by 7:45 AM and bring #2 pencils (not mechanical) and a calculator. Phones must be off, and a strict testing environment will be enforced. Students may wear casual attire and masks are required.
NACAC Virtual College Fair 2/28
NACAC is offering a Virtual College Fair this Sunday, February 28 at 1:00 PM with over 600 colleges represented. The virtual fair allows students to drop into a live Zoom session with the college of their choice to listen, ask questions and connect.

Additional fair dates: March 7 (STEM), March 21 and May 2. For more information, please check out virtualcollegefairs.org.
Updated Sign Up Process For Sister Helen Prejean Community Read on 3/4
Following her presentation as part of MC's Leadership Speaker Series, Sister Helen Prejean has graciously offered to continue her conversation with the MC community by offering a Community Read and discussion of her most recent book, River of Fire.

This exciting multi-session opportunity is open to students, faculty, staff and parents. The first session will begin on March 4 at 6 PM with a live introduction by Sister Helen with a personal account of her story. Participants will receive reflection questions and a Q&A from Sister Helen as they journey with this influential leader and ponder ways to become a more active leader in social justice. Sister will join the group again on April 8th after participants have read the book to discuss their insights and reflections. Students will meet with Sister Helen on April 8th at 2:30 PM and adults will meet with her on April 8th at 6PM.

Sr. Helen Prejean, C.S.J. is a Roman Catholic sister, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph based in New Orleans, and a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. Her memoir, River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey, tells the story of her life leading up to her awakening to social justice movements in the 1980s. She entered the convent in 1957, joining the Congregation of St. Joseph in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Please sign up by emailing Mr. Dustin Batista directly at batistad@maldencatholic.org. Participants will purchase their own copy of River of Fire for the Community Read.
Accepted Students Rolling Rally
Thank you to everyone who came out to attend and help with the Accepted Students Rolling Rally! This was a spectacular MC community-supported event, and we were thrilled to welcome approximately 200 students at this special celebration.

To view photos from the event, please see our SmugMug page, here.
https://maldencatholichighschool.smugmug.com/Yearbook-2020/Accepted-Student-Rolling-Rally-2021/

Read all about the Rolling Rally in the Chelsea Record. http://chelsearecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CHR0218.pdf
Caylin Moore MC Leadership Speaker Video
On February 10, 2021, the Malden Catholic community was honored to spend time with Rhodes Scholar, Caylin Louis Moore, as part of the Malden Catholic Leadership Speaker Series. Caylin Moore, author of A Dream Too Big: The Story of An Improbable Journey from Compton to Oxford, shared the story of his exodus from an impoverished background and a gang-ridden community. The eye-opening, inspirational story he shared with MC students proves that despite what others told him along the way, there is no such thing as a dream too big. This is a webinar not to be missed! The MC Leadership videos can be found on the MC YouTube page.
Drama Club Production of "Anxiety is Orange"
The MC Drama Club actors performed the show, Anxiety is Orange by Lindsay Price live on stage at Malden Catholic and we are thrilled to share it with the MC community! Thank you to Ms. Ellen Keith for your hard work and to the students for their commitment and creativity!
Virtual College Admissions Panel
MC's Virtual College Admissions Panel was held with representatives from Catholic University of America, Stonehill College, Syracuse University, Tufts University and University of Massachusetts Lowell. We would like to thank the admissions representatives who joined us from these exceptional higher educational institutions for sharing such valuable information suggestions for preparing for college applications in a COVID-19 environment. 
The Residents at Melrose Station Receive Valentines
On Friday, February 12, Malden Catholic Campus Ministry along with students from all grades created and delivered valentines to The Residences at Melrose Station, a senior living community. The Melrose Station residents were thrilled with the beautiful cards and appreciated the thoughtfulness!
MC Mock Trial
Congratulations to the Malden Catholic 2020-2021 Mock Trial Team who participated in and won their first virtual Preliminary Trial on Monday, February 8, 2021 against Xaverian Brothers High School!  MC continues to make history, taking part of a criminal trial completely on Zoom format, where performances included not only delivering opening and closing statements, direct and cross examinations, raising objections and a knowledge of sharing screens and properly entering evidence, much like the current Court system due to social distancing guidelines. We are proud of team's performances and look forward to the next trial!
MC Café Lunch Raffle Extended To 2/26
Who said there is no such thing as a free lunch? MC Café will extend the raffle to next week and provide a raffle ticket to every student who purchases a hot entrée, hot sandwich, deli sandwiches or wraps and full-size salads until February 26. The more lunches you purchase, the more raffle tickets you will receive!

February raffle will provide one boy student and one girl student with a $25 Café Cash Certificate that can be used on any cafeteria item. Be sure to visit the Café for lunch and hold on to your tickets!
Donations for Bishop Fehan Hockey Player, AJ Quetta
Bishop Feehan hockey player, AJ Quetta, was seriously injured while playing for the Shamrocks against Pope Francis in West Springfield. As the entire hockey community draws together to support his recovery, Malden Catholic has provided a donation directly to the Quetta family. If you would like to provide a personal donation to support AJ's recovery from this unfortunate accident, please see the attached GoFundMe page. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-pay-for-ajs-hospital-surgeries
Help pay for AJ's hospital treatment and recovery,...

AJ has gotten into a hockey accident, and might not be able to move his body again. With your donations, we can get him to the best doctors to do everything we can to get him better. We have so much hope! We love you so much AJ.

Read more
www.gofundme.com
Mission Moment with Brother Puccio
A Reflection on Black History Month

Last June, after receiving expressions of prayer and concern from Pope Francis about the killing of George Floyd, Cardinal Sean sent to all parishes a pastoral reflection about racism. Shared at all Masses, it encouraged us to pray and work for justice, peace and reconciliation.  I invite you to read the full reflection: http://cardinalseansblog.org/2020/06/05/. It is a thoughtful and powerful assertion that racism, overt in action or implicit in attitude, essentially denies the humanity and dignity of others that we proclaim as Christians.

“Catholic moral teaching,” he writes, “is based on the fact that all people – without regard to race, religion, ethnicity or nationality – are created in the image of God. This teaching rejects any form of racism, personal or systemic. Our faith calls us to leadership in breaking down barriers and standing against injustice. To violate human dignity is to dishonor the presence of Christ in each person.”

Much racism, of course, especially when it is structural or systemic, goes unrecognized or unacknowledged. We sometimes don’t easily see it or admit to it. A large part of the challenge to those who wish to work for justice is to educate oneself to subtle ways in which racism may be at work. A Catholic school should be the perfect place for that education, that call to awareness.

Cardinal Sean writes, “Going forward, the reality of racism in our society and the moral imperative of racial equality and justice must be incorporated in our schools, our teaching and our preaching. We must uphold the commitments to equal dignity and human rights in all institutions of our society, in politics, law, economy, education. Catholic teaching on social justice measures the way a society acts fairly or not. Our work will not be done until African American men, women and children are treated equally in every aspect of life in the United States.”

One of my privileges this year has been to co-moderate our new MC Diversity & Inclusion Club. We have about 15 “regulars” who discuss the racial optics of the day and help to build community by trying to understand one another. It is humbling and inspiring for me to learn through them. As a Catholic school, we are true to our Mission through such conversations. May we all continue to learn from one another with open minds and hearts, and educate ourselves to the systemic underpinnings of racism, so that one day soon our world will reflect the simple truth that Black Lives Matter.

Br. Thomas Puccio, CFX, Ed.D., H'18
Sports