John Thornburg
Headmaster
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Dear Parents,
The commute this morning was transformed by the fresh snowfall. Trees were decorated and the sky seemed bluer. It seemed as if my travels took me along a new route to places that I had never been before, and every stretch of the road was new and interesting. The experience was very invigorating for a Monday morning commute!
Our Lord promises His mercies are new every morning and in Revelation (2:15), "Behold, I make all things new." My drive this morning reminded me that my walk with God makes each day new and different. Each day is a new adventure to see His handiwork and learn more about His ways. Though my "drive" today was filled with meetings and other obligations which could easily have appeared as routine, I reflected upon how He is always present and walks with me. Just as each snowflake is unique, His blessings are as well. It is encouraging to be reminded of His abiding love.
We are moving into our second week of February and this is an exciting week for us at Malden Catholic. On Wednesday we have a special guest speaker, Mr. Caylin Moore, who wrote A Dream Too Big: The Story of an Improbable Journey from Compton to Oxford. I am confident Mr. Moore's journey from difficulties to triumph will be an inspiration for all of us. Then, on Thursday, we have the premier of Anxiety is Orange, the MC Drama Club's latest production. I was able to catch a sneak preview last week during dress rehearsal and I was thrilled to see our talented students perform live in this exceptional production! I want to give a special thanks to Erin and Ellen Keith who worked virtually with our students and directed the play in such a creative fashion. Please be sure to catch the premier on Thursday at 4 PM via the MC YouTube Channel.
Thank you for your support,
John K. Thornburg
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Monday, February 8
Blue Day 1
Tuesday, February 9
Gold Day 1
Wednesday, February 10
Fifth Day
Academic Enrichment Grades 9,11,12 | 8:00 AM
Clubs | 10:00 AM
Lunch | 11:00 AM
Leadership Speaker Series - Caylin Moore | 12:00 PM
Girls ROX Grade 9 | 1:15 PM
Boys Impact Group A | 1:15 PM
Girls with Impact Grades 10 and 11 | 1:15 PM
Thursday, February 11
Blue Day 2
Rosary | 7:30 AM
Friday, February 12
Gold Day 2
Rosary | 7:30 AM
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Chris Kuchar
Accounting Teacher
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Dear Malden Catholic Community,
I joined the Malden Catholic last year as the Varsity Boys Hockey Coach and as we all know, COVID-19 severely impacted 2020 not only in sports, but also in the business community. Due to decreased production in lending, my banking position ended over the summer and I was able to pivot and bring my skills to Malden Catholic as an Accounting teacher. I also was able to assist in the implementation of MC's COVID-19 protocols.
Prior to MC, I was a commercial banker for over 20 years. My duties as a commercial banker were to provide loans from $2 million to $50 million associated with the construction and development of residential and real estate projects in the Boston metropolitan area. In order to do that, I would review tax returns, look at project overviews, analyze budgets and pro-forma projections on each real estate project to determine its viability.
This transition has been a tremendously positive for me. I love coming to the school each day and seeing the students gain knowledge and learn. To me, the most impressive thing, however, is witnessing how much the administration and staff care for each and every student! This school embraces every teen at Malden Catholic and is dedicated to helping them grow.
Mr. Kuchar
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Black History Month - February |
Malden Catholic is celebrating Black History Month by recognizing the Black saints in Catholicism.
For our second week, Dr. Baccari has featured the following Black Catholics as having been recognized as living a saintly life, although not officially designated a saint. Campus Ministry will feature additional inspirational individuals every week throughout the month of February.
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Saint Maurice of Agaunum
Saint Maurice of Agaunum, born less than 250 years after Jesus Christ, was a man of African origin. Saint Maurice has the distinction of being the patron saint of southern Germany and parts of France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. Saint Maurice was a general in the Roman army, stationed in what is now France. Saint Maurice and his six thousand African soldiers were ordered to fight against Christians who rebelled against the empire. When it became known that the opposition were all Christians, Saint Maurice instructed his men to refuse to fight their fellow Christians. For his disobedience, Emperor Maximian had Saint Maurice, and nearly all of his Theban Legion executed. Two thousand years later, Saint Maurice's relics and many of his men are enshrined in a basilica in Agaunum, Switzerland.
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Saint Perpetua and St. Felicity
St. Perpetua was a young, beautiful, well-educated, noblewoman of Carthage in North Africa. In 203, St. Perpetua, St. Perpetua, her infant son, and St. Felicity, her pregnant maidservant, were arrested for violating a decree issued the previous year by the Roman emperor Septimus Severus outlawing conversion to Christianity. St. Perpetua’s account of their harsh treatment in prison is considered one of the earliest and most dramatic documents of Christian martyrdom. As fate would have it, Saint Felicity gave birth to a daughter just three days before she and Saint Perpetua were killed by wild beasts in an arena.
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Saint Josephine Bakihta
Saint Josephine Bakihta was born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan. Kidnapped at the age of 7, sold into slavery, and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate, St. Josephine was finally sold to Callisto Legnani, an official working in the Italian consulate in Khartoum, Sudan.
Eventually, Legnani took St. Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. She became the babysitter to Mimmina Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venice’s Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. It was while Mimmina was being instructed by the nuns that Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. Eventually, she was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine. In 1893 Josephine entered the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa in made her profession three years later. In 1902, she was transferred to the city of Schio (northeast of Verona), where she assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing, embroidery, and welcoming visitors at the door. She was well-loved by the children attending the sisters’ school and the local citizens. St. Josephine once said, “Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!”
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St. Paul the Hermit
St. Paul was reportedly born in Egypt, where he was orphaned by age 15. During the persecution of Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide in the home of a friend but instead, fled to the desert. His plan was to return once the persecution ended, but the sweetness of solitude and heavenly contemplation convinced him to stay. St. Paul went on to live in a cave for the next 90 years. A nearby spring gave him drink, a palm tree furnished him clothing and nourishment. After 21 years of solitude, a bird began bringing him half of a loaf of bread each day. Without knowing what was happening in the world, Paul prayed that the world would become a better place.
Saint Anthony of Egypt attests to his holy life and death. Tempted by the thought that no one had served God in the wilderness longer than he, Anthony was led by God to find Paul and acknowledge him as a man more perfect than himself. The raven that day brought a whole loaf of bread instead of the usual half. As Paul predicted, Anthony would return to bury his new friend.
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Saint Mother Elizabeth Clarisse Lange, OSP
Mary Lange, O.S.P. (1784-1882), born Elizabeth Clarisse Lange, left Santiago, Cuba, to seek peace and security in the United States. Providence directed her to Baltimore, Maryland, where a significant influx of French-speaking Catholic Saint Domingue refugees was settling. Elizabeth Lange came to Baltimore as a courageous, loving, deeply spiritual woman. Although she was a refugee, she was well educated and independent means, possessing monies left to her by her father. It did not take Elizabeth long to recognize that the children of her fellow refugees needed education. She used her own money and home to educate these children of color. For ten years, Elizabeth, with a friend, Marie Magdaleine Balas, offered free education. With Sulpician priest James Nicholas Joubert, S.S., and Archbishop James Whitfield's blessing, Saint Mother Elizabeth Clarisse Lange founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence in Baltimore, Maryland, whose mission was to educate the girls of African descent.
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MC Leadership Speaker Series Features Caylin Moore - Wednesday, 2.10 at 12 PM |
We are honored to welcome Rhodes Scholar, Caylin Louis Moore, who will speak via webinar to Malden Catholic students on Wednesday, February 10 at 12 PM as part of the MC Leadership Speaker Series.
Caylin Louis Moore is the author of A Dream Too Big: The Story of An Improbable Journey from Compton to Oxford, which has been featured by Good Morning America, ABC News, NBC LA and Home and Family amongst others. His book was named to the Favorite Books of 2019 by Good Morning America’s Anchors. Caylin grew up in the Compton and South Central Los Angeles area of California. After undergraduate studies in Economics at Texas Christian University, he went on to become a 2017 Rhodes Scholar. Caylin is a 2019 graduate of the University of Oxford in England where he earned his master’s in Latin American Studies. A burgeoning thought leader, Caylin seeks to reform the way we think about and respond to gang membership, education and urban poverty. Caylin began his PhD in Sociology at Stanford University in the Fall of 2020, aspiring to become a university professor. We are thrilled that Caylin will be joining us on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 to share the story of his exodus from an impoverished background and a gang-ridden community. His eye-opening, inspirational story proves that, contrary to what others told him on his journey, there is no such thing as a dream too big.
Students can register through this link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3391251613795748364
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Community Read and Discussion with Sister Helen Prejean |
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.
She remembers a strict regimen guided by canonical law, where questioning of superiors was forbidden. "It was called 'blind obedience,' and by being obedient, that was how you got holy," Prejean says. "You gave up self-will, and in the process, as I experienced it, you also began to give up a lot of thinking — critical thinking — because you knew what you had to do was conform in the end to whatever was being asked of you."
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Anxiety is Orange Premier – 2.11 at 4 PM |
This is a one act, vignette play in which characters navigate the world, each other and the energy reflected in the greens, greys, blues, reds, pinks, yellows and oranges around them. The MC Drama Club actor's performed the show live on stage and are thrilled to share it with the MC community! Thank you to Ms. Erin and Ellen Keith for your hard work and creativity!
For more information regarding Malden Catholic's Drama Club, please contact Ms. Keith at [email protected]
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The February Parent Council meeting will be held on February 10 at 4 PM, and feature Bill Raycraft, MC Athletic Director, as our guest. Please note that the time has changed for this event. You can join the meeting through this link: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/895316821
The MCPC Facebook Group provided a link for parents and students to sign up to volunteer for the Accepted Student Rolling Rally on February 13. Limited volunteer spaces remain, and due to COVID-19 restrictions, only volunteers who have registered through the link may join us for the event.
MCPC will be hosting a Trivia Night on 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, biggest team and best team name! Students, teachers, staff, parents, MC clubs, MC homerooms, 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- Hold the Date
The Parent Council will be hosting the annual Women's Day of Recollection on Sunday, March 7th. This event will be held virtually for all MC mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends. Be sure to mark the date in your calendar and additional details will be available soon.
We invite all parents to join our MC Parent Council Facebook Group for all the latest school information and for special opportunities: //www.facebook.com/groups/maldencatholicparents
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MC Café Lunch Raffle for $25 Café Cash |
Who said there is no such thing as a free lunch? The students had so much fun with the January raffle, MC Café is providing another opportunity to win. This week, MC Café will provide a raffle ticket to every student who purchases a hot entrée, hot sandwich, deli sandwiches or wraps and full-size salads from February 8 - 12. 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!
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In December, MC offered students the opportunity to volunteer for the National Classical Etymology Exam. This is a very challenging exam, and the following students earned a gold medal out of 12 participants:
Latin 3 - Gold Medal
- Francesca Callahan
- Karina Rahman
Latin 2 - Gold Medal
- Lily Nguyen
- Alondra Enciso-Torres
- Chi Vu
Congratulations to our winners and to all of the students who participated! All Malden Catholic students will take the National Latin Exam in March and there are three more voluntary exams that will be held in the spring.
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This week during Academic Enrichment, students nominated by their math teacher to take part in the Mathematical Association of America’s annual AMC contests. The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are the nation's leading mathematics competitions for high schoolers and are designed to cultivate the mathematical capabilities of the next generation of problem solvers.
Malden Catholic students will join approximately 140,000 participants worldwide taking the AMC 10 and AMC 12. This year the contests will take place online. Students are to check their email for the GoToMeeting link.
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The 30-Day Challenge Is Push-Ups |
Malden Catholic's 30-Day Challenge Club has voted to pursue the annual "30 Day Pushup Challenge." This challenge will begin in mid-February and everyone in the community is invited to participate. Please read about the rules and sign-up through this Google link.
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The Hugh O'Brian Leadership Program Opportunity |
The Hugh O'Brian Leadership Program offers sophomores a chance to explore their leadership potential through inspiring online State Leadership Seminars. Four seats are open for MC Grade 10 students, (2 boys and 2 girls) for the MA Seminar on May 1st and 2nd. Please submit essays to Mrs. DelGenio at [email protected]. The winners will be selected by the School Counseling Office and MC Administration. Students will be notified on February 12th. Please only apply if you can commit to attending on the May 1 - 2 dates. |
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Sr. Faustina and Sr. Guadalupe of The Daughters of Mary of Nazareth Visit MC |
As part of Catholic Schools Week, Sister Faustina and Sister Guadalupe of The Daughters of Mary of Nazareth in Quincy virtually visited Grade 9 MC girls to discuss their vocation. Thank you to Sr. Faustina and Sr. Guadalupe for your dedication and for sharing your thoughtful words of insight with our students! |
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Faculty and Staff Appreciation |
Last week, Malden Catholic celebrated Catholic Schools Week. As part of the series of events, the Malden Catholic Parent Council provided a delicious breakfast for our faculty and staff catered by Bikeeny Caffe. Thank you to everyone who helped provide this lovely meal. The faculty and staff loved it! |
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This year, MC held a Catholic Schools Week Essay Contest featuring student reflections on the theme of Faith, Excellence, and Service. We were delighted to read the essays and inspired by how a MC education forms a life of faith, prepares students for academic excellence and provides real-life experience in social learning. Congratulations to this year's CSW Essay winners!
Grade 9
- Erin Smail
- Cullen Mustone
Grade 10
- Ashley Reardon
- Sebastian Vasquez
Grade 11
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March 4th (Blue Cohort) and March 5th (Gold Cohort) will be the final days for students to take or retake their senior portrait. Students in the Red Cohort are asked to sign up on March 4th in time slots after 2:15 PM. Please use this link for a photoshoot timeslot:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49ADAC2AA4F8C61-senior
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Tuesday is the Last Day for Valentine's Day Candy Grams |
If you have not already purchased your Candy Gram, here is a sweet way to say how much you care for your friends and teachers on Valentine's Day! Candy grams are available during lunch for $1 until February 9th and will be delivered to homerooms on Thursday, February 11 for the Blue Cohort and on Friday, February 12 for the Gold Cohort. Let someone know you are thinking of them and help a great cause! |
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Tuesday is the Last Day for Donations for Buy-a-Bed |
For many years, Malden Catholic has collaborated with Mission of Deeds as a service site for our student volunteers in support of the annual Buy-a-Bed campaign. Mission of Deeds is a non-profit charitable organization in Reading that gives beds, furniture and household items, free of charge, to people in need in over 90 Boston-North communities. In fact, Mission of Deeds provided nearly 1,500 beds and cribs to families in need in 2019 and last year, MC contributed $4,400 to the charity.
Members of Malden Catholic's Theology Department are inviting MC students to support this year’s Buy-a-Bed Drive by donating any amount to the charity in Theology class by February 9th. Let’s see which Theology class can contribute the most!
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Mission Moment with Brother Puccio |
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Mission Moment …. St. Valentine & Gestures of Love
It was 270 AD. Roman Emperor Claudius II was known as Claudius the Cruel, so don’t expect this story to have a happy ending! Claudius, worried that men were not joining his military forces in sufficient number because of their strong commitments to wives and families, banned all engagements and marriages in Rome! A local priest by name of Valentine disobeyed this decree and secretly continued marrying young lovers. It cost him his head – literally! Claudius was not amused and had Valentine beheaded on February 14!
Well, that’s one story. Actually, there are many. Some say Valentine was a different man – a bishop who met the same fate. Others identify multiple Valentines. (Spoiler alert: Because of the historical ambiguities, the Church discontinued liturgical veneration of St. Valentine in 1969, though his name remains in the catalogue of saints.) We can probably thank medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer for inspiring our February 14th celebration of romance. In a poem he wrote around 1375, Chaucer linked the Middle-Age tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Feast Day.
Yes, we’ve made quite a leap from a 3rd-centry beheading to our contemporary images of flighty, cuddly cupids, but isn’t it wonderful that we pause to recognize love. February 14 is not just about romance; we generalize it today as an occasion to show care. In our socially-distanced day-to-days, isn’t that more important than ever?
We can be proud that a typical year at Malden Catholic is replete with gestures of love, not reserved just for Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow, for instance, Campus Ministry and the Theology Department conclude their “Buy-A-Bed” campaign, collecting money to provide beds to children in need. Our Make-A-Wish Club has been hard at work arranging for candy-grams – tokens of thoughtfulness that will both brighten the day of classmates and friends and further the goal of granting a special wish to a severely ill child. Our recent donation of dozens of winter coats and food baskets to local charity has been another gesture of love to our Malden community. The generosity of those who support our Annual Fund is similarly an expression of care, allowing us to strengthen our Mission. Each day, too, our faculty and staff show care in remarkable ways; students do the same in forging lasting friendships. May this February 14 remind us that gestures of love are ours to make each day! Let’s not miss the chance to do so!
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Winter Athletics - Spectator Streaming Options |
Please review the Winter Athletics Spectator Policy on
If you are interested in watching the teams play live, there are a variety of streaming resources that will allow you to feel as if you are live at the games. See this comprehensive list of Streaming Services and please note that some require subscription fees for use.
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Fall II Registration Is Now Open |
Fall II Boys Sports: Football and Indoor Track
You can find the registration form for Boys Fall II sports by clicking here.
Fall II Girls Sports: Cheerleading, Girls Volleyball and Indoor Track
You can find the registration form for Girls Fall II sports by clicking here.
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Varsity Boys Hockey and Grade 9 Boys Basketball Receive Blessings |
Last Friday, Malden Catholic's Boys Varsity Hockey and Grade 9 Boys Basketball received a special team blessing. |
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East Boston Times-Free Press Covers MC Winter Sports
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Thanks to East Boston Times-Free Press for providing multiple MC articles in their most recent publication. The stories discuss the success of MC's winter sports and MC Varsity Girls Hockey team's first win! To read the stories, click here.
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