President's Update
Dear Families,

My father drove our family boat across a lake during a major thunderstorm. This event still feels like it happened yesterday…

The boat was tied to the dock where the waves threatened to lap over the sides and swamp it, so he wanted to get the boat out of the water as quickly as possible. Although my mother pleaded with him to wait out the storm, my dad could not be persuaded. Instead, he instructed my mom to drive the boat trailer to the landing located on the opposite side of the lake. He asked me to join him in driving the boat back across the lake to safely and meet my mother at the launch. 

The old Evinrude engine choked to life, and the water-laden fiberglass hull forged slowly ahead. In the bad weather conditions, the homemade canopy that my dad had made which was designed to keep the rain out channeled the engine exhaust into the boat. My father ordered me to take the wheel while he removed the canopy. The smoke cleared while we were tossed up and down on the lake. We made very slow progress and even had a few close calls, but we eventually reached the other side.

I will never forget the feeling when we finally reached the boat landing. Miraculously, the wind died, the sun broke through the clouds and my mother was there waiting. The weight of worry and anxiety lifted, replaced with thankfulness and joy. The relief and realization that I had reached safety overwhelmed me.

I experienced the same feelings during this past Monday’s afternoon commute home from Malden Catholic. As we all recall, the weather changed dramatically in the early afternoon and we all found ourselves in terrible winter conditions. Snow had been predicted, but it fell with surprising intensity. Within an hour or two, dry roads became almost impassable, with traffic at a standstill. Travel times more than doubled. It was a difficult journey. After a two-hour commute I felt elated to arrive at home safely, just like I felt after the boat ride with my father.

We are on a life journey. There are storms and slippery spots where we sometimes feel as if we have lost our way and/or our hope. Yet, God promises to always be with us, and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. The Psalms tell us that our Lord knew each of our days before we were born. His precious thoughts towards each of us outnumber the grains of sand on the earth. We are not alone on our journey.

May we all press on in faith, knowing that someday we will reach the far shore and our eternal home where “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Rev 21:4

Thank you for your support,

John K. Thornburg
At a Glance
Monday, January 30
Day C

Tuesday, January 31
Day B

Wednesday, February 1
Day A
Praying of the Rosary - 7:25 AM
Mass - 1:15 PM (Mass attire required)

Thursday, February 2
Day H

Friday, February 3
Day G
Weekly Mass - 7:20 AM
Delayed Start - 9 AM
The first class of the day will begin at 9 AM. LBK transportation will run on its normal schedule. 
MC Attendance Policy
Due to an increased number of absences and tardiness, MC Administrators ask that you review the Attendance Policy. We have included additional details regarding the policy and proper procedures for contacting the Main Office. 

Dismissal Policy
Students who do not feel well need to report to the MC Nurse’s Office. One of the nurses will call parents if a student’s condition warrants dismissal. MC students should not be calling their parents to come and dismiss them if they feel ill. Students must be seen by one of the MC Nurses first. Thank you for your understanding.
MC Weekly Dining Menu
We are providing the MC weekly dining menu in the President's Update to make it easier for students to plan lunch throughout the week. The menu is also available through the Malden Catholic Mobile App along with easy access to the online portal for adding money to student lunch accounts. Search for "Malden Catholic" in the app store on your phone.
School and College Counseling - Naviance Reminder
MC’s School and College Counseling department would like to remind Grade 12 students to contact their school counselor, as well as update their Naviance account with all college decisions (acceptances, deferred, wait listed and denied). Please reach out to Mrs. DelGenio with any questions at delgenios@maldencatholic.org.
What's New?
Catholic Schools Week - 1.30 to 2.3
Malden Catholic will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week from January 30 - February 3. A variety of themed days, activities and a Mass with Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, OFM Cap. have been planned to recognize our community officials, faculty/staff, students and our faith.

  • Monday - Celebrating Community
  • Tuesday - Celebrating Students
  • Wednesday - Celebrating the Nation
  • Praying of the Rosary - 7:25 AM
  • MC Mass with Cardinal O'Malley will be live-streamed at 1:15 PM on MC's YouTube live channel
  • Thursday - Celebrating Vocations
  • Friday - Celebrating Faculty, Staff and Volunteers
  • Faculty/Staff prayer service - 7:25 AM
  • Faculty/Staff appreciation breakfast - 8:15 AM
MC Parent Book Club New Date - 1.30 at 6:30 PM
The date for the MC Parent Book Club Meeting has changed and will now be held on Monday, January 30 at 6:30 PM at MC in the Campus Ministry Center. The January MC Book Club will be discussing The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, a 2015 New York Times #1 Bestselling novel which follows the lives of two Southern women in the 1800s as they navigate the different restrictions placed by society on women and slaves.

Please contact Vange Egizi at vangiemassagain@yahoo.com or Brother Puccio at tpuccio@maldencatholic.org if you are interested in attending.
MC Parent Club Social: Trivia Night - 2.8 at 6:30 PM
All MC parents are invited to attend the MC Parent Club Social: Trivia Night on Wednesday, February 8 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM in the cafeteria. Parents are encouraged to bring food for a potluck. Beer/wine, soda, water and paper products will be provided.

Sign ups will begin on Sunday, January 29 by contacting Jeannine Reardon at reardonj@maldencatholic.org with your name, student’s year of graduation, and parent email address. Please indicate if you will be signing up as a group (groups consist of 4-6 people - please indicate the group you are joining if applicable) or an individual. Those who do not have a group will be assigned one at the event.
Class Rings - Orders are open until 2.8
Grade 11 and 12 students are invited to order a Malden Catholic class ring during Balfour's three-week sale from January 18 - February 8.
 
Choose a ring style through this link and place all orders through Balfour's designated site for Malden Catholic here. If you are unsure of your ring size, please print out the Balfour Ring Sizer instructions or stop by a local jewelry store to get a correct size.
 
If you have any questions regarding ordering your Class Rings, please call the local Balfour Sales Office at 401-467-7018 or email ANDScholasticGroup@gmail.com.
National Honor Society Induction Ceremony - 2.9 at 6:30 PM
The induction ceremony for the newly accepted members of the National Honor Society will be held on February 9 at 6:30 PM in the cafeteria. An invitation will be sent to inductees and their families to attend the Ceremony. We look forward to welcoming in the new NHS members and celebrating their accomplishments!
MC Make-A-Wish Club & Parent Club St. Patrick's Day Celebration - 3.10 at 7 PM
Malden Catholic’s Make-A-Wish Club and Parent Club are teaming up for a fun St. Patrick's Day Celebration at the Irish American Club in Malden on Friday, March 10 from 7 PM - 11 PM. This 18+ event will include live music by local musicians (The Emersons, Eamonn Sheehan and Ned Rhinelander), Irish Step Dancer’s, DJ Scott Elias in addition to a photobooth, appetizers, raffles and a cash bar. All proceeds benefit Make-A-Wish ® Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Kids for Wish Kids Program. Tickets can be purchased through the following Eventbrite link for $30 each (+ $3.85 Eventbrite fees). Don't forget to wear your green!

Please contact Brother Thomas Puccio with any questions at tpuccio@maldencatholic.org.
Accepted Students Rally - 2.16 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Accepted Students Rally will be held on Thursday, February 16 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM in the MC gymnasium for over 200 incoming students and their families. We are very excited about welcoming the Class of 2027 into the Malden Catholic family!
 
Volunteers
We are looking for MC parents and students who would like to sign up to assist with the Rally. If you would like to be added to the volunteer list, please sign up through the following SignUpGenius link.
What's Happening Around MC?
School and College Counseling Junior College Kick-Off Recording
The recording of the Junior Class Parent/Guardian College Admissions Panel and Kick-Off event can be viewed through this link. Thank you to all who attended the informative session!
Lunar New Year
March for Life
Crystal 99
Empowering Girls Conference
Shrinky Dinks, nail polish, and smelly bacteria

In a lab on the fourth floor of MIT's Building 56, a group of Massachusetts high school students gathered around a device that measures conductivity. Vincent Nguyen, 15, from Saugus, thought of the times the material on their sample electrode...

Read more
energy.mit.edu
Malden Catholic Students Featured in MIT's Winter Issue of Energy Futures
Check out the outstanding article featured in MIT’s winter issue of their Energy Futures publication through this link. This is an amazing article that features MC STEM students from one of the most respected universities in the world!
Mission Moment
Celebrating Catholic Schools Week

In my Grade 9 theology class, we’re working our way through the Old Testament, where God sometimes makes “grand entrances,” burning bushes, columns of flame, roars of thunder, dramatic, startling appearances. He talks personally to his people, gives advice, warning, encouragement. The other day one of my students asked, “Brother, do you think God will ever appear like that in OUR lifetime?” (It may have been a serious question... or maybe not! He likes to get me off-track!) But it was a good question. I said, “Well, I’m not expecting to have any visions, but as a matter of fact, just last week at our ‘Pizza and Prayer’ – (an early evening event hosted by our XBSS students and Campus Ministry, where students and faculty reflect on some Scripture, hear a speaker, discuss the topic of the day, and enjoy some pizza) – we talked about
exactly that question.” We asked, “Where do you find God?”

Our conversations noted that one might find God in the beauty, complexity, and scale of the universe; one might find him in the person of Jesus, active in the world today through us, available to us each day in the Eucharist; one might find God in the Holy Spirit, the spirit of love that animates us and calls us to community. We know, too, that God created Adam in his image, so – guess what? – hold up a mirror! -- each of us reflects the Creator: we find God in one another. In the tradition of Xaverian spirituality, we conclude that God is ever-present in the common, ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday experience.

If you’re ever inclined to wonder about the value of a Catholic education, I think we see it precisely in these regular opportunities to ask and answer essential questions about life. When we consider what’s the value of Catholic education, the answer is so easy! If we believe we’re all on a journey to God, wouldn’t it make sense to have a roadmap? Catholic education provides that roadmap, gives us a moral compass, and puts gas in the tank for our journey. End of story! Drop the mike!

Can you think of a time when we’ve needed Catholic education more? I can’t. In a world of swirling change and moral compromise, Catholic education at Malden Catholic provides both an anchor and a springboard. I love attending Class reunions, especially the ones that go back 20 years, 30 years, 50 years… because there you hear the proof..... how Catholic education gave the foundation and springboard for good, richly-rewarding, loving lives.

Faith, Excellence, and Service, the themes for this year’s Catholic Schools Week, celebrated January 29 – February 3, are the powerful combination that has made Catholic education the standard-bearer among American schools. You could say “The Good News in Education!” This “Good News” of course is a reference both to the Gospel of Jesus, which we are proud to proclaim as a Catholic school and to the amazing record of success Catholic schools have had in educating and shaping the lives of generations of young men and women for family, leadership and service.

As we celebrate this week the good work done at Catholic Schools throughout the country – that powerful combination of faith, academics, and service -- we remember with thanksgiving those who built the foundation on which we stand today: Congregations of religious nuns, brothers, and priests, dedicated lay educators, and parents who have invested wisely in their children. At an Appreciation Breakfast this Friday, we will thank our own Malden Catholic faculty and staff for their great ministry! Our Mass on Wednesday with Cardinal Seán will invoke God’s continued blessings, and our theology classes will highlight the themes of the week: celebrations of community (Monday), students (Tuesday), nation (Wednesday), vocations (Thursday), and faculty & staff (Friday). Thank you for your continued support of the mission of Malden Catholic as we build futures of promise for our students and transform lives in the image of our God.

Brother Thomas Puccio, C.F.X., Ed.D., H’18
Sports
Winter Sports
Senior Banners may be purchased from Dracut Threads through this link.

Please note that banners require a two-week turnaround so please order soon! The banners will be hung for the winter season and then hung outside with the senior banners from all the seasons. The seniors will then be able to take home following graduation.
Stay up to date on all athletic events, changes and postponements by signing up for alerts at:  maldencatholichighschoolma.bigteams.com and follow us on Twitter @mcathletics1
Monday, January 30
5:00 PM Girls Varsity Indoor Track @ Girls Catholic Conference Meet Reggie Lewis Center

Tuesday, January 31
3:30 PM Boys Freshman Basketball @ Xaverian Brothers High School
5:00 PM Boys JV Basketball @ Xaverian Brothers HS
6:30 PM Boys Varsity Basketball @ Xaverian Brothers High School

Wednesday, February 1
5:30 PM Boys Varsity Indoor Track @ Catholic Conference Indoor Track Meet
5:00 PM Boys JV Ice Hockey @ Phillips Academy
5:00 PM Boys Varsity Ice Hockey Home vs St. John's Prep School
6:00 PM Boys Varsity Wrestling @ Boston College High School

Thursday, February 2
3:00 PM Boys Swimming 45th Annual Catholic Conference Swim Classic

Friday, February 3
3:30 PM Boys Freshman Basketball @ St. John's Hs
3:30 PM Girls Freshman Basketball Home vs Notre Dame Academy --Hingham
5:00 PM Girls JV Basketball Home vs Notre Dame Academy--Hingham
5:00 PM Boys JV Basketball St. John's High School
6:30 PM Girls Varsity Basketball Home vs Notre Dame Academy--Hingham
6:50 PM Girls Varsity Ice Hockey @ Notre Dame Academy--Hingham
6:30 PM Boys Varsity Basketball @ St. John's HS

Saturday, February 4
9:00 AM Boys Varsity Wrestling Super Quad (Senior Night) MC vs Lynnfield/N.Reading, Chelmsford,
Peabody/Saugus, and Arlington
9:20 AM Boys JV Ice Hockey Home vs St. Mary's
4:20 PM Boys Varsity Ice Home vs Hockey Catholic Memorial
4:00 PM Girls Varsity Indoor Track @ Girls Catholic Conference Meet at Reggie Lewis Center

Sunday, February 5
7:50 PM Girls JV Ice Hockey Home vs Canton HS