January 1, 2026 | Issue 3 | | |
Dear Cougar Family,
Happy New Year!
We hope you enjoyed a blessed Christmas surrounded by family and friends. As we welcome the new year, may you feel renewed, refreshed, and ready for all that 2026 holds. Wishing our Cougar Community joy and peace in the new year!
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With Cougar Pride,
The Advancement Department
Gross Catholic High School
advancement@gcgmail.org
| | Martin Luther King Jr. Day- January 19th | |
As we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19th, we take time as a school community to honor Dr. Kingâs legacy of courage, justice, and service. We encourage our students and staff to reflect on his message of compassion and unity, and to carry those values into their daily lives.
| Founders Week- January 20th- January 23rd | |
Foundersâ Week is our annual celebration honoring the three founders of the Marianist FamilyâBlessed William Joseph Chaminade, Venerable AdĂšle de Batz de TrenquellĂ©on, and Venerable Marie ThĂ©rĂšse de Lamourous.
Throughout the week, we highlight their legacy of faith, community, and service by engaging our students in activities that strengthen our Marianist identity and support our global family. Each year, our school raises funds to sponsor students at Our Lady of Nazareth, a Marianist school in Nairobi, Kenya.
| Catholic Schools Week- January 26th- January 30th | Ticket Details Coming SoonâStay Tuned! | |
Reminder
We have launched our Amazon Wishlist! There will be more information about Celebration in the coming weeks, but this is the perfect time to check off this student-family contribution.
With gratitude,
Jennifer and Alex Tselentis
Silent Auction Chairs
Cortney and Doug Donaldson
Cathie and Arman Pajnigar
Katie and Jeff Fehrman
Silent Auction Committee
| | Christmas with the Cougars | | |
Christmas with the Cougars was a fun and festive evening for everyone! Santa, pizza, cookies, and crafts were highlights that brought so much joy to all. Our student body added to the holiday spirit by wearing Santa hats during the basketball games as they cheered the Cougars on to victory over Brownell Talbot.
Fans and students also joined in the excitement by purchasing tickets for a chance to win prizes with a half-court shot. The gym erupted when 1992 alum and current parent, Jason Demman, sank his half-court shot! Check out the video below. Congratulations, Jason!
| | UPDATE: Giving Tuesday- A Reflection of Pride, Spirit and Excellence | | |
Thanks to the generosity and shared passion for beautifying our school, we are excited to announce that the stained-glass window project for the Media Center has been fully funded! Artist and alumna Julie Schram '74, will now begin her work, with installation planned for this summer. This project is a beautiful example of what we can accomplish together. It stands as a true testament to our loving and dedicated Gross Catholic community.
The stained-glass artwork will celebrate our House System, a cherished Gross Catholic tradition that strengthens the family spirit at the heart of who we are as Cougars. Our Houses honor four Marianists who faithfully served our school:
- Barrett House â Brother Joe Barrett
- McMenamy House â Father Al McMenamy
- Middleton House â Brother Rich Middleton
- Willett House â Brother Leo Willett
| | Spirit Radio Visits Gross Catholic | | |
Jen and Damian from Spirit Catholic Radio were on campus for the December stop of the Spirit Mornings Heartland Tour! We loved having them here!
Catch the replay at Spirit Radio Website, just pick your favorite podcast provider and find the 12.3.2025 episode. Spirit Radio Podcast
| | We kicked off the Winter Sports Season with the Pep Rally! Have a GREAT season all! | | Music Director Nick Romero and the Gross Catholic Band put on a spectacular Christmas concert that has become a December tradition. We are truly blessed to have such talented students who share their gifts with our community and help bring in the joy of the Christmas season through music. | | First Semester Honor Roll | | 2006 Alumnus Now Serving as Trauma Surgeon | | |
Patrick Kirkland, M.D., Gross Catholic Class of 2006, has achieved an extraordinary milestone in his medical career. Dr. Kirkland now serves as a Trauma Surgeon at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California.
The Scripps Health System is widely regarded as one of the nationâs top hospital networks, consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 system in the San Diego region and nationally recognized for excellence in specialties such as diabetes, orthopedics, and cardiology.
We congratulate Dr. Kirkland on this remarkable accomplishment and on the years of dedication and perseverance. Gross Catholic is beaming with pride as we celebrate the success of one of our own.
âGrowing up in Catholic school systems instilled the idea of gratitude for what had been afforded to me (good education, sense of community, safety/comfort in day to day life) but also the (sometimes nagging) idea of service and giving back to those who werenât as lucky. Medicine was a way to fulfill that idea of service, and general surgery residency at a County Hospital in South LA allowed me to work with a significantly underserved population which has been very rewarding.â - Dr. Patrick Kirkland.
| | Photo: Left to right, Patrick's wife Sierra, Patrick, his sister Sarah Moeller (Gross Alum 2008), Sarah's husband Nick Moeller. | | Facilities Director Departs After 11 Years of Dedicated Service | |
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Conde Groski has been dedicated to the Gross Catholic campus since 2014. As Facilities Director, he has worked to maintain the appearance, safety, and functionality of our building and surrounding grounds, ensuring a welcoming and secure environment for students, staff, and visitors.
Condeâs connection to Gross Catholic began through his long-standing membership in the St. Bernadette Menâs Club, where he has been active since 2004. Those relationships led him to this opportunity, one person in particular, Lloyd Mill. Conde shares, âLloyd Mill told me about the position open here at Gross so I jumped at the chance. He is like a father to me and has taught me how to be a great man.â
Over his 11 years of service, Conde gave countless hours to the Gross Catholic community. Among the many highlights of his time here, he says the most rewarding was watching his two daughters attend and graduate from Gross Catholic. Please join the Cougar Community in expressing our gratitude to Conde Groski and wishing him all the best in the years ahead.
| | | | |
Congratulations to Mariah Dutcher!
Itâs official! Mariah is taking her talent to Buena Vista to continue her volleyball career! đ
Huge congrats to her on this amazing achievement!
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We are thrilled to announce that Senior Kolbie Minardi and Sophomore Rylie Ewing have been selected as finalists for the Heartland Championship Athlete of the Year award!
This prestigious recognition isnât just about their incredible cheerleading skills, it also celebrates their leadership, academics, and dedication to community involvement. Kolbie and Rylie are two of the ten finalists representing cheerleaders across Nebraska for this honor, and we couldnât be prouder! The Athlete of the Year winner will be revealed on January 11, 2026, during the Heartland
Championship in Lincoln, NE, where the Gross Catholic Cheer team will be competing! Let's show them some love and support as they continue to inspire both on and off the mat!
| | ï»żPlease add our Vice President of Advancement, Mark McNamara, to your prayers. Mark will be undergoing open heart surgery this month and will need the support, prayers and Cougar love from everyone in our community. May God guide this surgery and recovery process to ensure he is back to feeling strong as ever! | |
ï»żPlease add alumnae, Shannon DeBates (Landry â12) and her family to your prayers. Shannon passed away in December after a long and couragous battle with cancer. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.
Shannon DeBates 12/6/2025
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As a reminder, please keep Oliver Vilivaar, a junior at Cornerstone Christian and member of the Gross Catholic baseball program. Oliver was recently diagnosed with cancer and has a very long road ahead of him. Heâs currently undergoing intensive chemotherapy at Childrenâs Hospital as this cancer is rare and fast growing. Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed"
ï»żAs a follow-up to the prayer request for Oliver, we wanted to share a beautiful gesture from our fellow archdiocesan school, Roncalli Catholic. Vice President of Advancement, Mr. T.J. Orr, learned that Oliver was ill and that he was a big Philadelphia Phillies fan. Roncalli Catholic alumnus, Alec Bohm currently plays for the Phillies, and Mr. Orr went above and beyond by reaching out to him. The Roncalli Alum along with Mr. Orr, put together a basket of personalized Phillies items for Oliver and delivered them as well. Gross Catholic is feeling very blessed for this support, which truly reflects our faith and reminds us that we are one family.
| | Continued Prayers for Alumnus Will DeLaet â23. Will needs our prayers and support. Over the summer, he suffered a gymnastics-related accident that resulted in a C7 spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. His life has changed dramatically, and he will require an accessible vehicle, a power-assist wheelchair, adaptive bathroom equipment, and a home ramp or lift. Please keep Will and his family in your prayers during this challenging time. | | |
How can we pray for you?
Please send us the names of any members of our Cougar Family who need our prayers.
Email:
kpovondra@gcgmail.org
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| | | Alumni Business Directory | | |
Do you own a business? Do you work at a business? Are you looking to grow your customer base? Last year, we started the Alumni Business Directory as a way to support our fellow Cougars with the services and products we need every day. Our alumni built the strong foundation of Gross Catholic and this is an opportunity to expand that foundation throughout the community.
*The Alumni Business Directory is on our website and is available to all members of the Cougar community and anyone that visits our site.
| | | Did you get married, have a baby, or have news you want to share? Please send us your latest news and photos so we can share them with your classmates and the Cougar Family. These will be featured in the next Dux Esto Magazine. Send information to kpovondra@gcgmail.org | | If your email, phone number, and/or physical address have changed, please contact us with your latest information. You can submit the update HERE! | | |
Gross Catholic High School
7700 South 43rd Street, Bellevue, NE 68147
402-734-2000
grosscatholic.org
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