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fall 2007Fr. Leo Patalinghug ’88 helps bring families back to the dinner table to eat, talk, and grow together! Story on Page 4.Photo courtesy of Grace Before Meals
My Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends of the Mount:If you have passed the school recently, you have seen the chaos on our playing field and the new stadium rising from the incredible dust created during this dry weather from our construction. I find the construc-tion very noisy but very exciting. It is a new phase in the one hundred and thirty-one year history of Mount Saint Joseph. The Mount campus has changed radically from the day the Brothers opened the school in 1876 to the present, and more changes are under way as we complete Phase I of our new campus Master Plan. I think the whole school joins me in longing for the completion of this phase. It has been difficult for the kids not to have a “home field” on which to play our games. This has been particularly difficult, of course, for the senior class. There are some sacrifices that have to be made by everyone as this new phase in the Mount’s history comes into existence. Obviously, we would not be able to complete such a project without the incredible generosity of the many friends and alumni of the school. This edition of The Mount lists all of the donors to the school from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007. Words cannot begin to express my gratitude, the gratitude of the Xaverian Brothers and the gratitude of the school for the generosity of the alumni and friends of the school who have provided us with the financial aid we award to 25% of the student body and for the wonderful new facilities which are now under construction. As I look out the window of my office and watch the construction, I am very acutely aware that it could not possibly happen without the support of the Mount’s alumni and friends.I am happy to announce that we have seven seniors named National Merit Commended students in the National Merit Scholarship competition. I’m grateful to these young men for uphold-ing the Mount’s tradition of academic excellence. In August we had fifty- two seniors on the Senior Leadership Retreat at the Trinitarian Monastery in Pikesville. These young men will work in our Campus Ministry programs, as Big Brothers for the freshman class and in other service work at the school. I was delighted to see that many seniors willing to give up one of the last week-ends of their summer to help prepare for their senior year.By the time this newsletter is published, we will have completed the “reunion season,” and I will be “all reunioned out.” We began the reunion season this year with the classes of 1967 and 1977. We had 13 reunions of the classes end-ing in “two” and “seven” with a high-light being the Golden Gaels of the Class of 1957. Since Brother Bob Flaherty ’64 taught so many of the alumni of the 1970s and 1980s, I asked him to accompany me this year to all of the reunions. He was delighted to see so many of his old boys, and they seemed delighted as well to see him. This is the first time that Brother Bob will actually be teaching the sons of his former students. I always love Mount reunions. The spirit of the school and its traditions are almost palpable as the alumni gather. And I love to hear the stories! Of course, some of those stories I would not repeat to the current stu-dent body. I don’t want to give them any ideas!You perhaps remember the story of how the Mount was founded. Brother Bernadine was sent to find the land for a new school and Motherhouse for the Brothers. He found the Mount proper-ty, but it was not for sale. He prayed to Saint Joseph, “Saint Joseph, get us this property, and it will be named after you and your statue will always grace the grounds.” Saint Joseph came through. The school once again is interceding fervently with Saint Joseph to provide us with the funds to complete our ath-letic renovations. I’ve told all the boys to say a silent prayer to Saint Joseph every day as they pass his statue. I am amazed at how many of them tell me that they actually do that! Please join the school community in praying to Saint Joseph so that we may complete the renovations which were begun by Brother Pastor in 1962.Please remember that you are always most welcome at Mount Saint Joseph and also remember, every day, to say a prayer for the Mount.Sincerely,Brother James M. Kelly, C.F.X.President Message From Brother James KellyBrother James M. Kelly, C.F.X. PresidentBarry J. Fitzpatrick PrincipalEmily Wilson Rollins Executive Director of DevelopmentJoseph L. Schuberth ’00 Director of Alumni Relations & Annual GivingJames A. Poisal ’03 Director of Communications and Events, Editor, The MountCathy Steffe Development Office ManagerBrandy Fefel Development Office AssistantThe Mount is published quarterly by the Mount Saint Joseph Development Office.1The Mount