Welcome
to Christendom's Alumni E-Zine. If you have information that
you would like to share with your fellow alumni, send it to
Tom McFadden at tmcfadden@christendom.edu.
The
Grapevine Online will be uploaded, depending on the amount
of information sent to the editor, every month. It will have
a couple of sections (when information is available), namely,
Class Notes (your basic information on alumni babies,
weddings, jobs, etc.), Calendar of Events, and Links
to various recent stories about Christendom College and/or
the Alumni of Christendom.
Of
course, all comments, suggestions, and information should
be sent to tmcfadden@christendom.edu.
June
2002 edition of The
Grapevine Online
Class
Notes / Calendar of Events / Links
to Stories / Prior
issues /Old
Editions of The Grapevine Print Edition
Class
notes
Dan
Miller (mid-80's) reports that John Kelsey (99)
may be visiting Holy Cross Academy in upstate New York this
month while traveling (right, John?) Also, Dan would like
to thank many alumni for their support of the school (prayers
please, they'll be hearing from the bank soon). Anyone interested
in a teaching or development position may send an email to
dmiller@dreamscape.com.
Finally, there are rumors of a "Lunch" reunion tour
featuring Tom McFadden, James Santschi, Jim Garner, Mike
Lucas, Dan Arnold, Dan Miller, Tom Kosten and Mike del Shannon
Sittnick and a possible re-release of the popular single
"Metaphysical Goo".
From
Frank O'Reilly ('83): I would like to have a decent contribution
about the Banica (Dominican Republic) trip, as I kept a long
journal for Angelique. However, it will take me a bit to transcribe
it to the computer. I went with Francis (15 years old). In
addition to being a wonderful and challenging experience it
was a good father/son event that I would highly recommend.
Fr. Posey is doing important work in difficult conditions.
As Ray O'Herron put it, he has been a giant in what he has
done there for the Faith. How invaluable it is for a young
man to see that the priesthood is an adventure quite beyond
the liturgical functions, and that the Church is universal.
We were able to get the walls up on a chapel that will ultimately
have the Blessed Sacrament and, according to Fr. Posey, bring
many more of the people of El Fundo (the campos or hamlet)
into an active practice of their Faith. For me, it was a privilege
to participate, yet again, in the erection of a House of God
and the building of Christendom, this time, on the island
of Hispaniola where Christopher Columbus brought the Faith
on his first voyage.
On
another note I was invited, and joined, Legatus as a charter
member of the Arlington chapter. It is not my style to join
such things but you go to Mass and Dinner with your spouse
once a month, so I am looking forward to it.
Weddings
this month and next include, but are not limited to: Anna
Wright ('00)/Greg Polley ('00), June 22 in TN, Alyssa
Gray ('02)/Michael Hitchborn ('99), June 29 in CA, Chris
McFadden/Jessica Slovak, July 13 in Wash, DC, Andrew
Youngblood/Christine Baxter, July 13 up north somewhere,
and Chris Foley and his future wife, July 20.
Rosemary
Reninger just received an associate of applied arts (that's
a three year degree with an emphasis on performance) in music
from Northern Virginia Community College.
Alphonso
Lopez Pinto (2000) is in the Philippines for a couple
of months. He's checking out the beaches; visiting relatives;
tasting and cooking all the culinary exotica---sea slugs anyone?
At
the Catholic Distance University, Eric Kingsepp ('98)
has added to his responsibilities as undergraduate instructor
and morale officer ;-) the additional task of Course Development
Manager. In other news, he stubbed his toe the other night
and, alas, instead of lighting a candle, he cursed the darkness.
Maudit sois tu, O obscurité!
As
of June 7, John and Michelle Dawson-Charba are in the
labor unit in Olympia, Washington waiting for the birth of
their sixth.
Gabriel
Young ('01) received two judicial appointments for the
summer of 2002. One with the Michigan Supreme Court (Justice
Clifford Taylor) and one with the US District Court for Eastern
District of Michigan (Judge Paul Gadola). This in addition
to pulling high honors in Legal Writing class at Ave Maria
School of Law in Ann Arbor Michigan (He graduates May, 2004)
and good grades.
Jennifer
Timmerman (class of 1997) married Matthew Sherman on Feb.
23, 2002. Jennifer received her BSN in June of 2001 and is
presently working as a RN at Upper Valley Medical Center in
Troy, Ohio. Her husband, Matt, owns MJS Lawncare. They are
currently living at 58 East Elm Street, Fort Loramie, OH 45845.
As
new neighbors to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN, Julie
(Timmerman) and Tony Bodoh (both class of 1997) are new
homeowners who are residing at 3264 Cain Harbor Drive, Nashville,
TN 37214. Julie works as a surgical tech in the Cardiac Cath
Lab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Tony is a marketing
analyst at Fisi-Madison, a subsidiary of Cendant. Tony will
graduate with an MBA from the University of Tennessee in December
2002.
Emily
Eidem and 9 month old daughter Mary are departing on June
7th for a 2 week trip to glorious Kentucky to visit the Foushee
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course the Old
Ky. Homeplace (where 3 generations of children have frolicked
in the bluegrass).
Hot
News: Ben Akers ('98) and Heather Rankin ('98) are
now engaged. It only took seven years, a convent, a seminary,
and now a stint in FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University
Students) to get them to realize they were meant to be! The
wedding is in Aiken, SC on August 9th. Then they will be a
married missionary team at the University of
Colorado in Boulder. If you want to contact them the best
way is at benakers@yahoo.com
FOCUS
now has the talents of these fine Christendom graduates
working for them: Heather Rankin 98, Ben Akers 98, Sarah
Akers 00, Elisabeth Boever 00, Christy Wright 02, Katie Almeter
02, and Mary Claire Almeter 97 just finished a four year
run in FOCUS.
From
Nick and Marguerite Murphy: We are proud to announce
the arrival of Dominic Patrick Murphy, born June 2nd around
2:30 am. We finally are saddled with a true runt, weighing
in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces and a mere 18 inches. However, he's
a pretty good looking runt so I'm sending a photo of him.
Marguerite is doing very well, sticking to form, and delivering
our 6th child in admirable fashion 10 days prior to her due
date. That makes the 3 boys all 10 days early and the three
girls all 14 days early. She should be home by Tues morning
but may talk the mean doctors into letting her go tomorrow.
We have balance again in the family so the male side is definitely
riding a wave of confidence. (Not to mention now possessing
that all important 6th man off the bench). God has been good
to us indeed.
....And
another crazy adventure of John Kelsey: Your prayers
are requested for the speedy healing of John Kelsey,
who suffered from stress and various injuries inflicted by
domestic animals in Manassas, VA. Kelsey was attacked by what
appeared to be a shitzu, who wrestled him to the ground and
jumped all over him. A little white poodle yapped in his ears
until he was nearly deaf, and a collie chased him around the
neighborhood, trying to round him up, causing Kelsey to twist
his ankle. What appeared to be a parrot flew into his face
and accidently scratched him. Kelsey was in Manassas visiting
his fiancee, Francis Milliares, at the time.
This
May, after five long part-time years, Cathy Malo has
finished her master's degree in English with a concentration
in professional writing and editing at George Mason University.
She's continuing to work as a freelance writer and editor,
and would appreciate any leads for work.
John
(85) and Eileen Janaro are expecting number four at the
end of November. Additionally, John is now chairman of the
Department of Theology at Christendom.
Sr.
Agnes Marie of the Eternal High Priest (Teresa Gallagher)
made her first professions at the Carmelite Convent in Buffalo,
NY on June 2, 2002.
Michael
('89) and Mollie Urban ('89) Charba are happy to announce
the birth of their seventh child, Mary Helen, on May 10, 2002.
Mary joins three brothers and three sisters (ages 11, 9, 9,
8, 6 and 3) at the Charba home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Michael works as a Supervising Senior Auditor at CITGO Petroleum
Corp. in Tulsa; Mollie is a homeschooling mom.
2001
Student Achievement Award winner, Paul Kucharski ('01),
says that he has been teaching at a small, Catholic, private
school in Napa, CA, for the past year. Primarily, he's been
the 7th and 8th grade homeroom teacher, but he also taught
7/8 Religion, 7/8 Geography, 7/8 Spelling/Vocabulary, 7/8
Literature, 7Grammar, and 7 Math. Additionally, he's even
taught a few 9th grade classes (Algebra and Intensive Composition).
Of course, being the poster child for Christendom's basketball
program (see Christendom's homepage www.christendom.edu),
Kuch was the assistant coach for the mens high-school basketball
and baseball teams, too. It's been a very busy year, though
a good one! It was a difficult decision not to come back.
This fall he will be attending Fordham University in New York
for graduate school. He was accepted into the PhD program
for Philosophy.
Stephanie
Granger has gone and changed her name. She is now Stephanie
Weaver and her husband is Abraham. She is part of a team (with
Mary Kate Murrell Pride) to start Theology onTap in
Augusta! They kick off their first TonT session in July! Pray
for them down in Augusta to help spread the TRUTH and "restore
all things to HIM"!
Maria
Bissex ('02) landed the coveted position of 2nd Grade
teacher at Holy Family Academy (run by Dr. and Mrs. Belleville)
in Manassas, VA. Congrats to her. Also, she will be living
in Front Royal, where her new address is 318 Mountain View
Road, Front Royal, VA 22630. She also has new car. She is
very happy that this worked out so well, and
that she will still be near so many of her friends in the
good old "Northern Virginia area!"
Sherry
Spring ('02) landed the even more coveted job of working
as one of the illustrious members of the "Summer Crew"
at Christendom. But, hold on, there's more. Beginning August
1st, she will officially join the ranks of the numerous alumni
who work for the College. Sherry will be the College Relations
Assistant, helping to further the name of the College and
aiding Tom McFadden serve the alumni and Christendom's other
constituents.
And
Raymond Hain ('02) got the best position yet: he will
be taking the place of recent retirees, Anna Wright ('00)
and Jill Watson ('01) in the Admissions Office at Christendom.
Now, working with Paul Heisler ('90) and Shalon Spring
('99), the Admissions Office will break even more records!
Maria
Gaetano ('02) and John O'Brien ('?) are to be married
in Salisbury, MD, on September 14th.
Calendar
of events
July
21, 2002 Alumni Picnic
at Christendom College. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs (and appropirate
condiments) will be provided. Please bring a dish to share
(salads and desserts) and your own beverages of choice. 12pm-5pm.
Pool, volleyball, good times, fun and friendship. NO COST.
FREE. NO MONETARY EXPENSE. GRATIS. You get the point. RSVP
to tmcfadden@christendom.edu
before July 15, 2002.
September
14, 2002 Christendom's 25th Anniversary Dinner Gala at
The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner, VA. Regular Cost: $300/per
person ALUMNI COST: $250/person or $400 for two (married couple,
dating couple, or friends).
Saturday,
September 28, 2002 Golf Scramble to benefit the Alumni
Scholarship Fund at Westfields
Golf Club in Clifton, VA.
October
12-13 Homecoming Weekend 2002!
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Press
Releases and Campus News: http://www.christendom.edu/news/releases.shtml
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Stories
Eulogy
for Christendom Alumna, Tiffany April Hudson, delivered by
her brother Tyler Hudson at her funeral mass held at St. James
the Greater Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 22,2002.
Praised
be Jesus Christ now and forever!
I
miss my little sister. I cry for love of her and I cry over
her swift departure. There is great reason to cry. Tears are
a gift from the Almighty. To cry is to acknowledge love. It
was love that conceived her, it was love that bore her, it
was love that brought her up. It was Love that gave her breath,
and it was Love that took it away. Blessed be Love.
There
is infinitely more reason to celebrate than there is to morn.
We are a redeemed people. Our God is truly awesome. He is
a God of life. Christ the unblemished lamb has victoriously
trampled death under foot. Christ is risen, He is truly risen!
In so doing He has reopened the long closed gates of paradise
that were shut so mercifully. And there in paradise do all
his faithful servants sit partaking in the wedding feast.
Tifanny
was not taken from us, her life was not snatched away. My
little sister chose to go. But she didn't choose to go on
May 18, she chose to go every day of her life. She chose to
embrace everything God chose for her to do. To Tiffany, she
had no other option. She loved Him. She loved Him so much
that it overflowed into everything that she did. I remember
how pleased I was to hear her proclaim in her hardest times
that all she wanted to do was to be a saint. I was so pleased
to think that we came from the same womb. Tiffany was a child
of God through the waters of baptism but she was a servant
of God by her own free will. Free Will is God's greatest gift
to us, for He loves us so much that He would never force us
to love him.
My little sister gave to God the greatest thing she could,
her will. Tiffany is never too far from us, for though we
cannot see her, we, in the communion of saints, still festively
dine with her as often as we partake of the greatest mystery
of our faith, the Mystical Supper. While we all here sit at
the children's table, she sits at the big table thoroughly
enjoying her company. I can just see her all dressed up for
the big feast Christ left to prepare for us. I can see her
finishing a burst of laughter only to look up and say 'Pull
Up A Chair!'
Reflections
on a Special Life by Anna Burdumy (sister of Mike and
Mark Wallacavage)
A
special girl died last week, an untimely and unexpected death.
She was such a special and precious gift from the Lord that
her story needs to be told so as to serve as an inspiration
to others.
Her
name was Tiffany April Hudson and she was the one true and
dear love of my brother, Mark Wallacavage. She lived 22 years
on this earth but made a huge impact on those around her.
A sweet and beautiful girl whose goodness and love shone from
within and served to illuminate her. I only knew her one year
but the loss of her is felt to the depths of my heart. She
embraced life and loved without boundaries nor fear. To observe
her relationship with my brother was to see a pure and honest
love. They struggled with keeping their love pure in the eyes
of the Lord and succeeded which in this world is quite a feat.
Being constantly bombarded with the worldly values of this
society these 2 young people rose above and kept their sites
on heaven so as not to disappoint our Heavenly Father. They
succeeded. They can serve as an example of real and true love
to young people today.
Tiffany
was scheduled to give chastity talks at a local high school
near her home in Ohio but the Lord took her from us before
she had the chance. Sitting in her bedroom after the funeral
I saw just how good she was. Her devotion to the Lord and
the Blessed Mother and St. Theresa was apparent in the statues
and prayer books scattered about. Her closet filled with shoes
and dresses like any other young girl. She was of this world
but with her sites on God's Will and I feel privledged and
honored to have known her. Mark and Tiffany were a beautiful
example of love and respect and I can only hope that others
can look to their love and know that although chastity is
a struggle, one can live it with the Lord's help.
Mark
planned to ask Tiffany to be his wife and we grieve for what
could have been. She would have been a glorious addition to
our family. In the midst of our sorrow, we give glory to God
for sending her to us, even for such a short while.
Normal
Looking Christendom Sweatshirts Soon to Be Made Available!
Thanks
to the efforts of the Alumni Association's fearless leader,
Greg Polley (right), there are nice, attractive, like-other-school
sweatshirts now in existence. But hold on now. They are not
for sale at the moment. Gather your funds together and put
them into a small piggy bank or a hard to get at container
and break it open around Homecoming time (Oct. 12-13) when
these beautiful pieces of clothing will be made available.
Orders
will be taken prior to Homecoming.
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