High School Class of 1960

MOSAIC, Fall 2010

 

Thirty-five members of the High School Class of 1960, and seven who were part of the class during our college years at Sacred Heart, along with spouses, guests and special guest Fr. Edward Scheuerman, joined together for a three-day celebration in July to mark the fiftieth anniversary of our graduation. It was a wonderful time to reminisce, renew friendships and share the events of our lives with one another. There were many expressions of gratitude to the faculty who taught us. They provided a solid foundation in academics, faith and values. Our years at Sacred Heart Seminary, the place and the people who were there at the time clearly made an impact on our lives.

On Thursday evening, July 8, the group gathered at the Tomkins Center in Windmill Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. It was a great time to renew acquaintances, meet spouses, share memories and marvel at how much we looked just like we did in high school! We enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner and didn't let the storm outside spoil an enjoyable evening. The room had the atmosphere and the energy of a really good party.

On Friday evening, July 9, we gathered at Sacred Heart. Ms. Kathryn Bua, the seminary's marketing director, and the alumni office hosted the event. Fr. Edward Scheuerman joined us. He was on the faculty and was the Dean of Discipline during our high school years.

Ms. Bua led a tour of the building that highlighted the chapel, the Fr. Ward Library, the auditorium, the gym and the Cardinal Szoka Library. For some, it was the first time back in the building in several decades. Everyone marveled at the beautifully restored chapel and the excellent condition of the building and grounds. It felt good to be back.

After the tour, classmate Fr. David Harvey, pastor of St. John Parish in Fenton, Michigan, led us in Solemn Vespers for Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The moving service included psalms, chants, readings and hymns. Father Harvey concluded the service by leading us in singing the Salve Regina, which also brought back memories and knocked some rust off our Latin pronunciation. We then enjoyed appetizers, drinks and dinner in the Bishop Gallagher room.

After dinner, we each had an opportunity to share a memory or a story from our days together at Sacred Heart. It was clear from the comments that the influences of an exceptional faculty and the strong bonds and deep friendships formed among us at the time have had a powerful influence on our lives.

Reunion events concluded with a backyard picnic lunch at Bob and Julie Clark's house in Waterford on Saturday afternoon. It was a chance to share a little more time with one another and say our goodbyes. Commitments were made to make sure we don't let so much time elapse before we meet again.

Classmates attending the reunion events were: Art Belloli, Ken Brusate, Tim Buckler, Tom Carroll, Bob Cenkner, Bob Clark, Mike Corcoran, Frank Dani, Dick Delonis, Dave DiLaura, Jed Dion, Tony Esser, Bill Fader, Chuck Farrugia, Jim Ford, Mike Fournier, Bill Grace, John Graham, Dave Harvey, Jim Kowalczyk, Ron Kubik, Jack Lawrence, Russ LeBlanc, Charlie List, Tony Lolas, Rod Lubienski, Jim McNamara, Pat O'Hara, Dan Pilon, Harry Quenneville, Gordon Satkowiak, John Scharfenkamp, Fred Schweihofer, Jerry Spencer, John Sprys, John Stead, Jim Szalay, Tom Vern, Tom Wallenmaier, Jerry Walsh, Gary Wegener and Earl Zellen.

 

High School Class of 1970

MOSAIC, Fall 2010

 

It was an evening of great memories and a chance to renew acquaintances.

On Saturday, August 21, the High School Class of 1970 held its fortieth reunion. Some thirty-five former seminarians, many of their wives and a handful of former faculty members assembled at the seminary for an enjoyable evening that began with a concelebrated Mass and ended some six hours later after much laughter, shared stories and fond remembrances. A number of attendees traveled in from different parts of the country, and many had not stepped foot in the historic structure with its Pewabic-tiled halls since graduation in June 1970.

A Mass celebrated by the Class of 1970's own Fr. Paul Siroskey, and concelebrated by his classmate Fr. Ron Jozwiak and former faculty members Fr. Ed Prus and Fr. Louis Grandpre, appropriately kicked-off the festivities. Just like forty years ago, class members were mesmerized by the words of Father Prus in a homily where he admitted the students educated him as much as he educated us during those trying times of the late 1960s.

Afterwards, the group gathered in the Cardinal Mooney parlor for cocktails and a deliciously catered dinner. Mr. Jim Domzal delivered the formal welcome and opened the "mike" to anyone who wanted to share his memories.

Indeed, there were many delightful stories told. Mr. Carl Castle, a teacher and basketball coach, recalled the varsity basketball team's memorable run to the 1970 Catholic League championship.

The Class of 1970 was Sacred Heart Seminary High School's last graduating class as the twostory building officially closed its doors that year. All in attendance agreed Sacred Heart was special-an institution that cared about its students and properly prepared them for the future.

 

MOSAIC, Winter 2010

 

The Class of 1959 gathered on Saturday, May 16, 2009, to celebrate our 50th anniversary of graduation from high school. The festivities began with an informal gathering in the St. Richard Social Hall followed by Mass with the parishioners of St. Richard Parish in Westland.

Fr. James Wieging was the principal celebrant with Fr. Gary Tierney doing the preaching honors. I concelebrated along with Fr. Edward Scheuerman and Msgr. Thomas Villerot, who were both on the high school faculty when we were students. After the liturgy, the classmates gathered for the class photo with their spouses.

After the brief photo session, we drove to Amantea Restaurant in Garden City for our dinner. At the dinner, Father Scheuerman gave an enjoyable talk about our class both in the seminary and after graduation. Dr. Bob Preuss read an account of the activities of various members of the class. The folks who were present were more interested in talking with one another than in giving short or long accounts of their lives since graduation. That leaves an opportunity for further gatherings.

By and large, the gathering was enjoyable and most of all we all celebrated our years together as a pleasant time well spent. Our class motto still lives: Rough, Tough, and Hard to Diaper!

Thomas Gaspard
Sacred Heart Seminary High School, Class of 1962, Sacred Heart Seminary College, Class of 1966

The reunion of the Sacred Heart Seminary High School Class of 1962 and College Class of 1966 was held July 18-19, 2009. The venue was the Inn at St. John's in Plymouth, Michigan.

On Saturday, class members enjoyed cocktails and dinner, with several out-of-towners staying overnight, some from as far as California. On Sunday, we met at Sacred Heart for Mass in St. Joseph chapel, breakfast and a tour of the seminary.

Thirty alums attended the event, plus several spouses. That is nearly twenty-eight percent of the original total 177 base names for whom we have good addresses (148 attended high school sometime during the years 1958-62, plus twenty-nine incremental college attendees during the years 1962-66).

There was lots of catching up and story-swapping. Each of us had a name tag with original photos-regrettably necessary for present day recognition. Class diversity was captured in a sixty percent response rate survey done pre-reunion. Just ten percent were clergy/religious, seventy percent not retired, three quarters have graduate degrees, more than half have moved over five times and a quarter have lived overseas. A sixty-seven-page reunion bio book evidenced this diversity.

The reunion was organized by Msgr. Bill Easton, Bob Heinrich, Dave Padilla and me. This was actually our second get-together in forty years, having had a smaller "Reunion 1" in 2007.