What's Happening in Cougar Country

This is the second in a series introducing new members of the Lake Catholic community.

When Bishop Edward Malesic celebrated the school year-opening mass at Lake Catholic, he made two important announcements – one that received loud cheers and applause from the students and one that will have a more lasting impact on the students.

As he typically does when he visits, Bishop Malesic let everyone know that the students, faculty and staff can have a day off of school/work on him. Mr. McKrill, after conferring with members of the senior class, announced that day would be October 16.

That day will come and go though.

But it was the second announcement that will have a more lasting effect on the students. Bishop Malesic made public that Fr. Andy Gonzalez, the newly appointed vicar at St. Gabriel Parish, will also serve as chaplain here at Lake Catholic.

“Once my move was announced to St. Gabriel Parish (from Holy Family in Stow, Ohio), I was asked if I would be willing to be a regular presence here at Lake Catholic,” Fr. Andy said. “It’s very open-ended from my perspective. My main mission is to offer mass, but I could be present in other ways too.”

Fr. Andy has already started celebrating mass every Thursday morning at 715a in the school’s chapel. He might also be spotted in a few theology classes or the Campus Ministry office.

“I have two older brothers and 10 nieces and nephews, who range from preschool to college,” he said. “Those experiences have helped me with my work with kids and teens. I’m comfortable with them and I hope they’re comfortable with me.”

Working with kids and teens, or even being a priest for that matter, is a far stretch from where Fr. Andy was 10-15 years ago.

After graduating from Olmsted Falls High School in 2002, Fr. Andy (or just Andy at that point) enrolled at Baldwin Wallace University, where we would earn his undergraduate degree in computer information systems.

He even had a job after college at a software company in Westlake. He worked in that industry for six years. But in 2013, he made the decision to leave that world and entered St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology.

“I was just in a job and a place in my life where I knew I needed a change,” he said.

So there he was, a 29-year-old entering the seminary to become a priest.

“Moving from one point in my life to this one wasn’t easy,” he said. “There was a lot of formation. I created a lot of strong relationships. They taught me how to be a priest.”

While in the seminary, he did help support Campus Ministry at St. Edward for a semester. And he said he sees similarities between that brief time and how he views his role here at Lake Catholic.

“I can be on the ground, in the field, wherever there are needs,” he said. “How can I help have Jesus enter these halls.”

He’ll continue to have his “normal priestly duties” – saying mass, confession, etc. – at St. Gabes. But both there and here, he said he’s going to continue to find his way and see how he best fits.

“There’s something oddly freeing about it, about being new,” he said. “There’s no hardened fast rules or expectations. I can just go where my attention needs to be.”

Quick Hits

• Enjoys exercising and working out. Enjoys the outdoors. He is a part of the Holy Hiking club at St. Gabes.
• Loves reading. He’s currently in the middle of five different books, including working through Dante’s Divine Comedy.
   

Eighteen Lake Catholic students were honored and awarded scholarships last night by the Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve. 

The award ceremony was held at St. John Vianney and then Fr. Tom Johns held a mass for the students, their families and the Christ Child Society.

The chapter of the Christ Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve is an organization primarily dedicated to child welfare. Its motive and spirit shall be a love of Christ expressing itself in personal service for children and youth regardless of race or creed to honor the childhood of Christ.

The 40-year-old chapter serves "one child at a time" through many different programs, including scholarships. Scholarships are offered to students currently enrolled at Lake Catholic and Ursuline College for their current tuition.

Those receiving the scholarships for the 2023-24 school year are: Victor Arenas (Sr.), Carley Dondorfer (Sr.), Joey Lonchar (Sr.), Katie Morgan (Sr.), Alyssa Naro (Sr.), Mia Schaefer (Sr.), Katie Sowko (Sr.), Kyle Boyd (Jr.), Caden Boyes (Jr.), Carson Gilbert (Jr.), Megan Joy (Jr.), Luke Joy (Jr.), Jimmy Meden (Jr.), Angelina Capra (So.), Kaelyn Nemeth (So.), Kiera Nemeth (So.), Brayden Mann (So.) and Robert Vidmar (Fr.).

The Diocese of Cleveland marks the kickoff of each and every school year with the Bishop’s Convocation. 

To start the 2023-24 school year, more than 200 elementary and high school principals and school presidents, youth ministers, high school campus ministers, Newman campus ministers and parish catechetical leaders from eight different counties descended upon the Lake Catholic campus for this year’s convocation.

The theme of this year’s convocation was “Embrace Grace.” In this parish year of the National Eucharistic Revival, the attendees were asked to embrace the grace of the Eucharist and the holy work they are entrusted to do.

Bishop Edward Malesic celebrated Mass and Sister Patricia McCormack, Program Director of the IHM Office of Formative Support for Parents and Teachers, a ministry of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Immaculata, PA, was the keynote speaker.

The Lake Catholic Music Ministry, led by Mr. Jim Slike (’07), performed the Mass, while Mr. Scott Posey was the technical director. Students from Spiritual Life, along with Mr. Adam Nestor and Mrs. Alison Ellis, were also on hand all day supporting the event.

During his homily, Bishop Malesic invited everyone in attendance to be story tellers. He recited the lyrics to the song “I Love to Tell the Story,” based on a poem by Katherine Hankey, and most recently recorded by country-star Alan Jackson.

After reading the song, he said to “tell the story of the presence of Jesus, who’s at the heart of the Eucharist. Tell the story of how Jesus said to follow Me. Tell the story of how Jesus died on the cross. Tell the story over and over.”

When mass concluded the congregation broke up for breakfast in the Media Center, Atrium and Cafeteria, before coming back to the Auditorium for the keynote address – “Evangelizing the Parking Lot Parent.”

Sister Pat said she thinks “parents are more comfortable driving back and forth, rather than coming in.”

She said those in attendance should meet parents where they are and serve as catalysts who bring them into an encounter with Jesus. She demonstrated how ministers can help parents adapt their own experiences to making their homes places of deep family faith and spiritual richness. Most importantly, she showed how to help parents build supportive networks to build the faith of the entire community.

After Sr. Pat’s address, the group broke up for different sessions geared towards elementary school leaders, high school leaders, Newman Campus Ministers, Youth/High School Campus Ministers, and parish Catechetical leaders.

The day concluded with lunch and more camaraderie before everyone departed to start their school years, and to Embrace Grace.

As people continue to come out of what has been two to three years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s sometimes hard to remember what life was like before it happened.

But some students at Broadmoor School in Mentor and the Senior Class at Lake Catholic High School remember how exciting and how much fun their joint Christmas party was in the past and were so happy to celebrate it together again.

For the first time since December 2019, more than 100 students from Broadmoor showed up at Lake Catholic on Friday, December 2, for their annual Christmas party held in the school’s gym. There were games, live music, cookie decorations and other arts and crafts, face painting, and, of course, the man of the season – Santa Claus.

“There are some students who were here three years ago who remembered coming and were excited to come back today,” said Liz Miller, the Early Childhood Supervisor at Broadmoor.

The Class of 2023 was just a group of freshmen, three months into their high school years, when the only Broadmoor Christmas party they’ve ever known took place. Back then some of them were just volunteers at the party.

“I like to get the underclassmen involved with the party, to not only set up and clean up, but also volunteer at the games, craft tables and other places, so they can see how special this day is,” said Meg Finegan, a math teacher at Lake Catholic and one of the coordinators of the party.

Each year then, the seniors have their own buddy to take to the party.

“It’s a completely different experience as a senior,” said Abbey Caine, who was one of those underclassmen volunteers three years ago. “We get to connect with our buddies, one-on-one. It’s such a great thing to see how happy they are and how excited they get. It really means a lot, especially this time of year.”

The first partnership between the two schools for the Christmas party was back in December of 1992. Some of the teachers and aides from Broadmoor have seen firsthand how special this day is, as their own sons and daughters who attended Broadmoor have participated in the party.

“This is the only event we do where the entire school is here,” Miller said. “We do other things throughout the year where just certain grade levels go, but this party includes everyone. That’s what’s special about coming to Lake Catholic and the partnership we have with them.

“The other big difference is that often we facilitate our other trips. Not this one. This is completely student-led. So the fact that the Lake Catholic community does this is amazing.”

A big thank you to Aladdin Rents, who donated the games, and to Longo's Pizzeria, who donated all the pizza for lunch.

What had started off as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class, has turned into much more at Lake Catholic. 
Turkey Day, one of the school’s longest standing tradition started back in 1974, continued on Monday, Nov. 21, as the Class of 2023 lived out one of Lake Catholic’s core values – it’s willingness to serve.

“This is one of the most important days of our school year,” said Alison Ellis, the Lake Catholic Theology Department Chair, and head of the school’s Campus Ministry. “It’s important for the seniors to go out and put our values into action. And we invite the entire school to the prayer service so the underclassmen can see what this means to all of us.”

The day started with an all-school prayer service, asking for prayers not only for the senior class, but also for those who it was going to help. The seniors chose between nine different service projects and headed out in the community. 

Groups were sent off to clean up the Fairport Harbor beach, despite the snow and cold; Broadmoor School, to work and play with the children; Willoughby Workshop, to work and eat lunch with the adults there; Vocational Guidance Center, working with the adults there; Little Annie’s Hope Train, assembling toiletries for the homeless; Grateful Giving, baking cookies for first responders; Karpos Ministry, making hot meals for the homeless at St. Mary Painesville; the Food Bank in Geauga County, making hot meals for the homeless; and shoveling driveways for the elderly in Mentor (which was a change up from leaf clean up because of the weather).

The students came back to school for a catered Thanksgiving feast, which was what Turkey Day started as back in the ‘70s.

“This day originally started just as a way for us to have the entire senior class sit down and enjoy each other over a Thanksgiving dinner,” said Rich Troha, who was the originator of Turkey Day when he was a teacher at here. “It has grown into a day of service but bringing the kids back to school is a nice way to combine what it was to what it is now.”

The day ended with another new addition – a Community Action Poverty Simulation, which is an interactive immersion experience that sensitizes participants to the realities of poverty. The Simulation is a program run out of the Nonprofit and Public Service Center at Lakeland Community College. Dione DeMitro, who executed these simulations at Lakeland before becoming the President and CEO at United Way of Lake County, volunteered at Lake Catholic to head up the simulation.

She said when she works with a group entirely made up of students, that there is at least one who has that “ah-ha” moment to realize how blessed they are. She said she heard from a couple students afterward that they did have such a moment.

“My hope is that when you leave here, you understand how blessed you are,” she told the group as they wrapped up. “I hope you go out and share your time, talents, and gifts with your community.”  

As October came to end on Monday, so did the Socktober sock drive at Lake Catholic High School.

Socktober, which is promoted by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, provides pairs of socks to those who are homeless. According to the Socktober website – happysocktober.com - each night in the United States, an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets.

“Socks are the number one thing needed, but the least donated items,” said Julie Tinik, who got involved in the initiative a few years ago in Cleveland, but then branched out to include Lake County.

This was the fourth year Lake Catholic students collected socks. After collecting 650 pairs in 2021, this year’s students donated 2,373 pairs. Last year, Tinik donated a total of 2,021 pairs from all of her collection sites.

Throughout the month there were two separate competitions to see who could donate the most socks – homerooms all competing against each other, and the four grades competing against each other. For the second year in a row, the Class of 2023 was the winner in that competition.

“It’s an absolute huge amount of socks, and it’s a credit to the generosity of all the students, parents, faculty and staff here at Lake Catholic,” said Kelly Wolf, Lake Catholic Visual Arts Department Chair and coordinator of the Socktober donation effort. “We almost tripled our donation from last year. It’s a blessing to see how willing to give our students truly are.”

Tinik was equally impressed.

“When I saw the total, I was crying,” she said. “I can’t thank Lake Catholic enough.”

This year, Tinik said she plans to get the socks to Project Hope for the Homeless in Painesville, Sub Zero Mission in Painesville, the City Mission in Cleveland and Forbes House in Painesville.