Congrats Bishop Shanahan

Congratulations to Bishop Shanahan's girls volleyball team that won the PIAA Class AAA state championship Nov. 14 for the first time in school history. They beat Allentown Central Catholic 3-0 at Central York High School. Emily Carlin was named tournament MVP.

To honor the champs, there will be an assembly this Friday, Nov. 21., at 8:30 a.m. at Shanahan.

Assistant athletic director Sandra Young said of the team, "They are truly women of virtue who love God, one another, Shanahan and volleyball."

Members of the team and coaches depicted in the photo are:
Back row: Coach Pat Rucker, Coach Michele Lott, Allison Lott, Head Coach Greg Ashman, Summer Jaros, Nicki Ruszkay, Natalie DiRitis, Allson Lott and Susan Frick
Middle row: Kristina Dale, Gabby Nagy, Cait Watson, Kelly Hutchison, Claire Keating, Amanda Nickels, Julie Joyce, Maria Ficca and Natalie Homyak.
Front row with trophy: Captains Katie Pisano, Emily Carlin and Grace Capuzzi.

Faith, Hope, Phils

The Phillies are set to play Game 6 of the World Series in almost 4 hours, and I'm already nauseous. But if any team can come back from a 3-1 deficit, it's the Phillies. So let's have faith in their talents. That's what got them here for a second time, afterall.

I'm sure God will hear tons of prayers tonight. Here's one to start with from Romans 12:12

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" and let's go fightin Phils!

Trust in God amid troubling times

The Archdiocese announced sad news yesterday -- the closing of Cardinal Dougherty and North Catholic High Schools. I know hearing their worst fear become a reality is hard for all the alumni, faculty, staff, current students and their families.

I know because I went through it myself at the grade school level at St. Callistus School in the Overbrook section of the city. I found out mid-way through my seventh grade year that the school was closing in June. Considering I started there in kindergarten and my mom and three siblings were grads, it was tough. Couldn't they keep the school open for one more year? My classmates and I were devastated.

So, we protested and rallied and prayed. But come June, the school still closed. This caused our class, the majority of us together since kindergarten, to break up and go our separate ways, along with the almost 200 other students.

Some friends made the move to the suburbs and the rest went to other neighborhood Catholic Schools. Most kids went to St. Donato. Not me though. I decided to go to St. Laurence in Upper Darby because I couldn't bring myself to attend a school that was our "rival!" Talk about stubborn.

Regardless of where we all ended up, it was a difficult transition to say the least. But after a couple months, we realized that what we learned and experienced at St. Callistus was a part of us -- and no person or school would ever take that away.

I'm sure the students at Dougherty and North are still coping with the heartbreaking news. But after some time, I'm sure they, too, will realize that regardless of where they go next year, North and Dougherty will always be a part of them that no one can take away.

Some may remain angry or sad or bitter for a long time. And this is where God comes in. He has a plan for all of us; we just have to trust Him.

Psalm 4:
"Answer when I call, my saving God.
in my troubles you cleared a way;
show me favor; hear my prayer...
Know that the Lord works wonders for the faithful;
the Lord hears when I call out.
Tremble and do not sin;
upon your beds ponder in silence.
Offer fitting sacrifice
and trust in the Lord."

New look for CS&T

Tomorrow's issue will debut a new look for the Catholic Standard & Times. After 17 years, the CS&T will have a new logo, new sections in the paper, new style of font and overall new layout. All this is the result of hard work by our graphic design team.

Many our readers have been subscribing to the paper for years. They're most likely comfortable with the current design and format and getting used to the new style may take a little time. Let's be honest, a lot of people don't like change.

To those who feel this way, I'll borrow a quote from Winston Churchill: "There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction."

I can confidently say that the changes made to the CS&T are definitely in the right direction. They meet the needs of changing times in the newspaper industry and give the paper more appeal aesthetically.

Of course, amid these changes, the mission of the paper will remain the same, to spread the Good News of Jesus and His gospel. With this as our ultimate goal, we hope the new design increases our readership and more people experience the Good News offered on the pages of the Catholic Standard & Times.

And I would walk 500 miles...

Ok, 300. But still an amazing feat for six Franciscan Friars who walked from Roanoke, Va., to Washington, D.C., in attempt to model their founder, St. Francis of Assisi, the traveler who spent time with the poor, sick and outcast and truly lived out the vows of charity and poverty.

"They tried to live by the ascetic rules Jesus laid out for his 12 disciples: "Take nothing for the journey -- no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic." The less they brought, they reasoned, the more room they could leave for God. The friars did make a few modifications, carrying a toothbrush, a wool blanket, water and a change of underwear ("a summer essential," one explained), as well as one cellphone in case of emergency."

Read the rest of this story written by William Wan of the Washington Post by copying and pasting the link below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072803220.html?sid=ST2009072803246

Neumann-Goretti has best athletic department in PA

Congratulations go out to Neumann-Goretti High School in South Philly -- its athletic department was named best in the state by si.com.

This honor is a great way to recognize the hard work of athletic director Chip Reitano and his staff as well as the coaches, administrators, school faculty and athletes there.

There are over 800 high schools in PA! What an amazing feat, not only for Neumann-Goretti but for Catholic education in general!

Read the list of the top athletic programs in the country HERE.

Some more all-stars

In the CS&T's high school graduation issue on June 4, the names of all-stars in the Catholic League (and other leagues high schools in our Archdiocese belong to) were published. Not every school participated, unfortunately, and some were left out. Archbishop Ryan missed the deadline, so I thought I'd post the names of their all-star athletes here...better late than never!
Hopefully, next year I'll have a system that works better and no one will be left out!

Archbishop Ryan All-Catholics 2008-09

Russ Slawter, football, basketball, track and field
Rich Verrell, football
Matt Yabor, football
Ed Eliason, bowling
Bryan Landis, tennis
Lindsay Ward, tennis
Nicole Gatto, bowling
Brittany Frazer, bowling
Mary Sharp, bowling
Vicki Bispels, bowling
Vince Boyle, golf
Jon Burns, golf
Kyle Hunter, golf
Dan Pettit, soccer
Tim Stahl, soccerr
Fran Nelms, soccer
Henry Gonzalez, soccer
Dan Panepresso, soccer
Megan Tole, basketball
Jess Koci, basketball
Sarah Strybuc, basketball
Kelli Jerdan, softball
Katlyn Dinger, softball
Amanda Shaw, softball
Kristina Ostaszewski, softball
Stephanie McNesby, lacrosse
Jess Maloney, lacrosse
Sarah Means, lacrosse
Megan Tole, soccer
Amanda Johnson, soccer
Brittany Palmer, soccer
Corinne Retter, soccer
Jessica Roci, soccer
Christina Zambito, soccer
Anna Saklad, soccer
Anthony Keiter, basketball
Jon Schmidt, baseball
Tom Neeley, baseball
Roy Bakeoven, lacrosse
Kevin Gardner, lacrosse
Frank Seibert, lacrosse
Matt Vizza, lacrosse
Bill Beck, lacrosse
Sean Fadula, lacrosse
Joe Henry, lacrosse
Tim Ott, lacrosse
Marissa Perez, field hockey
Caitlyn McKeown, field hockey
Lisa English, volleyball
Kate Kutchera, voleyball
Kieran Hennessy, cross country, indoor track
Criag Gonzaga, cross country
Kelly Clavin, cross country
Sue Whitqworth, cross country
Joanna Shen, cross country
Leon Wormley, indoor track, track and field
Ben Badilla, indoor track
Rick Berrall, indoor track, track and field
Tamisha Thomas, indoor track, track and field
Deirdra O'Leary, indoor track, track and field
Alyssa Hanley, indoor track
Dorcas Sovgui, indoor track
Alyssa Hanley, indoor track
Andrew DeSanto, track and field

Good luck grads

I graduated from high school on June 7, 2001 -- my 18th birthday. It was very fitting to make the transition from high school into what I thought was the "real world" on the day I legally became an adult.

I'm an extremely emotional person, but I didn't shed a tear at graduation; not even after my Prendie classmates, some of whom I haven't seen since, serenaded me with "Happy Birthday" before the ceremony began. I guess it's because I knew I had a lot to look forward to. Although it was hard to say gooodbye to the comforts of high school life, I was confident there was more for me to experience. So I walked forward, diploma in hand, and never looked back.

To read about the extraordinary accomplishments of the Class of 2009, read today's CS&T.

A few good men

This week's sport section features an article titled "Bonner baseball team learns winning isn't everything" by CS&T columnist John Knebels. He writes about the Friars participation in community service throughout the season and specifically describes their service project last Saturday at Don Guanella School. The school, run by archdiocesan Catholic Social Services, provides residential and rehabilitative services for boys ages 6-21 with developmental disabilites.

Accompanying the story are several touching photos taken by our staff photographer Sarah Webb. Upon seeing these photos for the first time, tears filled my eyes. These high school boys, who could be doing anything else on a Saturday, spent their afternoon playing softball with the DG boys. The genuine happiness in the Bonner boys' eyes is captured in every photo, not to mention the sheer joy displayed by the DG boys.

This experience, like any playoff win or memorable game, will stay with the Bonner boys for a lifetime. Their coach, Joe DeBarberie, and community service coordinator Trish Phillips, should be commended for remembering that winning isn't everything, and that much is to be learned off the field.

To browse the photo gallery or purchase photos from this special day, clicke HERE.

To read the story, click HERE.

Remembering 'The Voice'

Unfortunately for Philadelphians, this week got off to a rough start after it was announced that legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas suddenly passed away Monday afternoon in D.C. Harry the K , whose smooth, baritone voice was a fixture in living rooms, pick-up trucks and corner bars around the area, was found in the place that brought him decades of happiness -- the broadcast booth. Talk about a way to go ...

I can't think of much more to say that hasn't already been said about him. Borrowing words from countless articles and interviews that have surfaced this past week, the soundtrack to my summers is silenced and the voice of the Phils is gone. I'll never turn on a Phillies' game again without hearing his voice in my head.

I'm lucky to say that I did watch his last broadcast on Easter Sunday and was able to hear his last home run call when Matt Stairs hit one "outta here" in the ninth inning. I actually feel bad because my 7 year-old twin nephews, who recently became obsessed with all things Phillies, were jumping around and screaming with joy after the homer. I told them to cool it, that it wasn't the playoffs and that there's 150+ games to go this season.

Harry wouldn't have liked that to hear that, since he called every game with the same amount of enthusiam and passion, whether we were down by 5 or winning by 10, whether it was April or October. Things like this make you realize what we take for granted, and I vow never to quiet down a home run celebration again.

Along with the endless success hall-of-famer Harry Kalas had as a broadcaster, it's heartwarming to hear the memories those in the Delaware Valley and beyond have about him that occurred off the baseball diamond and outside the booth. Harry was truly a good man who had a real connection with us Philadelphia fans. Lots of sports media criticize us, Harry understood us.

Rest in peace, Harry. I'm sure you'll be looking down, calling the game with Whitey tonight. And I'm sure all of us will hear you in our hearts.

Vote for Philly's own Sister Mary Scullion!

Sister Mary Scullion, R.S.M., is nominated for Time Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential People.
VOTE HERE!

Sister Mary, 55, is co-founder of Project H.O.M.E., a homeless shelter in Philadlephia. According to its web site,

"The mission of the Project H.O.M.E. community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. We strive to create a safe and respectful environment where we support each other in our struggles for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move toward self-actualization.

"We believe that all persons are entitled to decent, affordable housing and access to quality education, employment, and health care. "

Treating all people with respect and kindness was at the forefront of Jesus' mission. Sister Mary is surley living as a servant and disciple of Christ though her dedication to Project H.O.M.E.

Please, make sure to vote!

Carroll wins two state titles for PCL!

Congratulations to Archbishop Carroll's girls AND boys basketball teams!!! Both the boys and girls won the PIAA Class AAA titles in their respective divisions.

The boys beat Greensburg Salem 75-54 March 20.
The girls beat Lampeter-Strasburg 68-45 March 21.

Being our first year in the PIAA, this is the first time a Philadelphia Catholic League team has won a state title in any sport!

A parade will take place today on the school's campus in Radnor to celebrate this amazing achievement!

Three CL teams make it to state finals!

Congratulations to Cardinal O'Hara's girls and Archbishop Carroll's boys and girls basketball teams! They will be playing in the PIAA state finals this weekend in their respective divisions. Good luck!

All games will be played at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center in University Park. Here's the schedule:

AAAA Girls Basketball Championship
Friday, March 20, 6 p.m.
Cardinal O'Hara vs. Mt. Lebanon HS

AAA Girls Basketball Championship
Friday, March 20, 6 p.m.
Archbishop Carroll vs. Lampeter-Strasburg HS

AAA Boys Basketball Championship
Saturday, March 21, 8 p.m.
Archbishop Carroll vs. Greensburg Salem HS

PIAA Quarterfinals

A few PCL and local Catholic teams are still in the hunt for a state basketball title. Here's the schedule for this weekend's quartfinals.

Tonight

AAA Boys
Neumann-Goretti vs. Carroll at Ryan, 7 p.m.
Holy Ghost Prep vs. Hampton at Shippensburg University, 7 p.m.

AAAA Girls
O'Hara vs. Lower Merion at Spring Ford High School, 7:30 p.m.

Tomorrow

AAA Girls
Carroll vs. Mount St. Joe's at Villanova, 5 p.m.

High School March Madness

It's time for the PIAA basketball tourney! Round one for both girls' and boys' teams starts this weekend. We had two of our PCL football teams make it to the state championship in their respective divisions this past December, and things are looking good for our basketball teams as well! Below is info for round one featuring all PCL and local Catholic squads. Find out more about upcoming games on the PIAA web site.

Saturday, March 7
Boys AA
West Catholic vs. Salisbury @ Bonner, 2:30
Saint Pius X vs. Dunmore @ Wissahickon HS, 1:00
North Catholic vs. Penns Valley @ Gateway HS (Monroeville) 1:30

Friday, March 6
Boys AAA
Neumann-Goretti vs. Steelton-Highspire @ Southern, 8:00
Archbishop Carroll vs. Phoenixville @ Norristown HS, 7:30
Holy Ghost Prep vs. Wyomissing @ Gov. Mifflin, 8:00

Saturday, March 7
Boys AAAA
Roman Catholic vs. Central Bucks South @ Ryan, 2:30

Friday, March 6
Girls AA
Kennedy-Kenrick vs. Notre Dame (Allentown) @ Bonner, 6:30
St. Pius X vs. Mid Valley @ Spring Ford HS, 6:00

Saturday, March 7
Girls AAA
Arhcbishop Carroll vs. West York @ Bonner, 1:00
Mount St. Joseph vs. Archbishop Wood @ Norristown HS, 1:00
Villa Maria vs. Lampeter-Strasburg @ Garden Spot HS (New Holland) 2:30

Friday, March 6
Girls AAAA
Cardinal O'Hara vs. Council Rock North @ Bonner, 8:00
Archbishop Ryan vs. Downingtown West @ Norristown HS, 6:00

Cheers to you

As a former cheerleader, I'm happy to say there's lots going on in the Archdiocese regarding cheerleading.

Congrats go out to Father Judge's cheerleaders who took second place at the 2009 UCA High School Nationals which took place a couple weeks ago in Florida. They competed in the super varsity division, as did Archbishop Ryan. Cardinal O'Hara also competed in the competition in the large varsity division.

Check out their routines HERE. Performances are listed by squad in alphabetical order.

The All-Catholic Cheerleading Competition will be held March 8 at noon at Archbishop Carroll. High school squads from throughout the Archdiocese will compete.

Lastly, I'd like to mention Cardinal Dougherty's cheerleaders. On Feb. 26, before departing for the All-Star Cheer & Dance Competition held in Walt Disney World, the team of 22 wore special shirts they created in support of the Philadelphia Police Department. And, in honor of the recent tragedy of fallen Philadelphia Police Officer John Pawlowski, the young women are dedicating this special competition to those police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. What a nice gesture. Good luck girls!

Good Sportsmanship

Amid all the bad news that is so effortlessly accessible, it's always nice to see a good story; something heartwarming that makes you restore just a little bit of hope in society.

My boyfriend says he doesn't watch the news because "it's too depressing." And although he sometimes isn't up to speed on current events, I don't blame him.

Below is a story he would appreciate, however, as would anyone who sees joy in the little things in life and finds a deeper meaning in random acts of kindess.

This Associated Press article tells the story of a high school basketball team that truly exemplified good sportsmanship. Yes, good sportsmanship, a phrase we hardly hear anymore. There's nothing about steroids or contracts or trade deadlines or egos, just some basketball players and their coach who chose to do the right thing, even it just meant missing two freethrows.

Read the story here.

Local collegiate committments

Wednesday was National Letter of Intent Day. Below is a list of some archdiocesan athletes who will go on to compete at the collegiate level. As a Penn Stater, I am happy to see that at least two will be spending their next four (or so) years in Happy Valley!

Congratulations to all of the athletes in our Archdiocese who have received athletic scholarships. I know there are many more out there, and I hope to mention all of them in the CS&T before the class of 2009 graduates.

Until then, here are a few. All will play football, unless otherwise noted.

St. Joe’s Prep
Mark Giubilato - Temple
Mike Yeager - Colgate
Andy Marshalick - James Madison
Mike Pinciotti - Penn
Mark Arcidiacono - Penn State
Dan Casey - Brown

Roman Catholic
Tahir Basil - Lafayette
Kasseim Everett - Delaware

Archbishop Wood
Adam Citko - Delaware

Neumann-Goretti
Kadeem Custis - Temple

West Catholic
Curtis Drake - Penn State
Raymond Maples - Army
Chris Williams - Central Connecticut State

Malvern Prep
Joe Price - Villanova
Rob McCabe - Georgetown
CJ Mooney - Penn
Matt Clary - Penn *baseball*
Tim Cooney - Wake Forest *baseball*
Chris Gosik - East Carolina *baseball*
Mike Lubanski - Wake Forest *baseball*

Cardinal O’Hara
Tom Savage - Rutgers
Billy Morgan - Hofstra

Father Judge
Ryan Langdon - Delaware State
Tom Ryan - Towson
Adam Nowak - Stony Brook

Archbishop Carroll
Jack Lowney - Old Dominion
Luke Wischnowski - Sacred Heart

Lansdale Catholic
John Howell - Navy
Al Augustine - Florida State *swimming*

Cardinal Dougherty
Towanda Sutton - Rhode Island *basketball*

St. Basil’s Academy
Amanda Bachmann - Drexel *softball*
Kelli Lyons - Townsend *softball*
Dana Wright - Kutztown *volleyball*

A Real Winner

A couple of weeks ago my sister-in-law forwarded me the article below about Phillies' pitcher Jamie Moyer and his family. Over Christmas, the World Series ace, his wife and seven children traveled to Guatemala, the place where they adopted his youngest daughter, Yennifer, from.

Moyer's down-to-earth personality has already made the hometown boy a fan favorite. But his dedication and desire to give back display qualities that reach out to people beyond the baseball world.

It's a shame we don't see more stories like Moyer's in the sports pages.


Read the article by ESPN's Buster Olney here.

A New Era

44th President of the United States of America Barack Obama began his first day on the job today, 144 years after slavery was abolished, decades after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed and six days after what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 80th birthday.

I am hopeful for President Obama as he leads our country into the future, and I pray that he is guided by God to make faith-filled decisions which will truly benefit the integrity of all people in this great country and beyond.

Below is an excerpt from President Obama’s inaugural speech which marked this historic event.

“…For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny…”

Divine Intervention? :)

How God helps two brothers choose where to play football

Below is a link to an interesting article I read on Sports Illustrated's web site. It tells the story of Arthur Brown Jr., now a linebacker at Miami, and his brother, Bryce, a senior at Wichita East High School in Kansas. Arthur was offered several D-1 football scholarships before choosing Miami, and now Bryce is in the same situation. The article explains what each brother took into account while making his descion.

Nowadays, college recruiters pull out all the bells and whistles for top athletic prospects. These high schools seniors get VIP treatment during their recruiting trips, following around the university's star players who are usually treated as kings on campus. Coaches and players even travel to the prospects' hometowns to woo them with what their programs have to offer.

I'm sure it's easy to get caught up in all of this. At 18, I know I would have. I think if Joe Paterno showed up my door today and asked me to shine his shoes I would! Let alone play for him.

Amidst all of the recruiting hoopla, the Brown brothers took a different approach in making their decisions. As Arthur stated in a letter to his mother before making his final decision, "I left it in His hands."

And now, as younger brother Bryce's decision process comes to fruition, he simply states, "I'm not going to be swayed by the nicest stadium and Miami's promising future. I just want God's will to be done."


Click here to read the full article by Kevin Armstrong.