Football, Week I: Knights send Wolfpack howling home

Catholic Memorial defeated Boston Latin last Friday, 33-0, in their season opener at White Stadium. Senior co-captain Andrew DiBartolo ran for three touchdowns. Junior Lorenzo Warren and freshman A.J. Doyle both helped the Knights notch another TD each. Watch video highlights of the game, put to CMTV cameraman and producer Ed Horan '09's favorite music, by clicking on the link below.




Offensively and defensively, Catholic Memorial showed itself ready for a strong season. Read more about the game by clicking here.

National workshop moves CM leaders to take action

Three CM student leaders spent last weekend in Plymouth, Michigan with Student Council advisor Mr. Murray as part of the Annual Edmund Rice Schools “Action Workshop.”

Three seniors—Mike Giovanucci, Steve Sullivan, and James Myers—spent the weekend as members of the annual student-run thinktank that generates ideas on leadership formation at Edmund Rice Schools conducted by the Congregation of Christian Brothers. They met with high school students from around the country, participated in leadership exercises, made presentations about their schools’ best leadership practices, and took lots of notes. To conclude the three-day workshop’s events, students from all Edmund Rice Schools worshiped together in a closing mass.

Mike Giovanucci, who plays hockey and lacrosse and is a member of the forensics team, said the highlight for the weekend for him was meeting students from such a variety of backgrounds. “It was funny how all the things we do in Massachusetts, kids did in other parts of the country,” he said. “You sat with other kids at each meal—and made a lot of friends...one of the Brothers there reminded us to share the experiences we had.”

Along with formation as leaders, the students acquired new-found insights into the founder of the Christian Brothers, Edmund Rice, whose charism the Christian Brothers hope continues in schools like CM, where the number of Brothers is significantly less than in the past. “I didn’t know that Edmund’s wife had passed away at a very young age and that he had a mentally handicapped child,” Giovanucci said. “He had to deal with that along with the constant struggle of teaching young boys in Ireland.”

Senior Steve Sullivan, who is active in Campus Ministry and the Student Council at CM, said he took away a lot of ideas from other school leaders at Christian Brothers schools nationwide. “I got some great ideas,” Sullivan said. Having ‘Mission Wars’ with a rival school, and creating the Edmund Rice Games—kind of an Olympic Day with people who win our Olympic Day events against Hendricken or other [schools]. It was a great experience, learning about all the different ways that we can help.”

Brennan Williams--flash designer, black-belt and offensive lineman

Senior football captain Brennan Williams, offensive tackle for the Knights, sat down with Chris Forsberg of the Boston Globe before the season began last week. Williams, who earned distinction this summer being nominated to play in December's Army All-American Bowl game, is more than just a talented football player. Watch his interview by clicking below.



Read the related Globe story by clicking here.

BERSI hits The Big Apple

The sixth annual BERSI Summer Institute brought a delegation of CM students, from seventh through twelfth grade, to New York City this August.

Click here for a slideshow of photos from the trip.

Dreaming of Williamsport

Three CM eighth grade baseball players have found themselves dreaming of a World Series title all summer.

Danny Flahive '13, Brendan MacDonald '13, and Matthew Fennell '13 have been riding the wave of momentum that started this spring when their Parkway Little League team, the National, won it all and entered the summer All-Star Season with hopes high. After a dominant 10-0 summer season the National entered the state Little League tournament last week. But Peabody and Middleboro were no match for them and on Monday, July 28th, they took home the state title.
Parkway Little League Coach John Picarello singled out Flahive for his success in the closing inning in the state championship game, where Flahive struck out the last two batters to shut down the Middleboro offense. "Flahive came on when the pressure was on him and he did it for the all-stars..." Picarello told the West Roxbury Transcript on Monday.

The trio of CM Knights play a round-robin tournament in Bristol, CT over the course of the coming week against Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. The Wednesday game against Connecticut will be televised live on NESN.

If Parkway National wins the New England regional tournament, they will be heading to Williamsport to play for a National title. "I think we'll win it all," the National's left-fielder MacDonald told the West Roxbury Transcript.

"It's exciting," said Fennell's mother, Jane, before the opening game on August 1. "It's a lot of driving, but this takes precedent! It's a once in a lifetime experience."

Click here for score and game updates from the East regional tournament.

Knights of the Wild Frontier

CM's 8th grade class made its 2nd annual voyage west this June, along with Lower School Head Teacher Mr. Cormier, Guidance Director Mr. Tegan, Activities Director Mr. Murray and 8th grade teacher Mr. Boyle.

The thirty-four participants on the Western Adventure crossed several state lines and trekked through snowy passes, vast deserts, and city streets of the old west as they spent eight nights far from home June 7-15. For a slideshow of pictures from the trip, click here.

The kindness of strangers: Brother Crowley gets some credit back

CM Math teacher and assistant athletics director Brother Jake Crowley had his faith in the "kindness of strangers" restored last week when his lost wallet was hand-delivered to Catholic Memorial by Mattapan resident Antoine Hilaire. Read Boston Herald columnist's thoughts on the episode by clicking here.

Franklin gives us the blues—by Gjergji Evangjeli '10

8^th seeded Catholic Memorial baseball team played Franklin High School in the MIAA Division I tournament South Bracket opening round on May 31, 2008 at Todesca Field. Franklin brought plenty of fans and parents who supported their team and challenged the home crowd to try to keep up.

Franklin hit two home-runs off Knights' starting pitcher Glen Misho and went up 5-0 by the fourth inning. By the sixth inning the Knights had rallied to a 5-3 deficit, and in the following two innings went up 7-6. Franklin tied it in the ninth under hits from the pitcher and first baseman to make it 7-7 and bring on extra innings. Late in the game, a controversial double-play call that went against the Knights and the crowd roared for Franklin.

In the tenth inning, Franklin scored a home run to bring in two runs, and a follow-up run to make it 10-7. The Knights could not find any offense in the tenth inning to try to come closer to Franklin.

The Knights played good but Franklin was better. This was the end of the Knights' season under Coach Carey. The Knights finish the season 13-8.

CM Forensics on the national stage

Over a dozen Catholic Memorial students headed to Appleton, Wisconsin this past weekend to compete against the best of the best forensics stars nationwide in the Catholic National Forensics Grand Tournament.


Dominic Montalbano '11 earned recognition as a national quarterfinalist while Liam Concannon '08 and John Labelle '11 were named octo-finalists for their duo-interpretation performance.

Click here to view a slideshow of the weekend's events narrated by sophomore and team member Andrew Fanikos. Photos courtesy of Steve Murphy.

Oh, the places they'll go.

A few weeks ago, senior Michael Harrington had a headache. Should he attend Northeastern, Rutgers, RPI, Syracuse, U-Va, Villanova, Virginia Polytechnic, or Worcester Polytechnic?

As for Kevin Almeida '08, it was a question of Bentley College, Saint Anselm College, Stonehill College, or Northeastern University.

Catholic University of America wanted Brian Spillane '08, but so did Saint Joseph's University. And Sean Mannion watched this spring as six top northeastern colleges and universities vied for his attention.

It's the poker game of college admissions, and once again, CM grads came out with aces. As Mr. Chisholm noted at graduation on Thursday evening, this year's senior class was offered scholarships in excess of six million dollars.

In the end, of course, it's not all about money. It's about finding the right place for you, the college or university that will best be a continuation of the good thinking and growth you've experienced at CM. To paraphrase senior and valedictorian Matthew Charest: a lot of schools try to be everything to all students, but come on, they can't all be CM.

CM Principal Mr. Chisholm, Michael Harrington '08,
Matthew Charest '08, and CM President Brother James J. MacDonald '75.

Here are some other memorable quotes from Thursday night's commencement where 165 seniors spent one last memorable evening together before heading off to U-Va, St. Anselm's, Catholic U., and so on.

"This is a day when a whole new chapter of our lives is just beginning. Continue to be yourselves and remember that everything happens for a reason." ~Michael Harrington '08

"A CM Knight is the student who organizes a walk for breast cancer...or the math teacher who prepares review sheets...or the teacher who donates his musical talents...or the retired faculty member who comes back to help in the cafeteria. I see 165 CM Knights here tonight." ~Matthew Charest '08

"DVDs break. photos fade, and eventually Facebook will die down, but these memories will be in our hearts forever." ~Liam Concannon, Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, CFC Founder's Award winner (as quoted by Dr. Keane)

"Time never moves quickly enough for you...for adults, time moves too quickly...We must look for the good, the noble, and the beautiful in ourselves and in our world. These achievements were not for information but for how we put it to use." ~Brother James J. MacDonald '75