They needed to take their Entrance Exam at the Knights of Columbus Hall because the school was not yet finished being built; the pioneers who started here in 1959 as 9^th or 10^th graders will be celebrating their 49^th and 50^th Reunions this summer with a “Weekend of Memories” August 10-12, 2012. They were here before our nickname or our colors were chosen. We owe them a great debt of gratitude for the perseverance and fortitude during those early years. When I met with them to begin planning their reunion, they were so proud of how far the school has come in the last 50 plus years. Well done gentlemen, enjoy your weekend!

Our Entrance Exam has been given, and we are sitting this year in even better shape than last year when we attracted a class of 279. Our sincerest thanks go out to our Admissions Director, Mrs. Cathy Solomon, and her wonderful assistant, Mrs. Jackie White. Thank you also to all student ambassadors, teachers who provided thoughtful and challenging lessons for our prospective students during Visit Days, our student body who provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere, our parents who serve as good will ambassadors in our communities, and every friend of Hendricken who spreads the good news of what is the finest Catholic, college preparatory school in the area.

We recently received news from the Diocese that Father David Gaffney, our wonderful Chaplain, has been assigned to the post of Spiritual Director of the Pontifical North American College in Rome commencing July 1, 2012. Father Gaffney has been an inspirational leader whose love of the mission of our school, combined with his great sense of humor, has endeared him to the Hendricken family. While Father’s departure is sad, we are happy that he is taking on a once in a lifetime opportunity in one of the great cities of the world, the home of our beloved church. Well done, Father, and good luck in your new position! While it will be difficult to fill Father’s shoes, a search for his successor will commence shortly, and we look forward to welcoming him into the Hendricken family.

I am pleased and proud to announce the 2012 Bishop Hendricken High School Hall of Fame inductees:

Our Hall of Fame Awards celebration will be held on Sunday, March 18^th. For details concerning the event, please contact Richard Delfino’05 at rdelfino@hendricken.com.

 
You couldn’t have possibly scripted our football season any better; two early season losses where we were doubting our playoff chances, with steady improvement to capture a second seed in the state tournament. A wonderful semi-final win to set up a showdown with our most storied rival. Going into the game we are heavy underdogs, but we get off to a fast start, only to fall behind in the 4^th quarter. We then proceed to march down the field with a number of brilliant pass plays, and cap off the day with a 4^th down catch in the corner of the end zone with 55 seconds left to secure the win! Our victory in the Super Bowl this year will go down in our sports history as one of the greatest games of all time in any sport. There is a lesson in this year’s football season for all of us; when things are not going your way, there are two possible approaches – you can fold up your tent and give up, or you can stick to it, and sleep well at night, knowing that you gave it your best that day. Isn’t this all that God expects from us? Are we going to hit a homerun every day? Of course not. Are we going to always be patient, kind, and courteous? Of course not. But our God is a merciful God, and all he asks is that we keep trying, that we never give up. He will always forgive if we promise to keep trying. As we begin this New Year with resolutions to exercise more and eat healthier, let us also make a resolution to make every effort to grow closer to God. It’s not hard…as we tell our students to study hard, pray hard, and play hard, God simply asks us to give it our best shot each and every day, and when we falter, ask for forgiveness. Our football team provided us with a perfect example of how to overcome adversity and doubt; let us resolve to follow that example and make 2012 a year in which we grow closer to our Lord and Savior.

Happy New Year!

God Bless,

John A. Jackson’71

President

 

January 3 – Classes Resume

January 9 – Parents’ Council Meeting – Founders Hall – 7 PM

January 16 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – No School

January 17-20 – Mid-Term Exams

January 25 – Board of Directors Meeting – 4 PM - Library

January 27 – Acceptance Letters Mailed, Report Cards Distributed

January 28 – New Artist Play Festival

Week of January 29 – Catholic Schools Week