Mater Dei Mass of Remembrance
” The older we get, the more we forget,” the Reverend Stanley Lukaszewski told graduates, friends and family of Mater Dei High School during the annual Mass if Remembrance for deceased administration, faculty and graduates of the former New Monmouth High School Saturday.
Better known as Father Stas, who served as associate pastor of St. Mary’s Church 38 years ago, the retied priest was celebrant and homilist during the Mass of Remembrance which honored staff and alumni from the years 1965 through 2015.
Father said the questions is more “Will we be forgotten?” as he recalled all those listed in the necrology who have “influenced our lives,” from the founder of the high school, Monsignor Robert T. Bulman through teachers, friends, and classmates, in many cases two generations of the same families.
Remembering amusing and happy stories about some of the teachers who have been on the faculty at Mater Dei, Father Stas recalled how they “touched our lives” and reminded all at the mass that “we must remember to remember” them.
Mari Campanella Kovach, class of 1978, and committee members Cathy Daniels, class of 1979 and Tom Dooley, the first graduating class of 1965, plan the annual even each year after it was started by the late Thomas C. “TC” Murray, a popular history teacher at Mater Dei for many years.
Alumnae participated in all facets of the mass, with Steven McCarthy, Class of 1974 and Christopher Begley, class of 1978 offering the readings, Kovach offering the Prayer of the faithful, and Maureen Delepine the parent of several Mater Dei graduates, Norma Delepine, class of 1975, and MaryAnn Tomasello Zimmerman, Class of 1972, presenting the gifts during Mass.
McCarthy, Begley and Susan Moore Elliott, class of 1979, served as Eucharistic ministers.
Prior to mass, Jim Shaw, class of 1976, provided bag pipe music in front of St. Mary’s for arriving guests. Kerrin McCarthy Regan, lass of 2011 was cantor and Daniels, Maria Miele Skribner, class of 1983, Annmarie Golding McCarthy, class of 1980, Judy Grandinetti Vogt, class of 1976 and Mary Caruso Corr, Class of 1978, all served on the hospitality.
Refreshments were served following mass to enable guests to continue to renew friendships and thank others for the influence they have had on their lives.
Before the Mass ended, the complete list of all administrators and alumni who are on the Necrology list were read by John Anderson, Ellen Cox, Dr. Ken Dugan and Tom Dooley, class of 1965, Steve Muscarella, Class of 1968, Begley, Pat Ryan class of 1982, and Daniels, as well as parent Muriel J. Smith, whose daughter, Kathy was in the class of 1974.
After Monsignor Bulman, late administrators at Mater Dei, remembered at the mass were the founding principal, Mother Bede, followed by principals the Reverend William, Lynch, S.J. John V. Lonergan, Sister Mary Hugh, Frank Poleski and Frank Outwater, assistant principal as well as 107 other former faculty members in addition to the alumni.
Gregg Reidy, class of 1994, was the only alumni who died in the September 11, 2011 attack on the country.
Families wishing to have the others who are deceased and graduated from Maer Dei included in the necrology for future remembrances are invited to contact Kovach at mari.kovach@GTSLLC.com
