Magdalen College alumni and friends gathered for an Alumni Reunion and celebration of the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene on July 24-25, 2004, the final event of the 30th anniversary celebration. Staff and faculty welcomed 100 alumni and their families from throughout the United States and Canada for a weekend of activities.
“It's always good to come back,” said Kathy (Hochreiter) St. Pierre '84, wife of David '83 and mother of John '07. “It's great to see my classmates and friends, some who we may not have kept in touch with since graduating. It is very encouraging to meet newer alumni who are just starting their families who have the same Faith and aspirations for their families. Even if there is a 10-15 year difference in graduation dates, we still have a lot in common. Our children are even beginning to form friendships through this annual alumni reunion. It's great fun!”
For many alumni who graduated before 1991 from the old campus in Bedford, NH, it was their first visit to the new campus in Warner, NH.
The weekend began with a reception on Saturday evening followed by an illustrated history of Magdalen College prepared by Sarah Jane von Haack ‘01 and Mark Gillis ‘90, a tutor at the College. On Sunday July 25, a Mass in honor of Mary Magdalene was celebrated by Very Reverend Father Cassian Folsom, O.S.B. of the Monastery of Saint Benedict in Norcia, Italy, a leading liturgist and long-time friend of the college. After brunch, Fr. Cassian delivered a keynote address to the alumni on “Leadership According to the Benedictine Rule.” Accompanying Fr. Cassian during his visit was alumnus Br. Clement Suhy ‘98 who had professed his solemn vows in Norcia in June 2004. Br. Clement is the first vocation of the monastery.
One of the anticipated events of the weekend was the first annual meeting of the newly reorganized Alumni Association. Elected as officers of the Alumni Advisory Council were John Graveline '94 (Gaithersburg, MD), Chairman; Mary Curley '80 (Norwood, MA), Vice Chairman; Ellen Maher '01 (Tully, NY), Secretary; John Lindsey '03 (Washington, DC), Treasurer; and members-at-large, Robert Edge '01 (Owensboro, KY); Fr. James Farfaglia '78 (Corpus Christ, TX), Joshua Miller '98 (Steubenville, OH); and David van Hecke '87 (Sussex, WI).
“We hope Alumni will come away from this weekend energized to spread the good word about the college, the program of studies and the many opportunities and successes an education at Magdalen has brought its graduates,” said John Graveline. “The college has been blessed since its founding and made tremendous progress; now after 30 years, it’s truly our time to take up the challenge and help make the next 30 years a success.”
If you are interested in learning more about Magdalen College and would like to talk with an alumnus of the college living in your area, please call Sarah Jane von Haack, Assistant Director for Alumni Relations toll-free at 1-877-498-1723.
