Santa Margarita Catholic High School

WINGS | 2009
the devotion to the Sacred Heart
and is the patroness of the school.
“For some 20 years we carried her
name with little recognition of who she
was,” Dunne said. “We’re not named
for a city we’re named for a saint.”
Renovated Chapel:
A Dream Come True
On Nov. 1, 2008 the newly renovated
Sacred Heart Chapel was blessed
and the altar formally dedicated, by
Bishop Tod D. Brown along with 10
other priests and two deacons.
“This is a sacred space,” Brown said
during the service. “May the Santa
Margarita community be strengthened
here and renewed in hope.”
The Birtcher family funded the
extensive chapel renovation working
with Talleres de Arte Granda, a liturgical
arts company in Spain that custom-built
the sacred art statues and marble altar.
The newly renovated chapel provides
a true spiritual center of the campus.
“We wanted to create a safe place
for kids where they could get to
know the Lord,” said Gaye Birtcher.
“My hope is that when a student
is facing something major in their
life they learn to put it at the Lord’s
feet and take comfort in that.”
Highlights of the renovated Missionstyle
Sacred Heart Chapel include a
marble altar, a gold-plated tabernacle,
new marble and wood flooring, handcarved
statues and a gold-accented
crucifix of Jesus surrendering to Christ.
Principal Ray Dunne told the Birtchers:
“You have given us a gift that will
be a living legacy of your Catholic
faith and love. Thank you from the
bottom of 1,800 people’s hearts.”
Outside the chapel is a serene garden
where a five-foot bronze-like statue
of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, also
donated by the Birtchers, graces the
campus. St. Margaret Mary began
Athletic Victories
Girls’ Varsity Volleyball won the CIF
Championship title on Saturday, Nov.
22, 2008 after a win against Mira
Costa of Manhattan Beach. Go Eagles!
Girls’ Golf, Girls’ Tennis and Girls’
Volleyball all won league
championships this school year!
The Boy’s Basketball team went to
the CIF finals. Congratulations!
SM Girls’ Golf Coach Amy Connelly,
who kept the Eagles at the top of the
county ranking for the entire season,
was selected as The Orange County
Register’s Golf Coach of the Year and
Cristy Chapman-Uhrig was selected
as Volleyball Coach of the Year after a
championship season!
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