Traditions Spring 2005.indd - Junipero Serra High School

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL, MR. LARS LUND“TOTUS TUUS” — A LIFE WELL LIVEDAs I write this letter, the cardinals of the Catholic Church have entered the Sistine Chapel for the first ballotof the papal election. It will be hard to imagine a Church without John Paul II as our Holy Father.It was divine providence that gave us a man whose hometown was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empirejust two years before his birth, who suffered the early deaths of his mother, brother and father, who sufferedunder the oppression of the Nazis, and who courageously spoke out against the Soviet Empire. It wasprovidence that allowed him to become the 265 th Bishop of Rome-- the Vicar of Christ, the Pope of theRoman Catholic Church.His intellectual brilliance did not camouflage a simple and single-minded faith. Nazi occupation of hishomeland, Soviet dominance over church and state, nor an assassin’s bullets could separate him from thelove of Christ nor his devotion to the Blessed Mother. His faith, which animated his human courage, sawhim through many losses, challenges and times of loneliness.His faith called him to forgo the joys of married life, of parenthood and, given his many talents, a life ofpersonal wealth and power. Instead, he became a priest and lived a life of obedience and celibacy for thesake of God’s Kingdom and our Church. As a result, he was not only a witness to the many upheavals ofthe 20 th Century, he was also a major player in the events that led to the end of Soviet communism andthe unseating of many dictators in the Third World.He called attention to the appalling conditions in which two-thirds of the human race live. He shed light onthe injustices visited upon the poor and marginalized. He was a prophetic witness against the conspicuousconsumption of the industrialized world, a prophetic leader in his apologies to Jews and Muslims for previoussins of the Church, and a prophetic witness to the gospel virtues of faith, hope and love.This man from Poland called us to have faith in God and to live this faith with courage, reason, and passion.The motto for his papacy was “Totus Tuus” which means, “I am all yours.” He knew that Christ, throughMary gave him all of his talents and abilities. He returned these gifts through a life of absolutely selflessservice to others.Perhaps it is providential that this edition of Traditions focuses on the service that the Serra community-- students, teachers and parents -- provides to the Church and the local community. As a Catholic schoolour mission is to provide students a program of intellectual, moral and spiritual formation that will helpthem to become men of faith and service, leaders who will make a difference for the good in our world.Karol Jozef Wojtyla was such a man and now, through his intercession, we pray that our students andalumni will follow his example.His was a life well lived.Lars LundPrincipal
Taking a Look B ack . . .by Michael PetersonIn reading through this issue of TRADITIONS, I recalled my four years at Leo High School on the SouthSide of Chicago, and thought about the changes that have taken place in Catholic schools like both Leoand Serra. Leo was a high school similar to Serra in the late 50’s and early 60’s. We were a Catholic“all boys” school with an enrollment of about 1000, a strong academic tradition, as well as outstandingathletic teams. We had a class retreat (conducted in total silence!) held once a year in the chapel duringthe Lenten season. The retreat was taught almost entirely by the Irish Christian Brothers . . . and we hadonly one program in which to perform any volunteer service. At that time, helping others through a serviceprogram coordinated by the school just didn’t exist. Sure, if you were a Boy Scout or part of anothersimilar organization, you had opportunities to help others; however, in high school there just wasn’t theemphasis on volunteering or giving back to the community that exists today.As I look back at schools like Serra and Leo, it seems to me there have been many notable changes.Obviously the most dramatic is the change in personnel; there are no longer priests and brothers in greatnumbers in our schools. Both Serra and Leo (I continue to receive Leo’s Alumni Newsletter) are taughtalmost entirely by lay people; dedicated men and women who have made teaching in a Catholic school atrue ministry. Another major change in our schools during the past forty years or so is the establishmentof a formalized volunteer program, usually under the supervision of the Campus Ministry Program.I really believe that one of the hallmarks of our schools in 2005 is this outreach program. As you readthrough these pages, you will see evidence of our students and graduates helping others. Yes, we are stilla Catholic school, with school-wide masses celebrated on a regular basis throughout the year. Yes, wecontinue to have confession available, especially during the Advent and Lenten seasons. And, yes, we stillcontinue to have retreats. Our students continue to be accepted to outstanding colleges and universities.We continue to put on great musicals, as seen this Spring when we performed Disney’s “Beauty and theBeast,” to packed houses. Our athletic teams continue to win championships. But, in addition to all ofthis, our Campus Ministry team, parents, and other faculty members are regularly working with students,joining them on service projects, and making it possible for them to get out into the community so theycan help others. In this way, I believe that Serra and Leo are better now than when I was in high school.Our young men today are doing so much more than I ever did.Read these pages and see what our students, faculty and alumni are doing for others. I hope you comeaway with the same sense of pride I did. Good things are going on and they are taking place at schoolslike Serra and Leo.If you ever want to get involved, just give me a call.Sincerely,Michael PetersonDirector of Institutional Advancement
Page 1 and 2: J U N Í P E R O SERRA HIGH SCHOOLV
Page 3: insideissuethisAround the Halls 7Am
Page 8: AROUND THE HALLSCAMPUS MINISTRY CEN
Page 11 and 12: MAKING A DIFFERENCEBYRICARDO ROQUE
Page 13 and 14: 80 HOURS OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE: A DA
Page 15 and 16: SPECIAL OLYMPICSBYROSS SILVERMAN
Page 17 and 18: Brains & Brawn by Randy Vogel. . .
Page 19 and 20: e Christian who lives a life of fai
Page 21 and 22: Fashion Show 2005 Magnifique!Mother
Page 23 and 24: PADRE BENCHVARSITY BASKETBALL MAKES
Page 25 and 26: time off the clock. He controlled t
Page 27 and 28: GO PADRES!Kent Eubanks ‘05Tom McM
Page 29 and 30: JOHN METZCUS ‘88“A SOURCE OF ST
Page 31 and 32: ALUMNI NEWSLt. Mansour Elhihi (Clas
Page 33 and 34: ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES‘55It’s your
Page 35 and 36: PA D R E FA M I LYP H O T O A L B U

Traditions Spring 2005.indd - Junipero Serra High School

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