Alumni Newsletter October 2018

Saint Robert Bellarmine Catholic School
CARDINAL REPORT
October 2018 Alumni Publication Volume II
St. Robert Bellarmine School Alumni - 50th Anniversary Reunion 1969-2019
It was announced on June 6, 1966 by Archbishop Bergan that a new parish and school would be located
on what was once a 14 acre horse farm located on 117th to 120th streets from Pacific to Leavenworth. St.
Robert Bellarmine parish and school would be under the leadership of Fr. Eugene Kerwin, the first pastor.
Ground breaking was on May 13th, 1967 the Feast of St. Robert Bellarmine. (*St. Robert Bellarmine feast
day was later changed to September 17th in 1969 to honor the anniversary of St. Robert’s death.)
St. Robert Bellarmine Parish began with 514 families in 1966 and the school was officially open on
September 3rd, 1968. The school was staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis and lay teachers. The first
graduation mass held on May 27th, 1969 with a graduation class size of 32.
Today, St. Robert’s serves over 2000 parish families, 200 Religious Education students and 585 students in
the five day school.
During this 50th Anniversary year we will be hosting opportunities for Alumni to gather and reminisce
about their years at St. Roberts. Please see inside the newsletter for Parish and Alumni events coming up
this 50th Anniversary year.
St. Robert Bellarmine Alumni Newsletter
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead” 1 Peter 1:6
Inside | Letter from Alumni President | Spotlight Alumni | Upcoming Events

Letter from President of the St. Robert Alumni Committee –
Sara Sibilia Pohl – Class of 1998
Greetings to all St. Robert Alumni,
As president of the St. Robert Bellarmine Alumni organization and a graduate of
the class of 1998, St. Roberts is still a very special place for me and my family. It
will always be home to me and to so many graduates that have come through the
school over the years.
I know as an alumna St. Roberts School guided me in my Catholic faith formation
and the dedicated teachers and staff helped me along my education path. I made
lifelong friends in my school years at St. Roberts and being involved with the Youth Group helped form
me into the person I am today.
Being involved with the Alumni Committee, helps me know all the new and wonderful things going on in
the Parish and School. I have reconnected with some old classmates and have developed some wonderful
new friends. Please pray and consider coming to one of the Parish or Alumni events, or you may want to
consider getting involved with one of our committees. Our Alumni Committee is still in its growing stages
and we would love to hear from past alumni with any suggestions or ideas as we build the St. Roberts
Alumni Organization. If you have any questions please contact Kelly at the Parish office at 402-333-8989
or KellyVazquez@stroberts.com to get more information on upcoming events or how you can help.
Sincerely,
Sara Sibilia-Pohl – Class of 1998
President - St. Robert Alumni Committee
2018-2019 St. Robert Bellarmine Upcoming Events
• Shine
• Parish Annual Fundraiser – November 2, 2018 – Cocktails, Dinner and Auction
• All proceeds go to support the parish and school
• 10% tithe of funds raised 1 go to a Catholic organization in the Omaha Archdiocese
• Advent Journey to Christmas – St. Roberts Choirs
• Sunday, December 2, 2018 4:00pm in the Church
• Small reception following
• Alumni Cocktail Party
• 50th Anniversary of the School – Adults only 21 and over
• Friday, May 31, 2019 – Mainelli Center
• We need volunteers to help plan, please let us know if you would like to be part of the
planning committee
• St. Robert Bellarmine Family Picnic
• Bring your family to celebrate 50 years of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish School
• Saturday – June 1, 2019 - Food, Drink, Entertainment and Games – All Ages
• Alumni Tent
For more information or if you would like to help with any of these events, please contact Kelly Vazquez at
402-333-8989 or e-mail at KellyVazquez@StRoberts.com

Spotlight on Alumni
Rosemary Maynard-Gazda (A-1971)
Education after St. Robert’s:
Archbishop Ryan High School – Omaha, NE
Education Degree - Wayne State College, Wayne, NE
Occupation:
Teacher at St. Robert’s – starting her 31st year
Accomplishments, Awards and Recognitions:
Speaker/Presenter at NCEA 2013
How did it feel being one of the first classes to attend St. Roberts?
It was exciting! Everything was new…the building itself, teachers, friends, activities.
Memories from St. Roberts:
When I attended SRB there were religious sisters teaching in the school. My principal was Sister
Dolorita. Having religion classes and attending Mass as a school were both meaningful.
I remember being in a play, maybe in reading class, and it was a lot of fun. I also had my first male
teacher, Mr. Thompson, for math. I made some good friends too.
Anything else you would like to add:
St. Robert’s is home for me. My family moved into the parish during the summer before my 7th grade
year…I was 12. Many of our neighbors also went to SRB. My parents remained parishioners for the rest
of their lives. I go to weekly Mass at SRB and have had family members receive many of the sacraments
at St. Roberts. After I graduated from 8th grade I never thought that I would be back in the school.
Now, I can’t imagine teaching/being anywhere else!
Sara Sibilia- Pohl (A-1998)
Education after St. Robert’s:
High school Marian Highschool – Omaha, NE
College – Rockhurst University Kansas City, MO
Undergrad: Bachelor of Arts 2006, Doctorate Physical Therapy
2009
Occupation:
Physical Therapist – Athletico Excel Physical Therapy
Accomplishments, Awards and Recognitions:
Greatest Accomplishment Professionally - Board certified as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. While the
certification is nice, my greatest accomplishment is seeing people get better and get back to their normal
lives. There is nothing better than getting to help someone accomplish their goals.
How did St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School help support you in your Catholic faith:
St. Robert’s gave me an amazing base for my spiritual growth. I loved being involved with youth group
and volunteering activities when I was in junior high. I remember feeling so proud of being able to help
others and can’t help but think it was the basis for leading me to what I do now. Joining youth group in
high school kept me active in the parish and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else now. I am excited to
now have my children going to school at St. Robert’s.
Memories from St. Roberts:
I have several fun memories at St. Robert’s. I was active in sports and we won a lot of volleyball and basketball
tournaments during my time there. I remember walking up to church in the “link” and frequently
drive up to the current campus and think back to the walk between the buildings.

Saint Robert Bellarmine Alumni Association
11802 Pacific Street
Omaha, NE 68154
Looking to Reconnect or make some new friends……
We are always in need if additional help on our Alumni committee. The Alumni committee helps with
the newsletter, plan events, and keeping our database updated. If you would be interested in helping
with this fun and dedicated group of alumni, reconnect with old friends and make some new ones, please
contact Kelly Vazquez at the Parish office at 402-333-8989 or e-mail her at KellyVazquez@StRoberts.com
for more information.
Lauren Mohatt (A09) & Grace Gustafson
(A13) both teach Religious Education at St.
Roberts.
First Day of school - Future graduates Class of 2019