Benedictine Academy September Events Salute Its Centennial

Submitted by Benedictine Academy

Benedictine Academy, the all-female Catholic college prep high school located in Elizabeth, successfully kicked off its centennial celebration with three special events designed to encourage students, parents, alumnae and the community to participate in honoring the Academy’s important milestone.

On September 15, Benedictine Academy (BA) hosted the 9th Annual Golf Outing at the Maplewood Country Club. This year’s Centennial Golf Event honored BA graduates of the 1960s. Special recognition was given to Linda Cuccurolle Farrell’69, Ginny Murphy’65, Peg Harrington MacNeill’62, and Mary Ann O’Brien DeSantis’60 all of whom are dedicated supporters of BA and of the yearly golf event. Proceeds of the golf event will benefit BA and assist in carrying out its mission of educating young women to be responsible 21st Century leaders.

An Opening Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated by Most Reverend Manual A. Cruz, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, at the Holy Spirit Church in Union on Sunday, September 21. Students and their parents, teachers, graduates, friends and the religious community joined together to salute BA’s Centennial. A highlight of the event was the singing of Ave Maria by Benedictine President, Sr. Germaine Fritz, OSB. A reception in the Holy Spirit Parish Hall followed with slide shows and photos reminiscent of the past century. Even uniforms and gym attire worn through the years were on display.

A Centennial lecture featuring Author and America Editor-at-Large, Rev. James Martin, S.J., speaking on “Jesus: A Pilgrimage”, plus a special book signing was held on at Kean University STEM Building in Union on September 24. A frequent guest on NPR and national talk shows, Father Martin walked the audience through a lively interpretation of the life of Jesus. He answered questions that many of the faithful have regarding the relationship of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the role of women in the Church, the gospels and more. His brilliance coupled with his sense of humor made the evening a great success.

The BA Centennial special events will continue in 2015 with a Night of Artistic Expression to be held at Benedictine Academy on Friday, February 20, 2015. It will provide a chance for the public to enjoy the talented students, staff, alumnae and friends. On Sunday, March 8, 2015, the BA Centennial Speaker Series will feature Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK and the force behind the Nuns on the Bus tours.

Additional Centennial celebration activities are planned for 2015 with a Grand Finale Gala Dinner and Auction to be held in April.

Information and tickets for all events is available at www.benedictineacad.org or by calling 908-352-0670 Ext. 106.

“We are thrilled that we can celebrate 100 years of serving the community and helping young women advance in so many ways, and at the same time observe this momentous occasion in our history,” Academy President Sister Germaine Fritz, OSB, who is an alumna of 1954, pointed out.

“Our mission is to provide college-preparatory education to young women of various ethnic, socio-economic and religious backgrounds”, Sister Germaine continued.

Families representing many faiths choose to send their daughters to the multi-cultural, college prep, Catholic school. Located in the Westminster section of Elizabeth, Benedictine Academy attracts students from Union, Essex and Middlesex Counties.

Benedictine Academy (BA) was founded by the Benedictine Sisters of Elizabeth in 1915 to serve young women in Elizabeth and surrounding communities. A Catholic college preparatory high school, the mission of the Academy is to educate young women to be responsible leaders of the 21st Century. The Academy offers a valuable educational experience to students of the Catholic and various Christian faiths representing the richness and variety of over twenty nationalities and cultures. Focusing on academic growth and character formation in the Benedictine tradition, the Academy challenges students to become life-long learners who are intellectually curious, rooted in the Gospel, and committed to justice and integrity. Academic achievement and personal growth are developed in a unique educational family setting. www.benedictineacad.org.

BA is a four-time winner of the prestigious, top-prize Gold Medal from the national Jefferson Awards for Public Service, for its efforts to fight and eradicate human trafficking. Since 2011, the school’s Students in Action (SIA) leadership team has taken the Academy from a special award created for them: “Best New School”, to “Best High School in the Nation” in 2012, and then to “Best Ambassador High School” in the nation in 2013 and 2014, for the school community’s anti-trafficking service. http://www.jeffersonawards.org/.

Contact: Rosemary Anderson 908-352-0670 Ext.105