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Looking Back While
Eyeing The Future
BY WARD MIELE
Managing
Editor
Although
they have left the old neighborhood, ties to their student days
at St. Rose of Lima School, Newark,
remain strong.
Through
a unique combination
of nostalgia, chance and hard work, the St. Rose of
Lima Alumni Association has been thriving
the past several years, involving
former students from across
the
nation.
How
the association got started
and is now quite active is best described
by the driving force behind
the phenomenon, Susan Kemka
of Florham Park.
The genesis
of the
effort, Kemka explains, was the
warm memories of growing
up in the Roseville
section of Newark
during the 1950's and early 1960's. "It was
a very close
knit community."
Looking
back on her school days,
Kemka says fondly, "Everything
happened at St. Rose School;
everyone
gravitated to it."
About four
years ago
an Internet search about the
school and neighborhood
gave way ultimately to a
chat room named after a popular
stop along Orange
Street,
the neighborhood's main thoroughfare.
The
Bodholt's Diner chat room
soon took off.
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Following
a flurry of correspondence,
several graduates met at another popular
eating spot, Dickey Dees, in the
spring
of 2001.
On
the spur of the moment it was
decided to visit the school. To their surprise, Kemka
notes, "nothing had changed"
physically.
That
experience led to the first alumni
gathering in 2002. In conjunction with the
school's Imperial Lancers Drum and Bugle
Corps, an entire weekend was
planned.
At a Friday Mass, two
priests who
were at the parish four
decades ago
concelebrated along with
three St.
Rose alumni who became
priests. It
was that get-together that got the ball rolling on the St. Rose Alumni Association.
While
sharing memories and comradeship
is part of the association,
its primary purpose is to raise funds for the school
and its students.
Among
the activities the alumni
association has established are a
teacher appreciation day, Project Graduation,
providing DVD equipment
for each classroom, recognition
of the priests and an alumni
picnic.
Among
the distinguished alumni
are Joseph Deehan, retired CFO
of the McCormick Spice Co.,
track star Jerry Krumeich, Father
John Washington, who in World
War II gave up his lifejack-et
along with two other clergy and
went down after their ship had been torpedoed,
Jeff Schick, former Finance
Director of Revlon
and Nortel Networks, Chicago White Sox second baseman Bob Molinaro and former ABC Radio executive
Richard Lorenzo.
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Sister
Anita Marcellis, whose first
mission was at St.
Rose of Lima School from 1951-60, taught
the third, fourth and sixth
grades.
I
liked it very
much. I was very
happy there,"
explains
Sister
Anita, who said the students
were "well-behaved"
and are
"very loyal" to the school. She
feels the primary reason for that loyalty is that St.
Rose of Lima
provided "a good education
and has a good reputation."
Pointing
out that she taught many
of the association members, Sister
Anita says, "I hope I had a hand
in their development."
A
major event is coming up later
this month. Oct. 15 Mass will
be celebrated followed by a luncheon and tour of the
school. The following day at the
College
of Saint
Elizabeth, Morristown,
many sisters who taught
at St. Rose of Lima
over the years will be honored.
For
additional information visit
www.srlaa.org
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