What's Happening in Cougar Country

One of Lake Catholic’s longest-standing traditions continued Monday, Nov. 20, as the Class of 2024 participated in the 49th Annual Turkey Day.

What had started back in 1974 as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class, has turned into much more for Lake Catholic students, as they live out one of the school’s core values – its willingness to serve.

“This is a very important day for our school and our senior class,” Mrs. Brandi Mandzak, a Theology teacher who coordinated the entire day, said to the seniors. “Everything you did today matters.”

The day started with a small prayer service, where there were prayers not only for the senior class but also for those who it was going to help. The seniors chose between 10 different service projects and headed out into the community. 

The groups headed to:

• Lake Farmpark, where the students helped set up Christmas trees for breakfast with Santa and cleaned up the barns for when families go for country lights and horse races.
• Outdoor YMCA in Perry, where they cleaned up the area by raking and blowing leaves and moving large tree branches.
• Holden Arboretum, where they mulched 300 trees for protection during the winter.
• Lake Humane Society, where they cleaned cages, swept the floor, mailed envelopes to donors, but most importantly got to play with the cats and dogs. 
  “It was so fun,” Hannah Pattie said. “I really enjoyed seeing all the little dogs and cats, and how their faces lit up when we were playing with them.”
• Greater Cleveland Food Bank, where they sorted drinks and eventually packed 14,000 pounds of beverages.
• Broadmoor School, where they worked and played with the children.
• Karpos Ministry, where they baked desserts for Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless at St. Mary’s in Painesville. 
• Willoughby Workshop, where they read to the adults there.
• Grateful Giving, where students baked in the school’s Campus Ministry center that will be brought to first responders.
• Project Hope, where the students, after a tour of the facility, made cards for the packed lunches that are handed out every day, as well as sorting donations and organizing their storage room.
  “It was wonderful to have so many kids writing messages of positivity to put in the lunches of the homeless to help encourage them as they leave for the day after staying the night,” said Bryan Bossert, the property manager at Project Hope.

When the students returned to school, there was an all-class mass in the Chapel with Fr. Andy Gonzalez.

They then all moved to the Atrium for a catered Thanksgiving feast, which was what Turkey Day started as back in the ‘70s. Lunch was served by some parents of the students, who also served as chaperones throughout the morning.

The day ended in silence in the Auditorium as each student had time to reflect on their day, what their service meant to the community, and how thankful they were to be able to help those who need it. 

“It really is a great day for all of us,” Pattie said. “I’ve never heard of other schools doing this kind of service for their communities. And it’s great that we can give back to places around here, keeping that connection with our entire community.”

All the pictures from today can be found on the Student Life / Traditions page of the website under Turkey Day.

This is the second in a series introducing new members of the Lake Catholic community.

When Bishop Edward Malesic celebrated the school year-opening mass at Lake Catholic, he made two important announcements – one that received loud cheers and applause from the students and one that will have a more lasting impact on the students.

As he typically does when he visits, Bishop Malesic let everyone know that the students, faculty and staff can have a day off of school/work on him. Mr. McKrill, after conferring with members of the senior class, announced that day would be October 16.

That day will come and go though.

But it was the second announcement that will have a more lasting effect on the students. Bishop Malesic made public that Fr. Andy Gonzalez, the newly appointed vicar at St. Gabriel Parish, will also serve as chaplain here at Lake Catholic.

“Once my move was announced to St. Gabriel Parish (from Holy Family in Stow, Ohio), I was asked if I would be willing to be a regular presence here at Lake Catholic,” Fr. Andy said. “It’s very open-ended from my perspective. My main mission is to offer mass, but I could be present in other ways too.”

Fr. Andy has already started celebrating mass every Thursday morning at 715a in the school’s chapel. He might also be spotted in a few theology classes or the Campus Ministry office.

“I have two older brothers and 10 nieces and nephews, who range from preschool to college,” he said. “Those experiences have helped me with my work with kids and teens. I’m comfortable with them and I hope they’re comfortable with me.”

Working with kids and teens, or even being a priest for that matter, is a far stretch from where Fr. Andy was 10-15 years ago.

After graduating from Olmsted Falls High School in 2002, Fr. Andy (or just Andy at that point) enrolled at Baldwin Wallace University, where we would earn his undergraduate degree in computer information systems.

He even had a job after college at a software company in Westlake. He worked in that industry for six years. But in 2013, he made the decision to leave that world and entered St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology.

“I was just in a job and a place in my life where I knew I needed a change,” he said.

So there he was, a 29-year-old entering the seminary to become a priest.

“Moving from one point in my life to this one wasn’t easy,” he said. “There was a lot of formation. I created a lot of strong relationships. They taught me how to be a priest.”

While in the seminary, he did help support Campus Ministry at St. Edward for a semester. And he said he sees similarities between that brief time and how he views his role here at Lake Catholic.

“I can be on the ground, in the field, wherever there are needs,” he said. “How can I help have Jesus enter these halls.”

He’ll continue to have his “normal priestly duties” – saying mass, confession, etc. – at St. Gabes. But both there and here, he said he’s going to continue to find his way and see how he best fits.

“There’s something oddly freeing about it, about being new,” he said. “There’s no hardened fast rules or expectations. I can just go where my attention needs to be.”

Quick Hits

• Enjoys exercising and working out. Enjoys the outdoors. He is a part of the Holy Hiking club at St. Gabes.
• Loves reading. He’s currently in the middle of five different books, including working through Dante’s Divine Comedy.
   

Eighteen Lake Catholic students were honored and awarded scholarships last night by the Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve. 

The award ceremony was held at St. John Vianney and then Fr. Tom Johns held a mass for the students, their families and the Christ Child Society.

The chapter of the Christ Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve is an organization primarily dedicated to child welfare. Its motive and spirit shall be a love of Christ expressing itself in personal service for children and youth regardless of race or creed to honor the childhood of Christ.

The 40-year-old chapter serves "one child at a time" through many different programs, including scholarships. Scholarships are offered to students currently enrolled at Lake Catholic and Ursuline College for their current tuition.

Those receiving the scholarships for the 2023-24 school year are: Victor Arenas (Sr.), Carley Dondorfer (Sr.), Joey Lonchar (Sr.), Katie Morgan (Sr.), Alyssa Naro (Sr.), Mia Schaefer (Sr.), Katie Sowko (Sr.), Kyle Boyd (Jr.), Caden Boyes (Jr.), Carson Gilbert (Jr.), Megan Joy (Jr.), Luke Joy (Jr.), Jimmy Meden (Jr.), Angelina Capra (So.), Kaelyn Nemeth (So.), Kiera Nemeth (So.), Brayden Mann (So.) and Robert Vidmar (Fr.).