SJJ Alumni News Archive
SJJ Wins Alumni Hockey Tournament
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The SJJ 35-and-over hockey team won the ninth annual Alumni Tournament at Tam-O-Shanter this past weekend. The game results were as follows: Tied Bedford 4-4, Beat Central Catholic 6-1, lost to Whitmer 5-4. In the playoffs, the Titans beat Whitmer 8-2 and then in the finals beat St. Francis 5-0.
The Alumni team would like to dedicate the championship to the memory of Joe Czernicki, who was one of the founding fathers of the hockey program. I have included a team photo with names as well.
Kneeling Left to Right: Jim Delverne '88, Mike Bugert '87, Todd Switala '84, Tony Packo '91, Joe Sofo '86. Standing L to R: Darrel Edinger '87, Jamie Gollehon '94, Tom Wanamaker '85, Mike Demsey '86, Jim Beattie '85, Mike Spencer '88, Mark Delverne '86, Cos Figliomeni '86, Dave Backus '77.
Dominican Brother James Dominic Rooney
Monday, September 13, 2010
Published in the Catholic Chronicle
Dominican Brother James Dominic Rooney (Alan Rooney '05) made his first profession to the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans, on Aug. 15 in Denver.
Growing up, Br. Rooney lived in Akron, Ohio, Norfolk, Va., and Japan before his family settled in Perrysburg. Br. Rooney, the oldest of Thomas and Maryanna Rooney’s three children, grew up in Perrysburg St. Rose and Maumee St. Joseph parishes. He graduated from St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo and later entered Saint Joseph’s College Seminary at Loyola University, Chicago, for the Diocese of Toledo.
He attended Loyola for one year before transferring to the Catholic University of America where he earned a degree in philosophy. He later graduated from the University of Toledo with a master’s degree in philosophy before entering the Dominicans.
During his discernment, Br. Rooney received spiritual counsel and discernment advice from Father Michael Dandurand, Father Monte Hoyles and Jesuit Father Francis Canfield.
Br. Rooney completed his novitiate in Denver and is to begin his formal studies for the priesthood in the fall at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis.
Founded by St. Dominic, the Order of Preachers has worked for nearly 800 years to bring the true message of the Gospel to the world through its preaching and teaching.
The Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Albert the Great serve the Catholic church in 14 states throughout the central United States. Empowered by their preaching charism, the friars proclaim the Gospel through theological education, college Newman Centers, parishes and social justice ministries.
Chris Nixon '04 returns to Midwest
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Published in the Sylvania Herald
Chris Nixon '04, a graduate of the acclaimed French Culinary Institute of Manhattan and a former chef at Tom Colicchio's Manhattan Craft restaurant, has returned to the Midwest to open his own restaurant in Coldwater, Mich., a vacation site for many Toledo residents.
Nixon purchased and later reopened The Boathouse in November, 2009, opting not to return to Manhattan, and instead took on the role of Executive Chef. Since then, the lakefront restaurant, with three professional chefs, has become a destination restaurant for diners from all over Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois.
Greg Szymanski '05 has joined Chris as manager of The Boathouse.
Lessons From the Gridiron - Don Coleman '70
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Published in the New York Times
I GREW up in Toledo, in the Old West End neighborhood near the Toledo Museum of Art. It was a predominantly African-American neighborhood. My mother worked for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, finding temporary housing for residents whose apartments were being torn down. My father was a skycap for United Airlines and worked nights as a janitor at the local library.
At St. John’s Jesuit High School, I was a football running back and was chosen All City and All State. When it came time to select a university, I had about 20 coaches visiting the house, talking up their programs. I chose the University of Michigan. I received a full scholarship. Our coach was Bo Schembechler. We lost only three games and tied one in four years. ... Read More
New Superintendent for Catholic Schools Announced - Chris Knight '78
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Published in The Blade
The Toledo Diocese has announced that Chris Knight '78 will be the new Superintendent of Catholic Schools beginning July 1, 2010.
Mr. Knight is replacing Jack Altenberger, who announced his retirement earlier this year.
"Passing on the faith through our schools is a priority and needs our careful attention," said the Rev. Michael Billian, episcopal vicar of the diocese, in a statement. "I am confident that Christopher Knight will assist all of us in the diocese at meeting this important goal."
Mr. Knight will be chief administrator of 67 elementary schools and 14 high schools, which have more than 21,000 students and more than 1,700 teachers. In addition, he will manage the Catholic Youth and School Services office and oversee the Catholic Youth Organization.
SJJ Alums Gather in D.C. to share memories, laughs & business cards
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
More than 20 graduates of St. John’s Jesuit High School gathered at Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington, D.C. as part of an ongoing series of nationwide alumni receptions. Kevin Mullan '99, SJJ Director of Alumni Relations, explains, “The reason we do this is to strengthen relationships. First and foremost, we want to strengthen relationships between graduates of SJJ that are living and working in the same community. Secondly, we want to make them aware of the many ways we are trying to help them maintain relationships with many of the Titans they may not have seen in years. Third, we want to help them maintain a solid relationship with their alma mater.”
Graduates of every decade of St. John’s Jesuit were present, including the largest showing from the classes of 1988 and 1998, respectively. Mullan and Brett Loney '88, Vice President for Advancement, were both on hand for the two-hour cocktail reception.
Throughout the event, alums laughed while sharing memories of some of SJJ’s most legendary faculty including Carl “Doc” Demarkowski, former football coach and teacher, the late Fred Beier, as well as plenty of amusing stories involving Fr. Charles Sweeney, who passed away last year.
The location for SJJ’s next Alumni Reception has not yet been determined, but trips to Columbus, Chicago, Charlotte, and a possible trip to the West Coast have all been discussed over the next 18 to 24 months.
Making his mark with Xavier - Andrew Taylor '06
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Published in The Blade
Andrew Taylor is no stranger to success.
For three consecutive years, the Xavier junior forward and St. John's Jesuit graduate has seen the Musketeers advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.
This season, though, has been a little sweeter ride for Taylor because he's played a greater role in the team's postseason run.
Taylor is averaging 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 9.8 minutes per game and has seen action in all 34 of the Musketeers' contests.
"I've come pretty far," Taylor said in a phone interview with The Blade on Tuesday after his team's charter flight landed in Salt Lake City in preparation for taking on No. 2 seed Kansas State in a West Regional semifinal at approximately 9:30 tonight.
"From last year to this year, it's been a big transition with our new coach [Chris Mack]. He told me at the beginning of the year that I'd have an opportunity to prove myself."
Before enrolling at Xavier, Taylor played one season at Hillsdale College, a Division II institution in Michigan. He averaged 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game with the Chargers, but his hunger for the high-intensity basketball he was accustomed to wasn't satiated in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
"During my freshman year there, I kind of started to think that I should look for a better opportunity at the Division I level," Taylor said.
So he reached out to old friend and St. John's teammate B.J. Raymond, who was in the process of rewriting the record books at Xavier.
Raymond finished his career at the Jesuit school in Cincinnati with 1,104 points and was a part of 103 wins, the most by any player in school history. He also helped lead the Musketeers to three-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in his last three years, including an epic showdown with Ohio State in 2007.
Once Taylor expressed an interest in Xavier, Raymond went to work poking and prodding his coaches into taking a look at his former protege and ultimately convinced them to give him a scholarship.
"The program was starting to do really well, so it was a good fit," Taylor said. "Since then, things have just taken off. It doesn't get much better than being in the Sweet 16 three years in a row. It was a great, great choice to go to Xavier."
Taylor was limited by injuries last year, but has started to leave his mark this season.
At the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., Taylor enjoyed one of the best games of his Xavier career in an 80-67 win over Creighton on Nov. 27. He posted a career-high six points on 3-of-5 shooting and grabbed two rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench.
"I kind of showed [Mack] what I can do in that game," Taylor said. "I've just been feeding off that confidence throughout the year."
St. John's coach Ed Heintschel has watched from afar as Taylor's career has flourished and admits he has always been a bit of a late bloomer.
So in that regard, the best may be yet to come for Taylor, who said he's received many text messages and phone calls this week from family and friends back home.
"Without sounding negative, he's kind of an overachiever," Heintschel said. "He kept getting taller and taller, for one thing, but he's filled out a lot. He's really worked hard. It's good to see a guy who's done that and stayed with it get rewarded with some success."