ANNAPOLIS – As the General Assembly gathers in Maryland’s Capitol for its session beginning Jan. 10, the Maryland Catholic Conference is poised to provide input from the church’s perspective on a host of issues across the political spectrum.

In a political climate so sharply divided on partisan sides, “the church truly does offer a voice that’s nonpartisan,” Mary Ellen Russell, MCC executive director, told a group of reporters and editors from Catholic publications that cover the state, during a briefing Dec. 14.

The conference represents the bishops whose dioceses include Maryland on public policy matters – Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington, and Bishop W. Francis Malooly of the Diocese of Wilmington, Del.

Since this is the last year of a four-year term for all 188 members of the General Assembly and Republican Gov. Lawrence Hogan Jr., much of what is discussed in Annapolis will be influenced by the legislators running for office, Russell said.

“Like any lobbyist, I think the most important thing that we do is to educate legislators 1-on-1 on the facts about the issues versus the political rhetoric that they might be reading about in the newspaper,” she said. The conference staff tries to approach each individual legislator in a way that appeals to them about the MCC’s issues, making a connection to the issues the legislator cares about.

Russell said she hopes that violence in Baltimore will be treated in a bipartisan manner. The main difference in approaches is stricter crime enforcement versus systemic solutions to poverty and drugs. People in the state “expect the church to take a prominent role as healer and reconciler,” she said.

Physician-assisted suicide

Physician-assisted suicide remains a priority issue for MCC’s Respect Life Department.

California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia have legalized the procedure through legislation. Montana legalized it through a court ruling.

As a largely Democratic state, Maryland will very likely be the target for a bill supporting physician-assisted suicide, after similar bills were defeated for the past three years.

“We’ve been preparing for a fight again this year,” said Jennifer L. Briemann, MCC deputy director and associate director of respect life issues. “The issue isn’t going away.”

In preparation, the MCC has been hosting free pre-legislative information sessions on the topic at parishes throughout the state to educate Catholics on the issue, and to provide guidance on how they can make an impact.

“We have a consistent view of human dignity and the value of human life,” Russell said.

Briemann expects creative legislation to arise from pro-choice supporters. The Respect Life Department will also work with the Social and Economic Justice Department on human trafficking issues.

Immigration

According to Anne Wallerstedt, MCC associate director of social and economic justice, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has made immigration a priority in the new year. However, because immigration issues need to be resolved by Congress at the federal level, Wallerstedt said that “This is a really good time for the church in Maryland to be able to step in and have our voices heard, and really take a stronger role in protecting immigrants at the state-level.”

Although the federal government plans to eliminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which provides amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants, many of whom came to the U.S. as children – typically called “dreamers” – Wallerstedt noted that there are ways to help immigrants at a state level. “For example, Maryland passed the ‘Dream Act’ (in 2012), which offers in-state tuition to DACA recipients,” she said.

“It’s not just DACA. It’s the TPS Programs, the Temporally Protected Statuses, that are being eliminated federally. We really need people to know that the church is on their side – that we are a place that, even if it’s just for an hour every Sunday, that they can come and feel safe, and access services,” she said.

Education

Garrett J. O’Day, MCC associate director for education, children and families, noted that the conference supports legislation and programs that promote strong families, including Catholic and other nonpublic schools and criminal justice reforms.

In the drive to expand universal access to pre-kindergarten, the legislature may try to reformulate the funding mechanisms for public schools while mandating a diverse delivery system for education services.

“Catholic schools might be expansion sites (for pre-K), especially for 4-year-olds,” O’Day said.

The MCC also continues to support expanded funding for the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students (BOOST) program that provides scholarships for some students who are eligible for the free or reduced–price lunch program to attend eligible nonpublic schools. Awards are granted based on household income, with the lowest income served first.

O’Day noted that the program saw an increase in applications from 4,500 in the 2016-17 school year to 6,000 applications last year. Much of the increase was from students transferring from public schools. Funding for BOOST was increased to $6 million for the 2017-18 school year, but if scholarships had been given to everyone who applied and was eligible, the need was $8.5 million.

Last year, 45 percent of the initial scholarship offers were made to public school students, who received 72 percent of the allocated funds, since public school transfer students get a higher scholarship allowance.

O’Day said the MCC seeks to ensure funding at the same or higher level, and assurance that students who have received a scholarship are guaranteed to receive the same amount each year that they are income-eligible.

The MCC also continues to work on state funding for textbooks and facilities improvements for nonpublic schools, he said.

Lobby Night – Feb. 22

St. John Neumann, 620 Bestgate Road, Annapolis; 3-8 p.m.; free; Maryland Catholic Conference sponsors “Catholics in Annapolis”; shuttles to and from state office buildings to share church’s position with legislators; dinner reception in Miller Senate Office Building, 6:30 p.m.; RSVP at www.mdcathcon.org/lobbynight.

Listen to an interview with Mary Ellen Russell and Jennifer Briemann on Catholic Baltimore:

Contributing to this story were Rico De Silva, Christopher Gunty and Emily Rosenthal.

Brother Kevin Strong, a groundbreaking leader at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson and Cardinal Gibbons School in Baltimore who served as the first president of both all-boys institutions, died Jan. 3 in New Jersey after years of declining health.

The 85-year-old Western Maryland native had served more than six decades as a member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, joining the religious community only five days after he graduated from La Salle High School in Cumberland in 1949.

“He was truly one of the giants of our religious community,” said Christian Brother John Kane, current president of Calvert Hall. “He touched thousands of hearts and he changed lives. People loved him everywhere he went.”

Leading Calvert Hall from 1990 to 2000, Brother Kevin was known as a prodigious fundraiser with a long-term vision for the school. He oversaw fundraising for $6 million in campus improvements and spearheaded a $3 million capital campaign in 1995 to increase the school’s endowment. He also was moderator of the school’s cross country, track and field, and wrestling teams.

“His biggest accomplishment was how he treated people,” said Brother John, who first met his mentor at La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, Pa., where Brother John was a student and Brother Kevin was a faculty member. Brother John later assisted Brother Kevin in administration at Archbishop Carroll School in Radnor, Pa., where Brother Kevin was principal.

“He was a gentle, caring soul,” Brother John said. “He made you feel that everything was fine. Even in the most tense times, he’d make you laugh.”

After leaving Calvert Hall in 2000, Brother Kevin was serving as director of his religious order’s aspirancy program in Philadelphia when Cardinal William H. Keeler asked him to return to Baltimore to become Cardinal Gibbons’ first president in 2004.

“No one would have faulted him for saying no,” said Brother John, noting that Brother Kevin was then in his early 70s. “He said ‘yes.’ That’s the kind of person he was.”

In a 2005 interview with the Catholic Review, Brother Kevin said he couldn’t refuse the opportunity to return to Catholic education. He described relying on the Holy Spirit to make his job easier – benefiting from unsolicited donations to give Gibbons’ teachers Christmas bonuses and helping secure significant donations for tuition assistance and the refurbishment of the fine arts building.

Brother Kevin was president of Cardinal Gibbons until 2008. The school closed in 2010.

Although Brother Kevin underwent dialysis for the last decade of his life and suffered serious health issues, Brother John noted that his friend still worked as a guidance counselor for freshmen at Calvert Hall before moving to a retirement home for his religious community in New Jersey.

For more than 30 years, Brother Kevin maintained the practice of writing a personal religious journal, cataloguing his blessings and reflecting on God’s goodness.

“I’m amazed by how many signs of God’s presence there really are,” he told the Catholic Review in a 1999 interview, adding that he worked hard to help young people recognize their own blessings from God.

“I like being able to draw out from students their insights and affirm them in their gifts,” he said. “I try to convince them about how good they are and how talented they are and how much they have going for them.”

Brother Kevin’s own drive for helping others was inspired by the religious brothers and sisters in his native Cumberland.

A parishioner of Ss. Peter and Paul, he was taught by the Ursuline sisters at his parish elementary school. He encountered the Christian Brothers at La Salle High School. It was they, Brother Kevin told the Review, who turned a teenager who saw “nothing outstanding or special” in himself into a young man burning with a desire to serve God.

Brother Kevin earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in theology from La Salle University, a master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from The Catholic University of America.

He spent several years teaching and working with Cuban refugees at La Salle High School in Miami after Fidel Castro came to power.

Other assignments included various roles as a teacher, guidance counselor, vice-principal, principal and president of Catholic schools outside Maryland.

Proud of his Irish heritage, Brother Kevin recorded a CD, “Sing Claddagh,” of his favorite Irish songs, and was the honorary grand marshal of the 2014 St. Patrick Parade in Baltimore. “Walking in God’s Presence,” a collection of his poetry, was published in 1996.

“When I think of God’s presence here on earth,” said Charles Stembler, Calvert Hall principal, “I always think of Brother Kevin.”

A viewing will be held at The Noppinger Commons at Calvert Hall on Jan. 13 from 9 to 11 a.m. A funeral Mass will be offered at the school’s Knott Center at 11 a.m.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org.

WINDSOR MILL – Students from the Cardinal Shehan School are capable of lifting spirits with more than their voices.

Before the Catholic school on northeast Baltimore had a viral choir, its current eighth-graders developed a relationship with their peers from Al-Rahmah School, an Islamic school in western Baltimore County.

Together, the students made bag lunches Dec. 19 for people who are homeless.

The service project extends an initiative that began when the students were in sixth grade and they wrote to each other as pen pals. Last fall, students from Al-Rahmah visited Cardinal Shehan, where the pen pals met and collaborated on a drawing centered on the theme of peace.

“Peace is the commonality between both (schools),” said Jackie Peterson, the advancement director at Cardinal Shehan, where the school’s theme for the year is “the peace you see is the Jesus in me.”

The 300 lunches, each packed with a sandwich, bag of chips, fruit cup and bottle of water, will be distributed at Beans & Bread, a program of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore. Each lunch includes a note from one of the students, letting the recipient know that there is an individual on the other end who cares.

Madison Brown, one of the 48 eighth-graders from Cardinal Shehan who participated Dec. 19, said that she wants to do more with her peers at Al-Rahmah.

“Even (if) we help every three months,” Brown said, “it’s (for) people that need it every day.”

Despite Catholic school uniforms and hijabs, teachers and students alike commented on the eighth-graders’ similarities. While it took the students a few minutes to warm to each other, they became friends after discovering a mutual love of music and other topics.

“It’s a different experience,” said Mariah Dixon, who a student at Cardinal Shehan for seven years. “It gets rid of all the stereotypes.”

The idea originated with Father Joseph Muth, pastor of St. Matthew in Northwood, who, along with his parish’s Immigration Outreach Service Center and pastoral council, wanted to find a way to connect with the Muslim community. As the partnership continues to grow, they hope to add a component for parents to meet and interact.

“We want our kids to get to know Muslims early on,” said Father Muth, who added that the students easily found “the common ground of life” within each other.

In October, Cardinal Shehan School soared in visibility when a video of the school’s choir singing “Rise Up” by Andra Day went viral. Fametta Jackson, principal, said that the school was a “well-kept secret” before.

“God said, ‘No longer will you be a secret, the world will know about you,’” said Jackson, who said that she still gets chills when she hears her students sing the song. “That’s why I get those chills, it’s because God is reminding me that our job is not done.”

Jackson, who walked the halls of Cardinal Shehan School when it was a parish school for St. Matthew, said that it is important that the world knows that singing is just one way the school promotes its mission of peace.

“That song was about bringing hope,” Jackson said. “This (project) is bringing peace to communities that need it.”

The schools plan to continue the partnership after the current eighth-graders move on.

“That’s what Christ wants us to do,” Jackson said. “Spread his kindness to all.”

Email Emily Rosenthal at erosenthal@CatholicReview.org

For the third year in a row, Archbishop William E. Lori joined the Maryland Knights of Columbus Dec. 5 to distribute coats to children in Baltimore.

This year’s event was at St. Peter Claver Church in West Baltimore, where every student from Archbishop Borders School, Cardinal Shehan School, Holy Angels Catholic School and Ss. James and John Catholic School – 1,048 all told – went home with a new coat.

Student representatives from each of the Partners in Excellence schools visited with Archbishop Lori to find a perfect fit, and returned with coats for each of their classmates.

“It may not feel like we need it today, but we’ll be needing it in the days ahead,” Archbishop Lori, chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, said. “Who of us doesn’t need a warm coat in the winter?”

In 2016, Coats for Kids, a Knights of Columbus program, allowed local councils to donate 87,906 coats throughout the United States and Canada. The Maryland Knights of Columbus contributed to that number by distributing 1,700 coats last year, during a similar event at Ss. James and John.

Stephen Cohen, state deputy of the Maryland State Council of the Knights of Columbus and parishioner of St. Pius X in Rodgers Forge, has been a knight for 42 years.

“(We are here) to give kids coats that may never get a new coat,” Cohen said, adding that the event encompasses several of the Knights’ service points of emphasis: church, community, council, culture of life, family and youth.

“We all care about the kids in the community,” said Lawrence LaPrade, a Baltimore City police officer in the community relations unit in the Western District, where he was born and raised. He and another officer helped load the schools’ vehicles with boxes of coats.

The Maryland Knights, comprised of men from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Wilmington, donate between 2,500 and 3,000 winter coats to children throughout the state of Maryland each year.

In addition to the state council, approximately 150 local councils and chapters used fundraisers and direct donations to purchase the coats for about $18 apiece through a retailer that works with the Knights.

“This is just scratching the surface,” said Mark Mangus, state youth activities director and parishioner of St. Louis in Clarksville, who has been a knight for 33 years. “But if we can help some, it’s better than not helping any.”

Mangus coordinated the purchase and deliveries of the coats to St. Peter Claver. Members of the state council and some of their wives helped to unload and sort the coats by sizes to be sent to the schools.

“No kid should be cold,” Mangus said.

Email Emily Rosenthal at erosenthal@CatholicReview.org

$3,000

Donation from the Knights of Columbus Council 2942 of Dundalk to the Children’s Faith Formation Program in the pastorate of Sacred Heart of Mary and Our Lady of Fatima in Baltimore, and St. Rita in Dundalk.

On Oct. 22, the Knights presented separate checks of $1,500 to St. Rita and Sacred Heart of Mary.

“The Knights have made contributions to our program for a number of years and have always supported our efforts of passing the Faith on to a new generation of Catholics,” wrote Father George Gannon, pastor, in a recent bulletin announcement.

1,136

Books collected by Geoffrey Forsyth, a member of Boy Scout Troop 396 and senior at St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis, who wanted to complete his Eagle Scout Project in a unique way.

Forsyth collaborated with the African Library Project to collect and donate books of a fourth- to eighth-grade reading level that would be used for the creation of a library in Malawi, Africa.  His project gained momentum at St. Mary’s, where approximately 350 books were collected; the remainder of the books came from boxes at the public library.

Forsyth completed his Eagle Scout project May 31. In September, he received pictures from the African Library Project of his books being delivered.

Forsyth hopes to pursue a career as an officer in the military.

650+

Pounds of supplies a Mount St. Mary’s student and his rugby teammates donated to Hurricane Irma victims.

After parts of Luis Turbyfield’s home community of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, were destroyed, he reached out to his university’s community and administration for assistance. The head coach of the men’s rugby team, Jay Myles, requested that families attending FamilyFest make donations. The community responded with clothing, diapers, work gloves, dust masks and toiletries. The men’s rugby team sorted the donations and prepared them for transport to the islands.

Turbyfield, a graduate of Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, and his family personally delivered the donations to Providenciales the week of Oct. 9, over the school’s fall break. With the help of the local Salvation Army, Luis helped distribute individual bags of supplies. He plans to return in December with a new collection of needed materials.

$130.86

Dollars that students of St. Thomas More Academy in Middletown collected for Catholic schools in areas recently affected by hurricanes as part of the National Catholic Education Association’s Student to Student Initiative.

The PreK through eighth-grade students also submitted artwork centered on the theme of hope, and students ages 8-14 performed the song “Hope Will Not Disappoint.” Using the music and artwork, a slideshow centering on the theme of hope was created and shared virtually.

Thirty-eight schools received the message, and 14 of their principals responded with their gratitude. A parent from Royal Palm Academy in Naples, Fla., wrote to wrote to St. Thomas More Academy, “Your message of hope rings clear, as our children hum the tune in your video! We appreciate your kindness, thoughtfulness and prayers!”

To view the slideshow, visit https://youtu.be/h9t7Cx9-6kg.

55

Confirmation candidates from St. Francis de Sales in Abingdon who sponsored a 5K run and 1 mile walk.  On Nov. 4, 165 runners and walkers participated in the Shelter: Operation Sprint (S.O.S.) event that raised almost $4,000 for the Welcome One Faith Communities and Civic Agencies United (FCCAU) Homeless Shelter, Harford County’s only full-service emergency homeless shelter.

When given the challenge to design a service project inspired by the Beatitudes, the sophomore-aged candidates chose a 5K event.  The 55 candidates worked in teams to execute all areas of event planning, from advertising and research to set-up and clean-up.

8

Steps that Monsignor Slade Catholic School in Glen Burnie has taken to further involve its students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The school, which welcomes students in Pre-K2 through eighth grade, recently opened a STEM lab, complete with a makerspace.

Students participate in STEM-focused learning using snap circuitry, an OWI robotic arm, LEGO robotics kits, Ozobots, coding and 3-D printers. To help create a STEM environment at Monsignor Slade, the school welcomed a new staff member, Kathleen Oleszczuk, a technology and STEM specialist with more than 24 years of experience in teaching STEM.

5

Members inducted into Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg’s Seton Council chapter of the Vincentian Marian Youth (VMY) during a Mass celebrating the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul Sept. 27. According to the school, VMY is an international organization that “encourages youth to become missionaries of Christ through outreach to their communities.”

Archbishop William E. Lori celebrated the Mass that welcomed eighth-graders Hannah Cavey, Mia Ferraro and Bella Rabaiotti; and seventh-graders Jameson Doll and Beckett Tayler. They join current eighth-graders Shae Archie, Keola Evans, Jacob Hartness, Brody Holz and Raphaela Smaldone; and current seventh-graders Layla Metts, Mackenzie Orndorff, Pearl Walker and Violet Walker (see photo above).

The principles of community, service, Marian spirituality and formation to service are at the core of every VMY meeting and activity. Seton Council members participate in food drives, volunteer at the Catoctin Pregnancy Center and the Seton Thrift Store, and visit with residents at St. Catherine’s Nursing Center.

3

The age of Robbie Long III when his parents had him evaluated for developmental delays and discovered that he was on the autism spectrum. The diagnosis did not stop Robbie from achieving success, especially in wrestling.

Robbie, who was featured in the Catholic Review in April 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz6A2aXiJVg

has played multiple sports at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Essex, including wrestling.

The Maryland chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame awarded Robbie with its Medal of Courage for 2017. According the organization’s website, wrestling made Robbie’s high school experience special, and his presence on the team reminded teammates and coaches of the value of participating in a team sport.

St. Frances Academy in Baltimore completed its total dominance of the local scene Nov. 19, when the Panthers scored five second-half touchdowns in 13 minutes to run by Gilman School, 44-7, in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship game at Homewood Field on the campus of The Johns Hopkins University.

It was a familiar effort from the Panthers, who have outscored the opposition by an average of 36 points this season.

St. Frances Academy, which went 6-0 in conference play, improved to 12-0 overall and isn’t done with its landmark season. Ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 13 in USA Today’s Super 25, the Panthers will play Dec. 23 in Phoenix, against an opponent to be determined, in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series.

The A Conference title was the latest accomplishment for a school that did not have a football program until 2008. It showed its ambitions in 2013, when the Panthers leapt from the C Conference to the A Conference, but they did not win a game at that level two years ago.

All that changed, however, when the coaching staff and accompanying resources that had built Gilman into an A Conference power moved to St. Frances Academy.

“It’s a great season with a bunch of great kids,” said Biff Poggi, a co-head coach along with Henry Russell.

In the A Conference semifinals the previous Sunday, St. Frances Academy beat McDonogh and Gilman beat Calvert Hall a second time.

The Panthers, who trounced the Greyhounds 50-0 during the regular season, fell for an onside kick to open the game and fell behind 7-0, but outscored their opponent 44-0 the rest of the way.

Joachim Bangda, a junior, carried the ball 16 times for 148 yards and four touchdowns on an afternoon when a strong wind put greater emphasis on the ground game.

Classmate Jake Larson put St. Frances Academy ahead for good with a 34-yard field goal with 3:25 remaining in the first half. His punts and kickoffs helped the Panthers control field position.

Four touchdowns in the third quarter included an 8-yard run from junior quarterback Jalon Jones, and a 29-yard interception return by sophomore linebacker Osman Savage.

“We wanted to show them (Gilman) we’re here,” Savage said. “We’ve been preparing this whole week. Our motto is ‘practice how we play.’ On that first series (following the game-opening onside kick), we didn’t play hard.”

View more photos in our Smugmug gallery here.

Visual journalist Kevin J. Parks contributed to this article.

ABERDEEN – Fourth-graders used small robots to move rovers around a replica of the surface of Mars, which they created on their classroom floor.

Annelise Lakatta and Cameron Blackburn, eighth-graders aspiring to STEM careers, discussed favorite aspects of their education.

Children of all ages engaged in activities included using spaghetti noodles and gumdrops to design models of Mars rovers; projecting constellations onto walls; and coloring paper rockets, while discussing the best ways to make them fly.

Students from PreK-4 through eighth grade at St. Joan of Arc School in Aberdeen participated Nov. 4 in the Maryland STEM Festival, an annual program held across the state over a two-week period.

At St. Joan of Arc School, classes shared projects and hands-on activities centered on the middle school edition of “The Martian,” a fictional novel about an astronaut who uses scientific principles and technologies to survive on Mars.  The story gained popularity with the 2015 film starring Matt Damon.

Nearly 200 students at St. Joan of Arc School benefit from a STEM-focused learning environment. According to its website, the school “infuses Catholic identity into every aspect of a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).”

The theme for St. Joan of Arc’s school year is “God is Creator of the Universe.” Students are applying skills such as mapping and coding in unique ways, especially by focusing on the planet Mars.

“The kids take the information and learn how to apply it,” said Virginia Bahr, principal. “STEM is very important to the future of our students.”

The Archdiocese of Baltimore named St. Joan of Arc a STEM school in 2011. In June, the school became the first in the archdiocese to receive a STEM Endorsement from Notre Dame of Maryland University.

Smart Boards and computers in all classrooms; a LabLearner Science Lab; a mobile laptop cart; two mobile iPad carts; and school-wide Internet access points create an environment conducive to STEM learning.

“I really like how (St. Joan of Arc) is about STEM,” fifth-grader Kayla Capelli said. “I wake up and enjoy coming to school here.”

Preston Juarez quizzed his father on simple machines, a topic he and his fifth-grade classmates cover in their science class. This is his first year at St. Joan of Arc, and his father, Patrick, said of his attitude and achievement, “In the first month I saw an improvement.”

Preston has noticed changes in himself, as well.

“Science used to be my least favorite (subject),” Preston said. “But now it’s my favorite.”

First-year instructor Michael Adamowski, who teaches fifth-grade science, math and religion, said that the hands-on approach to learning makes it fun for the students and provides them with the 21st-century skills sought by employers.

The school’s proximity to Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG) provides a unique opportunity for students, as APG employees engage in outreach to the school to assist in teaching certain lessons. Many students have parents in STEM fields, as 18-20 percent of St. Joan of Arc families include a parent in the military; and other parents work for government contractors.

St. Joan of Arc incorporates STEM into all subjects, including the fine and language arts. Bahr said that St. Joan of Arc is not just a STEM school, but more accurately a “STREAM” school – science, technology, religion, engineering, the arts and math.

According to Robyn Barberry, the art and sixth-grade language arts teacher, her students learn that just because you are a fan of STEM, does not mean that you cannot appreciate or enjoy art.

“We cater to the whole brain,” Barberry said. “We want our kids to be thinkers and dreamers.”

Email Emily Rosenthal at erosenthal@catholicreview.org

Ti’Yon McDowell’s advocates at Holy Angels Catholic School in Baltimore go well beyond its staff.

McDowell was on stage in the gym at Cardinal Shehan School Nov. 7 for the sixth annual fall luncheon sponsored by the Women’s Education Alliance. Its members donated more than $200,000 this year, in the form of ongoing scholarships for deserving children at Holy Angels, Cardinal Shehan and the city’s two other Partners in Excellence schools, Archbishop Borders and Ss. James and John.

In addition to being chairwoman of school support services for WEA, Gina Gracie has been sponsoring McDowell’s Catholic education since he was in the third grade.

“I assumed this donation would be like any other,” Gracie told a gathering that included Archbishop William E. Lori. “He (Ti’Yon) was a little guy then. He’s still always smiling. He writes me, that he’s getting A’s and B’s. He makes me proud. I know he is way more artistic than me.”

According to Meghan Cosgrove, the assistant principal at Holy Angels, McDowell is also a math wiz.

“He likes to be able to share what he knows with his classmates if he sees they are struggling,” Cosgrove told the Review. “He also likes science and is excelling in both. In science he finds it interesting to learn about the human body and his lungs and how it all works.”

The spirit of students from the other PIE schools was on display, starting with another rendition of “Rise Up” by the choir from Cardinal Shehan, which graces the cover of the November issue of the Catholic Review.

Kenyatta Hardison, the choir’s director, shared that the video of a late September rehearsal had been viewed, as of that morning, more than 42 million times. Her students have already performed on Good Morning America, the nation’s most-watched morning news show. Next up is a Nov. 13 appearance on “The View,” a request from Whoopi Goldberg for her 62^nd birthday.

Theresa Derr and Jacey Kadima of Archbishop Borders School offered grace. Mi’chael Pearson, a sixth-grader at Ss. James and John, shared a song. Daina Gomez choreographed a dance by four girls from Archbishop Borders: Cindy Figueroa, Sophia Fernandez, Quadalupe Ramos and Katherine Quizphi. The dance included their principal, Alicia Freeman.

Dr. LaUanah King-Cassell, of Ss. James and John, served as emcee, on behalf of her fellow principals: Freeman, Fametta Jackson of Cardinal Shehan and Kathleen Filippelli of Holy Angels.

She described students coming from neighborhoods racked by drugs, poverty and other social ills.

“The data predicts that (our students) will not be successful,” King-Cassell said. “The predictions of failure are from the reality. Our children succeed against all odds.

“The main ingredient is that our schools and students witness the presence of God every day. He is the fiber of everything we do.”

She asked not just for financial donations, but for tutors and mentors.

“You are the wind beneath our wings,” King-Cassell told the guests from WEA, which is led by Betty Contino.

Archbishop Lori thanked benefactors, educators and families of students.

“Our students,” he said, “deserve the most applause of all.”

Email Paul McMullen at pmcmullen@CatholicReview.org

Notre Dame Preparatory School capped a perfect 18-0 season in field hockey Nov. 5 with a 3-1 victory over Garrison Forest in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) A Conference championship game at Stevenson University.

The Blazers fell behind with 12 minutes left in the first half, but roared back with goals from juniors Nathalie Friedman and Olivia Kenney, and sophomore Liza Regan.

The outcome gave NDP its first IAAM championship in field hockey and erased the sting of a last-second loss to McDonogh in the 2016 championship game, when the Blazers had 12 seniors.

“This group of impressive women have been amazing all season long,” said NDP coach Katrina Ross, whose team included six seniors. “They come out, day in and day out, and get the job done.”

The weekend also produced championships for the girls’ soccer team from St. Mary’s in Annapolis and the boys’ soccer team from Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex.

The Saints won the IAAM B Conference title Nov. 4 at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), with a 3-0 victory over local rival Severn. St. Mary’s got goals from Lindsey Grady, Amanda Roy and Chloe Byrne. The Saints, who are coached by Sarah Molina, had started the season 0-4-1.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel won the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) C Conference crown, 1-0 over Glenelg Country School at AACC Nov. 5, when junior Jaime Reyes scored with 1 minute, 3 seconds remaining in the first overtime.

It was the first soccer title since 2000 for the Cougars, who are coached by Mark Concordia.

Teams from Catholic high schools, meanwhile, suffered heartbreaking losses in A Conference soccer finals.

Mount St. Joseph topped Archbishop Curley on the road in an MIAA semifinal that went to penalty kicks, but coach Mike St. Martin’s team was unable to overcome top-seeded McDonogh Nov. 5 at AACC, where the Gaels went down, 2-0.

The Gaels finished 15-6-1 with a lineup anchored by Brett St. Martin, the coach’s son, who will move on to NCAA power University of Maryland.

Mercy used an even bigger semifinal upset in the IAAM, where it knocked off top-seeded Archbishop Spalding, but the Magic couldn’t replicate that act in the Nov. 5 championship game at Stevenson, where McDonogh got its only goal with 41 seconds remaining for a 1-0 win.

Mercy, which entered the playoffs with a five-game losing streak, went nearly 240 minutes of regulation in the postseason without surrendering a goal. Goalie Kathleen Rogers repeatedly made big saves against McDonogh, which had a premature celebration stopped when Magic defender Mia Ramirez made a clear off the goal line early in the second half.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids and this school,” said Doug Pryor, the Mercy coach. “It hurts right now, (but) deep down inside I am so happy for our program. The effort was great. We played three games in six days and a double overtime game against Spalding. The effort was just priceless.

“It stinks right now, but these kids are special. What they just left on the field is insane.”

The field hockey team from Maryvale Preparatory School reached the IAAM B Conference final Nov. 5 at Stevenson, where it lost to St. Paul’s School for Girls, 3-0.

Kevin Parks contributed to this article.

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