Congratulations to the HC Softball Team on winning the Class "S" State Championship defeating Thomaston 4 -0.
This is 1st State Championship since 1989 and 2nd in school history.

CONGRATS GIRLS - GREAT SEASON!!!
GO CRUSADERS!!!

Holy Cross High School Names Mr. Frank Samuelson '73 New President

Waterbury – The Board of Directors of Holy Cross High School is pleased to announce that Frank H. Samuelson, Jr. has been named the new President of Holy Cross High School. Mr. Samuelson assumed his responsibilities on July 9, 2015.

Mr. Samuelson will serve as the fourth president of Holy Cross, succeeding Mr. Timothy McDonald, who served the Holy Cross community in many capacities for more than 44 years.

The Board of Directors recommended that Frank Samuelson be appointed as the next President to the Brothers of Holy Cross Corporate Members from among a pool of qualified candidates interviewed by a Presidential Search Committee, and was unanimously appointed to the position. Brother William Zaydak, C.S.C., Provincial and Corporate Member, stated in a letter regarding the appointment, “We are fortunate that Mr. Samuelson has a background in Holy Cross education which will make the transition smoother.”

Frank, a Holy Cross graduate of the Class of 1973, most recently comes to Holy Cross from Regional School District #7 in Winsted, CT, where he was serving as the Interim Special Education Director. In addition to his position in Regional 7, Frank previously served as the Interim Principal at Hartford Public High Schools Law and Government Academy. Frank spent many years in the Oxford, CT school district as a teacher, coach and in recent years as Principal of Great Oak Middle School and Principal of Oxford High School during the time of its development and opening.

“It is an honor and privilege to return to Holy Cross to serve the students, their parents and the Brothers of Holy Cross at this very special high school. I hope to continue the exemplary work of past presidents, Brother Harold Hathaway, Brother Jerome Donnelly and, most recently, Tim McDonald,” Samuelson said.

Holy Cross Board of Directors Chairperson, Mr. Jeff Fryer ‘87 stated, “Frank comes to us not only with a wealth of knowledge in educational leadership, but also a deep understanding of the Holy Cross community and our mission. The Board of Directors welcomes Frank and we look forward to working with him in the upcoming school year.”

Frank has a passion for the Holy Cross tradition and seeks to build on that foundation to move Holy Cross forward in the coming years. After graduating from Holy Cross High School, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University, a Master of Arts degree in School Administration from Fairfield University, his 6^th Year Diploma in Administration and Supervision from Southern Connecticut State University and completed the Superintendent’s Preparation Program at SCSU as well. Frank served on the Holy Cross Board of Directors for seven years, serving as Chairperson of the Strategic Planning Committee, Chairperson of the Physical Plant Committee and member of the Finance sub-committee. Frank is a member of several professional associations and has served on numerous professional boards and committees throughout the region.

Mrs. Margaret Leger, Principal of Holy Cross, stated, “I welcome the opportunity to work with Frank as we begin this new chapter in the life of Holy Cross. He has been a great friend and supporter of Holy Cross over the years and I am confident that under his leadership we will continue to provide an outstanding Catholic education for our students, maintain a safe and nurturing atmosphere for our families, and grow our lifelong connection with the alumni community.”

Samuelson is excited for the upcoming school year to begin, “I look forward to working closely with the administration teachers and Board of Directors to continue the fine work underway and to make Holy Cross a very viable college preparatory option for young adults, their parents and families in the Greater Waterbury area.”

Holy Cross High School, a Catholic co-educational college-preparatory high school, was founded in 1968 and is sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross. Holy Cross High School is located at 587 Oronoke Road in Waterbury, CT.

On Sunday, August 16^th, Holy Cross hosted our Annual Frosh Welcoming Picnic. We are so excited to welcome the Class of 2019 and their families to the HC community!

Purchase Ticket

Holy Cross High School President, Frank Samuelson ‘73 and Principal, Margaret Leger welcomed alumni, parents, faculty and friends for the school’s Moreau Reception. This annual event, held in the Alix Family Gallery, gave the school community a chance to thank the leadership donors for supporting the Holy Cross Fund. Following speeches by Mr. Samuelson and Board Member, Frank Monteiro ‘88, participants went on a tour of the school’s newest capital improvements. They visited the Stephen Ross ‘79 Fitness Center, the Brother James Kane, CSC Library, the Monteiro ‘88 Family Sports Medicine Facility, the Fryer Family Chemistry Lab and the Timothy J. McDonald Gymnasium.

Alumni, parents, faculty and friends came out on Friday, September 25^th to enjoy the Holy Cross Mothers’ Club Wine Tasting 2K15. Twenty local restaurants and chefs donated food for this annual event. “We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who donated,” said Cary Fappiano ‘85, Vice President for Advancement. “We send a special thank you to Nelson Viega ‘80 of the Good Life Wine & Spirits who assisted in the planning and donated wine and food. Finally, we send a huge thank you to the many parents who planned another successful event.”

Thank you to the donors of Wine Tasting 2K15.

1249 Wine Bar, La Bella Vista, D’Amelio’s Italian Eatery, Peter’s Pizza, Sweet Maria’s, Watertown Meat Center, Brass City Bistro, Vincenzo’s Pizzeria, Frankies, Sunset Grille, Mangia’s, Main Street Grill, Brooklyn Bakery, Rock Garden Café, Market Place Kitchen & Bar, Navin Brothers Food Service, LaTavola Ristorante, Junipers Restaurant, Fran Phelan ’86, Rich Comeau

Freshmen and their grandparents came together for a breakfast reception hosted by Principal, Peg Leger and the Advancement Office.  It was a festive morning filled with great food, enthusiastic company and thoughtful speeches given by Board member Frank Monteiro ‘88, students and administrators.

On Sunday, November 1, 2015, Holy Cross High School was alive with the joys of music as Dr. Ronan Tynan opened the school’s Concert Series and retired, long-time faculty member Joseph Jacovino, Jr. was honored for his 35 years of service.

The Holy Cross Concert Series was founded to expose the school and local communities to a wide spectrum of performing arts – music, theatre and dance. All monies raised from this and future events will be given back to the students in support of financial aid and student activities.

Approximately 400 people filled the school auditorium to hear one of the world’s most powerful voices. “This was a wonderful day,” said President, Frank H. Samuelson, Jr. ‘73. “Dr. Tynan’s performance left all of us breathless and inspired.”

The two-hour-plus concert was eclectic, electric and brimming with patriotism. It consisted of Irish standards, religious selections and Broadway show tunes. The audience sat in cathartic euphoria as Dr. Tynan and accompanist, William “Billy” Lewis sang classics such as “Danny Boy”, “Moon River”, “Atlantic Sky”, “The Red Rose”, “Over the Rainbow,” and “The Alleluia”. Mr. Jacovino opened the second act of the concert with Chopin’s “Fantasie Impromptu”. Dr. Tynan closed the show with his empowering version of “God Bless America.”  

The Dublin-Ireland born Dr. Tynan was a gold-medal-winning Paralympic athlete. After a severe car accident that left him an amputee, he became a doctor specializing in orthopedics and sports injuries. In his 30s, he switched career paths completely and became a singer. In 1998, he joined the internationally famous music group, The Irish Tenors.

Dr. Tynan shared his messages of passion, faith and empowerment to the Holy Cross student body the following Monday after the concert. He encouraged them to follow their passions and to surround themselves with people who believed in them. “You are the future of America,” said Dr. Tynan. “You’re going to be the doctors, the lawyers, the executives. You’re going to control the finances. Don’t ever forget that. That is a huge responsibility.”  

Prior to the concert on Sunday, former Holy Cross music director, Joseph Jacovino, Jr. was honored in a reception in the school’s Alix Family Gallery. Former students and colleagues were in attendance to honor him. “Joe is a pillar not just of the Holy Cross community, but throughout the local music community,” said Principal, Margaret Leger. “He was respected by his students, colleagues and peers.”

“I had been playing music by ear before I came to Holy Cross,” said Vincent Ingala '11. “Joe immediately sat me down and taught me the fundamentals of music theory. His dedication absolutely amazed me. Over 35 years, he never missed a graduation, a school mass or a pep rally. There was always music. He showed his dedication through his actions.”

The Holy Cross High School community celebrated the Eucharist Commissioning of President Frank H. Samuelson ‘73 on November 6, 2015. Several special guests were in attendance to lead this ceremony including the Reverend Monsignor Thomas Ginty ‘76 of Church of St. Matthew in Forestville, Brother James Branigan, C.S.C from the Moreau Province School Office, Brother William J. Zaydak, C.S.C., Provincial of the Congregation of Holy Cross and Brother Donald J. Blauvelt, C.S.C. of the Holy Cross Institute.

Commissioning, according to Holy Cross Principal Margaret Leger is “an act of entrusting or giving authority.” During today’s ceremony, Mr. Samuelson, the administration, faculty and staff were commissioned to be good people of faith to the students and extended school community.

“To be commissioned is a great gift,” said Brother William Zaydak to the school community. “It is more than beginning a job or an activity. It is humbly accepting a ministry to serve Christ and his people and making God known, loved and served in all that they say and do. I thank each of you who will be commissioned today for your willingness to share the treasure of your talents, prayerful insight and spirit-filled energy with us for the benefit of the students of Holy Cross High School. Your service as Administration, Faculty, Staff and President are gifts to the Congregation of Holy Cross and to the Church.”

In his address to the students, Mr. Samuelson encouraged them “to do God’s work every day whether at home, in the classroom, on the field, in the auditorium, in the pool, on the court, in the cafeteria or in the hallways. Be good to your classmates, your brothers and sisters, your parents and grandparents, your teachers and all the other adults whose goal is to simply steer you in a righteous direction. Never forget that what you are learning, in every definition, will carry and lift you, as it has carried and lifted me and provided me with incredible challenges, opportunities and blessings throughout my life.”

Mr. Samuelson assumed the role of President at Holy Cross in July 2015. He has a long career in education. Recently, he was the Interim Special Education Director at Regional School District #7 in Winsted, CT. Previously, he was the Interim Principal at Hartford Public High Schools Law and Government Academy. He spent many years in the Oxford, CT school district as a teacher, coach and as Principal of Great Oak Middle School and Principal of Oxford High School during the time of its development and opening.

Mr. Samuelson is passionate about education in the Holy Cross tradition and seeks to build on that foundation to move the school forward in the coming years. After graduating from Holy Cross High School, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) and a Master of Arts degree in School Administration from Fairfield University. He returned to SCSU to complete his 6^th Year Diploma in Administration and Supervision and the Superintendent’s Preparation Program. Frank served on the Holy Cross Board of Directors for seven years as Chairperson of the Strategic Planning Committee, Chairperson of the Physical Plant Committee and member of the Finance sub-committee. He is a member of several professional associations and served on numerous professional boards and committees throughout the region.

The students of Holy Cross High School donated toys, clothing and food to various organizations in the Greater Waterbury area including Apple Rehab Center, Children’s Community School, St. Vincent DePaul and Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries. Community service projects take place throughout the school year; however, the call for giving back intensifies during the Christmas season. “These student-led endeavors define who we are as a community,” said Meg Dwyer ‘05, Director of Student Activities.

In November, Holy Cross’s National Honor Society (NHS) held its’ annual Turkey Drive and “Knock Out Hunger” campaign. The latter was tied in with an open basketball game. “All proceeds (from this game) went to buying a turkey,” said Caroline Flaminio ‘79, NHS Moderator. “We raised enough money to provide the Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries with 30 turkeys.”

“It was eye-opening to meet disadvantaged people and to see how they live,” said Zach Monti ‘16. “Once we met them, we truly realized how much our work impacts the local community.”

Two projects dominated the month of December: The Giving Tree and Stockings for Seniors. The Giving Tree, led by Holy Cross’s Campus Ministry, is a school-wide celebration. Ornaments containing the Christmas wish lists of local children were displayed on a tree near the school’s Chapel. Students picked an ornament off the tree and bought the listed items. Gifts will be sent to the Children’s Community School. In Stockings for Seniors, the Class of 2016 created stockings for the residents of Apple Rehab Center. “Each resident gets a stocking,” said Ms. Dwyer. “The students personally deliver them to their room and spread some holiday cheer. They even sing a few Christmas carols.”

“The Holy Cross students bring so many smiles to our residents,” said Cathy Lupoi ‘86, Apple Rehab’s Director of Therapeutic Recreation. “It’s great for the students to be out and about and see what this generation has to offer.”

These community service projects are just the tip of the iceberg. Senior students launched Project Warmth, a campaign soliciting jackets to give to people in need. Sophomores collected juice, granola bars and fruit snacks for GWIM to give to local children. The 62 members of the NHS made sandwiches every Wednesday morning throughout the school year to send to local soup kitchens. Finally, students sold Candy Grams with all profits going into the Sophomore Class Fund. The Class of 2018 is currently considering what school gift they would like to leave when they graduate.

Holy Cross High School is proud to announce that the following students have achieved honor roll status for the second marking period.

Senior Class

First Honors: Arianna Agati, Rebecca Anderson, Lindsay Barton, Jennifer Bastos, Michelle Beauvais, John Belval, Michael Bernard, Taylor Berthelson, Jacquelyn Brouillette, Emily Buza, Michael Caporaso, Brooke Carnemolla, Katherine Carroll, Anna Castles, Brianna Cracco, Drew DaSilva, Mackenzie Dolishny, Megan Dreher, Andrew Dzinski, Shontayza Ferreira-Leach, Lauren Ferry, Jordan Gilmore, Taylor Gilmore, Caitlin Gobstein, Rachel Hamel, Eren Lee Han, Sarah Innes, Kayla Lombardi, Olivia Longo, Dominic Mancini, Melanie Mancini, Imanni Mebane, Zachary Monti, Adriana Savage, Domenic Setaro, Mucheng Zhang

Second Honors: Jordan Andreozzi, Stephanie Barbieri, Allison Carasone, Christopher Cianciolo, Dillon Collins, Alyssa Comeau, Morgan Conway, Elizabeth Crabtree, Bradd Cyr, Crystal Davis, Gabriella DiSapio, Yicheng Gao, Mick Godin, Sean Harnish, Caroline Henry, Olivia Hickey, Susanne Kulpa, Timothy Lynch, Francesca Macchio, Zachary Mason, Alexander Matos, Catherine Melchionne, Katherine Michaud, Julia Morrone, Liam Palilla, Alex Pelletier, Dylan Pelletier, Huixin Peng, Ryan Pierce, Gregory Pomerleau, Malia Rascoe, Kylie Rice, Caroline Sanicola, Christie Teixeira, Hannah Vitarelli, Julia Walters, Emma Woermer

Junior Class

First Honors: Anthony Barbino, Juliana Battaglia, Matthew Bonvicini, Emily Bowler, Caroline Carew, Jennifer Carroll, Allison Catalano, Cydney Caterino, Simon Corbett, Hayley Cuttitta, Antonio D'Amelio, John DiFrancesco, Siena Errichetti, Alyssa Famiglietti, Katherine Flaherty, Christopher Flynn, Lucy Gallagher, Hayley Gilmore, Gabrielle Goldman, Taylor Green, Caitlin Kelly, Patrick McMahon, Idalis Miranda, Leandro Mongelluzzo, Anthony Muchiri, Tess Oatley, Isabella Parker, Enadi Pasholli, Beatrice Paulin, Andrea Pettinico, Isabel Plant, Leanne Raymond, Adam Razza, Samantha Riback, Donato Rosales, Gillian Russo, Marcos Scarpa, Marina Setaro, Julia Sheetz, Meghan Villano, Zhiqi Xiao

Second Honors: Richard Borecki, Ava Calabrese, Jillian Campbell, Jacob Carella, Elena Cavallo, Therese Cayabyab, Mira Chartier, Matthew Cipriano, Paulo DaCosta, Aubry DeFoe, Ian Denault, Lia Fiore, Michelina Gagliardi, Jianxiang Gao, Emma Gargano, Olivia Grocki, Corey Grohs, Andrew Gumprecht, Kyla Hamilton, Ryan Hickey, Rosellyn Hill, Isabella Ilievski, Michael Keating, Sarah Lawton, Griffin Maloney, Maegan McGrenery, Anthony Monteiro, Donovan Montville, Allison Orsini, Nicholas Phillips, Gregory Picard, Clare Sullivan, Wenkai Tao, Diogo Taveira, Nevya Vermette, Alicia Westberg

Sophomore Class

First Honors: Juliana Amaral, Meah Austin, Jessica Borduas, Jin Cai, Solomina Darko, Caitlin Dreher, Angelina Failla, Macellan Fauth, Monica Fenwick, Christina Finkenzeller, Micaela Flaherty, Kiley Harnish, Shuoming Huang, Jaelie Jackson, Caitlin Kinsella, Alexandra Koulouris, Alexandra Lombardo, Chongrui Luo, William Marshall, Meghan Mazzatto, Aiden McCarthy, Kathryn McDuff, Julia Mecca, Jillian Noack, Vincent Packer, Grace Parenti, Adriana Perugini, Allie Peschel, Mikayla Pieksza, Nicholas Quicquaro, Maia Regan, Jenna Rohlman, Nicole Rohlman, Erica Royle, Jessica Sanchez, Xuanning Si, Madison Smith, Charlie Spreda, Elena Tormo, John Vito, Wenting Zheng, Tianrui Zhou, Aizlyn Zupkus

Second Honors: Meghan Booth, Gianna Boute, Kayla Bromley, Layne Carter, Juliana Casalino, Sydney DelPriore, Richard Denardo, Evan Diliberto, Manny Diorio, Devan Eason, Daniel Flaherty, Jacob Gannon, Dermot Greene, William Guglielmo, Madeline Leo, Sofia Lupoi, Michael Mara, Michael Mencio, Mary-Genevieve Moisan, Madelynn Mowad, Sean Price, Nikki-Lee Rostedt, Conner Ryle, Natalie Silva, Nicole Strielkauskas, Taylor Wade, Aiyana Ward, Wenxuan Yan, Adam Zullo

Freshmen Class

First Honors: Natasha Angel, Domenic Bernard, Allysa Cayabyab, Lingxiao Cui, Carley DeFoe, Meghan Diorio, Nathaniel Donofrio, Julia Dzinski, Corey Fappiano, Julia Flynn, Vincent Graziano, William Greene, Elvira Guerrero, Jeremy Hamel, Julia Joyce, Jenny Lin, Diana Lower, Nicole Madrid, Dante Malaspina, Samuel Mason, Kyle Moser, Morgan Murray, Valerie Nobrega, Adalisse Padilla, Elise Pelletier, Camille Perron, Lauren Raad, Jordan Richard, Jack Schiavone, Thomas Thorpe, Ja'Lin Waters, Lin Xu, Kingsten Zenick, Ange Zhao

Second Honors: Paige Anderson, Kayla Beauvais, Joseph Bonvicini, Benjamin Bowler, Galvin Brayton, Hannah Brown, Madison Bushka, Kristina Chartier, Benson Chen, Treasure Coleman, Emma D'Ambruoso, David Desaulniers, Mitchell Duyck, McKenna Ellsworth, Miguel Esteves, Alexander Ford, Christopher Ford, Jayden Frageau, Nadia French-Graham, Mary Gillette, Connor Goggin, Lauren Hamilton, D'Asia Hargrove, Alexander Hummel, Annie Kinsella, Morgan Kolb, James Lanese, Zachary Lerner, Jianui Li, Jacob Mahler, Camilla Marzella, Jennifer Mejias, Tyler Meyhoefer, Molly Montville, Brian Parzyck, Colleen Pelletier, Nicholas Pietrorazio, Aaron Selenica, Yannan Sun, John Tucker, Alessandro Ward, Fiona Xhafi, Zekai Zhang, Zerui Zhang, Jake Zinno

Holy Cross High School students, Greg Pomerleau ’16 and Eren Lee Han ’16 were honored at the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) High School Outstanding Arts Awards banquet. They were two of 305 top Connecticut seniors who excel at the arts. This banquet annually recognizes two seniors in each CAS-member high school for outstanding ability in the performing or visual arts. The students are selected by their school to receive this honor. The banquet, with more than 1,400 in attendance, is sponsored by Jostens and Bearingstar Insurance.

Greg is an ardent participator and supporter of Holy Cross’s Performing Arts program. He joined the stage crew in the Holy Cross Student Theatre and worked his way up the chain of command. He worked as a Head of the Deck Crew and Stage Manager. He is also active a skilled musician having studied alto and baritone saxophone. He started learning the alto sax in fourth grade.

“All the kids here are really dedicated to music,” said Greg. “They want to achieve and perform well at the concerts.”

Greg also has advice for people who have interest in joining the theatre program. “Come in and try it out,” he said. “We can always use you. You can end up being like me. I came in as a freshman, not knowing anyone, and ended up being the backstage lead.”

Queens, New York native, Eren Lee Han has excelled in the Visual Arts. She is adept at creating with inks, charcoal, copic markers and watercolors. Her style is heavily influenced by Eastern Asian cultures, Anime and Manga.

Eren took Holy Cross Art Teacher, Roseanne Shea’s Drawing and Design class in her Sophomore year. She faced many restrictions in early junior high classes, but was surprised at the creative freedom in this class. “The pieces in my middle school were uniform to each other,” said Eren. “Here, I could pretty much do what I want while following guidelines.”

Eren originally pursued art because she had to stop doing sports. “I used to be very athletic,” she said. “When I wasn’t playing a sport, I was doodling on something.” That was the first spark, and the rest is history.

Holy Cross High School is proud to announce that the following students have achieved honor roll status for the third marking period.

Senior Class

First Honors: Arianna Agati, Rebecca Anderson, Stephanie Barbieri, Lindsay Barton, Jennifer Bastos, Michelle Beauvais, Michael Bernard, Taylor Berthelson, Jacquelyn Brouillette, Emily Buza, Katherine Carroll, Anna Castles, Elizabeth Crabtree, Brianna Cracco, Drew DaSilva, Mackenzie Dolishny, Megan Dreher, Andrew Dzinski, Shontayza Ferreira-Leach, Yicheng Gao, Taylor Gilmore, Jordan Gilmore, Rachel Hamel, Eren Lee Han, Caroline Henry, Sarah Innes, Kayla Lombardi, Olivia Longo, Dominic Mancini, Melanie Mancini, Imanni Mebane, Zachary Monti, Huixin Peng, Adriana Savage, Domenic Setaro, Emma Woermer, Mucheng Zhang

Second Honors: John Belval, Michael Caporaso, Allison Carasone, Brooke Carnemolla, Dillon Collins, Alyssa Comeau, Morgan Conway, Lauren Ferry, Caitlin Gobstein, Colin Gribbin, Kaitlyn Grimshaw, Sean Harnish, Zihang Huang, Susanne Kulpa, Catherine Melchionne, Julia Morrone, Dylan Pelletier, Mary Persaud, Gregory Pomerleau, Malia Rascoe, Kylie Rice, Hailey Roosa, Caroline Sanicola, Adrianna Solhjoo, Victoria Torto, Hannah Vitarelli, Julia Walters

Junior Class

First Honors: Anthony Barbino, Juliana Battaglia, Matthew Bonvicini, Caroline Carew, Jennifer Carroll, Therese Cayabyab, Mira Chartier, Simon Corbett, John DiFrancesco, Siena Errichetti, Alyssa Famiglietti, Katherine Flaherty, Lucy Gallagher, Emma Gargano, Hayley Gilmore, Gabrielle Goldman, Taylor Green, Andrew Gumprecht, Ryan Hickey, Caitlin Kelly, Dezhen Liu, Maegan McGrenery, Patrick McMahon, Leandro Mongelluzzo, Tess Oatley, Isabella Parker, Andrea Pettinico, Isabel Plant, Adam Razza, Samantha Riback, Donato Rosales, Gillian Russo, Marcos Scarpa, Marina Setaro, Julia Sheetz, Meghan Villano, Zhiqi Xiao

Second Honors: Jonathan Barney, Richard Borecki, Emily Bowler, Ava Calabrese, Jillian Campbell, Jacob Carella, Allison Catalano, Cydney Caterino, Elena Cavallo, Matthew Cipriano, Megan Coe, Hayley Cuttitta, Paulo DaCosta, Christopher Flynn, Jianxiang Gao, Nicholas Hernandez, Rosellyn Hill, Isabella Ilievski, Michael Keating, Sarah Lawton, Andrea Madrid, Griffin Maloney, Idalis Miranda, Anthony Muchiri, Enadi Pasholli, Gregory Picard, Leanne Raymond, Clare Sullivan, Wenkai Tao, Diogo Taveira, Nevya Vermette, Ziyue Wang, Alicia Westberg

Sophomore Class

First Honors: Juliana Amaral, Meah Austin, Jessica Borduas, Gianna Boute, Solomina Darko, Sydney DelPriore, Caitlin Dreher, Angelina Failla, Macellan Fauth, Christina Finkenzeller, Micaela Flaherty, Ethan Giroux, Kiley Harnish, Shouming Huang, Jaelie Jackson, Caitlin Kinsella, Alexandra Koulouris, Alexandra Lombardo, William Marshall, Meghan Mazzatto, Aiden McCarthy, Kathryn McDuff, Julia Mecca, Jillian Noack, Vincent Packer, Adriana Perugini, Allie Peschel, Maia Regan, Jenna Rohlman, Nicole Rohlman, Erica Royle, Jessica Sanchez, Madison Smith, Charlie Spreda, Elena Tormo, Aiyana Ward, Wenting Zheng, Tianrui Zhou, Aizlyn Zupkus

Second Honors: Meghan Booth, Emily Bullock, Jin Cai, Layne Carter, Richard Denardo, Evan Diliberto, Manny Diorio, Devan Eason, Monica Fenwick, Daniel Flaherty, Jacob Gannon, Dermot Greene, Madeline Leo, Chongrui Luo, Sofia Lupoi, Michael Mara, Michael Mencio, Mary-Genevieve Moisan, Madelynn Mowad, Grace Parenti, Mikayla Pieksza, Sean Price, Nicholas Quicquaro, Nikki-Lee Rostedt, Natalie Silva, Nicole Strielkauskas, John Vito, Brandon White, Wenxuan Yan, Adam Zullo

Freshmen Class

First Honors: Natasha Angel, Allysa Cayabyab, Benson Chen, Treasure Coleman, Lingxiao Cui, Carley DeFoe, Meghan Diorio, Nathaniel Donofrio, Mitchell Duyck, Julia Dzinski, McKenna Ellsworth, Miguel Esteves, Corey Fappiano, Julia Flynn, Vincent Graziano, William Greene, Elvira Guerrero, Jeremy Hamel, Julia Joyce, Annie Kinsella, Jenny Lin, Diana Lower, Nicole Madrid, Dante Malaspina, Kyle Moser, Morgan Murray, Valerie Nobrega, Elise Pelletier, Nicholas Pietrorazio, Lauren Raad, Jordan Richard, Thomas Thorpe, Ja'Lin Waters, Fiona Xhafi, Lin Xu, Zekai Zhang, Ange Zhao

Second Honors: Paige Anderson, Kayla Beauvais, Domenic Bernard, Galvin Brayton, Austin Brown, Olivia Burns, Madison Bushka, Nyomie Butler, Kristina Chartier, Emma D'Ambruoso, David Desaulniers, Alexander Ford, Christopher Ford, Nadia French-Graham, Mary Gillette, Connor Goggin, Lauren Hamilton, Morgan Kolb, James Lanese, Zachary Lerner, Jianui Li, Camilla Marzella, Molly Montville, Sage Parker, Brian Parzyck, Colleen Pelletier, Camille Perron, Jack Schiavone, Yannan Sun, John Tucker, Alessandro Ward, Kingsten Zenick, Zerui Zhang

The Holy Cross Student Theatre (HCST) will present the iconic musical, Grease with book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey as its’ spring production for the 2015-2016 school year. Performances run at Holy Cross High School (HCHS) on April 29^th & 30th at 7:00pm and May 1^st at 2:00pm. Tickets are $12.00 and can be purchased at the door or at the Holy Cross Main Office. Seniors will be admitted free for the Sunday, May 1^st performance only and can purchase by calling HCHS at 203.757.9248. Grease is under the direction of David Gardino with music direction by Gabrielle Brazauskas and choreography by Ralph Cantito ’74.

As an added bonus, the school’s annual Arts-on-Oronoke exhibit, featuring the art work of Holy Cross students and alumni, will be held during the May 1^st performance from 3:00pm-5:00pm in the Alix Family Gallery. Refreshments will be served.

About Grease

The Office of Catholic Schools recently honored the Superintendent’s Summa Scholars from the network of Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford. Six Holy Cross High School students were honored at a recent Awards Ceremony including: Rebecca Anderson, Michelle Beauvais, Emily Buza, Katherine Carroll, Dominic Mancini and Domenic Setaro. Students shared this award with a particular teacher of their choice at the ceremony.

The Superintendent’s Summa Scholar Awards are given to recognize the students, parents and teachers for their commitment to the pursuit of academic achievement. The Summa Scholar represents the top 5% of his/her graduating class in terms of outstanding academic achievement from freshman year to the close of the first semester of his/her senior year, based on the cumulative grade point average.

“Congratulations to this year’s Summa Scholar Award winners,” said President, Frank H. Samuelson, Jr. ’73. “They followed in the footsteps of other Holy Cross winners of the past who have distinguished themselves as exemplary scholars and leaders in their class. On behalf of their current and former teachers, I congratulate them on this outstanding achievement.”

Holy Cross High School administrators, faculty, staff, parents and family gathered together on Wednesday, May 18^th for the 2016 Honors Convocation. “This is an evening set aside to acknowledge and applaud academic effort and achievement,” said Principal, Margaret Leger in her opening remarks. “We encourage all of you to take pride in being honored here tonight and hope you will accept it as incentive to continue to put forth your very best efforts in all that you do.”

“We are very proud of you and all that you have accomplished,” said President, Frank H. Samuelson, Jr. ’73. “Now is the time to make yourselves proud by transferring all you have learned into your independent pursuits.”

Academic Awards in Theology, Art, English, World Languages, Health & Physical Education, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Guidance and Music were presented. Members of The 2016-2017 Oronoque Chapter of the National Honor Society were announced and inducted. Below is a complete listing of 2016-2017 National Honor Society members and awards winners

The Inductees of the 2016 Oronoque Chapter of the National Honor Society:

Anthony Barbino, Juliana Battaglia, Matthew Bonvicini, Emily Bowler, Ava Calabrese, Jillian Campbell, Caroline Carew, Jennifer Carroll, Allison Catalano, Cydney Caterino, Elena Cavallo, Therese Cayabyab, Simon Corbett, Antonio D'Amelio, Siena Errichetti, Alyssa Famiglietti, Katherine Flaherty, Christopher Flynn, Lucy Gallagher, Emma Gargano, Hayley Gilmore, Gabrielle Goldman, Taylor Green, Ryan Hickey, Isabella Ilievski, Caitlin Kelly, Dezhen (Jenny) Liu, Maegan McGrenery, Patrick McMahon, Leandro Mongelluzzo, Tess Oatley, Allison Orsini, Isabella Parker, Enadi Pasholli, Andrea Pettinico, Isabel Plant,  Leanne Raymond, Adam Razza, Samantha Riback, Donato Rosales, Gillian Russo, Marcos Scarpa, Marina Setaro, Julia Sheetz, Clare Sullivan, Wenkai (Kevin) Tao, Meghan Villano, Alicia Westberg and Zhiqi (James) Xiao

Award Recipients:

At Holy Cross High School’s 45^th Commencement Exercises on Sunday, June 5, 2016, 127 members of the Class of 2016 marched into the Timothy J. McDonald Gymnasium amidst an enthusiastic audience of parents, families, teachers and friends. Diplomas and special awards were distributed. Heartfelt speeches and parting words were shared by Board members, administrators, students and special guests.

In her Congratulatory Address, Principal Margaret Leger described Graduation Day as a concrete example of all that Holy Cross strives to be. “Holy Cross is a combination of individuals who have created a foundation of growth, a springboard of strength to jumpstart your next stage in life on which you embark today,” said Mrs. Leger. “Wherever you are headed, I am confident that some part of Holy Cross will be tagging along with you.”

“As you reflect on your time spent here at Holy Cross, take a moment, visualize all that you have achieved, and appreciate just how far you have come,” said Jeffrey Fryer ’87, President of the Holy Cross Board of Directors. “In the end, it is not just about your class rank or the grade you earned. It’s about everything you experienced here in your four years as a Crusader.”

The Honorable Neil M. O’Leary, 46^th Mayor of the City of Waterbury charged the graduating class to "never forget the sacrifices that your families have made in sending you to one of the finest high schools in the country."  He also encouraged them that, upon the end of the educational journey, to “be involved in whatever community you reside in. We need you.”

“I have every confidence that as you travel the roads of life you will navigate them confidently and morally,” said President Frank H. Samuelson ’73 in his Congratulatory Remarks. “Your Holy Cross education and experience will be those guide posts when the road of life isn’t an easy one and a beacon of hope, fortitude and light when the road of life presents challenges.” 

Megan Dreher ’16 addressed her classmates in the annual Commencement Speech. “Coming to school and knowing that there will always be someone there for you, whether it be a student or faculty member, is one of the more comforting feelings about attending Holy Cross,” said Megan. “It is evident that every student matters. Faculty members care for students as if we are their own children. It is comforting to know that they are so personally invested in our lives. That is why Holy Cross feels like home.”

Rebecca Anderson ’16 and Katherine Carroll ’16 received the Valedictorian and Salutatorian Award for maintaining the highest and second-highest grade point average, respectively.

“These ceremonies have marked the end of four years of growth and study for us all,” said Rebecca. “We must now look on towards the years to come and use what we have learned to achieve our goals for the future.”

“It was the best four years of my life,” said Katherine. “Our class really came together as a family. I just feel positivity when I walk through the halls every day.”

Other students were honored during the ceremony including:  

• Caitlin Gobstein, recipient of The Sister Margaret Bannon, CND Service Award, presented annually to the senior girl who has demonstrated outstanding service to the school community.
• Drew DaSilva, recipient of The Holy Cross Fathers’ Club Award, given each year to the senior boy who has demonstrated the most service to the school community.
• Stephen Forino, recipient of The Holy Cross Mothers’ Club Award, presented annually to the senior boy who has demonstrated the most academic improvement from freshman to senior year.
• Morgan Conway, recipient of The Monsignor Flanagan Award, presented each year to the female student who has improved the most academically from freshman to senior year.    

The graduates of the Class of 2016 include: Arianna Mary Agati, Kevin James Alves, Rebecca Lynn Anderson, Jordan Tanner Andreozzi, Dontae Kensworth Atkins, Stephanie Carla Barbieri, Lindsay Elizabeth Barton, Jennifer Alexandra Bastos, Newton Anthony Bates, Michelle Theresa Beauvais, John B. Belval, Michael Domenic Bernard, Taylor Nicole Berthelson, John Thomas Bowler, Jacquelyn Fay Brouillette, Jonathan E. Connor Buscarello, Emily Rose Buza, Austin Stephen Callaway, Michael Joseph Caporaso, Allison Elizabeth Carasone, Brooke Taylor Carnemolla, Katherine Victoria Carroll, Anna Marie Castles, Stephanie Chen, Christopher P Cianciolo Jr., Caitlin Ashley Cipriano, Cameron Curtis Coelho, Dillon J Collins, Alyssa M. Comeau, Morgan Jeanne Conway, Matthew P Corona, Elizabeth Catherine Crabtree, Brianna Marie Cracco, Tyler A Cremin, Jonathan T. Cretella, Sean Cunniff, Bradd Richard Cyr, Claire Elizabeth D'Alessandro, Gianfranco D'Amelio, Julia C. Danielowski, Drew E. DaSilva, Crystal Tashieanna Davis, Raelynn Demirs, Gabriella Sophia-Rose DiSapio, Mackenzie Alexandra Dolishny, Megan Elizabeth Dreher, Lauren Jean Dwyer, Andrew B. Dzinski, Shontayza Monét Ferreira-Leach, Lauren Nicole Ferry, Olga Natalie Fiala, Charles W. Fogie, Stephen Alfred Forino, Christopher L Frappier, Haydon Edward Frisbie, Scott Gao, Jordan Lee Gilmore, Taylor Elizabeth Gilmore, Caitlin Marie Gobstein, Mick Bernard Godin, Emilee Rose Gosselin, Colin Robert Gribbin, Kaitlyn Rose Grimshaw, Rachel Cecilia Hamel, Eren Lee Han, Sean Patrick Harnish, Caroline Ann Henry, Olivia Anne Hickey, Ted Huang, Sarah Elizabeth Innes, Gabrielle Ann Jones, Susanne L. Kulpa, Nicholas William Lomando, Kayla Marie Lombardi, Christopher L. Longino, Olivia Katherine Longo, Timothy O'Donnell Lynch, Francesca Noelle Macchio, Benjamin Alexander Mahler, Dominic Alexander Mancini, Melanie Rose Mancini, Donald Paul Mangini, Jr., Zachary Michael Mason, Alexander Manuel Fonseca Matos, Alyssa Ann McCowan, Imanni Lynne Mebane, Catherine Angeline Melchionne, Katherine Elizabeth Michaud, Zachary P. Monti, Julia Rose Morrone, Jonathan Alonso Mowatt, Sabelle Andreya Nath, Jeffrey Michael Nobrega, Liam Anthony Palilla, Alex Joseph Pelletier, Dylan Andrew Pelletier, Elisa Peng, Mary Persaud, Ryan Donald Pierce, Jeremy Ryan Pires, Gregory Lawrence Pomerleau, Malia J. Rascoe, Dean D. Riccuito, Kylie Elizabeth Rice, Colten John Roberts, Hailey M. Roosa, Adam John Rudzavice, Ariana Delynn Salvatore, Caroline Anne Sanicola, Adriana Savage, Domenic Campagna Setaro, RaShana M. Siders, Adrianna F. Solhjoo, Connor James Solnik, Justin S. Strielkauskas, Christopher Robert Stupak, JoVina Enza Taylor, Christie Marie Teixeira, Victoria Elizabeth Theresa Torto, Dyllan L. Tyson, Aaron Michael Velazquez, Hannah Pauline Vitarelli, Julia Louise Walters, Mason Stuart Wickline, Justin Jordan Witherspoon, Emma L. Woermer and Zhang Mucheng

Holy Cross High School is proud to announce that the following students have achieved honor roll status for the fourth marking period.

Senior Class

First Honors: Arianna Agati, Rebecca Anderson, Lindsay Barton, Jennifer Bastos, Michelle Beauvais, Michael Bernard, Taylor Berthelson, Jacquelyn Brouillette, Emily Buza, Michael Caporaso, Katherine Carroll, Anna Castles, Elizabeth Crabtree, Brianna Cracco, Drew DaSilva, Gabriella DiSapio, Mackenzie Dolishny, Megan Dreher, Andrew Dzinski, Shontayza Ferreira-Leach, Jordan Gilmore, Taylor Gilmore, Rachel Hamel, Eren Lee Han, Caroline Henry, Sarah Innes, Susanne Kulpa, Kayla Lombardi, Olivia Longo, Dominic Mancini, Melanie Mancini, Imanni Mebane, Gregory Pomerleau, Caroline Sanicola, Adriana Savage, Domenic Setaro & Mucheng Zhang

Second Honors: Jordan Andreozzi, John Belval, Allison Carasone, Brooke Carnemolla, Alyssa Comeau, Crystal Davis, Lauren Ferry, Yicheng Gao, Caitlin Gobstein, Kaitlyn Grimshaw, Sean Harnish, Timothy Lynch, Francesca Macchio, Catherine Melchionne, Katherine Michaud, Zachary Monti, Julia Morrone, Alex Pelletier, Dylan Pelletier, Huixin Peng, Malia Rascoe, Kylie Rice, Hailey Roosa, Ariana Salvatore, Adrianna Solhjoo, JoVina Taylor, Christie Teixeira, Victoria Torto, Julia Walters, Emma Woermer

Junior Class

First Honors: Anthony Barbino, Juliana Battaglia, Matthew Bonvicini, Emily Bowler, Ava Calabrese, Caroline Carew, Jennifer Carroll, Cydney Caterino, Elena Cavallo, Therese Cayabyab, Mira Chartier, Matthew Cipriano, Simon Corbett, Antonio D'Amelio, John DiFrancesco, Siena Errichetti, Alyssa Famiglietti, Katherine Flaherty, Christopher Flynn, Lucy Gallagher, Emma Gargano, Hayley Gilmore, Gabrielle Goldman, Taylor Green, Andrew Gumprecht, Ryan Hickey, Isabella Ilievski, Dezhen Liu, Maegan McGrenery, Patrick McMahon, Leandro Mongelluzzo, Tess Oatley, Isabella Parker, Enadi Pasholli, Andrea Pettinico, Gregory Picard, Isabel Plant, Leanne Raymond, Adam Razza, Samantha Riback, Gillian Russo, Marcos Scarpa, Marina Setaro, Julia Sheetz, Nevya Vermette, Meghan Villano, Ziyue Wang & Zhiqi Xiao

Second Honors: Jonathan Barney, Richard Borecki, Diondre Brown, Jillian Campbell, Jacob Carella, Allison Catalano, Megan Coe, Hayley Cuttitta, Paulo DaCosta, Aubry DeFoe, Jacob Gagnon, Jianxiang Gao, Olivia Grocki, Kyla Hamilton, Nicholas Hernandez, Rosellyn Hill, Michael Keating, Caitlin Kelly, Sarah Lawton, Andrea Madrid, Griffin Maloney, Idalis Miranda, Anthony Muchiri, Donato Rosales, Clare Sullivan, Wenkai Tao, Diogo Taveira & Alicia Westberg

Sophomore Class

First Honors: Juliana Amaral, Meah Austin; Meghan Booth, Jessica Borduas, Gianna Boute, Jin Cai, Solomina Darko, Richard Denardo, Caitlin Dreher, Devan Eason, Angelina Failla, Macellan Fauth, Monica Fenwick, Christina Finkenzeller, Daniel Flaherty, William Guglielmo, Kiley Harnish, Shouming Huang, Jaelie Jackson, Caitlin Kinsella, Alexandra Koulouris, Chongrui Luo, Sofia Lupoi, William Marshall, Meghan Mazzatto, Kathryn McDuff, Julia Mecca, Mary-Genevieve Moisan, Jillian Noack, Vincent Packer, Grace Parenti, Adriana Perugini, Allie Peschel, Mikayla Pieksza, Nicholas Quicquaro, Maia Regan, Jenna Rohlman, Nicole Rohlman, Erica Royle, Jessica Sanchez, Madison Smith, Charlie Spreda, Elena Tormo, Taylor Wade, Wenxuan Yan, Wenting Zheng, Tianrui Zhou & Aizlyn Zupkus

Second Honors: Nicole Barrere, Erin Buckley, Juliana Casalino, Michael Cipriano, Juliano D'Amelio, Sydney DelPriore, Michel Desaulniers, Evan Diliberto, Manny Diorio, Jacob Gannon, Joseph Genua, Ethan Giroux, Erin Goggin, Dermot Greene, Grayson Henderson, Madeline Leo, Alexandra Lombardo, Michael Mara, Aiden McCarthy, Michael Mencio, Madelynn Mowad, Alyssa Nobrega, Sean Price, Nikki-Lee Rostedt, Jessica Solnik, Nicole Strielkauskas, Aiyana Ward, Brandon White & Adam Zullo

Freshmen Class

First Honors: Natasha Angel, Domenic Bernard, Allysa Cayabyab, Benson Chen, Lingxiao Cui, Carley DeFoe, Meghan Diorio, Nathaniel Donofrio, Mitchell Duyck, Julia Dzinski, Miguel Esteves, Julia Flynn, Vincent Graziano, William Greene, Jeremy Hamel, Julia Joyce, Annie Kinsella, Jianui Li, Jenny Lin, Diana Lower, Nicole Madrid, Dante Malaspina, Kyle Moser, Morgan Murray, Valerie Nobrega, Elise Pelletier, Camille Perron, Lauren Raad, Jordan Richard, Jack Schiavone, Thomas Thorpe, Ja'Lin Waters, Fiona Xhafi, Lin Xu, Kingsten Zenick, Zekai Zhang & Ange Zhao

Second Honors: Kayla Beauvais, Joseph Bonvicini, Madison Bushka, Nyomie Butler, Kristina Chartier, Treasure Coleman, Emma D'Ambruoso, David Desaulniers, McKenna Ellsworth, Corey Fappiano, Christopher Ford, Nadia French-Graham, Mary Gillette, Connor Goggin, Elvira Guerrero, Lauren Hamilton, D'Asia Hargrove, Alexander Hummel, Morgan Kolb, James Lanese, Camilla Marzella, Brian Parzyck, Nicholas Pietrorazio, Yannan Sun, John Tucker, Alessandro Ward, Zerui Zhang & Timothy Zupkus

128 golfers made up of alumni and friends teed off at the 30^th Annual Crusader Classic Golf Tournament at the County Club of Waterbury. Participants had a great time during this 18-Hole Scramble Tournament. Money raised at this event went to the Holy Cross Fund which provides financial aid and scholarships for our students.

The Christopher D. Corbett Memorial Fund, Inc. honors the memory of Waterbury Police Department Deputy Chief Christopher Corbett ’93 by continuing to foster the education of the Greater Waterbury parochial school student. The memorial fund provides scholarships to children attending Greater Waterbury parochial schools.

Thanks to the generosity of the inaugural 5K Race supporters, the Executive Board of the Christopher D. Corbett Memorial Fund has established many scholarships; one of which will be awarded to a Holy Cross High School student. The scholarship amount equals $1,000. Applications will be accepted beginning July 5^th. They must be received on, or before, August 5, 2016.

Awards will be communicated by August 26, 2016. We hope you will apply today and take advantage of this generous offer.

Click here to download the application.