Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Saint Rita of Cascia High School St. Rita students were just getting over the lost of
their fellow Rita brother, John McNicholas, when Fr. Walter Mc-
7740 South Western Avenue Nicholas lost his fight to Lung Cancer.
Chicago, Illinois 60620 Fr. Walter McNicholas was born in 1926, and grew up in
the St. Rita parish. He graduated from St. Rita of Cascia High School in
1944, and joined the Augustinian family in 1947. After he was ordained
In This Issue a priest in 1952, his first assignment brought him back to St. Rita. He
remained till 1960 before getting transferred. He returned to St. Rita in
1964, and remained for 10 years until he was named Pastor of Immacu-
late Conception/St. Henry Parish in St. Louis.
The third time he was assigned to serve at St. Rita last- ed
ten years, beginning in 1983. He took a single year off to serve at Holy
Cross Hospital before spending the last of his working days at St. Rita,
where he retired in 2009.
In 2010, his new assignment brought him to Lemont. He entered a Franciscan Village and served in Blessed Stephen Bellesini
Friary.
Four months ago Fr. McNicholas was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. December began his hospice care. March 9, 2011, at 3
o’clock in the afternoon, God called Fr. McNicholas home to Heaven.
More than Half his life was spent in the walls of St. Rita of Cascia High School. The school was really his home. St. Rita played
such an important part in his life, that at his funeral, he asked for only one song to be played....the Hymn to St. Rita.
Throughout his time at St. Rita, he spent most of that time in the class room. “The two classes I can remember him teaching,
mainly, were Latin and Theology,” Fr. Tom McCarthy said. “He was a teacher all his life.” He even taught Br. Gary Hresil. “He taught me
A look inside when I was a student at St. Rita, in 1985,” Br. Gary recalled, “I had him for a Junior Morality Theology Class. He told a lot of stories of
the Monastery p 3 different things he did when he was younger, and tried to always relate what he did too what we were learning in Theology, and what we
need to do to make this world a better place, and to make a difference.”
“He was also a councilor,” Fr. Tom explained, “His office is where Mrs. Nagel’s office is.” Although many students may have
known that already, from going into his office to get whatever they forgot at home to try to avoid a JUG “It looked like a garage sale,” Fr.
Tom explained, “It was just full of clothes, books, belts, shoes. Anything he would give away to kids.”
That seemed to be a major point in Fr. McNicholas’ life: the happiness of the students. Whether it was his smiling face that
greeted you in the morning, his stories he would tell about his childhood, his appearance at sporting events when the only fans in the
crowd were the parents, or his cheerful attitude toward life, he had a way of bringing joy to the St. Rita Family.
“Whatever he could do to help the students in class, or students in the school,” Br. Gary said. As long as it involved the benefit,
and happiness of the students, Fr. McNicholas needed to be part of it. He didn’t care whether he was a good student or bad student, a
senior or a freshman, or what sports they played. As long as they were a student, that was all the reason he needed.
Many students wouldn’t even be able to call themselves Rita Men if it weren’t for the support they received from Fr. McNicho-
las. Not only the support he gave them, but Fr. McNicholas was one of the first to desegregate St. Rita. As a young priest, he would invite
Are you getting Grammar School students of African American Heritage to consider coming to St. Rita. Even though he got reprehended for it, he never
stopped.
enough sleep? p 5 Every student has heard the stories, but was that really who Fr. McNicholas was? Was he really the man everyone believed him
to be? “What you see is what you got,” Fr. Tom said about his good friend. “He was really a home body. He was not a guy who went out
traveling. He’d go out to say mass, and he’d go out when we would go out to dinner or community things. A part of that may have been
because of his inability to get around toward the end. For the last few years he couldn’t drive, but even before that he was at home, or he
would be watching the games here, or take his walks around here.”
Fr. McNicholas served almost six generations of Rita Men, and his personality never changed. “The same person I saw back
then was the same person I encountered when I moved in here, and he moved in here with us...just a little bit older,” Br. Gary said, while
describing Fr. McNicholas.
“He was very easy to live with.” Fr. Tom explained. “He was a very Spiritual man. He said mass every day, whether it was in the
community or by himself and looking at the mass book many, many times he would pray for the St. Rita students. He would pray for a
specific team that was having a major season or something. And many kids don’t know that he would pray for them all day. He spent most
of his time doing anything that involved St. Rita. He loved watching sports. If he were at home, he would be watching sports,”
Mardi Gras Rita family shaves the way to conquer kid’s cancer
By: Ed Roland
celebration p 6 In the last three years, one of the biggest events that has been able
to bring the entire school together has been the St. Baldrick’s Day
event. Over the last four years, St. Rita has been able to raise tens
of thousands of dollars towards this foundation. It has been able to
unite the entire school, freshmen and seniors alike.
THE RITAN This year, there is a certain specialness about the head
shaving event. With the recent death of our dear Rita brother, John
McNicholas, this year is even more special than the last ones. Ed
STUDENT STAFF: Max and Amy McNicholas have started the John McNicholas Pediatric
Brain Tumor Foundation in memory of John.
Kurucar, Joe Ruiz, Craig The foundation aims at raising money for teens with can-
Sabath, Stephen Gregory, cer and their families. The ultimate goal for the John McNicholas
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and the St. Baldrick’s Founda-
Oscar Mascorro, Danny tion is to find a cure for cancer.
O’Keefe, Ed Roland There have already been several ways that the St. Rita
community has helped this foundation. The “Rita Men Wear Pink”
shirts were the first way of raising money for the foundation. Then there were mission collections at every lunch period and homeroom class.
JOURNALISM Now there is a new way to support the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The new “Once a Rita Man, Always a
Rita Man” shirts honoring John and Andy Smialek’08 who also passed due to cancer in November, 2009, are available. These shirts were de-
INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Tim signed by sophomore Tim Lynch who was a close friend of John McNicholas.
Baffoe This year, just like the past four years, the event was a great success. The goal for the event was only five thousand dollars. The St.
Rita community was able to rise $22,409 this year.
This year, the St. Rita community was able to raise more than $40,000 for cancer awareness and treatment through the Ritamen Wear
Pink event, the Go Blue event, and St. Baldrick’s.
Page 2
NEWS March 31, 2011
Prayer, sacred silence, and walking around with your hands folded. That is the idea
By, Stephen Gregory most of the students have about what life in the Monastery would be like. Well, con-
trary to popular belief, life in the monastery is very similar to life anywhere else.
Before St. Rita made the move from 63rd and Claremont to 77th and West-
Many of you may ern the monastery was a residency for the Dioceses Priests. “The section that belonged
a l r e a d y k n o w M r. Ti m to the school had a faculty locker-room, bathroom area, and work room, which we
Baffoe for the numer- converted into a living room, dining room, and kitchen,” said Br. Gary O.S.A.
ous things that he does here at St. Rita There are five people who currently call the Monastery their home: Br. Gary
such as teaching English, Journalism, and Hresil, Fr. Tom McCarthy, Fr. Erwin Dodge, Fr. Bernie Scianna, and Fr. Ron Turcich.
moderating our school paper and our very Br. Gary is the Prior of the Monastery, which means he is in charge of making sure the
own satirical paper, The Natir. But Clark house runs smoothly, and that the needs of the people living in the Monastery are met.
Kent has a side job. After entering the Monastery, from either the Chemistry Hall or through the
G r o w i n g u p , M r. B a f f o e h a s a l w a y s entrance by the Chapel, a long hallway needs to be walked through. This hallway has
had a burning passion for the literary arts, rooms on the right, if entering from the Chapel, and is decorated with tables that have
especially in the realm of satire, the use little figurines resting on top of them. “This stuff is from trips we have made to other
Augustinian houses in Germany, and Europe,” Br. Gary said about the items. “For the
o f i r o n y, s a r c a s m , o r r i d i c u l e t o e x p o s e
most part it is just decorated to make it feel more like a home, rather than an institution
or denounce peoples, concepts, or ideals.
type building,” Also in the hall are glass shelves holding more little items that have
Its raw way of applying wit and a sharp- been collected by the Augustinians through the decades.
tongued mind to convey an opinion has al- The first doorway on the left leads you into the dining room where every-
ways been appealing to Baffoe. “I’ve writ- body gathers for dinner Monday through Thursday. Just past the dining room is the
ten as a hobby all my life, and much of it newly remodeled kitchen. The remodeling involved new cabinets, new tiled floors, and
has been satirical,” he said. “Everything in granite covering every counter top. Continuing through the kitchen, a large living room
the world is just begging to be mocked and greets the eyes. With half a dozen couches, shelves lined with books, and a rather large
laughed at. I can’t go five minutes without television, there is plenty for people to do.
seeing something that I make fun of either It is still a Monastery, so prayer is a very important part of everyday living.
to myself or out loud.” It doesn’t have to be through the chanting of psalms, reciting the Our Father, or singing
Recently The Heckler took a starv- the Hymn to St. Rita. “Well, like anything you should spend time in quiet for yourself,”
ing south side Irish writer onto its staff, Br. Gary commented about the prayer that takes place in the Monastery. “I would hope
o u r v e r y o w n M r. B a f f o e . T h e H e c k l e r i s that all the priests and brothers do find time during the day time to be with God and to
a Chicago-based online satirical magazine pray and reflect upon their day, and how they could have encountered Christ. Because
founded in 2003 that caters to all the major anybody can just say prayers like the Our Father and the Hail Mary, or read prayers
from the Bible, but you have to do more than that. You have to build your interior life.
Chicago professional sporting clubs. The
To St. Augustine that was very big, to build on the interiority. So, therefore, you should
Heckler is the premiere satirical sports
take time to reflect about how you brought Christ to other people and how you experi-
magazine in the Chicago area, receiving enced Christ through other people”.
such honors as having been in The Chicago From 77th Street, the black
Tr i b u n e a n d T h e C h i c a g o S u n - Ti m e s . fence is the most any student knows
This is no menial accomplishment about the Monastery garden. From
by any stretch of the imagination. Count- the outside, not much can be seen, but
less writers have spent the greater portion its size, organization, and layout can
of the careers trying to be recognized and only be fully appreciated when seen
added to a professional staff. “Having your from the inside. There is a large deck
writing published by others is always an that greets the visitor, which gives
honor,” Baffoe commented on his recent way to a large field of grass. In the
hiring. “It means you got the job done as middle of all the grass, is a pond lined
a w r i t e r. A n y o n e c a n s t a r t a b l o g a n d h o p e with stone and home to at least two
some of it sticks with a random reader, but dozen small gold fish.
to write for a publication that you already Each person living in the
Monastery has their own room. “The
k n o w p e o p l e f r e q u e n t - - t h a t ’s a g o o d f e e l -
way this was set up, it was two rooms
ing.”
connected with a walking closet and a private bath,” Br. Gary said, describing the
B a f f o e ’s f i r s t a r t i c l e f o r T h e H e c k - rooms. The rooms are decorated in any way the person sleeping there would like them
ler is a witty piece comically reporting to be decorated. Fr. Dodge, for example, has a room filled with books which he likes
that the St. Louis Cardinal players had to read in his spare time. Each room does come with a few standard items, including a
contracted a mysterious illness. Baffoe bed, a television, and a dresser.
reported that the team wide illness was Four days a week, everybody partakes in a loosely laid schedule, which
caused by the Cardinals signing of former Br. Gary, as Prior of the Monastery, makes sure everybody follows as required by the
Cub infielder Ryan Theriot. Theriot had Augustinian Order.
been affected by the historic “curse” of the At 6:45 a.m. in the morning, everybody attends a Morning Prayer immedi-
Cubs by his affiliation with the club. ately followed by Mass in the St. Augustine Chapel, which is the little enclosed Chapel
The article speculates that this is in the corner of the St. Rita Shrine Chapel. After breakfast, they are sent on their way to
the direct cause of the team's roster woes, partake in their various assignments. Their assignments depend on the person. Fr. Tom,
d i s a b l i n g s u c h s t a r p l a y e r s a s A d a m Wa i n - for example, would perform his duties as President of St. Rita, while Br. Gary would
wright, the Cards ace who is currently go and teach classes.
rehabbing his elbow after undergoing At 5 p.m., everyone gathers back into the St. Augustine Chapel for Evening
Prayer. After this, they all sit down for a community dinner. The dinner is cooked by
s e a s o n - e n d i n g To m m y J o h n s u r g e r y d u e t o
the Monastery’s private cook, Br. Jim, who is the Franciscan Brother who works in the
an injury suffered in Spring Training.
Mustang Store.
B a f f o e ’s l a t e s t p i e c e c h r o n i c l e s t h e Anybody can preach the appearance of the Monastery. Whether they talk
death of the last Cubs Nomar Garciaparra about the bedrooms, the yard, or the living room, they are only talking. The most
j e r s e y i n c a p t i v i t y. striking part about the Monastery cannot just merely be told, but it needs to be felt. The
The Heckler contains many more feelings of just complete peace and comfort strike deep into the body.
examples of humorous writing donning It’s more like being in a home, rather than a Monastery. Even for those who
wonderfully creative headlines such as the don’t live there, a feeling of “being at home” sweeps over the body. It’s an ever pres-
following: “Goodell regrets not offering ence feeling of comfort and serenity. Something about the Monastery just feels as if
players two yachts apiece instead of just you were meant to be there.
one,” “After curing self, Zambrano miracu- “Over the years I have come to understand what community life should
lously heals other ballplayers,” “Boozer be, that is family,” Fr. Dodge said. “Like all families, we must be willing to face the
delighted to suffer injury that doesn’t challenges each day brings with due regard for our differences in background, tempera-
require a cover up,” “Jermaine Dye spot- ment, and personalities. Our goal is to live together in one mind and heart centered on
ted wandering Phoenix carrying ‘will crush God as St. Augustine stated in his rule for community life. Unlike the married stated,
towering home runs for food’-sign.” the family we create has a wider outreach as our perspective like an extended family,
which included everyone who is in search of God whom we approach through Our
O n e c a n f i n d t h e s e , M r. B a f f o e ’s
Lord, Jesse Christ and his Church. So, my life after so many years of teaching and
articles, and many more colorful selections
saying Mass, has taken on a more contemplative approach to find deeper meaning in
s i m p l y b y v i s i t i n g t h e H e c k l e r ’s o f f i c i a l my vocation as a religious priest. The Monastery is not a place of retirement but a place
w e b s i t e a t w w w. t h e h e c k l e r. c o m for a deeper encounter with the Lord in prayer and service to my extended family, the
people of God.”
Page 4
Technology March 31, 2011
Do you like crazy thrillers that keep you on the edge of your
seat? If so I’ve got a movie for you. In Unknown Liam Neeson is
Martin Harris a botanist happily married to Elizabeth Harris. (Janu-
ary Jones) You may know Liam Neeson from big films like Taken
(2008) and January Jones from the hit series Madmen.
The couple travels to Berlin where Dr. Harris is giving a speech
at a Biochemist Convention. Soon after arriving in Berlin Harris is
involved in an accident that left him in a coma for four days. Upon
awakening he discovers that someone has taken over his identity and
he is left to prove he is the real Martin Harris.
Along the way you meet another character, Gina, played by Diane
Kruger. Kruger adds great character to the film because she is a
native of Germany. Her accent and German language gives you an
authentic feel as you go on in the film.
I can assure you that this movie keeps you on the edge of
your seat. The anticipation starts early and doesn’t end until the
movie is over. Whatever comes next is sure to overwhelm you and
keep your eyes glued to the screen. The sheer thrill and action will Photo Courtesy of xcitefun.net
keep you guessing at what is around the corner. Fast paced action hits you hard and won’t stop until you are knocked out.
Unknown is great weekend movie to see with friends or your significant other. And it will not disappoint those action-thriller lovers
out there. A mere ten bucks gets you into the film at any local movie theater and buys an hour and fifty minutes of heart-pounding action that
is sure to bring you back for a second or third time. Grab your wallet and head out for a thrilling experience brought to you by Unknown.
It’s about that time when Lent comes around and everyone is thinking about what
they’re going to give up. But before we do there’s Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras as the French call
it. Mardi Gras is a large carnival where people come together to eat all the fatty food and drink
all the sugary soda they want before the Lenten season.
This year Mardi Gras was on March 8th and Ms. Saul and her French Club met after
school to carry on the tradition of “Carnivale”. The students of the French Club made masks us-
ing feathers, glitter, and anything they could put to use. After making masks all the students had
some delicious pastries. Some of those pastries were some jelly filled donuts that were gone in a
matter of seconds. The students also had candy and cake that Ms. Saul had brought in.
For students who do not know about French Club, anyone can join. You don’t have to
be taking French, you can be in Spanish or Latin or not even take a language and still join French
Club. It is never too late to join. It can be May 25th and you can still stop by and take part in
whatever the activity is. Ms. Saul is fun and kind and a great teacher, so don’t be shy try French
Club. Every month or so French Club goes on a field trip. Last month they went downtown to
see a French play and it was a blast. If you ever want to see what it is all about you can stop Ms.
Saul’s room, that’s 206 if you are wondering. In the future listen to announcements for French
Photo courtesy of holiday-corners.com
Club information and make sure you don’t miss the next meaning. It is a great time.
The origin of the recent crisis in Libya lies in the autocratic rule of Muammar Gadhafi. Gadhafi has firmly held his position since he seized power in 1969. However, last month,
as part of the recent trend in Middle Eastern protests, unrest erupted in several Libyan cities. Though it began with a very organized core of anti-government opponents, opposi-
tion to Gadhafi’s rule spontaneously and swiftly spread throughout the country. In response, Gadhafi lashed out with violence previously unseen in his regime. The opposition
quickly put together a rag-tag rebel army, attempting to portray themselves to the West as an alternative to Gadhafi’s erratic rule. The rebel army was at first very successful, tak-
ing a significant portion of the country out of Gadhafi’s control. However, with the advantage of numbers and logistics, Gadhafi seems to be turning the momentum in his favor.
The relevance of this civil war to the West is the fact that Libya is one of the world’s largest producers of oil. Also, the proximity of Libya to Europe further complicates the
issue. The possibility of a new “Afghanistan” right next to Europe frightens many within the European Union.
The earliest developments of the crisis began around a prison in Tripoli which is notoriously known for human rights violations. On 24 January 2011, Libya blocked ac-
cess to YouTube after it featured videos of demonstrations in the Libyan city of Benghazi
by families of detainees who were killed in Abu Salim prison in 1996, and videos of fam-
ily members of Gadhafi at parties. This attracted much attention from many human-rights
groups around the world. Opposition to Gadhafi’s rule slowly escalated until large-scale
protests broke out following the arrest of a Libyan human rights activist. The protests bal-
looned following violent retaliations by the government.
The opposition fielded a rag-tag army that quickly gained control of most of Eastern
Libya and the second largest city, Benghazi. In response, Gadhafi brought in mercenaries
from Chad as the rebel army pushed west to take over Gadhafi’s stronghold at Tripoli. The
rebel advance was stalled in the face of Gadhafi’s superior numbers and logistics.
Many rebels are equipped with nothing more than small arms. As a result, their only
hope is Western intervention. The West must answer the question of how much they should
get involved. Many factors make the conflict in Libya relevant to west. Oil essentially con-
trols the world economy. If the price of oil goes up, the price of just about everything else
goes up too. Can the West afford to have such a large producer of oil be ruled by someone
as erratic as Gadhafi? The price of oil per barrel has already well surpassed $100. Second,
the proximity of Libya to Europe is important. “We must not allow Libya to become an-
Photo courtesy of guardian.co.uk other Afghanistan just next door to us,” declared Italy’s interior minister, Roberto Maroni,
at the end of a European ministerial meeting in Brussels February 25th.
The West debated many courses of action. Many imposed sanctions upon Libya to little avail. Creating a no-fly zone over Libya is the biggest debate. It is the most
controversial of options to be implemented and raises many questions in terms of effectiveness. The consequences of a no-fly zone aren’t clear. It may prevent government air
strikes on rebels, but it probably won’t save the rebels because it doesn’t do much about the rebel’s disadvantages on the ground. Libyan rebels are hoping for an “arm and train”
strategy so that they can cancel out Gadhafi’s logistical advantage. However, it is the most complicated and most difficult of all options. Who would supply the weapons and
what kind would be supplied? Is it prudent to arm a Middle Eastern country so heavily? This will become more of an issue if the fighting continues. It’s only hope is that a non-
Western supplies the arms and training, Egypt is an attractive supplier.
Along with the new class schedule, it was announced that student tuition would be increased too. Tuition will raise about five
hundred dollars in the 2011- 2012 school year. The new cost is understandable what with every student gaining one more class, there
has to be either more teachers or teachers having more classes.
With this tuition rise, St. Rita has now offered a new way for students, or their family, to pay. Relatives can now buy a Tuition
Gift Certificate. They can be bought in any dollar amount between twenty five and two hundred and fifty dollars. Gifts can be given
to students of all grades and the entire process is relatively fast, only taking about one to two business days.
If any students would like to purchase these gift certificates or find out more about this new system, contact Mrs. McWilliams
in the Tuition Office.
Page 7 March 31, 2011
“Who wants some money?” As Father Tom would say. The Stock Club is the
place to be if you love money. St. Rita’s Stock Club has risen in the ranks last year and
this year as well. The Team is currently ranked second among the other one hundred and
twenty Illinois Stock Clubs. St. Rita’s team consists of thirteen students, senior Aamir
Walton, juniors Billy Pink and Billy Henry, sophomores Peter Cozzi, Quinton Gray,
Pedro Martinez, Bryce Sissac, Patrick Henry, Joey Wilimczyk, and Kevin Sicher, and
freshman Mike O’Donnell, Ian Leyden, and Victor Luna. The club’s advisor is Mr. Mike
Gallagher, who is also the Augustinian Chief Financial Officer here at St. Rita.
For those who don’t know much about Stock Club, the team meets every
Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. in room 213. The students use computer software to buy
or sell real stocks from real companies. Each team starts with one hundred thousand dol-
lars of “monopoly” money and they invest to see who comes out with the biggest earn-
ings. Easier said than done right? Although everything is computer generated, the amount
of money teams earn is based on the real increase and decrease of the price of stocks.
Have you ever heard news about the DOW Jones dropping however many points? Well
that’s stock market talk for losing or gaining money. I’m sure the team has finally found
a use for the otherwise “unknown” stock exchange section of the newspaper. The season
starts in January and ends in April. So far, the stock club has made a profit and exceeded
the S & P 500 growth by 7%, according to Mr. Gallagher. That puts the team’s running
total at one hundred and eight thousand dollars.
Stock Club can be very useful to students for when they enter the real world. Photo Courtesy of Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
Although they use fake money, the way they strategize and invest their money can be
used in today’s market. Students have fun earning money and at the same time learn use-
ful ways to invest their money once they have their own job. Students can learn ways to
invest their money to eventually be millionaires by the time they retire. And who doesn’t
want to be a millionaire?
“Students keep coming back, so they must like it,” Mr. Gallagher said, and he encourag-
es more people to join. Stock Club has two seasons, one in the Fall and one in the Spring.
If you’re ever interested in Stock Club it’s never too late to stop by room 213 on Wednes-
day morning and see how everything works. Or you can stop by Mr. Gallagher’s office
which is located right next to the elevator on the first floor. The season is almost over but
you can still join. If you don’t have time this year there is plenty of time next year to join
this fun and interesting club. Stock Club is a great way to learn real life skills that can
help you in the world of tomorrow, today.