"MORE REUNION REFLECTIONS"

This 40th reunion was by far a wonderfully graced experience for me, not to mention a hell of a lot of fun. How we have all aged so “gracefully.” The mass was very special and I continue to marvel at the fact that from our class there are four priests – one of whom is an august Abbot! And two Religious Sisters. Not bad…

This coming May 25th, Kerry and I celebrate our 33rd anniversary of ordination. The years have been good despite the difficulties that the priesthood has faced in recent years. Despite the “bad press” – God has been very good to me and has opened up wonderful opportunities for me to serve Him and His Church.

Now that I am the “34th successor of Blessed Serra” as pastor of the Jewel of the California Missions, it’s strange to realize that more years of priesthood are behind me than before me. I’m in a wonderful parish that continues to challenge my creativity and indulge many of my interests – history, conservation and preservation, improving my Spanish, my love for liturgy and music. I suspect that I will probably retire from this assignment. San Juan is a great place to retire.

Wait till my mom and sister sees the composite – they will love it. I should go back to the flat top!

Be assured that I will indeed remember all of you at the Table of the Lord during this month.

Fr. Art Holquin

San Juan Capistrano, CA

(Ed Note: The photo composite at the lead of this article is courtesy of the creative mind of "Big John" Stigmon)

(DR.) BARB (BROESKI) TENNIS

SPEAKS OUT ON THE DANGERS OF

POST REUNION WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME (PRWS)

Is there such a thing as reunion addiction?

Possible signs of the condition:

1. You wake up craving email and blog from a classmate?

2. You turn on the computer before your morning coffee and shower?

3. You get defensive if somebody wonders why you are carrying an old yearbook with you? (it takes a while to read all those things people wrote in the margins)

4. You would rather turn on the computer than the TV?

5. You forget to make dinner because you were going through a box of old photos?

6. You feel like no one understands you (just because their reunions were lame...)

7. You feel compelled to learn to dance the "Freddy" once again.

8. You say you can stop talking about it and thinking about it any time, but you were really happy that Monique said "out loud" that she would work on the 45th!

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE CONTACT THE SUPPORT GROUPS WHICH ARE FORMING IN YOUR LOCAL AREA.

"MORE REUNION REFLECTIONS"

Dear Alemany class of 1966,

Along with Marty, I too will do a bit of reminiscing. My experience of the reunion of the class of 1966 was truly most enjoyable. I am grateful to Danny and all those who worked to put on such a meaningful event. I appreciate so much the brief conversations that I had with a good number of you. I am glad that I made the decision to attend.

It was such a different experience for one who has attempted to live primarily in the present. I have not seen much point in reminiscing about the past. Yet, it was neat to be able to share with you the little that I did in connection with the reunion.

Being the kind of person that I am who enjoys people and delving into the deeper realities of life, I wonder about what might be the stories of the lives of you all. It was a privilege to hear such from one or the other of you through the Emails as well as at the reunion.

As I mentioned to one or the other on Sat. p.m., would it not be great to hear all of those stories. That would take days of being together! We heard about the great accomplishments of many of you. Your lives and mine have changed much because of those stories.

What changes our world as well as our Church have undergone during those 40 years! If your story is comparable to mine, we have had our downs as well as our ups. Yet, in my attempt to live my Christian spirituality, I have found such to be what helped me to grow as a person.

Enough about such! In God's providence, I connected briefly with some of you last Sat. p.m. My involvement for four years in your lives was quite minimal. I was only a small "mustard seed" on a great teaching staff that worked with you back in those days. I believe that your class benefited from Alemany High School when it was at a great time in its history. I left there a week or so after you did. Being a slow learner, it took me eight years to get through a four year institution!

Now, I live in Arleta with four others members of my community in the condition that some refer to as retirement, as of six months ago. We Oblates call such RAM status. That stands for Reduced Active Ministry. I call it Reduced Administrative Malarky from being a Pastor in today's Catholic Church.

If I can share with any of you in any way as far as my spirituality is concerned, I can be reached at (818) 891-0579, and my email is FEWOMIMPB@aol.com.

(Fr.) Frank Wagner, O.M.I.

Arleta, CA

"REUNION REFLECTIONS"

The joy of this reunion has been, for me, in two parts. Working with Danny McMahon and Bob Johnson (the "Media Subcommittee") on the Reunion DVD (which will be mailed out in a few weeks) has been and continues to be the most fun I can remember having in decades.

The other part was the actual reunion at the Odyssey where everyone was having such a fantastic time. As I had feared, there just was not enough time. It was all over way too fast. There are a few conversations that were particularly meaningful to me.

For one, Bill Pawlak and I made true confessions to each other. Like the aforementioned Danny (Mac) McMahon, Bill and I go back to 3rd grade at Our Lady of Peace. Bill confessed to me that he had once taken a dime from me and later gave it back on instructions from his confessor. I confessed that I have always felt bad about punching him once, for no better reason than that was the type of kid I was. We made up at the reunion. There is not a nicer guy in the whole world than Billy Pawlak.

I had a delightful conversation with Alfonso Covarrubius who is enjoying his Golden Years after retiring from the US Postal Service. I was fortunate enough to have an extended dinner conversation with Tom Stratton. Tom remembered how my little car would often get stuck between first and second gear, and he remembered how to reach under the hood and get it going again. You may recall that Tom was always the guy who would fix the film projector when it jammed. But most of all we talked about the present and how we both have technical jobs that are ideal for old geeks like us who are better with computers than with people. And we found the perfect women to put up with our strangeness. It was so great to touch bases with Tom again after 40 years.

Peggy Jones had me (and many others) laughing with her wit and she told me something about myself that I will ruminate on for years. It was fantastic to talk with my old friend Colleen Murphy (my cousin's cousin). We shared how terrified we were of our common uncle when we were kids.

It was great to see Danny McMahon, his sister Patsy and, at breakfast Sunday, his mother, Verena the Great. It was a special treat to see my lovely second cousin Chris Belle Monroe having such a fabulous reunion weekend after all the pain and heartache she has been through recently.

It was also really neat to see my sister, Christie, my date that night, dancing up a storm, once again.

The joy of reconnection that was in the air, in that room at the Odyssey, was something that I will never forget.

Biggest surprise was the large number of the guys whom I now have to look up to. Wasn't Poltl a little guy??

My favorite group was the large number of guys who managed to stay awake for Mr. Diaz's early morning Science Seminar and who were able to goof off in Fr Weber's speech class ("able, ible, eyeble, oble uble") because the good Father was always too busy to actually attend. If you remember Pete Herron crawling out of Fr. Kernan's podium, you are in this club. Great to see all of you!

I could go on and on. It was simply wonderful. I had no ideas reunions were so much fun!

Thanks for the invite!!

Marty
Santa Rosa, CA

(Ed Note: This is the first in a continuing series of reflections on our reunion. Notes from clergy, faculty and classmates began arriving in the media sub-committee email box on the morning of the 29th of October. We will continue to share them with the Class as we receive permission from the senders. If you wish to have your reflections posted, please remember to add a specific authorization allowing the committe to post your thoughts. The legal department thanks you.)

THE "BOBBY" AWARDS

Presented for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Photo Submission

Presented by:

Adie and Ed Shaheen

And, The Winners are................

le Palme d'or -

Linda (Haney) Pearcy and Mary (Langan) Doyle for

"Two Friends in Dublin"

Ann (Turner) Olson for

"Ann and the King Crab"

For Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Costuming and Makeup

HRH Kathy Dunlay for

"Dibs on Bob Johnson"

and

Frank Hull and Barb Napoleone

for "Braids"

The People's Choice Awards

Marty Molidor

for "DA BUM"

Cha Cha (Faitel) Peterson for

"Super Model Cha"

The editorial board wishes to thank the countless number of classmates who through pure determination in mastering the art of attaching photos to their emails (some with the help of their children and grandchildren) made this all possible.