By TheDialog
St. Mark’s celebrates school’s namesake
WILMINGTON – St. Mark’s High School celebrated the feast of St. Mark on April 25 with a Mass celebrated by two alumni, Fathers Jim Nash (Class of 1980) and Tim Nolan (’84), along with Fathers Charles Dillingham and John McVoy.
Students, faculty and staff were joined by the school’s board of directors, alumni association board, parents association officers, alumni who are parents of current seniors, and several other parents. The alumni chorus performed with the current chorus.
Father Nash, in his homily, concentrated on the part of Mark’s gospel in which Jesus tells his followers that those who spread the Word will “pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them,” according to the school. Father Nash told the community that the intent of this passage was not literal, but was meant to instruct us about living the Gospel. The scorpions are symbols of venomous actions and poisonous things in our world today, and Jesus was instructing us to stand up for the good and Holy beliefs that we have as Christians, even in the face of the darkness that exists.
After Mass, faculty and staff celebrating milestone anniversaries were recognized. Three staff members – Catherine Culnane, Hilda Kraiss and Thomas Parkins – marked 40 years at the school this year.
Knights of Peter Claver and ladies auxiliary, offering initial scholarships
The Knights of Peter Claver Council No. 383 and its ladies auxiliary are sponsoring scholarships to promote Catholic education at the grade school, high school and college level.
Three awards will be presented for the 2013-14 academic year. A grade school student will receive $500, a high school student $750, and a college student $1,000. Interested candidates should go to the Knights link at www.stjosephfrenchst.org and download the application, which are due by May 31 to the Knights of Peter Claver, Council 383, 1012 French St., Wilmington, DE 19801. For more information, call (302) 658-4535.
Ministry of Caring seeks resident volunteers
WILMINGTON – The Ministry of Caring is seeking young men and women to participate in the 2013-14 CapCorps Stigmata Volunteer Program, which is based at the Joseph Bakhita House in the Quaker Hill neighborhood of Wilmington.
The CapCorps volunteers will work on behalf of the poor while living a simple lifestyle in community with each other. Participants are eligible to participate jointly as AmeriCorps volunteers and, therefore, eligible for an education award when their service concludes.
Positions are available at several Ministry of Caring locations, including the Francis X. Norton Center, the Job Placement Center, emergency shelters, Samaritan Outreach, Emmanuel Dining Room, childcare centers and at the administrative office. More details are available by contacting Marie Keefer at the Ministry of Caring, Sacred Heart House, 917 N. Madison St., Wilmington, DE 19801. She can also be reached at (302) 428-3652 or mkeefer@ministryofcaring.org.
An application is available at www.ministryofcaring.org/capcorps-stigmata-program.
The Ministry of Caring was founded in 1976 by Brother Ronald Giannone, the Capuchin Franciscan priest who remains its executive director.
Casino night brings in bounty for Benedictine Programs
RIDGELY, Md. – The annual spring benefit for Benedictine Programs and Services, a casino night held April 20 at the Hyat Regency Chesapeake Bay, raised more than $340,000 to help improve the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities. Approximately 270 attended the event, which featured a circus theme with slot machines and table games.
While the winnings went to the clients of Benedictine, the players were eligible for baskets of wine and trips to New York City, Annapolis, Alexandria, Va., and to the host hotel.
Earlier that day, an open house and dedication took place at the two new senior care homes outside Ridgely, for which ground was broken a year before under the direction of Benedictine Sister Jeannette Murray, the longtime executive director who died March 21. At the fundraiser, the board of directors announced the Sister Jeannette Murray Award, which will recognize staff members for outstanding service, and unveiled a portrait of the late Benedictine.
St. John the Beloved band recognized at festival
WILMINGTON – The St. John the Beloved School Advanced Band earned a superior rating at the 2013 National Catholic Band Festival, which was held April 20 at Villanova University. It was the only band from Delaware at the event.
More than 30 bands from Catholic schools in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland participated in the festival. Each band receives 15 minutes to perform, and a panel rates the bands good, excellent or superior. Bands are rated for following the score, intonation, timing, overall sound and other criteria.
Ray DiVirgilio, the director, said there are eight students in the advanced band, all seventh- and eighth-graders. There is a bell player, two clarinetists, two alto saxophonists, a French horn player, a flutist and a drummer.
