Father Jack Kolodziej, OSFS, Provincial, addresses the crowd after the Sunday Mass.
Sunny skies and warm temps greeted the 1000+ Northeast Catholic High School Alumni and their families this past weekend in North Wildwood, NJ for the Norphans Summer Reunion. The "Norphans" are a group of alumni from the Philadephia school that was established and administered by the Oblates until its closing in 2010.
North alumni Billy Hunter, Fran Dougherty, Jerry Garzone, and Chuck Synder at the Saturday night event at Keenan’s Irish Pub
Their weekend was full of activities that brought alumni from all over the area together. A golf outing at the Avalon Golf Club, in Avalon, NJ on Friday morning kicked off the celebration. "Guest Bartenders," featuring teachers and coaches, kept the crowd entertained on Friday night. Saturday began with the annual alumni soccer game and ended with a huge crowd at Keenan's Irish Pub, their second largest event of the year! The weekend concluded with "Mass on the Beach" where over 300 people attended in person and countless others celebrated via livestream.
Father Joe Campellone, OSFS, at the Mass.
Throughout all these events there was a sea of red shirts, old NC logos, and images of Falcons. There were laughs and hugs and stories upon stories, but mostly there was pride. To call North alumni proud is an understatement. There is an intense sense of pride along with gratitude that the alumni feel for both their high school and the Oblates. So many of the men who walked the halls of North Catholic have stories of Oblates who significantly influenced their lives. Decades later they speak with reverence for the priests and brothers who taught them lessons in the classroom, on the field, and in life. They remember the large and small gestures by the Oblates. "I think Fr. Ashenbrenner went to every single game, of every sport that was played at North. It was just unbelievable how dedicated he was to the students," said Mike Ritchie, Class of 1984.
Ed McKee, Mike Ritchie, Chris Hanssens, Jim & Jean Meehan, and John Hagan at Saturday’s festivities
Having a North alumnus as the Provincial is another source of pride for the alumni. Father Jack Kolodziej, OSFS, graduated from North in 1987 and was recently elected Provincial of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province. He joined the reunion celebration at the "Mass on the Beach” on Sunday. The Provincial concelebrated with Father Joe Campellone, OSFS, and Father John Kelly, Class of 1973. After the Mass, Father Jack addressed the congregation, expressing his appreciation for all the North alumni do for the Oblates and the community.
Behind all the friendships and connections is a huge commitment to giving back to others. Norphans raise money so they can support people throughout the Philadelphia region. The reunion weekend raised approximately $50,000 towards supporting the Oblates, local charities, and high school scholarships. Every year, the entire collection at the “Mass on the Beach” is given to the Oblate Retirement Fund.
The Norphans’ greatest charity contribution is directed toward the children and grandchildren of North Catholic alumni. Each year the Norphans give scholarships to hundreds of young people in Philadelphia and Camden to attend Oblate-run Father Judge High School and archdiocesan high schools. They want to ensure the next generation gets access to the quality Catholic education for which Norphans are so grateful.
Norphans Board members and reunion organizers Jerry Brindisi, Tom Crossett, Jason Marquess, Mike McBride, and Mike Ritchie look forward to the reunion every year. This, however, is just one of the highlights of their work with the Norphans. What drives them is more than memories of their youth. They are witnesses that the lessons the Oblates taught at North are very much alive and are being shared with people all over Philadelphia and Camden.
For more info on Norphans and to see photos of the reunion visit www.norphans.org
