Cathedral High honors Remondi

Cathedral High School and the Adopt-a-Student Foundation celebrated their 10th Partnership for Success dinner at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel on Oct. 20. John Remondi, the executive vice president of Fidelity Investments, was honored for his dedication and commitment to Catholic education through the foundation.

As a 1954 graduate of Cathedral High School, Remondi has given back in more ways than one. In 1990, he co-founded the Adopt-A-Student Foundation which now provides tuition assistance to Cathedral High School students who dream of a better life through education. He has worked tirelessly to improve educational standards, renovate the facility with new science labs and expand the school with the addition of a junior high school.

For 80 years, Cathedral High was without a gymnasium. Remondi changed that reality by spearheading a team to build and fund the 2006 state of the art facility.

Today, over 95 percent of students who desire a Cathedral education cannot afford the full tuition. Through the generosity of Adopt-A-Student Foundation donors, the Cathedral experience is made possible for many students.

Cathedral High School is one of the many Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston.

Co-Chairs of the dinner were John Drew and Barry Hynes and the keynote speaker was Father Peter M. Donohue, OSA, the president of Villanova University. The emcee for the evening was WCVB Channel 5 Reporter Rhondella Richardson.

Grey Nun appointed area coordinator

LEXINGTON -- The Sisters of Charity of Montreal, "Grey Nuns," have announced that Sister June Ketterer, SGM, has been appointed Area Coordinator for the Sisters of the St. Joseph Area (in the USA), for a second three year mandate.

At the Grey Nuns' recent General Chapter in June, the structures of the entire Congregation were simplified. Instead of "Teams" leading the different regions, in most cases a single area coordinator has been appointed.

On Aug. 30 in Lexington, the Grey Nuns gathered in the chapel at Youville Place Assisted Living Residence where the Grey Nuns Offices are located. In an inspiring prayer service, the Congregational Leader, Sister Jacqueline St. Yves, SGM, recognized and thanked the outgoing team for its dedicated leadership since 2008: Sister June Ketterer, SGM, area coordinator; Sister Dorothy Cooper, SGM, finance coordinator; and Ella Christian, health care coordinator.

Sister Jacqueline then commissioned Sister June again as area coordinator for a three year mandate from 2011-2014. The Grey Nuns have expressed delight as Sister June is well known and appreciated for her multiple leadership and pastoral qualities, her visionary and hopeful spirit, as well as her great faith in Divine Providence.

The Catholic Daughters of the Americas celebrate 95th anniversary

STONEHAM -- The Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA) recently celebrated its 95th anniversary. A Mass of thanksgiving was held at St. Patrick Parish in Stoneham last month. Father Kevin O'Leary -- rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and state chaplain of CDA -- celebrated along with Father Guy Sciacca of St. Joseph Parish in Needham. Despite the early New England storm, it was attended by many.

The Massachusetts CDA instituted their first court at St. Patrick Church known as Court Stoneham. The Catholic Daughters of the Americas -- founded in 1903 by The Knights of Columbus -- is one of the oldest and largest national Catholic women's organizations. Presently there are 22 courts or chapters throughout the state of Massachusetts.

Under the motto of "Unity and Charity," the Catholic Daughters raise funds and support many charities in the Church, community and country, such as: The Pro-life Office in the Archdiocese of Boston, Habitat for Humanity, Smile Train, and SOAR (support our aged religious. More information on the Catholic Daughters is available at 508-371-7059 or www.catholicdaughters.org.

BC Music Professor celebrates priest-composer with CD set

CHESTNUT HILL -- Musicologist and choral director Michael Noone -- a professor in Boston College's Music Department -- has recently released a set of 10 CDs in the United States, with his London-based Ensemble Plus Ultra, of the sacred music of priest-composer Tomas Luis de Victoria.

Victoria (1548-1611) is regarded as the greatest Spanish composer of all time and one of the premier High Renaissance/early Baroque composers of any nationality. Noone's Ensemble spotlighted his works in fall concerts at BC, organized to commemorate the 400th anniversary of his death.

The New Oxford History of Music describes the composer: "Combining the vocations of priest and musician, Victoria created an art of incomparable spirituality."

Both a student, and later a professor, at the Jesuit German College, Victoria was the first of a long line of great composers whose association with the Society of Jesus was decisive for the history of Western Music. Noone noted, "His works represent one of the great untold stories of how the Jesuits supported music."

Noone said the CD project brought together 42 musicians from several countries to record more than 90 works. In 2008 and 2009, his team spent more than 60 days -- in Spanish and English churches renowned for their acoustics -- recording in excess of 12 hours of music.

Noone's research focuses on Early Modern sacred music, with a special emphasis on Spain and Latin America.