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St Pius X
Reunion 2005
St Pius X preparatory seminary high school in
Uniondale has been closed for over 20 years.
However, even without their alma mater, the now 40-something boys
of St Pius gathered at Holy Family in Hicksville on November 12th for an
inaugural multi-year reunion of the classes from 1975 through 1980.
Attending St Pius meant you were asking to get the
business from kids from other schools, especially when you were the only
ones wearing neckties on the public buses and carrying dweebish Latin
books. Survival meant
developing a tough skin, a sense of humor, and a strong camaraderie.
Camaraderie was alive and well with over 60 alumni
in attendance, many joined by their wives.
Alumni traveled from as far as Maine, Tennessee, Virginia,
Alabama, Texas, and California for a modest dinner buffet in a school
auditorium and to see their classmates again.
With approximately 100 in the total freshman class
each year (and a mere 300 in the entire student body) only about 2000
students in total ever attended St Pius in its 20-year history.
Only about 1200 managed to make it from freshman year to
graduation.
Despite its small size, Pius remained competitive
in track, soccer, baseball, and basketball.
Relishing their role as spoilers, Pius athletes celebrated their
fair share of upsets over much larger schools.
(The mention of Chaminade during the reunion ceremonies drew
good-natured jeers from the old boys!)
With the closing of St Pius in 1984, alumni were
placed on the endangered species list.
For this reason any loss over the years is taken that much more
to heart. On 9/11 five were taken from our small ranks.
Terence Manning '82, Farrell
Lynch ’80, Dave Grimner '68, and Kevin Donnelly ’76 and Pat
O’Keefe ’75, both NYC fire fighters, were remembered at the Mass
preceding the reunion reception.
The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Bob Batule ’76,
Fr. Brian McNamara ’76, Fr. Greg Breen ’75, Fr. Frank Parisi’75,
Deacon Tom Fox ’76 and Deacon Kevin McCormack ’78.
As a prep seminary St Pius was producing a
disappointing number of priests, certainly a factor in determining the
school closure. But St Pius
never disappointed in producing good people.
Good guys. Christi
simus non nostri.
Anyone who has ever attended St Pius is welcome and
encouraged to visit our website:
http://piusxalumni.com
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