National Honor Society Inducts Newest Class

In November, 29 new members were inducted into the Marian Chapter of the National Honor Society at St. Mary’s High School. These young men and women were chosen based on the four pillars of NHS, including Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.
Congratulations to the following juniors:
Jackson Adams, Marina Cercone, Sophia Cirasunda, Caitlin Cone, Ella Dovey, Emma Fontaine, Nicholas Indelicato, Madison Keem, Riley Kumrow, Reece LaCotte, Taylor LaMartina, Elizabeth Larroque, Adriana Lorigo, Jase May, Ruby Nowak, Ailis Osmond, Alannah Pagano, Lauren Payne, Daniel Pokornowski, Ella Pomietlasz, Nya Ricks, Marissa Selmensberger, Danielle Spiegel, Ashley Switalski, Isabella Usinski, and Natalie Wargo.
And the following seniors:
Christopher Bruder, Colin Corcoran, and Xander Perry

World War II Veteran Visits St. Mary’s

In November, a very special visitor came to St. Mary’s – Technical Sgt. Casey Bukowski. Sgt. Bukowski spoke with Mr. Ard’s senior Social Studies classes. At an ageless 99 years old, Sgt. Bukowski served in World War II. He spoke with students about the trials and tribulations of war and the intricacies of the planes he flew in.
Sgt. Bukowski even became a POW when his B-17 bomber was shot down over Germany. He was a POW for 14 long months before being rescued by Patton’s Army.
It was truly an amazing experience for our students to have history leap off the page in this way and to hear from an American hero.
Thank you for your service to our country, Sgt. Bukowski!

Fall Play, “Harvey,” is Great Success

St. Mary’s Fall Play, Harvey, brought the house down!

Thomas Schroeder ’25 Named Meredith Latour Memorial Scholarship Recipient

On Thursday, the St. Mary’s Performing Arts Department put on the annual Lancer Cabaret. Members of Varsity Chorus, Glee Club, Bell Choir, Modern Band, and featured soloists took the stage to showcase their amazing musical abilities, performing songs from the Disney catalog, classic rock, pop, and so much more. The talent of these Lancers continues to grow and grow.
The Meredith Latour ’02 Performing Arts Memorial Scholarship was also presented to Thomas Schroeder ’25. The scholarship fund honors Meredith Latour, a star of the St. Mary’s stage, who passed away far too young after a battle with cancer. Her family, including her children, were on hand to present the scholarship to Thomas.
The audience – and students – were even treated to a musical announcement that’s a tale as old as time. Ring any Belles? St. Mary’s will invite you to Be Our Guest as we proudly present… your dinner… and this year’s spring musical – Beauty and the Beast! The show will take place March 7-9, 2024 in the Gus Galasso Performing Arts & Liturgical Center. Stay tuned for more information!

Academy Spotlight: St. Mary’s Welcomes Buffalo Bisons Staff

ACADEMY SPOTLIGHT: Earlier this month, staff members with the Buffalo Bisons organization came to St. Mary’s to speak to the Athletics Administration, Event Planning and Hospitality, Entrepreneurship, and Finance Academies about game day operations aside from just what goes on out on the field.
The panel included:
Anthony Sprague – General Manager
Terri Cerabone – Merchandise Manager
Kailey Gyorffy – Pub at the Park, Events, and Suites Manager
Sara Gromek Acker ’08 – Account Executive
Ari Musialowski – Ticket Office and Sales Fulfillment Manager
Thank you all for coming in and giving our students a look behind home plate.

Academy Spotlight: Global Citizenship

ACADEMY SPOTLIGHT: The Global Citizenship Academy recently visited Providence Farm Collective in Orchard Park. The group spent a wonderful fall day at the farm, learning about its mission, the people it serves, and the impact the farm has on its communities. They even harvested some crops themselves and enjoyed an authentic Somali lunch.
The Providence Farm Collective (PFC) is a non-profit grassroots organization established following a three-year pilot project, the Somali Bantu Community Farm (SBCF), which launched in 2017 to address inequities in farmland and fresh food access.
As its website states: “PFC is the only non-profit in Western New York that directly supports the communities it serves with access to rural farmland, farming and business education, technical assistance, markets, and the opportunity to farm for income. Through its programs, PFC helps to uplift the next generation of diverse agricultural entrepreneurs and community farmers with an emphasis on promoting self-sufficiency and advancing ecological and human health.”

Seniors Celebrate Mass with the Bishop

During Homecoming Week, the senior class celebrated Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral with Bishop Michael Fisher. Our Lancers joined other seniors from schools around the Diocese of Buffalo to truly bring the entire church to life.
These young men and women represented St. Mary’s High School so incredibly well, and we could not have been prouder.

Homecoming Reunites 1983 Undefeated Team

It truly was a Homecoming Game to remember this past weekend.
The 1983 undefeated St. Mary’s Football Team was honored at halftime to commemorate the 40th anniversary of this historic team.
No other football team in the history of St. Mary’s High School has earned that undefeated distinction.
  • Nine wins, zero losses
  • Division A Champions
  • The #2 ranked school in Western New York
  • The #6 ranked school in New York State
Thank you to all of the members of that team and the coaching staff who came back to St. Mary’s to celebrate the occassion, including:
Players: Mark Biersbach ’86, Mike Catalano ’84, Nick Cultrara ’85, Steve Gemerek ’85, Joe Hamilton ’85, Craig Hirsch ’85, Jim Kiefer ’84, Paul Kline ’85, Tim Labenski ’84, Kevin Machowiak ’84, Pete Musialowski ’85, Eric Ozolins ’84, Kurt Ozolins ’86, Steve Pike ’84, Bob Prindiville ’84, Vinny Prospero ’85, Lance Skowron ’84
Coaches: Mark Aquino ’81, Mike Aquino ’81, Keith Knoph, Paul Musialowski ’81, and Sam Scime
Once a Lancer, always a Lancer! These guys still got it!