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!

Service Trip To Mexico

This summer, St. Mary’s students and alumni joined Senora Dvorak on a trip to Puebla, Cholula, Huamantla, and Tecuanipan in Mexico.

While there, the group worked on the farm at Enlaces Communitarios Internacionales composting, planting and harvesting, and learning about permaculture and sustainable farming practices.  They also visited the pyramid in Cholula as well as various churches in Puebla and Cholula.  They also made tortillas, gorditas, and many other traditional Mexican foods.

The students stayed with local families in the rural community of Tecuanipan and used their Spanish skills.

Reunion Weekend ’23 Recap

In keeping with the event recaps, it’s time to recap an amazing Reunion Weekend celebrating our alumni, especially those with big reunion years whose graduating class years end in 3’s and 8’s.
Saturday began with our annual Scholars Brunch, which bridged the gap between the present and the past, as current scholarship winners were able to meet our alumni donors who fund our named scholarships, helping them to experience all of the joys of a St. Mary’s education.
Next up, the cast, crew, and orchestra of the 1976 performance of Fiddler on the Roof took their place among the best of the best in the St. Mary’s Performing Arts Hall of Fame.
The Athletics Hall of Fame also welcomed 5 new inductees, including Col. Louis Seelig ’60, Coach Angelo Sciandra, Kevin Burns ’00, Don Pieczynski, and the 2001 Women’s Volleyball Team.
The night was capped off with our Reunion Celebration and a performance by Michael Bly Santa-Maria ’92. Tours of the school, food, activities for the kids, and reuniting with old friends. Does it get any better than that?
We are always thrilled to welcome back alumni any day of the year! In from out of town? Just feel like swinging by for a literal walk down memory lane? We’ll be here! Reach out to Amy Kawa at akawa@smhlancers.org if you’d like to reconnect with your alma mater.

Lancer Gala ’23 Recap

It’s hard to believe that the Lancer Gala has come and gone! Thank you so much to everyone who came out that night as a guest, to volunteer, who bid on some amazing silent auction items from afar, and just everyone who helped make the night a success! A special thank you goes out to our Gala chaircouples Kevyn and Stacey Adams, Matt and Jen Ellis, and Brian and Harvest Gionta for their hard work throughout the entire planning process.
Everyone’s participation in St. Mary’s biggest fundraiser of the year directly supports St. Mary’s students and programs. We couldn’t do all of the amazing things we have going on around here without you.
Don’t forget to save the date for next year’s Lancer Gala on Saturday, March 16th. See you then!

Cafeteria Rennovations Coming Along

With the Lancer Gala and Reunion Weekend behind us, the summer season has started to set in on campus. Even with summer in full swing, many projects are continuing to ensure the St. Mary’s high school experience remains second to none, including the remodeling of our cafeteria, which we will have completed by the start of the school year.
Our legacy would not be sustainable without the consistent generosity of our Lancer alumni. Our deepest gratitude to all of you for supporting our students and The Lancer Fund.
Thank you for all you’ve done to help St. Mary’s thrive this fiscal year, and we look forward to an even stronger 2023-24! Go Lancers!