The Beehive – 9/30/24
Join Archbishop Molloy High School for our annual Open House on October 20, 2024! Meet our students, faculty, and staff, learn about our curriculum, connect with our athletes, and see firsthand the many programs we have to offer. From career-focused clubs and honor societies, to computer science and fine arts, there is something for everyone at Molloy! Click the button or the flyer to reserve your time slot.
A special Reunion message to the Class of 1964 from Greg Spano ’64:
“Dear Stanners, the AMHS Class of 1964 is working to reach as many members of our class as possible leading up to this year’s Molloy Reunion. This year marks the 60th Anniversary of our graduation, and we hope to see many of our classmates at the Reunion on November 2, 2024, to be held at Molloy. Please contact me at netyank52@aol.com or call 516-328-3901 to provide updated information for yourselves or any of our classmates from 1964. This will help us reach out now and to keep in touch in the future. We look forward to celebrating this amazing milestone with all of you!” — Greg Spano ’64
SAVE THE DATE – 3/29/25 – Track & Field 100th Anniversary Celebration
Pictured: 1924-1925 Track Team and 2024-25 Track Team
SAVE THE DATE: Dear Stanners and Friends: Please join us as we mark 100 Years of Stanner Track & Field! A celebratory event will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025. There will be food and drink, speeches, and many laughs to be had by all! Keep an eye out for more information coming soon.
HISTORY: The first Stanner Track & Field team competed in the fall of 1924 at St. Ann’s Academy. Since then, we have grown across two schools and won an immense number of team titles, gained national acclaim, and most importantly, built relationships that have lasted for life. This dedicated group of men and women – guided by generations of outstanding coaches – has built a family. We look forward to celebrating the legacy of the Stanner Track & Field community. Non scholae sed vitae!
Bishop Brennan Celebrates Senior Liturgy for 3rd Consecutive Year
On September 20th, the Class of 2025 continued a great Molloy tradition by celebrating their Senior Liturgy of the Holy Spirit. For the 3rd year in a row, the Most Rev. Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, returned as Celebrant.
Prior to the Liturgy, senior Ava Genna ‘25 welcomed back her classmates and introduced the theme of the service: our hermitage. “This year is one to closely reflect on our hermitage as Marist students, as the anniversary of Champagnat’s hermitage. Our hermitage is a collection of the relationships and lessons that we’ve built, such as our visits to Esopus, or lessons from Peer Groups and Personal Growth classes.” Ava then confidently stated that all Molloy students are not alone as Marists, but rather “in a community that’s bigger than ourselves,” each of us just a building block to a bigger “tower,” and that we must always keep the Marist mission in our minds to ensure our hermitage stays strong.
Bishop Brennan later reiterated Ava’s sentiments about keeping a strong hermitage. He reminded us that Molloy is not just a building, just as the hermitage in France built by St. Marcellin Champagnat was not just a building, either. Rather, the buildings represent community, a place where people gather to build one another up to make Jesus Christ known & loved. The rocks and soil are the foundation of the property; the Marist mission is the foundation of our community. Bishop Brennan continued on to say that Molloy’s “building blocks,” or our students & alumni, are found all over the world, creating foundations everywhere, building people up in their faith.
The Liturgy ended with senior Amy Vu ‘25 speaking about her own personal hermitages, once again urging her classmates to keep the Marist pillar of Presence at the forefront of their minds. By doing so, building relationships and communities will be easier, and keeping them strong is the key to building each other up. Principal Dr. Darius Penikas closed the event with a simple piece of advice: “Anchoring your life on the foundation of Jesus will help you when life gets difficult.” Congratulations, seniors, and thank you, Bishop Brennan, for celebrating with us!
Juniors and Underclassmen Celebrate Liturgy of the Holy Spirit
Last week, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors celebrated their Liturgy of the Holy Spirit. Each Liturgy centered on the previous week’s theme of “building a hermitage,” and how a hermitage is not just a physical building, but the individual building blocks that make up a community. Celebrants also emphasized that trust in our faith anchors us, allowing us to pursue our passions and be better people, because we know we are doing things for the greater good.
Several student speakers spoke to their classmates, encouraging them to keep their relationships strong, and to always embody the Marist pillars, because Molloy building blocks are found all over the world. Molloy is a large family, a hermitage of its own, and we are excited to see it grow each and every year!
Seniors Wear Kid Backpacks For Great Cause
Friday, September 20th was Senior Backpack Day! Members of the Class of 2025 were encouraged to wear fun children’s backpacks, sporting characters such as the Super Mario Brothers, Barbie, Sonic, and more! At the end of the day, backpacks were dropped off in front of room 123, and collected by Campus Ministry to be filled with school supplies that were donated by the freshmen during their Freshman One Day Retreat.
Filled backpacks have since been donated to Queens Borough Hall, where they will be distributed around the community. We are proud of all Stanners for being Agents of Justice and Service, following in the footsteps of St. Marcellin Champagnat!
Girls Varsity Soccer the Latest to Experience Team-Focused Retreat
On September 19th, the Girls Varsity Soccer team took part in Campus Ministry’s second athletic retreat of the year. The retreat focused on the themes of facing obstacles and overcoming adversity. The group took a deep dive into how Faith and trust in one another, and most importantly, how Faith and trust in God, can help to guide us through the challenges we face on and off the field. In the words of Campus Minister Mr. Corrado, “The greater our struggles, the more glorious the triumphs!”
A Busy Summer for These Seniors
This past summer, seniors Conn Reilly ’25, Chris Leriche ’25, and Ethan Maingrette ’25 were selected from over 650 applicants to participate in the prestigious Manhattan College Pre-Engineering Program. Together they attended lectures about civil, mechanical, and environmental engineering, and worked in teams to build structures that were tested on the last day of the program. Conn, Chris, and Ethan placed 1st, 2nd, and 4th in the competition. | Pictured L-R: Conn, Chris, Dr. Walter Saukin (Program Director), and Ethan.
About a week later, Ethan participated in the on-campus Summer Leadership Academy Program at Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry, New York. During the week-long program, Ethan lived in the school’s dorm for business students, attended lectures about different aspects of business and finance, visited Fortune 500 companies in Manhattan, and developed and presented a business idea. The week ended with a reception, during which all participating students received a certificate of completion. | Pictured: Ethan with Mahmud Wazihullah, the Director of the Honors Business Program.
Also this summer, the team of Kathleen Greenberg ’25, Jada Hebrado ’25, Ryan Ladd ’25, Michael Nisanov ’25, and Bryana Quintero ’25 competed in the SDNY Justice Institute Program, which ended in a Mock Trial competition. Our Stanners placed 2nd out of 16 teams and as the top overall prosecution team. This outstanding achievement was outside of their normal activities with Molloy’s Mock Trial team, making moderators Ms. Rayappa ’04 and Mr. Barbera ’74 even more proud. Congrats to all!
Introducing: The Stanner Athlete of the Week!
Introducing the Stanner Athlete of the Week! Each week, Molloy will highlight two outstanding Stanner athletes, representing boys and girls sports. The first four athletes to be honored this year are Christina Kyrou ’26 (Tennis), Jake Xuereb ’25 (Cross Country), Leah Hui ’25 (Volleyball), and Will Fogarty ’26 (Soccer).
During the week of 9/9 – 9/15, Christina led her team in her first singles debut, winning an intense tiebreaker with a score of 9-7 against St. Joseph Hill. The team won 5-0. In Cross Country, Jake placed 18th out of 134 runners at the Mount Academy Invitational in Esopus, NY.
During the week of 9/16 – 9/22, Leah received the MVP award at the Scarsdale Tournament after her final block proved to be the winning match point in the Championship Game. Leah’s blocking, hitting, and serving throughout the day was crucial in the varsity team’s comeback and tournament win. In Varsity Soccer, Will assisted on two goals while playing outstanding defense. The team went 1-1 over the course of the week.
Follow @molloyhs_athletics on Instagram to follow along with Stanner Athlete of the Week announcements in real time!
More September Highlights
| Cross Country – Aiofe Garvey ’25 set a school record in the 5000M while placing 13th at the Mount Academy Invitational in Esopus, NY. She also placed 6th in the 5000M at the Xavier Invitational in Staten Island, NY. |
| Girls Varsity Soccer – Jackie Messer ’25 scored five goals in the team’s first five games, including the game winner at the Kicking for a Cause Tournament. |
| Varsity Bowling – Sophomore MJ Sims ’27 bowled a perfect 300 game, helping to secure Molloy’s win against Holy Cross. This is MJ’s second career perfect game! |
| Varsity Baseball – Two members of the State Championship winning varsity baseball team have committed to colleges. Ryan McMenamin ’25 will continue his baseball career at American International College. Costa Bournias ’25 will play for The City College of New York (CCNY). Congratulations, Ryan and Costa! |
Jim Larrañaga Honored With Lapchick Character Award
Congratulations to Coach Jim Larrañaga ’67, who was honored by the Joe Lapchick Character Award Foundation at the New York Athletic Club on September 20th. Larrañaga, the head coach of men’s basketball at the University of Miami, received the Joe Lapchick Character Award, in recognition of his demonstration of honorable character throughout his life and career. Larrañaga is now among a group of many other distinguished recipients of this award, including legends of men’s and women’s basketball representing all levels of play.
The award continues the legacy of the late Joe Lapchick (1900-1970), a renowned pro player and head coach (St. John’s University, New York Knicks), who exemplified many outstanding qualities that helped him achieve success while being a wonderful role model for countless athletes and colleagues.
Photo courtesy of Ed Kull ’99.
Virtual Enterprise Alum Guests Lectures for Current Class
On September 19th, John Paul (JP) Mussalli ‘22 returned to Molloy to speak to Mr. Touzin’s Virtual Enterprise class. JP was enrolled in the VE program himself as a Stanner, helping create one of Molloy’s most highly performing VE firms to date! Currently, JP attends St. John’s University, studying Computer Science while running a small team that focuses on web development.
JP taught Mr. Touzin’s current VE students how to build a strong resumé and navigate the current job market. He gave a presentation that explained how to tailor a resumé for specific jobs, encouraged students to take advantage of networking opportunities, highlighted the importance of seeking out mentors, and emphasized the significance of researching a company in detail before applying for a position. JP concluded by answering questions about cover letters and formatting.
Thank you, JP, for taking the time out of your schedule to return to Molloy and share your knowledge with our VE students!
The following was shared by the family of Thomas P. Lane ’68: Thomas P. Lane passed away on Thursday, September 12th, 2024 in Stuart, Florida. He held many life honors: beloved son, brother, uncle, life partner and stand in Papa Tom. An Archbishop Molloy H.S. alum, upon graduating from St. John’s University, NY his professional career went from decorated cop to accomplished capitalist across industries and continents. A true bi-coastal from Long Beach, NY to San Clemente, CA on to Port St. Lucie, FL he was blessed with countless lifelong friends, including numerous first and second cousins. He loved to make homemade pizza for his eight nieces and nephews: Katie, Sandra, Ryan, Ligita, Megan, Nicole, Joseph, and Alex. In retirement he and his life partner, Linda, travelled the globe extensively. There were few ports they missed, and no Windstar sailing vessel they did not know. Tom joins our beloved parents Joseph and Patricia, but he did not leave us, simply sailed on to await his life mate Linda, his siblings and their spouses: Joseph & Martha, Kevin & Santina, Bob & Sue, and Patti & Luis…across the horizon with a smile, a warm embrace to Welcome Aboard! | Click Here for Memorial Page
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Michael Adams ’74, who passed away on Friday, September 13, 2024. Michael enjoyed an over 44 year career working in Aerospace Engineering and Aeronautics. His greatest joy was his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Dawn; daughters Kelsi Swink and her husband Tyler, Kelli, and Kaitlyn; grandchildren Stetson and Bristol Swink; and future son-in-law Jeremy Russo. | Click Here for Memorial Page
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Kevin Fisher-Paulson ’76, brother of Donald Paulson ’69, who passed away on September 5, 2024 after a battle with cancer. Kevin, beloved by family and friends, enjoyed a distinguished career in the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, notably serving as Chief Deputy. He was also a well known columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle for many years.
