Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. will be the main celebrant during a Liturgy of the Word preceding the 40th Annual Academic Honors Convocation at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The 2019 All Catholic Chorus will provide the liturgical music, under the direction of Conductor, Mr. Thomas Kuchler and accompanied by Organist, Mrs. Cheryl Manfredonia.
This event honors graduating seniors from 33 Archdiocesan and private Catholic high schools in the five-county region for achieving academic excellence throughout their high school years.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
6:15 p.m. (Procession)
6:30 p.m. (Liturgy of the Word)
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
The students, who are ranked in the top 3% of their senior class, will be honored for their academic success and dedication to their studies. This year, 144 students are included in the elite group according to their cumulative ranking at the end of the first semester of their senior year. The 40th Annual Academic Honors Convocation will be streamed in real-time utilizing Facebook Live via the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools’ Facebook page.
Sister Maureen McDermott, IHM, Ph.D., Superintendent of Secondary Schools for the Archdiocese said, “As the class of 2019 prepares for its future endeavors the Archdiocesan Academic Honors Convocation is an honored tradition that provides us, as administrators and teachers, with a moment to commend and recognize the incredible achievements these exceptional students have earned through the support of their loved ones, during their high school careers.
As graduating seniors throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia prepare for their Baccalaureate Masses and Commencement Exercises we offer them prayerful best wishes for a successful, meaningful, and happy future.”
Zephaniah Sainta a senior at Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia is the keynote student speaker for this year’s Convocation. In addition to her studies at Saint Hubert’s, she is part of a dual-enrollment program with Neumann University where she is taking a course in public speaking. She was chosen from among several student honorees who applied for this distinction. The daughter of Pierre Sainta and Nicole Telismon, Zephaniah attended Saint Dominic Parish Elementary School, also in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia.
Ms. Sainta dedicates much of her time to her studies both inside and outside of school, but she can also be found in the halls of Saint Hubert after hours participating in activities such as the Community Service Corps, the Yearbook Committee, the Fall Musical, the Drama Club, and Intramural Flag Football. She serves as Vice President of the Christus Vincit chapter of the National Honors Society and as a senior delegate for Saint Hubert’s Bambie Ambassadors. Her interests outside of academia lie mainly in writing and the arts. In the coming months, she will be attending the University of Pennsylvania and pursuing her interests in psychology and communications through a double major, as well as a minor in French language or creative writing.
Those individuals with asterisks after their names are in the Connelly Foundation Neumann Scholars Program. Initiated in 1995, this scholarship program identifies academically talented eighth grade students through an independently administered competitive examination and provides four year scholarships to attend any Archdiocesan high school.
2019 ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS
(Schools are categorized below alphabetically according to county)
BUCKS COUNTY
Connor J. Ford *
Ellen A. Fleming
Haley L. Nguyen
Kaitlin C. McGowan
Amanda K. McKenney
Kim Leigh D. Tursi
Savannah R. Mueller
Conwell-Egan Catholic High School
Seamus Smiley
Maria Michele DelPo
Amber Stansfield
Michael Calcagni
Keegan Pietrak
Thomas Barbaro
Andrew Beck
Nicholas Evans
Villa Joseph Marie High School
Anne Jeanette Ardito
Caroline J. Brandt
CHESTER COUNTY
Bridget A. O’Donnell *
Cristina G. DeJong
Gillian A. Porter
Hailey C. Trampel
Mason M. Rothstein
Michael R. Prieto *
Nicholas Z. Downing
Riley T. Brady *
James R. Thomas
Will Reckmeyer
Adam Morys
Gregory Gaasche
Stephen Fratamico
Villa Maria Academy High School
Olivia H. Hall
Riley S. Miller
Mackenzie Stockton
DELAWARE COUNTY
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
Margaret Rose Quirk
Jessica Suzanne Schneider
Isabelle Juliet Molinari
Archbishop Carroll High School
Daniel J. Fohner
Jacob E. Antonello *
Noelle R. Arpea
Alexander J. Prusacki
Brandon M. Abiuso *
John F. Higgins *
Isabella H. Lechtenberg *
Bridget E. Llull *
Isabella G. Pimentel
Jennifer C. Eburuoh
Elizabeth A. Otruba
Carolena M. Crognale
Matthew P. Belfatto
Katelynn R. Miraglia
Joseph N. Pham
Samantha E. Polito
Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School
Cassandra Howard
Diane Kim
Lauren Faulkner
Madeline Hill
John J. Saunders
Kelli Curran
Courtney Thornton
Molly Murphy
Elizabeth Davis
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Henry Nguyen
Patricia Templeton
Abigail Obfenda
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
Ann E. Sinclair
Caitlin M. Fitzpatrick
Ryan S. Stratton
Benjamin T. Ahern *
Olivia A. Marquardt
Shannon R. Carr *
Amanda A. Coraluzzi
Casey E. Ford *
James Min Crovo
Matthew John Earley
Max Edward Flynn
Casey Reid Jefferis
Joseph Patrick LaMorte
Martin Theodore Manion
Michael Gordon McDonough
Peter Shea Taylor
Madison R. Boylan
Carly A. Gerace
Isabella J. Santori
Brigid O’Neill
Gabriella Ford
Natalie Walker
Thomas M. Heibeck *
Molly C. Moore
Zachary M. Murtaugh
Abigail M. Galella
Jason T. Kost *
John Paul Schiele
Siena Wanders
Teressa White
PHILADELPHIA COUNTY
David Eniola *
Michael Cellucci
James Crossfield
Mary Grace Meredith *
Hailey Judith Hurst
Kylie Nicole Snellbaker
Jiajian Huang
Ava Rose Brakoniecki
Charles Crossfield
Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
Salimata Diallo
Rashel Batista
Angel Young
Father Judge High School for Boys
Remy R. Garant
Matthew D. Beck
Matthew D. Purcell *
Edison Felipe
Shamus E. Ehersmann
John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School
Julia Alexandrakis
Brigid Hurst *
Bejee Paleng
Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls
Erin V. Birney
Jillian L. Halbiger
Kristina Tran
Claude-Erika Ekobeni
Mercy Career & Technical High School
Richard S. Torelli
Sana’i K. Parker
Julia Emma Davis
Isabella C. Spinelli
Caitlin Felicity Grabowski
Roman Catholic High School for Boys
Nicholas Robert Hamilton
George W. Greeby
Brandon Walsh Brophy
Anthony Joseph Pantalone
Ryan Truong *
Matthew Peter Phares
Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls
Zephaniah Sainta
Mary Darrah
Emma Licsauer *
Elizabeth Colpe
Saints John Neumann-Maria Goretti Catholic High School
Jessie Chen
Joseph A. Messina
Kieran E. Johnson
Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School
Jordan C. Busza
Jacob G. DeAnnuntis
Daniel J. DiSandro
Brett A. Geiss
John C. Thorell
West Catholic Preparatory High School
Gabrielle Bioteau
Seblah Alfa
Erika A. Cordova-Canas
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Editor’s Note: For more information on Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia please visit http://www.catholicschools-phl.org/. For more information on Faith in the Future please visit http://www.faithinthefuture.com/.
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