By TAMI QUIGLEY Staff writer
“This is testament of a new way to spread the Gospel and pass it on to a new generation of faith,” said Bishop Alfred Schlert, presiding at the dedication of the John R. Post Learning Center and the Stadium Turf/Track Project Oct. 7 at Berks Catholic High School (BCHS), Reading.
“This is a tremendous time of history at the school.”
The learning center, a three-story, 25,000-square-foot addition, includes a STEM lab, five additional classrooms, an expanded cafeteria and the McGlinn Learning Commons.
The new turf and track allow for year-round practice and competition in cheerleading, cross-country, field hockey, football, lacrosse, marching band, soccer, and track and field.
The capital project was fully funded by the Excellence-Faith-Future Capital Campaign through which BCHS raised over $7 million.
The school community expressed special thanks to the project’s namesake, John R. Post, a 1956 graduate of Reading Central Catholic High School, and his wife, Maryanne; and the late Terrence McGlinn, a 1958 graduate of Reading Central Catholic, and his wife, Barbara; and the benefactors who contributed to the campaign.
Bishop Schlert preached the homily during the dedication ceremony. Tony Balistrere, BCHS principal, and John Post addressed those gathered.
Deacon Rick Lanciano, theology chair at BCHS who serves St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring, proclaimed the Gospel. Luke Painton, student body president, was lector. Hiliary Good, president of the BCHS National Honor Society, led the general intercessions.
The Berks Catholic Honors Choir, directed by Kate Bobb, and String Ensemble, directed by Bryan Scollick, provided music.
Clergy attending included Monsignor Thomas Orsulak, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle, Reading; Father Eugene Ritz, Diocesan chancellor and former BCHS chaplain; Father Stephan Isaac, BCHS chaplain and assistant pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola; and Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) Father E. Michael Camilli, senior priest at Holy Guardian Angels, Reading.
Also attending were John Bakey, Diocesan chancellor of the Secretariat for Catholic Education; Dr. Philip Fromuth, Diocesan superintendent; Dr. Brooke Tesche, deputy superintendent; and Thomas Flynn, president of Alvernia University, Reading.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to give thanks to God,” Bishop Schlert said. “After that I want to thank all supporters and benefactors – it’s all of them together that bring the school to life.”
The Bishop thanked Dolores Shemanski “as we remember her legendary Vince.” Vince Shemanski, retired principal and football coach of the former Reading Central Catholic, died Dec. 16, 2009. The BCHS stadium is his namesake. Their son Gregg Shemanski was the first board chair of BCHS.
“At the groundbreaking we came together with great hope, enthusiasm and trust. We said then God will bring the Gospel to the next generation of the Catholic Church, and so he has.”
Bishop Schlert said God will use the new building and turf field “thanks to your goodness, to instruct a new generation in the faith.”
“This is not just bricks and mortar. This building is enlivened with the spirit and presence of Christ through teachers, students and even subject matter, bringing new generations closer to Christ,” he said.
“I’m grateful to you all.”
“Through the generosity of so many people we gather at this place,” said Balistrere.
“Through the Excellence-Faith-Future Capital Campaign, we have been blessed to raise over $7 million for this project, and due to the generosity of so many, both the John R. Post Learning Center and the stadium turf/track project are fully funded.
“Because of this we must first give thanks to God and ask his blessing on what has been completed for our school family. This project builds upon an already strong foundation of Catholic education here in Berks County and in the Diocese of Allentown.
“Beginning with St. John Newman and until this day, our schools have participated in the saving mission of the Church and have worked diligently to transmit the Gospel of Christ to every generation, imparting the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the academic knowledge necessary for the life of virtue that calls us to be saints.”
Balistrere thanked Michael Ehlerman and Kathleen Herbein, who could not be there, for chairing the campaign. He also thanked Gregg Shemanski, former board chair, and Steve Snyder, current board chair, as well as all board members and those who served as solicitors and volunteers. “We thank you for your tireless dedication.”
“We are grateful for the presence of the dedicated priests of Berks County, especially because our school is an extension of the parishes they serve and lead,” Balistrere said.
“I also welcome the religious sisters who are present, as Catholic education here in Berks County and throughout the United States could never have happened without you and the countless thousands of sisters who have served our community so diligently and to whom we owe so much.”
Balistrere acknowledged the presence of John and Maryanne Post and T.J. and Kristen McGlinn; and acknowledged Barbara McGlinn, who could not be there, and in prayerful memory of her husband Terrence; as well as an anonymous donor; who have blessed BCHS with the gifts that anchored the project.
He said so many people “provided those transformational gifts which today allow us to begin producing the tangible result of an innovative McGlinn commons, a STEM lab, five additional classrooms, a college and career counseling suite, a collegiate-like cafeteria expansion and our new stadium turf and track.”
“Through the Excellence-Faith-Future Capital Campaign we are able to impact our students and faculty alike as our 21st century learning environment has been greatly enhanced, expanded and improved to allow us, as the 21st century disciples of Christ, to continue marching on, toward the Kingdom of God, as Saints of Berks Catholic High,” said Balistrere.
Post said he and his wife Maryanne were blessed to be part of this campaign.
“This dedication marks the culmination of much hard work and determination,” he said. “As I said at the groundbreaking last July, where you build something is just as important as what you choose to build. Maryanne and I hope BCHS students enjoy the fruits of this project for many years to come.”
