Our brave IHM Brigade, very tired yet happy after another completed pilgrimage! (Yes, that is Sister Mary Joseph hiding behind Sister Maria Rosaria.) The pilgrimage this year was set-up a bit differently, but the graces involved are incalculable.

Mary Grace

I took pictures of the classrooms during the second week of school to share with you, and I am only now able to post them. Enjoy the pictures!

Sister Mary Joseph, M.I.C.M., has a special project to share with you.

It has been a long tradition at Saint Benedict Center to study the saints — not only their individual lives but also groups of saints by theme.

How many canonized doctors are there? How many brother-and-sister (sibling) saints are there? Name the canonized foundresses of religious orders. Name the boy saints who died under the age of twenty.

Such trivia teaches us about the lives of our Catholic heroes. We get to know them and love them by way of a game.

So, the game for today is: Find the saint who died at your age. Learn something new about your saint-for-the-year. Befriend your saint and ask him (or her) for special help and favors. You only have one year in which to make the most of this special patron before you will be on to a new one. Don’t waste your big chance!

[Editor's note: We have taken Sister Mary Joseph's list of saints-by-age  and added some others for a complete list through the age one hundred. Please let us know if you have others to include, good saints' pages to link to, or if you catch any errors.]

Two and under – St. Simon (Infant), The Holy Innocents, Bl. Regina Kyusaku (martyrs of Nagasaki)

Three – St. Cyriens, Bl. Ludovica Tahyoe (martyrs of Nagasaki)

Four –  Jacob Hanzaemon (martyrs of Nagasaki)

Five –  Bl. Ignacio Fernansez (martyrs of Nagasaki)

Six – Servant of God Antonietta Meo

Seven – St. Peter Nangashi

Eight – Bl. Francis Yahyoe (martyrs of Nagasaki)

Nine – St. Charity

Ten – St. Christina, St. Hope, Bl. Jacinta Marto

Eleven – Bl. Imelda, St. Hugh of Lincoln

Twelve – St. Faith, Bl. Laura Vicuna, St. Maria Goretti, St. William of Norwich

Thirteen – St. Philomena, St. Agnes, St. Prisca

Fourteen – St. Pancratias, St. Eulalia, Bl. Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio

Fifteen – St. Dominic Savio, St. Dioscorus, St. Agapitas, St. Vanantius, St. Dymphna

Sixteen – St. Edward (King), St. Prudentiana

Seventeen – St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Theodocia

Eighteen – St. Cecilia, St. Rose of Viterbo, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Abra, St. Peter of Luxenborg, St. Lewis, St. Theodocia

Nineteen – St. Joan of Arc, St. John de Goto

Twenty – Bl. Teresita Quevedo, St. Teresa of the Andes

Twenty-one – St. Lucy

Twenty-two – St. John Berchmans, St. Germaine Cousin

Twenty-three – St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Editha, St. Louis (Bishop)

Twenty-four – St. Therese, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, St. Casimir of Poland, Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha

Twenty-five – St. Gemma Galgani, St. Philip of Jesus

Twenty-six – St. Miram Teresa

Twenty-seven – St. Isaac of Cordoba (June 3)

Twenty-eight – St. Hedwig, St. Margaret of Hungary

Twenty-nine – St. Gerard Majella, St. Euphrasia, St. Elzear

Thirty – St. Paul Miki

Thirty-one – St. Rose of Lima

Thirty-two – St. John the Baptist, St. Wenceslaus, St. Rocco, St. Rainer

Thirty-three – St. Catherine of Siena, St. Paul Miki, Bl. Margaret Castello, St. Faustina, St. Catherine Laboure, St. Gertrude of Nivelles, St. Robert Southwell

Thirty-four – Bl. Karl von Hapsburg, St. Philip Evans

Thirty-five – St. Rene Goupil, St. Bernadette, St. Benedict Joseph Labre

Thirty-six – St. Anthony of Padua, St. Noel Chabanel, Bl. Miguel Pro, St. Raymond Nonnatus, St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Thirty-seven – St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Bl. Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran

Thirty-eight – Bl. Marie Rose Durocher, St. Philip Howard

Thirty-nine – St. Isaac Jogues, St. Gabriel Lalemant, St. Peter Faber, St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Forty – St. Clare of Montefalco

Forty-one – St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, St. Claude de la Colombierre, St. Edmund Campion, St. Odran

Forty-two – St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Forty-three – St. Louis Marie de Montfort, St. Margaret of Scotland, Bl. Leonard Kimura, Forty-four – St. Francis Caracciolo, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen

Forty-five – St. Paul Chong, St. Louis Bertrand

Forty-six – St. Joseph Mascoti, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Francis Xavier, St. Charles Borromeo

Forty-seven – Bl. Alan de la Roche, St. Joseph Moscati

Forty-eight – St. Hilary of Arles, St. Damian of Molokai

Forty-nine – St. Stanislaus of Cracow, St. Agnes of Montepulciano, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Neumann, St. Audrey, St. John of the Cross, St. Basil the Great

Fifty – St. Catherine of Sweden, St. Martinianus, St. Naamatallah Kassab Hardini

Fifty-one – St. Dominic

Fifty-two – St. Philip Benizi, St. Henry the Emperor, St. Veronica of Milan, St. Paschal Baylon, St. Hillary of Poitiers

Fifty-three – St. John Nepomucene, St. Malachy O’Moo, St. Thomas of Canterbury, St. Bonaventure

Fifty-four –  St. Pulcheria

Fifty-five – St. Francis de Sales, St. John of God, St. Louis IX, St. Monica, St. Laurence O’Toole, St. Richard of Chichester

Fifty-six – St. Frances of Rome, St. John de Brebeuf, St. Pachomius

Fifty-seven – St. Ambrose, St. Thomas More, St. Peter Julian Eymard, St. Paula

Fifty-eight – Bl. Otto Neururer

Fifty-nine – St. Martial

Sixty – St. Joseph, St. Zita, St. John of San Feacundo, St. Clare, St. Porphurius, St. Laurence of Brindisi, St. Hugh of Lincoln, St. John Massias, St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Nicholas of Tolentino, St. Zita

Sixty-one – St. Stephen (King)

Sixty-two – St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Sixty-three – St. Benedict, St. Scholastica, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Peter of Alcantara, St. Anthony Mary Claret

Sixty-four – St. James Kisai, St. Bernadine of Siena, St. Gal, St. Camillus de Lellis

Sixty-five – St. Julie Billiart, St. Elizabeth of Portugal, St. Ignatius of Loyola

Sixty-six – St. Angela Merici, St. John Baptist de Rossi, St. Colette, Bl. Guido Maria Conforti

Sixty-seven – St. Andrew Bobola, St. Ephrem, St. Veronica Giuliani, St. Cajetan, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Thomas of Villanova, St. Gontron

Sixty-eight – St. John Baptist de la Salle, Bl. Anna Maria Taigi,

Sixty-nine – St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Jane Frances de Chantal

Seventy – Bl. Arnold, St. Rita of Cascia, St. Juliana Falconieri, St. Martin de Porres

Seventy-one – St. Clotilde, Bl. Junipero Serra, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Bruno, St. Gertrude (Abbess)

Seventy-two – Our Lady, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Bridget of Kildaire, St. Euphrasia Pelletier

Seventy-three – Bl. Ida of Boulogne, St. John Damascene, St. Albert the Great, St. John Bostco

Seventy-four – Bl. Marie Louise, St. Thomas the Apostle, St. John Gualbert, St. Laurence Justinian, St. Albert the Great, St. Juan Diego

Seventy-five – St. Boniface, St. Winifred, St. Augustine of Hippo

Seventy-six – St. Columkille (St. Columba), St. Bernard Tolomeo

Seventy-seven – St. Athanatius

Seventy-eight – Bl. Josephina Bakita

Seventy-nine – St. Hugh of Grenoble, St. Eugene de Mazenod

Eighty – St. Philip Neri, St. Daniel Stylites, St Therese Cordere

Eighty-one – St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), St. Paul of the Cross

Eighty-two – St. Irenaeus, St. Andrew Fournet

Eighty-three – St. John the Evangelist, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

Eighty-four – St. Vincent de Paul

Eighty-five – St. Hugh of Cluny, St. Felix of Valois

Eighty-six – St. Alphonsus Rodrieguez, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

Eighty-seven – Bl. Jeanne Jugan

Eighty-eight – St. Andrew Avellino, St. Paula of St. Joseph of Calasanz

Eighty-nine – St. Genevieve, St. John of Egypt

Ninety – St. Apian, St. Macarius the Elder, St. James of la Marca of Ancona, St. Olga, St. Thecla, St. Alonso de Orozco

Ninety-one – St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, St. Andre Bessette (Bl. Br. Andre), St. Francis of Paula

Ninety-two – St. Hyacinth of Poland, St. Joseph Calasanctius, St. Claude, Bl. Rose Venerini

Ninety-three – St. Cassiodorus, St. Sabbas

Ninety-four – St. Brendan

Ninety-five – St. Euphrosynus

Ninety-six – St. Katherine Drexel

Ninety-seven — St. Euthymius the Great (Mr. Molla – husband of St. Gianna)

Ninety-eight – (Otto von Hapsburg), Bl. Sebastian de Aparicio

Ninety-nine – St. Peter of Galatia

One hundred – St. Raymond of Pennafort, (St. Hugh of Grenoble’s father, Odilo), St. Romuald

One hundred-six – St. Theodosius

One hundred-thirteen – St. Paul the Hermit

One hundred-forty – St. David of Wales

Oh - to be a clown!

At the End of the Year Performance (this year on June 12), every class puts on a little demonstration of what they learned during the past year. Hopefully you can see how much fun we had from the pictures!

My word is ????

Our annual Spelling Bee includes grades three through twelve – with the elementary school competing separately from the high school.

In the elementary school, our last two contestants were a third grader and an eighth grader – producing a David-and-Goliath contest that lasted a long time! The IHM Elementary School Spelling Bee Champion is Joseph Vasilak, grade eight, who spelled fifty-four words correctly. Second place (and the top third grade speller) went to Tristan McCann; he spelled forty-four words correctly. The top fourth grader is Peter Vasilak; the top fifth grader, Anne Doucette; Stephen Bryan for sixth grade; and Maria Bosonetto for seventh.

Our high school Spelling Champions are Cecilia Bryan (first place) and Samuel Bednar (second place). There was an exciting back-and-forth between them with words like kainite, nacreous, obbligato, and rallentando. The winning words were tertian and ubiquitous. For pictures,

Thank you to everyone who bought tickets for your support of IHM School and education!

Thanks is also due to our school families who sold tickets. Special mention should be made of the Bosonetto Family, the first to sell all their tickets, and the Bryan Family, who sold the most.

Sister Maria Philomena, M.I.C.M.

Sister Maria Philomena, vice principal and high school teacher at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Richmond, NH, was recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). A role model to pupils, Sister Maria Philomena was nominated by student Rose Doucette (’10) for outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the classroom.

Student members of NSHSS have the opportunity to nominate the educator who made the most significant contribution to their academic career. The Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction award recognizes teacher role models who have made a lasting difference in their classroom by encouraging students to strive for excellence.

“Dedicated educators who exhibit a commitment to excellence deserve our highest praise and appreciation,” said NSHSS President James Lewis. “We’re excited to provide an ongoing means to do so, and we encourage our members to nominate teachers who have contributed to their academic success.”

Formed in 202, The National Society of High School Scholars recognizes academic excellence at the high school level and encourages members of the organization to apply their unique talents, vision, and potential for the betterment of themselves and the world. Currently, there are more that 650,000 Society members in 120 countries. NSHSS also provides scholarship opportunities for deserving young people. For more information about NSHSS visit www.nshss.org.

Step back into the past with a one-of-a-kind, old-fashioned family festival: the eighth annual Blueberry Fiddle Festival, organized by Richmond’s Immaculate Heart of Mary School. Admission is FREE; parking is a one-time $5. Enjoy live music and delicious food, browse the craft vendors (it’s a good time to think about presents for this coming year), run a sack race, participate in an original New England melodrama, cheer for your favorite fiddler (the contestants are judged partially on audience response!), and join us for a family contra dance.  Lots of fun for all ages!

The festival is held at Cheshire Fairgrounds (Route 12, Swanzey, NH) on Saturday, August 14, 9am-9pm. For more information, visit blueberryfiddlefestival.com or call 603-239-6495.

John Peter Michael McCann

[John is the youngest of ten. In his speech he will tell you about his educational struggles -- but his perseverance paid off during his senior year. Not only was he no longer "at the bottom of the class," he made Honor Roll twice (and Honorable Mention in this year's final average) -- with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Congratulations, John!]

Good afternoon, Br. Andre Marie, Sister Marie Therese, Sister Maria Philomena, Dr. Fahey, Dad, Mom, and all my family and friends. Thank you all for coming here to support me during this event celebrating a very important milestone of my life.

Graduation is an event that allows a student to look back and reflect on the journey he or she experienced during the schooling process. When I was analyzing my journey, I discovered certain elements, virtues, and emotions that I wanted to discuss.

Progress: (Advancement toward one’s goals, to develop or improve)

I never had an easy time with learning. I started off having to take kindergarten twice. When my parents realized that public schools were a danger to my spiritual well-being, my mother home-schooled me. I don’t blame her for my inability to learn; it was just there, and during those years of home schooling I fell behind . . . Really badly! My mother was able to school me herself for three years — until her life got complicated and she was forced to put me in a public school for the last quarter of that year. The board of directors decided to place me at a fifth grade level, accompanied by “special classes”. I couldn’t read or spell to save my life.

So, when I moved to NH, I was just a bit behind.

John studies his catechism

When I tested for Immaculate Heart of Mary School, I was at a second grader’s level. I knew about as much as your average seven-year-old. Now, I was twelve at the time, mind you. So, the Sisters put me in fourth grade. For a twelve-year-old to be told he is going to have to go to fourth grade — after he just completed his fifth grade — is pretty hard to take.

Christmas Play (John is the tall shepherd)

To add insult to injury, I was always the one who was behind. Every one else understood things quicker, got better grades, and beat me in the classroom competitions time and time again. This seemed like the common theme of my I.H.M. experience (barring my Senior year). But during these years of strenuous progression, I have received quite an education. I now have an understanding of Algebra, Grammar, Geometry, Church History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Latin, Rhetoric, American History, Literature, Trigonometry, Logic; I think you get the point!

All Saints' Day

So in short, this school has not only taught me an amazing amount of useful knowledge, but it also taught me to take difficulties and use them to improve myself giving me a stronger character.

Perseverance: (Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success)

Aside from being older then other students, I wasn’t able to get good grades. I tried my hardest — only to barely pass with less than average grades. But I did learn . . . slowly and painfully . . . but I did learn.

John, Clare, and Rose (seventh grade) in "Esther"

One of the things I learned was simple math. If I’m in fourth grade now… by the time I get to twelfth grade I should be . . . twenty! Aren’t people usually seventeen when they graduate? Ooooooh boy!  I did skip sixth grade, but I knew going into ninth grade that there was no longer any hope of skipping grades (due to the necessity of acquiring a certain amount of credits).

The McCann cleaning gene is showing up

Year after year of struggling as hard as I could, I continued to get very undesirable grades. I would always try and analyze my way out, for instance: “This couldn’t possibly be what God wanted me to suffer.” Eventually, I was fed up with it. (I was eighteen at the time.) It was the beginning of my junior year; I made up my mind to drop out. I was telling myself things, like: “There is always the G.E.D . . .  It’s not like I was throwing my life away. It seems to work out for other people. I am being responsible. I have a plain a plan. I going to get my G.E.D. and become an electrician’s apprentice in South Dakota. I’m just not meant to be in school any more.” (There was a girl in SD, of course; that made the matter all that much more urgent.)

On the USS Cassen Young

So, I told Sister Maria Philomena, in a very matter-of-fact way, that I wasn’t going to finish that year. She sent me to Sister Marie Therese.

Sister Marie Therese listened to what I had to say. She treated me like an adult, and gave me some good advice, and said she would respect my decision if it were well thought out. This was the catalyst that made me follow her advice to go on a retreat. I wanted everyone to respect my decision, and what better way was there than convincing everyone that it was God’s will? (Because, I already convinced myself of this, you see.) On retreat, I discovered that everyone else was right and I was wrong . . . what do you know! Reassured that what I was doing was good and profitable, I made a firm resolution to finish what I started; and, I haven’t looked back since. And let me tell you: now that I’m here looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Looking back (and sealing envelopes at the same time!)

Patience: (The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset)

Spelling Bees . . . Latin . . . Research Papers . . . Memory Items . . . Foot Ball . . . SPELLING BEES!!! Now, I’ll be the first on to confess that I was lacking in patience at times — especially on Fridays. But I did tolerate a lot of delay, trouble, and suffering in my I.H.M. experience. And, since there are troublesome hurdles in every walk of life, I’m really glad I had the extensive training in this virtue that I got. It was even conveniently worked into my curriculum.

A vicious villain (RBFF melodrama)

The Future: (The time or a period of time following the moment of speaking; time regarded as still to come)

As I already mentioned in my internship presentation three weeks ago, I’m going to begin my adult life in Kansas — where I will become an electrician. A couple of people asked,“ Why Kansas?” So, I’m going to explain my reasoning.

Science Fair

I believe it is prudent for a graduate to buckle down and take things seriously as soon as possible so as not to get caught in that weird “after-school-but-before-life” spell. So, as a solution or precaution against this danger, I’ve decided to jump on in and sink or swim. The drastic change of atmosphere will push me into taking my situation seriously and the lack of people taking care of my needs will make me anything but complacent.

Spelling Bee!

Aside from being a precaution against that “in-between-period”, there are a couple of things calling me to Kansas as well. There is family out there: my brother Tim and his family. This gives me a few advantages — one of which will be to give me a place to stay when I arrive, and Tim and I have a mutual understanding of how temporary the situation will be. Another thing is that Kansas’ living expenses are not as challenging as New Hampshire’s, so this will be an easier start for my initial years of self-support. And last but not least, there is a massive traditional Catholic community out there that I was very interested in seeing for myself. I would appreciate any and all prayers that could be spared for me in this very important transitional period in my life.

Graduating Class of 2010

Gratitude: (The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness)

When looking back at the whole journey, the primary emotion that I feel is gratitude. I have a great deal of gratitude — not only for the excellent education that I’ve received — but also for all the people who made it possible. The people who taught me, and people who helped me stay on course. And the only way I know how to express my gratitude, is to thank the parties responsible.

Sister Marie Therese: You are a wonderful principal, and you really helped me look at the choices I had to make, concerning my leaving or staying, with a logical mind-set. Thank you; I probably wouldn’t have finished if it weren’t for you.

The fastest boy in school!

Sister Mary Joseph: You taught me for my first year here (which was a very difficult one). I also wanted to thank you for my superior coloring technique and penmanship skills (which are due to your ruthless tutoring).

Brother Louis Marie: You were always a very needed relief during the very trying breaks. You were always there to crack a joke or remind me why I was there. Thank you for consistently elevating my intentions to a higher ideal.

John and Michael ('09) disecting a fetal pig

Sister Mary Peter: You taught me for my seventh grade year, and I’m afraid I was a bit of a troublemaker for you. But more importantly, you were always there to try and calm me down when my frustration built up within me. Some times I would avoid you when I was getting angry because I didn’t want you to cheer me up, but yet, somehow, you always found me. So, thank you for being there to calm the beast.

His real self comes out!

Sister Maria Perpetua: You taught me in both fifth grade and eighth grade, and it was your sweet manner accompanied with your strict discipline that enabled you to teach me so much. Thank you for making me write out the word “would” (as in should & could) eighty times. I can’t help but think of you every time I go to write it.

Professor: I’m glad I had you for at least one of my classes for each of the last six years. You always treated me like you actually enjoyed talking to me, and you were always willing to let me vent. I probably would have gone mad if you weren’t here to help me. Thank you for being more then just my wicked cool math teacher; you were also my friend – in whom I could trust without the slightest hesitation.

What will I do without John in the Blueberry Jammers?

Sister Maria Philomena: Four years straight! I’m not sure what life is going to be like without you for more than a summer. It almost seems like a sloppy divorce. You taught me more than I can generalize. One of the subjects I’m most grateful that I had you to teach me was religion, but there is no way I can express my deep gratitude for all that you’ve done for me. Thank you for giving and giving, day after day. Surely I wouldn’t be the man I am today if God didn’t give be the privilege of having you as my high school teacher.

Mr. & Mrs. McCann (front) at grad party

My parents: You not only paid for my tuition so I could attend this school, but you convinced me to keep on “keepin’ on.” I would like to thank my mother for doing her best to make sure I didn’t throw the opportunity of receiving the excellent education of I.H.M., and my father for teaching me — by example — dogged perseverance

The way I see it, the only way I can give anything back to all the people who gave me so much is to be the best I can be, share all the benefits the school has given me, and there by show the world what a great school I.H.M. is.

Agent 145-and-a-half in "A Case for Two Spies"

I am so glad that I had the privilege of an education at I.H.M. not only for the reasons I stated earlier, but, more importantly, I’ve acquired a dependency on daily sacraments, a habit I plan on preserving even in Kansas.

John with a relic of his patron saint

I can’t pretend to know exactly what my future holds, but, if things go as I would like them to, I will get married (sooner rather than latter), convince my wife to move to New Hampshire, and have many many children. I would be very happy to see all of them attend I.H.M.

Thank you.