Ascension Catholic School: Alumni

Alumni Website

All your alumni news, your stories, your photos, will be moving to the new site. No alumni news will be posted on this site after March 26, 2011. Visit, and let us know what you think!

Memorial Brick Dedication

Phase one memorial bricks were blessed in a ceremony on Sunday, September 12. Alumni, current school families, parishioners and their friends gathered for the chance to take pictures of the brick they had had inscribed, enjoy a piece of cake and see old friends.

We are currently taking orders for the bricks that we will plant in phase two of this project. Please let us know if you are interested in purchasing a brick to honor a friend, a member of your family, a classmate, or your own Ascension School days. Click here for more information.

Trainor Family

Matt and Mary Deady

Gubbins Family

Looking at bricks

From top:the Trainor family needed two bricks to cover the two generations of Trainors at Ascension. Matt and Mary Deady, both class of 1967, were happily in town for a wedding and enjoyed visiting Ascension. Jeannie Gubbins, class of 1954, (extreme right) was given her brick as a gift from her family, several of whom were able to join us for a piece of cake. Looking for bricks was a favorite activity during the reception following the dedication.

Golf Outing 2010

The 8th Annual Alumni & Friends Golf Outing

The leadership of the Class of 1970 did an outstanding job of gathering classmates to join us at the outing. Thanks! All golfers, alums or not, had another great day and a great round of golf. Here are pictures!

Congratulations to everyone who got to not be in the office and drive a golf cart on a beautiful day -- and to these winners:

Tom Finn, low gross
Brian Elmiger, longest drive #14 & #6
Gabriel Jarquin ' 91, closest to pin #13
Pat Carroll ' 70, closest to pin #7
Mike Fair, closest to pin #4
Matt Doss ' 93, longest drive #17
Mike Cullen ' 63, closest to pin #16

Raffle Prize Winners

Harbor Country Weekend
Rob Pierce

Rush Tickets
Mark Gartland

Bon Jovi Tickets
John Pollard ' 70

Ascension Brick
Bill Walsh ' 70

Cubs Tickets
Lela Biggus '12

Cubs Tickets
Jack Nowicki

Sox Tickets
Jim Crowley ' 54

Happy Birthday Rosemary!
RMM birthday

Rosemary McGauley McCormick, class of 1934 celebrated her 90th birthday with a party in the Pine Room. Rosemary's family and friends honored her with a scholarship fund in her name. Rosemary's daughter Bridget is Ascension's beloved PK4 teacher, Bridget Cantafio.
Thank you, Mrs. McCormick and congratulations!

Ascension Introduces:

Memorial Bricks
Phase One: Gym Entrance

engraved bricks

We have planted our first memorial bricks outside the gym entrance. If you don't have your brick yet, order one today and be in the second planting!

Memorialize your years at Ascension with a brick engraved with your name and class year -- or use the brick to honor the passing of an old friend. We've laid the beautiful red bricks that will honor friends, family, coaches, teachers -- or your own days of glory on our basketball court.

4 x 8 bricks: $125
8 x 8 bricks: $250

Each brick you purchase comes with a mini-brick to give to your honoree or to keep in your home.
For more information, please contact the Advancement Office at 708-434-1558.
Download an order form here.

The Centennial Project

The Ascension Ambassadors, sixth, seventh and eighth graders committed to serving their community and learning more about Ascension's history, launched the Centennial Project early in 2009. Working with the Advancement Office, the Ambassadors wrote to over 1,100 alumni, asking that they complete a survey and send us a record of their memories of Ascension School. The Ambassadors drafted the letter with the help of their Language Arts teacher, Ms. Katrina Vainisi and addressed the envelopes by hand. With the letter, the Ambassadors sent an Ascension Alumni Data Sheet which will collect new alumni data and help build a record of family relationships in the alumni database. The mailing included a return envelope addressed to the Ambassadors who sent the letter; the Ambassadors will help to record alumni responses.

The other piece of the Centennial Project will be a "e-campaign" designed to capture as many email addresses for alumni as possible. In February, the Advancement Office will begin a "Charger Chain Letter" with a goal of establishing e-communication with all alumni. Watch this page for reports of our progress!

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Ascension's Third Annual

Alumni Gold Brunch

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Interview

Our 3rd annual Gold Alumni Brunch on June 27 was filled with laughter and stories of those golden years at Ascension.

Ascension's Second Annual

Gold Brunch

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Our 2nd annual Gold Alumni Brunch was filled with laughter and stories of those golden years at Ascension. Click the photo above to see a slide show of many of our treasured friends.

Ascension's First Annual

Gold Brunch

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Nearly one hundred of Ascension's "gold alumni" gathered in June for our first Gold Alumni Brunch. Our guests enjoyed a lovely liturgy, happy memories shared with old friends, and Kate Seavey's delectable food, served by Ascension's dedicated Ambassadors. Thanks to everyone who helped put this special day together, and to those who took advantage of the opportunity to come home to Ascension.

The Brunch benefits the Reese Family & Ascension Alumni Scholarship Fund

All proceeds from the brunch will become part of the Reese Family & Ascension Alumni Scholarship Fund. Opened in 2007, the Reese Family fund is held at Chicago Community Trust and will provide, through its earnings, financial aid to Ascension families who could not otherwise afford tuition. George ('52) and Mike ( '55) Reese challenge all alumni, but in particular their classmates from the early fifties, to help us build the fund.

Gifts for this fund can be sent directly to Ascension School at 601 Van Buren, Oak Park, IL 60304. Please indicate that your gift should be directed to the Reese Family Fund.