December 2003 Print edition of The Grapevine Online

Class notes

Matt and Kathy (Nelson) Herter just added #3 to their family (pic on the left). Mary was the smallest yet at 7lbs. 11oz with blonde hair and blue eyes betraying her Teutonic lineage. Mary Katharine Philomena Herter was born on October 12th and baptized into the Church this past Sunday. John Halisky and Leah Slinger (to-be-Halisky) stood in as Godparents.

Joe and Raeanna Williams gave birth to Rose Kateri Williams. Joey, Grace, Michael, and Lilian are the pround older siblings.

Matt Cameron '93 and wife Tatiana (pic on right) celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on December 4. They were at Christendom College, where Tatiana was performing a concert, "Emmanuel: The Story of Christmas." The Camerons are in the middle of a long Advent roadtour, up and down the East coast, giving their free performances at various churches and schools. Upcoming shows include 12/5 at St. Mark's in Vienna, VA, 12/6 at St. Timothy's in Chantilly, 12/7 All Saints, 12/10 George Mason University, 12/12 St. Louis Church in Alexandria, 12/14 St. Elizabeth in Colonial Beach.

Stephen and Julie (Asam '00) Monette are delighted to announce the birth of their son, Christopher Stephen Monette. He made his appearance into the world at Langley Air Force Base on September 10, 2003 at 1 am, weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and measuring a long 21.5 inches. He has since then gained a bit of weight and is getting longer faster than they can believe, being 23 inches last time he was measured. Christopher Stephen has entranced them with beautiful smiles and coos. So far, according to the wishes of his parents, he is aspiring to become a saint, and also to study philosophy, avidly play soccer and basketball, and to attend Christendom College if he isn't called to the priesthood by that point. Not aware of any of his supposed aspirations, Christopher is currently sleeping contently while his mother types. He is the most handsome little baby his parents have ever seen..... and of course they could not be biased!

Please drop a note to Stephen and Julie to stay in touch or if you are coming through town. They are currently stationed at Norfolk Naval Station and living in Hampton, Virginia. They can best be reached at juliecm@frontiernet.net or by phone 757-896-0589. Thank you to everyone who prayed for them with the passing away of their first baby and while they were expecting Christopher Stephen.

Bevlin (Cleveland) Lyons '99 and husband Joe had their first baby on October 18. Sebastian Luke was 7 lb. 8 oz. and 20 in. long. Everyone is doing well. Pic is on the right.

Maria (Gaetano) O'Brien '02 and Katie (Bailey) Halisky '01 have started an online message board for Catholic women, wives and mothers. To join, please click HERE and apply to join. When you apply, please mention your name and your Christendom year of graduation or Christendom connection. Christendom alumni moms in Northern Va. meet every Wednesday for Mass and then coffe. If you're able to join us, email Maria at. Here is a picture from today's meeting: That's Andrea Albanese (Steubenville grad but she is still loved; works in diocesan Family Life office) with Christopher; Maria Gaetano O'Brien ('02) with Jack, Katie Bailey Halisky ('01) with Juliette; Emily Dateno Costello with Chloe; and Gretchen Cugno (graphic artist for the Catholic HERALD) with little Vincent.

Lisa Kirchner '01 is moving for the first time out of the Commonwealth of Virginia to another non-state: the District of Columbia. (yeehah!!) She'll be living by herself in an apartment in NW right off the red line at Van Ness/UDC. If anyone would like/needs to stay somewhere after a long night of partying Downtown, they should please give her a call (703.371.6050) and sleep on the floor instead of driving home (or back to school). (She'll even make some coffee in the morning) She also got a new job in October doing some more technical editing and contract management for another contractor, Network Designs, Inc., for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Bernadette (Leininger) Fikac and husband Darren want to show off their children: Rachel is 8, Emily 6, Irena 4, and James is 10 mos. (pic on the left). They are still in awe (Though they've been informed their awe and joy in these precious creatures will be replaced by "Oh Boy!" in the teen years). So they're enjoying them now! They send a big Texas hello to all their Christendom friends.

Chris McFadden '90-'92 and wife Jessica welcomed Charles Gilbert McFadden at 9:58 PM on 12/04/03. He weighed 9 lb. 5 oz. and 21 inches long. Mom and baby are doing excellent.

John Kelsey of Pumpkinhead storytelling notoriety sent in a very cryptic message this month, possibly having some special Christmas meaning: "I just ate Broccoli." There you have it, then.

In fall 2002 a friend took Cathy Malo up in his Piper Cub and they flew over Old Rag and Christendom. They are amazingly nonshaky, considering the state of nerves she was in as the pilot tilted the plane way too much for safety (or so this person who doesn't trust the physics of flight thought!) so she could take the pics (to the right).

Marc-Pierre Jansen '02, formerly the International Man of Leisure, did in fact give up on work, as was suspected in the last Grapevine. He is now lounging around his house in Martinsburg, WV, and is looking forward to attending one or more of the 22+ alumni weddings to be held next summer. It's time to cash in his frequent flyer miles.

Colleen McMahon (‘03) flew to Minnesota for Thanksgiving to visit Dan Fier (’03), brother of Andrew Fier (’01) who is married to Julie (Fox) Fier (’01), thus resulting in the picture of Colleen and Julie on the left.

Nate Farinholt and wife Rose are expecting their first baby sometime next summer. Congrats!

Elizabeth (McDevitt) Butina '03 and husband Ben are expecting their first child in June 2004.

December's Happy Happy Birthdays.....

Calendar of events

February 21, 2004: Alumni Network Career Mentoring Reception

top of page

Press Releases and Campus News: http://www.christendom.edu/news/releases.shtml

top of page

Stories

The Grapevine Online Celebrates Second Anniversary

The first Friday of each month is eagerly anticipated by the alumni of Christendom College. On that day, the monthly alumni newsletter is uploaded to Christendom’s website. The Grapevine Online, as it is called, is celebrating its second anniversary of providing alumni news and information on a monthly basis.

Beginning in December of 2001, Christendom’s College Relations Officer, Tom McFadden ‘90, began writing and editing the monthly online publication for his fellow alumni. Prior to that time, the Grapevine was published sporadically in a printed format.

“The alumni tend to be very interested in the lives of their fellow alumni,” says McFadden. “Each month, the number of ‘hits’ that The Grapevine Online receives confirms this. The first Friday of each month has become Christendom’s busiest for internet traffic on its website.”

The majority of Christendom’s 1300+ alumni now reside in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area, and thus need not depend as heavily on The Grapevine Online for information about many fellow alumni. But for the alumni who live further afield, the monthly newsletter is a treasure.

“Sometimes I feel that Christendom is getting so big, what with its 370+ students and 1300+ alumni. I think that when I was there we had about 175 students and many less alumni,” says Michael Blackmer, a 1991 graduate who now lives in Columbus, OH. “But when I read the monthly Grapevine, I feel much closer to my alma mater and realize that although Christendom is growing, it is still the same old Christendom that I know and love.”

To submit articles, pictures, or news for The Grapevine Online, please contact Tom McFadden.

Sidenote: Christendom’s news page on its website (www.christendom.edu/news/releases.shtml) is updated approximately once a week. In fact, there were 50 news stories uploaded to the site in 2002, and approximately 52 stories in 2003. Many of the stories that can be read on the site are eventually published in this newsletter, Instaurare, while others are published in various newspapers around the country, including The Wanderer, The Arlington Catholic Herald, and The Washington Times. Additionally, announcements about certain College events, such as upcoming speakers, can be found on the news page.