St. Augustine Catholic

SFCHS Students Excited About New Digs.

Ask Susana Roque about one of the best things she likes about her new school and the answer would surprise you. “The lockers,” she said. “Last year at Holy Faith we had to carry all of our things around in big Rubbermaid bins and take them to all our classes.”

Susana, 15, a sophomore at St. Francis Catholic High School in Gainesville, no longer has to lug around a storage bin. She and 111 freshman and sophomore students have lockers and many other amenities.

“The new facilities here are fantastic – they’re a step up from having to borrow classrooms [at Holy Faith Parish], she said.

St. Francis faculty welcomed the first two classes of freshman and sophomore students to its state-of-the-art facility on Aug. 10. Student enrollment will increase each year with a 600-student capacity. And everyone will have a locker!

Knights Honor Members with 755 Years of Service

In June, the Knights of Columbus – Arlington Council #4727 in Jacksonville, honored 14 of members who have given 50 to 63 years of service to the church. The honorees were then inducted into the “50 Year Club.” The club supports the efforts of the council through charitable projects each year.

Members recognized for their faithful and loyal service are: (l-r) Pasquale Bianco (50 years), Vernon Duncan (51), William Picket (62), James Middleton (52), Alfred Martin, Jr. (50) and Richard Cashen, Jr. (50).

Not pictured: Roy Baer, Jr. (50), Francis Becht (53), Stephen Bowes, Jr. (53), Mark Costello, Jr. (59), Robert Wm. Coyle (58), Ronald Heying (51), Mawry Jones, Sr. (63) and Denis Riordan (53).

Catholic Schools Welcome New Principals

Three parish schools in the Diocese of Saint Augustine have new principals. Please welcome the following educators to their posts:

Kathleen Faulk, a teacher for 11 years, has taught six of those years at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Palm Coast. Kathleen has taught eighth grade for the last two years and has taught students in all grades except first and third grades. Kathleen is a graduate of St. Francis College in Loretto, Pa., where she majored in political science.

Stephanie Chinault feels right at home at Jacksonville’s Christ the King School. A Jacksonville native, Stephanie attended Christ the King (class of ’81) and Bishop Kenny High School (class of ’85). She has taught social studies for sixth through eighth grades. Stephanie is a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, where she majored in history.

Sandra Vahl joined the faculty at St. Patrick School in Gainesville this summer. Moving from the frozen tundra of Watertown, Wis., Sandra has 23 years experience as a teacher and administrator. She comes to the diocese from St. Henry Catholic School, where she was their principal. Originally from Milwaukee, Sandra has a master’s in education administration from Edgewood College in Madison, Wis. and a bachelor’s in early childhood education from the University of Wisconsin.

FOCUS: Reaching College Students at UNF

The FOCUS team is back at the University of North Florida with two new members. Joining Chris McGraw and Tonya Turner for the peer-to-peer college ministry are Olivia DuBois and Rimas Sidrys.

DuBois, from Redlands, Calf, graduated from the University of San Francisco with a bachelor’s in communications. Rimis, from Denver, Colo., is a graduate of the University of Colorado where he majored in marketing.

FOCUS stands for Fellowship of Catholic University Students. The ministry recruits recent college graduates between the ages of 22 and 30 and trains them to become missionaries on college campuses. They are currently ministering on more than 25 campuses in the United States.

The campus-based ministry provides university students with small group Bible studies, personal discipleship, large group leadership training and fellowship.

Catholic Charities Hosts Ball for Homeless

Mark your calendars – the Black and White Ball will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Prime Osborne Convention Center in Jacksonville.

The second annual wine tasting, Festival D’Vine, will be Friday, Nov. 4 at Balis Park in San Marco. Proceeds from both events will be used to keep families in their homes by assisting them with utilities, rent, mortgage payments, groceries, counseling and job assistance.

Last year, Catholic Charities received 80,000 requests for financial assistance, but had only enough funds to help 5,000 families. According to organizers, the needs of families on the First Coast continue to grow.

For information and tickets, call Liza Furman at Catholic Charities at (904) 354-4846, ext. 257 or email: lfurman@ccbjax.org. Tickets are $200 each for the ball and $75 each for the wine tasting.

People In The News...

Lynn Giorgianni is the new program coordinator for the diocesan “Protecting God’s Children” program. Lynn is also assisting the Chancellor’s Office with parish compliance and audit reporting. She began both duties on Aug. 1. A native of Englewood, N.J., Lynn has a bachelor’s in education from the University of South Florida and a master’s from the University of North Florida. She previously worked in human resources and employee training at CSX and also has experience in elementary school education. Lynn is a member of Holy Family Parish, Jacksonville.

You can reach Lynn at the Catholic Center in Jacksonville at (904) 262-3200 or by email: lgeorgiani@dosafl.com

Anne McGaugh began her duties as director of the diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry on Aug. 1. Originally from Pittsburgh, Anne moved to Oak Ridge, Tenn., while in grade school. A 1987 graduate of East Tennessee State University, Anne has a degree in health administration and business management. She has more than 17 years experience in youth ministry and most recently served as the parish coordinator of Youth Ministry for St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, Tenn. She also served as the Deanery Coordinator of Youth Ministry and Diocesan NCYC Coordinator for the Diocese of Knoxville. She is a member of the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry – Management Committee for Youth Events.

Anne can be reached at the Catholic Center at (904) 262-3200, ext. 112 or by email: amcgaugh@dosafl.com.

Mark Udry joined the staff of the Office of Communications on Aug. 1 as the new associate editor of the St. Augustine Catholic magazine. He is a native of Jacksonville and attended Sacred Heart Catholic School, Bishop Kenny High School, Florida Community College and the University of North Florida where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Mark has an extensive background in photojournalism and writing for newspapers in Phoenix, Orange Park and most recently in south Florida.

Mark can be reached at the Catholic Center at (904) 262-3200, ext. 109 or by email: mudry@dosafl.com.

Adopted Children Benefit from License Plates

The City of Jacksonville, in compliance with Florida Statute 320.08058(30), has selected Catholic Charities Bureau as the managers of the “Choose Life License Plate” funding for Duval County. The license plates raise money to support adoption efforts of “abortion alternative” organizations that provide free assistance to women in crisis pregnancies and for non-profit adoption agencies.

The cost for a Choose Life license tag is $22 per year, above the normal cost of a Florida tag, of which $20 is returned to the county where the tag was purchased.

If you are a non-profit, non-governmental agency in Duval County that provides free services and counsels pregnant women who are committed to placing their children for adoption, call Brenda Farr at (904) 354-4718 or email: bfarr@ccbjax.org for an application to apply for the funds. Deadline: Sept. 16.