Letters to the Editor

Photo Surprise 

Holy Cross Magazine provides compelling insight into the rewarding experiences shared on campus, and as parents of a Holy Cross student, we look forward to receiving our copy of each issue. The magazine truly conveys a sense of belonging, connecting us to the broader Holy Cross community. As such, you can only imagine our surprise and delight in seeing a picture of our son, Jack ’16, featured in your recent article “On the Ice at Fenway” (Page 48, Spring 2014). The picture and the article will certainly be cherished for years to come, as is knowing that Jack is a member of such a vibrant and extraordinary community. 
John and Mary Kenney
Orono, Minn. 

Short and Sweet
What a thoroughly classy issue! 
Rev. Bill O’Malley, S.J., ’53
Seattle, Wash.

Mystery Solved

Thanks to Patrick M. Malgieri ’76, of Rochester, N.Y., for solving our Mystery Photo challenge in the last issue (Page 3). The WCHC deejay spinning records in the image is Carol (Cummings) Ryerson ’76. “I was an announcer on WCHC with Carol,” Malgieri reports.

“Yes that was me. I was a freshman,” Ryerson told HCM. “I had no experience as a deejay and just thought it would be something fun to try.” Her favorite tunes from the era? The Beach Boys and Carly Simon. “But I couldn’t play too many Beach Boy songs because one of the senior deejays would come in and tell me I was cutting into their Friday song list.”

Ryerson, a chemistry major at Holy Cross, went on to earn her Ph.D. in biochemistry at MIT and now works for Genzyme Diagnostics in Framingham, Mass. She lives in Bolton, Mass., with her husband and classmate, Gary Ryerson. They have two sons and a granddaughter.  ■

 

Remembering a Mentor

Let me begin by thanking the staff for a great job on Holy Cross Magazine. I look forward to each issue, particularly as my 50th Reunion approached in June.  Keeping up with the College is always pleasant.

I am writing today to share a memory of a special alumnus who has passed. Msgr. Vincent Tatarczuk ‘46, a priest of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, was very special to me—he was my pastor for 17 years, and a brilliant man. His grasp of business was such that he could have been the CEO of a large corporation.  Instead, he answered God’s call to serve as a priest, a choice he never regretted.  

“Msgr. T” was truly a “man for others.” It was he (as the voice of the Holy Spirit, I know) who steered me onto a path I never would have imagined: 12 years as director of stewardship for the Diocese of Portland. I know he helped many others along life’s journey.  

In the funeral homily, Rev. Stephen Concannon, a long-time friend of Msgr. T, described his colleague as “the firepower of this diocese,” referencing the tireless efforts he made to develop The Diocesan Savings and Loan Institution, Deering Pavilion Senior Housing in Portland, Seton Village Senior Housing in Waterville and St. Joseph’s Manor Nursing Home in Portland, among many other community organizations.

Fr. Concannon closed his remarks by saying, “Loyal servant to his bishops. Loving pastor to his people. Dedicated man of the Church. Such was Vincent A. Tatarczuk, a priest who, it is certainly no exaggeration to say, had a profoundly positive impact on the history of this diocese and the Catholic Church in Maine during these last 60 years.”

To us Holy Cross oldsters, veterans of eight semesters each of theology and philosophy, daily Mass requirements and Jesuits on every corridor, Msgr. Tatarczuk was the epitome of the kind of man the College helped form. I hope readers young and old will have the opportunity to appreciate this man of faith and action. 
William S. Richards ‘64
Yarmouth, Maine

Editor's Note: The Monsignor's obituary can be found here under the Class of 1946 heading.