Welcoming Alumni & Friends!
Celebrating Our Benefactors and Students
On March 3rd and March 5th, Molloy hosted its annual Benefactor Celebrations! The yearly event brings together our generous benefactors and the Stanners whose lives are enriched through our Named Scholarship program. The evenings provide a meaningful opportunity for students and benefactors to connect, share their stories, and celebrate the lasting impact of these scholarships on the Molloy community.
President Richard Karsten ‘81, Principal Dr. Darius Penikas, and Molloy’s Advancement Department welcomed guests, sharing with them the heart of who we are as a school: helping one another in times of need. “For nearly 70 years here, and for nearly 135 years overall, Molloy has thrived because Stanners take care of one another.” Mr. Karsten and Dr. Penikas also highlighted the greatest asset of our school, which “is and always will be our students.” Stanners are the living embodiment of our mission, and the goal of the Benefactor Celebration is to put them “front and center.”
This year, all attendees were asked to bring one item that represents what Molloy means to them or holds a special place in their hearts in relation to their experiences with Molloy. The items were used to facilitate small group discussions between benefactors and their students, prompting everyone to question: Why Molloy? Groups talked about their inspiration to attend or support Molloy, their hobbies and passions, what Non scholae sed vitae means to them, and more!
Molloy is deeply grateful to our generous benefactors for taking the time to engage in thoughtful, meaningful conversations with our students. Thank you for supporting our school so that we may continue to educate our outstanding Stanners!
Molloy Welcomes Class of 2030 at Spring Event
On Saturday, March 7th, Molloy welcomed members of the Class of 2030 and their families for a special orientation event. Upon arrival, incoming families received “I AM a Stanner” stickers as well as informational brochures that we hope will make their transition to high school smoother this fall. Families were then invited to speak with faculty, staff, and students who shared more insights into our academic departments, athletic teams, clubs and activities, campus ministry, and many other aspects of life at Molloy. The Class of 2030 also had the opportunity to take their ID card photos, enjoy snacks and beverages, and even take photos at our photobooth with our school mascot, Stanley the lion!
Director of Admissions Mr. Jonathan DiDonato ’01 called the event a great success. “It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces at the Freshman Welcome Event, as the students stopped to take their ID picture, visited the departmental tables, snacked on French toast sticks and churros, and grabbed a photo with Molloy’s mascot. The energy was overwhelmingly positive with students and families elated to join the Stanner community. We look forward to the welcoming our new freshmen to Stanner High again this fall!”
On behalf of everyone at Molloy, thank you to everyone who attended, and we hope that this visit helped acclimate you even more to our Stanner family!
Lilly Kacziba ’27 Named to National Mental Health Youth Council
Congratulations to Lilly Kacziba ‘27, who was named to Creative Visions’ 2026 National Mental Health Youth Council! Less than 20 teens from across the US were named to the council, and Lilly is also the only member from New York! Lilly was invited to apply after the organization reached out through InnerView, an app used by Molloy to track and log student service projects. After completing the application and sharing why youth mental health is important to her, Lilly was chosen to join the council, where she will collaborate with youths in her community to promote awareness and advocacy around mental health.
The council has been tasked for Creative Visions’ CreateConnectCare challenge, a project that encourages young people to reflect on their mental health through creative expression. Youths interested are asked to submit different forms of art, including writing, photography, music, and dance, that represent how they practice self-care. As part of the program, each council member also created and submitted their own piece of art. In addition, Lilly’s role is to recruit at least 50 youths to contribute artwork to the initiative, helping expand the conversation around youth mental health.
At Molloy, Lilly is working with Campus Minister for Service Ms. Rose Haslbauer to host afterschool service opportunities where students can create and submit their artwork. During the first session, students were invited to draw how they practice self-care. They could draw their favorite hobby, an activity that brings them joy, or any other thing that “fills their cup,” as Lilly described it. More afterschool sessions are planned for later in March.
Lilly is also reaching out to school clubs and even a local Girl Scout troop to encourage participation in the initiative. “The whole point is to raise awareness for youth mental health,” says Lilly, “and teach people that they can use art to reflect on and process their emotions so they don’t have to keep them bottled in.” Molloy is so proud of Lilly’s dedication to spreading mental health awareness! Congratulations, Lilly!
Comp Sci & Engineering Department Adds Fourth 3D Printer
Molloy recently acquired its fourth 3D printer, which is now housed in our third floor Innovation Center Lab! This super fast, very user-friendly model (Bambu Lab P25) can print in up to four different colors. Students will use it to print 3D models of their own original designs, print spare parts for Molloy’s competitive Robotics Team, and print small boxes and other handy objects for daily use! Beyond simply using the machine, our Computer Science & Engineering teachers are also excited to teach Stanners the infrastructure of how the 3D printer actually works. We look forward to sharing many new 3D creations with our community! (Special thanks to Mr. Alex van Winkel)
Campus Ministry Students Volunteer at Give Kids The World
During Molloy’s winter break, nine Stanners traveled to Kissimmee, Florida to participate in the Give Kids The World service trip! This is Molloy’s second consecutive year visiting the Give Kids The World Village, an all-inclusive resort that welcomes Make-A-Wish families whose children are facing serious illnesses. Our students served families in a variety of ways, including facilitating meals, helping out with ride accessibility, and making sure everyone felt comfortable and welcomed. In their downtime, our students got to enjoy a visit to the Magic Kingdom part at Disney World! Thank you to our student volunteers, Campus Minister for Service Ms. Rose Haslbauer, and chaperone Mr. Jonathan Walls ’17 for putting their Marist charism into action through serving those in need!
Class of 2026 Presents The Senior Show
Congratulations to our seniors, who recently presented their Senior Show “The Mystery of Molloy’s Dancing Plague” to a packed Ralph DeChiaro Theater! The Senior Show is an annual production that sees our senior class write, produce, direct, and act in their very own senior-centric production! Moderated by Theater Director Ms. Shannon Winters ’06, the Senior Show is not only a highlight for the senior class, but an event that all students and faculty look forward to each year as well. Congratulations again, Class of 2026, and thank you for the creativity and enthusiasm you put into the show!
Speech & Debate’s Recent Outstanding Success
Since the start of the calendar year, Molloy’s Speech & Debate team has achieved a great deal of success! On January 26th, the team became recognized as a Charter Chapter under the National Speech & Debate Association. According to the official website, that is “the highest honor for high schools in the NSDA!”
Members from the team competed in the annual Harvard Speech & Debate Invitational, facing hundreds of schools across the world. Isaac Contreras ’27 placed in the top 75 speakers in Varsity Public Forum Debate out of over 700 competitors! The following students also represented Molloy: Avinash Harpaul ’26, Alicia Hemraj ’28, James Lukose ’28, Anya Satyanarayana ’27, James Vanegas-Molina ’27.
More recently, members competed in the NYC District-NSDA Qualifying Tournament! Avinash Harpaul narrowly missed advancing to the final supersession of Congressional Debate for National qualification. The team of Isaac Contreras and Matthew Xiao ’27 were one win away from advancing to elimination rounds in Public Forum Debate. Coach Ryan Curran ’22 also served as the Accessibility Contact Tournament, working with the NYC District Committee throughout all three qualifying tournaments in February.
In the beginning of March, members of the team competed in the National Catholic Forensic League Qualifying Tournament, with 7 students moving on to NCFL Nationals in Washington, DC! Peyton Schaefer ’28 was the first-alternate in Declamation. Alicia Hemraj advanced to the final supersession of Congressional Debate, and was honored as a finalist. The team of Anya Satyanarayana and James Vanegas-Molina placed 4th overall in Public Forum Debate, and Isaac Contreras and Matthew Xiao placed 2nd overall in the same event. Elizabeth Canty ’26, Lilly Kacziba ’27, and James Lukose received auto-qualifications in Lincoln Douglas Debate. Molloy placed 3rd in Debate for the day, and 3rd in Debate for the season!
The following students competed at one or more National qualifying tournament: Kamsi Chukwu ’28, Olga Gevko ’29, Gongchen Liu ’28, Ryder Lombardo ’27, James Lukose, Jet Martinez ’29, Max Ramdat ’29, Anya Satyanarayana, Lizeth Suarez ’27, James Vanegas-Molina.
| Track & Field: At the NY State Championships, Timothy Hider ’28 placed 16th in the 1000m Run with a time of 2:33.65. With this performance, Tim set a sophomore school record, placed #5 on Molloy’s all-time varsity list, qualified as an NHATFXCCA All-American, and earned #8 rank among USA sophomores. Congratulations, Tim! |
| Track & Field: Good luck to our athletes competing at the Nike Nationals this weekend, 3/13 – 3/15! |
| Outdoor Track & Field: Outdoor season kicks off on March 28th! |
Class of 1977 Proudly Reunites
Pictured: Daniel Burke, Peter Hoey, Andy Tansey, Joe Quinn, John Doyle, Rich Hagens, Stephen O’Keefe, Tom Pasculli, Paul Gerardi, Werner Sbaschnik, Peter Hillenbrand, Mike Skomsky, Ed Harvey, Steve Kulig, Daniel Collins, Bob Kennelly, Frank Dorsa, and Mark Ventimiglia. Not pictured: Will McQuade
by John Doyle ’77
On March 6, 2026, the Archbishop Molloy High School Class of 1977 gathered once again for its annual reunion at Manor Oktoberfest in Forest Hills, turning an ordinary evening into something far more special: a journey back through time. For a few wonderful hours, the decades seemed to quietly fall away as classmates laughed, shared stories, and found themselves transported once more to the hallowed halls of Manton Street, where friendships were forged, lessons were learned, and memories—both cherished and mischievous—were made.
The conversation soon drifted to the teachers and moments that shaped those unforgettable years: Mr. Perrone’s famously grueling workouts (especially for the track guys), and the extraordinary teaching of so many who left a lasting imprint on our lives, including Mr. Richard Salmon, Brother Terence Jones ’36, Brother Juan, and of course an unforgettable religion teacher, Brother Michael Sheerin. For a few fleeting hours, we were sixteen again, ready to head for the dance floor and hear the sounds of Six Horse Hitch or one of the many great bands that played at our high school dances. In those moments it felt as though time had simply paused somewhere along the way, waiting patiently for us to return.
On a more reflective note, we also paused to remember and pray for our classmate Greg Heinemann ’77, who is recovering from a stroke. We ask everyone to keep Greg in their thoughts and prayers as he continues on his road to recovery.
As the evening drew to a close and the conversations slowly faded into the night, one truth remained clear: while the years may carry us in many different directions, the bond formed in the halls of Molloy endures, reminding us that once you are part of Molloy ’77, you are always part of it.
Congratulations to Michael D’Angelo ’93, who has joined Stokes Wagner Attorneys at Law as Senior Counsel! According to a press release, Michael joins Stokes Wagner “after more than two decades immersed in labor and employment law, including nearly fifteen years with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, most recently serving as Head of Labor Relations – Americas.” Stokes Wagner, with its focus on serving the hospitality industry with “depth and intention,” are excited to welcome Michael and his unique perspective and experience in the industry. Good luck, Michael!
Special thanks to Jim Mancari of The Tablet newspaper for remembering our beloved Mr. Richard Rodgers ’65 in his recent article. Please Click Here to read Jim’s article.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Edward J. Doherty ’68, who passed away on March 8, 2026. Ed served the City of Rochester for 31 years, including as budget director and longtime commissioner of environmental services. He spearheaded numerous successful initiatives including the area’s first curbside recycling program and the creation of city recreation trails. He later served as vice president of community programs at the Rochester Area Community Foundation, where his groundbreaking 2013 report on poverty in Rochester kickstarted the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative on which he served. He continued to volunteer his time and serve on non-profit boards in retirement, as he remained committed to bettering the lives of others. Please keep Edward and his loved ones in your prayers. | Click Here for Memorial Page
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Kevin R. Moran ’68, who passed away on February 16, 2026.
