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The 2025 Central Albany Catholic Schools Reunion was held May 30 at Blessed Sacrament School. The event was a time to reunite with old friends, make new ones and raise money for our Catholic schools.

At the event, tuition-assistance posters with QR codes were hung on the walls in honor of teachers, parish supporters and students and the money raised will benefit students at Blessed Sacrament and Mater Christi schools. The poster shown (below) is a tuition-assistance account for Blessed Sacrament students established in honor of Sister Mary Coons, RSM, former principal at Blessed Sacrament. She is the immediate predecessor of Sister Jane Sommerville and Sister Patricia Lynch.

The QR code (below) leads to a fund that supports the whole consortium and is an investment fund that can be used to support either of the two schools (or any other school in the city, but not the parishes). Father Daniel Quinn, pastor of both parishes and schools, said in an email to The Evangelist: “The future of the schools in the city of Albany is dependent on the contributions of foundations and donors.”

In the main photo are shown current and former pastors and teachers, including (from l.): Dr. Katie Stalker, current principal of Mater Christi School; Alexandra Morazán, current principal of Blessed Sacrament School, and future principal of St. Mary’s in Waterford; Sister Patricia Houlihan, RSM, former principal of Holy Cross (now All Saints Catholic Academy) and St. Teresa of Avila (closed in 2009 and merged with Holy Cross to form All Saints), and currently working in pastoral care at St. Peter’s Nursing and Rehab/The Villa; Terry Ewell, former principal of St. Catherine/Mater Christi School; Sister Patricia Lynch, RSM, former principal of St. Mary School in Clinton Heights and then of Blessed Sacrament in Albany, and currently director of the Blessed Sacrament Parish Food Pantry; Mark Reilly, former principal of St. James in  Albany; Sister Rita Carr, RSM, a former principal; and Sister Jane Sommerville, RSM, former principal of Blessed Sacrament (immediately preceding Sister Patricia Lynch). Father Quinn (back l.) and Father John Bradley (front r.), former pastor of Blessed Sacrament and school for 42 years, and also an alumnus of Blessed Sacrament School, are also shown in the photo. (Photos provided)

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