Your Sunday picture...

Enjoy the silence

... from Notre Dame. Here's a view looking south on DeBartolo Quad with the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the very far end. With all the rain and clouds everything still looks lush and green, and with students gone, everything is eerily quiet too. Enjoy your Sunday wherever you may be!

A special person.

Schweniger: Class is now in session

There are a lot of special people at Steds, but there happens to be one special person who doesn’t live there nor never will. This person’s name is Maureen Schweniger ’19 from PE. Maureen is special and special to the hall as she doing something unique; something near and dear to the hall’s heart, working at Lakeview Secondary School, a school run by the Congregation of Holy Cross and closely connect with the Center for Social Concerns. Lakeview Secondary is also supported by the Hall. Before she left, I had the opportunity to speak with Schweniger.

StEd: Maureen, tells the readership a little about yourself.

Schweniger: My name is Maureen Schweninger. I'm a senior - who recently graduated! - who majored in theology and sociology. I am from Dublin, Ohio, and I lived in Pasquerilla East on campus. Confession: going to Sted's Yacht Dance during my sophomore year was one of the highlights of my ND experience! I'm now preparing for independent post-grad service with the Congregation of Holy Cross from July 2019 to December 2020.

StEd: You could be going to a lot of places after graduation, but why are you going to Uganda?

Schweniger: I'm going to Uganda because I had a very powerful service experience last summer through the Center for Social Concerns. I lived in community with Holy Cross there while I taught English Language at Lake View Secondary. I fell in love with those kids seriously, and I soon found myself in a quasi-counseling role by the end of the summer where I spent 12 to 14 hours at school daily.

StEd: What is one of the more challenging aspects of your work at Lake View High School? 

Schweniger: One of the more challenging aspects of my time there was figuring out how to balance the needs for a "ministry of presence" in the boarding school setting where 1,000 students each deserve one-on-one attention to their concerns. It was also hard to realize the students' poverty and significant struggles to pay minor tuition balances, especially at the primary school level.

StEd: What do you wish people knew about the work that you will doing?

Schweniger: I wish people knew that the Congregation of Holy Cross is a lot more than just Notre Dame, or even just the United States. Holy Cross schools are making a huge difference in students' lives around the world, and the work that I will be doing in Uganda - campus ministry, small group facilitation, and informal counseling - will be especially focused on providing the education of the heart which can be difficult to provide in an understaffed school setting.

To help this very special person from Steds, Maureen Schweinger, then click HERE!

Breaking news...

Taking a summer leave...

If you have been reading the blog during the summer, then you would know that the statue of St. Edward was damaged during the year with the mini replica of the Basilica falling out of St. Ed's hand. When trying to repair the damage, the statue was found to have even further extensive damage as rust over the years had take a toll. It was determined that the statue would need some work, and so, a date AFTER graduation was set to conduct the restoration work. While most of are not there, one Stedsman was... and he captured this moment in Steds history. Dillyn Foy '19, ND Law Grad and former AR, was the day when St. Ed "took a trip." On seeing the statue go, Foy said, "It was sad to see him go, but after decades of watching over the students, it’s time the Saint Edward’s statue got his own summer vacation."

CLICK HERE: WATCH THIS VIDEO

Enjoy the following photos from Foy...

Going...

Going...

... Gone. St. Ed has left the Park.

Saturday squirrel.

Has an eye for beauty

Our furry friends are, without any doubt whatsoever, scavengers, but you know what, they do it with class. This squirrel was spotted outside Dillon Hall munching on some elm seeds, but instead of looking at those walking by, he focused his sight in the nearby pretty flower. On this, the squirrel non-verballed, "The gardening around here adds a certain ambiance to my meals."

Best of...

...the Gentlemen's Monthly. Yes, five years ago today, here was today's posting. Enjoy this blast from the distance past.

They're getting married!

The future Mr. and Mrs. Pikurish with Tonka, their photogenic and well-dressed dog

It’s official. They’re getting married! Tony Piskurish ’09 and M.Ed '11, Stedsman, and Stephanie Frketic are to be married this November at Sacred Heart Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Congratulations and best wishes to Tony and Stef respectively, and I am just saying that I got dibs on gifting the couple with either the traditional toaster and/or outdated ND Adidas gear.

What is that...

A first for the Steds rector apartment...

... in Fr. Ralph's window? Yes, the St. Edward statue's Basilica of the Sacred Heart is sitting in Fr. Ralph's window. Now, you are probably thinking, "How did that happen?" Well, right before Christmas Break, during an attempt to place a Santa hat atop St. Edward, someone tried to use the Basilica to pull himself up, but instead of scaling the statue, the Basilica fell from st. Edward's grasp. And thank God that it did! Why? Because the damaged to the statue revealed that it was in dire need of restoration. Believe it or not, the statue was rusty away! Stay tuned for more...

Your Sunday Photo...

Tranquil 

... from Notre Dame. Here is a view from the Hesburgh Memorial Library looking to the south towards the football stadium. The library's reflecting pool, without any Stedsmen floating in it, looks so peaceful and tranquil... not to mention mirror like as it reflects the ND sky. Enjoy your Sunday wherever you may be!

Best of...

...the Gentlemen's Monthly. Yes, five years ago today, here was today's posting. Enjoy this blast from the distance past.

Saturday's Squirrel.

Pretty please?

"Excuse me, but do you have the time?" Ha! More likely that this squirrel was non-verbaling, "Excuse me, but do you have a handout?"

A Memorial Day...

The Stedsmen took to the field...

... flashback. This past Memorial Day, Stedsmen in Chicagoland convened for a mini-reunion at Wrigley Field. While rain was all about the area, it didn't put a damper on the day nor the game. Hosted by Chris Scott '18, the Stedsmen enjoyed watching the Cubs take on the Cincinnati Reds, and while the game didn't end the way everyone had hoped, everyone had a great time eating, drinking, and reconnecting. After the game was over, the Stedsmen went on the field for a picture. In the photo above are (kneeling): Dillyn Foy '19, Dan Yerkes '14, Josh Blossfeld '20, Vashinav Murthy '16 (standing): Ryan Masjak '15, Mike Hanley '15, John Planek '15, Isabel Planek '15, Dan Riley '18, Brandon Ryan '18, Chris Scott '18, P.M. Rodriguez '14, and Matt Cyrs '20. On the day at Wrigley, Fr. Ralph said, "Thanks to our host Chris, we felt as if owned the Cubs! Yes, we watched the game in comfort and fell in love with the desert cart. To honest, I personally ate and drank so much that I probably needed wheelchair assistance to wheel myself out of the stadium! Thanks Chris!" Still, the host of the day, Chris Scott, said, "We might have felt bloated and needed wheelchair assistance, but we had a wonderful time!”

... after watching the Cubs lose, but...

... the Cubs were glad the Stedsmen were there!

On assignment...

Haag: Preaching to the sand and surf

... in Newport Beach, California. Leaving campus behind, Fr. Ralph has moved west, to a local with warmer temps and sunnier skies. While it is quite nice to be on campus, it's nice, every now and then, to have a change of scenery and lifestyle... and southern California truly has its own lifestyle. Assisting at the parish of Our Lady Queen of Angels, Fr. Ralph has been busy, but he has also had time to visit the beach but more importantly- the Steds families in the area. On having some time in Southern California, Fr. Ralph said, “As always, I wish we ALL could be Californian… just for a bit.”

They got married!

John and Isabel Planek

It's official. John Planek ’15 and Isabel Camara ’15 were married at Ascension Church in Oak Park, Illinois on turned out to be a beautiful day in May. With Fr. Ralph and surrounded by family, friends, and the Steds family, John and Isabel exchanged their vows with much joy and happiness in a packed church. On Isabel joining the Steds family, Mike Hanley ’15 said, “It’s great to have Isabel marrying into the Steds family. Finally, a Planek we can be proud to call our own!”

Congratulations and best wishes to John and Isabel.

P.S. Congratulations to Isabel who graduated from Northwestern Medical School the day before her wedding!

The Steds family assembled...

... but it was already a crowd.

Best of...

...the Gentlemen's Monthly. Yes, roughly three years ago today, here was the posting. It is my most favorite posting! Enjoy this blast from the distance past.

The King is...

Farewell flame boilers... 

...dead. Sad, but true. Without any pageantry, not even a simple goodbye, the flame boilers of La Fortune's Burger King were unceremonious dumped on the back of a unmarked flatbed truck, whisking them away from campus to rest who knows where. With the Burger King now gone, Smash Burger, with its "fresh and healthy" options, will ascend to the open space at LaFun. On the passing of the Burger King, an unnamed student said, "It reminds me of King Richard III who was also unceremonious buried in the late 1400's. He was recently found in a parking lot in Leicester, England. So, I wonder where and when our Burger King will be found."

Your Sunday picture...

Looking good

... from Notre Dame. Here is a picture of Mary and the Dome from the south side of St. Ed's Park. With all the clouds and rain this spring, when the summer appears, it time to rush outside and take a few pictures of the campus and the glories of spring. Enjoy your Sunday wherever you may be!