The festive Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons got off to a rousing start on the evening of Saturday, November 19, 2011 during the Fourteenth Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Albertus Magnus High School.  Four individuals were honored as new Hall of Fame members and the 1982 Boys Basketball Team was cited as the next "Team of Distinction" for Albertus Magnus.

Ms. Margaret A. Feerick '92 of New City, NY was inducted as the Female Athlete for the Hall of Fame Class of 2011 while New York Police Department Captain Peter M. Fortune '93 of Hauppauge, NY was selected as Male Athlete.  Mrs. Mary M. Holmes '65, long-time educator and administrator, and Mrs. Mary C. Novotny, RN, the beloved school nurse for over 20 years, were recognized as Special Contributors who have had a lasting impact on the hundreds of students who attended Albertus throughout their tenure. 

The 1982 Boys Basketball Team, under legendary Coach Tom Collins, reached the New York State Final Four Squad and was a Section 9 Championship Club.  This Team was also noteworthy due to their victory over a great Spring Valley High School team that year, with the Falcons breaking the Tiger's 44 game winning streak.  The members of the team who were inducted are: Dickens Benoit '83-Roanoke,TX, Billy Carroll '82-Chatham, NJ, Jim Clinton '82-Suffern, NY, Pat Daly '84- Pearl River, NY, Jay Flaherty '83-0rangeburg, NY, Joe Fox '83-Hillsborough, NJ, Tim Galvin '83-New City, NY, John Heim'82-New City, NY, Tim Heilferty '82- Waxhaw, NC, Jimm Lorenz '82-Congers, NY, Bob Oates '82-Stamford,CT, Steve O'Brien '82-Charlotte, NC, John Rogan '84- Wilton, NY, Tom Ryan '83-Lincroft, NJ, Mike Toth '83-Scituate, MA, and Ed Walsh '82-Thiells, NY.

Approximately 250 friends, family and alumni came together to celebrate the induction of the new Hall of Fame members and to recall their achievements and character.  At the pre-induction reception, a video montage highlighted Ms. Feerick's role as a leading player and point guard on consecutive New York State champions in 1991 and 1992.  The video also highlighted her experience as a scholar-athlete for SUNY Albany, where she was a four-year letter winner, captain and another "coach on the floor" for the Danes Women's Basketball Team.

Pete Fortune was a tremendous two-sport athlete at Albertus Magnus. He excelled at basketball and baseball, but eventually realized that his fantastic talent on the diamond as a left-handed hurler might lead to the "big leagues." Severe shoulder injuries unfortunately ended his professional baseball career.

The Hall of Fame audience viewed a multi-media presentation of Captain Fortune competing as an Albertus Magnus Falcon, a junior college All-American at SUNY-Rockland, and a minor leaguer with the Montreal Expos.  Captain Fortune has been a proud member of the New York Police Department for more than a decade and attained the rank of Captain this past spring.

Mary Novotny,  RN was the school nurse for more than 20 years at Albertus. The audience was treated to numerous yearbook photos of Mrs. Novotny in action with students in different venues on campus. Though Mary suffered through the catastrophic losses of two sons, (Brian '86 in the 9/11 attacks and John '90 in an accident) she has never stopped working and giving so that other families might gain.  Propelled by the Novotny family loss, Mary established scholarships in memory of her deceased sons'.  She was instrumental in designing and outfitting the 9/11 Memorial Garden on the AMHS campus.

The many images of a smiling Mary Holmes '65 taken from the Albertus archives and family scrapbooks showed the Hall of Fame audience what a truly joyful & energetic spirit Mrs. Holmes possesses.  Mary Holmes worked at Albertus Magnus High School for a quarter century as both an educator and as an administrator. She was the school's first Director of Admissions and later the Development Officer.  Her mirthful and upbeat manner is truly engaging.  These characteristics made her both a beloved teacher and a dynamic admissions director.

The 1982 Boys Basketball team members were tough, gritty and confident athletes who believed in themselves and in one another. They achieved exceptional results even while being doubted by the media and by their competitors.  The Falcons exhibited a desire to compete and welcomed any challenger with an assuredness that didn't belittle or demean the opposition, but rather made the contest a "happy struggle" for our guys! 

Though Coach Collins was unable to attend the November 19^th gathering, he recorded his thoughts on the 1982 season and congratulated all inductees.  His message was broadcast at the induction ceremony and instilled a sense of nostalgic wonder to the "show" as his distinctive voice filled the Gymnasium.

Mr. Joe D'Urso '82 provided one of the unique elements of the evening - his musical interludes.  An accomplished and acclaimed songwriter and musician as well as an AM Hall of Famer in his own right, Mr. D'Urso saluted his classmates and the other members of the 2011 Hall of Fame Class with his beautiful ballads.  One poignant melody used the words of a poem written by Steve O'Brien '82, who played center on the Team of Distinction.  O'Brien's poem relayed his experience as a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549, which was forced to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River in January of 2009. 

D'Urso's closed with, "These Four Walls," a song he to commemorate his years in school with friends and teachers.  He dedicated it to Dan Sullivan '72, a recently deceased member of the AM Hall of Fame.  Mr. Sullivan was an accomplished student-athlete at Albertus and a very successful insurance executive in Rockland County for many years.  His sudden passing was a terrible shock to the Albertus Magnus community.  Dan was remembered with a moment of silence. Mr. D'Urso also spoke of his special friend's tremendous spirit and love of life.

The induction's activities were chronicled in a Commemorative Journal, dedicated to Sr. Agnes Cunningham, OP, a Dominican Sister for 65 years, in honor of her more than thirty years service as an educator and administrator at Albertus Magnus.  Sr. Agnes was instrumental in the ongoing work of the AM Hall of Fame during the past decade and she was formally recognized during the Hall of Fame event for her devotion to the students and alumni of Albertus Magnus High School.

Photos of the evening celebration, courtesy of 1978 alumnus Dennis O'Keeffe, can be viewed on the Albertus Magnus High School website.