New Items on this Website

NOTE - most recent changes are listed first; scroll down for older changes

9/29/18 - Dinner Buffet Menu posted

9/28/18 - most of the intervening additions have been to the RSVP list and listing ticket payments as received.  Today we have added info under the first two topics on the menu at left - "Recommended Attire" and "Digger's Warm-Up on 10/5".  So our first reunion event at Digger's is just a week away!

9/12/18 - RSVPs updated.  Reminder to send check by 9/15 added; DJ Charlie Lombardo from Oldies 98.1 Radio will be spinning for our reunion (added to "Birchwoods Reunion is ON".

9/10/18 - more responses and more payments rec'd - see "Reunion Poll Results" for updated list and payments.

9/2/18 - Payments for tickets have started arriving!  Those whose payments have been received are now marked on the "Reunion Poll Results" page.  Thanks to those who are our early "kickstarters".  Attendance Poll (now labeled "Reunion RSVP" in hopes it's more clear) updated.

8/26/18 - Reunion Poll Results (who is attending, who is undecided, who is not coming, etc.) updated;

      Request for Prayers for Sr. Maureen Gregory (Sr. Mary Pia) who is seriiously ill added to "Open Discussion Area".

     "Birchwoods Reunion is ON" notice modified to stress that friends of our classmates, Mercy Alums from other classes, etc. are welcome to attend our reunion to increase our mutual fun.

8/25/18 - New leading menu tab added - the 50th Reunion at The Birchwoods is definitely ON.  Ticket price is same as the tickets for our 40th Reunion - $75/person until 9/15, $85 after.  Click the tab at top left for more details.

     "Who is or might be coming to our reunion" changed to "Reunion Poll/RSVP" - this is where you let us know (RSVP) if you are coming (if you haven't answered yet) or if you wish to change a previous answer to the poll (hopefully to say your are definitely coming instead of "undecided", "not coming", etc.).

    "Reunion Poll Results" updated with our latest numbers and names of classmates and their answers.

    Reorganization of menu tabs to make them a little more logical. <G>

8/17/18 - A new tab at left, "Reunion Poll Results" was started, which contains the answers to the attendance poll we sent out.  It lists those whom we know are coming, those leaning toward coming, etc.  It will be updated as results come in.  It is unfortunate that we have so many who cannot make our 50th, making it all the more important that we see more "will definitely attend".  A grim reminder: for many high school class reunions, the 50th might be the last.

8/14/18 - More info was learned about Sue Gillespie's passing and was posted on her page in "In Memory".

8/13/18 - A new topic was added - "Critical Reunion Update".  It is very important concerning making decisions which must be made very soon.

8/9/18 - We added the topic "Lodging" to the menu at left.  Some ideas for lodging other than hotels.  Reunion is less than 2 months away!!  Pictures have been added periodically and not listed here - check out "Photos Over The Years".  Feel free to submit more.

6/2/19 - It's time to get a bit more organized for our upcoming reunion (4 months away), so we added a poll/survey to get an idea of expected attendance.  Please find it on the button bar at left and take the poll.  Thank you.

5/23/18 - New discussion topic added to "Open Discussion Area" concerning a possible affordable alternative to renting a hotel - rent or share a short term vacation home for our reunion.  Also added was a new tab for "Mercy Alum Golf Tourney", which has info about the golf fundraiser to be held Monday, June 18th at North Fork Country Club.

5/15/18 - Steve found and posted the 5th grade class photo from Sacred Hearts in Southampton under "Grade School Class Pics".  See if you can find the 14 who graduated in our MHS class.  And feel free to send along similar pics from your own grade school class.  This might be fun!

4/25/18 - For those who did not receive the notice via e-mail or otherwise, a new tab was added on the left entitled "Upcoming Mercy Gala".  Click that tab for info.

4/24/18 - One more classmate we have no information on is John McLaughlen.  Any help in locating him would be greatly appreciated. 

        - Also see ideas concerning hotels in the "Open Discussion Area".

4/23/18 - Our class bloodhound, Steve, has mailed out letters to classmates informing of our upcoming reunion which includes an invitation to join this website.  These are people we could not reach by phone or e-mail, but Steve believes their postal mailing addresses to be valid.  The "Missing Classmates" on this website contain the names of people who have not registered, some of whom we have been in touch with.  Some we could find no information on: Gloria Bongiovanni, Rosemarie Lasorsa, Marilyn O'Brien, Margie Long, Jane vetter and Bruce White.  If anyone has been in contact with them or knows how to contact them, you can either tell them about the reunion and ask them to join this website, or forward their contact info to us.  We hope to have responses on the mailings in a week or two.  Congrats to Steve for theoretically finding all but six - fantastic job.

4/21/18 - With sadness, we confirmed the passing of another classmate, Marie Kotasek

4/18/18 - Pictures uploaded of Mercy Alum Cruisers, 2018 cruise

3/21/18 - We got some help from the Support people of this website, and made some changes, so we THINK the "Open Discussion Area" on this website may now be working.  Give it a try - and if it still doesn't work, let us know.  

3/18/18 - Photos of Mischevious Monarch alums posted on the Mercy '68 Alumni Cruises under the 2012 cruise.  Marie Sweeney Bunch got pranked (and loved it!).  On the same cruise, a Conga Line formed during a snorkelling excursion, leg by Muscular Monarch Bob.  Ya gotta love it!

    - we found the first picture of the group shot, when Rowdy Roxanne decided to floor us.  It's #2 in the photo gallery of "Our 40th Reunion" - and check out the facial expressions in reaction to her antics!

    - sadly, Steve has found that another classmate hase passed - Virginia "Ginger" Turpin Carentz, in 2015.  She has been added to our "In Memory" list.

3/17/18 - Happy St. Pat's Day.  We know that the "Open Discussion/Communication Area" is not working.  We've checked the settings on our end and they appear to be right.  So we've communicated with the software engineer for the web service we are using, and hope to get it working in due course.  Thanks for your patience.

3/15/18 - Hopefully the "Open Discussion/Communication Area" is now functional and will allow member classmates to post relevant communications for all to see and respond to.  Our own "bulletin board" kind of thing.  Enjoy!

3/14/18 - link to article in Newsday concerning drive to prevent closure of Mercy added to "Mercy HS to be Closed" page.

3/13/2018 - new page added concerning the Diocese of Rockville Center's decision to close McGann Mercy High School this coming June, with links to the video announcement and to the article in Newsday.  Sad for alumni, more serious and possibly tragic for students currently enrolled there.

3/6/18 - A picture of the girls' PJ party on the DC trip was found and passed along by Nancy Mackno Kalitowski.  Thanks Nancy, it's a hoot!

3/3/18 - We received the following message from Sr. Maureen Gregory (Sr. Mary Pia), who will hopefully be a "guest member" on this website: 
"Congratulations to my first class in Mercy High School. You were fun to teach!!!" 

     Don Scheu uploaded a few pics from the Senior Prom (see "Prom Pics") and one from the Washington Trip (see Washington Trip pics)

     Additional information on the passing of Georgiana "GG" Graygor Collins posted to "In Memory".

2/28/18 - a Letter to the Graduating class of Mercy is added to "Graduation".  Many thanks to Ray Kreiger who furnished the letter, the program and his prom picture with permission to share on this website, in addition to the other work he is doing to entice classmates to register here.

2/26/18 - Graduation Invitation added to "Graduation"

2/25/18 - Picture added to "Mercy'68 Alumni Cruises" - you have to see this one!

2/24/18 - Copy of the Invitation for Senior Prom uploaded to "Prom Pics"

2/23/18 Prom Picture of Ray Kreiger and prom date Mary Ryan posted.in "Prom Pics"..

2/19/18 - Ray took a picture of Vic when they went to visit Walt.  See "Photos over the Years"..  Photo of The Conga Line added to "Our 40th Reunion".

2/7/18 - Announcement from Jon: Volunteers Needed!
    Steve has been working on locating our classmates for months. I believe he used three fee based "finder" sources and coordinated with Mercy’s records to find the right people who are actually our classmates. Most recently he found that Bob Fox passed away. At this time it appears that, thanks to Steve's amazing efforts, only six of our classmates are truly “lost”. So the "finding" phase of our 50th reunion is done. Now we need volunteers to call classmates to notify them of the date of our reunion, and to encourage them to join our website.
    So far only 46 classmates have registered on the website. The names of the classmates who have not registered appear on the “Missing Classmates" list. 14 of our classmates have passed on and 6 have not been located, so that means that there are approximately 64 eligible registrants who have not joined.
We have pestered some already via telephone and e-mail, and will start to pester some more. As you can imagine making that many calls is very time consuming. We need volunteers! If interested contact us via the website. Ray Kreiger has helped and has coxed some classmates to join; thanks very much, Ray. Ideally we’d like the “missing “ list to be significantly reduced. Soon decisions must be made about the reunion event itself, notifications and updates will be sent vo registrants via this website, etc., so an accurate and complete list is very important.
     All help that any of you can give in getting classmates registered on this website would be very much appreciated. 

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2/1/18 - We learned that classmate Bob Fox passed away in 1994 and added his name to "In Memory" section.

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1/27/18 - repost of notice previously posted but perhaps "lost" at the bottom of our website's Home Page

For those who are not aware of it, our classmate Walter Bonczyk suffered from a major stroke in 2015, which left him paralyzed on his left side.  This was particularly unfortunate since he is left-handed.  He only gets out of the house for medical appointments and church, weather permitting.  He is looking forward to the reunion with enthusiasm and would enjoy receiving cards from well-wishers.  If anyone would like to send him a card or letter, he would be happy to hear from you.

His address is:

321 Marcy Avenue

Riverhead, NY  11901

Per his profile on this website, he can also take calls to his cell phone.  That number is (631) 816-8594.

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1/28/18 - looking for photos, videos, etc. from our Mercy years, graduation pics, prom pics, 20th reunion, 40th reunion, "Mercy Cruise" and whatever from over the years.  If you have them, please send them to Steve at smcclain@optonline.net or Jon at jplattesq@aol.com. We hope to make this website come alive and generate enthusiasm!