La Salette of San Mateo High School alumni from the United States and Canada got together with old and new friends, asked schoolmates what they have been doing, and got the latest on others who haven’t yet been located, and shared about their lives since high school in a reunion at the La Quinta Inn in Las Vegas last September 5, 1999.

The reunion also gave LSM alumni the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate La Salette of San Mateo’s 50th Golden Foundation Anniversary with a concelebrated mass lead by LSM High School Director, Fr. Manny Medina who came all the way from the Philippines, and assisted by two other La Salette Missionaries, Fr. Romy Seleccion and Fr. Vic Ignacio.

Heading the list of alumni, their spouses and children who attended the reunion was Ellen Lorenzo-Chantegco of Class 1955! Other alumni present were Elsa V. Ladores, Gus Agustin, Dr. Harry Padua, Elvie Ochoa-Agustin, Ed Galutan, Merle Esguerra-Bermudez, Sophia Lorenzo-Borg, Thelma Ladores-Marcelo, Renato O. Franco, Sr., Constante Burgos, Sr., Teresita Alipio-Bantug, Elizabeth Dayrit-Villanueva, Juanito Ramones, Eufemia Semana-Valdez, Nestor Domingo, Del Burgos, Fr. Vic Ignacio and Fr. Romy Seleccion.

Mrs. Leonila Padua, Doring Munsayac-Padua, Lenny Petines, Agnes Lorenzo-Morales, Dra. Flor Franco, and Belen Cirineo, were also there to meet and renew friendship with fellow Isabelans.

Sorely missed were Fr. Frank Bourgeois, M.S., former LSM High School Director, Fr. Maurice Cardinal, M.S., Luz Bonifacio-Roque, Zaida-Silverio-Diego and Rely Diego who all couldn’t make it to the reunion for one reason or another.

On the occasion of the 50th Foundation Anniversary of La Salette of San Mateo, plans have been made to celebrate it with thanksgiving. The following are the target activities for the Jubilee 2000:

MEDICAL MISSION

It aims to provide health care for the poor of the St. Matthew Parish, its surrounding parishes and towns. The health care will be provided through surgical or medical operations (major and minor) of any kind of illness; consultations and medical assistance to the poor.

The LSM Alumni Association (USA/CANADA/PHILIPPINES) will sponsor this mission, as a gesture of thanksgiving and gratitude to LSM’s dedicated service to the people of San Mateo.

SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND

This service is to provide education for the poor but deserving students. It has been in existence for a while, and has provided education to countless students; some of them already successful in their chosen careers.

The blessings of education we received from LSM invite us to recompense it through the Scholarship Grant Service. The economy of the Philippines is not promising to families who are captives of poverty. Their number increases every year. Their only hope, therefore, to be liberated from this poverty is for their children to finish even if only a high school education. We, the graduates of LSM, are called upon to respond to this challenge. We can achieve this by donating whatever amount our hearts dictate to the Scholarship Trust Fund.

Notes:

Please forward or make copies of this newsletter for distribution to fellow alumni and friends.

Visit our web site at http://geocities.datacellar.net/Tokyo/Palace/6949/

Kindly e-mail me any news/ photographs you want to share with fellow alumni.

My e-mail address is OneTalk@aol.com (Del Burgos, Class ’62)