New Peer Ministry Core Team Members Selected
Barb Dawson • May 28, 2025
2025-26 Will Be a Great Year!
Spring is always the time for looking forward to the new school year for Montini Catholic's Peer Ministry Team- and appointing new team members plays a key role in that process. Students must apply and be interviewed to become a member of the Peer Ministry Team and must continue to demonstrate a devotion to faith and leadership throughout the year they are members of the team. "Core Team Members" are selected to head up the team and provide student led guidance throughout the year. The new core team members for the 2025-26 school year are looking forward to taking the reins and took part in a special training session with outgoing senior core team members on Thursday, May 24th. Under the guidance of moderators, Mrs. Katie Miller and Mrs. Kelly Davis, the special team hopes to bring new and inspiring ideas to the table.
2025-26 Peer Ministry Core Team Members are seniors (Class of 2026): Isaac Alexander, Patrick Thompson, Cameron Fountain and Ashlynn Lindt
Montini Catholic's Peer Ministry is a faith-based team whose Christian mission is to inspire and motivate by example. The program seeks to enrich the faith life of Montini Catholic by allowing for more student centered choice and engagement in retreats, small groups, prayer and volunteer experiences. Thegroup was formed in 2018 and is currently made up of junior and senior students - all specifically selected by Montini's Campus Ministry team for their faith and service demonstration. “We want to increase opportunities for students to grow in their faith,” says Mrs. Miller. “We think that providing opportunities led by the students themselves will make them more meaningful and desirable.”
The team's first activity happens in early June at Montini's First Step Social for incoming freshmen. Peer Ministers are tasked with giving a warm welcome to new Broncos, running games and other activities to help break the ice for these new students to feel at home. They are also involved with spearheading various service activities throughout the school year including Monitni's very successful Adopt-a-Family gift drive. In the fall of 2020, the group introduced a freshman mentorship program that extends throughout freshman year focusing on helping the newest Broncos create new connections to their classmates. Upperclassmen act as 'trusted guides' by helping the mentees become familiar with the high school atmosphere (policies, procedures, traditions etc.) and encouraging them to get involved and to develop new relationships in the process. The Peer Ministers will also take on leadership roles during Montini Catholic's much anticipated, annual Freshman and Sophomore Retreats which will take place in the fall and winter.
New this year was the team's Conversation Partners Program where Peer Ministers meet with students from Montini's International Student Program (bi-weekly) to work on English language skills. The program seeks to build better communication amongst students - thus strengthening friendships and creating a better sense of community.
"I am very proud of our Peer Ministry program," says Campus Ministry Director, Mr. Mike Blanchette. "Montini Catholic is a family oriented community. Our freshmen and sophomores, particularly, look up to the Peer Ministers as older brothers/sisters. While at the same time, our Peer Ministers are being challenged to grow their leadership skills and to become inspirations within their school and local communities."
Image above: L to R:
New core team members, Isaac Alexander '26 (Aurora), Patrick Thompson '26 (Naperville), Cameron Fountain '26 (Berkeley) and Ashlynn Lindt '26 (Lombard) - with outgoing core team members Collins Whitfield '25 (Downers Grove), Lily Cruz '25 (Elmhurst), Sienna Skarda '25 (Elmhurst) and Hannah Bushati '25 (Downers Grove);
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New friends were made and high school anxieties calmed on Thursday, 12th at Montini Catholic High School's First Step Social welcoming their Class of 2029. Montini Catholic's First Step Social is the first opportunity for Montini's newest freshmen to begin building class spirit and to get to know their fellow classmates and future friends. The informal event, facilitated by the school's Admissions team, included several small group games, led by members of Montini's Peer Ministry Team, intended to break the ice and get freshmen excited about their high school years. Parents were also invited to attend and gathered in a separate location in order to meet up with current parent ambassadors, ask questions and gain more insight in preparation for the next four years. Students and parents were treated to burgers and hotdogs via Tailgate Caterers in Lombard. "It was very exciting to have so many new Broncos and their parents on Montini Catholic's campus for our First Step Social," said Admissions Coordinator Sara McGady. "The goal of this event is to provide our new freshmen with a sense of familiarity when they walk through our doors again in August. We also wanted to give our new parents a chance to ask questions and meet fellow parents as they start their new journey as high school parents."
Montini Catholic was proud to honor fifteen special seniors on May 16th at the Lasallian college preparatory high school's Celebration of Excellence Awards ceremony. The group represents what Montini Catholic endearingly defines as their graduating "Legacy Students" - students of alumni parents who also graduated from Montini Catholic. This year fifty-two 52 total students of alumni are carrying on their parents' legacies at Montini Catholic, a number that represents close to 10% of Montini's total student body. Each year senior legacy students are called up on stage to receive a special stole to be worn at graduation. Alumni parents are also invited to take a special portrait with their senior as a keepsake on graduation day. "We are always honored when our alumni return as Montini parents to continue our Bronco legacy," said Alumni Relations Officer William Dawes '13. "When you are at Montini Catholic, you are family, which is one of the main reasons parents choose Montini. An education at Montini is a unique experience and we love to see our legacy grow with each passing year." Montini Catholic's 2024-25 Legacy Seniors (alumni parent(s) under students' names): Katelyn (Kat) Bell ‘25 Jackson Bell ‘27 Patrick Bell ‘96 Peter Considine ‘25 Michael Considine ‘86 Annalee DeFeo ‘25 Laura (LaMontagna) DeFeo ’93 & Michael DeFeo ‘93 Nolan Ferris ‘25 Shannon (O’Connor) Ferris ‘93 James Fitzpatrick ‘25 Michael Fitzpatrick ‘88 Zoe Gangas ‘25 Nick Gangas ‘81 Sean Hubeny ‘25 Katie (Doll) Hubeny ’96 & James Hubeny ‘96 Nick Irion ‘25 and Vince Irion ‘25 Dave Irion ‘88 Vincent Knudtson ‘25 Lia (Badalamenti) Knudtson ‘89 Jamie Loftus ‘25 Christina (Connelly) Loftus ‘86 Margaret Nielsen ‘25 Maureen (O’Neill) Nielsen ‘87 Ava Sebben ‘25 Patricia (Gary) Sebben ‘90 Lily Spanos ‘25 Shannon (Herold) Spanos ‘99 Collins Whitfield ‘25 Katherine (Janko) Whitfield ‘00 Collins Whitfield ‘00 Image above: Front l to r: Lily Spanos, Ava Sebben, Margaret Nielsen, Jamie Loftus, Sean Hubeny, Zoe Gangas, Nolan Ferris, Annalee DeFeo and Kat Bell; Back row l to r: Collins Whitfield, Vincent Knudtson, Vince Irion, Nick Irion, Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Peter Considine;
Montini Catholic congratulates senior Julia Gergen on being this year's recipient of the Jean Diane Colletti Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is one of several that have been named and endowed by Montini Catholic alumni, parents and friends in order to provide financial assistance to graduates pursuing higher learning in college. The award was announced at the Lasallian college preparatory high school's annual Academic Awards Banquet (May 1st) this spring by Dr. Vince Colletti DDS '05 (son of Jean Diane Colletti) Julia was honored again on May 16th at Montini's Celebration of Excellence Award ceremony in front of the entire student body. Julia has been a very academically accomplished student throughout their four years at Montini Catholic. In May she received the President's Award for Academic Excellence, she is an Illinois State Scholar and a College Board Advanced Placement Scholar. Julia was also a member of Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society as well as Montini's National Honor Society where she served as Secretary her senior year. She enjoyed her time as a member of Montini's Math Team, and celebrated their 6th Place State finish this year. Julia also valued her experience gained from serving her fellow students as a Peer Minister through Montini's Campus Ministry program. Athletically, Julia was a valued member of Montini's Track & Field Team and celebrated securing school records her junior year in the 4x100m and 4x200m races. "Julia has been an outstanding student," said Principal Chris Tiritilli. "Her academic and athletic career here at Montini has been quite extensive and impressive. She is never seen without a smile on her face, she has been a role model to her fellow students. She truly deserves this recognition and we know she will do great things at Notre Dame!" Julia, a St. Pius X Parish School alum, and a member of St. Pius X Parish. She plans on majoring in Biological Sciences on a Pre-Med Track at the University of Notre Dame in the fall. Above: Julia Gergen '25 and Dr. Vince Colletti DDS '05 at Montini Catholic's Academic Awards Night on May 1st.
