The 2025 Champagnat Awards

In late September 2024, Blaine O’Connell ’63 and his wife, Patti, generously made a gift of $1 million to the Central Catholic Endowment Fund. When asked why they decided to make such a transformative gift to Central Catholic, their response was simple: “Don’t forget where you came from.”

This modest but meaningful statement was the driving force behind the O’Connells’ momentous gift - an awe-inspiring act of generosity that will directly impact the lives of dozens of young men and women by granting their wish of attending Central Catholic.

Blaine and Patti, married 54 years, visited the CCHS campus in the fall for the first time since 1970. It was an eye-opening walk down memory lane. They were astounded by the evolution of Central Catholic over the years, its state-of-the-art academic facilities, its coeducational thriving community, its athletic fields, the St. Marcellin Champagnat Peace Gardens and so much more.

Raised in Methuen, Blaine didn’t have a particular desire to attend Central Catholic for high school - he wanted to become an auto mechanic. Blaine’s father convinced Blaine to attend for one year to “give it a chance.” It didn’t take long for him to witness and begin to appreciate the academic strength, inspiring spirit, and the close-knit CCHS community.

After graduating from Central Catholic, Blaine attended the College of the Holy Cross on an US Naval ROTC Scholarship. Upon graduating from college, Blaine was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy and proceeded to proudly serve as a Weapons Officer aboard Navy destroyers. He was discharged from the Navy in 1972 but continued to serve in the U.S. Naval Reserve at Great Lakes Naval Station while earning an MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

After graduate school, Blaine began working at Price Waterhouse in Chicago, IL, earning his CPA in 1976. Over the next 30 years Blaine built a successful finance career in the healthcare industry, which was recognized in 2008 when he was named Healthcare CFO of the Year by the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Though Blaine always took a part of Central Catholic with him, his children, Kevin and Kathleen, encouraged Blaine to revisit memories that he hadn’t pondered in decades, and he came to a clear conclusion, “we forget about our high schools, the places that helped form us and make us who we are. Through making a gift to CCHS, I knew the school would be able to transform lives, just like it did for me. Patti and I were inspired to help provide academically promising, economically disadvantaged students with the gift of attending Central Catholic.”

Blaine and Patti, who make their home in Ohio and are the proud parents of Kevin and Kathleen and they are blessed with four grandchildren Abbie, Zachary, Davis and Annabelle.

This award is bestowed on those whose cumulative generosity to Central Catholic High School has been outstanding, epitomizing the love and generosity of Saint Champagnat. Through their investments and leadership, they have made a transformative impact on the students and faculty of Central Catholic High School.

• 2005 Honoree: R. Kingman Webster
• 2012 Honoree: G. Thomas Catalano '50
• 2012 Honoree: Albert C. Peterson '50
• 2015 Honoree: Craig D. Divino '69
• 2018 Honoree: Ronald T. Maheu '60
• 2018 Honoree: Laurence J. Palmisano '51
• 2022 Honoree: Mr. Thomas M. & Mrs. Pamela Burkardt
• 2022 Honoree: The Catholic Schools Foundation

In giving voice to the loving and generous man that St. Marcellin Champagnat was, the Marist documents describe him as a man “…with a heart that knows no bounds.”

Much the same can be said of the heart of Caitlin Brooking. 

Caitlin’s life and professional achievements reflect the mission statement of Central Catholic, “… to make Jesus known and loved, …educating the whole person for college and for life with particular care for the least favored and those in need.”

Caitlin began her compassionate and educational journey as a student at Central Catholic. Beyond her deeply held faith life that clearly demanded a response from her to “…those in need,” Caitlin graduated Central Catholic in 2000 as among the top handful of graduates academically and honored with a scholarship to Boston University. While she was earning a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, the faculty at BU quickly discovered her multiple talents, personal responsibility and maturity.

Upon her BU graduation, Caitlin was hired as Assistant to the Dean of Students at BU, both advising students and the Dean. Caitlin’s unbounded heart, however, led her service  in the direction of improving the lives of urban students by joining the staff at City Year Boston, recruiting and placing AmeriCorps volunteers to mentor urban youth in Boston.

Caitlin was deeply moved and animated witnessing the wake of the devastating destruction in Mississippi from Hurricane Katrina and heard the call in her heart. Arriving in Mississippi, she served as Director of Programs for Hands on Gulf Coast in Biloxi, overseeing strategy and implementation, including recruiting and managing AmeriCorps volunteers leading large-scale community service projects to increase volunteerism and much-needed disaster response for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Acting as Deputy Director of Volunteer Mississippi, the state agency on volunteerism, she worked closely with the staff to lead the AmeriCorps Mississippi program. In her rare off hours, Caitlin earned a master’s degree in Sociology at the University of Mississippi.

After serving on its Board of Directors for three years, Caitlin is now the Executive Director of the Refill Jackson Initiative where she is responsible for day-to-day operations, fundraising and supporting a staff of 9 in carrying out workforce development training and wrap-around social services for large numbers of disconnected 18 to 30-year-olds in the Jackson, MS area.

Originally from Methuen, MA, Caitlin makes her home in the Jackson, MS metro area.

This award is bestowed on individuals for outstanding service to society and their unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. They epitomize the Marist ideal of concern for the least favored.

• 2005 Honoree: Stephen J. Kelley '64
• 2012 Honoree: Dr. Samuel J. D’Urso '62
• 2015 Honoree: John F. Kaslow '49
• 2015 Honoree: Barbara J. (Fox '51SM) Kaslow
• 2018 Honoree: Patricia (Foley '60SM) Karl, Lawrence Youth Education Advocate
• 2018 Honoree: William J. Sullivan '68, Lawrence Educator, National Hibernian Leader
• 2022 Honoree: Patricia B. Letayf '07
• 2022 Honoree: Atty. Michael W. Morris Sr. '59

The Catholic Church has begun to be animated by the gift of faith many lay women bring to its ministry. At Central Catholic for decades, women of deeply held faith have been models of Marist evangelization. Elizabeth “Betty” Desjardins’ personal faith and foundational work as a teacher and Campus Minister is the template for today’s Campus Ministry program, engaging students, alumni, families and the community.

With a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from U. Mass. Amherst, Betty served CCHS as a world languages teacher for 18 years. Betty, being a woman of faith in action, sought the opportunity to help direct students’ spiritual activities including Marist Student Encounter retreats, trained students to lead retreats and serve as lectors, servers and Eucharistic Ministers at CCHS masses and prayer services. In 1992, Betty was appointed as a Campus Minister, the first woman in this role. As Campus Minister, Betty directed many food drives for Lazarus House Ministries, Bread & Roses Soup Kitchen, Neighbors in Need and solicited student volunteers to serve at their Lawrence locations. Students were drawn by her genuine faith and compassionate heart and flocked to Campus Ministry activities. The Class of 1999 dedicated their CCHS Yearbook to Betty out of admiration for her inspirational work as Campus Minister, always engaging students, personally and spiritually, in the Marist family spirit.

Leaving CCHS for a time, Betty discerned a call to serve the Church in parish ministry. In 1995, to broaden her parish ministerial role, Betty earned a master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling from Emmanuel College, and a post-master’s certificate in the Practice of Spirituality from BC. She lived parish ministry work enthusiastically at Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill, MA as a Pastoral Associate for 12 years. For her dedication to the enrichment of parish life, Betty and her husband, Roger, were honored as Affiliates to the Augustinian Order in 2024

Returning to CCHS from 2006-2012 Betty taught Religious Studies and, soon after once again, as a full-time Campus Minister. The foundational mission of Marist education is “…to make Jesus known and loved” to its young people. Betty’s CCHS ministry strengthened Central’s bonds with the Marist Office of Evangelization by encouraging students to participate in student Christ-centered retreats side-by-side with students from various US Marist high schools. Bringing relevance to Central’s mission statement, “…serving the least favored and those in need,” Betty coordinated the “One Day” Christian Service program requiring all CCHS students to perform active community service. The CCHS Marist Mentors program, founded by Betty and a small cadre of students. asks students to volunteer as tutors and mentors at local elementary schools and at the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club.

Betty and husband, Roger, make their home in Andover, and are the proud parents of Christopher, Catherine ’08 and cherish their two grandchildren, Luke and Iris.

This award is bestowed on individuals who have committed their lives to making Jesus known and loved through their faith and actions. Their example serves as an inspiration to students and to all those associated with Central Catholic.

• 2012 Honoree: Bishop William J. McNaughton, M.M. '44
• 2012 Honoree: Bridget (Scanlon '64^SM) Shaheen
• 2015 Honoree: Rev. Guy Vellardita '48, O.F.M.
• 2018 Honoree: Rev. George F. Riley '53, OSA, Villanova University, V.P. Emeritus
• 2022 Honoree: Bro. Rene Roy, FMS, '59
• 2022 Honoree: Heather A. Angell '00

As a youngster at age 12, living at the corner of Chestnut and Lawrence streets and taken to heart his parents’ advice to “…respect workers, the dignity of labor and the honor of achievement,” Gino Baroni found work as a mason’s tender. Forty-five years later, there are airports, hotels, corporate campuses, multi-unit residences, healthcare facilities, schools and entertainment facilities that bear the handprint of Gino Baroni.

Gino, whose Central Catholic classmates voted him as 1974 Class President, went on to attain an impressive array of degrees in the design and construction management field beginning with bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Merrimack College, where he was one of the first two students in the engineering co-op program. Onto M.I.T., Gino achieved a master’s degree in civil engineering & construction management, followed by studies at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

In 1980, Gino joined Beacon Construction, one of the largest vertically integrated real estate and constructions firms in the Northeast, ascending to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Beacon Skanska, Inc. Notable projects Gino led with his expertise include Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA, Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA, One Post Office Square and Garage, Boston, the Ray and Maria Stata Center at M.I.T., Terminal A Redevelopment for Delta Airlines at Logan International Airport, Boston, and the Beth Israel Shapiro Clinical Complex, Boston. It may be a very subjective judgment, but Central Catholic believes his masterpiece is the 2004 CCHS expansion project which included the new South Wing which brought three levels of classrooms, labs, the chapel, music suite, dining facilities and more.

Upon leaving Beacon-Skanska, Gino’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to found Trident Project Advisors and Development Group, based in Salem, NH. His firm provides Owner’s Project Management services for total project delivery from site selection, to financing options, design firms and construction firms’ selection, risk management and more to clients. Gino’s projects are found throughout the United States, Sicily and Dubai just to name a few.

Always eager to help his hometown of Lawrence, Gino has been deeply involved with expansion projects for the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, Mary Immaculate Health Care, Lawrence General Hospital and the Lawrence Family Development Charter School.

Gino has a deep and abiding affection for Central Catholic, beyond his construction expertise, he has served as on various CCHS committees, served on its Board of Directors, then as Chairman Emeritus. Evidence of his faithful generosity can be found throughout every corner of CCHS. His two daughters, Marielle ’04 and Nicole ’08 followed in his path as Central Catholic alums. His service to the Greater Lawrence community is seen in his volunteerism on boards and committees for the bedrock institutions across the Merrimack Valley. Gino and his wife, Cheryl, make their home in Salem, NH.

This award is bestowed on alumni whose success and achievements in their chosen field serve as an inspiration to the Central Catholic community and provide an inspiring example for our students.

• 2005 Honoree: Dr. George D. LeMaitre '51
• 2005 Honoree: Louise L. Schiavone '68^SM
• 2012 Honoree: Ernest L. Herrman '79
• 2015 Honoree: Richard J. Santagati '61
• 2018 Honoree: Charles F. Daher '67
• 2018 Honoree: Brad M. Damphousse '00
• 2022 Honoree: Joseph P. Faro '87
• 2022 Honoree: Jonathan R. Lemire '97

Almost from the very first day Rosa Reynoso Cruz entered Central Catholic, faculty, staff and her student peers witnessed her dynamism as a student, her deeply felt personal call to service those-in-need, and an ever-present indefatigable positive spirit. Her excellence in academic achievement was motivated by a desire to fully challenge herself, venturing beyond her comfort zone, searching to discover the limits of her potential.

From a Dominican family, Rosa’s goal was to be the first-in-family to attend college. Rosa’s dream became a likely reality when she was awarded a Montagne Scholarship to CCHS in 2012. Aside from Rosa’s conscientious efforts in academic achievement, Rosa was inspired in numerous activities to serve the members of the CCHS school community. The list of activities she spearheaded is too numerous to mention but her greatest impact was her active participation in a variety of Central’s Campus Ministry activities. Even as a fire destroyed the home she shared with her mother; Rosa’s remarkable resilience kept her determination undeterred. It is not an overstatement to say that Rosa’s genuinely positive generous spirit energized others to join her in any endeavor she undertook. At the 2016 commencement followed by a standing ovation by her classmates, Rosa was presented with the Brother Florentius, FMS Memorial Award as the outstanding student, exemplifying the ideal traits of a CCHS student.

Rosa was awarded a scholarship to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute, graduating with distinction in 2020 with a bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering. As a WPI junior, Rosa was awarded the Marietta E. Anderson Award, honoring WPI’s Outstanding Women, in recognition of her exemplary academic performance, work-study achievements, selfless volunteerism and extracurricular contributions. The early roots of her desire to serve, seen at CCHS, continued at WPI, as she made three trips to Cuenca, Ecuador with Engineers Without Borders, teaming with other engineers to implement a rainwater harvesting system to provide a water supply for the community of El Cisne de Conchan. Rosa’s research in Rabat, Morocco examining the intersection of Western and Islamic values concerning women won WPI acclaim as did her research improving safety for miners.

Rosa’s passion for aviation was sparked through several internships with Pratt & Whitney. Rosa joined GE Aerospace. In training, she completed intense advanced courses in engineering, business-critical engineering assignments, including Life and Mission Analysis, Mechanical Systems design and Test Engineering. Rosa is now fully integrated into GE Aerospace’s team of engineers. In 2024, Rosa completed a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Boston University. She is currently employed as a Lead Component Test Engineer with GE Aerospace. Rosa leads the Hispanic and Latino Alliance at GE Aerospace and is a member of the GE Aerospace triathlon team. Rosa makes her home in Revere, MA.

This award is bestowed on alumni whose emerging professional and personal lives reflect the ideals of Central Catholic and our Marist heritage.

• 2018 Honoree: Michelle Abou-Raad '12
• 2018 Honoree: Jesenia Tejada-Perez '03
• 2022 Honoree: Isis J. Ortiz-Belton '05
• 2022 Honoree: Marquis T. Victor '04

Doreen Keller has often expressed that her years at Central Catholic were like “coming home.” The invisible strings of her life certainly guided her to CCHS. These same strings became crystal clear to the CCHS school community as soon as she arrived at 300 Hampshire Street.

Doreen as an educator is blessed with a combination of compassionate understanding of young people, a forward-thinking desire to improve learning and teaching, and the wisdom of words and deeds which brought out the best in colleagues. These personal traits are animated by a deeply held Christian belief in the God-given potential of every child and adult. Without doubt, it is these personal gifts that called Doreen Keller to the profession of Marist educator.

A 1971 alumna of Presentation of Mary Academy, Doreen earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Simmons College, followed shortly by a master’s degree in educational administration at the University of MA, Lowell. As a classroom teacher in public middle school and high schools for over 21 years, Doreen’s passionate teaching methods inspired students to follow and appreciate the logic, structure and beauty of mathematics.

With the continued growth in the coeducational student body at CCHS, the administrative team needed to expand to keep up with day-to-day effective operation. In 2001, Doreen answered the call. CCHS was fortunate to have Doreen “come home” serving 7 years as the Associate Dean of Students and 3 more years as the Dean of Students. In relationships with students, families and colleagues, Doreen worked assiduously to advance a school culture that was true to the Marist spirit of education: one that values and teaches simplicity, family spirit, a love of work and always in the way of Mary.

Doreen's accomplishments as part of the administrative team led her to be appointed as Principal of Central Catholic in 2010, the first woman to hold this position in CCHS history. With a fresh perspective on Central’s untapped educational and instructional potential, Doreen led the school and faculty in numerous and impactful educational enhancements: an innovative daily academic schedule that allowed more in-depth instruction in hour-long classes. This new format also gave students access to offerings in the fine and performing arts, new AP classes, and dual enrollment options for students with several colleges. Teaching and learning took a leap forward, better preparing CCHS students for post-secondary education and life. COVID-19 presented challenges to the health of the school and its students. Doreen led the administrative team, its school nurses, establishing protocols and systems that prevented widespread infections, permitting CCHS to get back to the business of safely educating students. After several months in a hybrid schedule, CCHS made a full return to a normal daily school schedule well ahead of all high schools in the region.

A faith-filled member of the Marists of Champagnat and throughout her 24-year professional career at Central Catholic, Doreen lived each day by St. Marcellin Champagnat’s charge to his beloved Marists, “To teach children you must love them first.”

All that Doreen Keller has accomplished speaks of this love. Doreen retired as CCHS Principal in 2024. She makes her home now in Maine with her husband, Mike, and enjoys a newfound luxury of time with her daughters, Rachel and Kristen ’06 and grandchildren, Christopher, Harry, Emma and Lucy.

This award is bestowed on faculty and staff members whose unabiding love and care for young people continues the mission and work of Saint Champagnat. Their example serves as an inspiration to their colleagues and the entire Central Catholic community.

• 2012 Honoree: Bro. Ernest Beland, FMS
• 2012 Honoree: William J. Cowie '59
• 2015 Honoree: Christopher F. Sullivan '81
• 2018 Honoree: Jeanne R. Burns, CCHS Academic Dean
• 2018 Honoree: David M. DeFillippo '66
• 2018 Honoree: Bro. Florentius, FMS, Founder of Central Catholic HS
• 2018 Honoree: Warren W. Hayes '54
• 2022 Honoree: Karen E. Moynihan '69^SM
• 2022 Honoree: Bro. Augustine Pinard, FMA
• 2022 Honoree: Denise M. Horan