St. John's Auxiliary Celebrates St. Patrick's Day

March 11, 2010

On Monday, March 8, 2010, members of the St. John’s University Auxiliary got an early jump on St. Patrick’s Day with a traditional Irish lunch of corned beef and cabbage in the Ballroom of the D’Angelo Center on the Queens campus.  The Auxiliary is a long-standing organization comprised of friends who have worked for and made gifts to the University.

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Many of the guests wore green to acknowledge their connection to the Patron Saint long associated with the Emerald Isle.  They were welcomed by Kristy Horning ’06CPS, Assistant Director, Constituent Programs, Office of Alumni Relations, who thanked them for their loyalty and support of St. John’s for many years and invited them to remain for a tour of the D’Angelo Center at the conclusion of the luncheon.

Horning then introduced Rev. Joseph V. Daly, C.M. ’73G, ’75GEd, Assistant to the President, who delivered the Invocation.  “The Auxiliary has always been a very active and very supportive group to the University over the years,” noted Fr. Daly.  “The members are all very good people, very generous and hardworking, and they love the University very much.  I really enjoy this opportunity to meet and speak with so many people who have played an active role in St. John’s history.”

Joan Bertrand spent 15 years as a Secretary in the University’s Office of Development and was pleased to be back on campus with many of her friends.  “I’ve been a part of the Auxiliary since I retired in 2001,” she said.  “It’s a wonderful organization and it’s nice to see some of the people that we worked with from all over the University.  I loved St. John’s when I was working here and still love it today.  Both of my children graduated from here, and it’s a happy place for me to come back to.”  

“The Auxiliary is such a wonderful group of people who really want to do things for St. John’s,” agreed Rose Carlone, a retired Personnel Office staff member who specialized in employee benefits.  “We purchased a beautiful window for St. Thomas More Church and we also have a scholarship that we support to help out a worthy student.  We try to do as much as we can for St. John’s, and events like this are great because we get to catch up with people we haven’t seen in awhile.”

Bernhard Vogelmann retired in 2008 as a clerk in the Science Department.  He has wonderful memories of St. John’s and is happy to continue his association by playing an active role in the Auxiliary.  “St. John’s was always a nice place to work,” he remembered.  “I’ve seen it change a lot over the years with so many new buildings that have gone up, and it just keeps getting better and better.”

As with many of the members, this was his first time visiting the D’Angelo Center.  “This building is very elegant and very different,” he said.  “There’s so much space that can be utilized in so many different ways.  St. John’s really showed foresight when they planned this building.  I hope that the students really appreciate what a very nice place this is for them to work and study in style.”