50 years later, St. Monica’s classmates embrace friendship & foundation

They first met in 1967 and, by the time the 70 students graduated from St. Monica’s School in 1975, they had formed an unbreakable bond.
On March 27, 16 of them met at Salvatore’s Restaurant to reminisce and rekindle that friendship.

High school reunions are popular, but this group of former eighth-grade classmates knows they are also important.

“It was the foundation to our faith which has made us the people we are today,” said Linda Nastasia Ratté, one of the 50th anniversary reunion’s organizers.

“I have a lot of great memories of St. Monica’s School and the people, and I wanted to come see them again,” said Jimmy Hermans.

A committee formed by Chris Cyr, Rosemary Regan Mottola, John Hamel, Lisa DeMonaco Murach, Bob Murdoch and Linda Nastasia Ratté organized the reunion.

“It was so great to see everyone and reminisce about our most impressionable years,” Ratté said. “The fun times we had and friendships we made came rushing back. I even found out some things I never knew,” she said, adding they might have another reunion in five years.
St. Monica’s School Principal Donna Henderson and Father Marcos Peña, pastor of Methuen Catholic the Parishes of St. Lucy and St. Monica, also attended. Peña said a prayer for the seven class members who passed away.

“This is more than a reunion, it’s a celebration of who you were, who you’ve become and the lasting impression it has had in your life,” Henderson said. “You are not just alumni; you are a living legacy of our school.”

Some of the reunion organizers gathered with the school’s current leader for a photo. Shown are (from left) Rosemary Regan Mottola, Linda Nastasia Ratté, St. Monica School Principal Donna Henderson, John Hamel and Lisa DeMonaco Murach.
ML photos by Yadira Betances Muldoon