Invitation to FIFTH SJT Alumni Reunion
July 15th, 2012


        

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 Sister Gloria C. Aguon Celebrates Her
GOLDEN JUBILEE
at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconson!
 By Tony Diaz of The Pacific Voice
A faithful Franciscan Sister and Guam daughter reached a major milestone in her religious vocation recently. And the jubilation had a golden glow to it!
Sister Gloria (Juan Marie) Aguon (familian Bejong/Makaka) celebrated her Golden Jubilee as a devoted religious servant of Christ, marking 50 years of vowed religious life as a member of the Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration.
The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration announced the joy in a news release from La Crosse, Wisconsin recently. A jubilee celebration was held June 12 at St. Rose Convent in Wisconsin. 


Sister Gloria Aguon celebrated her Golden Jubilee with her Franciscan Community along with her sister, Menang and brother, Tony.
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St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, Sinajana
 Honors Sister Gloria Crisostomo Aguon, F.S.P.A. on Her
Golden Jubilee!


Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron applauds Sister Gloria alongside St. Jude Pastor Palé Gus Gumataotao and other clergy as he prepares to present her a replica of the Santa Marian Kamalen statue.
                                      

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2009 SJT Alumni Reunion Mass

Father Gus, pastor of St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church of Sinajana, and an alumnus (Class of '68) of St. Jude School, invited ALL former students who attended SJT from 1955 through 1970 to join him in a special Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, July 19th at 8:30 AM.  The attendance at Mass was a huge success due to the coordinated effort from Mr. Tony Gogue (Class of '70), Parish Council President, Mrs. Dolores Indalecio Camacho (Class of '62), Vice Pres. of SJT Alumni Society and Ms. Terry Mendiola (Class of '62), who secured arrangements for the alumni brunch after Mass.   The alumni were treated to angelic music performed by the island's favorite female vocalist, Ms. Flora Baza Quan (Class of '65) and the parish choir.  A special dedication was made to memorialize deceased faculty and alumni through the lighting of large votives at the altar.  Afterward,  the alumni gathered for a memorable time filled with camaraderie, nostalgia and affirmation of their beloved  school at brunch at the Top of the Mar in Nimitz Hill. 



   Father Gus with SJT Alumni from 1955 through 1970.      
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Sinajana Community of San Diego, Ca. Celebrates Their
25th Anniversary of
St. Jude Fiesta, October 24, 2009











 
  

2008 Reunion of 1962  8TH GRADE ALUMNI
The alumni of 1962 celebrated their first reunion on July 20, 2008 with Mass at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, in Sinajana, Guam.   Special candles were presented to honor and remember departed fellow classmates and faculty.  Mass was celebrated by the current pastor, Fr. Gus Gumataotao, who is also an alumnus of  SJT.   The Alumni gathered again on July 26, 2008 at the Top of the Mar for more camaraderie and fellowship.
The reunion and events were organized by Terry Mendiola, Josephine Espinosa and Mary Santos. 

 

Front row: Marilyn Manibusan, Julie Lujan-Torres, Ricardo Vergara and Maria Castro.  Center row: Edith Calvo-Fejeran, Josephine Espinosa-Santos, Norma Mendiola-Santos, Rosalyn White, Maria L. Cruz-Quifunas, Lourdes Aguigui-Sablan,  Dolores Gogue-Sablan(partially hidden), Mary Santos-Torres, Albert Borja, Patricia Taimanglo Munoz, Angella Alvarez -Forbes and Gloria Perez-Artero.  Top row:  Dolores Indalecio-Camacho, Lillian Laguana-Mariano, Joseph Salas, Jesse Navarro, David Quintanilla, Luis Villagomez,  Enrigue Aflague, Juan Torres, Frank Pangelinan, Frank Martinez, Cecilia Toves (behind Albert) and Julie Lizama-Manibusan.  

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2005 Reunion of 1964 8th GRADE ALUMNI
The '64 Alumni gathered for a grand class reunion picnic at Fadia Point in Mangilao, Guam.



Front row: Albert Mendiola, Evelyn Salas-Leon Guerrero, Judy Pablo-Ulloa, Connie Castro and Manny Duenas. Center row: Benjamin Pablo, Ben Tedtaotao (+ May 2009), Lou Leon Guerrero, Maggie Delgado-Suzuki, Antoinette Pangelinan-Asunción, Florence Perez-Pangelinan, and Herman Crisostomo.  Back row:  Thomas Perez, John San Nicolas, John Pangelinan, Edward Bitanga, Tom Flores, John Cruz (behind Antoinette), Andrew Laguana and Henry Pangelinan.
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 God Bless Father Joe English!
         By Tony Diaz of The Pacific Voice

    
Father Joe English, OFM Cap. was just 10 years old when he first began active, daily service in the Catholic Church.   Forty years later, his focus is still the same: Serve Christ, serve the people of God.
Father Joe English, OFM Cap. was just 10 years old when he first began active, daily service in the Catholic Church.   Forty years later, his focus is still the same: Serve Christ, serve the people of God.
As Pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Agana Heights and the elected Vice Provincial of the Capuchin Franciscan friars on Guam and Hawaii, Father Joe is a busy person. But then, that’s the path his sandals has been walking since he was a boy.

Now 50 years old, Father Joe’s love and service to the Lord began to take root during his boyhood days in Sinajana when, as an altar boy, he would be at St. Jude Church every day helping in a wide variety of ways. (Please click on Fr. Joe's photo above, or on the following link to read more...).
http://agana-archdiocese.org/god-bless-our-priests-fr-joe-english-began-serving-church-at-young-age/ 

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History of the Alumni (How it all started...)

In the early Spring of 2008, two female classmates literally bumped in to each other at the McDonald’s restaurant in Agana.  Polly (Pauline Perez Quichocho), who lived in San Antonio, TX was on the island with her husband, David, to celebrate her father’s eighty-fourth birthday.  Maria Cruz (familian Lay)-Quifunas was also at the restaurant that morning, as she customarily was with her husband Ed.  They had not seen each other since the tenth grade at St. Jude School, however, incredibly,  they quickly recognized each other after more than forty-four years!  They were so overtaken with the thrill and pure joy of this encounter, that they were determined to find other classmates for a grand reunion before Polly returned to the mainland!  Maria assured Polly that she knew just the person, who would know who and how to get in touch with the others still on-island, and that person frequented McDonald’s in the morning.  No sooner did she say this, when that person, Terry Mendiola, walked in and sat at the table next to theirs!  She, too, was thrilled to finally see Polly again, and the three women started talking excitedly about an alumni reunion!

Terry quickly went to work and a mini-reunion occurred on February 21^st at Linda’s Cafe  with Josephine Espinosa-Santos, Mary Santos (Soguie)-Torres, Julia Lujan (Judge)-Torres (who just happened to be having lunch there with her husband, Joe), Maria Cruz-Quifunas, Terry Mendiola and Polly.  Terry, Josephine and Mary brought pictures of past high-school reunions, their 8^th grade graduation group picture,  and the JFK high school year book of ‘66. 

                            

Another meeting was scheduled for the following week-end with the goal of seeing more classmates.  The second meeting occurred, again at Linda’s Café on the evening of March 1^st.  Patricia Taimanglo-Munoz and Cecilia Toves-Camacho joined the first group at that meeting.  

                                                    

Polly expressed that she and Dave planned to return to Guam in July for the scheduled island-wide mega-reunion.  Terry, Josephine, Maria and Mary  promised that they would  collaborate to organize an alumni reunion of the St. Jude School 1962 8th grade graduates.  And on July 20^th and 26^th, through their diligence and fortitude, the 1962 Alumni gathered for two truly blessed and unforgettable events!  And, as the late Paul Harvey (famous radio  news broadcast)  would say,  so, now you know the rest of the story!  (Please refer to reunion photo above  entitled "2008 SJT Reunion of 1962 Eighth Grade Alumni").
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Juan Torres and Terrie Mendiola at the 46TH Reunion Dinner-Dance
at the Top of the Mar, in Nimitiz Hill on July 26, 2008

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