Mount Saint Michael Academy

Mount Saint Michael Academy
Address
4300 Murdock Avenue (Wakefield), Bronx , New York 10466 United States
Coordinates	40°53′55″N 73°50′32″W
Information
Type	Private
Motto	Ad Astra Per Aspera (To the Stars Through Difficulties)
Religious affiliation(s)	Catholic (Marist Brothers)
Established	1926 (99 years ago) (1926)[2]
President	Peter P. Corritori, Jr.[1]
Principal	Br. Steve Schlitte, FMS
Grades	6–12
Gender	Boys
Enrollment	700+[2] (2020)
Color(s)	Blue and gold
Athletics conference	Catholic High School Athletic Association
Nickname	Mountaineers
Accreditation	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[3]
Newspaper	The Tower
Tuition	$6,150 (Grades 6–8)[a] $9,300 (Grades 9–12)[b]
Website	mtstmichael.org

Mount Saint Michael Academy is an all-boys' Catholic high school in the Wakefield neighborhood of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The school's campus also borders the city of Mount Vernon in neighboring Westchester County and is administered by the Archdiocese of New York.

The school opened on September 13, 1926, originally staffed by fourteen Marist Brothers, and dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel.

The U.S. Department of Education named it a National Blue Ribbon School in 1992.^[4]

Sexual abuse cases

In 1988, a Roman Catholic priest and a Marist brother were indicted on charges they sexually abused boys at the school. Reverend Bernárd Lynch, an Irish national who served as the chaplain, and Brother Timothy Brady, the acting principal, were accused of molesting three boys. Lynch was acquitted while Brady was sentenced to prison.^[5][6][7]

In 2011, Marist Brother Lawrence Gordon, the assistant principal, was criminally charged for possessing child pornography. Gordon accidentally left a USB drive plugged into a library computer on Valentine's Day, which held sexually explicit images of underage boys. Gordon pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year at St. Luke Institute, an institution known for treating priests accused of child sexual abuse.^[8][9][10]

In 2019, Father Bernárd Lynch was accused again of sexually abusing a different teen student at the school 40 years ago, according to the lawsuit. The 57-year-old plaintiff, then a 16-year-old at the school, alleged the sexual abuse occurred in 1978 and 1979. The lawsuit was dropped in 2021.^[11][12]

In 2020, Brother Lee was accused of sexually abusing a teen student from approximately 1984 to 1985.^[13]

Notable alumni

Central tower

Commerce and economics

• Rocco B. Commisso – founder, chairman and CEO of Mediacom
• George Ranalli – architect
• Donald T. Valentine (1950) – venture capitalist, Sequoia Capital; "Grandfather of Silicon Valley venture capital"
• Angelo R. Mozilo - Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Countrywide Financial Corporation

Fine arts and entertainment

• Lillo Brancato – actor, known for A Bronx Tale, Renaissance Man
• Sean Combs – rapper; music producer^[14]
• Paul Grassi – reality television personality^[15]
• Walter Murphy – pianist; composer^{[citation needed]}
• Ronnie Ortiz-Magro – reality television star, Jersey Shore
• Leon Robinson – actor; singer, known for Waiting to Exhale, Cool Runnings, Above the Rim^{[citation needed]}
• Andre Royo – actor, known for the television series The Wire

Professional athletics

• Art Donovan – professional football player^[16]
• Richie Guerin (1950) – Naismith Hall of Famer; NBA basketball player; coach
• Bill O'Connor – professional football player^[16]
• Marcus Patterson – professional basketball player
• Bill Polian – ESPN analyst; former Indianapolis Colts general manager and president
• Vince Promuto – professional football player^[16]
• Caraun Reid (2009) – defensive tackle for the Washington Redskins^[16]
• James Rowson - baseball player and coach^[17]

Public service

• Philip Foglia – prosecutor; Italian American civic rights activist^[18]
• Joaquín "Jack" García – federal criminal investigator
• Anthony Principi – former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• Kevin Riley - member of the New York City Council

References

Notes

1. 2022–2023, plus fees of $1,400^[2]
2. 2022–2023, plus fees of $1,400^[2]

Citations

1. "Staff - Mount Saint Michael Academy". mtstmichael.org. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
2. "School Profile". mtstmichael.org. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
3. "Member List: Mount Saint Michael Academy", Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
4. Doherty, Gerald (2001). "The Mount St. Michael Story". Mount Saint Michael Academy. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
5. "Ex-School Employees Charged in Sex Case". New York Times. May 14, 1988. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016.
6. "Priest, Marist Brother Accused of Sex with Boys". Bishop Accountability. May 13, 1988.
7. "Br. Timothy Brady – Archdiocese of New York". Adam Horowitz Law. July 11, 2020.
8. "Ex-asst. principal of Bx. Catholic school gets no-jail deal in kiddie-porn bust". NY Post. November 22, 2011.
9. "Br. Lawrence Gordon – Archdiocese of New York". Adam Horowitz Law. July 25, 2020.
10. "Former Assistant Principal From The Bronx Getting Treatment After Child Porn Admission". CBS News. November 23, 2011.
11. "Celebrated LGBT priest Bernard J. Lynch abused Bronx Catholic school student". NY Post. November 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022.
12. "Gay priest 'relieved' at dropping of abuse case". Extra.ie. October 9, 2021.
13. E.P., Plaintiff(s), v. Marist Brothers of The Schools Inc Marist Brothers United States Province Mount Saint Michael Academy, 70149 /2020E (2020).
14. Dwyer, Jim (February 1, 2001). "He's Old News At His Old School". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
15. "Mount All Years Reunion is a Blast From the Past". Mount St. Michael Academy Newsletter. Vol. 1, no. 3. Mount St. Michael Academy. Retrieved January 5, 2020. Paul Grassi '96, hasn't been back to the Mount since his graduation in June 1996 – 15 years.
16. "Mount Saint Michael Academy Alumni Pro Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.
17. Mercogliano, Vincent Z. (April 26, 2018). "Mount Vernon to MLB: Garvin Alston and James Rowson unite as coaches with Minnesota Twins". The Journal News.
18. "2005 NYC Voter Guide: 13th City Council District Philip F. Foglia". New York City Campaign Finance Board. 2005. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.

External links

• Official website