Blessing BT’s Field of Dreams
If you build it, they will come.
That was the thinking more than 30 years ago, when a team of Catholic school supporters in Grimsby began dreaming of a new Catholic high school for their community.
When Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School opened in 1994 – a series of portables – it was little more than a field of dreams.
On Oct. 9, things came full circle, as students and current and past staff of BT celebrated the official blessing and opening of the school’s new turf field – the field of their dreams.
The new turf field and track surface, which cost approximately $3.8 million and took an estimated 18 months to complete, is a spectacular new facility that will be used by football and flag football players, soccer, field lacrosse, rugby players, and track and field athletes, for years to come.
The blessing celebration began on the field with a prayer service led by the school’s Chaplaincy Leader Stephanie Jarrett, and Father Rico Passero, pastor of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, next door to BT, with songs by the Blessed Trinity Choir.
When the prayer service concluded, Fr. Rico was joined by Jarrett in blessing the new field, before the celebration moved to the gym where they joined rest of the school’s students and staff.
The celebration felt like a pep rally, with the BT cheerleaders and drumline amping up the energy for the day, introduced by vice-principals Randy Pruyn and Heidi-Ann Poltl.
Principal Jim Whittard welcomed guests and reminded students of their good fortune as benefactors of those who made their field of dreams possible.
“Thunder, we are providing a humble yet enthusiastic message of our mind, body and spirit in celebrating today,” he said. “I say humble, because we come from humble beginnings. This amazing school started literally as a field of dreams. We started as a vision and dream of a small group of energetic educators and families with nothing more than a field, then a portapac, then a gymnasium, school, expansion, and now our athletic field and track. Please try to imagine what we enjoy every day from the eyes of our founders. So we need to remember where we have come from as we enjoy an extension of every season, as we receive the generous funding to build, and as we are able to celebrate our gifts from God in a facility that others can only dream of, we are humble and thankful (to) our builders.”
Whittard also thanked St. Catharines Trustee Larry Huibers, whose family had the dream for a school in west Niagara more than 30 years ago. He also recognized Director of Education Camillo Cipriano and Controller of Facilities Services Clark Euale for funding and supporting the dream, and former principals (and retired Superintendents of Education) Yolanda Baldasaro and Ted Farrell, current Chair of the Board Danny Di Lorenzo, and Joe Zaroda, currently a Superintendent of Education at Niagara Catholic Board “for enthusiastically keeping the dream alive” during their tenure as administrators.
Also recognized were the principal and vice-principal when Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School opened its doors in 1994, Mike Lostracco (now living in Calgary), and Ange Restivo, who attended the celebration.
“Mr. Restivo, please pass our thanks on this most important day to Mr. Lostracco … who, with his staff and you as a vice-principal, struggled in the early days to make today possible. Mr. Restivo, we would not be here today without your efforts and perseverance to put the vision into action.
“Thank you, and welcome to what was a field of dreams and is now a stadium.”
Di Lorenzo noted how familiar it felt to stand in front of the podium in the gym speaking to students, before crediting Lostracco and Restivo for being “visionaries” in creating a “vibrant and flourishing learning environment” at Blessed Trinity.
“May this space be a place of camaraderie, sports, and memories that will last a lifetime,” he said.
Cipriano remarked on the life that students and staff bring to a school. Remembering his own years in coaching, he thanked the many teachers and coaches for enriching students’ lives.
“Being there the way that you are, doing the things for your students that you do, brings so much more to their education,” he said.
The celebration concluded with an introduction of the Fall teams and a brunch for dignitaries prepared by chefs Ray Poitras and Luana Fazzari and their hospitality classes for dignitaries, and a junior football game versus Notre Dame, watched by intermediate students from the Blessed Trinity family of schools.
Reflecting, Whittard said the official blessing and opening of the new turf field at Blessed Trinity came together much like the school itself, through teamwork.
“The entire school came together to make today possible,” he said.
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