MOSAIC, Summer 2009

 

Alumni award winners Fr. Victor Clore, left, Fr. Clifford Ruskowski, Mr. Thomas Ryan and Fr. William Murphy.

For many years now, attendance at the Alumni Day Celebration has been on the rise. The thirty-second annual event, held on Sunday, February 22, topped last year's number with 366 people in attendance. It was a big night in Los Angeles with the Academy Awards, and it was a big night in Detroit at the seminary. Alumni, family, friends, parishioners and work associates gratefully recognized the outstanding contribution made by four individuals who have distinguished themselves in their ministries and professions.

 

The 2009 honorees were:

 

Fr. Victor Clore: Outstanding Clergy Alumnus

Father Clore's (SHS HS 1958, SHS 1962) many previous ministries have led to three pastoral passions: serving the urban community, promoting lay leadership and spiritual direction. His current assignments are at Christ the King Parish in Detroit, the Dominican Center for Spiritual Development in Adrian, and teaching at local Catholic institutions, including as part-time faculty member at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

 

Mr. Thomas Ryan: Outstanding Lay Alumnus

Mr. Ryan (SHS HS, 1961) is a life-long resident of Royal Oak and a life-long member of National Shrine of the Little Flower Parish. He recently retired as a vice president at Young & Rubicam advertising agency after a career of thirty-eight years. He continues to be active at the Shrine on a number of committees and has been a key leader of the Detroit Oakland Serra Club for over ten years, serving in almost all the committee assignments, and also as club president.

 

Fr. William Murphy: Outstanding Senior Clergy

Father Murphy (SHS 1953) has served as principal of two prominent Catholic schools, including founding principal of Gabriel Richard High School in Riverview. He was head of the Archdiocesan Department of Education and pastor of two large parishes. Father serves on the Board of Directors of Madonna University, Livonia, and is a senior clergy representative on the Archdiocesan Senate/Presbyteral Council. He is adjunct spiritual director at Sacred Heart and assists at St. Thomas a'Becket Parish in Canton.

 

Fr. Clifford Ruskowski: Outstanding Former Faculty

Fr. Ruskowski (SHS HS 1954) was professor of homiletics at Sacred Heart, 1989-92 and 1997-98. After pastoring St. Owen Parish in Bloomfield Hills since 1999, he was awarded senior priest status in 2007. Father has used his creativity in film, radio, theater, cable television and writing. He hosted a popular series on Catholic Television of Detroit, "Funny Fathers," and hosted a fifty-minute radio show, "Merry-Go- Round." He co-chaired the Detroit visit of Pope John Paul II in 1987 and wrote a column for The Michigan Catholic.