It’s been a little more than four years since the Diocese of Camden announced that it was closing what was then known as St. Joseph High School.
A longtime piece of the fabric of the Hammonton community was about to be torn away, but people dedicated to keeping the small school alive bonded together and through their dedication and determination, St. Joseph Academy was born in the summer of 2020.
I was thinking about that last Saturday night as I wove my around a full ballroom at Tavistock Country Club where several hundred members of the St. Joseph community were celebrating this year’s “The Rising,” the annual gala/fundraiser that the school holds each spring.
St. Joseph president and head of school Stephen Cappuccio spoke several times during the event, describing what brought him to the school and why it means so much to him to lead it into what is looking like a bright future.
The focus of the Rising is always on St. Joseph’s three core values—Faith, Family and Future.
St. Joseph has kept it’s traditional Catholic values in place, and many students attend the school to receive that type of education.
“Faith” extends beyond just religion at St. Joe. Were it not for the faith of those who invested not only time and money into the school, but their hearts and determination, St. Joseph Academy would likely not exist.
“Family” was something on display last Saturday night as the room was filled with people, many of whom were literally related and others who have become as close as family thorough their relationship with the school.
But while Cappuccio spoke about the importance of faith and family, he had particular focus on the third value, “Future.”
A pair of St. Joseph freshmen, Liam Hurley and Riley Hunter each addressed those in attendance, speaking of what brought them to the school and the impact it has had on their lives.
“That’s why we’re all here, to build the future and provide for these students. Providing opportunities to make them better people,” Cappuccio said prior to talking to the large crowd.
This year’s honorees, recipients of the Heart of a Wildcat Award, the Bagliani family, are examples of those three values, Faith, Family and Future.
Faith in each other helped build their business in Hammonton, and the bond of family has kept it going for decades. That combination has also created a future that will continue their legacy.
The Rising showed that, like the Bagliani Family, St. Joseph Academy is using its faith and its family to build what will be a bright future for everyone involved at the school and the community as well.
Dan Russoman is the News/Sports Director of The Hammonton Gazette