St Mark's Catholic Grade School

SPRING 2017 St. Mark's School: Where Christ is loved, Excellence is expected, Character counts, and Traditions thrive. Once Always A MARKSMAN, A MARKSMAN ST. MARK'S CATHOLIC GRADE SCHOOL The Osmulski Family: Three Generations at St. Mark's, Where Traditions Thrive T he name Osmulski is familiar to many St. Mark's alumni and for good reason as they have been involved in the school and parish for 50 years. Jerry and Sally Osmulski moved to Peoria from the Chicago area in 1967 and joined St. Mark's, where they are still members. Their children, Brian '80, Kim '81, Scott '82, and Eric '86, attended St. Mark's, and all 12 of their grandchildren were Marksmen at one time or another. Besides this, Sally was a substitute and pre-school teacher at St. Mark's for many years. Eric and wife Jamie's twin sons, Alex and Brady, are in seventh grade at St. Mark's. Their daughter, Kaitlyn, is a junior at Peoria Notre Dame (PND). Like their parents, Kaitlyn and the twins are outstanding students and athletes. Kaitlyn received one of four Father Fitzgerald Scholarships to PND for four years that are awarded each year. Alex and Brady regularly make the Principal's Honor Roll. All of the kids excel at sports—basketball, soccer, baseball, volleyball, and football. Both Eric and Jamie have coached their children at St. Mark's in soccer and basketball. Most recently, Eric coached the seventh-grade basketball team, which added to the tradition of Marksmen excellence in the sport. Besides winning the large-school Catholic tournament, the seventh graders took home regional and sectional titles and went to State, finishing the season with a record of 18-1. "It was fun coaching the team," said Eric. "I have a good relationship with my boys and we are able to separate things when we need to." The Osmulski Family: Alex, Eric, Jamie, Kaitlyn, and Brady. St. Mark'S: Where ChriSt iS Loved S pringtime at St. Mark's school is full of faith enrichment: weekly Mass, adoration, confessions, rosary then throat blessings, room blessings, Eucharistic Procession, confirmation retreat, confirmation, and May Crowning. The confirmation retreat is coming up soon, and I was at Peoria Notre Dame recently rounding up seven St. Mark's graduates to assist with the retreat. Fr. Gifford and I walked in through the library. About 20 high school students were seated at the tables and another dozen behind the glass of the campus ministry office. When we got to the main hallway, the bell rang and hundreds of high schoolers poured out of every door and flooded the hall. Of all the faces, certain ones stood out. I kept hearing the portion of the scripture verse (John 10:14) with Jesus saying, "I know my sheep." The same thing happens when I'm at a store, ballgame, or walking across the Bradley campus. And it's not just our recent alumni, but people of all ages. Marksmen stand out in a crowd. Maybe it's because I'm a proud father, but I believe no matter where I might be in the world, if there is a Marksman around they would stand out. We have something great going on here. Yes, there are the athletic victories, the outstanding academic scores, and the fine staff. But what makes us great is something other than what we can measure with human scores. Yours in Christ, Msgr. Brian Brownsey The St. Mark's cheerleaders and 7th grade basketball team, coached by Eric Osmulski and Bret Taylor, after their regional championship. (Continued on page 3)

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