EACH YEAR, MATER DEI High School awards a spirit trophy to the class with the most school spirit.
UNIFORMS, YEARBOOKS AND OTHER MEMORABILIA WERE DISPLAYED AT THE MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1974’S 50TH REUNION HELD ON JULY 20.
The Monarchs’ class of 1974 captured that trophy as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.
The class of ‘74 held its 50th reunion on July 20 at the LeVecke Center on the Mater Dei campus and even five decades later, the class was as spirited as they were a half-century ago.
The enthusiasm began kicking in during the actual planning of the festivities, which got underway about two years ago when a nine-member planning committee met once a month to go over details and then met weekly as the date of the reunion drew closer.
“For some classmates, this was their first reunion and the look on their faces when they walked into the hall was magical,” said committee member Linda Ruiz. “We all felt this was the best reunion ever.”
One of the most notable of the 100 or so graduates who attended was Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento and former Auxiliary Bishop of the of Diocese of Orange from 2000 to 2007.
BISHOP JAIME SOTO OF THE DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTO BLESSES HIS FORMER CLASSMATES AT THE START OF THE CLASS OF 1974’S 50TH REUNION HELD JULY 20 AT MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL. AT LEFT IS CLASS MEMBER LINDA RUIZ, WHO SERVED ON THE REUNION’S ORGANIZING COMMITTEE.
Bishop Soto, who delivered a blessing to kick off the festivities, had been considering entering religious life even before attending Mater Dei, but said his desire to become a priest was strengthened during his years at the school.
“I got a lot of support here for doing that,” said Bishop Soto, who also served as associate director of Catholic Charities of Orange and Episcopal Vicar for the Hispanic Community in the Diocese of Orange. “I remember our retreats together. Those were opportunities where not only did I have a chance to bond with some of my classmates, but I also drew closer to Christ.”
Another accomplished graduate from the class of ‘74 in attendance was Maurice Sanchez, Associate Justice of California’s 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 3, the first Latino and first person of color to serve on that bench.
“This is a great place to go to school,” said Sanchez, an active parishioner at Santiago de Compostela Church in Lake Forest. “It really opened my horizons because I got to know people from all over the county. It’s just wonderful.”
Debbie Hopke, valedictorian from the class of ‘74, was among the attendees, and addressed her former classmates, even reciting a line from the valedictorian speech she delivered at her graduation. “My opening lines were, ‘It has been said there is no time like the present because the present can only last a moment before it becomes the past,’” Hopke said. “‘And those moments we have not yet experienced are the future.’”
Hopke recalled being the only girl in Mater Dei’s relatively new math and computer club and going into programming after college, working on the first ever ATM machines.
Hopke said she received a superior education and developed her work ethic at Mater Dei.
“I learned how to really focus and do my work,” she said. “And just the solidarity of the school and the spirit. This class of ‘74 was a wonderful class.”
Of all the committee members, Ruiz singled out the efforts of fellow 1974 graduate Joanne Hutter Fierro who was involved in planning the 20-, 30-, 40-, 45- and 50-year reunions.”
“Without her leadership I don’t know if we could have pulled them off and have them be so successful,” Ruiz said.
Committee members were Fierro, Ruiz, Marian Ryan, Sylvia Mora Munion, Rose Alvarado Monsanto, Maryalice Bourdelais, Patti Gay-Buoy, Marla Frazer Hendershot, Denise Dee Knack, Sue Hines Farano, Leslie Tennyson and Tom Hammer.