On Sunday, April 7, 2024, the Northeast Catholic Alumni Association will hold our 93rd Annual Communion Breakfast. This event includes a mass and breakfast. The breakfast will feature guest speakers and our Hall of Fame inductions for 2024. Both the mass and the breakfast will be held at Cannstatter's (9130 Academy Rd, Philadelphia), with the mass beginning at 8:30am and the breakfast and awards ceremony taking place immediately following the mass.
You can purchase tickets for the Communion Breakfast from any member of the Alumni Board of Governors, at the Alumni Office (2700 Rhawn St) or online on this website. Tickets purchased online will be mailed out to you.
Featured Guests
This year, the Toastmaster for the breakfast will be Fox 29's own Karen Hepp. Karen is originally from Philadelphia. After working for several news stations in New York and Connecticut, she came home to Philly in 2010, where she is the co-anchor of the 4 - 6 a.m. hours of "Good Day Philadelphia." She is also the co-host of the final hour of the show from 9 - 10 a.m.
Our guest speaker, and recipient of our "Outstanding Achievement Award", will be Philly's own "man of a thousand voices", Joe Conklin. Joe is a 1980 graduate of Cardinal Dougherty and has entertained people in the Philadelphia area for over 30 years. Joe's legendary routine includes impressions of Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Charles Barkley and many more political and sports personalities. He is a twelve-time AIR award winner for Excellence in Broadcasting and has been recognized by the Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
Hall of Fame Inductees
For 2024, we will be inducting five new well-deserving members to the Northeast Catholic Alumni Hall of Fame.
Terry Brennan '64 - Arts and Entertainment
Terry spent over 45 years in Journalism. He worked for Montgomery Publishing, the Bulletin from 1975 to 1982 doing high school, college sports and eventually covering the Flyers. The Pottstown Mercury won a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing while Terry was the Editor for the Newspaper. After retirement he starting writing fiction and has several books published.
John McCarthy '10 - Athletics
John graduated in 2010. He continued his career at La Salle University. While at La Salle he played for Ocean City Nor’easters and Reading United. He is La Salle’s leader among goalkeepers in saves with 468, shutouts 28 and games played 75. He eventually played for the Philadelphia Union, Tampa Bay rowdies, Inter Miami, LAFC and now with the LA Galaxy. While with LAFC, he entered the MLS Cup final against the Union, for an injured goalie, played outstanding and made two saves during the penalty shootout to win the Title for LAFC. He was named MVP as a result of his performance.
Frank Gumienny ’90 - Business Labor Military
Frank has spent more than two decades with the Philadelphia Eagles including time as the stats keeper for Merrill Reese. Frank has held various accounting positions including accountant, controller, Director of Finance, and SVP Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Eagles. Frank is also involved in contracting special events for Lincoln Financial Field and involved in attracting world class events such as the 2026 World Cup Event.
Most Reverend Francis Malone - Religion
Francis Malone was born in Port Richmond in 1950. He entered the seminary in 1968. He served as the Judicial Vicar, Vicar General and Chancellor of Ecclestical Affairs for the Diocese of Little Rock. He was ordained bishop of Shreveport Louisiana in 2019 to continue his work for the Lord.
Thomas Thomson ‘62 - Service
Born in Fishtown, and a 1962 graduate of Northeast Catholic, Tommy was served as a Philadelphia Officer for 21 years (1965 - 1986). He was a longtime leader of the city’s PAL centers. Known by countless people in Fishtown, Kensington and NE Philly, he assisted many kids with sports programs which were models of success in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. He took teams across the USA to compete. He created innovative programs for girls and helped players of all abilities achieve their best.
Miles, G. (2023, September 22). Tommy Thomson, retired police officer, celebrated Police Athletic League leader. The Philadelphia Inquirer, B5."He eschewed department promotions to remain with PAL, became a popular TV spokesman for the centers, and was recognized for his contributions by Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon. In 1969, he was honored by the city’s Chapel of Four Chaplains for “outstanding service to all people regardless of race or faith.”
Tommy was an athlete in his own right, and got a tryout with the Phillies in 1963. He received an official commendation in 1967 from Police Commissioner, Frank Rizzo, for saving three people from a burning building. Sadly, Tommy passed away September 16, 2023.