Annual Distinguished Graduate Mass

distinguished graduate mass

A Morning of Faith, Legacy, and Community: SJHA Elementary School’s Distinguished Graduate Mass 2025

St. Joseph Hill Academy Elementary School celebrated the end of Catholic Schools Week with the 25th anniversary celebration of our Distinguished Graduate Mass honoring Rev. Dr. Terry Troia (ES '72, HS '76), whose leadership of Project Hospitality and dedication to interfaith service embodies the school's motto of "summum bonum" - the highest good. Dr. Troia is a proud legacy graduate, following in the footsteps of her mother and aunt.  

This anniversary celebration was particularly meaningful as it brought together generations of Hill excellence. Past Distinguished Graduate honorees in attendance included Ms. Kate Rooney ('64), Mrs. Mary Beth McCarthy ('55), Mr. Lou Tobacco ('09), Dr. Loreta Anderson ('71), and Dr. Philip Otterbeck ('94). The event welcomed special guests including Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, Regional Superintendent of Catholic Schools Ms. Jann Amato, Ms. Pauline Giorlando (’47), Mary Beth Gustafsson, and Mr. Vincent Nabavi.

Father John Edison led a moving Mass that highlighted this year's CSW theme "United in Faith and Community." The service featured the school's next generation of leaders, with 4th-grade students conducting the readings and the 5th-grade choir providing musical accompaniment, including a beautiful piano solo by Elaine Zhang.

In her inspiring address, Rev. Dr. Troia emphasized the profound message that "God is Love," leading the entire school in affirming that "we who live in love live in God and God lives in us." Her words reinforced the school's foundational belief in making God’s love visible to the world. A heartwarming moment occurred when Rev. Dr. Troia reunited with Sister Josita, who had taught her in both SJHA’s first grade and as a freshman in high school.

The morning concluded in the SJHA Technology Lab, where the spirit of service continued as a Pre-K student / relative of Dr. Troia shared handmade kindness pins with guests that our Pre-K students made with 7th Graders during Catholic Schools Week. This demonstrated how Hill's values of faith, excellence, and community service are passed down through generations.

The 25th anniversary of the Distinguished Graduate Mass truly exemplified how St. Joseph Hill Academy, guided by the Daughters of the Divine Charity, continues to blend cherished traditions with innovative education, forming young leaders who will serve their community with compassion and purpose.

More on Rev. Dr. Terry Troia

A native Staten Islander, Rev Terry Troia was ordained by the Brighton Heights Reformed church as a Minister of Word and Sacrament and specialized minister with the homeless and hungry in 1989. She graduated with a BA in Theology and Psychology from Loyola University, Baltimore in 1979 and did her graduate work in theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore receiving her MA in Theology in 1981.  She did her doctoral work in Christian Ethics at Union Theological Seminary (ABD).  Terry was a 1976 graduate of St Joseph Hill Academy, kindergarten to 12th grade.

 

Rev. Troia did mission work in Central America in 1984, after attending the Latin American Biblical Seminary.  She became a volunteer at Project Hospitality in October of 1984 after her return from Central America.  She is still at Project Hospitality 40 years later, today as the President and CEO.  

 

Terry works on a number of local projects around issues of immigrants’ rights, racial equity and political inclusion and empowerment of economically and racially marginalized communities. She is the coordinator of Communities United for Respect and Trust and the Staten Island Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity.  She is a founding board member of El Centro del Inmigrante (The Staten Island Immigrant Center) and co chair of the Staten Island Immigrants Council, a member of the SI Branch of the NAACP and a proud member of the Harriet Tubman Chapter of the Purple Hats Society (She doesn’t as of yet have a purple hat. She is looking for one). She is a founding board member of  New World Prep Charter School, founding Board member ofHomeless Services United and founding board member and Chairperson of the Supportive Housing Network of New York.  She is a member of the Mayor’s Faith Based and Community Partnership ClergyLeadership and serves on the Mayor’s advisory group on Faith Based housing. Rev. Troia is a volunteer of IgudHarabbonim/Rabinical Alliance of America coordinating the Kosher Food Hub for Staten Island—which is responsible for generating about one million meals annual to about 24 different pantries (16 Jewish and 8 non-Jewish pantries). Terry has served as the minister of the Reformed Church of  Huguenot Park, Staten Island since 2016.  Prior to that Terry served as the Minister of the New Utrecht Reformed Church in Bensonhurst from 1994-2014.

 

Rev. Troia is currently a NYC Human Rights Commissioner, appointed under then Mayor de Blasio, representing Staten Island. 

Terry was the life partner of Dr. Marcus Wiesner (Wagner College ’53) till his death in 2015.  Terry resides in New Brighton, Staten Island with her three cats, one tortoise and one turtle.

Each year during Catholic Schools Week, St. Joseph Hill Academy Elementary School gathers as a community to celebrate one of its most cherished traditions: the Distinguished Graduate Mass. This special liturgy honors an alumnus or alumna who exemplifies the enduring impact of a St. Joseph Hill Academy Elementary School's education and the lasting influence of our Catholic values.

 

The Distinguished Graduate Award recognizes those exceptional individuals who have taken the lessons learned within our halls—faith, academic excellence, service, and leadership—and transformed them into a lifetime of meaningful contribution. These graduates demonstrate how the seeds planted during their formative years at St. Joseph Hill Academy continue to bear fruit in their adult lives through their professional achievements, community involvement, and unwavering commitment to Catholic values.

 

What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is that it celebrates not just past accomplishments, but an ongoing relationship with our school community. Distinguished Graduate honorees have maintained strong connections with St. Joseph Hill, supporting and inspiring new generations of students. They serve as living examples of our school's mission: to develop young people who are spiritually enriched, intellectually capable, and morally strong.

 

The celebration takes place within the context of Catholic Schools Week, a time when we reflect on the distinctive value of Catholic education. During this special Mass, our current students witness firsthand how the values and education they receive today can shape a lifetime of purpose and achievement. The Distinguished Graduate's presence reminds our school community that the impact of a St. Joseph Hill Academy education extends far beyond graduation, creating a legacy of faith, excellence, and service that continues to grow with each passing year.

 

This cherished tradition not only honors individual achievement but also strengthens the bonds that unite past and present members of the St. Joseph Hill Academy family. It stands as a testament to the enduring value of Catholic education and the transformative power of our school's mission in shaping lives of purpose, faith, and service.

St. Joseph Hill Academy Elementary School is excited to celebrate our 25th Annual Distinguished Graduate Mass in 2025. In previous years, we have recognized the following incredible individuals:

 

distinguished graduate mass

We began our celebration of Catholic Schools Week with the Distinguished Graduate Mass honoring Mr. John Gustafsson, SJHA Elementary School Class of 1976, who attended with his wife Mary Beth Gustafsson. 
 
A proud and loyal 1976 graduate of St. Joseph Hill Academy Elementary School, John Gustafsson was valedictorian of his class at Msgr. Farrell, and received his B.A. in Philosophy (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Columbia University in 1983 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School (cum laude) in 1987. A first-generation American, Mr. Gustafsson grew up in St. George and currently resides with his wife in West Brighton. Mr. Gustafsson is a retired lawyer who has extensive experience leading organizations whose mission is preserving and sharing the architecture and history of the City of New York. He is also a lifetime parishioner of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church where he chaired the Parish Council for 14 years. 
 
We were grateful to welcome him back to St. Joseph Hill Academy and feel fortunate for his ongoing support and connection to our school. Following Mass, Mr. Gustafsson noted that whenever he is here he feels the same sense of welcoming, warmth, and safety that he did when he was a student. Everyone at Mass could feel that as well.   
 
Also a very special thank you to Father Patrick Buckley for celebrating Mass with us and always inspiring our students. 
 
Catholic Schools Week kicks off on January 28, 2024 and celebrates Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community. 
 

headshot of JohnA proud and loyal 1976 graduate of St. Joseph Hill Academy Elementary School, John Gustafsson was valedictorian of his class at Msgr. Farrell, and received his B.A. in Philosophy (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Columbia University in 1983 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School (cum laude) in 1987.  A first-generation American, Mr. Gustafsson grew up in St. George and currently resides with his wife in West Brighton.

Mr. Gustafsson is a retired lawyer who has extensive experience leading organizations whose mission is preserving and sharing the architecture and history of the City of New York.  From 2014-2023, he served as a Commissioner on the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.  Mr. Gustafsson is the former Chairman of the Board of the Historic House Trust of New York City, where he served on the Audit & Finance Committee and chaired the Governance & Nominating Committee.  He is the former President and Chairman of the Board of the Staten Island Historical Society, a position he held from 2004-2011. 

For the past 11 years, he has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, the largest non-profit provider of the full range of services to children and adults living with emotional, intellectual and developmental challenges.  He currently chairs Devereux’s Governance & Nominating Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Gustafsson is a lifetime parishioner of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church where he chaired the Parish Council for 14 years.  He has chaired the Finance Council of the merged parish of Saints Peter and Paul and Assumption for the past 5 years.  He is the Secretary of the Holy Name Society, a Lector and Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist.  In addition to his formal affiliations and responsibilities with these organizations, he has 20 years of experience in non-profit leadership and governance, advising and consulting in a variety of capacities for numerous other non-profits.

Before retiring in 2006, Mr. Gustafsson was a partner in the Business Trial Practice Group of the California-based law firm of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, where he was the Administrative Partner of the Firm’s New York office.  Prior to that, Mr. Gustafsson spent 7 years as in-house counsel at Honeywell International.  At the time he left Honeywell, he was General Counsel of the $4 billion Automation and Control Products business.  Prior to his tenure at Honeywell, Gustafsson spent 10 years in private practice at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett where he focused on multi-jurisdictional complex litigation.

Mr. Gustafsson is a retired member of the New York State bar, the United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York, the District of Arizona, and the United States Supreme Court.