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Health & Fitness

St. Alphonsus Students to Sing National Anthem at PNC Park

St. Alphonsus students will sing the national anthem at the May 11 Pirates game. Over 300 tickets have been ordered by school families to listen and watch "our very own" Neil Walker play.

has been invited to sing the national anthem at the May 11 Pittsburgh Pirates game as part of Catholic Schools Night. Dr. Paserba, the diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, selected the school for this year’s honor. 

The Pirates are holding the 16th annual Catholic Schools Night and a portion of ticket sales benefits the Bishop’s Education Fund, which is used to provide tuition assistance to students. It’s also free T-shirt Friday for all fans.

Under the direction of school music teacher Mrs. Dana Gallis, the students have been practicing for several weeks. School families have ordered over 300 tickets for the game.    

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School Principal Sister Mariella Bradley, RSM, will be in attendance and is also assisting Mrs. Gallis. In addition, St. Alphonsus Pastor Peter Murphy—an avid baseball and Neil Walker fan—will attend.

St. Alphonsus has a special relationship with the Pirates’ Neil Walker.  The recent inductee into the WPIAL Hall of Fame attended St. Alphonsus School.  The school hosted a special assembly in his honor in December 2010 and Walker brought the Pirate Parrot mascot. 

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Walker has generously donated autographed Pirate memorabilia to the school and church for various fundraisers. His parents, Tom and Carolyn,  are parishioners at St. Alphonsus Church.

Catholic Schools Night began in 1997 to showcase and recognize all Catholic schools and students in the diocese. Diocesan officials will be in attendance to accept a check from the Pirates for the Bishop’s Education Fund. Since PNC Park opened in 2001, the Pirates donated $72,526 to the fund.

St. Alphonsus School, located on Church Road in Wexford, offers the parish and surrounding communities a dynamic pre-kindergarten through eighth grade educational program that is deeply rooted in Catholic tradition and philosophy. The Diocesan school, under the leadership of Principal Sr. Mariella Bradley, RSM, actively teaches students to be contemporary Christians and tomorrow's leaders.

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