It was another year of change at Bishop Montgomery as renovations to the weight room were completed and new scholarships and events were added.
In July, the renovations on the interior of the “Doc” Stetson Memorial Weight Room were completed and ready for the students and teams. Renovations began over Easter break when new LED lighting was installed and the interior of the facility received a custom paint job.
In May, installation of new E-Core flooring began. The installation included top-of-the-market weight room flooring and BMHS-branded platform inserts. The final piece to the renovation was the arrival and installation of new equipment from PowerLift. The state-of-the-art equipment includes new combination racks, bars, plates, benches, branded-dumbbells, kettlebells, med-balls, and plyometric boxes. “We are excited for our student-athletes, and all students, to have a wonderful facility in which to train and improve their physical fitness and health,” says Andy Marafino, BMHS Director of Advancement. “In terms of lighting, flooring, and equipment, our weight room is on par with professional teams and the top colleges in the nation. PowerLift is a leader in the industry and we are thrilled with how it all turned out.”
Marafino added: “We would like to thank all those who contributed to the completion of this project, especially those who made a financial commitment. So many people were involved in making our renovated weight room a possibility and we are thankful for everyone involved.”
For more photos and information about the renovated weight room, visit www.bmhs-la.org/weightroom/
On March 11, Bishop held a special drive-through event for the 8th graders who were accepted to BMHS. The newest members of the BMHS community were welcomed to campus by TBK and the Spirit Squads, had an opportunity to stop in front of the chapel for a photo, and received a BMHS swag bag complete with a hat, pennant, rally towel and much more. Welcome Class of 2026!
On March 5, BMHS hosted the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ San Pedro Regional National Catholic Academic Junior High Decathlon. It was the first time BMHS had hosted the event. The academic decathlon is a one-day competition for Catholic School students in grades 6-8. Students are tested on their knowledge of such topics as Roman Catholic doctrine, English, Literature, Science, Mathematics, Current Events, Social Studies, and Fine Arts (Art and Music). Congratulations to the winners of the San Pedro Region competition: St. Catherine Laboure’s Red Team.
Drama Lab moderators Megan Ashby-Moreau ’01, Sierra Evans ’10, and Melissa Rhoades-Rudder ’01 established The Jacen Castillo ’18 Memorial Scholarship. Jacen, who graduated in 2018, was an active member of Drama Lab, a phenomenal actor, a creative soul, and a compassionate young man. He passed away in 2021 of cancer. The scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior who has been dedicated to Drama Lab and plans to study Theater Arts in college or engage in community theater endeavors after graduation. If you would like to make a gift to this scholarship, visit www.bmhs-la.org/scholarships/.
In May, the Office of Diversity, Equity & Justice introduced the Road to Jericho Speaker Series to campus. The Office of DEJ hosted two sessions led by Loyola Marymount professor Dr. Nate Sessoms. The Road to Jericho Speaker Series is centered on the story of the Good Samaritan and the Open Wide Our Hearts document, calling students to model Christ’s love. The Samaritan in Jesus’s parable did not look away from others, but instead saw the robbed, beaten man on the road to Jericho and interrupted his own journey to actively address the man’s suffering and care for him. To embrace Jesus’s message through this series, BMHS invites speakers to our community to help us truly see one another, acknowledge each others’ struggles, and—like the Good Samaritan—be upstanders. The speaker series welcomes individuals who can teach us about inequalities rooted in historical oppression and marginalization so that we can become agents of change.
This year saw some fun and games return to campus when life returned to “normal.” In the fall, the students had a kickball tournament amongst the classes. The tournament concluded with an ASB vs. Faculty game, which was won by the faculty 7-0. When the softball team found out that their opponent for their Senior Day game was not able to field a team just hours before they were scheduled to play, they pivoted. Following the seniors and parents being introduced, the players, along with some classmates, played the parents in a spirited game of pumpkin ball. In the spring, the seniors took on the faculty in a softball game during lunch one day. It was an amazing day as many students brought their lunch up to the softball field to see the seniors and teachers play to a 3-3 tie. Besides the fun and competition, the best thing that came out of these events was that no teachers or parents pulled any muscles…that we know of!
Veritas 