On Thursday, September 3^rd, The Most Reverend Kevin Joseph Farrell, bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, celebrated the first all-school Mass of the year at Bishop Lynch High School. Before concluding the worship, he made a thrilling announcement to the entire community: The Bishop Lynch A Cappella Choir has accepted a special invitation from the Vatican to sing with the Sistine Chapel Choir for the Epiphany Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, on January 6, 2017.

And with that announcement, the gymnasium erupted in applause.

Celebrating the Feast Day of St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church, Bishop Farrell told the community that St. Gregory was the one who promoted Gregorian chant and religious music in the Church. “St. Gregory,” Bishop Farrell said, “is the patron saint of chanting and singing of choirs and musicians. Today, we don’t have St. Gregory, but we do have Mrs. Kathy Leos and she is also, ‘THE GREAT.’”  

Earlier in the day, Bishop Lynch president Chris Rebuck used the school’s newly instituted “Thankful Thursdays” to call attention to Leos’ dedication to Catholic education. “Thank you to our choir director, Kathy Leos! Her passion and service to Bishop Lynch for over 30 years has impacted countless lives touched by her music and her witness.”

Leos, who has been the choral director at Bishop Lynch High School since 1983, received the esteemed invitation from the Vatican in July, and brought the possibility to the school’s Leadership Team.

“Mrs. Leos told me of the invitation with some hesitation, wondering if it was even feasible,” said Bishop Lynch principal Evelyn Grubbs. “My immediate response, after the goosebumps of excitement, was that we have to make this happen! We could never turn down an honor with such significance as this one; the school is committed to doing whatever is necessary to support the choir in their journey. This invitation speaks to the stellar reputation of Mrs. Leos and the brilliant program she has developed,” Grubbs said.  “We are all so excited!” 

The Bishop Lynch A Cappella Choir has been part of the Bishop Lynch “tradition of excellence” since the school’s founding in 1963. The A Cappella Choir is one of seven choral music ensembles at the school. The choir, numbering 75 students, has participated in a variety of musical experiences throughout the United States, including concerts, music festivals, contests and liturgies, where they consistently earn top honors.

Previous international invitations have provided the Bishop Lynch Choir with opportunities to sing in cathedrals, at schools, and in cultural exchanges in Mexico, Ireland, and Québec, along with taking performance-pilgrimages to France in 2015, and twice to Rome - for Holy Week in 2005, and for the 500th anniversary of the Vatican’s Palestrina Choir in 2013. However, nothing compares to this invitation.

“The Vatican’s invitation to the choir to sing Epiphany Mass in January 2017, is an unique honor that will illuminate and strengthen our faith journey as individuals, as a choir, and as part of the Bishop Lynch community,” said Leos.  

Bishop Farrell concluded Mass this morning saying that he considers this recognition of the choir to be one of the greatest honors bestowed upon Bishop Lynch High School, and President Rebuck agrees.

“The Bishop Lynch choir has provided students a wonderful opportunity to study and perform music that inspires and lifts up the soul,” Rebuck said. “The invitation to sing for Pope Francis is a testament not only to Kathy, but also the mission of spiritual growth that Bishop Lynch hopes to inspire through all aspects of the student experience. I am thrilled for our students to be able to undertake such an impactful, spiritual pilgrimage as they lift their voices in prayer and praise in Rome!” 

A new season unearthed a new hero for the Bishop Lynch Friars during their 2015 opener, as junior running back Jermaine Mask stole the show at Roffino Stadium, scoring four touchdowns in the Friars' 54-18 rout of the Carter Cowboys.

Bishop Lynch (1-0) amassed 300 yards on the ground, led by Mask's 192 on just 21 carries. The Friars moved the ball at will against the Cowboys (0-1), piling up 468 total yards while the BL defense limited Carter to just 235 yards while forcing five turnovers (3 interceptions, 2 fumbles).

The Friars used a short field to set up their first score, as junior Malex Fuget pounced on a Carter fumble just one minute into the contest. A few plays later, Mask was in from four yards out.

Sergey Blansit added the first of six PATs on the night for an early 7-0 lead. Mask added another short touchdown run to give the Friars a 13-0 lead after one period.

In the second quarter, Blansit connected on field goals of 30 and 38 yards while Mask scored his third touchdown — this time from 17 yards out, putting BL in front with a 26-6 halftime lead.

Mask scored for a fourth time in the third frame, as did senior Tristan Smith with an 8-yard TD run. Smith finished the night with 68 rushing yards to go with 151 through the air.

In the final frame, Smith found Sam Beasley on a 35-yard touchdown pass before backup QB Raymond Bacerra connected with Michael Brown for a late score.

The Friar defense was led by senior Zach Russell, who finished with 12 tackles (3 tackles for loss) and forced two fumbles.

By Cliff Gibson, Sports Information Director

By Cliff Gibson, Sports Information Director

The Lady Friars (13-5) head to McKinney tonight to take on the Lions in their final tune-up for district play, scheduled to begin Thursday against Argyle Liberty.

On Friday, BL opened with a pair of sweeps in pool play, taking down West Mesquite (25-10, 25-10) and Frisco Centennial (25-17, 25-18) with ease, before running into Plano West for the pool's top spot.

For the second time in a week, Plano West got the best of the Lady Friars, winning the pool with a sweep of BL (25-19, 25-20). The girls fought their way into the champions bracket with a crossover win against the Carroll JV (25-22, 25-21).

On Saturday, the Lady Friars made their way to the tournament semifinals with wins over Flower Mound Marcus (25-15, 25-18) and McKinney (25-19, 26-24), before falling to Carroll in the final four (25-18, 25-21).

BL was scheduled to face Plano West again Saturday evening for third place, but the two teams reached a mutual decision to share the feat, citing overall team fatigue as the determining factor.

BL senior Catherine Balido (Boston College commit) was named to the All-Tournament team after smashing 39 kills during the event. Other statistical leaders for the Lady Friars include:

• Madi Tyus — 30 kills, 29 digs

• Francesca Goncalves — 42 kills, 20 digs and seven aces

• Callie Williams — 74 assists, 28 digs and eight aces

• Melanie Heigele — 58 assists, 22 digs

• Briana Kipp — 22 kills, five blocks

• Morgan Hinds — 47 digs

Bishop Lynch High School is pleased to announce the addition of seven full-time teachers to the Friar family for the 2015-2016 school year! “We are thrilled to have these new faculty members,” shared principal Evelyn Grubbs. “Each one brings their own unique personality and experience.” She added, “All seven are committed to advancing our mission, and they will contribute immensely to the continual growth of our students.”

Please join the rest of the BL community in welcoming these strong and talented professionals who bring their exceptional gifts to Bishop Lynch High School!

Mr. Lee Ferrell joins the science department, teaching Physics and Conceptual Physics. He will also work with the Friar Athletic Department as a member of the football and softball coaching staffs. Coach Ferrell is a graduate of North Garland High School and Texas Tech University where he played quarterback. While at Texas Tech, he received his degree in Secondary Education with a major in science. Having retired from the public school system in 2012, Ferrell comes to Bishop Lynch with over 36 years of teaching and coaching experience. A Rowlett resident, Mr. Ferrell has been married to his wife, Melanie for 28 years and they have a son Hunter, who just graduated from the University of North Texas. Fun Fact: One of Coach Ferrell’s favorite memories from his high school experience was when he was named “Dallas Area Player of the Week.”

Also a retired public school teacher, Paul Gardner joins the Bishop Lynch math department after a 30 year career in teaching and coaching. In addition to his responsibilities teaching Algebra I, he will join the nationally recognized Lady Friar Basketball program as the freshman coach. Coach Gardner grew up in College Station, and attended Austin College in Sherman, TX. No stranger to the Bishop Lynch community, he has been married to his wife Cindy (BL Class of 1978) for almost 30 years. The couple has two daughters, Meredith (son-in-law Justin and granddaughter Melody) and Kimberly who is a junior at Texas A&M University. He is looking forward to a fantastic first year at Bishop Lynch! Fun Fact: Coach Paul Gardner and Coach Andy Zihlman have known each other for more than 20 years.

Coach Jordan Hampton comes to Bishop Lynch High School from his alma mater, Fort Worth Country Day School where he taught and coached. He will join the math department, teaching Geometry and has taken a role on the Friar Football coaching staff working with the varsity team. Coach Hampton received his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and his master’s degree from West Virginia University. Fun fact: Mr. Hampton’s favorite memory from high school is defeating rival team, Trinity Valley on the last game of the football season, and his favorite show growing up was MacGyver.

English teacher Lee Kinnett joins Bishop Lynch High School with 16 years of education under her belt. She spent the last ten years at Irving ISD teaching at the middle school level and will be one of the Lynch freshman level English instructors. Mrs. Kinnett attended Wichita Falls High School and graduated from Midwestern State University. She is currently working on her graduate degree at Dallas Baptist University. Mrs. Kinnett has been married to husband Dee for almost 22 years, and she’s blessed to be the mom of seven-year-old Olivia, German Shepherd Scarlet and Milo the Siamese cat. Fun Fact: If Mrs. Kinnett could live in any decade, it would be the 1940s or 1950s and her favorite holiday is Thanksgiving AND Christmas!

Ms. Miranda Russell will join the World Language Department, teaching Spanish IV. She was a Division I gymnast at the University of Arizona and earned her master’s in Spanish Literature from St. Louis University. Before coming to Bishop Lynch, Ms. Russell was a member of the Teach for America in Kansas City, MO. Her hobbies include painting, cooking swimming and reading. Fun fact: Ms. Russell worked as a mermaid in an acrobatic show and her favorite show growing up was VH1 Pop-Up Video.

Eric Schreiber moved to Dallas in June of 2015 from Denver, CO and will be teaching Theology at Bishop Lynch this year. Mr. Schreiber went to Metro State College in Denver for two years of college before discerning and entering the Diocesan Seminary for the Archdiocese of Denver. His first year was spent in Minnesota at St. Thomas University, and his second year was spent back in Denver in a Spirituality Year (a non-academic year spent to help men discern whether they feel called to continue in the Seminary.) At the end of that year, Mr. Schreiber decided to return to Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH to finish his Bachelor of Arts in Theology. He continued his education and received his Master of Theology at the Augustine Institute in Denver and substitute taught throughout the Archdiocese of Denver. Prior to joining Bishop Lynch High School, Mr. Schreiber spent the last two years teaching at an inner-city Catholic School in Denver. Some his hobbies include carpentry, flipping homes, sporting events, hiking and camping. Fun fact: Mr. Schreiber is an avid Denver Broncos and Colorado Avalanche fan!

Mr. Evan Wormsbecher will be teaching sophomore level Theology II at Bishop Lynch this year. He attended R.L. Thomas High School in Webster, NY, and studied classics and psychology at the University of Rochester. Since then, Mr. Wormsbecher continued his education studying theology at the University of Dallas. Fun fact: One of Mr. Wormsbecher’s favorite memories of high school was forming the FBI (Flannel Bureau of Investigation) with classmates to research the JFK assassination following the AP US History exam. If given the option to live in any decade, he said he would stick with the present, “every age has its great moments and its trials. I'll take what God has given me.”

Fresh off the best season in program history, the Bishop Lynch volleyball team has no thoughts of slowing down. In fact, all eyes are on a fourth straight TAPPS 5A state championship.

“We have the talent to do it again,” said head coach Tricia Roos. “It’s very realistic.”

Bishop Lynch finished the 2014 season with a program-best record of 35-9, ended the year ranked No. 3 overall in Lone Star Volleyball’s statewide rankings and secured a nation prep ranking in the low 80’s. The Lady Friars topped rival Ursuline Academy in the state final, ending the season on a 20-match win streak.

As the 2015 season approaches and many high school coaches scratch their heads trying to fill holes in their lineups, Roos feels good about the cycle in place at BL — replacing top-notch graduating seniors with experienced underclassmen yet to reach their full potential.

The Lady Friars will welcome back several key pieces, including all-state performer Francesca Goncalves (committed to Florida State), Catherine Balido (Boston College) and Callie Williams (Tennessee). Bishop Lynch will also welcome back Madi Tyus, who as a freshman was named Newcomer of the Year by Lone Star Volleyball.

“Francesca is such a phenomenal athlete, she hardly comes off the floor,” Roos said. “Like every team we have holes to fill, but we fill those with new varsity players with phenomenal talent, so we’re in good shape. We’re also working with a potential transfer, a 6-foot-3 junior committed to Minnesota. She’s one of the top-ranked players in the nation, which would be a huge addition for us.”

The season begins Monday with the first practices and the team will kickoff a grueling month of August next Friday with scrimmages against three opponents at Southlake. Roos has traditionally stacked the first month of the season with top-flight competition to prepare her teams for district and state playoffs.

“August is our biggest challenge because we stack our schedule to where play every Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the month,” she said. “We have three scrimmages on the first Friday, three on the first Saturday and then the following week we go to a three-day tournament, then a two-day tournament the following week and another two-day tournament during the last week.

“We play a ridiculous amount of matches in August. I load up August so that we can face some tough competition and get all the kinks worked out before district begins.”

The first official match of the season is scheduled for Aug. 11 at Coppell. 

— By Cliff Gibson, Sports Information Director