Rev. Robert F. McKeon ’82
Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee - 2015
I was born in the small village of Staatsburg, NY on January 9, 1964, as the sixth of twelve children of John and Margaret McKeon (I have 9 sisters and 2 brothers). 
I was baptized soon after in my parish church of Regina Coeli in Hyde Park, NY. I was educated in the parochial school system beginning with elementary school at Regina Coeli from 1970-78.  I attended High School at Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie, NY from 1978-82 playing football, basketball and baseball all four years.  From there I went on to Iona College in New Rochelle, NY where I played Division III football and majored in Accounting, graduating in 1986 with a BBA.
I entered the seminary in 1985 and lived at the St. John Neumann Seminary Residence while completing my senior year at Iona College.  After graduating in 1986, I was asked by John Cardinal O’Connor to do my seminary training in Rome at the Pontifical North American College.  While in Rome, I studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University from 1986-89, completing an S.T.B. Degree, and at the Pontifical University of San Anselmo from 1989-91, completing an S.T.L. Degree in Dogma with a specialization in Sacramental Theology.  I was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal O’Connor at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on June 30, 1990.
My first assignment in the Archdiocese of New York was at Blessed Sacrament Parish in New Rochelle where I spent two years as a parochial vicar from July 1991 to September 1993.  In 1993 I was named Special Assistant for Vocations to the Archbishop of New York, a ministry I served for eight years.  In 2001 I was sent to St. Gregory Barbarigo Parish in Garnerville, NY as parochial vicar.  In 2002 I was assigned administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Putnam Lake, NY.  In January of 2004, I returned to St. Gregory’s as pastor where I served four and a half years.  In 2008, I was named pastor of St. Lawrence O’Toole parish in Brewster. After four years in Brewster I was given my current assignment by Timothy Cardinal Dolan in 2012, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in West Nyack. 
https://stfrancis-assisi.org/people/rev-robert-f-mckeon

Sr. Mary Strength of Martyrs Breslin ’11 

“A good school provides a rounded education for the whole person.
and a good Catholic school, over and above this,
should help all its students to become Saints!”
~ Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
One of the greatest blessings that I have received in my life, is the Blessing of having been able to attend Catholic school, where in a particular way I learned the importance of having Christ as the center of my life, and to live each day so as to fulfill His most Holy Will for my life. It is truly beautiful that so often Catholic Schools week coincides with the Feast of the Presentation, the day that Holy Mother Church has set aside as the “World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life.” During this week we not only give thanks for the many Blessings that come with being part of a Catholic School, but also to give thanks to those Religious Congregations for heroically beginning Catholic Schools in our country such as St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton and the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, St. John Neumann and the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, St. Mother Théodore Guérin, and the Sisters of Providence, and many others. It is because of their heroic and generous “Yes” to the Will of Our Lord that we have the blessings of Catholic Schools in our Country.
During this Catholic Schools Week, as we give thanks for all those who have worked to build up many Catholic Schools in our country, I ask all Lourdeans past, present, and future, the same question that the great Pope St. John Paul II asked the young people in Rome in 1984 “Young people, have you ever thought of committing your existence totally to Christ? Do you think there can be anything greater than to bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus?” Following Jesus and building up His Kingdom is not only a great honor and joy but also a requirement. It is a command of love from our Lord and one He takes seriously.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Model of Vocations, grant the grace of an increase in Holy Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life from Our Lourdes community, and to grant courage to all those who are called to give their life in complete service to Christ and His Church.

Fr. David Rider ’03
Fr. David Rider is a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of New York. After working for many years as a professional tap dancer, Fr. David left his career in show business to follow the call of Jesus to be a priest. He attended seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical Lateran University. From 2015 to 2018 he served as parochial vicar at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Staten Island, NY. The following year, he served as parochial vicar at the parish of St. Barnabas in the Bronx. In 2019, Cardinal Dolan named him administrator of Sacred Heart Church in Monroe, NY. On July 1, 2020, he became the pastor.

Sr. M. Clare O’Connor ’14
Hello there, everyone! My name is Sister M. Clare O’Connor, F.S.G.M.  I am blessed to be a member of a community of religious sisters called The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George. Our motherhouse is located in Alton, IL. I was blessed to profess my First Vows in August 2019.
Here is our community’s website link:www.altonfranciscans.org if you want to check us out!
Our charism/mission is “Seeking to make the merciful love of Christ visible,” which means that our apostolates (jobs) vary… basically we will serve in whatever way the Church needs, bringing Christ’s mercy to the world! Our beautiful identity as brides of Christ and our prayers are the life-blood of our daily life. We have many sisters who serve as teachers from daycare at 6 weeks old through teaching college students as well as in many different jobs in the healthcare apostolate. We also serve in evangelization and parish work.
Currently, I am a first-grade teacher’s aide and a substitute Spanish teacher at St. Matthew’s Catholic School in Champaign, IL.
To our OLL community I would like to say: Please pray for me and know of my prayers for you. I have deep gratitude for my time at OLL. My faith life definitely began to be formed in a deeper way throughout my high school years, especially thanks to the care and witness of some incredible faculty members who deeply impacted my journey with Christ and my vocation. 
So everyone, choose joy, keep hope, do not be afraid, and trust God and His goodness at all times. You are loved.

 May the Lord give you His peace.

Deacon Matthew Breslin ’13
Hello, Our Lady of Lourdes High School community! My name is Deacon Matthew Breslin and I am in my final year of seminary formation at St. Joseph’s Seminary where I am studying to be a priest for the Archdiocese of New York. As some of you may know, before a man is ordained a priest he is first ordained a deacon, and I was ordained a deacon on November 9th, 2020. After eight years of seminary formation, I am scheduled to be ordained a priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on May 29th of this year.
I am a member of the 2013 graduating class of OLL and I absolutely loved my time at Lourdes, where I was able to meet great friends, prepare for the academic challenges of priestly formation, and, most importantly, deepen my relationship with Almighty God. I am truly grateful for my four years at Lourdes. 
During high school years there is a lot of thought given to the question “What do you want to be?” And it’s very important to ponder this question, but it is also important to think about the question “What does God want me to be?” I guarantee that if you find the answer to that question, you will find true happiness and peace, the happiness and peace that no job or salary can ever give; because if God truly knows everything, then He also knows what will bring us true peace. Over the past eight years of seminary, I know this to be true.
Please know of my daily prayers for everyone associated with Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School, and please pray for me as I prepare to be ordained to the priesthood this spring.

 (Priestly Ordination May 29, 2021)