Responding to the call to serve their alma mater, John P. Lavelle, Jr., Esq., ‘81 and Shannon Boyle Pietrak ‘95 have agreed to serve as co-chairs of The Marian Fund for the 2024-25 fiscal year.  The goal of The Marian Fund is $500,000.

“John and Shannon are the perfect choices to lead The Marian Fund this year,” said Michael Brennan ‘06, Head of School.  “Their enthusiasm, dedication and passion for Marian is contagious and I have no doubt that they will lead us to victory on June 30, 2025 with a record number of donors and hopefully a new record amount raised, all of which benefits every student at Marian.  With the continued increase in our student enrollment, more resources will be needed to continue to make Marian the outstanding Catholic school that it is,” Brennan concluded. 

Gifts to The Marian Fund are added to the general fund of the school’s budget for use in meeting current operating expenses, providing over $575,000 in student financial aid, maintaining the physical plant, and ensuring the continuation of a quality Catholic education. 

In their roles as Co-Chairs of The Marian Fund, Shannon and John will be the key leaders and voice of the fund for over 8,000 Marian alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, and friends of Marian Catholic High School.

“One of our goals this year for the Marian Fund is to grow the number of donors,” said Dr. Erin Marek, P ’28,Director of Advancement. “We would like to see another increase in our donor numbers for The Marian Fund this year. Last year we had 1,340 donors, including 153 first-time donors.  Our goal is 1,800 total donors including a goal to have 100% staff, faculty and board member participation. This would again distinguish Marian with one of the best participation rates of any Catholic high school in Pennsylvania,” Marek concluded.  

Tuition and auxiliary income are simply not adequate to cover the operating expenses incurred at Marian, as is the case for most Catholic secondary schools in the country.  The actual cost of education for each student is approximately $12,695 for the 2024-25 school year. Tuition and fees cover about 55% of the cost of a Marian education.  The Marian Fund helps to bridge the gap between tuition revenues and operating expenses.

Shannon Boyle Pietrak, originally from Tamaqua, is a 1995 graduate of Marian and a 1999 graduate of Villanova University with a degree in Chemical Engineering.  Shannon is a Senior Business Auditor for BP p.l.c. and resides in Houston, TX with her husband Mark and their two children.  Shannon is the daughter of John ’71 and Kathleen Boyle of Hometown and is one of five Boyle children to graduate from Marian- Meghan ’98, John ’02, Patrick ’03 and Meredith ’06.

Shannon started her career in the United States Army as an engineer officer stationed in both Germany and Iraq.  For the past 20 years, Shannon has worked in the oil and gas field, in major project roles, primarily with BP p.l.c.

“I am so blessed to serve my alma mater this year and look forward to work with John and Marian’s advancement team in support of this year’s Marian Fund. Giving towards the Marian Fund is a sacrifice that keeps on giving by sharing the gift of Catholic education, helping form Christ in the lives of others, and spreading the joy of being part of the Marian community. I am very much looking forward to connecting with fellow Marian alumni, family, and friends as we support Marian Catholic, and for the many more generations to come.  Mary, our Mother, pray for us”, said Shannon Boyle.

John Lavelle, a Lehighton native, graduated from Marian in 1981.  He is one of four Lavelle children to graduate from Marian, along with siblings Marianne ’77, Jacqueline ’84 and James ’87.  After Marian, John graduated from Princeton University in 1985, majoring in Classics, and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988.  He is a partner in the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, concentrating his law practice in litigation in the firm’s Philadelphia and Princeton offices.  He lives in Bryn Mawr with his wife Colleen, where they raised their three daughters. He is the son of Marianne and the late Carbon County Judge John P. Lavelle, the longest serving president judge in Carbon County history. 

“It has been my honor to serve Marian on the Board of Directors and the Advancement Committee the past few years.  I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Shannon and Marian’s superb advancement team supporting the Marian Fund.  Unrestricted gifts to the Marian Fund provide essential support to Marian and go to meet the most immediate and important needs of the school.  Gifts to the Marian Fund make it possible for today’s students to get the benefits of a Marian education.  I am proud to support the Marian Fund and hope fellow Marian alumni and friends will do the same”, said John Lavelle.

In addition to Shannon Boyle Pietrak and John Lavelle, members of the Advancement Committee who will assist with The Marian Fund efforts this year include Janet Bonenberger; Patrick Boyle ’03; Paul Creedon ’80; Joan Demetriades ’69, Jerome Dvorak ’82; Larry Furey ’79; Dan La Bert ’93; Patrick McCall ’81; Sr. Rose Mulligan, IHM ’85; Erin O’Gurek, Esq. ’03; Fr. Eugene Ritz ’00, Jim Sauka ’66; Colleen Skrabak Scholl ’89, Steve Sofranko ’89 and EmmaRose Boyle Strohl, Esq. ’12

Marian Catholic High School is a Catholic secondary school under the ownership of the Diocese of Allentown and is governed by the Board of Directors under the leadership of Patrick Reilly, P ’98, ’02, ‘11.  Other members of the Board for this school year include Dave Bielen ’69, P ’91, GP ’24 (Tamaqua), Patrick Boyle ’03 (Jenkintown, PA), Rev. Robert Finlan (Barnesville),  Larry Furey ’79 (Naples, FL),   Dan La Bert ’93 (Broadlands, VA), John Lavelle, Esq. ’81 (Bryn Mawr, PA), Leo V. Marzen  ‘79, CFA, CPA, CFP (Stamford, CT), Maria Montero ’94, P ’13 (Easton, PA), Sr. Rose Mulligan, IHM ’84 (Immaculata, PA), Erin O’Gurek, Esq. ’03 (Wayne, PA), Jim Sauka ’66, P ’93, ’94, ’96, ’00 (Nesquehoning), Ashley Shickora ‘03 (Glastonbury, CT) and Bill Stulginsky ’69 (Newton Square, PA). 

Marian Catholic High School opened in September 1954 and has graduated more than 8,000 students, now living in all 50 states and abroad.  The school also calls alumni from the four predecessor high schools, Saint Ann’s High School in Lansford, Saint Mary’s High School in Coaldale, Saint Jerome’s High School in Tamaqua, and Mauch Chunk Catholic High School in Jim Thorpe as its own.

Marian Catholic High School opened this school year in September with an enrollment of 283 students in grades nine to twelve.