Above: Click the image to view a video celebrating the opening of Fernandez-Duminuco Hall.
Faculty, alumni, parents, and friends gathered to celebrate Xavier High School's new six-story, 33,000-square-foot addition, Fernandez-Duminuco Hall, on Thursday, September 15, and Friday, September 16. The new building's name honors lead donor Mike Fernandez ’72, a Cuban-born, Miami-based businessman and philanthropist, and his mentor, the late Vincent Duminuco, S.J., Xavier’s 45th Headmaster.
The dedication ceremony on September 15 took place in Keenan Commons (named for former Xavier President James Keenan, S.J.) of Fernandez-Duminuco Hall. A Dedication Mass followed in the Church of St. Francis Xavier. Bishop John O’Hara, the Vicar for Lower Manhattan and Staten Island, was the principal celebrant, with concelebrants including the Very Rev. John Cecero, S.J., Provincial of the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus.
On September 16, students enjoyed "Dedication Day," which included a special assembly, the Mass of the Holy Spirit, and Maroon and Blue Day events. Alumni, parents, and friends toured Fernandez-Duminuco Hall during an afternoon open house. Faculty members showcased the building's design and technology, answering questions as tours moved through. Key features of the academic building include a multi-use space that will house theatre productions and assemblies; a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) classroom complete with 3D printers, power PCs, power laptops, drones, programmable microcontrollers, and high-end sensors; a music wing with a band room, ensemble room, private practice rooms, and soundproof recording studios; a collaborative student activity space; and 11 classrooms, six offices, and two conference rooms.
At Thursday evening's Dedication Mass and Friday morning's Mass of the Holy Spirit, 10 individuals were awarded the President's Medal for their outstanding service to Xavier and contributions to Fernandez-Duminuco Hall: Daniel Denihan '65, Paul Gannon '75, Mike Fernandez '72, John Meditz '66, Bob Robotti '71, Director of Technology Hernando Avila, Special Assistant to the President and Executive Vice President James Cappabianca '05, Computer Science and Technology Department Chair Michael Chiafulio, Headmaster Michael LiVigni, and Dean of Faculty Brian McCabe.
To view photos from Thursday's dedication events, click here. Photos from Friday's open house are available here. A special video about Fernandez-Duminuco Hall is available by clicking the image at the top of this article or by visiting our YouTube channel. Xavier also live streamed Thursday night's dedication events; click here to view the dedication ceremony and here to view the Mass. (Please note that our live streams began before each event commenced; set your viewers to 46:30 and 11:30, respectively, to find the beginning of each event. Edited versions of these streams will be available soon.)