Nearly 70 years of hard work was commemorated by the community of Christian Brothers Academy on Sept. 16.
The Lincroft school’s ‘Dedication Day’ celebrated final projects completed as part of the Forever CBA capital campaign.
In total, Forever CBA built or renovated eight different sites on the academy’s 157-acre campus. Most notably, Dedication Day was the much-awaited official opening of the Brother Frank Byrne Dining Hall and Dolly Gartland Sullivan Kitchen.
Named in honor of two individuals who always put CBA students first, the Byrne Dining Hall and Dolly’s Kitchen will enhance the student experience in many ways. The Byrne Dining Hall is nearly 40 percent larger than the previous cafeteria space, allowing for more students to eat lunch at the same time. This, in turn, will allow CBA to expand its academic and co-curricular offerings to all grade levels during the school day.
Byrne Dining Hall will also double as a campus hub for specials events, meetings and more. The space features two large televisions, a 100-inch projection screen, a full audio and PA system, and dynamic lighting.
Meanwhile, Dolly’s Kitchen is an advanced food preparation space, which will give academy men a variety of healthy, diverse options to meet their dietary needs.
Christian Brother Frank Byrne, CBA’s president from 2009-2021, kicked off the Forever CBA campaign in 2017 and was at the helm during the fundraising, planning and first construction phases. After his departure from CBA to serve as the Brothers’ Associate Provincial, an anonymous donor contributed $1 million to name the Dining Hall after Byrne.
Sullivan was CBA’s kitchen manager from the cafeteria’s opening in 1960 until her death in 2018. Sullivan and her staff served more than 11,000 boys in those 58 years, as well as hundreds of Brothers, faculty and staff.
At the Dedication Day ceremony, Byrne spoke about the impact that the new space will have on the next generation of academy men.
“So many people have worked so hard for these new facilities, which is in line with what we have been doing since 1959: offering the best as we educate these young men,” Brother Frank said. “Thank you to all of the donors and people who made the Forever CBA campaign and these facilities possible.”
Dedication Day also welcomed back former soccer head coach Daniel Keane, whose name graces the new soccer and lacrosse turf field.
Keane Field is a state-of-the-art playing surface for both varsity programs, giving those teams the ability to play in most weather conditions and host high-level games and tournaments. Keane was CBA Soccer’s head coach for 38 years, winning five Non-Public state championships and nine Shore Conference titles.
The legendary head coach was back on the bench for the annual alumni soccer game, which is affectionately named the Keane Cup, and spoke to the crowd after the game.
Finally, CBA recognized the rebuilt Benilde Hall, which will soon be opening as the new Admissions Welcome Center and Business Office. The building was reconstructed in the same style as the previous building, but features new offices, conference rooms, and a dynamic space for admissions presentations.
CBA’s student body president, Michael Tesauro ’24, had the opportunity to address the supporters in attendance about what the upgrades have meant to the current students.
“I am honored to speak before you today as a humbled voice for the student body,” Tesauro said. “Thank you to all who have contributed to these projects which paves the way for a better future at the Academy and leaves a legacy that will live on for years to come.”
Prior to Dedication Day, the Academy opened several more new or updated facilities, including the Sheehan Track & Field Complex, O’Shea-Martin Tennis Pavilion, O’Gara-Montedoro Fields for CBA Rugby, and Valentine Hall as a team house for cross country and track athletes.