Picture it: Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011, for the cause of Catholic education, more than 400 hardy plungers of all ages, led by their bishop, hurl themselves into the frigid Atlantic waters off Sea Bright while 2,000 less daring, but still generous souls, stand in support on the nearby sand dunes.

The result: A record breaking total of more than $102,000 is raised in the Fifth Annual Polar Plunge sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 2, Middletown. The monies will be distributed to the 19 participating Catholic schools mainly from around the Trenton Diocese with participation from some schools in the Metuchen Diocese and the Newark Archdiocese as well.

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Organizers couldn’t be happier with the outcome and neither can school administrators, faculty, students, clergy and religious who followed the lead of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., into the subfreezing waves. Days later, they were still basking in the glow of the event.

“It was terrific,” said event chairman Jim Shaw, a member of the Hibernians Division 2. “From the wonderful blessing by Bishop O’Connell, to his leading the charge to the water,” to what Shaw called a record crowd of plungers and onlookers, “it was great, impressive.”

The fact that the plunge raised an equally record-breaking amount for Catholic education, up dramatically from $50,000 last year was, pardon the pun, icing on the cake.

Bless All Who Plunge
Over at the shore in the last decade, polar plunges have become so synonymous with raising money for worthy causes, that swimmers in their summer best rushing headlong into the freezing foam are not an uncommon sight.

But something clearly extraordinary was at hand Jan. 9 when the plungers, escorted by kilt clad bagpipers, included not only Bishop O’Connell, but scores of clergy and religious, school administrators, faculty members, students and their parents.

Their defiance of the leftovers from the Christmas week blizzard -- heaps of snow mounding curbs, sidewalks and parking lots – and subfreezing temperatures, contributed to the rousing atmosphere of the occasion.

Spurred on by a stirring blessing from Bishop O’Connell who asked our “Heavenly Father to Bless all of these crazy people,” and reminded plungers that “today is all about Catholic education and the contribution that Catholic education has made to our nation,” he led the charge with a cry of “let’s do this!”

Those who plunged in, braving the 26.4degree temperature – factoring in a nearly 20-mph wind chill, according to the national Weather Service – included octogenarian Christian Brother Cyril O’Neil, resplendent in a royal blue, prize fighter’s style robe emblazoned with the letters CBA.

Brother Cyril compared the atmosphere to an early St. Patrick’s Day and said plunging in for Catholic education, was worth battling the cold. Father G. Scott Shaffer, pastor of St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson, was among the 68 plungers supporting his parish’s elementary school.

A first time plunger, Father Shaffer said he enjoyed the fact that “there are folks here from every age group, from ages eight to ten to grandmothers, showing their support for Catholic education. It’s great.”

Like many plungers, he said the cold air minimized the effect of the cold water. “The air was so cold, that by the time you got to the water, you couldn’t feel your feet.”

Mater Dei Prep students Mark Sudziarski, a senior and Ryan Mulholland, a junior, agreed with Father Shaffer. “It was so cold, you really couldn’t feel your feet,” said Sudziarski with a wide grin. “But it was lifetime experience,” Mulholland chimed in.

Friendship, Unity and Charity
Days following the event, organizers and administrators from some of the participating schools reflected on the success of the event and what it means to Catholic education.

Hibernians Shaw and Jack Sullivan, president of AOH Division 2, noted that the funds raised go back to the schools in direct proportion to their pledged amounts. The schools are free to use the monies as needed, Shaw said.

“It’s all about bringing money to families so they can give their children a Catholic education,” said Sullivan. “It’s about friendship and unity and Christian charity.”

Like many of the schools, Mother Teresa Regional, Atlantic Highlands, will put the money to tuition assistance.

Principal Melissa Whelan Wisk, who has plunged herself, five years in a row, said Polar Plunge pledge money will be used once again this year to supplement tuition help from the diocese.

The school raised over $8,500 this year from the Polar Plunge, which Wisk anticipates will go toward helping about 10 families fill in their tuition gaps.

She said that the support from the school’s sending parishes – Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Highlands; St. Agnes, Atlantic Highlands; St. Catherine, North Middletown; St. Ann, Keansburg and Holy Family, Union Beach, added to the momentum.

“The pastors allowed us to have a weekend (after Masses) to speak about the plunge and that added to the support,” she said. “It was a lot of fun and very cold.”

At St. Aloyisus School in Jackson, where plunge participation was organized by the Father’s Club, the nearly $17,000 raised will be put toward class trips and assemblies said the principal, Elizabeth O’Connor.

“This was our first year in the plunge and we were very (pleasantly) surprised by the outcome,” she said.

“The Father’s Club has been financing our class trips for years and each year it gets more and more difficult to do so,” said O’Connor who noted that without the Father’s Club, “it would fall back on the parents” to finance the trips.

The funds from the plunge have more than eased the burden this year, she said. “It will assure that each child can go.”