We as a community remember Salvatore Mercurio for his comedic attitude and skills on the soccer field that brought us many championships and titles during his time as a Ram. Since leaving Oratory and enrolling at William Paterson University, Sal continues to carry and use the values that he was taught while at OP – so we thought we would check in and see how things have been.

Q: Do you miss Oratory?

A:  I miss Oratory and all the times I spent there, but the college life is too good.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to current OP students what would it be?

A: Join the soccer team and lead them to glory.

Q: If you could change one thing about OP what would it be?

A: The one thing I would change about OP would be to allow the seniors to leave school

for lunch and eat wherever they desire.

Q: Did you find the transition from OP to college a tough one?

A: The transition was a tough one because of the workload and managing your time as best as possible.

Q: Do you still talk to your OP brethren?

A: I still talk to about half of the friends I made at OP, all others I have lost touch with, sadly.

Q: Is it true that you created Michael O’Brien the soccer player?

A:  I created Mike “cleats” O’Brien back when he was a freshman. I thought the kid had potential to be a stud in this league.

Q: Do you plan on coming back to Oratory in the future?

A: Yeah I’ll be back someday, Italians always stay true to their roots.

Q: Which teacher was your favorite at OP?

A: Mrs. Gribbin was hands down my favorite teacher at OP, but Mr. Jordan was a close second.  He comes off as a tough guy, but he has a big heart.

Q: What is your favorite memory from OP?

A: My favorite memory was the OP soccer team. The team made my time at Oratory something that I’ll remember forever.

Q: Who was your best friend during your time at Oratory?

A: James Gagliano was my first friend at Oratory and remains one of my best friends today. The Gaglianos are the most kind and good hearted people I have ever met.