by Amy Reinhardt
Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Before the school year ended, students at St. Patrick School here welcomed a special group of visitors to celebrate a powerful investment in the future of Catholic education. Leaders from the Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) arrived with a check for $5 million in scholarships.
“This check represents the 1,900 scholarships awarded to students at Catholic schools throughout the archdiocese this year,” said Vincent Anch, CEF executive director. “But more importantly, it represents the hopes of parents who want their child to be part of a safe, faith-filled community and wouldn’t be able to afford to send them to a Catholic school without a scholarship.”
CEF board chair RJ Gildea, superintendent of archdiocesan Catholic schools Dr. Vincent Cascone and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann joined the celebration. St. Patrick principal Cathy Fithian welcomed the group and expressed her gratitude for the support that makes Catholic education possible for so many of her students.
“I’ve been privileged to see the amount of work CEF has done over decades, and it’s a miracle,” said Fithian. “So many more students have been able to have a Catholic education.”
This is especially true for many students at St. Patrick, including a number who transferred following the closure of Christ the King School in Kansas City, Kansas, last year. Fithian, who previously served as the principal at Christ the King, welcomed nearly 80 of its students to St. Patrick. With help from CEF scholarships, she added classroom sections and helped most of the rising 8th grade class stay together to complete their middle school years.
In addition to helping students enroll, CEF scholarships — made possible by generous donors throughout the community — also help students succeed. This spring, CEF scholarship recipients achieved a 100% graduation rate, many with plans to be the first in their families to attend college.
During the visit, Archbishop Naumann spoke to students, reminding them that they are part of something special.
“Catholic schools form not only your minds, but your hearts and souls,” said Archbishop Naumann. “They help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. So, thank God for CEF.”
To give more students the opportunity to receive a Catholic education, visit the website at: https://www.cefks.org/give.
The Leaven is the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
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