Money helps families choose Catholic Education, boost enrollment in 30 schools

ORANGE, Calif., June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the direction of Bishop Tod D. Brown, the Orange Catholic Foundation (OCF) has allocated grants totaling $1,142,000 to be distributed to 25 Catholic Elementary Schools to help boost their enrollment for the 2009-2010 academic year. The average cost of tuition for Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese of Orange is $4,750 per student. All funds will be offered to families to offset the cost of tuition so they can give the gift of quality Catholic school education to their children, at a time when public and private education institutions are facing budget challenges.

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"Because of the very generous grant from OCF, I was able to notify 18 families so far, and offer tuition assistance for 2009-2010," says Roisin McAree, Principal of Blessed Sacrament School in Westminster. What came next happened in all the schools who received grant money. "Shortly after we made the announcement, nine parents had already come to see me, personally, to say how overwhelmed they were with the generosity of the OCF. Two parents had tears in their eyes since they truly wanted their children to remain at our school but knew they could not afford the tuition. They all have decided to keep their children at Blessed Sacrament!"

Funding comes from various sources:

• The Bishop's Circle -- the Orange Catholic Foundation's Major Gifts annual program, which supports ministries identified by Bishop Tod D. Brown, including Catholic Schools
• The Conference on Business and Ethics -- all proceeds from the event benefit local Catholic elementary Schools
• The Pastoral Services Appeal -- the diocesan-wide parish-based annual fund drive
• Revenue from the Orange Catholic Foundation's endowments (benefiting elementary schools) and from a Diocesan endowment for High Schools.

    25 Elementary Schools receiving financial aid assistance:

    1.  Annunciation Catholic     Fullerton          $86,000
    2.  Blessed Sacrament         Westminster        $36,000
    3.  Holy Family Cathedral     Orange             $15,000
    4.  La Purisima               Orange             $36,000
    5.  Our Lady of Fatima        San Clemente       $36,000
    6.  Our Lady of Guadalupe     La Habra           $36,000
    7.  St. Anne                  Santa Ana          $76,000
    8.  St. Anthony Claret        Anaheim            $86,000
    9.  St. Barbara               Santa Ana          $71,000
    10. St. Bonaventure           Huntington Beach   $16,000
    11. St. Callistus             Garden Grove       $71,000
    12. St. Catherine Military    Anaheim            $15,000
    13. St. Catherine of Siena    Laguna Beach       $15,000
    14. St. Cecilia               Tustin             $30,000
    15. St. Columban              Garden Grove       $66,000
    16. St. Hedwig                Los Alamitos       $15,000
    17. St. Irenaeus              Cypress            $21,000
    18. St. Joachim               Costa Mesa         $15,000
    19. St. Joseph                Placentia          $36,000
    20. St. Joseph                Santa Ana          $81,000
    21. St. Justin Martyr         Anaheim            $86,000
    22. St. Norbert               Orange             $15,000
    23. St. Pius V                Buena Park         $15,000
    24. St. Polycarp              Stanton            $81,000
    25. School of Our Lady        Santa Ana          $86,000

The five High Schools receiving financial aid assistance are Cornelia Connelly HS in Anaheim, Mater Dei HS in Santa Ana, Rosary HS in Fullerton, Santa Margarita Catholic HS in Rancho Santa Margarita and Servite HS in Anaheim.

All 42 elementary and secondary Catholic Schools in Orange County are listed on www.occatholicschools.org. Families interested in taking advantage of the grants to enroll their children should contact each school directly with questions regarding enrollment and financial aid criteria.

About the Orange Catholic Foundation

Established by Bishop Tod D. Brown in November, 2000, the Orange Catholic Foundation is a separate and independently governed 501 (C)(3) Corporation, established to provide a permanent source of funding for the religious and educational mission of the Diocese of Orange. It strives to be a premier nationally recognized steward of Catholic philanthropy in carrying out Christ's work to sustain and enhance all aspects of Catholic life for the faithful in Orange County. For more information, visit www.oc-foundation.org.

SOURCE The Orange Catholic Foundation

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.oc-foundation.org
http://www.occatholicschools.org