OSV BOARD GRANTS $4 MILLION TO CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN HONOR OF BISHOP
In honor of Bishop John M. D’Arcy’s Golden Jubilee as a priest, The Our Sunday Visitor Board of Directors announced recently that it was endowing $1 million to each of the four Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. To be known as the Bishop John M. D’Arcy Golden Jubilee Fund, the endowments will be used to grant tuition assistance to qualified students seeking financial aid.
“This gift is a sign of the great appreciation the board of directors has for Bishop D’Arcy, who has presided over the board for the past 22 years,” said Thomas Blee. The secretary of the Our Sunday Visitor Board of Directors and the executive director of the Our Sunday Visitor Institute that is providing the funds, Blee also said the gift “was a sign of support for, and confidence in, the strong Catholic school system in the diocese.”
The funds have been placed in the Catholic Community Foundation of Northeast Indiana. According to the terms of the gift, the money will be distributed at 5 percent or $50,000, whichever is larger, each year for each high school beginning with the 2008-2009 school year.
Blee announced the gift at the annual “You Can Lend-A-Hand” luncheon “In Celebration of Excellence in Catholic Education,” hosted by James K. Fitzpatrick, representing local Burger King & Chili’s restaurants, at the Marriott, Fort Wayne, in conjunction with Catholic Schools Week, January 27-February 2. Blee presented a facsimile of the endowment checks to Bishop D’Arcy and Fr. Stephen Kempinger, CSC, superintendent, who, in turn, presented them to Mary Keefer, principal, Bishop Luers High School and J. Fred Tone, principal, Bishop Dwenger High School.
Similar facsimiles were presented January 28 to the principals of the Catholic high schools in South Bend and Mishawaka at a “You Can Lend-A-Hand” luncheon at the Century Center, South Bend, sponsored by Quality Dining, Inc.
“I am most grateful to Our Sunday Visitor for this extraordinary gesture of trust in our high schools,” said Bishop D’Arcy. “This is a most fitting commemoration of my 50 years as a priest, namely, that, so many will receive help in our four schools beginning in the next academic year. It is to be hoped that these funds will increase steadily through investment over the years,” Bishop D’Arcy added.
Bishop D’Arcy was ordained to the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church on February 2, 1957, in Boston.
Based in Huntington, Indiana, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., is one of the largest Catholic publishing companies and the largest producer of Catholic offering envelopes in the nation. The company is a leader in producing Catholic periodicals, books, religious education resources and stewardship related materials. The Our Sunday Visitor Institute financially supports worthwhile Catholic organizations and institutions around the country.
The president of Our Sunday Visitor Publishing is Gregory R. Erlandson. The president of Our Sunday Visitor Offering Envelopes is Kyle Hamilton. Other local members of the Our Sunday Visitor Board of Directors are William Newell, vice chairman, and Richard Doermer.
In addition to the presentation of the Bishop D’Arcy Golden Jubilee Fund, a local principal and 20 local and area school teachers were recognized as “Light of Learning” recipients. They included: Marsha Jordan, principal, Queen of Angels; and teachers Darcy Quinn, Most Precious Blood; Kurt Homan, Queen of Angels; Sandra Shirmeyer, St. Charles Borromeo; Laura Sturm, St. John the Baptist (Fort Wayne); Tonya Brown, St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; Diane Merz, St. Jude; Barbara Pinkerton, St. Therese; Nathan Proulx, St. Vincent de Paul; Priscilla Harless, St. Aloysius (Yoder); Becky Hoffman, Benoit Academy; Margaret Beuchel, St. John the Baptist (New Haven); Melissa Wagner, St. Joseph (Hessen Cassel); Amy Smith, St. Joseph (Monroeville); Susan Rost, St. Louis (Besancon); Sr. Theresa Renninger, OSF, St. Mary (Avilla); Mary Cecava, St. Joseph (Decatur); Angela Grube, Huntington Catholic; Lea Howard, St. Bernard (Wabash); Joseph Garcia, Bishop Dwenger High School; and Gregory A. Gehl, Bishop Luers High School.
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