Next week’s second collection will support the diocesan tuition assistance program. Parishioners throughout the diocese will be asked to help make the dream of Catholic education a reality for struggling Catholic families. To learn more about the Share in the Spirit collection, please consult the September 9th edition of The Dialog or the diocesan website at www.cdow.org/giving/development-share-in-the-spirit.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Thanks to the generous support of our parishioners towards the Vision for the Future, Bishop Malooly Scholarship Fund and the Share in the Spirit campaign, our diocese was able to provide a record number scholarships to students and families in need of assistance. For the 2022-23 school year, our Diocese of Wilmington provided scholarships to 529 students, totaling $1,030,500 in financial aid. This is 165 more scholarships than last year and the most financial support our diocese has been able to give since the scholarship program began. However, the calculated need for our Catholic school families is $5,000,000.
I hear many stories that affect student families and their ability to provide the cost of tuition: loss of employment, illness, and tragedy. They are stories of sadness but also perseverance, hope, and strength. All of our families are willing to sacrifice to give their children the gift of Catholic education.
One of the main things our students learn in a Catholic school is the importance of community and people-to-people connection. Being of service is part of the curriculum and the day-to-day routine of our students. This was especially born out over the past year, as our Catholic school students themselves participated in the Share in the Spirit campaign as they stepped up and developed programs to help their friends and classmates.
As we begin this year’s Share in the Spirit campaign for tuition assistance, I respectfully ask for your support to whatever level your means will allow. This year’s collection will take place in all parishes on the weekend of September 24-25. There will also be opportunities to sponsor students and provide support through the mail, online, and various communications from the diocese related to this campaign.
In addition to my personal gratitude for your generosity, I close this letter by bringing to your attention the personal gratitude and generosity of our students and school communities as presented in our Dialog newspaper and on our website. You will find in these places an article written by our students from Saint Mark’s High School about the spirit of generosity in our community, a letter from one of our seniors at Padua Academy who receives assistance, expressions of gratitude from our students at St. Elizabeth School and a promotional video produced by students at Ss. Peter and Paul School. We also share a heartwarming story about how one school and parish community rallied together to support and comfort a family suffering tragedy. Several of our schools submitted photography to include on our campaign poster.
With prayerful best wishes, I am,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend William E. Koenig, D.D.
Bishop of Wilmington
