Thank your for your support: Record $6.1 million raised to send children to Catholic schools

An archdiocesan celebration of Catholic education on Nov. 5 honored four individuals whose Catholic values mark their lives. Sitting, from left, are honorees Daniel Elsener, Beth Elsener and Robert Desautels. Standing, from left, are honoree Father James Wilmoth, Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin and keynote speaker Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington. (Photo by Rob Banayote)

By John Shaughnessy

Shortly after it was announced that a record $6.1 million had been raised this year to help children in the archdiocese receive a Catholic education, Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin wondered if other people had the same reaction he did.

“I hope you gasped as I did when I heard that figure,” the archbishop told the 600 people who attended the 19th annual Celebrating Catholic School Values Awards event at Union Station in Indianapolis on Nov. 5.

“It’s an incredible sign of life in our archdiocese. A lot of you heard me thank God that last April at the Easter Vigil across the archdiocese, 1,000 people were received into the Church through baptism or through the profession of faith. This figure of $6.1 million is another sign of our faith. It’s a sign of the generous gifts of people within the Church and without, because they believe in what we are trying to do with Catholic education.”

The record $6.1 million—more than twice last year’s previous record $3 million—was among an impressive set of numbers shared during the event.

In recent ratings by the Indiana Department of Education, 59 of the 67 Catholic schools in the archdiocese received either an “A” or “B” grade—and 21 schools improved their ratings since last year.

The Criterion

January 23, 2015

Catholic Schools Week Supplement

Thank your for your support: Record $6.1 million raised to send children to Catholic schools

By John Shaughnessy

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