Woodmont Academy, Cooksville, met and exceeded a fundraising challenge issued by The Cunningham Family Foundation. Thomas C. Cunningham, a parent of four Woodmont students, committed to donate at least $900,000 to the school’s capital campaign, Building Faith … Forming Leaders, reliant upon the school raising $1 million on its own by the end of 2006.Read More
WASHINGTON – For today’s Catholic schools to thrive, school officials must rethink traditional ways of operating and try innovative approaches, said a report highlighting the current challenges facing Catholic schools. The report also calls on the Catholic community at large to play a key role in restoring its schools. The 32-page report, “Making God Known,...Read More
Seventh grader Cecelia Cellini was concerned with more than playing during recess one weekday afternoon. Instead, she busily collected students’ signatures who were as frustrated as she with the quality of the computers in their school’s computer lab. The result culminated in a “St. John 2007 Calendar” which has raised more than $10,000 to date...Read More
WASHINGTON – The U.S. government should emulate the Catholic Church and look for a dramatic way to improve relations with Cuba, said a U.S. lawmaker after returning from a fact-finding trip to the Caribbean island. Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., cited the 1998 trip to Cuba by Pope John Paul II and said it had a...Read More
When it comes to the worth of St. Ursula School volunteers, Sister Joan Kelly, S.N.D. de N., says she could never “put a dollar figure on it.” “They help as classroom volunteers, they work in the library, and they work in the lunchroom and schoolyard,” the principal of the Parkville school said. “They assist in...Read More
WASHINGTON – “A true culture of life cannot be built by changing laws alone. We’ve all got to work to change hearts,” President George W. Bush told tens of thousands of participants in the 34th annual March for Life Jan. 22. President Bush spoke by phone at the beginning of a two-hour rally on the...Read More
ROME – Pope John Paul II consulted with top aides about possibly resigning in 2000 and set up a “specific procedure” for papal resignation, says a new book by the pope’s former secretary. The pope eventually decided that it was God’s will that he stay in office, despite the illness that left him more and...Read More
DETROIT – Retired Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton said he hoped his parishioners would continue to work for justice and peace, as he celebrated his final Mass as administrator of St. Leo Parish in Detroit Jan. 21. “We, as a parish community, must carry on the work of Jesus, and that’s what I pray...Read More
As Michael Hoos stood ready to march on the freezing, winter morning of Jan. 22, he held a sign, made by one of the students at St. Agnes School, Catonsville, which read, “Give me a chance to rock your world.” He said it reminded him of his adopted son, who is learning to play the...Read More
Responding to continuing declines in enrollment and increased financial challenges, Our Lady Queen of Peace and Our Lady of Mount Carmel schools in Middle River will reconfigure in September in a move pastors say will strengthen Catholic education in eastern Baltimore County. The Queen of Peace campus will become the new home for both schools’...Read More
While leaders of the Maryland Catholic Conference were pleased that Gov. Martin J. O’Malley included money in his budget for nonpublic school students, they expressed deep disappointment that he boosted funding for embryonic stem cell research and did not support a proposed abortion alternatives program promoted by Cardinal William H. Keeler. Just one day after...Read More
Throughout the evening, Seton Keough’s head indoor track and field coach Jim Lancaster stood 20 feet from the finish line and cheered for his team, event after event. He jumped, screamed and waved his arms as runners approached the finish line. He believed in his team the Seton Keough Gators.Read More