by Vince Anch
I recently met with some parents whose children are receiving Catholic Education Foundation scholarships this year.
This was at a dinner that CEF hosts each year with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. During the dinner, the parents shared how CEF scholarships have impacted their children’s and families’ lives.
One of the mothers shared how she desperately wanted her children to attend a Catholic school but simply could not afford tuition. Even though she was working two jobs, she could barely make ends meet. She was ecstatic when she learned that CEF was offering her financial assistance scholarships for her children.
Without these scholarships, her children would not be enrolled in a Catholic school today. She was very emotional but eager to share her story.
Another parent whose family originally came from Mexico explained that “Catholic school is only for wealthy people in Mexico.”
Families like his back in Mexico don’t ever consider Catholic school as a possibility for their children. He thought the same way when his family migrated to America. He was very surprised to learn that CEF would provide scholarships so his children could attend Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
He, too, was overwhelmed with emotion when sharing his story and even struggled to complete it. He expressed how grateful he was that his children could experience something that he couldn’t experience when he was young.
A mother described how her son fought constant anxiety and chronic illness while attending a public school. This changed once she moved her child into a Catholic school. He is now healthy and very happy. This would not have been possible without CEF’s support.
One mother shared how her child came home each day and shared what she learned about Jesus. The mother admitted that she was learning things that she never knew. “My child was evangelizing me,” she confessed. Her family now prays more frequently together and attends Mass on a regular basis.
A husband and wife who both teach in local public schools shared that they send their children to Catholic schools because they see significant positive differences compared to public schools. They couldn’t do this without CEF scholarships.
CEF would not be able to make this kind of impact on so many families without the generosity of so many people. Thank you to all who support CEF!
