"A Catholic education has taught me lessons that will stick with me forever and guide me in making kind, Christ-like choices."
Cassie, 8th Grade
2012-2013 Match Grant Applications are now available
The Catholic Foundation is pleased to announce that it will renew its commitment to our Catholic schools throughout the Diocese by once again offering the Match Grant Program. With more than $2,000,000 raised for tuition assistance since its inception, this program continues to offer vital support to the ministry of Catholic school education.
“We are excited that the Catholic Foundation’s success has enabled us to provide more assistance to our schools than ever before,” Alberto Vázquez-Matos, Superintendent of Catholic Schools and Centers for the Diocese, shared when he discovered that more than $300,000 will be made available to the two tuition assistance programs offered by the Catholic Foundation—the Match Grant Program and the High School Special Tuition Assistance Fund.
“Thank you to our many supporters of the Catholic Foundation Celebration who have enabled us to invest so much in our schools and our students,” said Jon Jones, executive director of the Foundation, as he informed the schools of the diocese. “We are extremely excited to be offering the Match Grant program once again to our high schools as a direct result of the success of the Celebration.”
Schools can download their application forms online by clicking here to go to the “Match Grant” homepage. If you or someone you know is interested in helping the Foundation to promote giving at our schools through our Match Grant Program, please contact us today to find out how you can help.
Annual Report 2010-11
The Catholic Foundation is pleased to present its first Annual Report. The Foundation recently mailed the Annual Report for the 2010-2011 fiscal year to our annuitants, endowment holders, principals, pastors, and others who support the Catholic Foundation through their generous gifts. We invite you to read about who we are, what our programs are all about and features stories from those who have benefitted by the Catholic Foundation and its programs. The report also shares our financial position and various ways to make a gift. If you would like a copy of the Annual Report, click here to download the report or call the Foundation at 727-374-0220 to request a report be mailed to you.
Catholic Foundation Celebration an Amazing Success!
This year’s Catholic Foundation Celebration was truly awe-inspiring! The keynote address by His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl from the Archdiocese of Washington, celebrated Catholic education and its importance in today’s society as well as the challenges that we face on a diocesan level in maintaining Catholic education for future generations. Cardinal Wuerl touched on the significance that individuals play in obtaining affordable Catholic schools to all who desire it. Watch Cardinal Wuerl's speech here.
Mark Detlor Wins Board Scholarship Competition
Mark Detlor from Bishop Larkin Catholic School, Port Richey, is the winner of this year's Catholic Foundation 
Board of Trustees Essay Competition. As someone who's been enrolled in Catholic school since Pre-Kindergarten, this became an amazing opportunity for him to be able to continue his Catholic education at one of the Diocesan Catholic High Schools.
Started last year, this essay competition, completely funded by the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Foundation, invited the eighth grade students at the Diocesan Catholic schools to write an essay about "Why a Catholic Education is Important to me?" Every school had to identify one finalist to send to the Foundation to be reviewed for the prestigious honor of receiving a full-year tuition scholarship at one of our Catholic high schools.
"The Board of Trustees is excited to present this honor to Mark and his family. When he found out, he was left speechless, and according to Sister Regina, that is tough to do," comments Jon Jones, Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation.
Mark is the oldest of two boys. Even though he has faced his challenges of faith in his life already, he is surrounded by a family that continues to provide him a good Catholic home, not only at home with his mom and grandparents, but also at his Bishop Larkin School family. "They are our other family," shares Cathy Detlor, mother of Mark.
Mark will receive his official certificate and also share his essay aloud with those gathered at this year's Catholic Foundation Celebration on Feb. 11. For more information about this event, click here. To watch a video presentation of Mark reading his essay or to listen to the interview Mark gave to Spirit FM 90.5, please click on the links below.
New Scholarship Established at Our Lady of Lourdes
“There was just no question. It was a given that all of us were going to Catholic school,” Terri Landry, the eldest of eight children of Martin and Helen Moran, described the expectations set forth by her parents who desired a Catholic education for all of their children. Providing a Catholic education for even one child in today’s economy can be difficult, but to provide one for all eight speaks for the Moran’s dedication and commitment to Catholic education. The children say that the Catholic education they received while growing up in Michigan made such an impact on their lives that they wanted to establish a lasting tribute to their parents who sacrificed so much to give them that gift.
