"Catholic education is the keystone and foundation for the success of our children and the following generations to come."
Marybeth and Michael, Parents
Foundation Celebration
The Foundation Celebration is the annual gala fundraiser for the Catholic Foundation's Tuition Assistance Program. Each year, we are delighted to welcome a speaker who, at Bishop Lynch's invitation, shares their perspective on the importance of Catholic Education.
Past speakers have included His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, and Dr. Carolyn Woo, former Dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. She is now the President of Catholic Relief Services, the USCCB's international relief organization.
We are looking forward to welcoming Cardinal Wuerl as our keynote speaker this year. You can read more about him below.
Catholic Foundation Celebration an Amazing Success!
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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.
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Essay Competition Finalists
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School Essay Competition Finalists Named
Congratulations to all of these students below. They are the finalist from their school in our 2nd annual essay competition. This competition invited our 8th graders at Catholic schools throughout the Diocese to share the importance of Catholic School education in their lives. The essays were reviewed at the local school level and a winning entry from each school was identified and sent in for the Diocesan-wide competition. We'll announce the winner in the coming weeks. The winner will receive a full-year tuition scholarship to the Diocesan Catholic High School of their choice, courtesy of the Catholic Foundation Board of Trustees.
Congratulations to each of the finalists named below.
- Andrew Buck and Ally Reed, Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
- Mark Detlor, Bishop Larkin Catholic School
- Myles Hahn, Christ the King Catholic School
- Jarred Crowley, Corpus Christic Catholic School
- Aubrey Wipfli, Espiritu Santo Catholic School
- Isabella Dohse, Guardian Angels Catholic School
- Olivia Studstrup, Holy Family Catholic School
- Evelio Christian Campos, Morning Star Catholic School, Tampa
- Caroline Pope, Nativity Catholic School
- Jessica Jones, Notre Dame Catholic School
- Mariah Faith Russo, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
- Melissa Raynor, Pope John Paul II Catholic School
- Sofia Varon, Sacred Heart Academy
- Claire Hryniewicki, Sacred Heart Interparochial Catholic School
- Collin Hankin, St. Anthony Interparochial Catholic School
- William Leverett, St. Joseph Catholic School
- Celeste Newcomb, St. Jude Cathedral School
- Denis Tarcza, St. Patrick Catholic School
- Matthew Hannan, St. Paul Catholic School
- Claire Smith, St. Raphael Catholic School
- J. J. Niekro, St. Stephen Catholic School
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2012 Celebration Sponsors
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As the Catholic Foundation Celebration draws near, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our generous sponsors for their enthusiastic support of this important evening. Your gifts make it possible for the Catholic Foundation to continue offering assistance through scholarships and tuition assistance to those families with deserving children who, without your help, would not be able to receive a Catholic education.
Gold
Diocese of St. Petersburg
Fana Medical Group
SunTrust Bank
Joe and Jo Ann White
Silver
Ted and Marty Couch
DiVito & Higham, PA
Herman Construction
Frank and Barbara Murphy
Roland and Masie Meyer
Mary O'Connor
Robert and Peggy Rothman
St. Anthony's and St. Joseph's Hospitals
Bronze
Bishop Larkin Catholic School
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School
Catholic Mutual Group
Christ the King Parish
Clearwater Central Catholic High School
Michael Colitz and Elizabeth DeConti
Drummond Wehle & Ross LLP
Espiritu Santo Catholic School
GenSpring Family Offices
Griffin Design Associates
Hill Ward Henderson
Holy Family Parish and School
Lewis Birch Ricardo LLC
Mary Help of Christians Parish
Don and Rosalind Moffett
Vince and Lenda Naimoli
Nativity Catholic Church
Nativity Catholic School
Notre Dame Catholic School
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
Our Lady of the Rosary Parish
Paul J. Sierra Construction Co.
Pope John Paul II Catholic School
Prince of Peace Parish
Saint Leo University
Robert and Nancy Shannon
St. Anne Parish (Ruskin)
St. Anthony Interparochial School
St. Brendan and St. Catherine of Siena Parishes
St. Jerome Parish
St. Jude Cathedral School and Parish
St. Patrick Catholic School
St. Paul Catholic School
St. Paul Parish (Tampa)
St. Peter Claver Catholic School
St. Stephen Catholic School
United HealthCare
Woodroffe Corporation Architects and Carastro Associates
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About our Keynote
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His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl
His Eminence
DONALD CARDINAL WUERL
Archbishop of Washington
Cardinal Donald Wuerl is the Archbishop of Washington and was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.
He is known nationally for his catechetical and teaching ministry and for his efforts on behalf of Catholic education. He serves on numerous national and international bodies and is Chancellor of The Catholic University of America. He has served as Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Education and as Chairman of the Board of the National Catholic Educational Association.
In 2008 he issued a pastoral letter, Catholic Education: Looking to the Future with Confidence, in which he highlighted the four pillars of Catholic schools: Catholic identity, academic excellence, accessibility and affordability.
Cardinal Wuerl is the author of numerous articles and books, including the best-selling catechisms, The Teaching of Christ and The Catholic Way, as well as more recent books The Mass, published in January 2011 and The Gift of Blessed John Paul II, published in April. His most recent book, Seek First the Kingdom, was just published.
Cardinal Wuerl hosted Pope Benedict XVI in Washington in April 2008 on the Holy Father’s historic journey to the United States. The Cardinal is also active in community activities, joining with civic and business leaders to promote Catholic education.
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