Recently a group of former Catholic school students — now grown with children of their own — have launched an initiative called Friends for Life. Their immediate goal is to raise $500,000 to help support the ministry network founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph, who are currently working with the Twin Cities immigrant population in several different areas, including the Learning in Style English language program in Minneapolis and several St. Mary’s Health Clinics, which provide health care to more than 12,000 uninsured patients each year.
Members of the Friends group have been meeting on a regular basis for the past ten months. In addition to some individual donor fundraising efforts, there has also been a “friendly challenge” encouraging other Catholic school alumni to raise $50,000 per school or family to help fund and name a classroom or other ministry space.
“This is a phenomenal effort by people in their 40s and 50s who believe so strongly in the education they received from the sisters. They really consider their elementary schools to be like family,” said St. Joseph Sister Irene O’Neill, a Friends for Life committee member. “Their gratitude is multiplying in ways that will greatly benefit today’s immigrant population.” Read the rest of the article in The Catholic Spirit.
One of the main beneficiaries of this effort is our school. If you are an alum of one of the CSJ schools in Minnesota, consider joining us in educating a new generation of Minnesotans! Click here for more information about how you can become involved.
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