Educational Endowment Fund
What is it and why do I need to support it?
Catholic training of both the young and old is a necessary component in today's ever-changing environment. The Catholic educational environment continues to embrace the traditional values of family, faith and education.
Endowment History
The St. Paul of the Cross Parish Educational Endowment Fund Board began its work in 2000 by championing a fundraising campaign to support affordability and accessibility of Catholic education for future generations of SPC students. One of our founding board members, Maureen McCambridge, expressed her sincere belief that “children need faith, love, and education. Nurturing the spirit of a child is priceless.” It was her great desire that an endowment be established in order to sustain this belief. After her passing in 2005, the endowment received several donations and a scholarship was created in her name.
Every year since then, the Maureen Kelly McCambridge Scholarship has been awarded to an outstanding 7th grade student based on leadership, character and service. This is a great tradition, and her family would like the scholarship awareness to keep growing.
Your Endowment At Work Today
Thanks to the dedication and generosity of our many benefactors, the Endowment Fund currently has over $2,000,000.00. Today, the Endowment funds a total of eight annual scholarships, provides stipend awards for our dedicated teachers, as well as financial support to after-school enrichment clubs and mission trips for our youth group. The Endowment also provides a yearly grant to education. The grant is applied towards operating expenses and has allowed St. Paul of the Cross School to keep tuition increases to a minimum.
High quality, well-‐respected teachers and a strong curriculum are the hallmark of Catholic education. Maintaining a facility large enough to accommodate the needs of over 600 SPC students as well as approximately 1,200 Catechesis students is essential. The only way to protect and preserve our Catholic education in the 21st Century is to ensure that each Parish School is financially sound, through a growing Parish Endowment Fund.
St. Paul of the Cross Educational Endowment Fund Mission
- To Keep tuition affordable for all families
- To Maintain and improve educational and religious curriculum for the school children and youth of the Parish and School
- To Provide financial assistance to families in need
- To Provide merit based scholarships based upon their Catholic values for several students each year
- To Provide teacher grants
- To Provide funding for extracurricular activity materials, equipment and teacher stipends for sponsoring these events
- To Provide financial support for the continuing education of our teachers who choose to pursue these opportunities to enhance their skills
Maureen McCambridge Scholarship
The St. Paul of the Cross Parish Educational Endowment Fund's Maureen McCambridge Scholarship, awarded to an SPC student entering 8th grade, is centered on his or her expression and exemplification of Christian values.
"Her legacy and the admiration people have for her is a reflection of the vibrant, confident, faithful person she was. The purpose of the scholarship is to continue applauding strong, faithful, motivated students, so that they will impact others the way my mom did." ~ Maureen's daughter, Kelly McCambridge, SPC Class of 2004
Merit-Based Endowment Awards
- Maureen McCambridge Scholarship - “Celebrate the Greatness of a Catholic Education”
This scholarship was established to honor the memory of a wonderful parent, teacher, friend and parishioner at St. Paul of the Cross. Fr. Carl and the Endowment Committee created this annual scholarship to pay tribute to the values by which she lived.
Eligibility: All current 7th grade students at St. Paul of the Cross are eligible to apply.
Award: One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded for his/her 8th grade school year.
Application Requirements: Applicants will submit a written application and selected semi-finalists will be interviewed.
Financial need and academic performance are not a part of the established criteria for this scholarship.
Applicants will be evaluated based upon Christian ideals, work ethic, creativity, compassion for others, community service, strong self-identity and leadership skills. - Pastoral Leadership Awards - These awards were established by the Endowment Committee as the result of a generous donation to honor the work of our current and former Pastors, Fr. Britto Berchmans and Fr. Carl Morello.
Eligibility: All current 5th and 6th grade students at St. Paul of the Cross are eligible to apply.
Award: Three $750 scholarships will be awarded.
Application Requirements: Applicants will submit a written application. Applicants will be evaluated based upon demonstrated leadership and service to others. Financial need will be a consideration for at least one of the scholarships. - Roseann McHugh New Family Welcome Award - This award was established by an anonymous donor to honor the memory of a beloved aunt who valued Catholic education and the strong sense of community it provided to school families.
Eligibility: All families with current K-7th grade students who are new to St. Paul of the Cross for the current school year and are returning for a second year are eligible to apply. (Previous attendance at SPC preschool does not prohibit you from applying.)
Award: One $500 scholarship will be awarded.
Application Requirements: Applicants will submit and be evaluated based upon a written application.
Need-based Endowment Awards
The Endowment funds five awards totaling $7,000. These awards are administered directly by the school annually. They are available to all current students.
Letters are sent home to all school families at the beginning of March each year.