It is my belief that annual giving, like morality, should be a function of gratitude. People contribute their discretionary income to many things that are near and dear to their hearts. And the institutions that educate children should be high among them.

At Saint Patrick Catholic School, we are incredibly blessed. The James-Barry Robinson Trust has built our school without relaying one penny of the capital costs to anyone. Additionally, the Trust is underwriting a substantial amount of each child's tuition. In fact, nearly half of it. It is a rare and remarkable gift.

This fact alone is a most compelling reason for everyone within our Saint Patrick Catholic School community to be as generous as possible towards the school's annual giving campaign. We support those things that are most important to us. And what is more important than the gift of a child's education?

Yet there is another reason that we ask all of our community to contribute to the school. Our goal is to make Saint Patrick affordable to any child who qualifies for admission despite his or her economic status, race, or ethnicity. This is an enormous responsibility, one which the Trust cannot fund alone. It takes support from everyone—each person pulling together and contributing what they can to realize such an extraordinary vision. In a word, it takes you.

Whether you are a parent, grandparent, uncle, teacher or administrator, community friend, parishioner…we proudly and expectantly ask you to serve and contribute to this inspiring faith-based academic program which we trust will be accessible to all in our community for many years to come. We're about realizing a remarkable vision. It is actually the vision of building the kingdom that was established over 2000 years ago by Jesus of Nazareth, who we call our brother, our Savior and our Lord.

Be a part of it.

I celebrate you and thank you for your generosity.

Gratefully,
Stephen J. Hammond