A HISTORY OF SUCCESSFULLY

FACING

CHALLENGES

Throughout its one hundred years of service, St. Patrick’s Parish and St. Mary’s School have faced numerous economic pressures, but the challenge to commitment has always remained. As mentioned earlier, in the late 1970’s the St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s Foundations were established, with an eye to the future. The “Visions” Campaign of 1995 enabled the endowment funds to grow to the point where today the earnings from the endowment funds provides approximately 25% of the annual operating expenses of the school. However, the growth of the endowment funds has not been sufficient to cover the annual operational deficit of the school. This was apparent in 1990 when a financial crisis led to the SOS (Save Our School) fund drive. Its great success again gave evidence of the hand of Providence in the history of St. Patrick’s and St. Mary’s.

It is easy to observe that over the past decades St. Patrick’s Parish and St. Mary’s School have definitely withstood the test of time. This has happened because parishioners and parents of our school’s students have always stepped forward when asked to help. Your help is once again needed if we are to continue the tradition and heritage that we associate with St. Mary’s School.