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Intermountain Catholic

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More than 5,000 students are enrolled in Utah Catholic Schools' 16 elementary, middle and high schools.

SALT LAKE CITY — Catholic schools focus on teaching as Jesus did, as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops proclaimed in a 1972 pastoral message.

"Catholic schools educate in this context," said the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City. "Yes, students learn to read and write, and arithmetic, and all the basics, but it’s within the context of the Catholic community and the Catholic Church."

In addition to developing students’ minds, Catholic schools also nurture the spirit and the emotions, Bishop Wester said. "The whole person is formed in the Catholic schools."

In Utah’s 16 Catholic schools last year, 5,447 students were enrolled, 39 percent of whom received some form of tuition assistance at a total of more than $5 million. The schools call this tuition forgiveness because there are no scholarships or other funds to back it.

"We say we don’t want to turn anyone away because of finances – and we really mean that," said Holy Cross Sister Genevra Rolf, assistant superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools.

However, the schools are affected financially when they extend tuition forgiveness, she pointed out.

To help provide additional revenue as well as to offer a Catholic education to more students, Utah Catholic Schools started the Sponsor a Student program two years ago. Donors can designate a particular school or give to the fund as a whole; the money is distributed to the schools with the most need. Although similar programs in Oakland and New York have been successful, in this diocese it has gotten off to a slow start.

"Our hope is that this will grow," said Sr. Genevra, adding that Bishop Wester was the first person to donate to the program when it began.

"It helps individual students who otherwise would have a very difficult time paying for the tuition," Bishop Wester said. "It’s a wonderful idea. I hope it appeals to a lot of people."

Saint Andrew School in Riverton was among those that received funds through the Sponsor a Student program last year.

"It allows us to subsidize the tuition of two or three students whose parents are not able to pay the whole amount. If that had not come in we would either have had to decline accepting them or we’d have to find other means of trying to support those students," said Holy Cross Sister Karla McKinnie, principal. "Sponsor a Student will help all of our schools, especially bringing in students who really want a Catholic education but their family can’t provide it for them. I’m hoping to see it really grow."

For Sr. Genevra, 2012 began with two donations to the Sponsor a Student program, one for $5,000 and another for $2,500. "To start the new year we have $7,500. Isn’t that exciting?" she asked.

Donations to the Sponsor a Student program may be mailed in the envelope enclosed in this issue of the Intermountain Catholic, or make checks out to Utah Catholic Schools Sponsor a Student program and mail c/o Madeleine Choir School, 205 1st Ave., Salt Lake City, UT 84103-9930.