Dear Friends in Christ:
Our church, city and country were set ablaze with excitement at the recent visit of His Holiness, Pope Francis. While in New York, Pope Francis requested to visit a Catholic school – the first time a Pope has ever done so in the United States. Later, he told everyone his most important visit was to that Catholic school.
Pope Francis’ comments, coupled with his message of ministering to the poor, emphasized the important work happening every day in Catholic schools to break the cycle of poverty through education. Futures in Education does the work of our Holy Father and brings attention to those who need help attaining the very same Catholic education the Pope praised.
At our Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner we celebrated 25 years of Futures in Education. We took this opportunity to look back on the many success stories that have come from our scholarship programs and thank all those who have made the“gift of education” possible. In particular, we recognized the successes of this year’s two honorees, Louis Grassi and Louis Milo. With their help and the assistance of our dinner committee and staff, we were able to build a better future for our students as we raised $2.3 million that evening. Furthermore, during the Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner, many of our past honorees joined me on stage to receive a token of our gratitude for their commitment to Catholic education. Additionally, Mr. John Loconsolo was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award in the name of the hundreds of students he has sponsored as an Angel.
While we are grateful to all of those who made the evening and our programs a success, we must remember that we need to continue to do more. Last year $11 million in scholarship assistance was requested by deserving applicants, but we were only able to give out a little over $7 million. I encourage each of you to participate in the Be an Angel to a Studentprogram and help us fulfill the needs of all deserving families.
As you gather with family and friends this holiday season, I pray that you will remember those who need our assistance and are deserving of those things which we were afforded by our parents and the church. We have an obligation to do for the next generation what has been done for us.
If you have already supported Futures this year, I thank you for your generosity. If you have yet to do so, I hope that you may reflect on the gifts God has given you and find a way to give back with the gift of a Catholic education by going towww.futuresineducation.org or by calling 718-965-7308. I commend all of you for being committed to our cause and the students we serve.
Thank you again, and please know that you will be remembered in my prayers – please remember me in yours!
P.S. While you may have made a gift to Futures already, have you considered leaving a legacy? For more information on a gift that won’t cost you during your lifetime, please call our Director of Development, Nick Vendikos at 718-965-7308 ext. 1624 or nvendikos@cfbq.org.
In Christ’s Peace,
Rev. Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello
Vicar for Development
R.C. Diocese of Brooklyn