WINDSOR MILL – Students from the Cardinal Shehan School are capable of lifting spirits with more than their voices.

Before the Catholic school on northeast Baltimore had a viral choir, its current eighth-graders developed a relationship with their peers from Al-Rahmah School, an Islamic school in western Baltimore County.

Together, the students made bag lunches Dec. 19 for people who are homeless.

The service project extends an initiative that began when the students were in sixth grade and they wrote to each other as pen pals. Last fall, students from Al-Rahmah visited Cardinal Shehan, where the pen pals met and collaborated on a drawing centered on the theme of peace.

“Peace is the commonality between both (schools),” said Jackie Peterson, the advancement director at Cardinal Shehan, where the school’s theme for the year is “the peace you see is the Jesus in me.”

The 300 lunches, each packed with a sandwich, bag of chips, fruit cup and bottle of water, will be distributed at Beans & Bread, a program of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore. Each lunch includes a note from one of the students, letting the recipient know that there is an individual on the other end who cares.

Madison Brown, one of the 48 eighth-graders from Cardinal Shehan who participated Dec. 19, said that she wants to do more with her peers at Al-Rahmah.

“Even (if) we help every three months,” Brown said, “it’s (for) people that need it every day.”

Despite Catholic school uniforms and hijabs, teachers and students alike commented on the eighth-graders’ similarities. While it took the students a few minutes to warm to each other, they became friends after discovering a mutual love of music and other topics.

“It’s a different experience,” said Mariah Dixon, who a student at Cardinal Shehan for seven years. “It gets rid of all the stereotypes.”

The idea originated with Father Joseph Muth, pastor of St. Matthew in Northwood, who, along with his parish’s Immigration Outreach Service Center and pastoral council, wanted to find a way to connect with the Muslim community. As the partnership continues to grow, they hope to add a component for parents to meet and interact.

“We want our kids to get to know Muslims early on,” said Father Muth, who added that the students easily found “the common ground of life” within each other.

In October, Cardinal Shehan School soared in visibility when a video of the school’s choir singing “Rise Up” by Andra Day went viral. Fametta Jackson, principal, said that the school was a “well-kept secret” before.

“God said, ‘No longer will you be a secret, the world will know about you,’” said Jackson, who said that she still gets chills when she hears her students sing the song. “That’s why I get those chills, it’s because God is reminding me that our job is not done.”

Jackson, who walked the halls of Cardinal Shehan School when it was a parish school for St. Matthew, said that it is important that the world knows that singing is just one way the school promotes its mission of peace.

“That song was about bringing hope,” Jackson said. “This (project) is bringing peace to communities that need it.”

The schools plan to continue the partnership after the current eighth-graders move on.

“That’s what Christ wants us to do,” Jackson said. “Spread his kindness to all.”

Email Emily Rosenthal at erosenthal@CatholicReview.org

For the third year in a row, Archbishop William E. Lori joined the Maryland Knights of Columbus Dec. 5 to distribute coats to children in Baltimore.

This year’s event was at St. Peter Claver Church in West Baltimore, where every student from Archbishop Borders School, Cardinal Shehan School, Holy Angels Catholic School and Ss. James and John Catholic School – 1,048 all told – went home with a new coat.

Student representatives from each of the Partners in Excellence schools visited with Archbishop Lori to find a perfect fit, and returned with coats for each of their classmates.

“It may not feel like we need it today, but we’ll be needing it in the days ahead,” Archbishop Lori, chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, said. “Who of us doesn’t need a warm coat in the winter?”

In 2016, Coats for Kids, a Knights of Columbus program, allowed local councils to donate 87,906 coats throughout the United States and Canada. The Maryland Knights of Columbus contributed to that number by distributing 1,700 coats last year, during a similar event at Ss. James and John.

Stephen Cohen, state deputy of the Maryland State Council of the Knights of Columbus and parishioner of St. Pius X in Rodgers Forge, has been a knight for 42 years.

“(We are here) to give kids coats that may never get a new coat,” Cohen said, adding that the event encompasses several of the Knights’ service points of emphasis: church, community, council, culture of life, family and youth.

“We all care about the kids in the community,” said Lawrence LaPrade, a Baltimore City police officer in the community relations unit in the Western District, where he was born and raised. He and another officer helped load the schools’ vehicles with boxes of coats.

The Maryland Knights, comprised of men from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Wilmington, donate between 2,500 and 3,000 winter coats to children throughout the state of Maryland each year.

In addition to the state council, approximately 150 local councils and chapters used fundraisers and direct donations to purchase the coats for about $18 apiece through a retailer that works with the Knights.

“This is just scratching the surface,” said Mark Mangus, state youth activities director and parishioner of St. Louis in Clarksville, who has been a knight for 33 years. “But if we can help some, it’s better than not helping any.”

Mangus coordinated the purchase and deliveries of the coats to St. Peter Claver. Members of the state council and some of their wives helped to unload and sort the coats by sizes to be sent to the schools.

“No kid should be cold,” Mangus said.

Email Emily Rosenthal at erosenthal@CatholicReview.org

$3,000

Donation from the Knights of Columbus Council 2942 of Dundalk to the Children’s Faith Formation Program in the pastorate of Sacred Heart of Mary and Our Lady of Fatima in Baltimore, and St. Rita in Dundalk.

On Oct. 22, the Knights presented separate checks of $1,500 to St. Rita and Sacred Heart of Mary.

“The Knights have made contributions to our program for a number of years and have always supported our efforts of passing the Faith on to a new generation of Catholics,” wrote Father George Gannon, pastor, in a recent bulletin announcement.

1,136

Books collected by Geoffrey Forsyth, a member of Boy Scout Troop 396 and senior at St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis, who wanted to complete his Eagle Scout Project in a unique way.

Forsyth collaborated with the African Library Project to collect and donate books of a fourth- to eighth-grade reading level that would be used for the creation of a library in Malawi, Africa.  His project gained momentum at St. Mary’s, where approximately 350 books were collected; the remainder of the books came from boxes at the public library.

Forsyth completed his Eagle Scout project May 31. In September, he received pictures from the African Library Project of his books being delivered.

Forsyth hopes to pursue a career as an officer in the military.

650+

Pounds of supplies a Mount St. Mary’s student and his rugby teammates donated to Hurricane Irma victims.

After parts of Luis Turbyfield’s home community of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, were destroyed, he reached out to his university’s community and administration for assistance. The head coach of the men’s rugby team, Jay Myles, requested that families attending FamilyFest make donations. The community responded with clothing, diapers, work gloves, dust masks and toiletries. The men’s rugby team sorted the donations and prepared them for transport to the islands.

Turbyfield, a graduate of Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, and his family personally delivered the donations to Providenciales the week of Oct. 9, over the school’s fall break. With the help of the local Salvation Army, Luis helped distribute individual bags of supplies. He plans to return in December with a new collection of needed materials.

$130.86

Dollars that students of St. Thomas More Academy in Middletown collected for Catholic schools in areas recently affected by hurricanes as part of the National Catholic Education Association’s Student to Student Initiative.

The PreK through eighth-grade students also submitted artwork centered on the theme of hope, and students ages 8-14 performed the song “Hope Will Not Disappoint.” Using the music and artwork, a slideshow centering on the theme of hope was created and shared virtually.

Thirty-eight schools received the message, and 14 of their principals responded with their gratitude. A parent from Royal Palm Academy in Naples, Fla., wrote to wrote to St. Thomas More Academy, “Your message of hope rings clear, as our children hum the tune in your video! We appreciate your kindness, thoughtfulness and prayers!”

To view the slideshow, visit https://youtu.be/h9t7Cx9-6kg.

55

Confirmation candidates from St. Francis de Sales in Abingdon who sponsored a 5K run and 1 mile walk.  On Nov. 4, 165 runners and walkers participated in the Shelter: Operation Sprint (S.O.S.) event that raised almost $4,000 for the Welcome One Faith Communities and Civic Agencies United (FCCAU) Homeless Shelter, Harford County’s only full-service emergency homeless shelter.

When given the challenge to design a service project inspired by the Beatitudes, the sophomore-aged candidates chose a 5K event.  The 55 candidates worked in teams to execute all areas of event planning, from advertising and research to set-up and clean-up.

8

Steps that Monsignor Slade Catholic School in Glen Burnie has taken to further involve its students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The school, which welcomes students in Pre-K2 through eighth grade, recently opened a STEM lab, complete with a makerspace.

Students participate in STEM-focused learning using snap circuitry, an OWI robotic arm, LEGO robotics kits, Ozobots, coding and 3-D printers. To help create a STEM environment at Monsignor Slade, the school welcomed a new staff member, Kathleen Oleszczuk, a technology and STEM specialist with more than 24 years of experience in teaching STEM.

5

Members inducted into Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg’s Seton Council chapter of the Vincentian Marian Youth (VMY) during a Mass celebrating the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul Sept. 27. According to the school, VMY is an international organization that “encourages youth to become missionaries of Christ through outreach to their communities.”

Archbishop William E. Lori celebrated the Mass that welcomed eighth-graders Hannah Cavey, Mia Ferraro and Bella Rabaiotti; and seventh-graders Jameson Doll and Beckett Tayler. They join current eighth-graders Shae Archie, Keola Evans, Jacob Hartness, Brody Holz and Raphaela Smaldone; and current seventh-graders Layla Metts, Mackenzie Orndorff, Pearl Walker and Violet Walker (see photo above).

The principles of community, service, Marian spirituality and formation to service are at the core of every VMY meeting and activity. Seton Council members participate in food drives, volunteer at the Catoctin Pregnancy Center and the Seton Thrift Store, and visit with residents at St. Catherine’s Nursing Center.

3

The age of Robbie Long III when his parents had him evaluated for developmental delays and discovered that he was on the autism spectrum. The diagnosis did not stop Robbie from achieving success, especially in wrestling.

Robbie, who was featured in the Catholic Review in April 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz6A2aXiJVg

has played multiple sports at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Essex, including wrestling.

The Maryland chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame awarded Robbie with its Medal of Courage for 2017. According the organization’s website, wrestling made Robbie’s high school experience special, and his presence on the team reminded teammates and coaches of the value of participating in a team sport.

St. Frances Academy in Baltimore completed its total dominance of the local scene Nov. 19, when the Panthers scored five second-half touchdowns in 13 minutes to run by Gilman School, 44-7, in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship game at Homewood Field on the campus of The Johns Hopkins University.

It was a familiar effort from the Panthers, who have outscored the opposition by an average of 36 points this season.

St. Frances Academy, which went 6-0 in conference play, improved to 12-0 overall and isn’t done with its landmark season. Ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 13 in USA Today’s Super 25, the Panthers will play Dec. 23 in Phoenix, against an opponent to be determined, in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series.

The A Conference title was the latest accomplishment for a school that did not have a football program until 2008. It showed its ambitions in 2013, when the Panthers leapt from the C Conference to the A Conference, but they did not win a game at that level two years ago.

All that changed, however, when the coaching staff and accompanying resources that had built Gilman into an A Conference power moved to St. Frances Academy.

“It’s a great season with a bunch of great kids,” said Biff Poggi, a co-head coach along with Henry Russell.

In the A Conference semifinals the previous Sunday, St. Frances Academy beat McDonogh and Gilman beat Calvert Hall a second time.

The Panthers, who trounced the Greyhounds 50-0 during the regular season, fell for an onside kick to open the game and fell behind 7-0, but outscored their opponent 44-0 the rest of the way.

Joachim Bangda, a junior, carried the ball 16 times for 148 yards and four touchdowns on an afternoon when a strong wind put greater emphasis on the ground game.

Classmate Jake Larson put St. Frances Academy ahead for good with a 34-yard field goal with 3:25 remaining in the first half. His punts and kickoffs helped the Panthers control field position.

Four touchdowns in the third quarter included an 8-yard run from junior quarterback Jalon Jones, and a 29-yard interception return by sophomore linebacker Osman Savage.

“We wanted to show them (Gilman) we’re here,” Savage said. “We’ve been preparing this whole week. Our motto is ‘practice how we play.’ On that first series (following the game-opening onside kick), we didn’t play hard.”

View more photos in our Smugmug gallery here.

Visual journalist Kevin J. Parks contributed to this article.

ABERDEEN – Fourth-graders used small robots to move rovers around a replica of the surface of Mars, which they created on their classroom floor.

Annelise Lakatta and Cameron Blackburn, eighth-graders aspiring to STEM careers, discussed favorite aspects of their education.

Children of all ages engaged in activities included using spaghetti noodles and gumdrops to design models of Mars rovers; projecting constellations onto walls; and coloring paper rockets, while discussing the best ways to make them fly.

Students from PreK-4 through eighth grade at St. Joan of Arc School in Aberdeen participated Nov. 4 in the Maryland STEM Festival, an annual program held across the state over a two-week period.

At St. Joan of Arc School, classes shared projects and hands-on activities centered on the middle school edition of “The Martian,” a fictional novel about an astronaut who uses scientific principles and technologies to survive on Mars.  The story gained popularity with the 2015 film starring Matt Damon.

Nearly 200 students at St. Joan of Arc School benefit from a STEM-focused learning environment. According to its website, the school “infuses Catholic identity into every aspect of a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).”

The theme for St. Joan of Arc’s school year is “God is Creator of the Universe.” Students are applying skills such as mapping and coding in unique ways, especially by focusing on the planet Mars.

“The kids take the information and learn how to apply it,” said Virginia Bahr, principal. “STEM is very important to the future of our students.”

The Archdiocese of Baltimore named St. Joan of Arc a STEM school in 2011. In June, the school became the first in the archdiocese to receive a STEM Endorsement from Notre Dame of Maryland University.

Smart Boards and computers in all classrooms; a LabLearner Science Lab; a mobile laptop cart; two mobile iPad carts; and school-wide Internet access points create an environment conducive to STEM learning.

“I really like how (St. Joan of Arc) is about STEM,” fifth-grader Kayla Capelli said. “I wake up and enjoy coming to school here.”

Preston Juarez quizzed his father on simple machines, a topic he and his fifth-grade classmates cover in their science class. This is his first year at St. Joan of Arc, and his father, Patrick, said of his attitude and achievement, “In the first month I saw an improvement.”

Preston has noticed changes in himself, as well.

“Science used to be my least favorite (subject),” Preston said. “But now it’s my favorite.”

First-year instructor Michael Adamowski, who teaches fifth-grade science, math and religion, said that the hands-on approach to learning makes it fun for the students and provides them with the 21st-century skills sought by employers.

The school’s proximity to Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG) provides a unique opportunity for students, as APG employees engage in outreach to the school to assist in teaching certain lessons. Many students have parents in STEM fields, as 18-20 percent of St. Joan of Arc families include a parent in the military; and other parents work for government contractors.

St. Joan of Arc incorporates STEM into all subjects, including the fine and language arts. Bahr said that St. Joan of Arc is not just a STEM school, but more accurately a “STREAM” school – science, technology, religion, engineering, the arts and math.

According to Robyn Barberry, the art and sixth-grade language arts teacher, her students learn that just because you are a fan of STEM, does not mean that you cannot appreciate or enjoy art.

“We cater to the whole brain,” Barberry said. “We want our kids to be thinkers and dreamers.”

Email Emily Rosenthal at erosenthal@catholicreview.org

Ti’Yon McDowell’s advocates at Holy Angels Catholic School in Baltimore go well beyond its staff.

McDowell was on stage in the gym at Cardinal Shehan School Nov. 7 for the sixth annual fall luncheon sponsored by the Women’s Education Alliance. Its members donated more than $200,000 this year, in the form of ongoing scholarships for deserving children at Holy Angels, Cardinal Shehan and the city’s two other Partners in Excellence schools, Archbishop Borders and Ss. James and John.

In addition to being chairwoman of school support services for WEA, Gina Gracie has been sponsoring McDowell’s Catholic education since he was in the third grade.

“I assumed this donation would be like any other,” Gracie told a gathering that included Archbishop William E. Lori. “He (Ti’Yon) was a little guy then. He’s still always smiling. He writes me, that he’s getting A’s and B’s. He makes me proud. I know he is way more artistic than me.”

According to Meghan Cosgrove, the assistant principal at Holy Angels, McDowell is also a math wiz.

“He likes to be able to share what he knows with his classmates if he sees they are struggling,” Cosgrove told the Review. “He also likes science and is excelling in both. In science he finds it interesting to learn about the human body and his lungs and how it all works.”

The spirit of students from the other PIE schools was on display, starting with another rendition of “Rise Up” by the choir from Cardinal Shehan, which graces the cover of the November issue of the Catholic Review.

Kenyatta Hardison, the choir’s director, shared that the video of a late September rehearsal had been viewed, as of that morning, more than 42 million times. Her students have already performed on Good Morning America, the nation’s most-watched morning news show. Next up is a Nov. 13 appearance on “The View,” a request from Whoopi Goldberg for her 62^nd birthday.

Theresa Derr and Jacey Kadima of Archbishop Borders School offered grace. Mi’chael Pearson, a sixth-grader at Ss. James and John, shared a song. Daina Gomez choreographed a dance by four girls from Archbishop Borders: Cindy Figueroa, Sophia Fernandez, Quadalupe Ramos and Katherine Quizphi. The dance included their principal, Alicia Freeman.

Dr. LaUanah King-Cassell, of Ss. James and John, served as emcee, on behalf of her fellow principals: Freeman, Fametta Jackson of Cardinal Shehan and Kathleen Filippelli of Holy Angels.

She described students coming from neighborhoods racked by drugs, poverty and other social ills.

“The data predicts that (our students) will not be successful,” King-Cassell said. “The predictions of failure are from the reality. Our children succeed against all odds.

“The main ingredient is that our schools and students witness the presence of God every day. He is the fiber of everything we do.”

She asked not just for financial donations, but for tutors and mentors.

“You are the wind beneath our wings,” King-Cassell told the guests from WEA, which is led by Betty Contino.

Archbishop Lori thanked benefactors, educators and families of students.

“Our students,” he said, “deserve the most applause of all.”

Email Paul McMullen at pmcmullen@CatholicReview.org

Notre Dame Preparatory School capped a perfect 18-0 season in field hockey Nov. 5 with a 3-1 victory over Garrison Forest in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) A Conference championship game at Stevenson University.

The Blazers fell behind with 12 minutes left in the first half, but roared back with goals from juniors Nathalie Friedman and Olivia Kenney, and sophomore Liza Regan.

The outcome gave NDP its first IAAM championship in field hockey and erased the sting of a last-second loss to McDonogh in the 2016 championship game, when the Blazers had 12 seniors.

“This group of impressive women have been amazing all season long,” said NDP coach Katrina Ross, whose team included six seniors. “They come out, day in and day out, and get the job done.”

The weekend also produced championships for the girls’ soccer team from St. Mary’s in Annapolis and the boys’ soccer team from Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex.

The Saints won the IAAM B Conference title Nov. 4 at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), with a 3-0 victory over local rival Severn. St. Mary’s got goals from Lindsey Grady, Amanda Roy and Chloe Byrne. The Saints, who are coached by Sarah Molina, had started the season 0-4-1.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel won the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) C Conference crown, 1-0 over Glenelg Country School at AACC Nov. 5, when junior Jaime Reyes scored with 1 minute, 3 seconds remaining in the first overtime.

It was the first soccer title since 2000 for the Cougars, who are coached by Mark Concordia.

Teams from Catholic high schools, meanwhile, suffered heartbreaking losses in A Conference soccer finals.

Mount St. Joseph topped Archbishop Curley on the road in an MIAA semifinal that went to penalty kicks, but coach Mike St. Martin’s team was unable to overcome top-seeded McDonogh Nov. 5 at AACC, where the Gaels went down, 2-0.

The Gaels finished 15-6-1 with a lineup anchored by Brett St. Martin, the coach’s son, who will move on to NCAA power University of Maryland.

Mercy used an even bigger semifinal upset in the IAAM, where it knocked off top-seeded Archbishop Spalding, but the Magic couldn’t replicate that act in the Nov. 5 championship game at Stevenson, where McDonogh got its only goal with 41 seconds remaining for a 1-0 win.

Mercy, which entered the playoffs with a five-game losing streak, went nearly 240 minutes of regulation in the postseason without surrendering a goal. Goalie Kathleen Rogers repeatedly made big saves against McDonogh, which had a premature celebration stopped when Magic defender Mia Ramirez made a clear off the goal line early in the second half.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids and this school,” said Doug Pryor, the Mercy coach. “It hurts right now, (but) deep down inside I am so happy for our program. The effort was great. We played three games in six days and a double overtime game against Spalding. The effort was just priceless.

“It stinks right now, but these kids are special. What they just left on the field is insane.”

The field hockey team from Maryvale Preparatory School reached the IAAM B Conference final Nov. 5 at Stevenson, where it lost to St. Paul’s School for Girls, 3-0.

Kevin Parks contributed to this article.

For more photos, visit our Smugmug page here.

COCKEYSVILLE – After two years of taking a backseat to Mount St. Joseph at the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championships, the cross country team from Loyola Blakefield resumed its customary position Nov. 1.

The Dons held off the Gaels, 60-67, at the MIAA championship meet at Oregon Ridge. It was the 15th MIAA or Maryland Scholastic Association title in 33 seasons for coach Jose Albornoz, whose program won six straight from 2009 to 2014.

Then, Loyola Blakefield had stars such as Matt Jablonski, who went on to the University of Oregon and won the half-marathon at the Oct. 21 Baltimore Running Festival.

Now, the Dons have a lineup that is still a year from peaking, as their first four finishers, Camden Gilmore (fourth), Connor Verrett (sixth), Kyle Clarke (11^th) and Ronan Sullivan (19^th) are all juniors.

What it lacked in experience, Loyola Blakefield made up in motivation. The Dons went down in a collective tumble at the start and never recovered in last year’s championship race, and there was the matter of a one-point loss to Gilman during the A Conference regular season.

“We’ve been talking since last winter about today,” said Gilmore, a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City. “The loss to Gilman assured us that we would remain focused for this.”

The Dons were hardly a lock, as Albornoz, hobbled by an old knee injury, gamboled to the eastern stretch of the 3.1-mile course during a race in which a challenge from St. Paul’s added to a nervous afternoon.

Dan Quets (20^th) was the other scorer for Loyola Blakefield, which dealt with a number of injuries this season, including one to sophomore Paul Macdonald.

“We expect to win every year,” Albornoz said. “We’re not as experienced as in years past, and it takes a while for the younger guys to get used to the (training) mileage, but we got it done.”

A math teacher, Albornoz’s own education includes the former parish school at St. Charles Borromeo, Mount St. Joseph and what is now Loyola University Maryland.

The Gaels got a third-place finish Hunter Petrik and a seventh from Andrew Brinker. Calvert Hall’s Owen Johnson finished fifth in a race won by McDonogh’s Dalton Hengst.

The meet came one week after girls from Catholic schools dominated the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland championships at Stevenson University.

Samantha Facius, a junior from Mount de Sales, finished the 3.1-mile course in 18:58.54, 17 seconds ahead of sophomore Lacey Eden, whose runner-up finish paced a team title for Archbishop Spalding, which is coached by Mike Ward.

The Cavaliers, who lost to Maryvale Preparatory School by one point Oct. 11, edged the Blazers at the championship meet, 52 to 67. Spalding’s other scorers were sophomore Allysa Combs (fourth), Kate Oravec (12^th), Maddy Sampson (13^th) and Sara Swanlund.

Notre Dame Preparatory got a third-place finish from Julia Merriman and came in third in the team standings.

To view more photos from the boys championship, visit our Smugmug page here.

Email Paul McMullen at pmcmullen@CatholicReview.org.

FREDERICK– Al Edwards and Pam Zusi, longtime supporters of Catholic education, were honored with the 2017 John McElroy Award Oct. 3 by the Friends of Catholic Education.

According to its mission statement, FOCE is “dedicated to providing a Catholic school education in Frederick County for all who seek it.” Since its founding in 1989, it has provided more than $5 million in financial assistance to Catholic schools and students in the county.

Edwards and Zusi have been a big part of that effort.

Zusi was the first director of alumnae relations for her scholastic alma mater, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda; served in development at Hood College; then returned to a Catholic campus as director of development at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg.

After her retirement in 2010, she held board positions at Visitation Academy in Frederick (which closed in 2016) and St. John’s Catholic Prep in Buckeystown, and serves as chairwoman of the Frederick County Catholic Schools Coordinating Committee.

Zusi is also instrumental in aiding those with disabilities, a passion that began when her granddaughter, Meredith, was born with a genetic condition, Trisomy 8. Meredith is now 19, and her grandmother is active in L’Arche, an international organization that creates and supports housing for those with disabilities.

Zusi is busy preparing for a major fundraiser for the Friends of L’Arche Frederick, the Let it Shine Extravaganza Oct. 14 at St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Frederick. The event will feature professional musicians performing alongside those with intellectual disabilities.

Edwards attended Catholic grade school, DeMatha Catholic High in Hyattsville, and then Mount St. Mary’s University. He rose to the rank of captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, and worked as an executive for several cosmetics companies.

After moving to Frederick, Edwards served on the boards of DeMatha High and St. John’s Catholic Prep. He has been a member of the board of FOCE for 16 years, and was its president for five.

Edwards noted that attending Catholic schools for 16 years cost his parents approximately $2,800. Today, that same education runs in the vicinity of $300,000.

“That is why Friends of Catholic Education exists,” said Edwards, explaining why he and the other supporters of FOCE are dedicated to helping children who could not afford a Catholic education otherwise.

The John McElroy Award honors the Jesuit who founded what is now St. John’s Catholic Prep in 1829, served as one of the first Catholic chaplains of the U.S. Army and founded Boston College.

In addition to Mount St. Mary’s and St. John’s Catholic Prep, Frederick County includes three pre-K-8 schools: Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg, St. John Regional Catholic School in Frederick and St. Thomas More Academy in Middletown,

“We are happy to be able to support them,” said Michele Corr, executive director of FOCE.

Attendees at the awards dinner at the Ceresville Mansion included Elizabeth Fernandez, a sixth-grader at St. Thomas More Academy, and Briyel Alao, a second-grader at Mother Seton School, both recipients of FOCE scholarships.

Fernandez is the second of seven children; five currently attend St. Thomas More Academy. She enjoys Lego robotics, learning piano and playing on the boys’ baseball team.

At Mother Seton School, Alao enjoys her gym class and technology class.

“She likes it, I like it,” said Georgine Gogan, Alao’s mother, who wants her daughter to attend a Catholic high school. “I love Catholic school.”

Father Brian Nolan, chaplain of Mount St. Mary’s University, delivered the keynote address. He highlighted what he called the two greatest aspects of Catholic education – to share the Good News and to be the Good News.