Catholic Schools receive $150K from Cabrini Foundation

Struggling families who send their children to Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Albany will be getting a much-needed shot in the arm.

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has awarded diocesan schools $150,000, which will be distributed by the Albany Diocesan School Board, to assist the most vulnerable families in the communities. Additionally, the Catholic School Office has launched an online tuition relief giving platform to support local school families struggling to meet tuition payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds provided by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation are being distributed among the diocesan schools which are eligible to receive Beacon of Hope Scholarship Funds. The funds will be administered locally by the principal of each school in consultation with the pastor or review committee. The current amount given to each school, including the tuition relief funds raised thus far, is $7,500. Schools can expect to receive disbursements in the coming weeks.

“Each school will appropriate the money where they see the greatest need in keeping with the spirit of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grant,” said Giovanni Virgiglio, superintendent of Schools. “By launching the COVID-19 Tuition Relief Fund at the same time, we are supplementing these funds through the generosity of our friends and neighbors who support the future of our wonderful schools and the desire to give back during these unprecedented times.

“We are deeply grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Board for recognizing the important work we do in our schools, especially with our underserved and immigrant populations,” Virgiglio continued. “Mother Cabrini was drawn to people who faced the greatest struggles, which is very much in line with the mission of our Catholic schools.”

“We are honored to support such a wide range of organizations doing critically important work to improve the health and well-being of New York’s most vulnerable communities,” said Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., chief executive officer of Visa and chair of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Board.

To donate to the COVID-19 Tuition Relief Fund, go to https://tinyurl.com/COVID19tuitionrelief. Donors can designate a particular diocesan school to support by including that information under NOTES on the payment page.