Sister Parishes Help Send 153 Students to Catholic School

A hug, smile, tear-filled eye and a loud “thank you!” As the 2023-2024 school year comes to a close, the children at our Catholic schools are being reunited with friends from their Sister Parishes. The generous men and women from 10 Catholic Church communities contributed more than $368,000 in tuition assistance through The Orange Catholic Foundation’s Catholic Schools Sister Parish Initiative.

This new funding supported 153 students on their journey to sainthood and provided them with a Catholic education. Here’s the breakdown: 86 students at St. Anne School in Santa Ana, 41 students at St. Joseph School in Santa Ana, 13 students at St. Justin Martyr School in Anaheim and 13 students at La Purisima School in Orange and their families were gifted with the financial blessings.

For one San Francisco Solano Catholic Church parishioner supporting St. Justin Martyr, the invitation to become a student sponsor was personal. Financial aid opened the door for Paz’s sons to attend Santa Margarita High School, and now, she wants to give back.

Paz is just one of the several donors who were invited to surprise either a TK, kindergarten or first grade class with “Jesus Loves You” teddy bears. These cuddly gifts will serve as a daily reminder that Jesus is always with them and that someone from their Sister Parish loves them too.

During the donor appreciation tour at St. Anne School in Santa Ana, Principal Sr. Teresa Lynch, CSJ, stressed how the students impacted and the transformation of the school over the years are all “miracles provided through your generosity.”

Frances, a Catholic Schools Sister Parish Initiative donor from St. Kilian Catholic Church, could sense that as she listened to the St. Anne School’s mariachi band, “the children have pride in what they are doing and, in their culture, too.” Frances is no stranger to the St. Anne community in Santa Ana. Years ago, she lived in the area, attended Mass at the church and some of her grandchildren attended school. So, when the Sister Parish program was introduced at St. Kilian’s in January 2024, Frances knew she needed to lend a helping hand.

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The students and staff from each school also visited their Sister Parishes in May and June to personally thank the church communities for their support. To further the impact of OCF’s Catholic Schools Sister Parish Initiative and learn how you can cover the cost to educate a student for a month, a year or even for a lifetime, reach out to a member of OCF’s Philanthropy Team at (714) 282-3021 or info@OrangeCatholicFoundation.org.

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Thank you to our Sister Parishes for partnering with OCF and our Catholic schools:

St. Anne Catholic Church, Seal Beach

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Irvine

Holy Family Catholic Church, Seal Beach

St. John Neumann Catholic Church, Irvine

St. Kilian Catholic Church, Mission Viejo

La Purisima Catholic Church, Orange

St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Laguna Woods

Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach

San Francisco Solano Catholic Church, Rancho Santa Margarita

Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church, Lake Forest