Local News September 2009 

NOTRE DAME PREP PLANS $76 MILLION EXPANSION

Notre Dame Preparatory is making plans for a $76 million campus expansion - including a new stadium and a fine arts center - on the north Scottsdale campus over the next 25 years.

The plan includes a deal with Scottsdale to use city wash land for excess parking and sports fields. <read story>

DIOCESE OF PHOENIX TO HOST SECOND ANNUAL NIGHT OF HOPE
TO SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

PHOENIX (September 21, 2009)  The Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools will present the second annual Night of Hope beginning at 6 p.m., Saturday, October 24, at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, 340 N. 3rd St., Phoenix. 

Designed to support the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools Endowment Fund, the evening will feature dinner hosted by Catholic school students.  The keynote speaker for the evening will be Dr. Elinor Ford, who was the first lay superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York. Gwen Foster, radio personality of KMLE Radio, FM-108, will be the master of ceremonies, and the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trustees will receive the Guardian of Hope Award from the Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix.

“It is fitting to honor the Piper Charitable Trustees with the Guardian of Hope Award,” says MaryBeth Mueller, executive director of the Office of Evangelization and Education for the diocese and superintendent of schools.  “The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust has provided enormous support to our schools, ensuring that we have the best facilities to educate our children.”

The Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools endowment fund of $4.2 million yields about $200,000 each year that can be used for tuition assistance for every school in the diocese.  The goal of the event is to double this endowment so every school can benefit from the funds available there.  The endowment fund by definition is aimed at providing a continual source of income for Catholic schools.  Once invested, the fund yields interest payments that can be used to fund programs, services and tuition assistance.

“A strong Catholic school system is vital to the future of our Church,” Mueller noted. “The purpose of Night of Hope is to make Catholic education in our diocese affordable and accessible to those families who truly want to bring their children up in a faith-filled environment.”

Night of Hope is aimed at bringing members of every Catholic school community together in one place to demonstrate the common faith foundation of the Diocesan schools while still showcasing each school’s unique identity.  The event has been created and planned by a dedicated group of volunteers, chaired by Cynthia Scheller.  Tickets are available for $100, and seating will be in tables of 10.  Sponsorships are also available.

For more information on this event, contact Margaret Hardy at the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools at 602-354-2344 or mhardy@diocesephoenix.org.

SETON CATHOLIC TO ADD NEW CLASSROOM BUILDING

PHOENIX (September 2, 2009) The East Valley’s only Catholic high school is moving forward with plans to build a 55,000-square-foot, three-story classroom building on its Chandler campus.

Seton Catholic High School, 1150 N. Dobson Road, received approval recently from the Diocese of Phoenix bishop, which allows the school to prepare for a groundbreaking early next year, said Paula Osterday, director of advancement for the school. <read story>