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Catholic Schools Foundation

Friday, March 28, 2025Culture

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As we reflect on the theme of journeying together in hope, let us remember where we came from and never forget the person who comes behind us.

Michael
Reardon

''When I was nine, my mom left and did not come back. I used her EBT card to get food for myself, and my neighbor would let me shower at their house." These words were shared with me recently by a remarkable Catholic Schools Foundation scholar when recounting her story, stated simply and as a matter of fact. A nine-year-old left on her own because her mom and stepdad were overcome by addiction, and to her, it was just another day.
As our conversation continued, she shared that she would be the first in her family to graduate from high school. This young woman went from living alone in Maine to being rescued by her dad and welcomed with open arms at a Catholic school thanks to the hard work of her dad, the commitment of the school, and the support of the donors to the Catholic Schools Foundation. Today, she will be the first in her family to graduate from high school, but she will be fourth generation in her family at Boston College when she arrives on campus next fall.
How can you be fourth generation at Boston College and yet be the first in your family to graduate from high school? This young woman's great-grandmother, grandmother, and dad all work in food service at Boston College, and she will join in the fall as a student.

Pope Francis's theme for Lent is "Let us journey together in hope," and as I listened to this scholar's story, I was filled with hope and gratitude. My own grandmother worked in food service, working in the cafeteria at St. Margaret's Hospital. An immigrant to this country, her desire was a better life for her children and grandchildren. She worked hard and watched my mom go on to nursing school and my aunt graduate from college. Both went on to be financially independent, establish families, and build on the foundation she and my grandfather laid for them.
The opportunity provided to my family is no different than that of students today, and like back then, it sometimes takes a little bit of help. None of us journey alone. In the case of my mom and aunt, it was the generosity of the Sisters of Charity at St. Patrick School in Roxbury and the people of the parish who made it possible for every family to attend the school. This was a living endowment that helped propel so many people forward.
Today, the Catholic Schools Foundation is privileged to be able to provide the financial resources for students who might not otherwise be afforded the life-changing opportunity that is a Catholic education. More than one in every 10 students in the Archdiocese of Boston receives a scholarship from the Catholic Schools Foundation.
As we reflect on the theme of journeying together in hope, let us remember where we came from and never forget the person who comes behind us. At some point, somewhere in our family tree, there was a person who had an opportunity presented to them, and it was that opportunity that made a difference for generations. Are we able to be that opportunity for someone else? This is something we can all reflect on this Lenten season.
Imagining a nine-year-old suddenly forced to care for themselves is a shocking visual, but it is not the story. The story is the commitment of three generations of a family, the teachers, and the generous donors to the Catholic Schools Foundation who journey with this young woman and, because of whom, she will be the fourth generation in her family on the campus of Boston College and the first as a student.
We journey together in hope because Catholic schools change lives.

- Michael B. Reardon is executive director of the Catholic Schools Foundation, www.CSFBoston.org.