Trust started in 1973 marks $1 million in aid this year

Grosse Pointe Farms — Four decades ago, when the high school at St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms closed due to financial pressures, parishioners Tom and Lynn McGann knew something had to be done.

“We were stunned,” recalled Tom McGann. “My wife, Lynn, and I began to worry about the future for our younger ones. We thought that if they could close the high school, they could close the grade school as well. That would cut off another pipeline of future Catholic adults. So we looked at each other and agreed that something had to be done to prevent the closing.”

That something ended up being the St. Paul Educational Trust, which for 35 years has supported Catholic education at St. Paul on the Lake, and this year celebrated $1 million in scholarship disbursement and other assistance to the church’s school and religious education programs.

Started by the McGanns in 1973 — thanks to an initial donation of $1,000 by John K. Roney — with the encouragement of then-pastor Msgr. Francis X. Canfield, the trust grew steadily with contributions by parishioners, and began writing checks in 1979. The trust is currently valued at $1.5 million.

The McGanns looked to the example of universities and their endowments and foundations and figured this would be the way to ensure the St. Paul Grade School remained viable.

“At that time I was president of the St. Paul Parish Council and Lynn was chairman of the education commission of the parish,” Tom McGann said. “We took the idea to Msgr. Canfield. He agreed with us and said that he would help us get started, and he did, but it took over two years to get it approved by (then-archbishop) Cardinal (John) Dearden.”

Each year since 1987, the Trust has been granting tuition awards to students. There are currently six scholarships awarded annually. Thus far, 86 students have received St. Paul Educational Trust scholarships, extending their Catholic education when otherwise that might not have been possible. Some of the early recipients have made significant recent gifts to the trust.

“The trust has been a great blessing,” said Msgr. Patrick Halfpenny, pastor of St. Paul on the Lake. “We’re able to provide programs and materials which would otherwise be unavailable, but for the trust.”

Msgr. Halfpenny added that the work of the trust is necessary to make St. Paul’s school competitive with other schools in the area. “We’re in a community with excellent public and other private schools,” he said. “The trust helps us provide a comparable education, but in the critical context of a richly Catholic environment.”

 

Improving the classroom

In addition to tuition grants, the trust has supported the purchase of computers, smart boards, textbooks, consumable materials and other instructional supplies.

“In April of each year, I give the principal an estimate of the funds available,” McGann explained. “In May, the principal submits a list of items she or he would like to acquire to improve the tools in the classroom and the experience therein. The principal estimates the cost of the items and tries to match the estimate to the funds available. Currently the estimate is near $60,000.”

Msgr. Halfpenny credits the St. Paul Parish community for making the trust so successful and for playing a key role in building the Church.

“Families make great sacrifices in order to provide a Catholic education for their children,” he said. “The wider parish sees that sacrifice and supports it through the Educational Trust. Many have mentioned it in their will, or designated the trust for memorials at the time of a loved one’s funeral.

“The parish community knows that a Catholic school can and ought to be an integral element of the parish’s ministry of forming young hearts and minds as disciples of Jesus Christ,” Msgr. Halfpenny said. “We’re beginning to see more clearly how a Catholic school has an important role to play in the New Evangelization.”

Although many people have contributed time and resources to the trust, most point to Tom McGann as the head of the spear.

“Tom McGann has been an unflagging supporter of Catholic education,” the pastor said. “His grandchildren are students here at St. Paul. He continues to recruit energetic, dedicated board members to replace original members as they retire. He’s living evidence of good Catholic stewardship of what the Lord has entrusted to us.

“While I wasn’t here at its origin, I have to ask myself if the Educational Trust would exist today without Tom’s energy, dedication and leadership,” Msgr. Halfpenny asks rhetorically. “Lots of other folks have given time, talent and treasure as well, but Tom’s heart is on fire for this project. It was at the start, and still is today.”

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Tim Keenan is a freelance writer based in Farmington Hills.

St. Paul Educational Trust

The named endowed scholarships awarded by the St. Paul Educational Trust include:

• The Msgr. Francis X. Canfield Scholarship – (four) $1,000 per year each – Merit-based

• The Couzens Family Scholarship — (four) $1,000 per year each – Merit

• The FitzSimons Family Scholarship — (one) $750 per year - Need

• The Alice and Joseph Wright Scholarship — (three) $750 per year – Merit

• The Eileen Hickey King Scholarship – (one) $2,000 per year – Need

• The Arthur and Honoria Roshak Scholarship — (one) $3,000 per year – Need