THE MORRIS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY IS THE MORRIS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY IS THE MORRIS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY IS COMING TOGETHER, HONORING THE SCHOOL’S LEGACY COMING THE SCHOOL’S COMING TOGETHER, HONORING THE SCHOOL’S LEGACY WHILE WHILE WHILE BOLDLY BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE. BOLDLY BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE. BOLDLY BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE.
If I’ve learned anything at Morris Catholic High School, it's that the spirit of community transcends not only grades within the building but the generations of students and families who have called Morris Catholic home in its nearly 70-year history. Morris Catholic is moving boldly and quickly toward the future, with the stated goal of becoming the premier Catholic college preparatory school in New Jersey.
Our Morris Catholic community is partnering with us, and our momentum is real, sparked by an unprecedented $2.5 million leadership gift by an alumnus and his spouse, which is tied to one of several strategic fundraising priorities for the school. I encourage you to read about our exciting initiatives in the pages ahead. Together, the investments being made — by alumni, families of students, and friends of the school reflect a community that believes deeply in the future of Morris Catholic and in the students we serve. We invite you to join us in this exciting chapter as we build a stronger Morris Catholic for generations of Crusaders to come.
Brian Vohden President of Morris
Catholic High School
Morris Catholic High School is entering one of the most transformative periods since its founding in 1957. Guided by a bold five-year Strategic Plan adopted in June 2025, the school has launched a sweeping set of initiatives designed to further strengthen academic excellence and the student experience, and position Morris Catholic as New Jersey’s premier Catholic college preparatory school.
unprecedented and historic $2.5 million
leadership gift from an anonymous alumnus and his spouse
At the center of this momentum is an to support the transformation of Morris Catholic’s existing weight room into a state-of-the-art Health and Fitness Center for students. Inspired by this generosity and capital gift, current and past families and alumni have already begun stepping forward to support the project and other key fundraising priorities, signaling broad community confidence in the school’s direction.
“Catholic education and Catholic Schools are a great gift to students, families, our Diocese, the whole Church and the wider community. I am always inspired to see acts of sacrificial generosity by donors. This new student health and fitness center at Morris Catholic is a concrete example of a community coming together to find unique and creative ways to support the whole person, body, mind, and spirit."
Bishop
Kevin J. Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson
For the first time since the 1960s, Morris Catholic will expand its physical footprint with the construction of a new two-story, approximately 15,000square-foot health and fitness center to be built at the rear of the school. Designed to serve the entire student body, the facility will become an integral part of the physical education program while also elevating the quality of training for student-athletes. It will be named after the anonymous donors whose $2.5 million gift and vision will change the Morris Catholic landscape. In addition, other alumni and parents of students and graduates have collectively contributed nearly $200,000 to the project thus far.
The first floor is dedicated to strength training and will house a host of new weights and equipment and a new Athletic Trainer's Office. On the second floor, accessible by an elevator, a number of treadmills, rowing machines, and recumbent and stationary bikes will be available to students, as well as a speed and agility training area. The Health and Fitness Center will support a healthy lifestyle and strong mental well-being.
The project will also include new exterior restroom facilities, as well as a modern concession and retail space to enhance the experience for families and visitors attending outdoor athletic events.
"We wanted to make an immediate impact, to prepare our youth for today’s challenges. We were especially interested in providing a high quality, state-of-the-art facility for the Morris Catholic student to thrive physically, mentally, academically, and spiritually, resulting in a truly abundant life."
— Anonymous donors behind historic gift to Morris Catholic
In parallel with its capital improvements, Morris Catholic has launched an ambitious initiative to strengthen its long-term financial sustainability through the establishment of an endowment for student scholarships. Thanks to the early generosity of alumni and current and past families, 12 endowed scholarships with commitments nearing $700,000 have been created, but many more are needed to ensure a Morris Catholic education remains accessible to students for generations to come.
“Mydecisiontoestablishtheseedfundingforthe1stMorris CatholicHighSchoolendowedscholarshipisbasedonthree things:
Tohonormyparentsfortheirfinancialsacrificetohelpme realizemydreamsofgettingaMorrisCatholiceducation
ToexpressmygratitudetomyparentsandtoMorrisCatholic, formymoralcompassthatguidesmethroughlife
ToestablishafinancialbasethatMorrisCatholiccan prudentlyinvesttogeneratescholarshipsforyearstocome.”
-JoyceMurraySullivan‘73
“ItiswithgreatpridethatI’mestablishinganendowedscholarship inthememoryofmylatesonRyanPayne.Thecommunityand friendsImadeduringmytimeatMorrisCatholichavestoodbyme throughalltheupsanddownsoflife.It’simportanttometomake surestudentshaveaccesstotheMorrisCatholicexperience.“
-JenniferWalsh‘89
Academic innovation is also accelerating through the development of The Morris Catholic Innovation Lab, made possible through the generosity of alumnus William Pote ‘85. Morris Catholic’s award-winning competitive robotics team currently operates in a former chemistry lab. It will be turned into a needed modern, purpose-built environment not only for robotics, but also for students in the Advanced Science Academy and the school’s growing engineering program.
Strengthening this effort, Morris Catholic was also awarded a competitive design grant from Inventionland of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a national leader in creating immersive, creativity-driven learning environments. The space will be thoughtfully reimagined to inspire student creativity, hands-on fabrication, applied research, and cross-disciplinary STEM learning. The Innovation Lab will prepare Morris Catholic students for innovation-driven futures.
"Supporting STEM and the Innovation Lab at Morris Catholic is an investment in our students' futures. It's an opportunity to unlock the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit and problem solving skills within our students -- valuable qualities in today's world.”
William Pote ‘85
Beyond alumni and parent support, Morris Catholic has secured a corporate sponsorship commitment of nearly $1 million from Pioneer Sports, the parent company of MatchFit Surf Soccer Club, to install permanent lighting on both athletic fields. This long-awaited improvement will significantly expand practice and competition opportunities while increasing the school’s ability to host events and serve the broader community.
As we approach our 70th anniversary, the
The following donors have jump-started our efforts through their generous support of our strategic fundraising priorities, and we commend them on behalf of today’s and tomorrow’s students.
HealthandFitnessCenter HealthandFitnessCenter HealthandFitnessCenter
$2,500,000 - Anonymous Alumnus and Spouse
$100,000 - Dr. Stephen Gloria ‘73
$50,000 - Shaun and Jean Van Vliet, Parent ‘28
$10,000 - Marc and Kelly Korab, Parent ‘21, ‘23
EndowedScholarships EndowedScholarships EndowedScholarships
$100,000 - Joyce Murray Sullivan ‘73, 70 Anniversary Committee Chair th
$50,000 - Lynda Bennett**, Parent ‘18, ‘21
$35,000 - Class of 1974
$25,000 - Matthew Gutermuth ‘84 (The Christopher Harris Thomas Scholarship) | The Minnefor Family | Charles Pappalardo ‘84* | Jennifer Walsh ‘89
$100,000 - William Pote ‘85*
$15,000-RobertandSusanWaldele
$10,000-Charles&MaureenMichaud‘85*|C.AnthonyMoschella‘70
$7,590-WilliamPote‘85*
$5,000-KathleenYadlonPappas‘85|CharlesPappalardo‘84*|MarkThomas‘87*
$4,000-KevinHaney‘90*
$3,500-MichaelandEllenSchum,Parent‘14,‘18
$2,500-KwinamBrennan*
$2,000-WilliamCapuzzi‘89|DennisFlagler‘82
$1,250-FaithannMcIver,Parent‘14
$1,000-AnnMarieMcDowell,Parent‘29|BeverlyShunkAfonso‘61| RichardBeck,Parent‘76,‘85|JohnJ.Corigliano‘61|RichardDeGuzman‘84| Gerard‘85**andJenniferDuphiney,Parent‘18,‘22|KevinHeal‘83*| ThomasMonahan‘81|RobertO'Halloran‘64| AndrewandGinaWood,Parent‘10,‘12 * MorrisCatholicTrustee ** MorrisCatholicTrusteeEmeritus
This list is comprised of some of the many gifts made to date in Fund Year 2026, and we are grateful to all donors to the annual fund.
Our donors were inspired to give back for a variety of reasons, but all agree that a Morris Catholic High School education is invaluable and an exciting future awaits the school. Read their testimonials, and see a complete list of donors on our website.
Where will you make your mark?
Let’s step into a future where Morris Catholic is celebrated as the premier Catholic college preparatory school in the state. Strategic plans are in place to accomplish this and more, but it will take a community effort for Morris Catholic to reach the top of the class.
An endowed scholarship generates a perpetual stream of investment income that is used to award highly needed scholarships. This makes attending Morris Catholic financially feasible for many families The minimum level to endow a scholarship is a $25,000 gift, payable over five years A gift of this size supports the tuition needs of a student each school year. The gift of an education is one a student will never forget. Scholarships can be named for the benefactor or in honor of an individual
The approximately 15,000-square-foot, two-story Health and Fitness Center –equipped with the latest weight and cardio equipment – will inspire and help both current student-athletes and students achieve peak physical condition and promote strong mental health. In addition, the new facility will stand tall like our students, will signal the growth of Morris Catholic, and aid in recruiting and enrollment efforts. Gifts support the center’s construction, and opportunities to names spaces are available.
The annual fund provides the extra resources that the school needs to operate well and remain financially healthy Tuition alone doesn’t provide the operating dollars required. Gifts of any size help bolster the budget and support all aspects of the student educational experience, from the classroom and labs to the stage and athletic fields In addition, recurring annual fund gifts provide dependable income and aid the school in planning its budget.
