A LIFE OF Service

AT THE HIGH POINT of my summer, I was under the knife. On July 14, 2022, my healthy right kidney was removed and sewn into the abdomen of someone I’d never met. The twohour surgery was anticlimactic, a culmination of many months’ worth of labs, logistics and LOTS of waiting to find a suitable recipient. I was walking around and eating a normal diet that night. Pain was minimal, and my incisions were tiny. I had been very well prepared for the surgery at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, the hospital where I work as an ICU nurse. I knew what to expect every step of the way during my two-night stay.

I’d first heard a friend had donated her kidney to a neighbor about 20 years earlier. The idea so impressed me, it percolated in my head until finally the misery and isolation of the pandemic spurred me to take the first steps toward donation.

Truth be told, the seeds for the transplant idea were sown in me further back — about 35 years — in the halls of Cathedral High School (a predecessor to Pope Francis Prep). Cathedral shaped me in ways I appreciate only now. My high school years were a whirlwind of extracurriculars: the Minstrel Show, the musical, National Honor Society, blood drives, the Pro-Life Club, Community Council, Model Senate, the food shelf … and the list goes on.

I’ve maintained that whirlwind throughout my adult life with a host of volunteer activities — at church, at the hospital, at a local theater, at my two sons’ schools. It was a bit of an a-ha moment for me to realize my life of service is merely a continuation of what started at CHS. Those extracurriculars weren’t so “extra” after all. Serving meals, donating blood, racking up volunteer hours for NHS – these activities were at the essence of the Catholic education I received. Along with the academics, I learned to give my time, treasure and talents in service to others and in witness to Christ.

Nine months after the surgery, both the recipient and I are doing well and have had the opportunity to meet! We’re both beyond fortunate that I had a treasure that could improve his life, and that I felt called by God to share it with him.

I also give thanks for all I gained at Cathedral that helped me to hear that call.

How to become a living kidney donor.

IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

Baystate Medical Center 413-794-2321

ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. National Kidney Foundation www.kidney.org/transplantation

To register as an organ and tissue donor IN MASSACHUSETTS

At the Registry of Motor Vehicles or online at www.mass.gov

ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. National Donate Life Registry www.registerme.org

To donate blood Baystate Medical Center 413.794.4600

Red Cross 1.800.RED.CROSS

Letter from the Director of Development

Dear Alumni, Family, and Friends,

There is no shortage of thanks to go around as Pope Francis Prep completes its fifth year on our new campus.

Thank you for your support of Pope Francis Preparatory School, which continues to have a significant impact on the students of today and tomorrow. Through the first three quarters of the fiscal year, Pope Francis Prep was able to make considerable strides. We have increased fundraising efforts by 25% and partnered with over 1,000 benefactors who have made over 1,200 gifts in support of our mission. In addition to our annual success, our endowment portfolio increased to over $17 million, providing our school community with over $700,000 in annual operational support and scholarships. Your annual generosity, combined with an incredible investment portfolio, provides us with a foundation to make decisions that benefit our outstanding students today and into the future.

Our gratitude extends to the Board of Directors, who lend their time, talent, and treasure through an independent school governance model. To our dedicated faculty and staff for their daily passion and commitment to our mission. To our parents, for entrusting us and choosing a Catholic education for their child(ren), as well as volunteering and committing their support to create a family-oriented environment. And to our alumni and benefactors, who continue to invest in the success of our young women and men, our annual growth, and our long- term financial stability. Our community stepped up this past March for our third annual Day of Giving. In all, we raised over $84,000 from more than 470 donors. This amazing day created a contagious culture of generosity and connected us with benefactors throughout the country in support of our mission.

As we enter into the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, Dr. Paul Harrington and the Board of Directors continue to provide a clear vision to ensure that Pope Francis Prep remains a top-notch, premier Catholic school for years to come. A clear vision is accompanied by a collective community that provides a level of trust for our most generous benefactors to make meaningful and significant investments in our most deserving students.

I thank you for making this a school year filled with new accomplishments and milestones. The future remains bright at Pope Francis Prep, and your support has a lasting impact on the lives of our students daily. Thank you for supporting all things Pope Francis Prep and believing in our young women and men.

Sincerely,

Daniel Fenton ’09 Director of Development

DAY OF GIVING 2023

THANK YOU!

WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.

$ 1 st

$84,454 total raised

473 total gifts

31 states +1 International (Ireland)

$178 average gift

161 first time donors

248 alumni gifts

402 picnic blankets

$10-$3,500 gift range