Over 200 names of family members and friends who have passed away were read as candles were lit for each during the annual St. John’s Scholarship Memorial Mass held at St. John the Baptist Church in Brunswick on Tuesday, May 30.
The Mass remembers and celebrates the lives of loved ones but also serves to raise crucial funds for St. John Catholic School.
“People donate to our scholarship fund and in turn, we include their beloved family and friends who have passed on in our memory scroll, and we light candles for each person as we read through each and every name that is to be remembered,” said Shelly Wheeler, principal of St. John’s.
Many St. John’s students walk the candles down main aisle with the eighth graders placing the candles on the ground to form a large cross.
“We raised over $8,000 for our scholarship fund,” said Wheeler.
That total will be added to the $37,000 donated during a special “paddle raise” for the scholarship fund held at St. John’s annual school auction earlier in May.
“Auction participants were invited to donate directly to the fund either in person or online,” said Wheeler. “To have $45,000 for the scholarship fund raised in one month is a big deal for us.”
The Scholarship Fund was established in 1987 to honor a loved one’s memory by making a difference in a child’s life through the gift of Catholic education. For more information about St. John’s Catholic School, including additional opportunities to support its mission and students, visit www.sjcsbme.org.
