November 30, 2011
Dear Friend,
Since 2007, the PLEASE Foundation has supported Cathedral Academy, located in the historic French Quarter. It is run by the Dominican Sisters, whose mission is to educate some of the neediest children in New Orleans. Virtually all of these children come from backgrounds of poverty and violence and most of them do not have the means to find a way out.
"There is only one way to heal the culture of violence," states Sister Mary Sheila, principal of Cathedral Academy, "and that is to heal the children. Only one thing can heal these children, and that is the Love of Christ. Our goal is to help these beautiful children become Saints in heaven."
Cathedral Academy and the Sisters need our help now more than ever! The school lacks financial resources. The Archdiocese of New Orleans has been supporting several of its schools with relief funds from Hurricane Katrina. These funds are now gone. Therefore, the Archdiocese is conducting a study to determine the future of its schools. Several schools will close, with announcements made in the fall. Cathedral Academy is being considered for closure because without a new source of funding, it is not financially viable.
Our goal is to raise $250,000 for scholarships to Cathedral Academy this school year. We are encouraging donations now and also asking benefactors to make a pledge to donate the same amount for five years. There is no guarantee that if we raise funds, the school will remain open. Yet, if we do not raise new funds for the school, it is almost guaranteed to close. It is our plan to strengthen the school with a new funding source, to give it the hope of a sustainable future.
If Cathedral Academy remains open—which is our goal—these donations will provide scholarship money for the students while the school builds an endowment to sustain a long-term scholarship fund. If the school closes, the PLEASE Foundation will use these donations to provide scholarships for the Cathedral Academy students to transfer to other Catholic schools. Without our help, many of these inner-city children will have to go to public schools, because there is not enough tuition assistance to meet their needs.
As you open your hearts to receive the Lord this Christmas, we invite you to open your hearts to the children of Cathedral Academy. Let's follow the generous example of the Sisters, who dedicate their lives to serving the Lord and saving the souls of his children. Please consider making a generous gift not only this year, but also for five years.
God bless you,
Yvette Endom
P.S. Join us in helping the Dominican Sisters to lift these innocent children out of violence and poverty, to become a shining light that will transform our city.