Cardinal’s Circle members gather to support Inner City Catholic Schools
April 12, 2011
HOUSTON — On March 29, the 187 individuals and parishes that support The Cardinal’s Circle for Excellence in the Inner City Catholic schools gathered to hear a talk by Patricia Weitzel-O’Neill, Executive Director of the Catholic Center for Education at Boston College.
The Cardinal’s Circle establishes a fund to bridge the financial gap between the income from Catholic school tuition and what it costs to educate a child in an Inner City parochial school. Houston philanthropists Rich and Nancy Kinder gave the lead gift of $1 million for funding Inner City Catholic Schools tuition, facilities and educational equipment.
The Cardinal’s Circle was established in June 2010 as a program to ensure any family could give their children a Catholic education. In her evening address to The Cardinal’s Circle, Weitzel-O’Neill said urban Catholic schools are the nation’s best hope for ensuring the academic and life-long success of children in impoverished neighborhoods.