A special Mass to honor family members who have passed away and also to raise crucial funds for students at St. John’s Catholic School in Brunswick will be at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 30. The St. John’s Scholarship Memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. John the Baptist Church on 39 Pleasant St. in Brunswick.
Candles, one lit for every person to be remembered at Mass, are displayed at a past St. John’s Scholarship Memorial Mass. Courtesy of Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
“The St. John’s Memorial Scholarship Fund is a wonderful way of remembering a loved one. All contributions provide assistance to students attending the school,” Shelly Wheeler, principal of St. John’s Catholic School, said in a prepared release.
The names of the loved ones are read and candles are lit for them during the Mass. Some years, the number exceeds 300 beloved family and friends.
“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,” Wheeler said. “The students bring the candles in front of the sanctuary and the candles form a large cross.”
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. Last year, the school surpassed its goal for the fund.
“Last year, we were able to give out over $100,000 in tuition assistance to the families of St. John’s,” Wheeler said. “These funds allow us to give tuition assistance for families who want a Catholic education but cannot afford the cost.”
To register a name or make a donation, visit tinyurl.com/mrx7s7bc. For more information about St. John’s Catholic School, including additional opportunities to support its mission and students, visit sjcsbme.org.
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