PHILADELPHIA (May 25, 2010) - Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, celebrated with 21 students, one representing each Archdiocesan secondary school, who announced that the Archdiocesan Class of 2010 has earned $241,205,631 in college scholarships. Cardinal Rigali and Superintendent of Schools Mary Rochford presided over a morning ceremony in which each student stood and revealed the total amount of college scholarships received by seniors at his/her school. The students then shared the grand total of scholarships awarded, which totaled nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.

"We talk so often about the value of Catholic education," said Cardinal Rigali. "Today, we celebrate both the intangible and tangible value of Catholic education. Our students receive an education to serve God in all that they do, but also obtain a high quality education that earns them very substantive financial rewards for college. It is my hope that the countless numbers of families who have selflessly chosen Catholic education for their children see today that their sacrifice and investment pays dividends well into the future."

"Students from the Catholic secondary schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia stand among the most gifted and talented students who will become a vital part of many college and university campuses beginning this August," said Mary Rochford, Superintendent of Schools. "We wish them every blessing as the grace of the Lord accompanies them on the next step of their preparation."

The following students participated in this morning's ceremony:

- Megan McKee, Archbishop John Carroll High School
- Colleen Ianni, Archbishop Prendergast High School
- Kaitlyn Kutschera, Archbishop Ryan High School
- Nicholas Snyder, Archbishop Wood High School
- Gavin McLaughlin, Bishop McDevitt High School
- Jessica Eby, Bishop Shanahan High School
- Rebecca Searight, Cardinal Dougherty High School
- Dana Giacobello, Cardinal O'Hara High School
- Anna Augustin, Conwell-Egan Catholic High School
- James Stumpo, Father Judge High School
- Lena Ma, John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School
- Meghan McNair, Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School
- Shawna Morse, Lansdale Catholic High School
- Brigid McCloskey, Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls
- Joseph Cerrone, Monsignor Bonner High School
- Robert Franco, North Catholic High School
- Kaitlin Barcoski, St. Hubert's Catholic High School for Girls
- Gabriella Mastrobuoni, Neumann-Goretti High School
- Lauren Proud, St. Pius X High School
- Jacky Lee, Roman Catholic High School
- Stephanie Tran, West Catholic High School

Event video and photography are available for viewing at Cardinal Rigali's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cardinalrigali, or by contacting the Office for Communications at communof@adphila.org.

For information on all of the schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, visit http://catholicschools-phl.org.

Contact
Meredith Wilson
Communications Specialist
215-587-3747