In photo above, Antoinette Perez, center, principal of St. Charles Borromeo School, receives a check from Jerry Del Core, right, CEO of Catholic Cemetery and Funeral Services, and Nicole Zamora, Director of Community Outreach for CFCS.
In an effort to help children at two Catholic schools prepare for their new school year, St. Mary Cemetery & Funeral Center filled a large storage bin with school supplies collected from the community.
On Aug. 5, Jerry Del Core, CEO of Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services, and Nicole Zamora, Director of Community Outreach, delivered the donated items and checks to the principals at both St. Patrick Academy and St. Charles Borromeo School.
“In these days of where the news is filled with images of conflict, controversy and human suffering, an unexpected gesture of generosity and support has filled me with tremendous hope," said Antoinette Perez, principal of St. Charles Borromeo School, located at 7580 Center Parkway. "Over the past two weeks, St. Mary's Cemetery sponsored a fundraiser and school supplies collection event for our school. Today, a check and the supplies were delivered. This gesture was overwhelming, not just for sheer volume of materials, but for the very thoughtfulness and energy given for the sake of our students. Thank you for being the wind beneath our wings!”
“At St. Patrick Academy, we are a humble community and very appreciative of the outpouring of support for our children and our families," said Leslie Lastra, principal of St. Patrick Academy. "It is gifts like these that make a difference in our students' lives and demonstrate that we are all one in the eyes of God, especially in these trying times. Again, with a grateful heart, thank you from the St. Patrick Academy family."
St. Mary Cemetery & Funeral Center staff collected the goods from Friday, July 24 until Saturday Aug. 1 in the parking lot of the cemetery. “The best part was welcoming all the donors and seeing their joy even through their masks,” said Kimberly Mai, apprentice embalmer, who worked the bin on its final day, Aug. 1. “It was wonderful seeing people young and old donate to help the kids. It was great, and even a priest stopped by to make a donation,” said Andria Phillips, transportation assistant, after working the event on Aug. 1.
St. Patrick Academy, located at 5945 Franklin Blvd., is a culturally diverse diocesan regional school serving students in the South Sacramento area and the surrounding communities. The ministry of the academy is threefold: to provide a positive, Christ-centered, 21st century learning experience through excellence in academics; to be attentive to all aspects of the individual child's development; and to provide students with the tools to be self-motivated critical thinkers. The modeling and practice of moral and ethical values, coupled with the teachings of the Catholic faith, further empower students to meet all future challenges. Aiding parents in their responsibility as the primary educators of their children, the academy strives to honor and celebrate ethnic and spiritual diversity while preparing students to be bearers of compassion, respect and knowledge to the larger world.
As a ministry of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, St. Charles Borromeo School affirms the fundamental dignity of all people through a comprehensive academic program grounded in the faith and morals of Catholic doctrine. As a school family in partnership with parents and guardians, we integrate the gospel message of Jesus Christ into all aspects of school life, and thus empower students to enter the world with the tools needed for success. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a special aspect of the school's heritage that comes to the community from its founders, (the late) Msgr. James Poole and the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
St. Mary Cemetery & Funeral Center is a full service provider of end of life services in the Diocese of Sacramento. They offer mortuary services, funeral, cremation and cemetery.
Nicole Zamora is Director of Community Outreach for Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services.