St. Joseph’s Recognizes 60 years of Academic Achievement with Open House, Alumni Reunion Mass and Annual Auction, as Father Timothy O’Connor Announces Tuition Reduction for 2011-2012
AVON LAKE, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2011 – ‘Catholic Schools: A+ for America’ is the theme of this year’s Catholic Schools Week. To celebrate Catholic education in our own backyards, St. Joseph School invites the community to three events from January 21 through February 4 that demonstrate the impact the school has made in Avon Lake over the last 60 years.
St. Joseph School of Avon Lake kicks off Catholic Schools Week with an Open House on Friday, January 21. From 9:30 - 10:30 am, prospective students and their families can tour the school, meet with Principal Pat Vaccaro and teachers, and sit in on a class. Information about 2011-2012 enrollment will also be available, including details about the reduction in St. Joseph’s tuition rate.
“We are delighted to announce that tuition for the 2011-2012 school year is being reduced,” said Vaccaro. “This reduction is the first step in achieving Father Timothy O’Connor’s dream of having a school whose tuition is totally funded by parish gifts, rather than by individual family financial sacrifice.”
In addition to celebrating St. Joseph’s future, the school will also be honoring its past with the first annual Alumni Reunion Mass. On Saturday, January 29, all St. Joseph School alumni are invited to the 4:30 pm Mass. This Mass is part of the year-long 60th Anniversary Celebration. Representatives from the earliest graduating classes will be there to help alumni connect with friends.
“One of the things that all St. Joseph alumni will recall is the weekly school Mass. Although our location has changed, the practice of celebrating Mass together each Friday as a school community has been a constant throughout our history,” said Lorene Coughlin, Director of Religious Education and member of St. Joseph Class of 1970. “It is only right, then, that we would gather as a past, present, and future school community to celebrate a weekend Mass in thanksgiving for these past 60+ years and in petition that our parish will continue to be able to support and encourage Catholic education for everyone who values the gift.”
To wrap up Catholic Schools Week, the annual St. Joseph’s ‘Night Under the Stars’ Auction will take place on Friday, February 4 at the Ahern Catering Center’s Irish Heritage Club. As St. Joseph School’s largest fundraiser of the year, the entire community is welcome from 6:30 – 11:30 pm for dinner and silent and live auctions.
Items to bid on include accommodations at a B&B in historic Wooster, an iPad and Kindle, golf packages, original framed artwork by St. Joseph students and much more. Tickets for the event cost $50 per person and include light appetizers, salad, dinner, dessert, and an open bar. Visit St. Joseph Upcoming Events for additional information and to purchase tickets or make a donation to the event. Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 21 and all proceeds will go toward the spiritual and academic development of the school’s students.
More information is available at www.stjosephavonlake.org about these Catholic Schools Week events and the vital role St. Joseph Parish and School have played in the Avon Lake community for 60 years.
About St. Joseph Parish Avon Lake
St. Joseph Parish Avon Lake (www.stjosephavonlake.org) is a Catholic community committed to celebrating the Eucharist and encouraging stewardship as a way of life. A member of the Diocese of Cleveland, it was founded in 1949 and has grown to its current enrollment of 1,750 registered families. St. Joseph Parish’s dedication to Catholic education is demonstrated through St. Joseph School which serves grades K-8 and is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The Parish is the only Catholic Church in Lorain County that currently offers a Sunday evening Mass at 5:00 PM, providing parishioners and the community with more options for attending Sunday Mass.