The Campaign for Catholic Schools and the Archdiocese of Boston announced a $15 million grant from the Yawkey Foundation to Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy and the Teen Center at St. Peter's.
The grant is believed to be the largest single gift made in support of
Catholic schools in the 200 year history of the Archdiocese of Boston.

The
award will be used to support the construction and renovation of the
five school buildings comprising Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy in
Dorchester and Mattapan, and the renovation of the St. Peter's Teen
Center in Dorchester. The school opened on Monday, September 8, 2008 to
1,500 students in Pre-K thru 8th grade located on five campuses in
Dorchester and Mattapan.

Catholic elementary schools in
Dorchester and Mattapan are being revitalized through a comprehensive
plan, designed to enhance the academics and Catholic faith education
with a new regional governance model, new leadership and curriculum
along with professional development for all teachers. This effort is
part of the Archdiocese of Boston's 2010 Initiative.

Since
2002, The Yawkey Foundation has awarded nearly $200 million to a broad
range of organizations. The Foundation's mission is to continue the
charitable legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey by making grants that provide
immediate, significant and positive impact on the quality of life of
youth, families and the underserved.

Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley
said, "With this exceptional and extremely generous grant to the Pope
John Paul II Catholic Academy, the Yawkey Foundation is helping
hundreds of families in Dorchester and Mattapan and supporting the
Archdiocese in our efforts to strengthen Catholic education. This award
will enable us to establish the Academy's five campuses as centers of
excellence for academics and personal formation, to the benefit of the
families we serve in the city of Boston and surrounding communities. We
express our significant gratitude to the Yawkey Foundation for this
gift and for their many important philanthropic works, through which
they help thousands of people to find hope and the opportunity for a
better future."

James Healey, President and Trustee of the
Yawkey Foundation said, "The Trustees of the Yawkey Foundation are
pleased to make this grant to support the Pope John Paul II Catholic
Academy and the St Peter's Teen Center. Throughout their lives, Tom and
Jean Yawkey championed education as the cornerstone to a life of
opportunity and success. By providing high quality education to youth
in the Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods, the Archdiocese and the
Campaign for Catholic Schools are making an immeasurable investment in
the future of our community. "

Jack Connors, Chair of the 2010
Strategic Planning Committee and chair of the Campaign for Catholic
Schools, said, "The Yawkey Foundation is making what is believed to be
the single largest gift to Catholic schools in the history of the
Archdiocese of Boston and certainly one of the largest in Catholic
elementary education nationally. Their willingness to commit to Pope
John Paul II Catholic Academy and The St Peter Teen Center demonstrates
that the Cardinal's vision and that of the 2010 Strategic Planning
Committee is bearing much fruit as we go about the work of saving
Catholic education in the Archdiocese and serving children in one of
the cities largest neighborhoods. This transformational gift reinforces
the belief that a Catholic education can provide every child a chance
to excel and to reach their true potential."

Dorchester/Mattapan
2010 Fundraising Update The cost to implement the plan is projected to
be $71 million and will be paid for largely through private donations.
Established in late 2007, the Campaign for Catholic Schools (CCS) will
raise the necessary funding for the project and is well underway with
extensive outreach to individuals, organizations and philanthropic
organizations interested in having a lasting positive impact on
Catholic education in the Archdiocese. The Campaign's budget has been
covered by private philanthropy. All funds raised will go directly to
the Dorchester/ Mattapan project with no overhead cost.

In the
nine months since its organization, more than $47 million has been
raised for Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy and the Teen Center at St
Peters, including this largest award from the Yawkey Foundation. This
represents 66 % of our fundraising goal for this initiative. While much
works remains, the Campaign for Catholic Schools is well on its way to
achieving its goal. More information on the campaign can be found at
www.campaignforcatholicschools.org.

About The Yawkey Foundation
The
Yawkey Foundation was established more than twenty years ago to further
serve the family's many charitable goals. The mission of the Yawkey
Foundation is to continue the charitable legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey
by making grants that provide immediate ,significant and positive
impact on the quality of life of youth, families and the underserved,
primarily in the areas, which the Yawkeys called home, New England and
Georgetown County, South Carolina. For additional information about the
Foundations, visit their website at www.yawkeyfoundations.org.

About the 2010 Initiative for Catholic Education
When the 2010 Initiative was announced in August 2005 the Archdiocese
stated that it believed that the most effective plan will be one
developed by drawing upon the collective experience of principals,
pastors and local stakeholders working with professional education
experts, consultants and practitioners in the community. The
Archdiocese is committed to developing a sustainable plan that will
meet the needs of students and local communities now and in the future.

About the Campaign for Catholic Schools
The
Campaign for Catholic Schools is a new nonprofit organization
established in December 2007 by Jack Connors, Jr., Chairman Emeritus
and a founding partner of Boston advertising agency Hill, Holliday,
Connors Cosmopulos, Inc., and John F. Fish,Chief Executive Officer,
Suffolk Construction, Boston.
The Campaign was established as an
outgrowth of the 2010 Initiative, a major strategic planning effort
aimed at rebuilding and revitalizing the Catholic Schools in the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (RCAB). The CCS operational budget is
funded by private philanthropy and is a donor-advised fund of the RCAB
under the direction of a board of trustees. CCS welcomes gifts of all
sizes, which may be designated to particular school projects.

The fundraising campaign of CCS has been highly successful to date. CCS
has raised millions for two major school initiatives with another one
on the horizon. In Brockton, $9 million has been raised for the new
school, Trinity Catholic Academy with $3.5 million more to raise. For
the Dorchester/Mattapan project, $47 million has been raised with $24
million remaining and the newest initiative, the renovation at St Ann's
in Gloucester is going to require funding of $4.5milion. The efforts of
many are responsible for this successful initiative.

About the Inner City Scholarship Fund
Since its inception in 1991, the Inner City Scholarship Fund, the
signature program of the Catholic Schools Foundation, has provided over
$65,000,000 in scholarship support for students to attend Catholic
schools in the Archdiocese of Boston, as well as providing technology,
counseling and marketing support for the schools. As this
transformative project is underway, the Inner City Scholarship Fund is
working in collaboration with the Campaign for Catholic Schools and the
2010 Dorchester/Mattapan Implementation team to ensure that no student
is denied admission because of an inability to pay tuition.

About The Archdiocese of Boston
The
Diocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated to
Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of approximately 2
million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse
and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 292 parishes,
across 144 communities, educating approximately 46,000 students in its
Catholic schools and 156, 000 in religious education classes each year,
ministering to the needs of more than one million patients annually in
Catholic hospitals and 200,000 individuals through its social service
outreach. Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each
week. For more information, please visit http://www.rcab.org