The KSC Education Foundation Inc has last month presented 51 subsidies at its annual Scholarship Recipient Reception.
Held at the offices of Catholic Education Office in Leederville on 7 December 2020, the Trustees of the Foundation were joined at the event by a number of scholarship recipients – some virtually and some in person – as well as guests from The University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA), Catholic Education WA, and distinguished members of the Knights of the Southern Cross (KSCWA).
The financial value of scholarships awarded for the 2021 academic year totalled about $140,000, which also included support for the Redemptoris Mater seminarians in their studies at UNDA.
One of the aims of the Foundation is to support those who teach and give witness to the Catholic faith in the Catholic education system. For over 25 years, the Foundation has provided scholarships to students enrolled at UNDA who wish to undertake certain courses in Theology and Philosophy.
Upon receiving Redemptoris Mater Seminary’s grant, Rector Father Michael Moore SM gave a short reflection.
“Just to do a little comparison, since 1997, across the two seminaries, the two most recent Archbishops have ordained 95 priests – 90 for Perth, the others for Broome, Geraldton, and Bunbury,” Fr Moore recollected.
“By comparison, the Archdiocese of Sydney – with 4 million people compared to 1 million people – has ordained 55 priests. All with the aid of UNDA and the Knights of the Southern Cross.”
CEWA Executive Director Dr Debra Sayce and UNDA School of Education Acting Dean Dr Anne Coffey both spoke at the reception, expressing their gratitude towards KSC for its continual support for higher education in WA.
Wojciech Grzech, Chair of the KSC Education Foundation, presented each attending recipient with their scholarship.
In his opening remarks, Mr Grzech announced that the Foundation had also made a multi-year commitment to provide financial support for UNDA’s “In Altum” Leadership and Ministry project.
“In Altum” is a year-long volunteer, leadership development, and faith formation programme led by Campus Ministry – it is designed to help UNDA students to develop spiritually, to identify their own passions and gifts, and to serve the Church in a meaningful way.
“None of this would be possible without the continuing financial support provided by many current and previous members of KSCWA,” Mr Grzech said.
“Despite over 25 years of supporting teaching and giving witness to our faith in our Catholic schools, it is very clear that there remains much for the Foundation to do.”
In his closing remarks to the scholarship recipients, Mr Grzech expressed his hope that the beneficiaries will continue to strive towards the vision of the Catholic Church and, as teachers and leaders, remain faithful to their role of bringing about the Church’s mission.
The KSC Education Foundation operates as a separate entity from the Order of the Knights of the Southern Cross, although several members of the Order are Trustees of the Foundation and there is a close association between the Order and the Foundation.
The KSC Education Foundation Inc scholarship recipients for 2021 academic year are:
- Redemptoris Mater seminarians
- Gillian Fiona Alberti
- Brooke Anthea Allen
- Rosanna Antonio
- Georgina Ballantyne
- Chadwick Beins
- Catherine Louise Brunt
- Stewart Thomas Crainie
- Mark Cummins
- Natasha De Franca
- Helen Christine Dixon
- Daniel Forlano
- Dermot Fergus Friel
- Marion Gehrmann
- Courtney Louise George
- Andrew Glover
- Kristy Graffin
- Adele Hall
- Rhianna Hall
- Mandy Hayward
- Nerida Hince
- Therese Le-Sanders
- Erin Bernadette Leech
- Joshua Maragon
- Tracey Marsden
- Jacqueline Matheson
- Laura Nicole Matthews
- James Francis Mclaughlin
- Amiee Meyer
- Kaela Neretlis
- Tracy O’Dwyer
- Jason Mark O’Malley
- Adele Paino
- Kieran James Parkes
- Sally Margaret Penson
- Daphne Peters
- Belinda Pietropaolo
- Jarrad Pisano
- Kate Rapael
- Mildred Rego
- Jodie Reynolds
- Lucia Sabatini
- Ashleigh Shaw
- Hayley Sheppard
- Shannon Smith
- Georgina Trewavas
- Robyn Denise Trewren
- Karen Wilson
- Alexis Rose Winch-Buist
- Anne Jo Yen Wong
- Meagan Zanetti