September 18, 2015 - Marr Scholarships Awarded for Catholic School Students for 2015/16*

September 18, 2015 --- One hundred and nine (109) students attending 13 Catholic secondary schools and eight (8) Catholic elementary schools have been awarded a total of $100,000 in scholarships for the 2015/16 academic year from the Daniel F. Marr, Jr. Scholarship Endowment Fund at the Catholic Community Fund of the Archdiocese of Boston.
 
The Daniel F. Marr, Jr. Scholarship Endowment Fund was created in 1992 by a gift from the estate of the late Daniel F. Marr, Jr. to provide scholarship assistance for youths who attend Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston. Preference is given to students who are members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester, which was founded in the 1970s by the late Daniel F. Marr, Jr. and his brother, Robert L. Marr, in memory of their father, Col. Daniel F. Marr. Since the scholarship program’s inception 23 years ago, over 1,500 scholarships have been awarded from this fund, totaling over $1,000,000.
 
The student scholars, their parents, board members and members of the Marr family gathered this Wednesday evening at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester’s Marr Clubhouse to celebrate the awards. Right Rev. Jack Ahern, representing the Dorchester Catholic parishes, led the group in an opening prayer. In her remarks Superintendent of Catholic Schools Kathy Mears thanked the Marr family for their generosity and also addressed the students asking them “to take your Catholic education with you, be successful at whatever job you do, and do good in the world.”
 
On behalf of the Marr family, Robert L. Marr said, “My father, for whom the club is named, grew up nearby and so did my brother and I. We are so pleased that my brother’s gift both helps to grant young people in Dorchester the educational opportunity to create better lives, and continues a proud legacy in the Marr family tradition.”
 
Students receiving scholarships are chosen by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, and the awards are distributed directly to their schools. The following schools are benefitting from these scholarships in 2015/16:
 
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

• Dorchester, Saint Brendan School
• Dorchester and Mattapan, Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy
• Lynn, Saint Pius V School
• Milton, Saint Agatha School
• Milton, Saint Mary of the Hills
• Quincy, Quincy Catholic Academy
• Roxbury, Saint Patrick School
• Weymouth, Sacred Heart School

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

• Boston, Boston College High School
• Boston, Cathedral High School
• Boston, Saint Joseph’s Preparatory High School
• Braintree, Archbishop Williams High School
• Cambridge, Matignon High School
• Dedham, Ursuline Academy
• Dorchester, Cristo Rey Boston High School
• Dorchester, Elizabeth Seton Academy
• Hingham, Notre Dame Academy
• Milton, Fontbonne Academy
• Newton, Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
• Westwood, Xaverian Brothers High School
• West Roxbury, Catholic Memorial School

The Catholic school system is the largest and oldest private educator of children in the U.S., annually educating two million students nationally. Approximately 40,000 children are educated in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston, saving Massachusetts taxpayers some $580 million annually.
 
National research shows that 99% of Catholic high school students graduate on time, and 97% go on to higher education. Studies also show that Catholic school students are: more engaged in their communities and more likely to volunteer; academically more confident, having greater confidence in writing and public speaking; more tolerant of diverse views; and attend church more frequently and place a higher value on religion.
 
Established in 1974 as the Colonel Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester is dedicated to making a positive impact on the youth and their families in our community. Inside our three clubhouses we are a place for Dorchester's young people to learn, explore talents, play and make friends. Today, as always, our members between ages five and 18 have access to 200+ activities for just $5 a year.

Our Mission:
To inspire and enable all young people, from diverse circumstances, to realize their full potential by providing opportunities for personal growth to become contributing, caring and responsible members of the community.
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 1.8 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 289 parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 42,000 students in its Catholic schools and 156,000 in religious education classes each year, ministering to the needs of 200,000 individuals through its pastoral and social service outreach.   Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each week. For more information, please visit  www.BostonCatholic.org.