Parish gives faith and service scholarships

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

Scholarships based on faith and service, started in memory of a priest, are to be given this month to graduates who helped others despite restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
St. Anne Parish in Southborough is to award the scholarships to parishioners Caroline Hodi and Lauren Plank on June 11, said the pastor, Father Albert Irudayasamy.
Ms. Hodi, who is to graduate today from Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, and Ms. Plank, who is to graduate from Marlborough High School Sunday, are each to receive $750 to use how they choose.
Father Irudayasamy said the young women are part of “wonderful families” that are “fully involved in the parish” and “always come to Mass.”
According to Joseph Cruciani, the Phil Sheridan Knights of Columbus Council 119, which serves St. Anne and St. Matthew parishes in Southborough, started the Rev. Thomas B. Garlick Memorial Scholarship 11 years ago to honor St. Anne’s pastor, who died suddenly in May 2011.
“The Knights made a commitment to doing it for five years and ended up doing it for 10 years” in Father Garlick’s honor, Mr. Cruciani said. “I joined the Knights somewhere around the fifth year” and helped with the project. Mr. Cruciani said he is a past Grand Knight and is now recorder of the council.
The Knights are finding it hard to coordinate the project now, since they are aging and struggling to attract new, younger members, he said.
So, he asked St. Anne’s parish council, of which he is a member-at-large, if the parish would like to make the scholarships a parish project. They agreed, he coordinated the project, and the parish council members helped sell raffle tickets to raise the scholarship money.
Since it is now run by the parish, only St. Anne’s students could apply for the scholarship. When the Knights ran the project, St. Matthew’s members could apply too, Father Irudayasamy said.
Students did not need to submit academic transcripts, but had to write an essay, Mr. Cruciani said.
Father Irudayasamy said the students had to answer at least one of three questions about how their involvement with the Catholic Church has changed their lives and others’ lives, or who inspired them to practice their faith and how, or how they plan to serve God and the Church beyond school.
“Hopefully, we inspire future kids to get more involved,” knowing there are scholarships available, Mr. Cruciani said. “Our hope would be that” they attend Mass regularly.
“One of the first things parents say,” when learning of the scholarship, is: “My kid’s grades aren’t that good,” so he or she probably wouldn’t qualify, Mr. Cruciani said. So, he has assured parents that this scholarship is about service, not grades.
On average, four students applied each year, Mr. Cruciani said. This year there were two.
“We were very impressed with both of them,” he said of the parish council, which reviewed the applications. “One of the things that impressed us … the majority of their time in high school was COVID time.” On their applications, they noted that many of the typical service opportunities weren’t available to them, he said.
“Even though the world was different, they were still able to find ways to be of service,” he said.
Lauren wrote that she gave 400 hours of service and received the President’s Volunteer Service Award with a letter signed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Father Irudayasamy said. She worked for a food drive, made holiday cards for senior citizens, baked and delivered cupcakes to first responders and put flags on veterans’ graves.
“I’m honored to be receiving this scholarship!” Ms. Plank said. “I’ve been brought up in the Catholic Church my whole life; from the beginning my family had instilled in me that we all have gifts and that we should share those with others! So that is what got me started into community service.”
Caroline wrote about spending three hours a week tutoring kindergarten students on Zoom for an immigrant family services institute.
“It sounds like she put a lot of effort into it,” Mr. Cruciani said. For example, she would ask children to find something of a particular color in their house.
“I got creative with how we would complete assigned activities,” she wrote.
She also wrote that she was often an altar server when she was younger, Mr. Cruciani said, adding that it was “nice to see the church connection.”
Since both applicants were well-qualified for the scholarship, the parish is to divide the scholarship money between them, instead of giving it all to one or saving some, Mr. Cruciani said. The students can use the money as they choose.
“A lot of kids have a lot of different paths,” he explained. Some might not be going to college, and might use the money for job-related expenses instead.
He said each student is to get $750 of the $2,000 raised from the sale of 100 raffle tickets. Five raffle winners are to get $100.
St. Anne’s plans to draw this year’s raffle winners and present this year’s awards after the 10:30 a.m. Mass June 11, Mr. Cruciani said.