From left: Michael Reardon, Executive Director, Mattea del Peschio of the North End, Cardinal Sean O’Malley Peter Lynch Maggie Gohlmann of Beacon Hill Kathy Mears, Superintendent for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Boston Karen McLaughlin, Principal St John School.
At a Mass followed by a breakfast reception at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Newton, Cardinal Séan O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston inducted the fifth class of Peter Lynch (PL) Scholars. Mattea del Peschio and Maggie Gohlmann from St. John School, Boston were two of approximately 173 students from across the Greater Boston area that were selected for this program. For the 2014-2015 school year, the Catholic Schools Foundation distributed over $250,000 to 173 PL Scholars in 58 schools.
Cardinal O’Malley was accompanied by Michael B. Reardon, Executive Director of the Catholic Schools Foundation, and Kathy Mears, Superintendent for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Boston. Mike Reardon remarked, “Cardinal Séan reminded us of the importance of using our God-given talents and working hard. Peter Lynch did just that and now the Peter Lynch Scholars are a legacy he will leave.”
Mr. Lynch, known for his successful career as a money manager at Fidelity Investments, is a longtime supporter of Boston’s Catholic Schools and serves as chairman emeritus for the Catholic Schools Foundation. In his honor, The Peter Lynch (PL) Scholars Program was established in 2010 to honor Mr. Lynch’s involvement with the Catholic Schools Foundation/Inner-City Scholarship Fund. Each Catholic elementary school selects their PL Scholars based upon, among other criteria, his or her grades, work ethic, and demonstrated care and concern for others in the school community and beyond.
Last year the Catholic Schools Foundation distributed approximately 5,000 scholarships to students, totaling more than $6 million dollars in tuition support.