Dollars to Scholars at Cathedral Village

At Cathedral Village, Philadelphia, there is an incredible, resident-led Scholarship Committee. They set an ambitious goal in 2025 to raise another $50,000 for scholarships and for the 2025-2026 school year, they were celebrated their success.

The endowed fund now has well over $300,000, and the campaign couldn’t have come at a better time. There was a record number of applications, resulting in a record number of awardees. Their success was marked with a brunch to celebrate with fellow supporters as well as meet a couple of the scholarship recipients.

Scholarship Chair Shares

Judy Borie, Co-Chair and Co-Founder, explained, “Scholarships are a real need. The cost of education constantly increases, and we know some employees simply can’t afford to go to college or even get a GED. We care a lot about our employees and, as a result, this appeal continues to be very popular. And we’ve been fortunate to have committee members with fundraising experience and/or a passion to help others…and that’s what we do.”

Impact on Scholarship Recipients

One of the recipients was Matthew McGurn, who works in security at the community. He will take courses to become a Certified Fire Protection Specialist from the National Fire Protection Association. In his application, he wrote, “This [certification] aligns closely with both my professional experience and personal passion for life safety.” In the 10 years that he has served as a security officer, he noted, “I take pride in my role, not just in ensuring the safety of residents and team members, but also in proactively identifying risks and staying current on best practices through monthly Relias courses.”

Another recipient was Anthony Soveral. He and his family are well known at Cathedral Village. Both of his parents worked there, and he himself has been in Dining Services for four years. He is a first-generation college student in his junior year at Saint Joseph’s University and is studying accounting. Regarding Cathedral Village, he wrote, “I love the environment, team members, and residents there and feel there is no better place for me to be, and part of the love for Cathedral is because of how willing everyone is to help.” In thinking about the scholarship, he noted the generosity of the donors to fund it and noted it exemplified that Cathedral Village is a true community where people are very willing to help. He, too, gives time back and has lent a hand in setting up the community room for Vespers and even in doing some of the readings.

Thanks to all the donors who support this important endeavor. We wish our students continued success as they move into the second half of their school year.