At the close of the fiscal year on June 30, more than $1,391,000 in philanthropic support had been received by Marian Catholic High School.

“This record-setting giving from our donors shows the commitment and dedication they have to Marian Catholic High School and our distinct mission,” said Michael Brennan ‘06, Head of School.

Sources of support to Marian this past fiscal year included $502,453 in unrestricted gifts to the “Marian Fund;” $370,500 in gifts toward the school’s Pennsylvania State Tax Credit Program and more than $200,000 in special gifts, including an $60,000 gift from an anonymous donor to fund a new guidance program.

The school also received a bequest from the estate of a parent of alumni for over $63,000, $26,888 for the financial aid program, $19,663 in memorial scholarships and $40,000 from the Distinguished Alumnus Award and Hall of Fame event held in May.

The Forward with Christ endowment gifted $9,000 to the school and the Blue and Gold Club contributed $94,000 last year. More than 1,750 gifts were made to the school, including 1,090 to the Marian Fund.

There were 177 first-time donors, 155 gifts of $500 or more, 89 gifts of $1,000 or more and $50,098 came from gifts of $100 or less to the Marian Fund.

The unrestricted funds are added to the general fund of the school’s budget for use in meeting current operating expenses, providing over $400,000 in student financial aid, maintaining the physical plant, and ensuring the continuation of a Catholic education.

The cost of education for each student is approximately $10,100 for the 2023-24 school year. Tuition and fees cover about 71% of the cost of a Marian education. The Marian Fund and other gifts bridge the gap between tuition revenues and operating expenses.

“Our alumni and donors are extremely generous, but their giving this fiscal year has exceeded our lofty expectations,” said Patrick Reilly, P ’99, ’02, ’11, president of the board of directors. “Tremendous credit must be given to our Head of School, Michael Brennan, our Director of Advancement, Dr. Erin Marek, our outstanding Advancement Committee and the scores of volunteers who have made Marian the gem of the Diocese of Allentown.”

“This summer while at a National Advancement Conference for Catholic Schools in Boston, I heard how many peer Catholic secondary schools are struggling. Marian is thriving because our community recognizes the importance of philanthropy toward ensuring the school’s sustainability and viability,” said Erin Marek. “Each year, students are impacted by the generosity of the philanthropic support, and we see the difference it makes in their lives and in the life of the school. We would like to especially thank those who made a gift to the Marian Fund, the oxygen of our school.”

”We raised a lot of money this past year that only positions Marian to be even stronger today and, in the future,” said Larry Furey ’79, chairman of the Board’s Advancement Committee, “and the breadth of our advancement program in terms of generosity and participation also ensures that Marian will continue to be able to develop the resources for our strategic priorities that the board of directors have set.”