FALL RIVER – FACE will host its 29th annual Fall Scholarship Dinner on Thursday, November 9, with the goal of raising funds for need-based scholarships to benefit students attending Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River. It will take place at White’s of Westport, beginning at 6 p.m.

FACE is the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education and it is the primary source of financial assistance for diocesan Catholic school students.

“As someone who has been fortunate to be involved with FACE over many years….as a donor and board member and as a parent and grandparent of students in the Catholic School system, I’ve seen first-hand the impact that our efforts at FACE have had and continue to have,” said Dennis Kelly, who is former President of Bristol County Savings Bank.

“As a donor, our financial gift is truly opening doors for educational access to families in need of assistance. Every year we strive to make more funds available to meet the growing demands of families for financial aid. Our annual FACE Fall Scholarship Dinner is an important part of this effort.”

The Fall Scholarship Dinner will feature a reception and extensive multi-course meal followed by a brief program and presentation by longtime Regis College religious studies professor, Dr. Ernest Collamati. Collamati is an engaging and an often-sought speaker on issues relating to the Church, God, and humanity.

Each year, FACE provides scholarships to assist families with the cost of Catholic school tuition. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, for this school year alone FACE awarded over $1 million in aid to support Catholic school students throughout the diocese. The mission of FACE is to ensure that no child is denied the opportunity of attending a Catholic school in the Diocese due to financial hardship.

Fall Dinner co-chairs John Feitelberg of HUB International and Janna Lafrance of Lafrance Hospitality are leading a committee working to make the evening a memorable celebration of Catholic education and a successful fundraiser for FACE.

Among highlights of the dinner program will be the presentation of the Timothy J. Cotter Friend of Catholic Education Award. This year’s recipient will be Kathleen St. Laurent (in photo), a longtime teacher and administrator in Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Fall River. St. Laurent is a member of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Somerset.

WPRI Channel 12 news anchor and Bishop Stang High School alumna Kait Walsh will return this year to emcee the Fall Dinner.

Featured speaker Dr. Collamati once in an interview attributed his choice of studies to his fascination with what he called “the questions that never go away: Where are we from? Where are we going? Does life make sense? Is there a God?”

He earned a bachelor’s in humanities from Providence College then went on to study theology at the University of Notre Dame, where he received his master’s and doctoral degrees. Prior to his appointment at Regis College, where he was formerly the chair of the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department for more than 20 years, he served in the same capacity at St. Mary of the Woods College in Indiana.

To learn more about the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education, please visit www.face-dr.org or www.facebook.com/FACEhelpskids.

Diocese of Fall River
Diocese of Fall River
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