Photo courtesy of St.John the Baptist School
Ching Foundation representatives presented a check for $150,000 to St. John the Baptist School on Oct. 2. From left, are Herbert Ching, Rose Ching, Sister Laurencia Camayudo, Raymond Tam, Father Jack Ryan and Steven Gilley.
Special to the Herald
One Sunday morning earlier this year, Raymond Tam, nephew of the late Clarence T.C. Ching, asked Dominican Sister Marylou Superio, principal of St. John the Baptist School in Kalihi, if there was anything she might need help with.
A certain family immediately came to mind. Sister Marylou timidly asked for two, maybe three thousand dollars to help that family with tuition. What she got was far a greater gift than she had ever imagined.
On Sunday, Oct. 5, members of the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation paid a visit to the parish and school, bringing along a check for $150,000. Tam was there, along with Clarence Ching’s brother Herbert and Herbert’s wife Rose, and Steven Gilley, the executive director of the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation.
After a beautiful Mass, during which the St. John School students read and sang, and then performed a moving liturgical dance, the check was presented to acting principal Sister Laurencia Camayudo and pastor Father Jack Ryan. Also witnessing the event were members of the Parent Teacher Guild and the school board,
The grant will be used to develop scholarships for children of low income families who want a Catholic education for their children. Professional educator development is also a component of the grant.
The school was overjoyed by this grant because of its commitment to attract students who seek a quality educational experience while practicing their faith in a supportive environment. St. John the Baptist School offers a spiritual setting within a strong academic program.
“A great blessing of this grant is that it can allow families to keep their children at St. John,” said vice principal Arleen Domondon.
“It can also open the doors for families who would not have been able to send their children to St. John otherwise,” she said.
The school is proud to be a part of the Ching Foundation’s mission to support Catholic education. Its namesake, Clarence T.C. Ching, had always been a supporter of Catholic education.
The school and parish learned of Ching’s humble Kalihi roots and his experiences as a Catholic school student and as a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Church. The Clarence T.C. Ching Scholarship will be a perpetual scholarship dedicated to the spirit of Ching’s generosity and faith in the children of Kalihi and the teachers of St. John the Baptist School.