ince the establishment of the St. Mary’s Education Fund in 1991 from the proceeds of the sale of the former St. Mary’s Home of New Bedford, an orphanage sponsored by the Diocese, interest from the Fund has provided scholarships to needy students attending the Catholic schools sponsored by the Diocese of Fall River.

From the very first Scholarship Dinner held in the Fall of 1995, there has been an increasing sense of purpose and urgency shown by the members of the area Scholarship Committees of the Attleboro, Cape Cod and the Islands, Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton areas, resulting in unprecedented success.

The first Summer Event to raise scholarship funds for the St. Mary’s Education Fund was held in 1998 on Cape Cod. Due to the efforts of the Scholarship Committee on the Cape and the generosity of donors, the Summer Event continues to raise a substantial portion of the funds made available each year for the hundreds of “need-based” scholarships awarded from the Fund.

From 1995-1996 through the 2008-2009 school year, more than $6 million dollars has been distributed from the St. Mary’s Education Fund to over 6,000 children in the elementary and middle schools, and more than 350 students in the high schools.