Alumni Keep the Spirit of Closed Schools Alive Through Scholarships

Alumni associations from two closed schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are providing scholarships to help students attend Catholic schools.

The North Catholic High School alumni association has distributed more than $6.7 million to the descendants of its former students since the Northeast Philadelphia school closed in 2010. Within this group, the Norphans, a non-profit organization established in 2014, has provided more than $600,000 in scholarships. The organization's name was created by Father Neil Kilty, an Oblate priest and chaplain for the association.

The St. James Alumni Association has distributed more than $2 million in scholarships since St. James High School in Chester closed in 1993. Mike Ritz, president of the association, stated that members decided to continue supporting Catholic education after the school's closure.