St. Bede Class of ‘61 Announces New Scholarship

 

The members of the St. Bede class of 1961 are happy to announce the Fr. Allen Memorial Scholarship program. This program will award financial assistance to a deserving student to help defray the cost of tuition. The exact amount of the award has not yet been determined but it is believed that it will cover at least ½ of the annual cost of attending the school. The first award will be made for the 2005-2006 school year.

This announcement is being made in conjunction with the first anniversary of Fr. Allen Mattingly’s death. He was a Benedictine monk who was ordained to the priesthood in 1957. In his early years he taught English at the St. Bede Academy and served as prefect and advisor to the students who lived and worked at the Academy. Since 1989 he was the land manager. In this capacity he oversaw the maintenance and upkeep of the almost 1000 acres that encompass the Academy and Abbey grounds at St. Bede. Fr. Allen died last October, 10 days after he underwent heart surgery. Fr. Allen was born in Paris, IL on October 11, 1930. He is one of 12 children.

Shortly after his death the class of 1961 came together to consider doing something to honor Fr. Allen for all that he did for the thousands of students he came in contact with during his 46 years as a priest. Fr. Allen and the Class of ’61 forged a special relationship, as it was the first class that he served as prefect and advisor after his ordination. His guidance and help has served as an inspiration to the members of this class. The group decided that the best way to honor Fr Allen’s work was to help support the education of other students at the Academy. It is something we all thought he would approve. Since last fall the class has embarked on a fund raising program. The plan calls for the class to raise adequate funds over a ten-year period to   insure that the return on the funds will perpetuate the program for many years to come.

 

For additional information: 

 

Contact: James E. Dietz

Phone: 630 661 4075

Email: Frallenscholarshipfund@hotmail.com