The Catholic Education Foundation of Los Angeles has received a gift of more than $50 million from an anonymous donor in support of Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic Schools, the Catholic News Agency reports.

To be disbursed over five years, the gift will provide financial support for "the most financially deserving students" at more than two hundred Catholic elementary and high schools in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. Nearly eight in ten students in archdiocesan Catholic schools — half of which are in inner-city or urban areas — come from underrepresented minority backgrounds, and in 2021 the foundation provided over $12 million in tuition assistance to more than ten thousand students.

"A gift of this magnitude will change the lives of thousands of students, particularly our most needy," said Paul Escala, senior director and superintendent of schools for the archdiocese. "We are deeply grateful for the confidence and faith this gift reflects in our teachers, leaders, and families."

"There is no greater gift than a Catholic education, which teaches values of faith, family, and service," said CEF executive director Douglas Cooper in a statement. "We are beyond grateful to this anonymous donor for their kindness, leadership, and generosity, and we look forward to welcoming these students and families into our family of Catholic schools."

(Photo credit: David Amador Rivera)