The 2025-26 Parish Subsidy Application Deadline is
Friday, Feb 28, 2025. Apply Below!
Criteria for Eligibility
Please read carefully:
1. The family must be parishioners. This means that they must live within the territory of the Portland Peninsula and Islands and/or regularly attend Mass at one of the parishes of the Portland Peninsula and Islands. If a family lives outside of the parish and does not attend Mass in the parish or if they attend Mass at a different parish, they are not parishioners and therefore do not qualify for the parish subsidy.
2. The family must be registered with the one of the Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes. Families can register online (www.portlandcatholic.org) or by calling the pastoral center.
3. The family must be active in practicing the Catholic faith. Families must attend Mass on Sunday and ensure that children receive the sacraments of Baptism, First Penance, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion in all but very exceptional circumstances. In addition, beginning this year, to be eligible for a subsidy, sponsored students must participate in at least one of the following parish ministries or activities:
Weekly children’s faith formation on Wednesday afternoon or Sunday morning
Altar serving or reading at Mass on a regular basis
Register for and attend the parish week-long summer program for children
Attend at least four Friday faith dinner nights sponsored by the Portland Catholic Center for Faith
4. The family must be regularly contributing financially to the ongoing life and ministry of their parish (at any level) either through the use of envelopes or through online giving. Families can request envelopes by contacting the pastoral center, and/or can easily enroll in online giving through the parish website. Failure to attend Sunday Mass and actively engage in parish life is grounds for the revocation of subsidy, as our parish does not subsidize Catholic school tuition for families that are not serious about raising their children in the Catholic faith. In consultation with staff, the Rector/Pastor will revisit applications in June of 2025, and will inform any disengaged families that their subsidy for the 2025-26 school year has been revoked.
Online Application Process (2025-26)
Families must attend a 30-minute appointment with the Pastor and bring a completed subsidy application with them in order to be eligible for the parish subsidy.
This year’s application deadline is Friday, February 28, 2025. The subsidy amount for the 2025-2026 academic year is $1,500.00 per child.
Family appointments must be attended by at least one of the parents of the student(s). Grandparents or other family/friends are not able to make appointments on behalf of the parents of the student. Meetings will be with the Rector/Pastor or his delegate at the parish office during the months of January and February. Families can reserve appointment times by calling the Pastoral Office or using our online registration form. Barring truly exceptional circumstances, if the family does not attend one of the available appointment times, or misses their scheduled appointment time, they will not receive a subsidy the following academic year.
Parish families who miss the deadline for the parish subsidy or are denied the parish subsidy and would like to appeal the decision are welcome to submit their request to their parish finance council, which will review their request at their next meeting and advise the Pastor on whether to award the subsidy or not.
Families who enroll in the school as new students after the school subsidy deadline will be eligible for assistance until the first day of school, provided that they bring a completed application with them to a meeting with the Pastor.
Please Print, fill out and bring this subsidy agreement to your meeting.