BELTSVILLE, MD — Bethlehem University Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of The Reverend Jeremiah Spencer Endowed Fund for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Bethlehem University. The endowed fund was established by the Kansas City in Kansas Section of the Northern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepluchre of Jerusalem.
The Reverend Jeremiah Spencer Endowed Fund was created in memory of The Reverend Jeremiah Lee "Jerry" Spencer. Father Jerry served at Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa, KS from 1965-1967, Holy Name Parish in Kansas City, KS from 1967-2012, and as the Catholic Chaplain at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS for 44 years. He was a dedicated Knight Chaplain of the Kansas City in Kansas Section of the Northern Lieutenancy. Father Jerry passed away in December 2017 after spending a majority of his priestly ministry serving the sick and suffering.
The Lieutenant of the Northern Lieutenancy, His Excellency Shawn T. Cleary, KGCHS, said, "The Northern Lieutenancy is happy to support the education of nurses and healthcare workers in the Holy Land because it is part of our ministry. A gift to the students of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences is a gift to all of the people of the Holy Land."
Ms. Mariam Awad, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Bethlehem University, welcomed the creation of this endowed fund saying, "This endowed fund will help create a perpetual gift for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences which better enables Bethlehem University to educate and form the next generation of healthcare workers in the Holy Land."
Ms. Awad also noted that this year the Faculty of Nursing launched a new master's degree in Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing, "This is the first and only program in Palestine that will help improve the quality of care for cancer patients and their families." Endowed funds play an important role in the sustainability and expansion of the School of Nursing to better serve the people of the Holy Land.
The School of Nursing and Health Sciences enjoys one of the highest employment rates among the programs at Bethlehem University. The graduates go on to serve in hospitals and clinics in the Holy Land, providing healthcare to all, regardless of one’s gender or creed, bringing Christian and Lasallian values to the workforce. The graduates of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences bring quality healthcare to a part of the world very much in need of physical and spiritual healing. Learn more about Bethlehem University's School of Nursing and Health Sciences here.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, D.D. of Kansas City in Kansas, reflecting on this announcement, said, "I am so proud that this fund is being spearheaded by the Knights and Dames of the Kansas City in Kansas Section in honor of our beloved Father Jerry. This endowed fund honors a great priest from the Archdiocese and binds the faithful of Kansas City in Kansas to the people of the Holy Land."
Dating back to the Crusades, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (EOHSJ) has long protected the Christian sites and supported the Christian community in the Holy Land. Today, there are an estimated 30,000 Knights and Dames from forty countries among its membership.
In our shared ministry of preserving and supporting the Christian community in the Holy Land, Bethlehem University Foundation and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre have established a vital partnership. This natural friendship has developed over the life of the University and has never been stronger. Many of the endowed funds at the Foundation have been created by the Lieutenancies and individual Knights and Dames of the Order. Learn more about the EOHSJ here.
The generosity of the donors to this endowed fund allows Bethlehem University to continue its mission and ministry of educating the people of the Holy Land and serving them as a center for the advancement, sharing, and use of knowledge.
Donors wanting to establish a forever gift in support of Bethlehem University can do so by creating an endowed fund at the Bethlehem University Foundation. The Foundation invests your gift in the United States and uses a portion of the investment income to provide annual financial support for the purpose you establish. Current endowed funds have been established to underwrite specific Faculties (Schools) or programs at the University, to provide general support to the University, to provide scholarship support, to fund educational development, or other uses as specified by the donor.
Endowed funds are managed by the Board of Directors of the Foundation and are invested with T. Rowe Price. With an initial gift of $30,000 and a pledge of at least $100,000 payable over 5 years, you can establish an endowed fund at the Bethlehem University Foundation. Please note that many endowed funds are created by individuals or organizations pooling donations.
To learn more about this fund and how you can support it please contact Ralph and Jan Lewis of the Kansas City in Kansas Section of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem at: [email protected].
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