Good morning, Kristin,

“Affective collegiality precedes effective collegiality.” This is what St. John Paul II said shared with Robert Runcie, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, when Runcie expressed disappointment that no progress towards unity had been achieved when the two had met.

Soon-to-be-Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, OP, recounted this quote at the beginning of last year’s Synod, emphasizing that friendship would serve as the foundation upon which all else could be achieved in the Synod on Synodality.

When I heard Fr. James Martin, SJ, reflect on this quote last week as he returned from the Synod, I was reminded of our practice of prioritizing connections before content, and more practically, the guidance we have received in this first year of implementation of Partners in the Gospel. We are reminded that this intial phase is rooted in a need to get to know each other. It does not mean “go nowhere.” Rather, as I shared in our meeting a few weeks ago, it means “go together” (recall the image of the three-legged race).

Indeed, in all we do, we must first build, then maintain a relational orientation. In doing so, we create the foundation upon which meaningful impact can be achieved.

With gratitude, 

NICHOLAS FORD | Superintendent

Office for Catholic Schools | Archdiocese of Seattle

Annual Fulcrum School Endowment Meeting

Fulcrum provides an annual information session for School's with or interested in Endowments - November 19 @ 3pm - Save the date !

Feature Your School at the Celebration of Light

We are requesting 5 recent photos from each school to share in a slide show at the Celebration of Light on January 31. Instructions for submitting photos will be sent by Amy Hall this week. Please be sure the photos you submit can be shared publicly and online. Thank you!

Fulcrum's Advent Mass

Everyone is invited to attend Fulcrum’s Advent Mass with Fr. Rowan and Fr. Magnano on Sunday, December 1, 5pm at Seattle University. We encourage school families, administrators, and teachers to join us. For more information, contact Amy Hall at hall.amy@fulcrumfoundation.org or 206.226.5679.

DEADLINE: THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 - School Partnership Grant (SPG) Program

The SPG Program application will open October 23, 2024, and the deadline to submit applications for consideration will be November 15, 2024.

Schools may apply for a grant through this program if they:

• Are a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Seattle

AND

• Are not a high school that is in the Norcliffe Foundation Service area

The SPG grant may cover:

1. Up to 75% of the total project cost, at a maximum grant of $10,000

Or

1. Up to 100% of the remaining funding needed to complete a project, at a maximum grant of $10,000, so long as the minimum of 75% of the total funding has already been secured.

Each eligible school may receive funding in either FY25 or FY26. No schools will receive funding in both years.

Note for Pierce County Elementary Schools: Fulcrum’s current agreement with the Snyder Foundation ends in FY26, and is restricted for elementary schools in Pierce County and for capital projects. To fulfill our agreement with the Snyder Foundation, a separate application for Snyder funding will be available to Catholic elementary schools in Pierce County on the same timeline as the SPG Program. Detailed information has been emailed to you directly.