Caldwell Sister Honored At Event That Raises $91K For Scholarships

THE CALDWELLS, NJ — Sister Patricia M. Wormann, a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic in Caldwell, was recently honored for her longtime commitment to education during the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children’s (SFIC) first-ever Irish American Leadership Breakfast.

The event also raised $91,000 — which is $16,000 more than SFIC’s target goal — to fund partial tuition assistance scholarships for underprivileged students attending Archdiocese of Newark Catholic schools.

The Scholarship Fund offers many other types of scholarships to students of all denominations attending private schools in Essex, Bergen, Hudson, and Union counties.

The most recent event took place in Newark.

Nearly 150 attendees dined on Irish bacon, soda bread, scones, and other cultural delicacies before enjoying performances from Irish musicians and step dancers.

Afterward, SFIC honored two Irish Americans for their longtime commitment to education: James P. McTernan and Sister Wormann, O.P.

McTernan, a retired managing director of Millennium Partners, LLC, is a trustee for both SFIC and Oratory Prep in Summit.

Sister Wormann is currently the Archdiocese’s delegate for religious. She previously worked as a teacher, guidance counselor, and campus minister at schools and universities throughout the Northeast.

In addition to recognizing the two Irish American leaders, the SFIC staff provided McTernan and Sister Wormann with special gifts paid for using the staff’s own personal finances. McTernan received Waterford crystal glasses, while Sister Wormann was surprised with a plane ticket to Ireland. Sister Wormann was particularly moved by the gift, telling SFIC that she has been dreaming of returning to Ireland for years.

“Many of our founders are Irish American, and we are proud of our many Irish American supporters” said Dr. Michelle L. Hartman, SFIC’s chief executive officer. “Since this is our 40th anniversary year, we wanted to recognize them for their contributions to SFIC while commemorating St. Patrick’s Day. Jim McTernan and Sister Pat Wormann represent great examples of Irish American leadership in our community, and we are proud to be represented by them this year.”

To make a donation or learn more about SFIC — which recently increased its scholarship amount from $1,200 to $1,500 — visit www.sficnj.org.

SFIC, founded in 1983 as the Fund for Educational Advancement, is a non-profit organization funded by corporations, foundations, and individual donors who wish to invest in the future of economically-disadvantaged children living in neighboring communities.

The fund has provided more than $54 million in partial-tuition assistance to students from economically-disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds within Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. Scholarships are based on need without regard to religion, gender, race, or ethnic background. Applicant families must be ready to provide proof of income and must intend to attend one of the schools within the four counties it serves.

The Archdiocese of Newark serves 1.3 million Catholics throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. There are 212 parishes, 73 Catholic schools, and many missions and ministries in the Archdiocese. Hundreds of Masses are celebrated in more than a dozen languages each week. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the sixth archbishop of Newark, leads the Archdiocese with four auxiliary bishops.

Together, they serve the northern New Jersey community through faith, education, and social services. For more information, visit www.rcan.org.