Mater Dei Prep graduates 109 scholars

Mater Dei Prep, the Catholic High School affiliated with St Mary’s Parish in Middletown, last week graduated its first class of scholars that attended all four years since the school was saved from closure by a $1 million grassroots fundraising campaign.

The 109 graduates of the Catholic preparatory high school collectively received $18.5 million in merit based college scholarships, an average of $169,725 per student, according to a write-up of the graduation on the school’s website.   That’s quite an accomplishment for a school that was slated to close for financial reasons before the school community raised $1 million to keep its doors open. Read the rest of this entry »

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Year in review: February 2015

Fire fighter Pat Breen and Freeholder Lillian Burry inspect the devastation in Ocean Grove. Feb 7, 2015. Photo by Bob Burlew

Fort Monmouth was designated as an Ebola quarantine site.

Mater Dei Prep was slated to close.  The community raised $1 million to save the school.

While in New Hampshire, Governor Chris Christie criticized Governor Maggie Hassan for appearing to be more focused on running for her next job than on governing the state she was elected to lead.

Christine Giordano Hanlon was nominated to replace M.Claire French as Monmouth County Clerk.

Locals remembered Brian Williams’ early exaggerations.

A fire destroyed four businesses and seven apartments in Ocean Grove.

In reaction to 50 Shades of Grey, Tommy DeSeno wrote that sex is the same for everyone, like eating, and that we shouldn’t talk about it so much.

Belmar’s Home By Summer campaign raised $50K in two weeks to assist the last two borough residents who were displaced by Hurricane Sandy get back into their homes.

The year in review: 2015

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Family drops lawsuit over Mater Dei closing

MIDDLETOWN —The family suing to prevent the closure of Mater Dei Prep in Middletown is withdrawing its lawsuit. Brian Petrone said he decided to drop the suit, after speaking with school officials and alumni, out of concern that his action would harm his goal of having the Catholic high school become more financially secure. It’s not…

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Mater Dei student’s family sues Diocese, school to prevent closure, report says

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There is still Hope for Mater Dei Prep

Mater Dei Prep, the Catholic High School in Middletown affiliated with St. Mary Parish has received a two month life line.

On Tuesday, Father Jeff Kegley announced the school would close its doors and stop educating young Catholics in June because after years of financial losses the parish could no longer sustain the school which is on track to lose $1 million this year.

Yesterday, encouraged by “the tremendous outpouring of support from the school and parish community to keep Mater Dei Prep open”, Fr. Kegley announced a two month fund raising campaign, “Save the Seraphs,” to raise the $1 million necessary to keep the school operating another year.

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Mater Dei Prep to close in June

Marter Dei Prep, the Catholic High School affiliated with St.Mary Parish in Middletown will close due to financial losses at the conclusion of the current school year, according to a press release issued today by Father Jeff Kegley, Pastor of the parish.

“It is with great sadness that I inform you that Mater Dei Prep will close at the end of this school year, June 2015. Over the many years, Mater Dei Prep has been running large financial deficits. It had been the hope of the Parish Finance Council and myself that these trends could be reversed. However, the 2014-2015 projected loss is close to one million dollars,” Kegley said.

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