It is with gratitude and excitement that Salesianum announces an historic $12,000,000 gift from Jacklyn and Miguel Bezos ’63 to the Salesianum School Endowment to fund financial aid.
This gift is certainly notable for its size, indeed, it is the second largest the school has ever received and one of the largest ever given to a Catholic secondary school in the United States. But beyond sheer magnitude, this gift is unique in that it will fully fund tuition and expenses for 24 students in perpetuity as a way to honor a beloved figure in Salesianum history.
To that end, $10,000,000 will be given to immediately establish the Rev. James P. Byrne, OSFS Scholarship, which will focus on enrolling 24 motivated, ambitious, mature and curious students. To be considered as a Byrne Scholar, applicants must demonstrate full financial need, and a preference will be given for those students from the City of Wilmington and those who are immigrants or the children of immigrants. In addition to full tuition, Byrne Scholars will also receive funding for incidental expenses including books, retreats, service trips, AP test fees, prom tickets, etc., which often serve as barriers for students on the margins.
In 1960, Father Byrne was placed in charge of Casa de Sales, a house at 1300 Broom Street where 21 boys - all emigres fleeing the Cuban revolution as part of the U.S. State Department’s Operation Pedro Pan - lived and attended Salesianum. They came from an island nation 1,300 miles away and spoke no English, but Father Byrne took them in and formed them into Salesian Gentlemen. Mike Bezos was one of those boys.
Father Byrne, who died in 2020, was the embodiment of our patron’s gentle strength. His ministry as surrogate parent, teacher and friend is credited with helping dozens of Casa residents become successful students and - eventually - citizens through his guidance, discipline and love. It was an audacious undertaking; it was also the right thing to do.
The Byrne Scholarship is a reminder that providing access to education is the essence of our own story and shared experience as Salesians. Whether it was European immigrants arriving in Wilmington in the early 20th century, or Cuban refugees decades later, Salesianum has consistently opened its doors for 118 years. The Byrne Scholarship is merely the next step in this evolution. The school will be extending its outstretched hands to students from our own backyard rather than distant shores, but the sentiment of that gesture - the very essence of taking hold - is recognizable to all of us as Salesians, regardless of whose hand clutches back.
It is in that same spirit then that Mike and Jackie are also matching commitments of $100,000 or more to the endowment over the next three years - up to $2,000,000. As tuition rises by necessity, gifts to the endowment - both big and small - as well as new scholarships will be essential to maintaining access and affordability for all who wish to be Salesian Gentlemen. This separate matching initiative offers others in our community a chance to follow the example of the Byrne Scholarship and leverage their own generosity in ways never before possible at Salesianum to establish their own scholarships.
As Salesians, I know we all have a sense of pride in bearing the mark of Salesianum, either as alumni, parents or friends. This commitment from Mike and Jackie makes the mark all the more indelible. It is Salesianum - and nowhere else - where the goodness of our community flows so freely in the service of others. Thank you Jacklyn and Miguel Bezos ’63 for joining us in outstretching your hands. Thank you for taking hold and never letting go. Thank you for making your mark on the school, and the eventual thousands of students your generosity will benefit.
Tenui Nec Dimittam,
Brendan P. Kennealey ’94
President
