At a prayer service at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio presented 80 students from elementary schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn with certificates representing $1,000 scholarships donated by the Tri-State Italian American Congress.

Bishop DiMarzio thanked the group for its generosity, and also recognized the parents who sacrifice to pay tuition so that their children can attend Catholic schools.

“The Tri-State Italian-American Congress has worked hard to raise money so that you can have a scholarship,” Bishop DiMarzio told the students. “They want you to be good scholars, they want you to study, they want you to get ahead in the world because if you don’t study you can’t get very far.”

Judge Louis Fusco, president of the Tri-State Italian-American Congress, told the students how happy he is to be able to present them with scholarships.

“I see these kids as young as five years old come up here and receive their certificates and it’s moving, it’s very moving,” he said.

“I can’t think of any better effort we can put in to help the children,” Judge Fusco said.  “The education they get in parochial schools is far better than they get in the public schools, no question about it, statistics will prove it.  I truly believe in what we’re doing. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to participate in making a better life for you.”

George Greco, a member of the board of the Tri-State Italian American Congress and a graduate of Good Shepherd School, Marine Park, and Xaverian H.S., Bay Ridge, said the organization raises scholarship money through golf outings, dinners, raffles, and other activities. The funds are used to help pay Catholic school tuition for students of Italian heritage attending Catholic elementary and high schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn and the New York Archdiocese, and students from Catholic and public schools who are attending college.