Since it began, the Salt & Light Fund has helped individuals and families grow in faith and build brighter futures. Overseen by the CCF Board of Directors, the fund supports initiatives in three key areas: strengthening Catholic schools, reviving parish life, and serving those in need. The six grant stories that follow highlight just some of the ways the Salt & Light Fund brings these priorities to life — offering real, lasting impact to parishes, schools, and charities across our local community.
Holy Trinity, South St. Paul
$9,000 for updating school security system
With this grant, Holy Trinity Catholic School in South St. Paul added new security features to help keep students, staff, and families safe. Upgrades included intercoms, keyless entry, better cameras, and new monitors. These changes improve visibility in key areas. They also reflect the school’s strong commitment to safety and its mission of providing an excellent education rooted in holiness.
Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, West St. Paul
$12,000 for regulating classroom and office space temperatures
This grant enabled Community of Saints to make key repairs to its heating system, creating a more comfortable and consistent classroom environment. With better temperature control, students can focus on learning, and staff morale has improved — no more sweltering rooms or wearing winter coats indoors. The grant helped fix overheating issues and continues to support progress in addressing long-overdue maintenance needs.
Sacred Heart Catholic School, Robbinsdale
$8,000 for upgrade to gym floor
This grant helped Sacred Heart Catholic School replace its 50-year-old gym floor, which had become chipped, cracked, and dangerously slippery. Now, students can safely take part in physical education, recess, and sports, and the gym is once again a welcoming space for school and community events. It’s a lasting improvement that supports active learning and student well-being.
St. John Paul II Catholic School, Minneapolis
$12,000 for technology to open a new 2nd-grade classroom
St. John Paul II Catholic School has seen enrollment increases of 6 percent in K–8 and 10 percent in preschool. The growing school recently expanded by opening a second 2nd-grade classroom. The Salt & Light Fund grant helped equip the classroom, which has many students who are English learners and/or new to the country, with education technology. These resources have helped create a vibrant, welcoming space where scholars grow academically, emotionally, and spiritually every day.
Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, Inc., Minneapolis
$5,000 for garden materials for Grace Manor Women’s Program
With support from this grant, Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, Inc., installed a new garden at Grace Manor, creating a joyful, healing space for women in recovery. The project included fencing, irrigation, and gardening classes. The organization has plans to add flowering trees and a 12-foot dining table for gathering and fellowship in the future. In the meantime, residents can plant, connect, and find peace through community and hands-on learning in the garden.
St. Richard, St. Peter, & Assumption, Richfield
$1,000 for bus services between Ecuadorian family shelter and parish
The Salt & Light Fund grant provided bus transportation from a family shelter to St. Richard for sacramental preparation and Sunday Mass in Spanish. Many families, mostly from Ecuador, had no way to attend church otherwise. This support helped restore the individuals’ connection to the Church, leading to baptisms, sacraments, and lasting involvement in parish life even after families moved out of the shelter.