Old St. Paul Episcopal Church Is Auctioning Off Its Treasures For Scholarship For One Baltimore Student
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Old St. Paul Episcopal Church was founded in 1692. When you've been around for that long, you accumulate a lot of things. Now, they're using those things, or treasures, to help one student in Baltimore.
Dorien Russell knows the benefit of the St. Paul's education.
"The really individualized attention that you get from your teachers, the extracurricular activities that are available. Even all the help throughout the college admissions process I think really helped make me a well-rounded individual," Dorien said.
But with an annual tuition of $32,800 for grades 9th through 12, it's an education not everyone can afford, which is why the Old St. Paul Episcopal Church is looking to help.
"It was just the right moment for us," said Rev. Mark Stanley.
A moment, when the eyes of the world are focused on racial and social injustices. The oldest church in Baltimore will provided one person of color from their city with scholarship to this top notch institution.
"I think that every individual has to think about how to do that not just word but with action," Rev. Stanley said.
While a scholarship is nothing new, their funding for it is rather unique- breaking open the safe that held the treasures they've accumulated over the years.
"And so we said what would it mean for us to sell those items?" Rev. Stanley said.
Items like a sterling offering plate set with gemstones, or a gem encrusted sterling chalice, thousands of dollars worth of artifacts will be put up for auction.
"Some people had concerns about it, these are available items that have been given over time, a part of our history but as people learned what they would be used for, that made all the different," Rev. Stanley said.
With a hope to create a $300,000 endowed scholarship, money that people like Dorien say will be well spent.
"It gives the child and opportunity to have the seat at the table later on in life as people say," Dorien said.
The auction will be held at the Alex Cooper auction house in Towson on April 8. It will be held online so people around the world can bid.