FACE Gala celebrates generosity, Catholic education and a legacy of giving

Originally published on www.anchornews.org
By Joan D. Warren

Student ambassadors from St Pius X School and St. John Paul II School greet attendees at the 29th Annual FACE Gala held at the Wianno Club on August 13.

The students, ranging from first through eighth grade, are among those receiving scholarships through the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE).

Their presence at the Aug. 13 gala at the Wianno Club provided a personal reminder that behind every scholarship is a child whose life is being shaped by a Catholic education.

Among the student ambassadors was Maria Roncelli, who will begin her freshman year at Saint John Paul High School in Hyannis in September after attending Catholic schools throughout her education.

Maria Roncelli addresses the crowd at the gala. Standing beside her is younger sister Louise who will be entering first grade at St. Pius X School.

As she thought about what she was most looking forward to in high school, Roncelli said she initially considered the usual answers: making new friends, discovering new opportunities and participating in new activities.

But one thought kept returning to her.

“My relationship with God,” she said.

Roncelli said she is grateful to attend a school where faith is woven into daily life and where teachers, staff and the wider school community encourage students to grow closer to God.

“Attending a Catholic school gives me many different opportunities, but the one that I will never take for granted is strengthening my faith,” she said.

As she looks toward high school, Roncelli said she is eager to continue developing that relationship.

“The high school teachers teach a lot of valuable lessons, but the one I am most eager and ready to learn is how to nourish and deepen my relationship with God and continue growing in faith throughout my life,” she said.

While academics and athletics are important, Roncelli said her Catholic education has taught her that faith must remain at the center.

“The most powerful place to be is in God’s presence and let His light shine through me so others can see that I am truly a child of God,” she said.

She does not know what the coming years will bring, she told the guests, but she knows what will guide her.

“No matter what is ahead, my faith and love for Christ will always protect and guide me,” Roncelli said.

Pat Marmen accepts the Al Makkay Sr. Award from Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., for her many years of support in Catholic education.

The evening also honored Patricia “Pat” Grady Marmen with the 2026 Al Makkay Sr. Award for her decades of leadership and service to Catholic education on Cape Cod.

Marmen reflected on her own connection to the late Al Makkay Sr., whom she met at the first FACE gala she attended.

“I met Al Makkay at the first gala I ever attended,” Marmen said.

“Our lives overlapped, mainly through our grandchildren.”

Marmen said her years of involvement with FACE have shown her that the organization’s impact reaches far beyond those directly involved in its work.

“Sometimes you don’t know where the path you have taken leads, but you keep moving forward,” she said.

“FACE has made such a difference in the lives of many students, but it takes a village. You are a part of the village.”

That spirit of shared responsibility was evident throughout the evening, particularly during the live auction.

Each year, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., donates his time and culinary talents by offering a homemade dinner for six as an auction item. This year, two dinners were purchased for $9,500 each.

“The first year my dinner went for $2,000, and it went up to $12,000 last year,” Bishop da Cunha joked. “I’m going to have to brush up on my cooking skills. I know we are getting better every year.”

The live auction and “fund a scholarship” raised more than $79,000, and the total proceeds from the event were more than $225,000, providing another significant boost to FACE’s efforts to provide need-based tuition assistance.

“It is an incredible sign of your generosity,” Bishop da Cunha told the crowd. “You are making an impact, and the sign of commitment and investment will last for generations to come.”

He reminded those gathered that most people can point to someone who made a lasting difference in their lives.

“We have all been touched by someone who made an impact on our lives,” Bishop da Cunha said.

“By your support, you are touching the lives of others, and that goes a long way, passing to another generation.”

For Marmen, that sense of generational impact has been at the heart of her involvement with Catholic education and FACE.

As the first Head of School at St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth, Marmen helped establish the school community from its earliest days. She later continued her support through FACE, serving as a Summer Gala chair for four years alongside her husband Tom and as a member of the gala committee for more than two decades.

The annual gala is one of FACE’s major fundraising efforts, generating support for need-based tuition assistance for families who might otherwise be unable to afford a Catholic education.

The evening’s student ambassadors offered perhaps the clearest illustration of why that support matters. For students like Roncelli, the opportunity extends beyond academics.

It provides a place where faith can take root, grow and accompany them into the future.