Holy Ghost Prep receives $2.5 million RACP grant

Holy Ghost Prep will receive $2,500,000 in state funding from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to aid in the cost of the acquisition and construction of the school’s Arts and Athletic Activity Center.

The grant marks a significant step in helping Holy Ghost achieve its overall goal of $5,000,000 for the new Activity Center. The project will be an adaptive reuse of a vacant former beverage distributorship into a 26,000-square foot performing arts and athletic space that will benefit Holy Ghost Prep, the town of Bensalem, and the surrounding community.

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects.

“This grant wouldn’t have happened without the bipartisan efforts of our state representatives Gene DiGirolamo, Scott Petri and Frank Farry, Northeast Philadelphia state representative Mike Driscoll, our state senator Robert M. Tomlinson and Pennsylvania’s governor Tom Wolf. And we certainly appreciate the local support of our mayor, Joe DiGirolamo.” Holy Ghost President Gregory J. Geruson’79 says.

“Their collective efforts resulted in a game-changing grant that will help transform Holy Ghost Prep into the area’s premier Catholic college preparatory school.”

When Geruson announced the news during an all-school assembly on October 20—with state senator Tomlinson, Mayor Joe DiGirolamo as well as state representatives DiGirolamo, Petri, Farry and Driscoll in attendance—the Holy Ghost Prep student body erupted into a standing ovation that lasted nearly two minutes.

The Activity Center is just one important initiative in Holy Ghost Prep’s Vision 2020, the school’s three-year strategic plan. The other major initiatives include the STEM Tower project in Cornwells Hall, ongoing efforts to increase HGP’s merit and need-based scholarship funds, and plans to endow signature programs such as forensics.