The Edward E. and Mary Pascullis Sommerfeldt Scholarship for Migrants and Refugees

This scholarship fund for needy students was established in 2017 by Anita Healy O’Neill ’68 under the auspices of the Thomas More Project in honor of Ed and Mary “Nickie” Sommerfeldt for their devoted attention to the weakest among us through their practice of the works of mercy.

Both Nickie and Ed were accomplished teachers. Beloved by faculty and students, Nickie taught French and worked in College and Career Planning, spending 25 years at Mercy. Ed taught at Coppin State University, where he became Chairperson of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department.

Wherever Nickie and Ed lived or worked, they built the bonds of community with their personal strength and understanding, humor and love. This dedicated scholarship celebrates their steady commitment to education and their community service to Viva House, the Baltimore Catholic Worker; the St. Vincent de Paul Society; BUILD, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development; as well as their volunteer careers, Ed in the Ignatian Volunteer Corps and at Cristo Rey and Nickie in St. Matthew’s Immigration Outreach Service. As “people for others,” Nickie and Ed’s lifetime efforts reflect Dorothy Day’s key principle, “The final word is love.”

In “The Love of Christ Towards Migrants,” the Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants reminds us that welcoming the stranger was “a characteristic of the early Church” and still “remains a permanent feature of the Church of God.” This fund for need-based tuition assistance gives preference to migrants and refugees in difficulty.

To make a gift to this fund indicate “The Edward E. and Mary Pascullis Sommerfeldt Scholarship for Migrants and Refugees” in the designation box on our donate page.