Dec 10

Dec 10 Couple makes $9 million gift to Rochester Catholic Schools

Local philanthropists Jack and Mary Ann Remick are in the holiday spirit.

The couple will forgive the remaining $9 million balance of their original $10 million loan used to help fund the new Lourdes High School building, Rochester Catholic Schools announced on Thursday.

“Words simply cannot articulate the gratitude and emotions our hearts are experiencing as we continue to digest the magnitude of the Remick’s generosity,” said Michael Brennan, director of schools for RCS.

According to the district, the Remicks made the gift to ensure that future development and fundraising efforts are focused on academic enhancements, as well as increasing access to Catholic schools.

Jack Remick is a former IBM employee and the co-founder of Fastenal, an international distribution company based out of Winona. Over the years, the family has made sizable donations — in the tens of millions — to Catholic schools, including Saint Mary's University and University of Notre Dame.

They also donated the land used for the new Lourdes High School.

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(Cover photo: Jack and Mary Ann Remick / RCS)