ASHEVILLE — A $10,000 donation to Asheville Catholic School has launched an endowment to honor Father Patrick Cahill’s and Principal Mike Miller’s longtime service to the school.
The Father Pat Cahill and Principal Mike Miller Fund for Academic Support, funded thanks to a group of longtime supporters, will bolster the school’s strong financial position and prepare for future growth. “Our Academic Support Program has been steadily growing over the years, which is indicative of the amazing support our staff have offered students,” Miller said.
The endowment fund will offset costs related to staffing, curriculum supplements, supplies and professional development.
Miller recently left his position as Asheville Catholic’s principal at the end of the 2023-2024 school year after 11 years to serve as assistant superintendent of schools for the growing Diocese of Charlotte. A promotion well deserved, said Father Cahill, who serves as chaplain for Asheville Catholic and pastor of nearby St. Eugene Parish.
“We had around 160 students in 2013 and now we have 250. The standard Mike set by his work ethic and passion has noticeably improved our school.”
Father Cahill lent his name to the fund and hopes others will contribute to the success of Asheville Catholic School.
“Asheville needs the presence of a thriving and robust Catholic school to comfort and to challenge,” he said. “This endowment will help offset the expenses of a growing need for learning support for our students – learning support consisted of one part-time reading specialist when Mike arrived, and we now have four learning support teachers.”
Jim Kelley, diocesan development director, said, “This named endowment is a wonderful way to honor the 11-year partnership that Father Cahill and Mike had in leading the school.”
Kelley noted that the diocese’s foundation now has over 200 endowments named after people. More parishes, schools, ministries and parishioners are interested in setting up endowments, he added, “particularly to honor or remember loved ones or other special people in the diocese.”
— Courtney McLaughlin, Correspondent
Fund an endowment
Interested in setting up – or adding to – an endowment to benefit your parish or Catholic school?
You can establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a trust or annuity, or a gift of real estate, life insurance, cash or securities.
For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..