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At its recent Gala Dinner and Auction, Saint Augustine Academy in Ventura, Calif., honored two ���ϲ����� alumni, Mary (Kern ’81) and Roberto Orellana (’82), with its Civitate Dei Award for extraordinary generosity. Presenting the award was another graduate of the College, Michael Van Hecke (’86), headmaster of the independent, liberal-arts academy that has been named one of the Top 50 Catholic High Schools in the U.S. for four years’ running.

“Everyone who has been here since the early years knows that, without you, St. Augustine Academy would not be here today,” Mr. Van Hecke told Mr. and Mrs. Orellana. By his estimate, the couple has donated some 10,000 hours of service to the school. The Orellanas have also made many generous financial contributions to St. Augustine’s, which all eight of their children have attended.

An attorney, Mr. Orellana is a longtime member of the academy’s Board of Directors. According to Mr. Van Hecke, he and Mrs. Orellana have additionally contributed to the school in countless other ways — offering “lawyer skills, editing expertise, organizational genius, and the ability to bring together thousands of donated items into the beautiful presentations that have graced our auctions for a full decade.”

“We thank you for the gift of this Academy,” said Mr. Van Hecke to the Orellanas, “for us, for our children and on behalf of the future of our Church and country.”