Bishop Maginn High Schoo Principal Mike Tolan fights every day to admit needy and vulnerable (and gifted) refugee students into his school, even though many of their families cannot pay the full tuition or any tuition.

This puts his budget under tremendous pressure, especially these days when the Catholic Church is paying out billions of dollars as the result of sexual harassment or abuse lawsuits.

We’ve helped greatly, by buying supplies he doesn’t have to buy. But the heart of the matter is getting needy and vulnerable kids into the school. That’s a lifesaver for some of them.

We have already raised enough money to get six students admitted.  I hope we can do the same for eight more, I’m calling them “The Gang Of Eight.”

We will need $30,500 to secure their places in the school. The good news is that we have plenty of time to raise it.

There is flexibility in Tolan’s school, unlike most private schools I’ve dealt with.

The poorest students don’t have to pay all of their tuition to stay in.

Mike is seeking $4,000 for eight poor refugee students entering the school this Fall or already in the school.

We’ll get permission from the children themselves and their families to take their photos and write about them. I want to follow them over the school year.

We need to get to know them a bit so people know where their money is going.

And all contributions will go directly to the school, not me, and all will be tax-deductible.

Ultimately, this will change lives, this is what we are all about, a patriotic mission to preserve the heart and soul of our country. These children and their families need a helping hand, I believe we are that helping hand. We seek to support their lives, not take them over.

I think this is a project the Army Of Good might hopefully take up over the next six months, or even as a wonderful Christmas project for the end of this year. We have some time.

Mike gave me a list of eight students, the school is seeking $4,000 for each one (we have already raised $1,500 for one of the students).

Mike and I have been talking about how to support these eight students and keep them in Bishop Maginn, some have experienced serious harassment and even assault, in the public school system. These days, it seems to be open season on some refugee children.

Here’s my plan. I will photograph all of these children together, and talk to each one of them. Then I’ll write them one by one, perhaps once a week, or once every other week. I’ll ask people to contribute what they can, if we can’t raise $4,000, we can try to come as close as possible.

The school would love to admit all of its students without charge, but that simply isn’t feasible in this environment. The church very much supports the mission of Bishop Maginn, but they don’t have a lot of money to give.

Theoretically, we will have until next Spring to raise the money we need to secure the educations of these eight children, who have suffered enough.

I’m shooting for $30,500 to be raised by next April, or hopefully, as a Christmas gift to the school, and these children and their families. My idea is to take it one child at a time.

Again, these funds should go directly to Bishop Maginn, to Mike Tolan, Principal, Bishop Maginn High School, 75 Park Avenue, Albany, N.Y., 12202. All contributions to the school are tax-deductible.

Please specify “tuition” on your checks. I hope to begin meeting these children next week.