“The Black and Indian Mission Collection is not simply supporting individual programs—it is helping sustain the presence of the Catholic Church in communities where that presence is deeply important and increasingly difficult to maintain.”

- Renee Tsinnie, Director of Advancement, St. Michael Indian School

At St. Michael Indian School in Arizona, which educates Pre-K through 12th grade students, BIMO’s support helps sustain the people at the heart of Catholic education: qualified teachers and dedicated staff who serve students and families on the Navajo Nation.

As religious communities have reduced their presence in the area, St. Michael has increasingly transitioned to a lay workforce. BIMO funding helps bridge the resulting financial gap, allowing the school to retain experienced educators and continue its ministry as the only Catholic high school in the Diocese of Gallup.

This year, St. Michael achieved a 92% staff retention rate and 33% of its teachers and staff are alumni, returning to serve the school that helped form them. St. Michael ensures that its educators understand the community, culture, and mission of the school.

BIMO’s support also helps sustain the academic, religious, service, and extracurricular and student-support programs that form the foundation of school life. In recent years, St. Michael has started a two-year-old preschool program and is planning a new early education building.

A gift through the Black and Indian Mission Collection from a Catholic family hundreds or even thousands of miles away can help keep a qualified teacher in a classroom and Catholic education available to another generation of students on the Navajo Nation.