Catholic nonprofit Nazareth Guild reives $3.8 million donation to help build grade school in Walla Walla

A Spokane nonprofit dedicated to Catholic education has received an anonymous $3.8 million gift toward construction of a new elementary school in Walla Walla, the largest donation in the organization’s history.

The Nazareth Guild was founded in 2010 to support and expand Catholic-based education in Eastern Washington. The multimillion-dollar donation this week dwarfs the $1 million that was previously the largest they had ever received.

“We’re so grateful. I’m constantly inspired by just the commitment and dedication of donors to Catholic education here in our diocese,” said Nazareth Guild Executive Director Debbie Battaglia.

It is also the largest donation to the Diocese of Spokane, of which the Walla Walla schools are a part.

“The Catholic schools of Walla Walla have served the young people, families and parishioners of this beautiful region since the 1860s. The tremendous generosity of this most recent gift, the largest in the history of the school and our diocese, confirms the depth and commitment of the Catholic Faithful to ensure that our students will grow in grace and wisdom. I pray that this great blessing will inspire many others to be generous in supporting Catholic education in Eastern Washington,” Bishop of the Spokane Diocese Thomas A. Daly said in a statement.

The proposed school will replace Assumption Parish Catholic School, which serves children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Built in 1952, the building does not meet the capacity or technological needs of the school and requires much upkeep, Battaglia said.

The new school will be built on the same campus as DeSales Catholic High School. Construction is slated to begin in the spring of 2025. Plans for the new school precede the donation and will require “a couple million” more, Battaglia said.

“The reality is that people still believe in Catholic education, and it’s needed now more than ever,” she said.