Browning priest wins honor for education work

Browning priest wins honor for education work

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Catholic priest from Browning has won a national award for his work at a school for grades 4 through 8 that is improving their high school graduation rate.

The Independent Record reports the Rev. Edward Kohler received the Lumen Christi Award from the Chicago-based Catholic Extension.

He helped found the De La Salle Blackfeet School in 2001. Of the school's 29 alumni old enough to have finished high school, 27 graduated. Catholic Extension says the graduation rate for Native Americans in Montana is about 56 percent.

The honor includes a $50,000 award. Kohler says he will invest his half in the school. Bishop George Leo Thomas says the diocese's share will create an endowment to fund "camperships" for Blackfeet tribal members to attend Legendary Lodge, a diocese summer camp on Salmon Lake.

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HELENA (AP) — A Catholic priest from Browning has won a national award for his work at a school for grades 4 through 8 that is improving their high school graduation rate.

The Independent Record reports the Rev. Edward Kohler received the Lumen Christi Award from the Chicago-based Catholic Extension.

He helped found the De La Salle Blackfeet School in 2001. Of the school's 29 alumni old enough to have finished high school, 27 graduated. Catholic Extension says the graduation rate for Native Americans in Montana is about 56 percent.

The honor includes a $50,000 award. Kohler says he will invest his half in the school. Bishop George Leo Thomas says the diocese's share will create an endowment to fund "camperships" for Blackfeet tribal members to attend Legendary Lodge, a diocese summer camp on Salmon Lake.

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