American Province Ministry Connections April 2024

Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep    Preston Kendall, President http://www.cristoreystmartin.org/

Family Reunification: A Model of Community and Compassion

In 2005, former US Senator Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park of the 10th Congressional District, instated the Abuelitas program. This program allowed Mexican grandparents to travel to America to visit their children and grandchildren. This program was recently reintroduced by US Representative Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park.

On Sunday, March 10th, Cristo Rey St. Martin hosted families from the Abuelitas program as they reunited for the first time. CRSM alum Laura Pizano ’13, originally reached out to CRSM on behalf of Waukegan Club San Jose, a volunteer organization to which she belongs, to have this event at the school. The event aligned with the school's mission and we were grateful to host 16 grandparents and their families for this special occasion. Our CRSM student-run organization, Oportunidades Para Todos (OPT), was involved from start to finish, including greeting and welcoming families to the school. “This event overall has been extremely heartwarming,” noted one OPT member. “When I spoke with the families here, it felt like I was speaking to my own family.” Both Mark Kirk and Brad Schneider attended the event, engaged with the familes, and were asked to offer their reflections. “It’s great that our representatives showed up,” added Laura Pizano, “it shows how close they are to the people.” Cristo Rey St. Martin is proud to have an alumna dedicated to this cause and to provide the space for this very special meeting of multi-generational family members. We hope to see more reunifications in the future.

Cristo Rey New York High School       Dan Dougherty, President http://www.cristoreyny.org/

Cristo Rey New York High School’s College Trip

On March 4th and 5th, Cristo Rey New York Class of 2025 attended the school’s annual college trip organized by the school's College Counseling Department. Our team of college counselors matches members of our junior class to different colleges, depending on the student’s needs and which schools offer the best fit. This year, the Class of 2025 visited many campuses, including Cornell University, Babson College, Colgate University, and Brown University. Accompanied by school staff, our junior class was divided into two busloads of boys and two busloads of girls and followed four different itineraries. Over three days, our students collectively visited and toured 30 campuses in New England and upstate New York. In many cases, the college campus tour guides were CRNYHS alumni who were now studying at these colleges. This trip is often our students' first exposure to a real college campus experience, an essential step in their college application process. In just a few months, the Class of 2025 will begin applying to colleges and narrowing down what they are looking for in their future alma maters. Our students affirm that this trip helps them tremendously with their college search and provides an invaluable bonding experience with their peers and mentors.

Sponsored Ministries of the Society of Holy Child Jesus  Casa Cornelia Law Center * Providence Center Co-Sponsored Ministries of the Society of Holy Child Jesus South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (LAMP) *  Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep * Hope Partnership for Education *  Cristo Rey New York High School * Washington School for Girls    ~ ~ ~   Ministry Connections is a monthly publication highlighting ministries sponsored or co-sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.