LABRE OUTREACH ALLOWS CRJ STUDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH HOMELESS

Students prepare sandwiches and bag lunches then distribute them to homeless throughout the community.

With only bag lunches and bottles of water, CRJ students and staff set out to encounter and engage with those in need of our community as part of the Labre Homeless Outreach. The Labre effort began at St. Ignatius Cleveland High School in 2002, named after St. Joseph Benedict Labre, the patron saint of the homeless. Adopting the program in November, 4-5 students and a staff member make meals once a month and head out to meet our unhoused neighbors.

“Students encounter our neighbors on the street, taking time to talk with them, to learn their names, and enter into relationships with those they meet.” said Assistant Campus Minister Isabel Guerrero. “When we return to school, we gather in the chapel to recall something or someone that stood out to us and what we noticed was the same about those who we encountered and ourselves. We close in prayer for those whom we met; for their needs, the concerns they shared with us, and for the dignity of the human person.”

One of the students who has gone on multiple Labre outings is CRJ senior Julisa. “I wanted to combat my own perspective on those who are homeless. I think society often likes to ostracize homeless individuals and this was a way for me to go against that and show others that we shouldn't exclude or ignore these individuals. Labre is more than simply giving people a meal, it is also about having a conversation with them and allowing them to have someone to connect to and express their feelings with. I found it very eye-opening listening to the stories of those who were housing insecure. Most people we encountered were resilient despite their circumstances. Labre has been a very positive experience for me, and it emphasized the importance of human connection and how important it is to care for one another regardless of our backgrounds or circumstances.”

The feedback from the students has been so positive that the goal is to increase the amount of Labre trips for the 2024-25 school year. If you are interested in volunteering with the Labre outings or helping underwrite the weekly meal cost of $100, please call Shannon Watry at 414-436-4600 ext. 2202 or email swatry@cristoreymilwaukee.org.

President Stith (far left) and Board Chair Kevin Long (fifth from left) joined directors and board chairs of Jesuit works and ministries of the Milwaukee area with The Very Reverend Arturo Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus (middle).

In Romeo and Juliet, the classic Shakespearean tragedy, Juliet famously asks, “What’s in a name?” Juliet asks this question in the midst of distress over the conflict between her extended family and Romeo’s. She would rather deny both of their last names as the feud between families has dire implications on her relationship with Romeo. It turns out there is a lot in a name! Names can certainly carry great meaning and expectations. They can be powerful influences as we relate to one another and our world. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School is certainly no exception.

In the early days of our school, we decided that our school would be called Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. Cristo Rey was a given based upon our Catholic identity and membership to the Cristo Rey Network. The word “Jesuit” was also intentionally placed in the name of our school. With that identifier, we joined the long tradition of Jesuit education in Milwaukee with Marquette University, Marquette University High School, and Nativity Jesuit. We also acknowledged our responsibility to carry out the goals of Jesuit education, informed by the writing and teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola and our Church. While “Jesuit” is only six letters, I, as founding president, felt the great weight of the privilege and obligation of this nomenclature from the beginning. Accepting the name “Jesuit” meant that we were now part of a nearly 500 year old history of Jesuit education. Additionally, in taking this name, we acknowledged our role in the global Church, as Jesuit ministries span across the globe. I was recently reminded again of this global and historic connection from a visit with The Very Reverend Arturo Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Fr. Sosa, who works from Rome, is charged with the care of Jesuits and Jesuit organizations throughout the world.

On Sunday, April 7th, I was fortunate to be able to visit with Fr. Sosa along with all the Presidents and Board Chairs of Jesuit organizations in the Milwaukee area. It has been five years since the Jesuits announced a set of global priorities, or Universal Apostolic Preferences, that offer a direction or horizon to Jesuit institutions globally. These priorities are directions garnered from the discernment of the Jesuits and adopted at the direction of the Pope. They include 1) Showing the Way to God, 2) Walking with the Excluded, 3) Journeying with Youth, and 4) Caring for our Common Home. Fr. Sosa listened as the leadership from each institution presented on the progress made in orienting our work towards these Preferences. It was very interesting to hear Fr. Sosa’s reflections on the first five years and his vision for the global Jesuit community regarding the Preferences for the next five years. I couldn’t help but feel the larger presence of the global Society of Jesus and the gratitude for our inclusion in this mission.

This mission starts with our Jesuit name. In addition, Jesuit identity through Ignatian spirituality runs deep in our community and connects us across the world with other Jesuit institutions and collaborators in our mission. It spans centuries and looks into the future with immense hope. Our Jesuit name is the intersection between those who’ve dedicated their lives in service to God and others who’ve come before us and those who continue this work today into the future. So, what’s in a name? For us, quite a bit!

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

JUAN DIEGO, '24 CREDITS CRJ EXPERIENCE AS HE PREPARES FOR COLLEGE

Juan Diego during Summer Bridge before his freshman year (left) and his senior portrait (right)

Ever since seeing the experience that his older sister Yailin, ‘20 had at Cristo Rey Jesuit, Class of 2024 member Juan Diego (JD) knew his decision to attend CRJ would be an easy one. During his time here, JD has participated in nearly every sport, club or organization offered: soccer, basketball, track, cross country, cheer, theater, yearbook, social justice club and student council as well as being a Kairos leader and attending the Arrupe Leaders Summit. All of these clubs and organizations allowed JD to get to know his classmates as teammates, an experience he described as his favorite part of his time at CRJ.

While JD currently has a 4.0 + GPA, he still feels that his teachers push him for more. “They want to see every student succeed at the next level. They want to make sure we are not only prepared for college, but prepared to succeed there. The teachers here really care about you. They are always pushing me to work harder - beyond what I thought I was capable of.”

JD also cites the college counseling team as an invaluable resource for himself and his classmates. “The college counselors do a tremendous job. They give so much time to help us navigate this journey and find any and all possibilities for every student. Like the teachers, they genuinely care about the students and are relentless in pushing us to succeed. They don’t want us to settle when picking a college. They want us to go to the best schools that give us the opportunities necessary for success.”

Now, as he approached the last month of his CRJ experience, JD is facing a more difficult decision than the one he made to become a Trailblazer: Marquette University or Notre Dame. JD is looking to pursue a major in Mechanical Engineering, inspired by watching his father and uncle run a garage together while he was growing up. JD’s ultimate goal is to design and build cars. If you would like to learn of JD’s decision and those of his classmates, plan to attend the upcoming Senior Signing Day on May 9th at 2pm. Please RSVP to Shannon Watry.

RECORD NUMBER OF SENIORS AWARDED

ALL-IN MILWAUKEE SCHOLARSHIP

The Class of 2024 continues to set new records as they prepare for college! After reaching 100% college acceptance in the quickest time in the school's history, a record number of students at CRJ have been named All-In Milwaukee (AIM) scholars. Eighteen members of the Class of 2024 have received AIM scholarships as they prepare to pursue their college degrees at one of All-In Milwaukee’s Wisconsin-based university partners. 

Since AIM launched in 2019, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School has been one of the foundational All-In partners. Today, AIM has more than 60 CRJ graduates in the college completion program and they are thriving. Cristo Rey Jesuit AIM Scholars have a 94% college graduation rate and 89% of those scholars have no student debt. The 18 new CRJ students joining All-In Milwaukee will receive advising/support from May 1st of their senior year of high school until they graduate from college and transition into a career in addition to the support they receive from CRJ’s College Counseling team. In addition to advising and career development support, they receive $12,000 in scholarship from All-In Milwaukee and additional institutional aid from the universities they are attending.

AIM Executive Director Allison Wagner said, “We are thrilled to have so many exceptional CRJ scholars in the next class! Over the last five years, AIM has built a network of community partners that work in a coordinated effort to ensure scholar success, and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School has been a critical partner. We are extremely grateful to the Cristo Rey Jesuit leadership and staff for developing amazing college ready scholars through the rigorous high school preparation, the college access support and the career development work study. The Cristo Rey Jesuit scholars are well prepared for college, internships and engagement on campus. All-In Milwaukee is deeply proud of the Cristo Rey Jesuit Partnership, and it is an honor to support graduates through college and into their careers.”

Congratulations to the following members of the Class of 2024 on their All-In Milwaukee scholarships:

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