Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep celebrated its 20th year with its annual Founders’ Dinner on Saturday. The Clerics of St. Viator are a co-endorsing religious community of CRSM and helped sponsor the evening.
Fr. Mark Francis, CSV, Provincial celebrated Mass to begin the evening’s gathering. At center, Fr. Tom von Behren, CSV, Br. Carlos Flórez, CSV, Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, and Br. Rob Robertson, CSV are part of the congregation. Br. Michael Gosch, CSV and Fr. Corey Brost, CSV also attended the evening.
Fr. Mark Francis, CSV, Provincial, celebrated Mass to begin the event. In his homily, Fr. Francis cited the late Pope Francis’ call to be missionary disciples and to reach out to those on society’s peripheries. “Our students — many of them from communities often overlooked or underestimated — come to us with locked doors in their own lives: poverty, broken systems, trauma, doubt,” Fr. Francis said, invoking Jesus’ passing through locked doors to visit his disciples. “And yet, through the gift of education and formation, through the commitment of their teachers and mentors, the risen Christ walks into those rooms, too.”
Over 200 supporters came to campus to celebrate the school’s mission to empower youth of limited economic means and help them become people of faith, purpose, and service. The excellence of these students and this school can especially be seen in a few key performance indicators used by the Cristo Rey Network: among the 40 college prep high schools in this network, CRSM is #1 in college readiness and student retention.
Fr. Francis connected this ministry to the hope and joy found in the Risen Christ. “Just as Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon His disciples, by our support we breathe life into the dreams of these young people. This is holy work. It’s resurrection work,” Fr. Francis said. “It is through the experience at CRSM that students can believe that this talk about Christ and new life is not just talk — but real.”
President Preston Kendall (top left) addressed the gathering, where supporters came on campus for Mass, cocktails, dinner, and a reception.
CRSM was founded by Bishop George Rassas, and Viatorians have joined with lay leaders and religious peers to carry forward the good work. Fr. Charlie Bolser, CSV served as the school’s first president; several professed Viatorians have worked on faculty and staff; and this year, professed Viatorians continued ministering by celebrating Sacraments, including Fr. Francis and Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, and accompanying students on service and retreats, including Fr. Jhobany Orduz, CSV and Br. Peter Lamick, CSV.
“As a Viatorian religious, I try to bear witness to a life of serving the Church and God’s people. So, I accompany CRSM students through retreats and service as they seek to grow in their faith and discern who God calls them to be,” Br. Peter said, reflecting on this year’s retreats at Camp Duncan and service trips to St. Anastasia Soup Kitchen in Waukegan. “CRSM students are focused on their goals, faith-filled, and driven to succeed. It’s quite impressive to encounter a 9th grader who can clearly articulate why he or she chose to attend CRSM and what they hope for in life.”
Fr. Jhobany Orduz, CSV (center) offers music ministry, while Director of Campus Ministry Jim Dippold addresses students, on a CRSM retreat last year.
Fr. Jhobany, a native of Colombia, feels a similar sense of mission as well as a very personal connection. “I want to serve God through those people who I can help to grow. These kids can relate with me as a Latino, and they want to see opportunities beyond the evil they may face in society,” Fr. Jhobany said. “They model for me young men and women who want to follow their dreams. They have a lot of resilience. Society often puts their families into fear and uncertainty, yet these kids not only strive to be good people but also become the source of support and energy for their loved ones at young ages.”
So, Fr. Francis commissioned the gathered supporters, encouraging them to continue this important work with zeal. “Let us go forth, sent in love, strengthened by faith, and committed to opening every locked door, overcoming every fear rising from economic disadvantages and social prejudice— until every student we serve knows the peace, purpose, and promise of the risen Christ.”
