American Province Ministry Connections May 2023

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

All in the Family: CRSM Is Life-Changing for a Waukegan Family

During her salutatorian speech eight years ago, Anissa Garza shared that graduating from Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep (CRSM) was a triumph for her whole family. Today, these words still resound loud and clear. Anissa’s life and those of her siblings have been shaped and transformed by the support of the CRSM community. Now 26 years old, Anissa is in her first year of a clinical psychology doctoral program and is a research assistant at the University of Memphis. A former Schuler scholar, her LinkedIn is a checklist of many achievements. Anissa graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, MA, with a dual degree in psychology and religious studies. While at Bates, Anissa was a Bonner Program scholar. She also was the recipient of the Harvard Award for Outstanding Community Volunteerism and Student Leadership. For the last three years, she has been a research assistant at the National Center for PTSD in Boston.   During the same time, her mom, Elida, “Ellie,” was promoted from the head of food services at Waukegan High School to Assistant Food Service Director for the entire Waukegan school district. Her brother, Raul, CRSM ’19 and Promise Scholar, is graduating in May from Marion University in Fond du Lac, WI, with a psychology degree. Her youngest brother, Daniel, is about to enter high school. Her father, who struggled with employment when Anissa was in high school, is a foreman at a local landscaping company.   Congratulations to the Garza family and CRSM for contributing to such a wonderful story of lives well lived! We are so very proud of all of you!

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

Cristo Rey New York’s Sophomores Tell Their Stories

On April 17, 2023, Cristo Rey New York High School’s sophomores went on the final student retreat of the year. The theme of this retreat was “What’s Your Story,” a prompt asking students to consider who they are outside of the superficial connections they have within technology. The theme was predicated on God’s unconditional love for each person and the knowledge of their individual stories, which has made them into who they are today.

Our scholars opened with a prayer stating, “There are days when we feel like nobody can understand us… We hide our faces behind masks that show the world we are confident and carefree — but underneath, we have doubts, fears, and struggles. Give us the courage to remove our masks during this retreat.” The lesson of vulnerability, where students break down walls created throughout their journeys, requires trust in each other and an environment where they can learn about their true selves and faith.  They worked together in small groups to build towers using items in the room, hoping to create the largest tower possible. In this exercise, the need to communicate and trust prompted them to listen and accept suggestions that were different from their own and outside their comfort zones. In the end, we saw our sophomores strengthen their community and knowledge of each other.

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.