Cheers to the Class of 2020!
Dear Friend,

When COVID19 closed schools back in March, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School’s 124 seniors didn’t know what spring would bring. After the killing of George Floyd, massive unrest spread through South Minneapolis, where many of our families live and work. Our school stands in the epicenter of much of the destruction, yet only sustained four broken windows, which staff boarded up in advance of our drive-thru graduation ceremony, held on Saturday, June 6.

  • 98% of Cristo Rey’s 500 students come from diverse cultural backgrounds
  • 100% of graduating seniors have been accepted to college since the school’s first graduation in 2011
  • The Class of 2020 was honored in a drive-thru graduation celebration at the school on Saturday, June 6

Schools everywhere have had to arrange special commencement ceremonies amid the pandemic. But we wanted to organize something special, because these crises have significantly impacted our students and families. 

Read on to learn how our community is celebrating our students' hard-earned high school graduation.
Virtual Baccalaureate & Graduation Celebration
On Friday, June 5, we hosted a Virtual Baccalaureate & Graduation Celebration that honored seniors for their achievements, both inside and outside the classroom! The event was released on the school's YouTube and Facebook pages. If you were unable to make it last week, you can still watch the program! (Click the heart image in this email.)
Drive-Thru Commencement Ceremony
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School hosted a drive-thru, socially-distanced graduation ceremony for our seniors, with faculty and staff cheering on the seniors' accomplishments from our balcony. We'll be releasing a video later this month with all the highlights!
God blessed us with an abundance of media coverage for our drive-thru celebration!
Education in Minnesota is still worst in the nation for students of color. Thank you for standing with us, as we seek to uphold justice, peace, opportunity and equity in the Twin Cities.