On February 18th, Cristo Rey St. Martin and the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) partnered to host yet another drive-thru food distribution event – the third major event in a continuing effort to help families get through the financial challenges of the pandemic. The Thursday NIFB Mobile Food Pantry ran from 3:00 pm until 7pm and served over 900 families. … Read More
February President’s Pen: Once in a While, Blessed with Grace
Every once in a while I have been blessed with an experience of Grace – a momentary sense of God being present in the here and now. Something like that happened at CRSM a couple weeks ago when we cohosted with Jewel-Osco our second COVID vaccine drive on our campus. After helping nearly 1,200 at our initial event, this day … Read More
January President’s Pen: Cristo Rey’s Baptismal Vows
In January 1996, my first day of work at a new job was the press conference that announced the Jesuits would be opening a new and unique college prep high school in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Fr. John Foley, SJ; Sr. Judy Murphy, OSB; and I sat at the table while the Jesuit Provincial announced the planned opening of … Read More
Food Drive: CRSM Students Continue Their Commitment as People for Others
On January 30th, Cristo Rey St. Martin and the The Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) partnered to host a drive-thru food distribution event. The second major event in their continuing efforts to help families get through the financial challenges of the pandemic. One-hundred students, staff, families and friends of the school volunteered to work alongside NIFB staffers, directing traffic and … Read More
December President’s Pen: Goodbye, 2020.
Goodbye, 2020, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out! With the first vaccines now starting to be distributed and more approvals on the way, 2021 is certainly shaping up to be a much better year – full of hope and promise. But let’s face it, 2020 set the bar pretty darn low for 2021. Just thinking … Read More
Celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe with Red Cloud Indian School
Normally, December would find Campus Ministry busy organizing events such as: all-school TAIZE prayer services at CRSM, transporting groups of 15-20 students to the Viatorian Province Center, celebrations of La Virgen de Guadalupe and Las Posadas or The Inns – a re-enactment of the Holy Family’s desperate search for accommodations in Bethlehem before Jesus’ birth. On December … Read More
Dia de los Muertos, the Feast of All Souls, St. Martin de Porres & the beginning of Advent
Throughout the month of November, CRSM celebrates the Feast of All Souls and Diá de los Muertos – when we honor our deceased loved ones and believe in our continued connection with them. A central mystery of our Christian faith is that love never ends. On November 2nd, at 7pm, Fr. Corey Brost, CSV celebrated a bilingual, outdoor Mass to … Read More
November President’s Pen: We have a great team, problem-solving while responding to what our students and community need.
If you could point to one month out of the year that epitomizes Cristo Rey St. Martin, it must be November. No month better defines who we are as a school community. November begins with the Feast of St. Martin de Porres and ends with the Feast of Cristo Rey. Both celebrations focus on creating a different and better world. … Read More
CRSM Hosts Huge Drive-Thru Food Pantry
On October 17th, Cristo Rey St. Martin hosted Alianza Contigo, a touchless experience allowing families to drive-thru and receive food and products in a safe environment. The COVID-19 pandemic sidelined Alianza’s 2020 soccer season, and resulted in a partnership with CRSM, The Northern Illinois Food Bank, Allstate and many other corporations at which food and household items were distributed to … Read More
September President’s Pen: Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive.
Even though it is astronomically already autumn, up until just a few days ago it still felt a whole lot like summer and, with COVID driving people outdoors, it’s been a very lively September. That certainly holds true for Cristo Rey St. Martin. For the last seven weeks, students are coming back to class once a week under our hybrid … Read More