May 21, 2020

Dan Dougherty, President, Cristo Rey New York High School

Cristo Rey New York High School is a co-sponsored ministry of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.

When Cristo Rey New York began the transition to remote learning at the start of our third trimester, faculty and staff worked tirelessly to make online learning as seamless and effective as possible. They did everything they could to ensure our students and families were safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. After the first few weeks, and with lots of help from countless people and their promise of ongoing prayer, students and teachers were becoming acclimated to this new way of life. They had their work-from-home spaces set up; they were getting used to their new Zoom class schedules……..but something was still missing.

As a member of our Student Council said in their first remote Zoom meeting, “We are missing what makes Cristo Rey Cristo Rey…we are missing each other!” The full Student Council agreed and decided that they wanted to do something for the student body to show their support of one another. They discussed various options, talking about things their teachers had been doing that made them feel supported. Students commented on the joy of seeing each other’s faces during video classes, and the comfort they felt when they received President Dan Dougherty’s weekly video prayer message.

The members of the Student Council put their heads together and created a fun and heartfelt message to show their fellow Lions that we are in this together.