March 21, 2017

Fr. Joseph P. Parkes, S.J., President, Cristo Rey New York

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

On February 16, 2017, we held our annual Magic of Cristo Rey event. While the night was filled with magicians, magic tricks and magical auction items, the true magic of the night was being surrounded by over 300 friends of Cristo Rey who had the opportunity to learn more about our school. At this year’s event, we were able to raise over $185,000 to directly impact Cristo Rey students through the Scholarship Fund.

One of the many magical moments of the night was hearing from Melissa, ’17, our student speaker. She shared her unique story of being a transfer student at Cristo Rey. Like all of our students, Melissa came to Cristo Rey because she did not have the financial means to attend another private, college-prep school.

“It was also during those first three weeks that I realized how different Cristo Rey was from my old school and any other high school for that matter. And, now, four months from graduation, I think back to that conversation when my parents told me I’d have to transfer because they could no longer afford the tuition of my other high school. I thought I was closing the door to success; in reality, I was opening the door to a world of life-changing opportunities.”

Melissa’s story is just one of the many remarkable narratives “woven into the tapestry” which is Cristo Rey, one so incredibly beautiful and rich. With the generosity of supporters, we continue to witness this magic first hand.