By Jordyn Davis | For the Birmingham Times
What was once known as Holy Family Cristo Rey High School will now be known as Cristo Rey Birmingham, marking significant progress in reaching students from over 33 Zip codes in Birmingham. For Cristo Rey, this change wasn’t a new idea; in fact, the new name has been in talks for over two years.
Bo Garrett, the principal of Cristo Rey Birmingham, is excited for what’s to come.
“A big part of Cristo Rey Birmingham is this expansion of the school’s reach, our footprint, which now covers most of the Greater Birmingham Metro area,” Garrett said. “Every Cristo Rey has an endorser, either a Catholic order or a Diocese, and so Holy Family will always be tied to our legacy.”
The long history of Cristo Rey Birmingham began in the 1940s, when the Passionists, also known as the Congregation of the Passion, came to Ensley and built Holy Family Hospital, Holy Family Catholic Church, and Holy Family School. In the early 2000s, the Holy Family School experienced financial hardship, leading to its selection as one of the first Cristo Rey schools in the South.
A successful model
The school specializes in connecting its students with local partners that provide funding and job opportunities. The students attend regular classes four days a week and intern in their respective career fields one day a week. Garrett says this model ensures student success in the long run.
“It’s a very successful model. It’s very complicated, but it’s one of the rare educational missions that’s an authentically transformative experience,” Garrett told the Birmingham Times. “Cristo Rey is for students who might not have the opportunity to get exposed to work in a corporate environment to get exposed. There are certainly other workforce programs around the city that are supporting the same mission, but to be here for four years in a catholic college prep environment and have the opportunity to choose their interest is pretty significant.”
So far, every student who has attended Cristo Rey in the past two years has been accepted to a university. At the core of Cristo Rey is its mission to also encourage Catholic social teachings that align with the Holy Family Church.
While Cristo Rey is not limited to Catholic students, it teaches concepts that foster an overall understanding of values aligned with the school’s mission.
“We lean into what is known as Catholic social teachings, which are a broad set of values that you could use to run any kind of organization,” Garrett explained. “These include the dignity of every human. We talk a lot about solidarity and the concept called subsidiarity, which is about focusing on the individual. It’s about working your way up as opposed to a top-down mentality.”
Honoring the Holy Family Legacy
According to Principal Garrett, Cristo Rey Birmingham would not be who they are today without the Holy Family Legacy. Being able to welcome students from Ensley to Gardendale has been a dream for the local high school. Now, the school plans to honor their early legacy by building a chapel inside the building, commemorating the Holy Family Chapel.
“We’re excited to celebrate this legacy this fall. We’ve expanded so much over the years, and we have kids all over the place with all sorts of cultures and backgrounds,” Garrett said. “A lot of students have told me that this is their safe place. The culture of this school is very strong and cohesive, where our kids take care of each other and the adults model that. That’s the heart and soul of Cristo Rey.”
To learn more, visit www.cristoreybhm.org.
