Our Mission

Our Mission

Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, a college preparatory, Catholic school for students of all faiths, nurtures and challenges young people to recognize and realize their full potential as they learn to love others, grow in their faiths, and serve the common good.

Nondiscrimination Statement

Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion or national or ethnic origin in its student admission process, faculty and staff hiring practices, educational policies, scholarships, athletics or other school administered programs.

We describe ourselves at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School as “ … a Catholic school for students of all faiths” and we are often asked what that means. Our leadership team in the school regularly discusses this important question as we form an understanding of our identity and our purpose. The writing below summarizes our reflections:

A Community of Believers

The Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School community is a diverse group of board members, endorsers, benefactors, faculty and staff who are united by the belief that all women and men are created by God and that each of us embodies an innate, God given, dignity. We believe that God created us to love and to serve each other and that we are collectively responsible for the common good. Catholics, and other Christians in our community, trace the roots of these beliefs to the person of Jesus Christ and His teachings in the Gospel. Others in our community may cite different foundations for their own beliefs. Nevertheless, the common conviction to love and to serve unites our minds and hearts.

A Commitment to Action

The Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School community believes that all people deserve to live with the dignity that comes from realizing their God-given potential. We believe that each of us is responsible for ensuring the dignity and welfare of others and that this responsibility extends to all people, without exception, and includes the responsibility to provide preferential options for those who are unable to reach their potential without assistance.

The evidence is overwhelming that quality education improves people’s lives, makes our economy more efficient, and contributes to a more equitable society. Education is critical to ending the cycle of poverty, and yet, in Philadelphia, good quality secondary school education is inaccessible to most low-income families – the families who need it the most. This systemic failure destroys human potential, divides our community and is socially unsustainable.

Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School is owned and governed by an independent Board of Trustees that is responsible for ensuring our faithfulness to the mission of the school. Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School is a Member of the Cristo Rey Network of schools and we comply with all Cristo Rey Network Mission Effectiveness Standards.

Traditions

Visionary leaders in Philadelphia like William Penn, Benjamin Franklin, John Neumann and Katharine Drexel, were architects of an educational system that combined public and private resources and a diversity of strategies to educate all classes of students including enormous waves of poor immigrants in the 19th centuries. Their vision energized Philadelphia’s grand history of leadership and growth. 

Catholic schools have served Philadelphia families with distinction for more than 150 years. Today, many low-income families, of all faiths, value traditional Catholic education, but cannot afford it. Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School embodies and promotes the Gospel values that have shaped and directed the culture and practices of Catholic education in Philadelphia. We have high expectations of our students and of ourselves.  We offer a loving atmosphere for learning in a safe and disciplined environment that is grounded in a culture of self-respect and respect for others.

At Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, we encourage and support the students’ academic, vocational and spiritual growth regardless of their faith traditions. Our core curriculum includes theology classes in all four years, which incorporate the teaching of Catholic faith and values.  In the course of their studies at Cristo Rey, we open the minds of the students to an appreciation of and respect for all of the major world religions.  All students express and explore their faith and the faiths of their peers together in regular service programs, prayer services, retreats and Mass.  We encourage active participation in family and community.  We foster in the students a consciousness of their connection with women and men of all races, nations, religions and cultures of the world and we instruct our students in their responsibilities as stewards of God’s creation.

The community of Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School embraces and reflects the culture and traditions of its two endorsing communities – The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  These traditions enrich the academic program as well as the spiritual practices and celebrations in the school.

We hire professionally qualified faculty and staff who are committed to and trained in the mission and character of the school and who embrace the call to be role models for the students.

Conclusion

The Catholic character of Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School impels us to be catholic - to be universal, inclusive and welcoming.  Our mission appeals to a diverse group of individuals who choose solidarity and cooperation to confront a crisis that is devastating our entire community. We believe that our effectiveness is multiplied by working together to promote the common good.

Our faith is invigorated by working together - with and for people of different faiths - in the hope of creating a better world for all.