The De La Salle Christian Brothers and the District of San Francisco New Orleans are pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached between Most Rev. Michael Barber, SJ, Bishop of Oakland, and Brother Donald Johanson, FSC, President, Lasallian Education Corporation, for the intended purpose of establishing and governing a Cristo Rey model high school in the Diocese of Oakland.
“The Christian Brothers’ exemplary contribution to Catholic education, their long history in the East Bay area and their charism make this an ideal partnership,” Bishop Barber said. “We look forward to working with them to renew our investment in Catholic education in the Oakland Diocese.”
The new school’s mission will focus solely on serving low-income families who do not have financial access to quality Catholic education. The Cristo Rey corporate work-study model provides students with professional work experiences which helps offset the cost of tuition.
The Cristo Rey movement began in 1996 on the south side of Chicago in the Pilsen neighborhood. The De La Salle Christian Brothers were the first to replicate the model in 2001 in Portland, Oregon. Today there are over thirty-two Cristo Rey schools in the United States, including four in California.
“The Brothers and Lasallian Partners of our San Francisco New Orleans District are honored by this opportunity,” said Brother Donald, “and we are looking forward to the privilege of serving the students and families of the community.”
John Scudder, President Emeritus, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco, has been named project manager. John will work closely with the Diocese of Oakland, the Lasallian Education Corporation, and the Cristo Rey Network to ensure the completion of a feasibility study due to the Cristo Rey Network on May 1, 2017.
There are many aspects to the feasibility study that need to be completed, but the most important work related to the study will be to fundraise for the school’s first years’ operating expenses ($2.5 million) and secure thirty-six corporate work-study jobs for the freshman class entering in the Fall of 2018.
The District of San Francisco New Orleans is composed of 125 Brothers and over 1,400 Lasallian Partners. Together, they serve over 18,000 students in 23 primary, secondary, and post-secondary educational ministries located in eight states and in Tijuana, Mexico. Other Bay Area schools governed by the De La Salle Christian Brothers are:
Saint Mary’s College, Moraga
Saint Mary’s College High School, Berkeley
De La Salle High School, Concord
De La Salle Academy, Concord, a middle school
Justin-Siena High School, Napa
De Marillac Academy, San Francisco, a 4th-8th grade school
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco
(The De La Salle Christian Brothers and the Daughters of Charity jointly sponsor Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory and De Marillac Academy.)
In the agreement, the Diocese of Oakland committed to provide a site for the new high school. Bishop Barber recently announced to the St. Elizabeth High School community that the school would be closing at the end of this school year. Bishop Barber also officially communicated to Brother Donald that he wants the new school to open at the St. Elizabeth High School site. Brother Donald and the feasibility project team will begin to plan accordingly.
The Brothers are well aware of the emotional stress connected with the closing of a school, especially one that has the long history and storied tradition of St. Elizabeth. The Brothers have been in dialogue with the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and the Diocese of Oakland to offer whatever support they can to the St. Elizabeth families that will be displaced by the closure.
