by Miranda Eby | Feb 13, 2025 | Admission, School News
With one son already in college at Stanford University (CRSM 2022), and two more set to graduate from CRSM in 2025 and 2029, Sandra Reyes is incredibly proud of her family, and to be a part of the Cristo Rey community. And we are lucky to have her!
CRSM admissions and recruitment events are a team effort by the Admissions Department and a group of passionate parent volunteers. We could not possibly have done what we do in admissions with such success without our parent volunteers.
Sandra has helped out at various picnics, parades, interview nights, and many more events throughout her six years of volunteering with Admissions.
“I enjoy meeting the different students, and seeing how the students can have a future through Cristo Rey St. Martin,” said Sandra.
Sandra states she will fill in wherever needed when Noemi Cuesta, CRSM Admissions Director, calls and asks for help. From cooking hotdogs and burgers for the Admitted Students’ Night, to carrying a banner in the summer parades, Sandra has done it all when it comes to recruitment volunteering.
“This school has been really important to my family. It’s how I take care of my kids, and sending them here feels like the right thing to do,” stated Sandra.
by Miranda Eby | Feb 13, 2025 | Campus Ministry, School News
The chapel near the main entrance of Cristo Rey St. Martin notably differs from the rest of the building in its aesthetic. The altar and ambo are custom-designed and built. The large cross that arches across the ceiling is framed by sustainable bamboo wood. The processional cross and tabernacle were specially crafted with the Cristo Rey logo. Recently, another unique feature was introduced to the space: seven mosaic scenes adorn the chapel walls.
These mosaics are a symbol of both modern technology and traditional methods of production, each with historical origins behind them. The images were chosen and then edited with AI to generate the tile format and customization. After the artwork was created the mosaics were then produced in Lebanon during the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mosaic #1: The moment St. Paul is blinded by God in front of a Roman soldier.
Preston Kendall explains that “much like restaurants have a signature dish, Father Foley used to say that the Cristo Rey movement had a signature gospel story… that is when Saul becomes St. Paul and is blinded by God’s light and told to go into the city and do what he must do.” As such, the CRN founders fulfilled what ‘they must do’ in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago – they knocked on the doors of the community members and asked what they needed. The community unanimously agreed that a college preparatory high school was of greatest need, and the first Cristo Rey school was born.
Mosaic #2: Luke 5:19, in which a paralyzed man is lowered through the roof of a crowded house for Jesus to forgive and heal.
Jim Dippold, Director of Campus Ministry, states that “the creative problem-solving of the man’s friends is reflected in our own stories and life challenges. If something seems difficult or impossible, much like starting a Cristo Rey school, the community will always find a way with grit and perseverance.”
Mosaic #3: Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington protest, aligning with our commitment to social justice.
Mosaic #4: Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement.
The scene captures her moments before being arrested at a United Farmworker protest, fighting for better wages and working conditions in California’s grape fields. She symbolizes our modern interpretation of the Mass for the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and embodies “faith in action,” Dippold explains.
Mosaic #5: Nicholas Black Elk, a Lakota medicine man, and Catholic catechist who worked with the Jesuits, is featured in this scene teaching young children the Catholic Faith.
Black Elk was a medicinal healer who became Catholic in the early 1900s and is currently in the process of canonization. This is CRSM’s homage to the connection that Cristo Rey St. Martin has with Mahpiya Luta High School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, and shows us a path of interreligious dialogue and authentic inculturation.
Mosaic #6: Our Lady of Guadalupe
Mosaic #7: Young St. Martin de Porres
The feast day Masses to celebrate Martin and La Virgen are especially significant for our CRSM community. The school is named after St. Martin, and the mosaic shows a young St. Martin, aligning him more closely with the CRSM student population. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a cornerstone of Mexican Catholicism, and this mosaic is meant to resonate with our students, who are primarily of Mexican descent and hold cultural significance.
To complete this unique feature of the chapel, there will be a Bible verse accompanying each mosaic that holds its story and message. These will most likely be installed this spring.
by Miranda Eby | Feb 13, 2025 | Development, School News
Patricia (Patti) Bidwill, a long-time supporter of Cristo Rey St. Martin, recalls how she knew CRSM was special: “My parents always instilled in me that education is the greatest equalizer… It’s been a blessing to be part of something that has made such an impact.”
Patti’s connection to CRSM began shortly after Preston Kendall took on the role of President. With her father deeply involved in the Cristo Rey Network in downtown Chicago, it was only natural for the family to extend their support up to Waukegan when CRSM was starting to grow. For the past 19 years, Patti, along with her family’s foundation, helped elevate the school’s mission and visibility to others. Patti has donated her time, talent and resources to CRSM throughout her involvement. She was a member of the Board of Trustees, chaired the Development Committee and introduced many others to our school and our mission.
What stands out most for Patti in her time supporting CRSM? “The students,” she says. “To see their maturity, time management skills, and focus is incredible. These students are so goal-oriented.”
One memory that resonates is an event hosted by Grainger. CRSM board members and other companies were invited to hear about the school’s success. Patti remembers how genuinely invested the Grainger team was in the students and the positive energy that surrounded that experience. “It was early on, before CRSM moved into the new building, and it felt like something magical was happening.”
For Patti, CRSM’s mission resonates deeply: “The way it gives students real work experiences in environments they wouldn’t typically have access to—it’s brilliant. It’s a purposeful model that makes a real difference through education.”
CRSM is proud to have supporters like Patricia Bidwill, whose belief in the power of education continues to transform the lives of our students.
by Miranda Eby | Jan 16, 2025 | President’s Pen
Nearly every Friday morning during the school year, we hold an all-school assembly. It is a chance to remind students of our mission and share some relevant research or data about college completion, grit, or the types of mindsets and behaviors that lead to success. We also include general announcements; and always celebrate instances of student success in the classroom, workplace, and community. This time of year, we especially celebrate college acceptances as they roll in. Occasionally, our Principal will bring in alumni to speak about their college experience.
I’m always amazed at how attentive students are to alumni when they come back to visit. It is a reminder that the choice of messenger can often be even more important than the message itself. Last Friday, two alums who are now very successful sophomores at the University of Illinois – Champaign shared what they have learned so far about being in college. Their words of advice were simple and direct but also insightful. Much of what they told the students was consistent with what we, as the faculty and administration, tell them routinely. However, coming from two young people who only a year and a half ago were sitting in assembly as CRSM students, their words carried much more weight with our student audience. They were much more relatable, and students could see themselves more easily in these two role models than they might in some old guy like me telling them the same things.
They offered three recommendations to students about college:
- Do your homework. Manage your time appropriately and remember that reading and school work outside of class is easily just as important as anything you do in class.
- Get to know your professors. Their job isn’t to take care of you or remind you of your responsibilities. It’s not that they don’t care, they just have so many students and a job to do that they don’t reach out to you; you must reach out to them.
- Make friends. Friends support each other and can help you manage the stress of college. Also, there is so much to learn from other people who are different from you – maybe as much as you learn from your classes.
Pretty amazing counsel from students not quite halfway through their own college experience.
As I was listening to them impart this wisdom, I reflected on just how important community is to finding success. None of us can really find significant success without help and support from others. It is not just a matter of individual achievement but of being part of a communal journey. We learn and become better by sharing successes and failures so that the community gains a collective wisdom and sense of care.
A community is a family that believes; it is a group where each member accepts and feels strengthened by the others. In moments of weakness, we help one another and challenge one another to be our best. We share what light we have found as an example for others.
“Our school exists to promote the long-term flourishing of our students. We aim for every graduate to be accepted to, enrolled in, and complete a best-fit post-secondary experience that will propel our students toward a fulfilled life and allow them to use their God-given talents to make our world a better place.” Our Principal, Mike Odiotti calls these statements the “Why” behind our mission at CRSM.
Culture more than anything else determines the success of an organization. Culture builds community through accompaniment and encounter. But building and maintaining a healthy culture requires deliberate and intentional attention. One of the advantages of being a faith-based community is that we rally around something bigger than all of us and, regardless of our individual religious traditions, we have a shared belief about what matters.
What really matters?
Love. Appreciating and respecting others. Connectedness. And… doing something about that connectedness – seeking justice and working to change the world.
We are invited individually and collectively to be co-creators with God in making this world a better place. Seeing our students flourish and give back to their community is a kind of confirmation that we are on the right track and maybe, just maybe, our mission is consistent with what God desires of us. That sense of hopefulness is alive and well at CRSM.
¡Viva Cristo Rey!
by Miranda Eby | Jan 10, 2025 | CWSP, School News, Student Life
Cristo Rey St. Martin freshman, Loyal, is making the most of his work-study experience at Kids Rank, an organization dedicated to supporting military children. Currently, Loyal is helping design a yearbook for the group, creating advertisements, and traveling to various places as part of his role.
Recently, Loyal visited the Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, an outing that left a strong impression on him. “They do a lot to make military kids feel like they belong,” he explained. Kids Rank brings together children from military families, organizing activities to foster a sense of community.
One of Loyal’s most exciting experiences was a trip to Washington, D.C. in December 2024, where he had the opportunity to tour the White House. Once in D.C., Loyal and his team explored the White House, admiring historical artwork, and listening to guides explain the significance of each room. The tour was a highlight for Loyal, who noted the great team he works with at Kids Rank.
Loyal’s involvement with Kids Rank not only gives him hands-on experience in design but also a deeper connection to the mission of supporting military children across different communities.
