Faith and Service

Cristo Rey Jesuit is a Catholic high school in the Jesuit tradition that fosters the faith lives of all students. Our goal is to build a community of faith that engages students in several opportunities for faith development. Nurturing our students’ spiritual formation in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition is core to our school’s mission and one part of what it means to practice cura personalis, or care for the whole person. The Campus Ministry programs include:

Retreats: Each year students participate in a class retreat as a part of their graduation requirements. The retreat days focus on themes like loving and being loved by God and Ignatian spirituality practices like discernment and exploring the ideals that ground our lives. The retreat program reaches its high point in the Senior year Kairos Retreat, a 3-day overnight experience that many students reflect back on as life-changing.

Mass/Liturgy: As a school, we come together each month to celebrate the gifts we have been given by God through worship and prayer at the Mass or in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (during the seasons of Advent and Lent). We also welcome students from diverse cultural backgrounds and other faith traditions to share important symbols and expressions of faith with the Campus Minister so that they can be incorporated into our community’s prayer and liturgy so we truly can be one.

Examen/Daily Prayer: “Finding God in all things” is one tenet of Ignatian spirituality that the whole Cristo Rey community is encouraged to practice. Through praying the Examen each day, all are invited to seek God’s presence and movements in their regular daily lives. The CRJ Jesuit Prayer website and app is another way our whole community is invited to take a moment to stay connected with God and the Church by praying with the Scripture reading or gospel of the day.

Faith and Justice: St. Ignatius taught, “Love is shown more in deeds than in words.” As a Catholic, Jesuit school, CRJ students are formed to become “women and men for and with others.” By learning about Catholic Social Teaching and completing community service requirements, students are able to reflect and act on their faith in concrete ways in the world.

Community Service: As a Jesuit school, we are committed to forming men and women for and with others. We strive to help our students grow into selfless and caring young adults who are committed to bringing about a more just world. Our Community Outreach and Service Program achieves this goal by providing structured and safe opportunities to perform service for and with people in need. Our students serve organizations that provide shelter, health services and educational support to a range of communities in Milwaukee.