Alliance for Catholic Education
The founder of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Fr. John P. Foley, S.J., has been honored for his life’s work to strengthen Catholic Schools by the University of Notre Dame and the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE).
Fr. Foley, who went on to serve as president of the Cristo Rey Network that includes more than 40 college preparatory schools for under-resourced families, received the Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education on May 27.
“As the founder of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School three decades ago, Fr. Foley provided bold leadership in the face of stiff headwinds and many unforeseen challenges to launch an innovative Catholic high school committed to the local Latino community,” John Staud, Executive Director of the Alliance for Catholic Education, said. “His service has been a catalyst in the remarkable renewal of urban Catholic education across the country.”
In 1995, Fr. Foley was called back to the United States after 34 years of missionary work in Peru to expand educational opportunities for disadvantaged families in Chicago’s Latino neighborhood of Pilsen. The first president of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, he oversaw all initial hiring, student recruitment, and the construction of 150,000 square feet of classroom and recreation space. Fr. Foley served in the role for eight years, raising more than $26 million for the school and leaving it with an endowment of $2 million.
Subsequently, as president of the Cristo Rey Network, Fr. Foley led work that produced substantive growth in opportunities for students. Today, the network includes 41 schools in cities nationwide, expanding access to higher education for thousands of students annually. Fr. Foley remains chair emeritus for the organization.
Established in 2003 by the University of Notre Dame on the tenth anniversary of the founding of ACE, the Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education honors those who have made generous, lifetime commitments to sustain and strengthen Catholic schools.