The Cristo Rey model of schools, begun in the Pilsen area of Chicago by John Foley, SJ, is one of the great ideas of the Jesuits in this country in the last 25 years.  Essentially, high-school students from poorer backgrounds work to help defray the cost of their tuition, and at the same time gain tremendous experience in positions with significant responsibility: for example, in law firms and other large corporations.  It’s a creative model that everyone like: some people like the idea that the young men and women are supporting themselves, bootstraps and all; others that the Catholic church is reaching out to the marginalized; others that companies are able to incorporate into their workforce a diverse group of young men and women.  It’s just a great idea all around.  Currently there are Cristo Rey schools springing up all over the country.  The New Yorker thinks they’re a good idea too, and this week features in its “Talk of the Town” section a profile of the school in northern Manhattan, run by Joseph Parkes, SJ (a former Jesuit provincial and former business manager at America.)  AMDG. 

The Rev. James Martin, S.J., is a Jesuit priest, author, editor at large at America and founder of Outreach.