Holy Family Cristo Rey High School (Birmingham, Alabama)


Holy Family Cristo Rey High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, and is sponsored by the Congregation of the Passion.

Background

Fathers from the Holy Cross Province of the Congregation of the Passion ran Holy Family High School, founded in 1943. In 2007, with changing demographics in the area, the need was perceived for a school that would assist those in poverty. After contact with the Cristo Rey Network the first Cristo Rey school in the South was opened. The school combines academic study and a corporate work-study program for students from economically challenged families to enable them to graduate from high school prepare for college. 100% of HFCR graduates have been accepted into college.
Cristo Rey Network schools employ a Corporate Work Study Program that provides students with work experiences. Every student works five full days per month to fund the majority of his or her education. Students work at law firms, banks, hospitals, universities, and other professional Corporate Partners, over 70 in all.

Activities

A select group of Student Ambassadors from the upper three years represents the school to the public and to prospective students, volunteering many hours of their time to attract, assess, and mentor prospective students.
Nine sports are sponsored by the school: volleyball, basketball, track, baseball, soccer, softball, lacrosse, cheerleading and dance. Among the school's more successful extracurriculars is an investment club which teaches students how to save and invest for the future.