The fabulous Fox Theatre set the stage for Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School’s Rey of Hope Gala on Saturday, February 24th. The sold-out gala brought together supporters and corporate partners of the school to celebrate Cristo Rey’s 10^th year of educating students in Atlanta. The event raised over $1,000,000 for student scholarships ensuring that deserving young people in metro Atlanta have access to an excellent Catholic, college-prep education and an immersive Corporate Work Study experience.

His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory was presented with the Rey of Light Award for his leadership in establishing a Cristo Rey school in Atlanta. When then-Archbishop Gregory came to Atlanta in 2004, he was intent upon bringing affordable Catholic education to families in metro Atlanta. Cristo Rey eventually opened its doors in 2014 in the former Chancery at 680 West Peachtree St., providing an exceptional Catholic education for students who would not otherwise be able to attend a private, college-prep high school. 

Camille Naughton, president of Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit welcomed 400 guests to a celebratory evening with a seated dinner, live music from the Derwin Daniels Band, silent and live auctions, and dancing to music by DJ King Arthur. In attendance at the gala were Archdiocese of Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., and Auxiliary Bishops Ned Shlesinger and John Tran, Rev. Mario Powell, S.J., the Provincial Assistant for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education for the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus, and Rev. Larry Ford, OFM, Canonical Secretary for the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The school was also pleased to welcome the Honorable Chris Carr, Georgia Attorney General as a guest at the gala.

In appreciation of the Cardinal’s work for the school, Naughton announced the establishment of The Wilton Cardinal Gregory Endowed Scholarship for Student Success to support scholarships for Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit students in perpetuity. The event Paddle Raise garnered $110,300 to fund the new endowment.

Since opening in 2014, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit has had six graduating classes of 739 students with 100% of those graduates achieving college acceptance and over $102,000,000 in merit scholarships. Students matriculate to elite universities both in-state and across the country including Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, University of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, University of Georgia, Emory University, and Georgia Tech.

The evening’s program highlighted the success of the school’s graduates and their post-college matriculations into corporate jobs, many with former partners in the school’s Corporate Work Study Program. Two alumni now working at corporate partners, Accenture and Inspire Brands, expressed their gratitude for the opportunities that Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit provided for them while in high school and during their college years.

Naughton noted during her remarks, “We make a ten-year commitment to every freshman who walks through our doors. We journey with our students during their four years with us, and continue that journey through their college career, however long that takes. That commitment is made easier by the partnership we have with our amazing families, our brave and remarkable students, the companies who invest in us, and the donors who sustain us. We are looking forward to our next decade.”