Renovation of Saint Stephen's Chapel

Croghan Challenge for the Chapel

John and Rosemary Croghan have issued Cristo Rey a challenge. They will match dollar for dollar, up to a total of $250,000, every donation made for the renovation of Saint Stephen's Chapel between now and March 2009. Pledges can be paid over multiple years. If we meet the challenge, that will complete the fundraising for the St. Stephen’s Chapel renovation. 

Renovated accessible dedicated prayer space,

free of asbestos & lead = $2.5 million

Alumni David and Andy portray the impact of Cristo Rey’s Catholic identity on our students. Raised in Pilsen, both men now attend the University of San Francisco. They speak of their struggles as new college students far from home, the first in their families to take such bold steps. What sustained them as they adjusted to college? Both answer that it was their faith—stretched and strengthened at Cristo Rey.

With faith life at the center of our community, it’s easy to understand why the chapel renovation tops our list of capital improvement priorities. Saint Stephen’s Chapel sits at the entrance of our campus. Built in 1904 by Slovenian residents of Pilsen, the building still stands strong, but needs significant work to make it usable on a daily basis.

No longer a neighborhood parish, the building is locked most of the time. Our students have access only for mass on holy days and during Lent. The space is far from inviting. Outlines where Stations of the Cross once hung etch the walls. Asbestos floor tiles have come loose. Pews have been reinforced.

We dream of integrating the Chapel into Cristo Rey’s daily life. Plans call for renovating the Chapel and the basement gathering space, then connecting it to the academic building with a new school entrance. This entrance will represent the Cristo Rey experience: faith and academic components joined together to create a strong Jesuit college prep education.

The building, while structurally sound, needs new wiring, lead paint and asbestos mitigation, new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning and painting. While each item is costly, we’ll achieve savings by doing this work simultaneously.

Saint Stephen's Chapel Naming Opportunities:

Retablo and Liturgical Furniture - $500,000
Stained Glass Window - $125,000 (9)
Small Stained Glass Window - $50,000 (4)
Chapel Front Entrance - $100,000
Courtyard - $50,000
Devotional Space - $50,000
Statue - $25,000 (3)
Stations of the Cross - $10,000 (14)

Bells - $5,000 (3)

Rey of Hope III Naming Opportunities