Dear Parents, Alumni, Alumni Parents, Benefactors, and Friends of Jesuit High School:

The 2019-2020 school year is off to a great start!  We welcomed the Class of 2023, composed of 267 Freshmen excited to begin their journey as Marauders and Men for Others. It is an honor to continue to serve our students and their families in the tradition of Jesuit education. God is good to us!

As President of this wonderful school and the person charged with its stewardship and growth, I am keenly aware of the importance of benefactors to the long-term vitality of Jesuit High School.  Our school does not receive any funding from the Catholic Church, the Diocese of Sacramento, the Jesuit Order, or federal, state, and local governments. We rely only on tuition and fundraising to enable Jesuit High School to meet its goals for the benefit of our students. 

On the wall of the exterior of the Fr. Barry Gymnasium is the following statement:

“This edifice, a symbol of generosity and sacrifice, is dedicated to the greater glory of Christ the King: in grateful recognition of generous donors whose gifts have greatly helped a dream come true.”

Those words, from the dedication of the Fr. Barry Gymnasium in 1968, are now echoed in the completion of Phase 1 of the renovation of this historic building.

Thanks to the generosity of benefactors like you, we now have air conditioning in the Barry Gym!  Already it has proven a blessing to our student and parent assemblies, liturgies, and many other gatherings. The Fr. Barry Gym is a sacred space for Jesuit High School!

Phase 2 of the gym renovation will take place in the summer of 2020 and includes new lighting, sound, audio-visual, floor, bleachers, and a reimagining of the “Little Theater” as an expanded lobby and gathering space.  We must raise an additional $500,000 in the coming months to meet our goal for this project. There are many ways to support this renovation—seatbacks (only 65 left!), the Brotherhood Wall, and more. If you have not already done so, please support the Barry Gym renovation project.

Our 2019-2020 Annual Fund Campaign is going very well!  We primarily rely on gifts from the parents of our current students, from whom we expect 100% participation at any level of giving, but we also welcome participation from alumni and alumni parents. This annual campaign is crucial to the success of our mission each year. Please consider contributing to the Annual Fund. Parents of current students: please note that your sons have been directed to ask for support from friends and relatives—uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, etc.—for the Student Activities Fundraiser that will be starting soon. Parents should not be the primary source for this student fundraiser.

There are a variety of ways to support Jesuit High School. Our recent magazine tells some of the many stories about the school, and describes the ways that parents, alumni, alumni parents, benefactors, and friends can support our mission. I particularly call your attention to the story of Ben ’01 and Sarah Ownbey and their generous monthly commitment to Jesuit High School.

Despite the challenges of providing for the needs of the institution, I find great joy when I walk around and talk with our young men. There is an exuberant energy on campus—the return of the students brings with it a renewed spirit of purpose, not to mention many activities and events that kick off the year. Jesuit High School is a busy place! Below are just some of the upcoming events:

October 4-6, 2019, we welcome all alumni and their families to the Alumni Homecoming weekend.  There are activities for all alumni, including our Alumni Family Mass, and specific events for the classes of 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999, and 2009. Register for an Alumni Reunion weekend event.

On October 9, we will celebrate the annual President’s Dinner and recognize Insignis Award Recipients Dave Higgins, Jr. ’78, and Mark Read ’72. Their contributions of time, talent, and treasure are significant in the history of the school. 

On November 7, we host our 2^nd Annual Scholarship Power Lunch. The keynote speaker this year is Tim Jeffries ’81. Success at this event is essential; the goal is to  double our Scholarship Endowment over the next 6-10 years so that we can award more tuition assistance each year. Please consider joining us for this complimentary lunch on November 7 by registering online.

I wholeheartedly thank you for your support and partnership. God bless you and your families, and God bless Jesuit High School.

Gratefully,

Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J.
President