Celebrating the making of great men for 150 years!

MESSAGE FROM OUR president
I cannot thank you enough for
what you do to keep Saint Patrick
High School fi scally healthy and,
consequently, at the top of
the list of Chicago’s choice
private, Catholic high schools.
Your contributions are
investments in the overall human
development and values-based
education of young men who, in
turn, will have so much to contribute to the economic, social,
and moral strength of our city, our nation, and, indeed, our
world. Please know that your gifts, whatever the amount,
are deeply appreciated and well used. By the way, the
Class of 2011 received $10.1 million in college scholarship
offers for next year, and 95% will be pursuing higher
studies at the colleges and universities of their choice, among
them West Point Academy, Notre Dame, Northwestern,
University of Chicago, University of Illinois-Champaign,
and Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio, and Penn State and Purdue
Universities to name a few. That’s a wonderful return on
the investments made by their parents and by you, our
benefactors and friends.
I believe the following quotation from a letter I received
from one of our May graduates says it very, very well: “I
wish I could even begin to tell you how proud I am to be a
graduate of Saint Patrick High School. Words cannot express
the joy I feel when I look upon the many great memories
of the last four years of my life…As I leave St. Pat’s to
embark on a new journey, I know well that I am prepared for
what lies ahead. Like I mentioned in the beginning of this
letter, simple words cannot describe the level of gratitude
and love I feel for St. Patrick High School. As a graduate, I
cannot wait till the day I am able to give back …Thank you for
everything!” There is a whole history behind that young
man’s letter, one that I am not privileged to share, but let me
assure you that MIRACLES happened in his life and, given
his determination, spirit, and talents, many more miracles
will touch his future, just as his experiences at this school
and with his teachers have touched his heart. St. de La
Salle would be very pleased and proud.
Having celebrated our 150th Anniversary Year with great
joy and tremendous gratitude for our own marvelous
history – and as we prepare to begin our next half century
with the advent of our new school year – there is no question
that Saint Patrick will face continued challenges relative to
enrollment and attracting addtional and much-needed
financial support. It is no secret that the severe economic
climate and high unemployment rate our country has been
experiencing is not going to change much in the next
couple of years. Obviously, our current and incoming
families, as well as our general operating budget, have been
seriously affected by that unrelenting economic strain.
During the 2010-11 school year just over $1 million dollars
in financial aid was given to students in need; the 2011-12
budget has a $1.1 million figure for that same purpose. So
we have certainly been tigntening our belt and, with your
generous and much-needed help, we have been keeping our
institutional head above water. THANK YOU for your
philanthropic partnership in this important Lasallian ministry
to and for our kids.
In the larger picture and on a truly positive note, St. Pat’s
continues to operate from a position of relative enrollment
strength, a determination to remain fiscally healthy and
responsible, and a conviction that our educational programs
are constantly improving and relevant to our students’
current and future needs. As we begin our 151st year, we
know that we retain a uniquely special and exceptional
place in our students’ lives and hearts. Not many schools
can say that with such conviction!
So, it is again through this Annual Report that I express
my deepest gratitude to the alumni, parents, trustees, and
friends who chose Saint Patrick as a philanthropic priority
during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. I gratefully and prayerfully
acknowledge your faith in this school, the pride you take in
its legendary history of educational service to young men,
and the trust, hope, and encouragement you hold out to our
students through your generous support.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts. Forever!
President
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