Denver Catholic

18 JANUARY 27-FEBRUARY 9, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese BY VLADIMIR MAURICIO-PEREZ T he newly-elected president of Arrupe Jesuit High School, Michael J. O'Hagan, will seek to serve students and families in the Jesuit tradition of providing a well-rounded, Catholic formation. "My vision remains rooted in the original vision of the school, which is to serve families and students who, for many reasons beyond their own control, have been traditionally underserved," O'Hagan said. "I want to make sure that Arrupe is always connected to its mis- sion of serving young people and fam- ilies in this Jesuit Catholic tradition." O'Hagan was the founding principal of Arrupe Jesuit High School when it opened in 2003 after a lay initiative to bring Catholic education back to the center city of Denver. Bringing Catholic education back, however, meant new challenges: The area was mostly populated by low-in- come families who could not a„ord pri- vate education. Thus, the goal of making Catholic education a„ordable became a primary mission. The founders took on the work-study model of Chicago's Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, which allowed students to implement work into their education with a two-fold purpose: Gaining real- life formation while paying for their college prep education. "It's a dynamic relationship with the metro area and business community," O'Hagan said. "Our young people have an experience of the real world that they can connect to their classroom lessons and a„ords them an opportunity to see a future they didn't always know existed." Arrupe JHS students work 5 days a month and earn a total of around $2.5 million for the school each year. The new president's role will have a greater focus on strengthening the exist- ing relationships with entities that help the advancement of the school through this work-study program. As principal, his responsibility was more internal- ly-focused on faculty, sta„ and students. "I'm excited to be able to build part- nerships within the business commu- nity and benefactors," he said. "People are drawn to the mission of Arrupe because they're drawn to our students." Over 130 organizations now contrib- ute to the mission of the school, allow- ing all 420 students to share full-time, entry-level positions in a wide variety of fields including education, health and engineering. Other than making sure bills get paid, O'Hagan assured that his responsibility extends to keeping and advancing the Jesuit Catholic identity of the school, a reality that calls for a clear understand- ing of the needs of the students. Some of the challenges that stu- dents face on a personal level include being separated from loved ones due to deportation and experiencing trauma and violence due to the realities of the neighborhoods they live in. Nonethe- less, O'Hagan assures that the faculty and sta„ go beyond these facts when defining the kids. "We're very aware of the challenges they face, but we've made an intentional decision – one that is firmly rooted in the Gospel – to define our kids by their talents and their gifts," he said. After so many years of work in the mission of making the school facili- ties, sta„ and mission reflect the dig- nity and potential of every student, the new president is mostly grateful for the support received. "I am grateful for the support that Arrupe has received from the com- munity through our first 15 years. We haven't been successful because we've been isolated," he assured. "We have been successful because of the many partnerships we have built across the city, state and country." T he Augustine Institute wants 2018 to be the year you take your knowledge of the richness of the Catholic faith to the next level, and they aren't going to let the excuse that you're "too busy" get in the way. This month the theology school is launching the Augustine Institute Forum, which will provide opportuni- ties for lay people and clergy who are short on time to take one or more of a series of three-class seminars from leading theologians. "The Augustine Institute Forum o„ers inspiring formation in wisdom and charity by engaging with classical texts, topics of perennial interest, and subjects of present concern," states the course description. This month students will have an opportunity to take a deep dive into Church teaching on the Eucharist with Ben Akers. During Lent, Mark Giszczak will lead students through the Prophets and how their message was fulfilled in the person of Christ. Other topics include an in-depth exploration of early Church mothers (Easter), the Holy Spirit and St. Augustine. MARDI GRAS BREAKFAST The Mardi Gras Prayer Break- fast, an annual tradition of the Augustine Institute community, will feature Joseph Pearce and a consideration of the role of beauty in the New Evangelization. The Mardi Gras breakfast raises funds for a variety of scholarships of Augustine Institute students. A native of England, Joseph Pearce is senior editor at the Augustine Institute; the editor of the St. Austin Review, an inter- national review of Catholic cul- ture; series editor of the Ignatius Critical Edition; and executive director of Catholic Courses. New president to advance mission of Arrupe Jesuit HS to underserved families Unless otherwise noted, the fee for each series is $60, or $100 for couples. Registration and scholarships: call Kathryn Murray at 303.937.4420. More info: info.augustineinstitute.org/forum/ i $75 each, $50 for couples. Tuesday, Feb. 13 | 6:30-9:30am augustineinstitute.org/mardigras/ i Augustine Institute launches short courses for busy people PHOTO PROVIDED The Augustine Insti- tute Forum is a series of three-class seminars taught by leading theo- logians intended for lay people and clergy.

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