Jesuit High School’s capital campaign, “Building for the Future,” has earmarked $10 million to improve the Carmichael campus where many circa 1960s buildings are showing their age.

But what the campaign envisions involves more than bricks and mortar.

It calls for raising $2 million for scholarship endowments for students who aren’t financially able to pay the annual school tuition.

In addition, the Catholic high school has set a long-term goal to raise another $1.4 million to fund endowments in the future.

Jesuit Father Gregory Bonfiglio, school president, said the campaign mirrors the mission of Jesuit education.

“Our three tenets are to inspire academic excellence, compassionate service to others and spiritual formation,” he said. “Each of these is addressed in one or more ways in this campaign.”

Father Bonfiglio said that from November 2002, when the school’s board issued a five-year plan introducing the campaign, to the campaign kickoff Feb. 24, it became increasingly clear that school needs would require a record fund-raising effort.

Jesuit’s locker room facility was built 40 years ago when the student body was 300. It is now severely tested to meet the demands of the 600 student-athletes currently enrolled.

“I’ve been known to say the locker room is grossly inadequate and also just gross,” Father Bonfiglio said with a hint of a smile.

Likewise the school community sees as a priority construction of a $1.8 million chapel — sacred space for celebration of the Mass and prayer services. The new chapel, with seating for 400, will be located on acquired property accessed by a main entrance off Fair Oaks Boulevard.

“It will stand as a visible symbol of who we are, a spiritual center of campus life,” Father Bonfiglio said.

Father Bonfiglio explained that the school and its 1,000 students are often viewed as an athletic powerhouse whose sole interest is in fielding championship teams.

“I received a letter early on in the capital campaign saying, ‘There you go. Athletics is getting all the attention again,’” he said.

Addressing that criticism, he points out that a previous campaign in 1996 focused on other aspects of the school environment by adding a student body center with a theater and instrumental music hall.

Last summer, four classrooms were remodeled to provide for campus ministry, Christian service, counseling, and college and career counseling programs at a cost of $400,000.

As to the perception that only privileged students attend Jesuit, Father Bonfiglio said a look at statistics proves otherwise.

“We’re giving out $609,000 in financial aid in 2003-2004 alone,” he said, noting that 17 percent of the student body is receiving financial aid and 30 percent are students of color.

Kevin Smith-Fagan, Jesuit’s director of development, said the campaign has challenged every segment of the school community “to a new level of philanthropy.”

“I believe when we’re done we will have tripled the largest campaign in our 40-year history,” he said. “It’s really exciting to see that most people who have given their gifts to date made their biggest gift ever to Jesuit.”

More than $4.2 million has been raised thus far, including a pledge of $1 million and a few $500,000 pledges.

Carolyn Mesic, a member of the current parent fund-raising team, said a key to the campaign’s success is that the school’s mission is reflected in the lives of its volunteers.

“It’s a perfect fit,” she said. “If you’re part of a community, you’re willing to work for it.”

All three of Mesic’s sons have attended Jesuit. Nicholas and Andrew graduated in 1997 and 1999, respectively, and her youngest son, Christopher, is currently a senior. She views the spiritual grounding and lifelong friendships students experience at Jesuit, which sends 99 percent of its graduates on to college, as priceless gifts not forgotten by students past and present.

“When people give to Jesuit they give back because they’ve already received,” she said. Plans call for expansion of the locker room to start no later than May 2005. Phase one of a three-phase retrofit of older classrooms with air conditioning is scheduled to begin this fall with phase two in 2005 and phase three in 2006.

It is anticipated that the chapel site will also be acquired this fall.

Copyright © 2004 Diocese of Sacramento - All Rights Reserved