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Partnership for Mission: Sacred Heart Cathedral and the Christian Brothers Community
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (SHC) and the De La Salle Christian Brothers announce today a collaborative partnership that deepens the relationship of the school and the Brothers by transforming the Brothers Residence on campus into a shared-use space. After a discernment process by the Brothers who serve the SHC community, the school was generously invited to meet the needs for educational and communal space through this creative partnership. By the fall of 2023, the Brothers residence will transition into a dual-use community space, serving both the Brothers’ residential needs as well as those of the school. The residential entry will remain at 1075 Ellis Street and the school entry will be off the SHC plaza at the lower level.
“The Brothers know all too well how ever-increasing enrollment is impacting available educational space at Sacred Heart Cathedral,” reflected Brother Director V. Kenneth, who also serves in the school’s Theology Department as a teacher of Scripture and Ethics. “I witness on a daily basis the demands for limited classroom space. How exciting it is to participate in planning proactively to reimagine the future of our Sacred Heart Cathedral Community!”
“The motive for the partnership is student-centered and grounded in our mission,” comments SHC president, Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD. “We have been continuously seeking better opportunities for our future growth that keeps the entire school unified in the campus footprint and also deepens our sense of community. This partnership is a blessing and feels so fitting as we close our 170th year in the City.”
As part of this collaborative partnership, both institutions will share the communal chapel on the main floor while the upper floors will be the private residence for the Brothers. The two lower levels will be dedicated to SHC offices, conference rooms, and event and meeting space to support the Office of the President, which includes the Offices of Advancement and Development, Communications and Marketing, Enrollment and Financial Aid, and the Finance and Business operations for the school. The move of these administrative school offices to the Residence will open up campus spaces to be reconfigured and transformed into innovative learning spaces and classrooms, expanded spaces for student services, and collaborative spaces for faculty and students as recommended in the SHC Master Plan. In recognition of the Brothers’ generosity in this agreement, the school will renovate their private residence area to accommodate kitchen and laundry facilities.
“In keeping with our educational mission, the SHC community will continue to provide the finest education, grounded in our Lasallian Vincentian Catholic traditions, while developing and maximizing our educational settings to support programmatic excellence and additional active learning spaces,” Dr. Melinda Lawlor Skrade reflected. “Visitor Brother Nick Gonzalez and the Brothers, as well as Visitatrix Sister Christina Maggi and the Daughters of Charity, are to be thanked for their accompaniment and selfless consideration about the school needs, now and in the future.”
Sacred Heart Cathedral Mission
Inspired by the Daughters of Charity and the De La Salle Christian Brothers, in partnership with families, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory’s mission is to provide the finest education in an inclusive Catholic community of faith. We prepare our students to become service-oriented leaders with a commitment to living the Gospel.