While CTK awaits the building of its new campus, it will open its doors on a temporary site this August. Since CTK will follow the Cristo Rey model of work-with-education, students will allocate five days every month to part-time jobs: this will pay for 75% of their $10,000 annual tuition. Already more than 30 Chicago area corporations have signed up to participate.

Cardinal Francis George and Mayor Richard Daley gave remarks at the June 25 ceremony. I found it somewhat curious to hear the Mayor speak so warmly of the importance of his Catholic education … a rather glaring disconnect with his staunch positions today on abortion "rights" and "gay" rights. On a more laudatory note, the Cardinal emphasized that the new school will be an environment where students can learn in a safe and free environment: he spent some time talking about freedom of expression and character formation.

Father Christopher Devron, CTK's founding president, has had extensive experience with educating African American youth. "This was meant to be a financial model that responded to the problem of inner-city schools not being able to survive and be sustainable," Father Devron said. "But actually, what we found out is this is a tremendous educational model. Our students are, for the first time in their lives, exposed to college-educated careers and to mentors and role models who can really inspire them and give them hope for the future."

Imagine: a safe learning environment in the inner-city combined with an immersion in the work world. I suspect there are other parents in and beyond the Austin area who would sign up their kids in a heartbeat! Not a moment too soon for school choice.

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Why did Cardinal George allow Richard Daley to appear at this Catholic ceremony?

In 2004 the USCCB said that politicians and others in the public square who espouse anti-Catholic ideas, such as enabling abortion and sodomy should not be given honors, awards or a PLATFORM in Catholic institutions.

One of the authors of that document was Cardinal George. In the June 22nd issue of the Catholic New World, Cardinal George said people who reject the teachings of the Catholic Church are called HERETICS and if they reject the pastors of the church they are called SCHISMATICS. Daley seems to fit the bill.

Why did Cardinal George allow Richard Daley to appear at this Catholic ceremony?