alabama possible from the alabama poverty project

Monday’s Alabama Possible summit was all about transforming lives through relational ministry. In this week’s Alabama Possible spotlight, we look at one minister who brings this strategy to his daily work.

Father Alex Steinmiller is someone who knows about relational ministries, because he sees them transforming students every day. He is a founding organizer and president of Holy Family Cristo Rey High School in Ensley, Birmingham.

As a part of the Passionist order of the Catholic church, Father Alex is called to serve those living in poverty. He grew up in downtown Chicago, and he can still remember the day he first felt called to be a priest. “A Passionist missionary came to speak to our class and said people can be changed by the love of Christ on the cross. I had never heard that before.” This idea changed his life.

After he was ordained in 1970, Father Alex went to Detroit to work with young gang members. He saw white flight happen right before his eyes, and whole neighborhoods were abandoned by the middle class. “I realized that the best way to help at-risk youths is to relate them with a high-achieving peer. I didn’t have one class in the seminary that prepared me for this,” he laughs. Those years of experience “walking the streets of Detroit,” he says, convinced him that relationships could transform lives.

Working now with youth in Ensley, Father Alex sees this model in action every day. “Since 2007, every single one of our graduates has been accepted to college,” he brags. This is especially notable given their neighborhood, their household income, and the education levels of their parents. So what is Cristo Rey doing that other programs could replicate?

Cristo Rey is “the school that works” – literally. Like all 24 Cristo Rey schools across the country, they employ all of their 174 students in corporate internships. Students work 1-2 days a week to earn a portion of their tuition. They compensate for time spent outside the classroom by going to school for extended days the remainder of the week (8 am – 3:30 pm) and for a longer school year. This program gives the students the opportunity to both afford a private education and to get valuable work and mentorship experiences in high school.

“Jobs really make the most difference. Students get to form adult relationships, and to get that affirmation from adults. I hear them say all the time ‘I can do this, Father.’ That’s such a great breakthrough.”

Students and faculty pose in front of the Honor Society wall.

Applicants must have a combined household income of less than $38,000/year, and the school offers significant financial aid through the work-study program. Students must also meet nine other requirements before starting at the high school, including an interview with both the student and parents, an essay submission, teacher recommendations, and placement testing. “We accept students who are up to two years behind grade level if we believe they have potential,” he says. Holy Family ultimately hopes to sponsor up to 300 students with corporate internships, but they need more support from local businesses to make that happen.

Father Alex connected with APP through our 2010 Lifetime of Learning conference and the Alabama Possible summit, where he shared resources and experiences with others fighting poverty through education and ministry.

How can you bring relational ministries to your community?

• visit the Alabama Possible Summit event page to learn more about bringing relational ministries to your community
• read more about Mentoring and Youth Development in our web resources
• contact Scott Meinberg about opportunities to partner with Holy Family for corporate internships.

Posted by Robyn Hyden