Staying true to its mission from its founding in 1877, the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy (U of D Jesuit) will proudly celebrate the 40th anniversary of the school’s decision to maintain its campus in the City of Detroit. The school will hold an all-school Mass at 10 a.m. on January 20, 2017, 40 years from the date of the announcement on January 20, 1977, when then-school President Fr. Douglas Keller, SJ, announced the decision to "remain in the present location" on West Seven Mile Road. In addition, Fr. Keller affirmed the school’s educational priorities of faith, academic excellence, community service, and racial and socio-economic diversity of the student body. U of D Jesuit’s success today as one of the premier educational institutions in Michigan is founded on the courage of this decision. The school's campus has been located on West Seven Mile Road since 1931.

“We are proud to be in Detroit,” said Fr. Theodore G. (Ted) Munz, SJ, president of U of D Jesuit. “In 1977, the decision to stay was not universally praised, but the leaders of this school community were committed to upholding the mission that is at the foundation of everything we do at U of D Jesuit. They had the courage and foresight to recognize that the greatest service the school could provide in this community would be to  continue educating young men, both from the city and from across the metropolitan region, to be “Men for Others” through academic excellence, faith formation, and community service, and to do so in the heart of Detroit.”

In the late 1970s, several schools and businesses were leaving the city for suburban locations, and there was tremendous pressure on U of D Jesuit to follow suit. Reflecting on the school’s decision at the groundbreaking of the new Science and Engineering Center on June 16, 2015, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said, “The decision to stay on this campus is, to some people, a kind of historical anecdote. I lived it as a member of Catholic Central [High School]. U of D and CC students rode the same bus in the city, and we were surprised when we learned U of D was going to stay. I have watched in fascination as investment poured into this campus in subsequent years…and U of D continued to become a greater and greater part of this community and is now an essential part of the fabric of the City of Detroit.”

Fr. Ted Munz, SJ, president of U of D Jesuit

Evidence of the school’s commitment to mission and to Detroit is best illustrated in the school’s newest addition, an all-new, $16 million, privately funded, 40,000 sq. ft. Science and Engineering Center, the first facility of its kind in the area. The facility includes space for its nationally recognized eco-car and robotics programs; classroom and laboratory facilities for biology, chemistry, and physics; and a science classroom and laboratory used exclusively by the 7th and 8th grades. The school plans to offer classes and camps this summer to allow others in the community to benefit from the facilities as well.

U of D Jesuit boasts nearly 900 students in grades 7 through 12. The school is known for its rigorous academic program and a strong community service component, something that has helped strengthen the ties between U of D Jesuit, its students, and the community. As an example, all seniors at the school participate in Senior Service, a program that involves a senior student visiting an assigned community service site every Wednesday morning. A majority of the sites are within the City of Detroit, with focuses ranging from schools, to warming centers, to senior centers, and food banks

“U of D Jesuit has made remarkable strides in recent years, and we are proud to be an important part of the Detroit community,” explained Fr. Munz. “Our path has been much like that of the city itself. Once the decision was made to stay, this school community rallied to ensure a bright future for our students and the Detroit community which we call home. We look forward to continuing to serve the needs of the Detroit community and encouraging young people to strive for academic excellence and develop an appreciation for the need to serve the world in which they live.”

U of D Jesuit is Detroit's second oldest high school. Founded in 1877, it has educated young men to be “Men for Others” through academic excellence, faith formation, and community service. It remains Metro Detroit’s most ethnically, geographically, and culturally diverse high school. Nine hundred students are enrolled in grades 7 through 12 from more than 70 communities in 6 counties. One-third of the students qualify for tuition assistance totaling $2 million annually. For more information about U of D Jesuit, please visit www.uofdjesuit.org.

Contact
Tom Totte
Vice President, Institutional Development
313-590-7975
thomas.totte@uofdjesuit.org

NOTE TO EDITORS:
Interviews will be available immediately following Mass on Friday, January 20, 2017. If you are interested in interviews or in covering the Mass, please contact Tom Totte for special requests.