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Mission and Philosophy

 

Fordham Preparatory School is a four-year, Catholic, college preparatory school. Our commitment to education is shaped by the spirituality and pedagogical tradition of the Society of Jesus, founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola. This heritage stresses the development of excellence in the whole person: moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional and aesthetic. Today, our educational apostolate is strengthened by our affiliation with the local, national and international networks of Jesuit secondary schools.

Based on a legacy which began with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and continues through contemporary Ignatian reflections, our Jesuit tradition has fashioned schools to be communities of faith, scholarship and service.

  • We are a community of faith. Rooted in the Catholic tradition, we look to Jesus Christ as the revelation of God and humanity. We seek to foster knowledge and love of God and neighbor, and welcome the gifts that non-Catholic members of our community contribute to that mission. We encourage all members of our community to evaluate dominant cultural values in the context of their faith.
  • We are a community of scholarship. At the heart of Jesuit education is the rigorous study of the humanities and sciences, reflecting the conviction that the study of great ideas is inextricably linked to the formation of character. Our program of studies encompasses more than the acquisition of knowledge; it fosters academic discipline and encourages reflection in the pursuit of excellence.
  • We are a community of service. St. Ignatius’ declaration that “love ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than words” is embodied today in the call to be a person for others. We put our faith into action by seeking opportunities to serve our brothers and sisters, especially those in need, and by working to promote justice.

Praying, studying and working together, our communal life is animated by the spirit of magis (“greater”) and cura personalis (“care of the individual”).

Magis, a distinctive aspect of Jesuit education, expresses the responsibility to seek a greater realization of our potential and mission and to strive for excellence in all things. We are dedicated to the development of a curriculum and community that call forth the best from students, faculty and staff for the greater glory of God. Cura personalis is the Jesuit resolve to know and treat each person as an individual made in the image and likeness of God. Cura personalis encourages students, faculty and staff to build relationships, both in and out of the classroom, based on dignity, respect and trust. The intellectual and religious values which motivate our mission as a school guide each individual’s total development. We challenge each graduate to be a lifelong learner, an agent of positive change, spiritually motivated and committed to justice, a healer and shaper of his world.

Mission Statement

As a Catholic, all-male, Jesuit, college preparatory school, Fordham Prep’s mission is to inspire young men to reflect, to question, to learn, to pray, to love, to serve and to lead. Since 1841, we have based our challenging curriculum and pursuit of human and academic excellence on a foundation of Catholic faith and principles. We seek to be one community created from a broad spectrum of ethnic, racial, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. We strive to include qualified students of limited financial resources by providing substantial financial assistance. Our faculty and staff dedicate themselves to a caring and dynamic interaction with students both inside and outside the classroom, a characteristic of Jesuit education for over 450 years. We educate our students to be men for others: spiritually motivated, intellectually accomplished and committed to promoting justice.  

Fordham Prep’s strategic priorities focus on 6 key areas: