Welcome
Dear members of the Fordham prep Community ,
i am deeply honored to be named the next principal of Fordham preparatory School . As a community dedicated to faith , scholarship and service , Fordham prep provided me with a transformative experience of Jesuit education that has been the foundation of my life ever since . i am very excited to return home to the prep community in the service of our young men called to “ go forth and set the world on fire ” in the spirit of St . ignatius Loyola .
i would like to sincerely thank the Search Committee and the many students , faculty , staff , parents , and trustees and especially Fr . Devron , for their support and trust . i look forward to our collaboration as partners in our mission to lead Fordham prep at this important moment in history as we prepare for our 175th anniversary and beyond .
Vital to sustaining our mission is the community of women and men responsible for the daily successes and life lessons that take place in the classroom , on athletic fields , in prayer and retreats , in artistic performances , and in compassionate service . Fordham prep ’ s dedicated teachers truly care for our students in the best sense of cura personalis . i am energized by the opportunity to work closely with an outstanding faculty and staff , a highly engaged student body , and a mission-driven community supported by parents , trustees , alumni , and benefactors . it is my sincere desire as Fordham prep ’ s next principal that i can continue to inspire our community to guide one another in finding opportunities to respond to Christ ’ s call to transform the world for god ’ s greater glory .
i am truly privileged to follow Brian Carney and Bob gomprecht , both of whom i deeply respect and admire for their long-standing commitment to Fordham prep . my early work on ministry and service programs at Xavier was very much supported by Brian , who shared his wisdom and experience as a true colleague , mentor , and friend . i am also immensely grateful for Bob ’ s extraordinary leadership for over two decades . As a student during his first years as principal , i directly benefitted from being formed under the guidance of his lifelong dedication to Fordham prep . i look forward to the challenge of ensuring that the Fordham prep community continues to flourish in the pursuit of human excellence , as it has during Bob ’ s long tenure and Brian ’ s current leadership .
Today , we are faced with challenges and opportunities similar to those of St . ignatius Loyola and his first companions in the 16th century : How do we live in the tension between tradition and change ? How do we continue being faithful to the mission and values of Fordham prep as a Jesuit apostolate animated by the spirituality and charism of St . ignatius and the Society of Jesus ? How do we maintain the fundamental roots of our centuries old ignatian vision while opening ourselves to the new horizons and frontiers of change that lie before us ?
As i reflect on these questions and the path that led me back to Fordham prep , i very much look forward to forming new relationships and deepening existing ones within the Fordham prep community , as we move forward together .
in the first months of his pontificate , pope Francis spoke passionately to Jesuit school students about the call to be magnanimous : “ doing the little everyday things with a great heart open to god and to others .” i truly believe that this magnanimity is alive and well in the prep community as we educate young men in ways that invite them to the fullness of life in Christ . may god continue to bless the work of the Fordham prep community and all who serve the young men in our care , Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam .
Sincerely , Joseph A . Petriello , PhD ’ 98
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