President’s Letter

Dear Friends,

Greetings and peace from Prep! As we wind down what we all hope will be the final moments of the pandemic year, the Prep community has demonstrated incredible Jesuit ingenuity and resilience. We have learned more than we ever thought we could about leadership and reinvention in a public health crisis. The image of St. Ignatius with a mask in the Pelletier Quad gives poetic witness to the magnitude of this year.

The courageous spirit of our faculty, staff, families and boys will be forever emblazoned in Prep history. Having begun the year in hybrid learning, with the school split in two, we have now returned fully to campus to complete the year. This effort has been led by a heroic Prep team who have been teaching, coaching, pivoting and leading on campus since the first day of the year without pause—amazing!

Despite the challenges of pandemic, the daily ebb and flow of academic and school life continues, and includes historical transitions:

In June we will bid farewell to our brother and colleague Tommy de Quesada as he returns to his alma mater, Belen Jesuit in Miami. In just three years, Tommy has made an indelible mark on Prep and raised the Ignatian bar for all of us. Additionally, I was thrilled to announce in February that Tim Dee will serve as the next Principal of Fairfield Prep. Tim is a truly gifted Ignatian educator and leader, and I am filled with consolation as we lock arms in brotherhood and leadership for the future of Prep. The academic excellence of Prep is in gifted and capable hands with Tim Dee.

This June we bid farewell to two of the inimitable giants of Prep, Greg Marshall ’73 and Maureen Bohan. “Señor Marshall” and “MoBo”—as they are affectionately called—have collectively given just shy of 100 years of service to Fairfield Prep. Greg and Maureen represent an era of Prep educators who joined the Jesuits as they moved Prep into the modern era of education. They are trailblazing men and women for others, and we bow in humble thanks for their service. In this edition of Prep Today, you will see other strong signs of life and growth, as we look to vibrant days ahead. We are honored to have Dr. Donna Andrade serve on the International Commission for Women in the Society of Jesus. The McLeod Innovation Center is dedicated and open for use and will be the anchor for innovation, collaboration and transformation in the Jesuit tradition at Prep. Our “For the LOVE of Prep” Giving Day soared over goal and affirmed our theme for the year. And our Prep boys continue to grow, learn and serve, especially the Class of 2021 which has posted remarkable results in their senior year, both in college acceptance and in resilient brotherhood.

We bring the year to a close with genuine hope. On the twentieth of May, we will join the international Jesuit community as we begin the global Igantian Year 2021-2022. The motto of the year “To make all things new in Christ,” commemorates the wounding of St. Ignatius at the Battle of Pamplona and his great conversion. Our solidarity and celebration with Jesuit schools across the globe will also serve as a backdrop for the 80th Anniversary of Fairfield College Preparatory School, which will include a new strategic plan and vision that we know will animate the next great era of Prep’s history. Stay tuned!

My heart is overflowing with gratitude to all of you who have made it a priority to support Prep’s vital mission. It has been a profound experience of spiritual grace to walk with you in this first year as President. May God continue to bless you and all those you love, and always for the greater glory of God! +AMDG

In peace and hope,

Christian J. Cashman P ’15, CP ‘23 President