Josephinum Academy to Host “Walk for the Jo” Rally and Celebration


Josephinum Academy to Host “Walk for the Jo” Rally and Celebration

CHICAGO, April 22, 2024 – As the 134th consecutive school year draws to a close, Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart in Wicker Park will host Walk for the Jo, an on-campus celebration of the school’s mission to educate young women. Walk for the Jo will take place on Wednesday, May 8th from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public but attendance requires registering here. Complimentary parking is just one block away at 2359 W. Le Moyne St.

Walk for the Jo will start with a procession of students, faculty, parents, and supporters marching through campus in a show of unity and commemoration. The event will then move into the gymnasium for a reception rally with refreshments, music and remarks by school leaders, Alderman Daniel La Spata, and a selection of Josephinum students.

Walk for the Jo will also raise awareness for the school’s Thrive Scholarship program, which offers full tuition scholarships to the first 40 incoming freshman students for the 2024-2025 school year. The THRIVE Scholarship comes at a critical time for families seeking a Catholic school education. The recent expiration of the Illinois Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program, which encouraged private donors to fund scholarships, has put a Catholic education out of reach for many families and even led to the closing of four Catholic schools across the region. The Thrive Scholarship closes that gap.

“At a challenging time for many of Chicago’s Catholic schools, we are so grateful to our students, parents and benefactors who keep Josephinum’s historic legacy going strong,” said Richard McMenamin, President of Josephinum Academy. “The Walk for the Jo will be a coming together of everyone who loves The Jo and what it stands for.”

As the longest-standing all-girls Catholic school in the city of Chicago, Josephinum Academy delivers individualized student support, a challenging college-preparatory curriculum, and a robust variety of clubs and activities.

The founding of Josephinum Academy dates back to September 1886 when Mother Philomena Schmittdiel, superior of the North American Province of the Sisters of Christian Charity, buried a small statue of St. Joseph in an empty field across the street from St. Aloysius Church. This was the symbol of her intention to buy the property on Oakley Boulevard and build a school for girls that she would call St. Joseph’s Academy. When the building opened to students in September 1890, a single Latin word, “Josephinum,” which roughly translates as “the house of Joseph,” was carved above the entrance.

For 134 uninterrupted years, Josephinum has maintained a commitment to educating and inspiring young women in the heart of Chicago. The school exists today as the city’s longest-standing Catholic high school for girls.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

This Is Life