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Father Robert Sandoz, the president of Christ the King Prep School in Newark, was honored by The North Ward Center at its annual Monsignor Geno Baroni awards luncheon.
Sandoz was presented the award by Bill Baroni, the deputy executive director of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The award is given annually in honor of Monsignor Geno Baroni, a priest and social activist from Washington D.C., who was inspired and helped Stephen N. Adubato Sr. found The North Ward Center in 1970. The event, held Wednesday Nov. 30 in a room at The North Ward Center named after the monsignor, marked the 26th year that the award has been given out.
"Father Sandoz is a fitting honoree," said Adrianne Davis, the executive director of The North Ward Center. "Father Sandoz believes, as did Monsignor Baroni, that in order to change a community, you must change the lives of those in the community. Christ the King has dedicated itself to doing that by educating inner city youth."
Christ the King is part of the Christo Rey network, which got its start in Chicago and currently has 24 schools around the United States. Part of its program calls for its students to work in entry level jobs starting their freshman year. The work experience not only helps offset a significant portion of their students' tuition, but it also contributes to their maturity and socialization.
Since Christ the King opened in Newark five years ago, students have worked at The North Ward Center in clerical positions, gaining valuable work experience working side-by-side with our employees.
Father Robert Sandoz, the president of Christ the King Prep in Newark, was presented with The North Ward Center's Geno Baroni Award by Bill Baroni, the deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.Adubato said as president of Christ the King, the Rev. Robert Sandoz has been instrumental in ensuring the success of the work program, not only with The North Ward Center, but 44 other business and organizations located in North Jersey.
"We are truly blessed to have Father Sandoz in Newark," Adubato said. "The Rev. Sandoz is a tireless advocate on behalf of minority children with limited economic resources. If he were alive today, Monsignor Geno Baroni would have been proud that the Rev. Sandoz received this award."
Sandoz said he was honored to receive the Monsignor Geno Baroni award.
"The motto of Christ the King Prep is transforming urban America one student at a time. I believe Monsignor Baroni would cheer us on as we move forward with our mission," Sandoz said. "I believe that the spirit that fed his heart and soul is the same spirit that feeds mine. It is my hope that through my ministry and the success of Christ the King that we will bring honor to The North Ward Center and to the beloved memory of Monsignor Geno Baroni."
Baroni, who died in 1984, was instrumental in the founding of The North Ward Center. In the late 1960s, Baroni was director of the urban taskforce of the U.S. Catholic Conference and Adubato was a Newark Public Schools teacher. Baroni encouraged Adubato to leave his teaching position and start what was then called the North Ward Educational and Cultural Center. He also helped Adubato land a grant from the Ford Foundation, one of the initial supporters of The Center.
Bill Baroni, said Sandoz, like the monsignor before him, is making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.
"This man is helping lead a renaissance of education," Bill Baroni said. "There's no greater testament to Geno Baroni than to find other men of the cloth following the same path. Geno Baroni would be smiling."
