"I had to hang up a picture of the new pope," he said."
""The assignment is rebuilding the legacy and tradition of Verbum Dei," said Parks, a Baptist pastor who spent four years as head coach at Maya Angelou High until being called back to duty at The Verb."
"It's all hands on deck at "The Verb," a beacon of hope for many in South Los Angeles."
Travis Russell, the 40-year-old Jesuit priest and president at Verbum Dei High, carries a Craftsman toolbox and handles repairs around campus. Verbum Dei enrolls 310 students and charges $4,000 tuition, with most families paying $1,200 due to a corporate work study program and Catholic scholarships. The football season was canceled after four games in 2024 because of insufficient players, prompting a decision to restart slowly. Russell hired Gary Parks as head coach and Darius Spates as athletic director; both are Verbum Dei graduates. The team will begin play Oct. 19 and host a home game on a new grass field the following week. The campus is undergoing a $30-million reconstruction to restore tradition while maintaining affordable, community-focused education.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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