On the city’s northwest side, innovation and collaboration have combined to restore extracurricular opportunities at three Catholic elementary schools. The Saints, a combination of students from St. Constance, St. Pascal, and St. Cornelius, now field athletic teams in seven sports for students in grades 4-8.

“In many cases, we didn’t have the numbers for teams, but we had the interest — and that’s a void many wanted to fill,” St. Cornelius school principal Christina Bowman said.

The Saints began competing in the City- Suburban Catholic Conference three years ago. Originally a joint venture between St. Cornelius, 5252 N. Long Ave., and St. Pascal, 6143 W. Irving Park Rd., the collaboration allowed each school’s students the opportunity to compete in sports such as basketball, volleyball, cross country and soccer while simultaneously injecting new life into physical assets, such as the St. Pascal’s gymnasium and, new this school year, the gym at St. Constance, 5841 W. Strong St.

“There was a need and desire on both sides. We simply needed some creative thinking to make the best use of our resources and give our students new opportunities,” said Peter Cullen-Conway, a St. Cornelius parent, school board member, and active advocate in the Saints’ creation.

While the collaborative venture affords students athletic opportunities, it has also delivered unforeseen benefits. Students, parents, administrators, and pastors are cooperating in new ways, creating bonds that would likely go undiscovered sans the co-op program.

“Sometimes neighboring schools don’t play well in the sandbox,” Cullen-Conway said, “but we thought out of the box and have been able to reap the benefits of that thinking. Our kids are competing, meeting other students, and getting out of their cocoon, all things that will serve them well moving forward.”