Pastor

The Catholic Church of St. Ann was established as a parish in 1903, 122 years ago. For the past 60 years, mostly under the generous and loving care of the Religious Teachers of St. Lucy Filippini, St. Ann’s has embraced the mission of Catholic education by operating an elementary school. Coming here as Pastor in July 2018, I saw the need for St. Ann School to distinguish itself from the other public and Catholic elementary schools throughout the area. Aware of a resurgence of the classical liberal education model and how well it integrates with Catholic theology and view of the human person, we decided to implement this approach, along with a name change to St. Ann Classical Academy. If you are not familiar with the approach to education that the Catholic classical liberal method utilizes, I encourage you to learn more about it. 

Our school’s approach is now more attentive to the process of child development, seeking to educate in a manner that best corresponds with the child’s stage of growth. The classical liberal approach also encourages exploration, inquiry and discovery in the classroom experience without strict dependence on a textbook. This promotes a more rational way of thinking, the development of good reasoning skills, as well as greater joy and excitement throughout the learning process. 

The Catholic classical approach most especially promotes our faith in our Creator God who established all that is and, therefore, is the source of all that is good, true and beautiful. It is Jesus Christ who redeems and unites humanity in accord with the divine plan, who is the central figure in history and reveals the dignity of the human person. Therefore, students here will regularly experience prayer, Mass, devotions, Eucharistic adoration – all with the goal of fostering in them a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

At St. Ann Classical Academy, “Religion” is not merely one academic class among others. God is recognized as central to understanding our humanity and all academic subjects. The learning process for children includes this gift of faith, helping them to see that their lives have meaning and purpose, that character development and growth in virtue will enrich their lives, and that there is an eternal destiny to hope for – God lovingly desires communion with us.

The order expressed in math and sciences, the beauty of the arts, the accomplishments of human history, and especially the truth of the Catholic faith, beckons us to praise God, who is infinitely good and wise. The good stewardship of our intelligence, skills, talents and gifts contribute to human fulfillment, service to others, participation in the divine life and the advancement of God’s loving plan.

When considering your options for your child’s education, pause to reflect:

What and how will your child be taught? What will the influences be on your child’s human development? For what purpose and to what end is their formation at school? What will your child need to live in the world with confidence and hope? Will they have a firm sense of their human dignity and of their identity as one of God’s beloved children? Will their knowledge of academic subjects coincide with an understanding of the purpose and goal of their knowledge? Will they appreciate God’s presence and gift in all that is beautiful, true and good?

Understandably, there is a sacrifice to sending your children to St. Ann Catholic Academy (let us pray for and work together to promote changes in our government that will allow greater justice and freedom for families to opt to apply taxes for education to institutes of their own choosing).  However, there is also a cost to NOT sending your children here and having them exposed to all that is going on in the public schools. There is a qualitative value to them being formed in a faith-based, classical school like St. Ann Classical Academy, PreK to Grade 8. 

We continue to develop our embrace of the classical liberal method out of love for God, for the children and their families. We humbly entrust ourselves to God and petition the Holy Spirit to bless this mission of St. Ann Classical Academy. Prayer is so important to sustain this mission, as is sacrifice, generous support, and the charitable and collaborative effort among faculty, parents, and administration.