“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. . . it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously. . . And our charity must be real and costly love. . .” - C.S. Lewis, (The Weight of Glory)
Reflection on Catholic Education
Our Faith tells us that the human person is made not for this world alone, but for a life of eternal glory and union with Christ in Heaven. This belief and the hope that it inspires fuel every aspect of Catholic living—prayer, family life, work, leisure, study. . . In all areas of life, we recognize that we are made for happiness, and that this happiness comes by seeking Christ in all that we do. This reality truly awakens us to the importance and potential of each person we encounter. As C.S. Lewis writes, “There are no ordinary people.”
Holding fast to the realities of Heaven, a Catholic school joins the Church and the family in the profound mission of raising saints. It does so by forming students both spiritually and intellectually. At a Catholic school, we have the beautiful opportunity to worship God together in the Mass and in Eucharistic Adoration; we are able to pray together, to encourage one another in our mission to become saints, and to support one another in a life of sacrifice and virtue. In the classroom, we are able to grow in wisdom by studying the Good, the True, and the Beautiful in all disciplines. Immersing ourselves in Scripture, in great works of literature and art, in the stories of human beings who came before us, and in the order and complexity of Creation, we grow to flourish more and more in mind, heart, and soul.
Through this intellectual and spiritual formation, we treat the human person as an immortal who is called to glory. I am extremely grateful to be a part of the beautiful mission of Catholic education, and I am excited to grow in holiness with my students and with all members of the Mount Royal community.
Mrs. Paulina Bean grew up in Meriden, Connecticut, and is the oldest of 8 children. In 2020, Mrs. Bean graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Philosophy from Ave Maria University, where she later completed a Master of Arts in Theology in May of 2021. Throughout her time at Ave Maria University, she tutored college and middle school students and worked as a substitute teacher at Mason Classical Academy in Naples, Florida. During summers between college, Mrs. Bean interned at The Federalist Society and The National Catholic Register. In 2021, Mrs. Bean moved to New Hampshire and taught 5th-8th grade theology, U.S. history, and English at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Laconia. Mrs. Bean especially loves studying the Gospels, Marian theology, and the works of C.S. Lewis, Plato, and Dante. She also has a passion for United States history and American literature, and she particularly enjoys studying the Civil War era. She currently lives in Boscawen with her husband, Ambrose, and is a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Penacook. She is deeply grateful and excited to be a part of Mount Royal Academy’s mission and community.