The world views celibacy as an unnatural constraint, a wholly unnecessary sacrifice that can only bring suffering to its unfortunate practitioner. However, celibacy is in fact a God-given calling that, far from suppressing man’s sexuality, actually liberates him to focus entirely on that which his sexuality points to, namely eternal happiness, love, and communion with God.
Read MoreDear Families, Charity. It is a word laden with baggage, such as past experiences and cliches. Images of food drives and used clothing collections come to mind. Charity is giving stuff to those in need. Charity is helping those in obvious need: the downtrodden, the suffering, the poor. This past weekend we were faced with a challenging Gospel: Luke 6:27-38. Jesus told us to love your enemies… do good to those who hate you... do not judge, and you will not be judged. This is tough stuff. It is easy to sort through my closet, choose clothes I infrequently wear, and put them in a bag for “charity...
Read MoreDear Families, I have been reading(and re-reading) John Milton Gregory's The Seven Laws of Teaching, sharing his lucid commentary with teachers. And then it occurred to me that some of his insights are so spot on that parents too would benefit from reflecting on even just a few. "A truth can be fully seen only in the light of other truths. It is known by its resemblances." "Truth must be clearly understood before it can be vividly felt." "Attention [in the learner] will be steadiest when appeal is made to the strongest faculty. One person can give steady attention to objects sense,another to...
Read MoreDear Families, When completing my graduate classes in administration we read the popular business text, Good to Great (2001, Collins). The author puts forth the metaphor of a business as a bus. He questions decisions made pertaining to the direction in which the bus is moving, the bus’ final destination, and most importantly-- who is on the bus with you; viewing the latter as of preeminent importance. Collins emphasizes the importance of getting “the right” people on the bus, the futility of driving in the “right” direction with the “wrong” people, and so on and so forth. Which makes perfect s...
Read MoreMount Royal Academy has announced academic awards of junior high and high school students for the 2nd Quarter of the 2018-2019 school year.
Read MoreDear Families, I often tell the story of how God's grace brought me to Catholic education. I can assure you it was not my plan. I vividly recall feeling a lack of fervor when selecting Saint Thomas Aquinas to be my patron saint at Confirmation. I merely attended a high school named after the angelic doctor, and it wasn't until I encountered his writings at Providence College that I became infatuated with his powerful yet humble intellect.Little did I know that even when I wasn't acting intentionally, God was. Saint Thomas' captivating use of natural reason is what ultimately turned my faith o...
Read MoreBeginning in 1974, Catholic Schools' Week has long been the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. Tracing our roots to such primary figures as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Neumann, and more; we are grateful to the contributions of so many who have worked hard and sacrificed to make Catholic schooling a possible choice for families. Catholic Schools' Week is a unique opportunity to appreciate what we have at Mount Royal Academy: a personalized, prayerful, and purposeful pathway to sound education: education of the mind, body, and soul. Our students have opportuni...
Read More“A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Jn 10:10 As our school prepares to journey once again to the nation’s capital for the 46th annual March for Life, it is appropriate to reflect on its nature and purpose. Is it a protest, a rally, a memorial, or a witness? In fact, it is all of these things. It is a protest against injustice, a rally around the most vulnerable among us, a memorial to the victims of a cold rationality bereft of God’s grace, and a witness to the truth about life. In the face of a culture inc...
Read MoreTest scores can indicate success but certainly do not define it. We measure success on a different plane. Nevertheless, it is good practice to utilize the assessments that are widely accepted in order to gauge relative academic achievement. As the results below bear out, our students generally achieve above average results. CollegeBoard Assessment Data 12th Grade ERW Math Total MRA Mean Score 576 493...
Read MoreDear Families, I hope your family is enjoying the Christmas season. I always savor the opportunity to just sit with my children. Jubilee and I recently took up playing the board game "Life", the merits of which I question on some level: money is not the measure of success. I do see the value in learning how to count, but perhaps the greatest value is just watching my daughter smile next to me. We are always present and conversing with the students. Just this week, one student curiously commented on my habit of reading between the lines and analyzing the implications of certain lines of think...
Read More