Our Lady of Guadalupe: Anniversary Appeal
Dear Friend,
You can see it on their faces. So many of today’s young people are looking for something…but they can’t quite put their finger on what. Is it purpose? Peace? Happiness? It’s all of these—and more.
What if there were a place where young people could discover who they are and what they should live for? Where they could investigate the world around them and consider not just what they observe but also why it is so? Where they could find their place in the world—and confidently take it? And what if they could do all this in an atmosphere of true joy?
There is! This September, the Chesterton Academy of the Annunciation opened its doors in Emmitsburg, MD. As a member of the Chesterton Schools Network, our school is part of a growing movement of outstanding classical high schools in the Catholic tradition, with over fifty member schools across the United States and Canada (and a few campuses abroad, too!). The proliferation of Chesterton Academies is a testament to their quality and value. Chesterton students thrive, and parents notice the Chesterton difference, built on three values: Catholic faith, classical curriculum, and joy.
Parents from Gaithersburg to Gettysburg have expressed interest in Chesterton Academy of the Annunciation. Some have even told us that they have long prayed for such a school. In order to give this school a firm foundation and keep tuition at $6,900 per year, we aim to raise $250,000 over the next nine months.
In September, Archbishop Lori welcomed us to begin in the one-room schoolhouse on the grounds of St. Anthony Shrine Parish, near the entrance of the National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes. However, in order to provide room for more students, we will move to our more permanent location within the town of Emmitsburg in February. Thus, we need support to furnish and equip a new space, pay monthly expenses, and fund salaries for our dedicated teachers.
What was once a dream has become a reality—a classical high school in the Emmitsburg area. But we need support to keep that dream alive. Let me say a bit more about the Chesterton difference, built on those three values: Catholic faith, classical curriculum, and joy.
While we cannot officially be called a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore until we have been open for at least five years, we do offer a faithfully Catholic curriculum and daily Mass. While students do not have to be Catholic (and many non-Catholics love Chesterton Academies), our Catholic faith informs everything we do. God made man rational, and when we wonder at the order, the complexity, and the puzzling mystery of his handiwork in all things, we are really wondering at him.
And what moves us to wonder? It’s the encounter with the good, the true, and the beautiful, which we find in a special way in a classical curriculum. In a fast-paced world, in which scrolling and screens can encourage anxious passivity, our classical curriculum helps students train their minds to active response. As G.K. Chesterton put it, “The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” By engaging with the world’s great thinkers, students discover the order of things in the world, as well as the meaning and value of human life. Following the Socratic method of arriving at the truth by asking questions, students discover these things together in constructive dialogue. This means that their education can involve an active receptivity, not merely a passive acquiescence.
When we encounter what is good, true, and beautiful, we experience joy. We are called out of the narrowness of our own consciousness to an experience of something greater than ourselves—and, as great as his created effects are, there is nothing greater than the Creator himself. Chesterton students come to know how deeply God loves them, and they learn that this love is the source of boundless happiness. What a healing balm in the world today, when so many young people are in such need of joy! Knowing that they are loved by the one who is love itself, Chesterton students work to cultivate joy in the classroom, at home, at their parishes, and in their communities.
Chesterton Academy of the Annunciation is just the kind of high school that today’s young people need to become the virtuous adults of tomorrow. Parents have prayed for such a school. As we have worked toward and through our initial launch this year, we have seen God’s providence at work through the generosity of a number of people. We could not have come this far without our supporters—yet we are in need of continued assistance. Would you consider making a gift to help this school grow to meet the needs of the increasing number of interested families? We are grateful for all of our supporters, and pray for them regularly. Thank you for considering this school in your giving plans!
To learn more about the Chesterton Academy of the Annunciation, please visit our website. We would love to meet with you to tell you more about the story and mission of this school. If you wish, please contact us via email info@chestertonannunciation.org or phone 301-660-5313. If you wish to give directly, please visit www.chestertonannunciation.org/donate. The Chesterton Academy of the Annunciation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
Thank you, and may God bless you,
Jed Crook
Founder, President
