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Plans Underway to Establish a New Catholic High School for Fall 2022
High school is a pivotal time for teenagers, in which they begin to explore and question their beliefs and begin to solidify their places in their communities. Although our teens are growing older and more independent, at this time, they also need guidance more than ever. Over the past two years, Fr. Alexander Estrella — as well as many in the parish and community — have identified the need for a Catholic option for high school in our area. Next fall, the parish hopes to start the first school year of a brand-new Catholic high school, as part of the Chesterton Schools Network.
“We all saw this need, and the Chesterton Schools Network gives us the opportunity to implement it," Fr. Estrella says. "It was a common vision, and I’ve been assisted by some great members of the parish who are very supportive and want to help. I think it can be hard for young people to be faithful believers in today’s society, and we want to provide an environment where teenagers can question openly and honestly, and be led to truth.”
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The first Chesterton Academy was founded in 2007 near Minneapolis, Minn., with the mission to offer a classical, integrated, and Catholic high school education that was also affordable for families of average means. In 2013, the Chesterton Schools Network was established as a way to help other groups start schools in their own local areas, following the model of the original Chesterton Academy curriculum and approach.
“One of the main features of a classical curriculum is an integration of curriculum, where all the classes relate to each other,” Fr. Estrella says. “So, for example, the literature you’re reading is going to be from the period of history that you’re studying. You’re not going to be studying ancient history and modern literature at the same time. Another feature is that it includes primary texts — you’re reading the works from the writers and thinkers themselves, instead of reading books about them. So, there is synchronization to the curriculum, where you’re relating them to each other in regard to history and timeline, and developing critical thinking and discussion skills. There is a focus on the Socratic method, and many of the classes and seminars are done using that method.”
Another aspect of Chesterton schools that appealed to Fr. Estrella was the strong Catholic foundation.
“You’re not only receiving a comprehensive education but also learning to engage with these things within the light of the Church — you have the fullness of grace to illuminate what you’re learning,” he says. “There is also a focus on the development of character, and there is daily Mass, and opportunities for adoration, confession, and retreats. They learn to take their place in the parish and community. During these years, when teenagers want real reasons and real explanations, this type of education can provide them the material to get the answers to their questions. We want them to be able to say why they are Catholic, and that their faith is important to them and part of their identity.”
A Chesterton school is also designed to be financially accessible — an aspect that encouraged the parish to pursue this route.
“Catholic high school can be very expensive,” Fr. Estrella says. “God willing, our tuition will be 40 to 60 percent less than a typical Catholic high school in our diocese.”
The parish plans to modify existing parish spaces to house the school at the start.
“Our immediate plan is to use some of the current facilities of the parish, and modify them so the students are able to have a sense of being in high school,” Fr. Estrella says. "We are discerning a long-term solution for a proper school, and we have some ideas already. It’s a labor of love and an act of faith, and we believe God is calling us to do this and will give us the means of opportunity.”
