“After three days they found [Jesus] in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.” (Luke 2:46-47, New American Bible Revised Edition) I was meditating today upon the fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. The significance of this mystery of Our Lord moved me. He is twelve years old, a school-aged boy, found among the wise men of the Jewish faith, listening, asking questions, and offering his own wise answers. This scene … Continue

When we speak of “classical education”, we speak of a system of learning which provided students with a knowledge of seven liberal arts. These seven arts were divided into two groups. The first three made up the Trivium, and the latter four made up the Quadrivium. Let us consider the ancient Trivium. What is the Trivium? The Trivium consists of three subjects: Grammar, Reasoning, and Rhetoric. These subjects were designed to teach students how to think and communicate effectively. I. Grammar Grammar is the first part of the Trivium, and is “the art of writing and speaking rightly” (Lily). The … Continue

Today is July 4 2024. And this is William Michael, of the classical liberal arts academy. You might have heard a week or so ago, my wife and I spent a few days at Catholic University of America, in Washington DC. We had a great time there, we were there because my wife is enrolled in a master of catechesis program that’s, that’s offered at the university. And she’s got a week of residency activity that needs to be fulfilled each summer. So with her, having that scheduled, they invited me to join her. So I spent a few days … Continue

One of the biggest problems parents have today is that they desire to provide their children’s social activity through schooling rather than appropriate social activities. Education is about forming the intellect of individuals. The best education is that which leads a student from ignorance to wisdom. When we evaluate educational opportunities, this is all we should be thinking of: “Which option will give my children the best intellectual formation?” Yes, parents see school tuition as a means of buying friends and social activities for their children, and they’re willing to sacrifice intellectual quality for social activity. There may be no … Continue

Fr. Mahan provides us with a helpful “tour” through paragraphs 1601-1620, introducing the Church’s teaching on the sacrament of Matrimony.

This video presents some interesting questions and arguments for beauty, but I think it also makes some points that are questionable and worthy of discussion. Note: This video is not recommended for children as some parts require some maturity.

In Union County, North Carolina (where I live), there are ZERO Catholic schools. There are thousands of Catholic families, and ZERO Catholic schools. To find a Catholic high school, one would need to drive 50 minutes to Charlotte Catholic High School. There, we find that tuition is nearly $22,000, while Catholics are offered a discounted rate of almost $17,000. That’s $17,000 for a grade-level, day school education for one child. Moreover, the school only serves 300 students at each grade level. This is not a reasonable situation. The Problem First, we have to ask whether Catholic education is necessary, even … Continue