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This will be the final newsletter focused on the text from Andrew Zwerneman entitled, “The Life We Have Together: A Case for Humane Studies, A Vision for Renewal. In order to tie this altogether and perhaps successfully integrate the way in which this season of waiting relates, I would like to harken back to that concluding image referenced in my previous message:

“Structure creates security and order for freedom to flourish in the self and society. I like to think of a liberal education as a stone mansion - a sort of super structure - that stands the test of time and resists the immature imp...

Congratulations to the newest members of the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapter of National Honors Society! Ten students were formally inducted at our recent ceremony. This induction traditionally took place in the spring but it was deemed more appropriate to move it to the fall. Doing so will allow new NHS members more of the school year to embrace the mission. It also gives aspiring future candidates a greater opportunity to achieve eligibility for next year. 

Mr. Bean began the event with a reflection on the value of small things. The most important moments in life often remain unnoticed by the wi...

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The vivid colors of early fall have given way to colder weather, bare branches, and the anticipation of  some meaningful, family-centered holidays.  It’s the time of year when we get cozy – warm sweaters, crackling fires, and feelings of gratitude for all of God’s blessings.

This holds true at school as well. We have completed quarter one, had parent-teacher conferences, and I have had the opportunity to observe several clas...

Mount Royal Academy has announced academic awards for the 1st Quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. (Headmaster's List - Summa Cum Laude: 3.9-4.00, High Honor roll - Magna Cum Laude: 3.7-3.89, Honor Roll - Cum Laude: 3.5-3.69)

Grade 6

Headmaster’s list: Tucker Cole, Lilyanne Trow

High Honors: Claire Towne

Grade 7

Headmaster’s list: Maria Gik, Teodora Miletto, Angela Moorehouse

High Honors: Liliana Chimienti, Joseph Flaig, Evangeline Nadeau

Honors: Claudia Gannon

Grade 8

Headmaster’s list: Haley Elkind, Madeleine Howerdel, Emma LeBlanc, Lucy Treece, Jubilee Tremblay

Grade 9

Headmaster’s list: ...

It might be helpful to begin where I left off in my previous message.

“Givers of life remind us that no one person can live without being carried by someone else. All of our lives are relational. We are who we carry and how we respond to them. As individuals, all of our days are measured by how we give ourselves. As members of society, all of our existence is measurable by the record of life-giving, collected in memory as history, and practiced as culture.” [italics added for emphasis]

The next question becomes, “What is the purpose of this vision?” The answer may or may not...

Well, it’s happened again.  I can’t say it surprises me anymore, but it definitely brings me great delight when I see it.

The students head off into the summer at the beginning of June and when they return in September, they are changed.  They have matured and “grown in stature before God and man.”

The young girl who struggled with a temper has returned with a sweet spirit and a beautiful smile for her teachers and her classmates.

A young man with a tendency to make questionable decisions has come back to school with a new determination to do the right thing.

A student who struggled with impu...

The laughably spooky tale of The Canterville Ghost is a perfect family comedy to liven up the fall season!  Based on the classic story by Oscar Wilde, Tim Kelly’s adaptation is a silly take on the classic haunted English manor house. Presented by Mount Royal Academy Knight’s Theater and the Newport Opera House, the production runs at the Newport Opera House on Saturday, November 9 at 7 PM and Sunday, November 10 at 2 PM.

Canterville Hall, home to an old English family has been sold by Lady Canterville (Juliana Yost) to Horace (Liam Swegart) and Lucy (Madeleine Gawlick) Otis, their two daughte...

White Crucifixion, 1938. Chagall, Marc.

Friday, Week I. 

Wednesday, Week II. 

Monday, Week III. 

Friday, Week III. 

Students come to know my personal favorite scripture readings from lauds as we work our way through the psalter. The citations above are likely unintelligible to millions of people. But to those of us here at Seven Hearths Lane, when we start our day participating in the universal prayer of the Church, these citations become a common memory. Eventually we come to know what reading is coming, and then we connect that in some way to the life we have together. 

For as long as I hav...

God of the ages—
Before your eyes all empires rise and fall, yet you are changeless.
Be near us in this age of uncertainty and in these moments of remembrance. Uphold those who work and watch and wait and weep and love. By your Holy Spirit give rise within us a broad sympathy for all the peoples of your earth. Strengthen us to comfort those who mourn and establish your peace in big and small ways.
Bless the people and leaders of our nation and all nations so that warfare, violence and oppression may become only a historic memory.
We pray in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen. (September...

We all know the stage where children persistently ask the “why” question. We had our Joey doing that this summer with high frequency, and being home more brought that into focus for me. It kept me on my toes, as I was forced to question why I even communicated the way I was at the time. 

The “why” is a big deal. We should not disregard these primitive intuitions of the typical three or four year old child. It is the start of wonder, a distinguishing capacity of the human person. And we should all wonder what this is for, with the same raw childlike seeking, devoid of that skepticism which com...