"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (March 17, 2019):
March 17, 2019 – Second Sunday of Lent
Classical Catholic Schools Planned for the Archdiocese of Detroit
Intriguing news for Latin Mass-going parents of school-age children: Archdiocese of Detroit Schools Superintendent Kevin Kijewski has announced plans to open a school offering a Classical Catholic curriculum, this coming fall, 2019. He is being advised and assisted in this effort by Oakland County Latin Mass Association Chaplain Msgr. Ronald Browne, who also serves as the Judicial Vicar for the Archdiocese. The schools will be open to Catholic families from our entire region, including those from the Dioceses of Lansing and London, Ontario.
A “Classical Catholic” curriculum consists of an emphasis on Latin, traditional art and sacred music, the classics of literature, Catholic virtue, and philosophy and theology. Our Faith will be taught in its entirety; there will be no concerns over subjects being watered down for political correctness. Holy Mass will be celebrated four times weekly, with the Extraordinary Form as well as the Ordinary Form in Latin regularly offered. The goal is to make Catholic education authentically Catholic once again. Initially the school will be K-8, with grades 9-12 added, one year at a time, in subsequent years.
Classical Catholic schools have been remarkably successful wherever they have operated or been launched. Longstanding examples include St. Agnes School in St. Paul, Minnesota; St. Michael’s Abbey Prep in Orange County, California; and the London Oratory School in London, England.
More recently founded institutions include The Lyceum in Cleveland, Ohio; and Frassati Catholic Academy and Our Lady of Lourdes School in Denver, Colorado. The latter two schools were established during Kevin’s previous post in charge of schools in the Archdiocese of Denver; his track record proves that he is capable of organizing such an unusual undertaking. If you Google any of the above schools, you can read in detail about the sort of curriculum that is planned here.
Getting Ready for Launch
As you can imagine, getting such an effort off the ground requires coordination of a myriad of logistical matters. Thanks be to God, many of the main challenges have already been addressed. Specifically:
A school site has been identified, which will be ready for classes to begin this fall. The location of the school will be announced shortly.
A priest/chaplain has been selected who is a regular celebrant of the Traditional Mass and is fully supportive of the school’s traditional Catholic curriculum. Archdiocesan authorities, including Archbishop Vigneron, have so far been open to and supportive of this initiative. If that’s not enough good news, a second school site has also been identified, in a different part of the Archdiocese, with its own encouraging pastor who also already offers the Tridentine Mass. The second school could be ready to go in short order once the first site is proven successful.
“Early Investors” Sought
What is needed very soon, over the next two to three weeks, is for those who can help contribute towards the start-up costs of the school to attend initial planning meetings. Because the first and second sites are already owned by the Archdiocese, there are no real estate challenges, only operational costs, on the order of several hundred thousand dollars. This is not a multi-million dollar mountain to climb; it will be feasible with participation of a modest amount of supporters. It is nevertheless critical that the first school start off with a solid financial foundation, as the second and possibly even more schools around our region will be made possible if the first one’s debut is smooth.
If you are interested in participating in these “early investor” meetings, please e-mail Alex Begin at info@detroitlatinmass.org or call (248) 250-2740, for the dates, times, and locations of the planning meetings which will be held across the metro area over the next few weeks.
If you are a parent who is interested in sending your children to this school, information about applications will be made available soon. These first meetings are meant for financial supporters primarily; of course, parents of prospective students are welcome to attend.
Those of you who remember the heady early days of the return of the Traditional Latin Mass to Windsor and Detroit have an opportunity to participate in a similarly exciting restoration of another part of traditional Catholic life, a Classical Catholic education for our children.
Tridentine Masses This Coming Week
- Tue. 03/19: 8:00 AM Low Mass, 12:00 Noon High Mass, & 7:00 PM Solemn High Mass at St. Joseph (St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Tue. 03/19 7:00 PM: High Mass at Holy Name of Mary, Windsor (St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Sat. 03/23 8:30 AM: Low Mass at Miles Christi (Feria)
