Watch the 13-minute interview of Father Illo by Mary Rose on Stella Maris Academy and why classical education is better
I’ve been at Star of the Sea ten years now, and our parish school is honoring me at their annual gala on January 27. The gala raises money for students that can’t afford full tuition. As Dale Alquist once told me, to start a classical school is to commit to lifelong fundraising, so I am promoting our annual gala with abandon.
Six years ago the Archdiocese asked me to implement a “classical curriculum” in my parish school. It has not been easy, but Stella Maris Academy is now in its third year and flourishing. We are no longer a “start-up” but a solidly-established school with a growing reputation. By now it is expected at choral, debate, and writing competitions that Stella Maris students will walk away with top honors (we are not so proficient at sporting competitions but working on that!). By now, the Schools Department has come to expect exceptionally high standardized test scores from Stella Maris students.
But a classical academy delivers far more than test scores. It delivers joy to both students and parents (and priests). Parents tell me, sometimes with tears, that their children now want to go to school. They describe a newfound intelligence, self-confidence, and peace in their children. They can’t get their daughters to change out of their uniforms until bedtime.
Yesterday I visited speech and debate class at our school. I asked the students a difficult question: “Which world leader during the Second World War dismissed the Church with these sneering words: ‘How many [tank] divisions does the pope have?’” Three hands shot up. “Churchill?” the first student suggested. The second student said “FDR,” and the third said “Hitler.” I laughed: “You are all wrong!” But a fourth hand went up. “Stalin?” he said, and I congratulated him.
Think about this: How many fifth and sixth graders in America today know the names of all four world leaders during the last world war? And what kind of elementary school students will work through an historical question logically until they get to the truth? History, and use of logic to understand history, is one of the many distinctions a Classical Catholic education offers our children. Tomorrow’s leaders cannot guide us without a logical knowledge of history, for “those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it.”
With God’s help, we have accomplished what the Archbishop asked of us in 2018: to develop the first Archdiocesan Classical Academy. Beyond his request and expectations, however, we are now preparing to open Nativity High School in August. As many educators around the country have discovered, the classical K-8’s often add grades 9-12 before long because parents cannot imagine any other way of educating their children.
The Archbishop’s dream of a classical school has become a reality, but I would bet most of you reading these words have not seen it for yourself. And that’s one of the reasons we hold our annual Academy Gala, which is coming up on January 27. The gala raises money (70 percent of the parent club’s fundraising is from this single event), but the gala’s fundamental purpose is to showcase the school, to bring people on campus, to present the school in the living colors of its teachers and students. I began my journey to classical education six years ago by traveling to St. Jerome’s Academy near Washington, DC, for a training seminar. The formal sessions were excellent, but it was visiting the classrooms, talking to the students, and seeing the teachers in action that gave me a burning desire open such a school for San Francisco.
See for yourself by getting a seat at our Stella Maris Gala, which you can do HERE. Single tickets are $150, or you can buy a table and get a complementary seat. In doing so, you support students whose parents drive them from all over San Francisco to attend a school they could not afford without our help. Even if you can’t attend in person (as I’m sure many of you reading this blog cannot do), I encourage you to buy a “teacher ticket,” or make a gift on the link above by purchasing a sponsorship.
Stella Maris has asked me to deliver the keynote this year, honoring the parish’s 130th and the school’s 115th anniversaries, and my own 10th anniversary at the parish. I will be offering some small works of art that I’ve purchased over the years, in addition to live auction items (among them a guided kayak adventure on the Bay). I hope to see some of you at the gala this year, and I thank you in advance for supporting our school from afar as well.
From Father Illo’s Blog
Father Illo pitches Star of the Sea school’s gala – 13-minute video
I wish Archbishop Mitty High School offered a classical education when I was a student there. My senior year religion class devoted many weeks to the Enneagram. No kidding. It was like religion was just psychobabble fluff and liberal politics the way it was taught, and the religion teachers were definitely not the brightest bunch on the faculty. Religion wasn’t taught as if God or Jesus really mattered. It was all, “How can we be more social justice oriented.”
NO!
Please reinstruct yourself.
Bible, Catechism.
Mention that in confession. You did not sin but the priest may be able to give you some suggestions if there has been any “leakage” into your spirituality.
Spiritual leakage? And telling a good commenter to ask a priest in Confession about sin, because he or she didn’t know something? This good commenter certainly does not need to run to Confession. The poor commenter has a good conscience and knew it was a terrible school. You mean, that as an adult, you can still educate yourself in Catholic teaching. There may be many good programs in the diocese, and the parish might have one, too. And EWTN has some good programs. Many young Catholics today, who were cruelly cheated out of a good Catholic catechesis, after Vatican II– are in need of these programs.
I think there are dangers to New Age-y things and that it is very appropriate to mention to a priest (whether in confession or outside confession) that one was educated this way.
He may shrug. He may ask questions. He may warn.
You leave that up to God.
Nobody got great catechesis but this is something else.
The commenter did not believe the crazy New Age stuff taught at that school. For one thing, I read the article, but never could figure out what the Enneagram was. Sounds like a silly game, a gimmick. I do not believe in personality tests and psycho-babble about the scientific meanings of the test results, either. Get to know people naturally, observe, study them, try to understand them. Be empathic, care about them. That is what I believe. You take the New Age way too seriously.
Oh, I forgot. This is California.
Nobody before Vatican II got good catechesis unless maybe you went to a Catholic college and took courses.
Um, the Baltimore catechism provided good catechesis to nearly all Catholic children before Vatican II.
yes, children
It would be good for adults to revisit it as well.
The Baltimore Catechism is excellent. The best. There are some churches that still use it– with Vat. II updates on important things, like the Eucharistic Fast required today, Friday abstinence, etc. I have both the new and older, pre-Vat. II versions. I also, of course, have the 1990s Catechism, of Vat. II.
The Baltimore Catechism predates Vatican II, so it’s incomplete at best since it doesn’t include Vatican II’s teachings and it’s not in the spirit of Vatican II. It shouldn’t be used anymore.
No, it is really excellent. They did not create a new Church with Vatican II. No rupture, same Church. Read Pope Benedict’s books on that. The so-called Spirit of Vatican II is really ancient– it is the Holy Spirit, of course. Anything else would be a fraud. Some dissidents view the Spirit of Vatican II as being a reflection of the fraudulent, dissident secular evils of the 1960s era. Go buy the updated Baltimore Catechism– it is intelligent, crystal-clear on Catholic teaching. Share it with your family.
It is for children. You are an adult.
Everything in the Baltimore Catechism (updated) is true, it is incomplete. It does not deal with adult issues, not contemporary issues.
It does not give in depth explanations.
An adult can do better.
There is a US Catechism which you should read but everyone uses the CCC which they should.
Even the CCC has areas where it could have expanded somewhat.
But that is what your bishop is for. It was written for bishops and those who write catechisms. But also for the faithful.
The Baltiimore Catechism is a concise, crystal-clear, intelligent presentation of the Catholic Faith, written to instruct both children– or anyone else. It isn’t written in a child’s language, it is not dumbed down, or adjusted to today’s secular thinking. It is written in an intelligent, intellectual, adult style, with the detailed question-answer format, Catholic prayers, and much more. Long ago, children were never babied, their minds were trained in an intelligent, intellectual style, and kids were quickly raised and integrated into adult society. You really have to be on your toes, to truly know the Catholic faith. Try Baltimore Catechism No. 2, for Confirmation, and No. 3, for post-Confirmation. And No. 4, for teachers. Review it all. Do you honestly know all the answers? Can you pass a test on Catholic teaching? Many adult Catholics today, might flunk. Many today, are not schooled precisely, intellectually, comprehensively, in the Faith. Many have just a few concepts, poorly-taught, with non-Catholic concepts mixed in, from the secular world and its current fads. Not clear, exact, or precise. Many adult Catholics today, just love this catechism for a solid review of Catholicism– or use it as a beginner’s manual, if they never had much religious training. You will love teaching your kids with it, as it is so clear and precise, easy-to-understand. And very comprehensive.
No one is saying not to learn the Baltimore Catechism. We are saying not to stop with the Baltimore Catechism.
Regarding the Baltimore Catechixm– Tucho ought to get a copy in Spanish, and read the section on the Sixth Commandment, in the Baltimore Catechism No. 3. Start with Q.(Question)
1281. Take a look at Q.1285: “Why are sins of impurity the most dangerous?” Then look at Q.1287: “What should be done with immodest books and newspaper s?” A.”Immodest books and newspapers should be destroyed as soon as possible, and if we cannot destroy them ourselves we should induce their owners to do so.” Next, he should read the entire section on the Sixth Commandment, in the CCC– starting on p.619. How about #2337,
under the heading, “The Vocation to Chastity,” on p. 620? Can Tucho — head of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith– pass a simple Catechism exam?
What Baltimore Catechism do you have?
#3 does not have that many questions in it.
Do they have a question about harming another’s reputation?
Yes, take a look at the section on the Eighth Commandment: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” There is a lot there, regarding harming another ‘s reputation, and what you must do about it. Also, when it is important to tell the sins of others to parents or religious and civil authorities, to stop further
sins from harming others, and to correct the sinner. (Answer to Question #1312) The Baltimore Catechism #3 is a two-year course, for post-Confirmation. It is a good review, for anyone, of any age. And a good beginner’s manual, too, for anyone of any age. Very simple, concise, clear, easy-to-understand. Jesuit Fr. James Martin could easily read it– so why doesn’t he?
I just found the entire Baltimore Catechism #3, online! Easy to read! Here you go:
https://classicalliberalarts.com/library/baltimore-catechism-iii/
This is not the original Baltimore Catechism.
It seems like an edition from 2010. The imprimatur is for the original.
But since you are using it let’s see these.
Q. 1312. Is it ever allowed to tell the faults of another?
A. It is allowed to tell the faults of another when it is necessary to make them known to his parents or superiors, that the faults may be corrected and the wrong doer prevented from greater sin.
https://aleteia.org/2021/06/19/can-catholics-use-the-enneagram-personality-system/
We might have been at Mitty during the same years cuz I did the Enneagram in religion too. I remember reading “Tuesdays with Morrie” in religion class. They also used part of the book in place of one of the Bible readings at Mass. We also watched the movie “I Am Sam” and “The Matrix”. So much awfulness there, and sex and drug use outside school hours was rampant. Senior girls put on a lingerie show for the football team. The administration knew but did nothing, said nothing about it. No discipline. My kids aren’t going to Mitty. Totally fake Catholic school. Not even a very good academic private school. Good sports school for women’s basketball and volleyball. Other than that, meh. It’s a school for rich brats.
Let me guess… you had the deacon as your teacher.
The deacon straight up said to his students that the Catholic Church should and would eventually consider gay marriage sacramental. Other religion teachers had similar views and shared them. Religion classes were a total joke and waste of time. Easy A. Just parrot the teacher’s liberal views and write about how great social justice is. Lesbian Spanish teacher and basketball coach. Gay club in campus ministry. Never ending criticism of George Bush and love for Obama at that school.
Does the diocese have data about how many graduates of Mitty still practice or believe in Catholicism? It seems like Mitty is a prime example of failure to accomplish its mission and reason for existence. If it’s really just a private school, and especially if it teaches things that contradict Catholic Faith, if it doesn’t succeed in teaching or producing students with Catholic faith, why does the bishop not just close the school or completely revamp it? Why operate a school that doesn’t help the Church? That in fact hurts the Church? It’s like having a pilot training school almost all of whose graduates don’t know how to fly and aren’t pilots. Why keep such a school open?
A terrific classical Catholic school. Wonderful that plans are underway for a classical Catholic high school for the kids. Hopefully, we will see many more of these excellent schools opening, all over the country! A tremendous gift for our Church and our society.