We are off to a great start!

August 11, 2021

Dear Academy Family,

We are off to a great start! As I meet parents and scholars at morning drop-off or walk by classrooms, it is unmistakable—everyone is excited for the new year.

At our Communitas assembly on Wednesday morning, I shared with scholars the story of what an aspiring monk could expect upon arriving at one of St. Benedict’s monasteries in the sixth century. As Benedict writes in his Rule,

“Do not grant newcomers to the monastic life an easy entry, but…if someone comes and keeps knocking at the door, and if at the end of four or five days he has shown himself patient in bearing his harsh treatment and difficulty of entry, and has persisted in his request, then he should be allowed to enter and stay in the guest quarters for a few days. After that, he should live in the novitiate, where the novices study, eat, and sleep” (Rule, Chapter 58).

This makes sense, doesn’t it? Isn’t it precisely the young man willing to camp out on the monastery doorstep and be ignored by the porter for days who is worthy of what is inside?

And isn’t that a bit like life, too? Or school? As I spoke to them about Benedict’s standards for those who would join his monastery, I encouraged scholars to themselves make this a year of committing to difficult, worthy things. Such commitment is the key that unlocks the best of the Academy, as many long-time students and Old Crusaders can attest.

Let us continue to pray for one another. Our Lady of The Atonement—Pray For Us!

Your servant,

Matthew David Watson
Head of School