Friends of OLV March 2020 Newsletter
Staying Faithful
Dear Friends,
“In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).
This Lent has become intense. The world is always full of tribulation, but Jesus is calling us to trust him even more intensely. Tribulation makes you think about what’s most important. We are helping our students to stay focused on their studies and on the higher things. We know that you are all striving to do the same: helping teach your own kids at home, working remotely, and following Mass and prayer online. In this financially uncertain time, if you are able, please don’t stop supporting your parishes and other important charities. Ministries, including our schools, will need additional support, especially as more families experience the financial impact. Please consider standing by Our Lady of Victory during this difficult time, helping us to weather this storm.
“And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there was a calm” (Luke 8:23-24). Lord, please arise and calm the storm! Many blessings to you all in this time of crisis. Let’s support one another in prayer.
Our Lady of Victory, pray for us!
Dr. Jared Staudt, President
A Joyfully Classical—and Digital—Education in the Time of Coronavirus
Can a high school offer a classical and digital education—and do both well? Yes!
After the Archdiocese of Denver suspended public Masses and announced the temporary closure of Catholic schools due to coronavirus on March 13, OLV also suspended classes. Fortunately, OLV had begun planning for remote learning well in advance, in cooperation with the Archdiocese and the Chesterton Schools Network, so we quickly shifted to a robust remote learning environment starting March 17.
During the first week, OLV students received assignments in each subject through a restricted area of our website. In many classes, OLV teachers recorded online lectures. Beginning the second week, OLV teachers will lead daily live video classes in a different subject each day of the week.
While remote learning is not ideal, OLV’s educational goals remain the same: helping form saints in a joyfully Catholic setting, transmitting the great treasures and wisdom of Western civilization, and maintaining a sense of wonder at the world around us.
OLV Hires Alex Crane, Long-Time Regis Jesuit Teacher
OLV is excited to announce multiple additions to its joyfully Catholic faculty and staff.
Mr. Alex Crane joins OLV this fall as a full-time humanities teacher and Dean of Students. Mr. Crane has long been fascinated by stories. The beauty and goodness of Narnia and Middle Earth captured his imagination and helped him fall in love with the truth of Salvation History. Studying Scripture and theology alongside secular history taught him to view all of human history within the context of God's unfolding revelation.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Secondary Education from Colorado State University and a Master of Arts degree in Theology with a concentration in Biblical Theology from the Augustine Institute. He comes to OLV after ten years of teaching theology and history at the Girls Division of Regis Jesuit High School. He has a particular passion for teaching Scripture and helping students see the narrative thread that runs from Genesis to Revelation and understand their own place in that story as members of the Body of Christ.
Mr. Crane lives in Lone Tree with his wife, Ashley, and their five rambunctious saints-in-training. When he is not delving deeper into Scripture scholarship or reading about the saints, he maintains a love-hate relationship with home improvement projects.
Mr. Greg Morroni has joined OLV as a director of special projects. Mr. Morroni has been married to his wife Kathleen for 21 years, and their 10-year-old daughter attends Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Classical School. As one of eight children, Mr. Morroni attended Most Precious Blood, Risen Christ, and Regis Jesuit High School. He received his bachelor’s degree in engineering, with minors in math and computer science, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in theology at the Augustine Institute. Professionally, Mr. Morroni is an owner and leader of a 100-year-old, fourth generation, engineering and manufacturing company in Denver.
The Morronis attend Our Lady of Loreto Catholic Church in Parker. There, Mr. Morroni has served for nearly two decades as a catechist, including in RCIA, and a teacher—with his wife—of Creighton natural family planning. He is blessed to work with wonderful groups of teenagers, and has grown to love and appreciate them as the most sensitive, caring, intelligent, open, interested and challenging age group with whom he has ever worked: “I love the way they challenge us in order to grow themselves, but also are incredibly sincere and loving. They deeply care about the people and world around them. I have been truly blessed and honored to work with young people who have become moms, dads, priests and nuns in our community. There is nothing better than growing with the young people and helping them find their Faith and Life in Jesus Christ.”
Mr. Morroni is excited to serve OLV and continue sharing his realization that his Catholicism is not just an important part of his identity, but rather it is his identity: “I am a son of the living God and I wish to use my time and talent to serve Our Lady of Victory. I desire to show our students their identity in Christ so that nothing in this world can rock their person to the core except the Love and Grace of the Father who loves them beyond their wildest dreams. I am honored and excited to be able to take part in this journey with the students, parents and staff of OLV.”
Inside Look: The Wonder of Earth Science
How did the solar system form? What unique conditions in our solar system allow life to flourish? These questions are currently at the forefront of OLV’s Earth Science class. From the speculated formation of the planets and nuclear fusion in stars to the constant shape the sun maintains without a solid surface in its main-sequence stage, our students are exploring the characteristics of our solar system.
We hope to instill an appreciation of how all of these essential components came together under perfect conditions to form our planet and its unique ability to support life. Our system is no accident: God is the Divine Creator of the intricate beauty found throughout our galaxy and inside each living creature therein.
Building on the knowledge of our solar system’s formation, our students are about to discover the climate cycles that keep our planet stable. The earth is a dynamic system, balancing life throughout the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the geosphere. Each plant and organism works in tandem with its neighbors to ensure its own thriving as well as its surroundings.
How did the earth come to be such a cohesive environment? Where did it all begin? How does it work? We hope these questions will continue to inspire our students to contemplate God’s creation with awe and further prepare them for next year’s study of specific plants, animals, and life systems in biology.
—Christina Praetzel, Math, Earth Science & Philosophy Teacher
Apply to Join OLV’s Ninth and Tenth Grades in 2020/21
OLV’s admissions process continues even amid this period of COVID-19 and social distancing. We currently have room for additional students in both the ninth and tenth grade classes for the 2020-21 school year, and we would love to receive your family’s application. Our interviews have moved online through the gift of video conferencing, and we are looking for ways for applicants to experience our online learning environment and “meet” current students.
Please contact us to learn more about OLV, or apply here.
Update on the Rosedale School
You may have seen news about Denver Public Schools' potential sale of its abandoned public school building, the old Rosedale Elementary School, located at the corner of South Logan and East Iliff near Our Lady of Lourdes. Working on behalf of interested Catholic families, the Archdiocese of Denver has expressed interest to Denver Public Schools to purchase Rosedale using privately donated funds. Denver Public Schools is considering a number of options and has been holding public hearings, and it appears they will make a decision within a few months.
The Archdiocese would intend to use the building for a larger classical high school. It has been OLV's intention from the beginning to support such a school if it were to come to realization and be in line with our mission to provide a faithfully Catholic and classical high school education for the south Denver metro area. If the purchase goes through, the Archdiocese will lead a joint effort to develop the program and organizational structure for the high school with members of the OLV community, as well as the larger Catholic community. Should the purchase not materialize, the Archdiocese remains committed to working on other facilities options for a Catholic classical high school. Similarly, OLV's Board is committed to continuing to serve our families and to plan for increased demand for Catholic classical education, regardless of what happens with the Archdiocese’s efforts. As always, OLV continues to be grateful for the Archdiocese’s strong and energetic support for Catholic classical education in general, and for OLV in particular.
Monthly Tithing Made Easy on OLV’s Website
Is there some room in your monthly tithe for a worthy Catholic non-profit organization? Please consider OLV—and it is now easier than ever on our website! We have switched our online payment service from Paypal to Stripe. With the convenient form on OLV’s Donate page, you can set up an automatically recurring monthly payment.
Amid this massive disruption, we expect the scholarship needs of our families will only increase during the 2020-21 school year. Please help sustain their joyfully Catholic education with a recurring monthly donation.