OUR MODEL OF EDUCATION

The Three Pillars

Inspired by Saint Pope John Paul II, we take as our motto Cultura Vitae, the culture of life. We make it our mission to prepare our students to have life and have it abundantly. Our classical curriculum combines a broad, liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the development of Christian virtues and an appreciation of beauty. Through our Three Pillars Model, we form our students in:

OUR PATRON, G.K. CHESTERTON

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

VISION AND MISSION

Our Vision

Chesterton Academy of Buffalo seeks to be an instrument for the renewal of Catholic culture.

Our Mission

Chesterton Academy of Buffalo is an independent Catholic high school which draws upon the riches of a classical curriculum to form students to live with intellectual and moral integrity. To achieve our Vision, our school community forms partnerships with other ministries and engages in Christian service and evangelization activities.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

July 13, 2021

Dear Faithful Members of our Chesterton Community,

God graced Chesterton Academy of Buffalo with “an abundant harvest” (Luke 10:2) during a difficult 2020-21 school year. He has provided our school with many dedicated workers, opportunities, and supporters for which we are incredibly grateful.

As the Board considered our blessings early in 2021, we took some time to reflect upon our school’s purpose. Chesterton Academy is a gift because it is an antidote to what ails our society. Through education rooted solidly in Catholic teaching, it forcefully counters the world’s message to our teens. Recognizing that the “laborers are few”, it provides the foundation they will need to work in the Lord’s vineyard.

With these things in mind, we have adopted a vision statement to guide us:

“Chesterton Academy of Buffalo seeks to be an instrument for the renewal of Catholic culture.”

Culture is the way we make present, palpable, and concrete the beliefs we espouse. The central belief of Catholicism—that God became man and established His Church with a distinct sacramental order as the means of salvation—defines the Catholic faith and shapes its subsequent worldview.  By coming to know God through his Church, we learn how to live well, grow in virtue, and advance in holiness.

Our school’s vision is to help invigorate this distinctly Catholic way of thinking and living by deepening our own faith and bringing it to bear on every aspect of private and public life we encounter.

The curriculum of Chesterton Academy, which emphasizes the history, achievements, and culture of Christian civilization, provides the method required to tap into the Church’s wisdom. Our updated mission statement represents how we aim to teach and guide our students academically and morally:

“Chesterton Academy of Buffalo is an independent Catholic high school which draws upon the riches of a classical curriculum to form students to live with intellectual and moral integrity. To achieve our vision, our school community forms partnerships with other ministries and engages in Christian service and evangelization activities.”

As we worked toward clarifying the vision and mission statements, we noted a group of attributes that have been important in our school’s history. Wanting to recognize and remind ourselves of them, we specifically named these charisms in our Strategic Plan. These six hallmarks of our school are:

Humility: We are guided by the Holy Spirit.

Joy: We work to create a joyful educational environment.

Faith: We follow the Catholic faith as taught by the Magisterium.

Reason: We teach students to utilize the tools of logic and systematic inquiry across the academic disciplines in the service of truth.

Vocations: We encourage students to pursue their God-given vocation, whether to religious or secular life.

Service: We make ourselves available to help the needs of the Diocese of Buffalo and the WNY community.

It is our sincere hope that you regularly see these attributes in action at Chesterton Academy of Buffalo, and are drawn to join us in our mission.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or wish to become more involved at Chesterton Academy.

God Bless!

Michael Hahn, Chairman of the Board of Directors