ischmalzried

Lent is a time for asceticism and mortification. Both practices have been essential to the Catholic church for centuries. As we prepare our hearts for Easter, we are called to pray, fast, and give alms. Perhaps the most important things we can do are to exercise self-control, self-denial, and healthy detachment, all of which are necessary to achieve holiness. How do you make sense of losing everything? When we lost all our worldly possessions in a house fire this summer, I was left with the realization of just how truly attached to “things” I was. I had dubbed myself as a [...]

At St. Benedict Classical Academy, I am always eager to discover a new patron saint to share with my students, and with February break travel approaching, I found myself wondering whose intercession to seek for my upcoming flights. That search led me to St. Joseph of Cupertino, known as the patron saint of air travelers and pilots because he would sometimes levitate during moments of intense prayer. Even more beautifully, I discovered that he is also the patron saint of students and test takers, especially those with learning challenges, making his story one I was excited to share with my students. [...]

Each week in fourth-grade religion at St. Benedict Classical Academy, we begin by learning about our Saint of the Week. As we study each saint, I often share a personal story of how that saint has touched my life. This week's devotion, Our Lady of Lourdes, celebrated on February 11, is connected to one of my favorite stories to share. As a sophomore in high school, I read the article An Unexpected Miracle at Lourdes. I remember vividly sitting by myself after reading this touching article and praying, “Lord, I would love to go to Lourdes one day and serve.” That [...]

Today, February 2nd, marks the 40th day of the Christmas/Epiphany Season, when the church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the purification of the Virgin Mary. In the Atrium of the Early Learning Program at St. Benedict Classical Academy, children deepen their relationship with God through moments of contemplation and prayer. The Atrium, home to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd religious education program at our Schoolhouse, includes a lesson on the Presentation of the Lord. This lesson highlights the paradox of light between the power of the Almighty God and how He is present in the [...]

"I would rather have learning joined with virtue than all the treasures of kings." — St. Thomas More When students are given challenging math questions or learn a new mathematical skill for the first time, this can feel like a daunting hill to climb, especially if solving the problem or learning the skill requires more than a couple of lessons and more practice than in other areas of the curriculum. Yet such moments of productive struggle are actually precisely where mathematical learning happens; they are an opportunity for students to connect their academic work to growth in virtue. When a child [...]

I am not sure we can teach our children what it means to trust God by simply telling them. Trust is learned when your body, your mind, and your heart are pushed past what they can handle - and God has to take over. That is why missionary work matters. Not only because we serve the poor, but because of everything else we learn along the way. After nearly four days of traveling - long flights and sleeping upright on buses - a group of new friends and I from St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Millis arrived in Calcutta around [...]

As we return to St. Benedict Classical Academy this month, I find joy, hope, and comfort in our Catholic Liturgical Calendar. Opening a brand-new standard Gregorian calendar to January 2026 certainly leads many people to ponder the past year or to make resolutions for the twelve months ahead. As SBCA students and teachers, we returned to school immersed in the pure joy of the Christmas Season and at the beginning of a new Liturgical Year. The feasts of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord bring such gifts to our liturgical journey throughout the Church year. In November, the Holy [...]

Over Christmas break this year, I had the great opportunity to celebrate the New Year with some of my closest friends in Quebec City. While Quebec is best known for its beautiful European architecture, it also holds many other treasures, including a saint! Before visiting Quebec for the first time in 2022, St. Francois de Laval was not a saint I knew well, apart from the role he plays in Willa Cather’s 1931 novel, Shadows on the Rock. In the book, we meet the “Old Bishop Laval” as a compassionate advocate for the poor of the newly established New France.  In [...]

The SBCA Drama Team recently wrapped up A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Every great production begins with prayer, and each SBCA rehearsal opens by asking St. Genesius, the patron saint of actors, to pray for us. St. Genesius has a quiet presence in every SBCA production. Genesius was an actor in ancient Rome in 303 A.D. He performed in comedies and theatrical works, often mocking Christianity on stage. During one performance, while parodying Christian baptism, something unexpected happened. In the middle of the act, Genesius experienced a conversion. He stopped the play, proclaimed his faith in Christ, and refused to deny it [...]

As my oldest daughter entered the SBCA Early Learning Program this year, it has been an unexpected but absolute joy to experience our school through new eyes: no longer just as a teacher, but now as a teacher and parent. As someone who has been immersed in Catholic classical education for many years, I wasn’t expecting this new perspective to impact my own spiritual and intellectual life as much as it has. But as I’ve experienced our school through the fresh eyes of my daughter, it has become abundantly clear to me that the education she’s receiving isn’t only for her, [...]