September 2, 2025

More than 50 students and faculty gather for the opening assembly in our newly painted Frassati room.

Dear friends of Chesterton,

Our third school year has begun! Already, students have sung in harmony, prayed and celebrated Masses together, discussed great poetry, experimented with the refraction of light, and begun the battle for the House Cup.

A Catholic education makes a proposal to students about how to use their freedom. It says, "here is a total vision of reality: it affects every part of your life. It is worthy of your greatest love." As the great educator Luigi Giussani suggests, faith means nothing unless it affects everything.

This proposal appeals to the deepest human longings and needs of each student (and each person!). It is not limited to the classroom or the chapel.

Our school community's life is built on the things we believe human beings need: beauty, authentic friendship, purpose, and profound encounters with truth. We live these things from the first moment we are together in August, and deepen our encounters with them every day. Students encounter, live, and weigh the proposal that is handed on to them. Ultimately, if we achieve our purpose, they encounter the person of Christ, in whom all things, visible and invisible, hold together, and "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (cf. Col. 1; Col 2:3).

Thank you for helping us continue to grow our mission! Enrollment increased by 58% from the end of last year. Our cafeteria is newly painted. For the first time, we are using every room of our building. We now have 13 teaching faculty, including 5 full time.

Please keep us in your prayers, and be assured of ours for you. And please come visit us and experience Chesterton first hand!

Mass is daily at 11:20, and open to the public.

Our first First Friday Holy Hour is September 5 from 4:00 - 6:30.

If you have a child in middle school, reach out to schedule a Shadow Day to experience Chesterton first hand: https://www.chestertonri.org/shadow-day-signup

We are always seeking volunteers to help us with our building or to assist with clubs, sports, and field trips. Right now, we are seeking someone to help with Cross Country.

And mark your calendars for other exciting upcoming events:

Mass of the Holy Spirit, celebrated by Bishop Bruce Lewandowski (9/19)

Open Houses (10/25, 11/15 @9AM)

Annual Gala (11/8)

Drama performances (11/21, 11/22)

Lessons and Carols (12/11)

Rise up, Knights!

Gratefully yours in Christ,

Robert Duffy, PhD

Headmaster

Updates

Beyond the Walls: Opportunities for Ongoing Formation

Stay tuned for exciting updates on guest talks at Chesterton and other exciting events happening in the diocese.

Glimpses of Chesterton

Volunteers worked throughout the building, prefects trained for their role in student leadership, freshmen had a retreat at Providence College, sponsored by the Humanities Program, and all students began classes, celebrated Mass, and took a field trip to the Mother of Hope Center in Chepachet, RI.

The First Day