The Peak of Excellence: Faith and Academics Collide in Colorado

Written by: Eric Prister

“We are a community of love. We are a community of joy. We are a community of hope. We are a community of faith.”

As the video introducing St. Rose of Lima school in Denver, Colorado wound to a close, these words reinforced what we had already learned to be true—the students of St. Rose of Lima, along with all the students of the Archdiocese of Denver, and all the Catholic school students in Colorado strive to be excellent in both academics, but also in their spirituality.

Catholic schools often have a hard balance to strike—many around the country serve predominantly non-Catholic populations, though they are still rooted in strong Catholic communities. The Catholic culture needs to be both all-encompassing and exceedingly inclusive, welcoming those who are not Catholic while also staying true to the most basic tenants of the school. The Catholic schools in Colorado, especially St. Rose of Lima and Corpus Christi in Colorado Springs, have embraced that challenge and their strong faith shines through.

As our visit to St. Rose began, the student council described the beliefs of the school community.

“We believe that excellence is a blessing rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, found in the community around us. St. Rose strives to be a community of excellence. We strive for unity as brothers and sisters in Christ, perseverance as followers of Christ, and joy as members of a community of faith.”

At St. Rose of Lima, academics and spirituality are not simply two goals that are equally important. They are two goals that are so intimately intertwined that they can, and in fact must, be sought together.

At Corpus Christi, too, the faith-filled nature of the Colorado Catholic schools shone through. Throughout the hallways, posters displayed “true heroes,” biblical figures that students are encouraged to emulate. Even at a young age, students are taught that strong academics is rooted in strong spirituality. One of the four rules for the pre-K classes at Corpus Christi, rules with accompanying hand motions that the children can recite on command, reads “be a friend like Jesus.” Faith-life is the corner on which the rest of the school stands.

A few days later, Fr. Joe Corpora told us all a story about the best definition of Catholic schools he’s ever heard:

A priest was once asked how one could tell if a Catholic school was successful. They asked him, “is it based on how many of the children that attend the school go on to become priests and religious?”

“No,” he said. “That’s not it.”

“Is it based on how many of the students that attend the school go on to jobs of service, serving the people around them?”

“No,” he said. “It’s not that either. The way you can tell the success of a Catholic schools is if each person who attends the school, at the end of a long life, believes in a God that loves him or her, and believes in Him because of the things they experienced as a child.”

Our visit to the schools in the archdiocese of Denver and the diocese of Colorado Springs, and especially St. Rose of Lima and Corpus Christi, showed just how successful they are.