Truth is to the mind what food is to the body - November 18, 2021
Dear Friends,
There are many similarities between the classroom and the kitchen—both are a place to feast. Peter Kreeft says that “truth is to the mind what food is to the body.”
So much that happens in the classroom depends upon the conversations between faculty, as we sharpen and refine one another. Mr. Reuter, our Latin teacher, and I recently discussed Dietrich von Hildebrand’s concept of values as radiating from objective goodness. We can choose to respond to this goodness, or not: using the example of cooking, Mr. Reuter compared learning and loving Latin to younger children learning to love nutrient-dense vegetables. Along the cooking-and-feasting theme, we discussed Willa Cather’s depiction of a Christmas dinner conversation between a smart, young Bishop and his friend, Father Joseph in Death Comes for the Archbishop.
As the clergymen enjoy a French onion soup, the Bishop reflects on what makes it tasty: “‘I am not deprecating your individual talent, Joseph,’ the Bishop continued, ‘but, when one thinks of it, a soup like this is not the work of one man. It is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.’”
This conversation gives a partial insight into the sumptuous goodness of a place like OLV—which depends on the traditions of our Church, classical education, the Catholic liberal arts, families, friendships, the Mountain West, and Chesterton. Thousands of years of refined tradition live at OLV. It is a feast for the mind and soul, shared in community. It is a school where tradition tastes good.
You are invited to join us in celebrating this tradition through the arts at our annual Advent concert on Friday, December 3, at 7 p.m. at St. Mary Parish in Littleton. I hope to see you there.
In the Cordiality of Christ,
Jeremie Solak, Headmaster, Our Lady of Victory
OLV Students Organize Their First Fall Ball
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In October, OLV students enjoyed—and largely organized themselves—their first Fall Ball. Not surprisingly, the Fall Ball was much different than your typical high school dance. In preparation, two Formation Friday events featured ballroom dance lessons. At the Ball, students had a chance to put their new moves to the test. Traditional dance cards encouraged students to dance with as many different students as possible.
The Fall Ball permeated with joy, love, laughter, wholesome fun, and generosity. Students were impressively dressed and full of wonder. That is OLV.
OLV Athletics Update
Boys Basketball: OLV sports is taking a great step forward this year. We are excited to share that we have joined the Front Range Christian Athletics Association (FRCAA) as Invitational Members. Our boys basketball team, led by Coach Mike Lipic, will be competing against other Christian schools within the FRCAA, in an effort to grow in excellence and virtue.
The tentative boys basketball schedule of home games and tournament is below. Please come support OLV boys as they deepen fellowship, represent OLV, and mature into the young men God is calling them to be. All home games are at the St. Louis/Lourdes South gym, located at 3301 S. Sherman Street, Englewood. Junior varsity games begin at 5:30 p.m., and varsity games begin at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, 12/14: Park Hill Christian Academy
Tuesday, 1/11: Loveland Protestant Reformed Christian School
Tuesday, 1/25: Our Lady Help of Christians Academy
Friday, 1/28: Colorado Legacy (HOME)
Friday, 2/4: Denver Eagles (HOME)
Tuesday, 2/8: FRCAA Tournament Quarter Finals
Friday, 2/11: FRCAA Tournament Semifinals
Saturday, 2/12: FRCAA Tournament Finals
Girls Volleyball: Mrs. Jordan Grant, a former collegiate sand volleyball player in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) who joined our faculty this year and is coordinating our sports programs, is coaching the OLV girls volleyball team. The students will be provided with opportunities for conditioning, clinics, and informal tournaments in order to prepare them for joining FRCAA for the 2022-2023 season, where they will compete against other Colorado schools in the league to include an end of year tournament.
Girls Basketball: Girls basketball is being led by Coach Mary Zapapas, the P.E. teacher and Athletic Director for Our Lady of Lourdes. Our girls are excited to work with Mary again this year to prepare themselves for FRCAA participation in the 2022-2023 season. The girls will practice on Thursdays and Fridays from 3:30 to 5 p.m., at the St. Louis/Lourdes South gym.
Our Lady of Victory Admissions Events Are In Full Swing
OLV is excited to begin the admissions process for fall 2022, our fourth year. There are multiple ways for prospective students and their families to encounter OLV and discern joining this culture.
Shadow Days: Our Lady of Victory has been hosting Shadow Days for eighth grade students since September. By the end of November we will have hosted 21 students and our December dates are filling up fast!
A Shadow Day allows interested students to experience a day at our school firsthand, giving each prospective student a better idea of what it means to be an Our Lady of Victory student. Of course, it’s impossible to experience everything in one day, but we hope that this introduction to the joy and spirit of our school community will leave our shadow students wanting more. We hold Shadow Days two times per month through May.
The rest of the family can learn more at our Prospective Family Night and Prospective Parent Coffee events. Please sign up for one or all of these discernment events at OLV’s website.
Applications opened online on November 2, and we look forward to getting to know students and their families at admissions interviews beginning this month.
Interview with Mr. Link: “We’re here to help these students become great saints, and we’re doing it together”
Mr. Jason Link joined OLV as a math and science teacher in August after graduating in 2020 from the Colorado School of Mines, and then spending a year in formation with the Community of the Beatitudes in Denver. All three grades of OLV students have Mr. Link at some point throughout the week, and they are excited about the passion he brings to the classroom.
For this Friends of OLV newsletter, Mr. Solak interviewed Mr. Link:
JS: Why do you love math and science?
JL: I love math and science because they reveal Truth. Someone asked me recently if I thought mathematics was invented or discovered, which is a really interesting question that I’m not sure has an easy answer. The point of it, though, comes back to the fact that mathematics reveals Truth about the way our world works, and the fundamental principles that it’s built upon. Anyone who’s taken some basic philosophy can follow, then, that something that reveals Truth also reveals Goodness and Beauty, and the further I went in math in college and even now, the more I see how math is truly Beautiful, and reveals Beauty; and anything that reveals Beauty reveals God. Math (and science, not to leave it out) shouldn’t be done just for the sake of doing math, which is where the question always comes up as to practical skills and why we should care about math. Instead, if we can center the ‘doing’ of math on the revelation of Truth and Beauty and God, then we’ll be able to appreciate the Creator in a way that imitates the appreciation we’ll achieve in Heaven.
Read the rest of the interview with Mr. Link at OLV’s website.
New Archbishop Appointee to OLV’s Board
Under OLV’s governing bylaws, our Board of Trustees is privileged to include an appointee of Archbishop Aquila. This seat is intended as one means—among others—to safeguard OLV’s Catholicity and fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church. Since our founding, OLV has been blessed to have this seat filled by Elias Moo, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Denver.
As of our November board meeting, OLV has welcomed Mr. Kevin Greaney as Superintendent Moo’s replacement for the Archbishop’s appointed seat. Kevin is the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications for the Archdiocese of Denver, where he and his team focus on digital and print mass communications, and consulting with parishes, schools and ministries to ensure Archbishop Aquila’s message is reaching His Excellency’s flock. Previously Kevin served as Chief Operations and Marketing Officer for Creatio, a Catholic missionary and pilgrimage organization based in Denver. Kevin has walked the Camino de Santiago three times and is an avid cyclist. He is a parishioner at Holy Ghost in Denver.
We are grateful for Elias’s service, and excited to add Kevin’s expertise and perspective to our board.
OLV Announces Advisory Board
OLV is excited to announce the formation of our Advisory Board. This group is distinct from the Board of Trustees, which is mostly a parent-led group with the legal governing authority over the school. Our Advisory Board is made up of friends of OLV from across the country, with a special emphasis on extensive experience in the academy, education, and business. The Advisory Board members have generously agreed to advise and assist OLV’s Board of Trustees and leadership from time to time.
Dr. Glen and Mrs. Virginia Arbery, Wyoming Catholic College
Dr. Ben and Mrs. Heather Akers, Augustine Institute
Brian and Dianne Black, Harmel Academy
Dr. John and Mrs. Sofia Cuddeback, Christendom College
Woody Ritchy, Retired CEO
Kevin Sherman, Tractor Beverage Co.
We are grateful for their service and support of Our Lady of Victory!
Thank You for Supporting OLV
We are grateful for your support of OLV. Please consider joining OLV’s Lepanto Monthly Giving Club by committing to recurring donations of at least $25 per month.
And did you know that you can make gifts including appreciated stock and Qualified Charitable Distributions through our partners at the Catholic Foundation of Northern Colorado, which also facilitates planned giving to OLV?