Dear Families and Friends of Our Lady of Victory,

On Monday, January 6, we sent out our first round of admissions letters to next year’s freshman class. We have already received a strong response from families and students who are excited to join our family of families.

In the admissions packet, we included a pamphlet by Joshua Gibbs entitled “So Your Parents Are Thinking About Sending You to a Classical Christian School.” We encouraged all of our accepted eighth-grade students to read it. The essay ranges widely, touching on everything from uniforms to going to church on Sundays together as a family.

Here is a short excerpt in which the author reflects on the telos of classical education:

"The writer Walker Percy once said, “You can get all A’s and flunk life.” This truth sits close to the hearts of classical Christian teachers. For instance, a certain student might perform well on tests, get into a great college, and enter a lucrative career, and yet be wildly unhappy and treat his family poorly. In other words, plenty of high school students graduate with great GPAs but go on to be lousy fathers and terrible husbands, in which case all their study and diligence in school was really for nothing. A high GPA will not keep anyone from being miserable or making others miserable."

Here at OLV, we aim not for high-achieving misers who have learned how to climb the greasy pole of worldly success, but for joyful Christian teenagers who are on the path to joyful Christian adulthood and eventually sanctity with our Lord in Heaven. We hope this pamphlet invites our incoming freshmen and their families into a deeper understanding of the purpose of schooling more broadly, and of the particular mission of Our Lady of Victory.

As we embark on the second semester of the 2025-2026 school year, be assured of my continued prayer for your sons and daughters: that in their time at OLV, they might become more fully the saints that our Heavenly Father created them to be.

Peace in Christ,
Randy

Congratulations to this week’s virtue award winners!

Charity: Lucia Choy
Faith: Emma Rodríguez Andrade
Hope: Valentina Deluque
Fortitude: Will Summer

Our current Director of Mission Advancement, John Cooney, has discerned a call to return to priestly formation with the Diocese of Helena. After a period of prayer and reflection, John has concluded that the Lord is inviting him to continue pursuing the vocation to which he was first called. John will be departing for Montana at the end of January. After that, he will continue his priestly formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

We are grateful for the many ways John has served and blessed our school and community during his time with us, and we ask you to join us in praying for him as he enters this next stage of formation. Please keep John, his formators, and the Diocese of Helena in your prayers as he continues to seek our Lord's will with generosity and trust.

Dear OLV Families,

I wanted to reach out to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredibly generous Melting Pot gift card. Your thoughtfulness truly overwhelmed me with joy and made my Christmas season even more special.

Being part of the OLV community has been such a blessing, and gestures like this remind me how fortunate I am to work alongside such wonderful families. Thank you for your kindness and for making me feel so valued and appreciated.

With sincere gratitude, joy and blessings to be here at OLV,

Katie Seymour
Student Support Coordinator

Dear Students,

Since we are beginning a new semester, it is time to go through everything that has accumulated in our Lost and Found! We will be placing the Lost and Found out in the hall of lockers for the next week starting Monday, 1/12 until Friday, 1/16. Anything left after that day will be donated, so be sure to look through and find anything you may have misplaced.

As a reminder, used tupperware containers that are left at school will be thrown away at the end of the week, so be sure to double check that you pick up all your tupperware containers after lunch.

Thank you all and enjoy your last week of Christmas!

In Christ,
Emma Barham
Office Administrator

Here’s the lineup of priests celebrating Mass the next week of school.
(1/16 - 1/23)

Friday, 1/16: Fr. Jason Wallace
Monday, 1/19: No Mass, No School, MLK Day
Tuesday, 1/20: Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Wednesday, 1/21: Fr. Jason Wallace
Thursday, 1/22: Fr. Adam Bradshaw
Friday, 1/23: No Mass, Divine Liturgy for Formation Friday

You are and your grandparents are invited Our Lady of Victory's first Grandparents' Day on Friday, January 16th! The morning will begin with Mass at 7:30 AM which will be followed by coffee, student-led tours, and a light breakfast.

Please RSVP for you and your parents at the link below:
https://www.ourladyofvictorydenver.com/rsvp

Fr. Jason Wallace is hosting a high school boy's discernment retreat on Sunday, January 25 from 9am- 2pm at the seminary!

The retreat will include Mass, Adoration, a talk on discernment/seminary, small group time with seminarians, lunch, large group Q & A with Fr. Jason and seminarians, and either a tour of the seminary or time for sports. 

There is no cost to attend.

Find out more and RSVP here!

Come join the OLV movie club at the Lessard's home on Mon, Jan. 26th to watch Arrival (2016), Denis Villeneuve's science fiction thriller about a linguist who must figure out how to communicate with extraterrestrials to avoid war. The film explores themes of free will, human choice, and the power of language in a beautifully told story. You won't want to miss out on popcorn & a lively discussion led by Grant Reinicke. Space is limited, so please RSVP to meganlessard@gmail.com.

Note: As always, parents should make their own prudential judgment about the appropriateness of the film for their students. (See here for the IMDB Parent Guide to this month's selection). All movies are selected in conjunction with Grant Reinicke and approved by Randy Aust.

Dear Families,

I have been looking for opportunities for our girls to be around more religious Sisters this semester. The Sisters of Life let me know they have an event on Saturday, January 31st at 3pm. It is their Revive series. They open up their convent for an evening of prayer. They said students would be welcome at the convent beginning at 3 or 3:30. The chapel will be open for girls to make a holy hour if they would like before one of the Sisters gives a talk at 4:30. This event is open to high school and young adult women.

Their address is below:
Mary Magdalene Convent
2771 Zenobia Street Denver, CO 80212

Any of the girls are welcome to attend this event! If you have any questions about this event, you can email me at receptionist@ourladyofvictorydenver.com.

In Christ Our Hope,
Emma Barham
Office Administrator

At Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory, our students read great books that introduce them to great ideas. These works have the power to shape the mind, deepen the soul, and, in many cases, change the course of a life. It is common to hear parents say, “I wish a Chesterton Academy education had been available to me when I was my son or daughter’s age.”

With that in mind, you are invited to join our Headmaster, Randy Aust, for an evening where you will taste the riches of the great books our students read every year. Each gathering offers a guided reflection on a classic text, along with a lively look at why it has endured, what a busy parent might profit from knowing, and how it can spark conversations that bring truth and wonder into your home. No preparation needed; just bring your curiosity.

Bourbon, wine, and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Our next Fireside Classics event will be on Thursday, February 12th from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. Randy will be talking about one of his favorite books: St. Augustine's Confessions.

Please RSVP here, and invite your friends to do the same: https://www.ourladyofvictorydenver.com/fireside-classics

Dear Families,

The Fire Foundation which supports Catholic schools by providing grants to provide inclusive education for those with educational disabilities has an upcoming event! They are looking for about 6 high school volunteers from schools that they partner with.

What: Hearts on Fire Event (website here)
When: Thursday, February 12th, 5:30pm
Where: Cherry Hills Country Club

Students will assist with selling valentines, greeting guests, and help transport auction items to our event staff throughout the evening. It’s a fun event and a great opportunity for the students to serve and be involved!

If you're interested in volunteering, please email me at receptionist@ourladyofvictorydenver.com.

In Christ Our Hope,
Emma Barham
Office Administrator