CHARLOTTE — Students at Charlotte Catholic High School will have a new opportunity to explore education through the window of Catholic liberal arts beginning with the 2025 school year.
The St. Augustine Scholars Program is a four-year honors pathway that will take students through a classical course of study that will explore philosophy, logic, Latin and primary classical texts.
The inaugural class of freshmen will be admitted to the program in the fall of 2025.
“This program is an interdisciplinary approach in the Catholic liberal arts tradition that integrates knowledge from various fields to form a cohesive, Christ-centered understanding of the world,” said Brian Dorrian, who teaches philosophy at the high school and has been selected to oversee the initiative.
Through the study of subjects such as theology, philosophy, literature, history and the arts, students will receive not only a strong academic foundation, but also learn how each subject reveals different dimensions of truth, he said.
St. Augustine was selected as patron of the new program because of his legacy as “one of the greatest students and teachers in the history of the Church,” Dorrian said.
The program has a four-year structure, with each year building upon the previous, Dorrian said. Each year has a specific theme: The Great Adventure, The Search for Wisdom, The Battle (for spiritual and moral integrity), and The Great Commission.
The program will take students through a classical course of study.
“This structure encourages students to connect their learning across disciplines and see how these themes are relevant in every area of life, from literature to science to the arts,” Dorrian said.
The program was developed as a response to surveys that indicated more parents were seeking a Catholic-based classical education for their children, according to Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of the Diocese of Charlotte’s Catholic schools.
“As all of our schools lean further into their Catholic identity across academics, the arts and athletics, it’s exciting to see a program like this where students can go even deeper into their faith through the liberal arts,” Monroe said.
— Christina Lee Knauss
Learn more
At www.charlottecatholic.org/about-us/st-augustine-scholars-program: Get more information about the new St. Augustine Scholars Program
HENDERSONVILLE — No job was too large or too small.
Leaders and students from Charlotte Catholic High School arrived at Immaculata Catholic School Friday to prepare the Hendersonville school for reopening after Helene. Twenty-five Charlotte Catholic eleventh and twelfth graders moved boxes, cleaned floors, and reorganized classrooms.
“That’s what we do; it’s part of our mission of service,” said Charlotte Catholic President Kurt Telford, who also delivered a check for $10,000 to Immaculata to help with recovery.
Immaculata has been closed since Sept. 26. On Sept. 29, it became a distribution point for nearly two weeks for critical supplies. Immaculata will reopen to students Oct. 16, while hosting students and staff from Asheville Catholic School, which remains without water.
“My heart is full seeing our diocese band together to help our WNC Catholic schools and our community at large,” said Marian Congdon, dean of students at Immaculata.
“I really care about this community,” said Joanna Fortier, a junior at Charlotte Catholic. “I just want to uplift the area.”
Garrett Nowlan, also a junior, also came to help, despite his right arm being in a sling from a football injury.
“We really didn’t get affected by the storm that much,” Nowlan said of the Queen City. “To see a different perspective, you really need to serve. It’s just a good Catholic thing to do.”
— Catholic News Herald. Photos provided.
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