This past weekend I flew to Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, NH, to give the commencement address at the invitation of this year’s graduating seniors. This fine Catholic school, covering K-12, is only a few years old but is growing exponentially. It is a classic example of the new generation of independent Catholic schools offering a faith-centred liberal arts education. I have been honoured to be a visiting scholar at Mount Royal throughout the past academic year, teaching literature and apologetics. I’ve been particularly impressed, indeed astonished, at the caliber of the students, who are on fire with a love for faith and reason. It warms my heart to see the future of the Church in the United States ablaze with the light of Christ.

Flying back from New Hampshire on Saturday, I drove to Asheville, NC, with my family yesterday to be at the launch of Queensferry Catholic School, a new school being opened this fall. I gave a brief talk to encourage these pioneering parents, students and teachers as they prepare to embark on this new adventure in orthodoxy. I hope and pray that Queensferry will be able to emulate the success of Mount Royal Academy and an increasing number of other independent schools which are building the foundations for the Church Militant in the United States in the twenty-first century.