On October 29th and 30th, the Archdiocese of Denver visited Regis Jesuit and conducted reviews of our Catholic identity, programs and curriculum, and school life. They visited classes, held meetings and had conversations with faculty, administration, board members, and parents.

The Archdiocese is visiting Regis Jesuit, Mullen, Holy Family, Arrupe, St. Mary’s and Machebeuf. The visiting team of four representatives will visit all Catholic secondary schools in the months of October and November to learn more about the Catholic mindset of each school.

The visits are part of the Archdiocesan reviews of all six Catholic high schools in the Denver metro area requested by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquilia.

Ben Akers, a member of the visiting team, was impressed with Regis Jesuit.

“Since this is my first visit to the campus, I’m impressed with how beautiful the campus is, and the great life that the students have,” said Akers.

Akers said that best things for students to do to keep a Catholic view in a secular world is for them to know Jesus and the teachings of his body, the Church.

He says that to connect the teachings of the classroom and of the Church into our own lives is the challenge of the Christian life. He wants us to be good listeners of the Pope and of the Church, as these are both great opportunities to develop a Catholic worldview.

When asked if he had a message for the student body, Akers said, “I think that Catholic education is so important to help take full advantage of the opportunities you have with the Church and to get to know Jesus Christ, get to know the saints, and to live it and share it with others.”

The visiting team was especially focused on examining how well Regis Jesuit lives out the following points from “The Holy See’s Teaching On Catholic Schools.”

1. Inspired by a supernatural vision: Schools are about preparing students for Heaven.

2. Founded on a Christian anthropology: Specifically, our schools work toward “perfection of children as images of God.”

3. Animated by communion and community: Schools should promote an environment that “safe-gaurds the priority of the person” in the Catholic intellectual tradition.

4. Imbued with the Catholic world-view across the curriculum: Schools should “transform the way we see reality” and help students approach problems of the secular world in conformity with the Church’s Magisterium.

5. A place where committed Catholics teach: Catholic teachers must be “witnesses for Christ” and serve as role models for the children they are helping to form in the faith.