The Lyceum Letter

THE LYCEUM LETTER Newsletter Vol. 7 ~ Verum Bonum Pulchrum ~ January 2005 Puer Natus in Bethlehem, Alleluia! As most of you already know, The graduates will choose to attend a four- ~ A Message from the Headmaster Lyceum has been blessed with a year Catholic liberal arts college to Dear Friends, matching gift challenge. Every gift continue their formation. Education given to the school this academic year has to do with the formation of the From all of us here at will be matched dollar for dollar. Your human soul, a formation that is finally The Lyceum, Merry tax-deductible gift to The Lyceum this directed toward enjoyment of the Christmas! We hope that year will go doubly far! Beatific Vision in heaven. That is you experience many The Lyceum Doubles! something that is worth spending some consolations of God’s grace time on. in this New Year. Last September, The Lyceum Introducing The Lyceum Children’s Each morning throughout Advent, opened its doors with thirteen students. This September, twenty-six students Schola Cantorum Lyceum students and faculty began morning prayer by singing the walked through the doors ready to Few things are more thrilling to me Gregorian Chant setting of these learn; to participate in their own than seeing a crowd of children singing words of the prophet Isaiah, the intellectual formation. beautiful music. This year Lyceum melody of which poignantly expresses faculty formed a new choir, a schola the longing of Advent: cantorum, for students between the ages “Rorate Coeli de super of seven and twelve. This choir meets et nubes pluant Iustum.” every Wednesday afternoon for practice (Drop down dew, ye Heavens, from above, at The Lyceum, and, in just three and let the clouds rain the Just One.) months, has built a repertoire of chant, We then pray together the shorter (such as Ave Maria) and even music morning office, alternating between arranged for two parts (such as boys and girls on each Psalm verse, as Mozart’s Ave Verum.) These children also seem to love the English Hymn Let we do in every season. I have particularly enjoyed this All Things Now Living with its lively and opportunity for community prayer soaring descant, and also the very that the school provides. We end our singable and prayerful Taize canons prayers each day by praying for you, by Mark Langley Photo “Magnificat” and “Jubilate Deo.” The our families, friends and benefactors. lovely sound these children make is a testament that it is never too early to Fundraising Climbs to 25% of Goal start singing beautiful music. The Lyceum fundraising campaign International Collegiate Institute is making steady progress towards the Sponsors Inaugural Lecture in “The goal of raising $60,000. I am happy to Lyceum Lecture Series” say that as of this In October, The Lyceum hosted a writing we have delightful lecture on the importance of sailed past the exposing children to the “good books.” $14,000 level with The Lyceum building and its new sign, donated Dr. Michael Platt’s lecture, entitled over 100 gifts. last July by a generous friend of the school. “The Young, the Good, and the West,” One of the included a theme that is part of the blessings I Belonging to a school like legacy of the late John Senior, namely, experience as a Horan by Steve Photo The Lyceum brings with it the that before students can appreciate the fundraiser is to opportunity to meet so many fine “Great Books,” they first need to be see first-hand the people. It was a pleasure to immersed in the 1000 or so “good generosity of so welcome our new families this many people who year and establish new books.” We have taken the liberty of support our friendships that we hope will last reprinting a part of Dr. Platt’s lecture efforts here at a very long time. It takes strong on page 6 of this newsletter. For The Lyceum. Whether it is a check for conviction and a long term vision to those who wish their children to $20, $200, or $2,000.00, I am always join the project of Catholic Liberal someday have the pleasure of reading struck by a sense of profound gratitude education. The Lyceum aims to teach Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and for friends that sincerely want to see students to think; to “learn how to Aquinas with delight and keen Catholic Classical education grow. learn.” We hope that 100% of our comprehension, Dr. Platt eloquently answered the question about what Finis Origine Pendet By learning the habits of beauty, kinds of books these students should “The end hangs from the beginning,” habits that enable us to see order, read while still in elementary and as the saying goes. Parents, schools, unity, symmetry, harmony, and secondary school, and what kind of and indeed all who concern proportion, students are able to see good experiences prepare children for themselves with the formation of the and respond to beauty in the world. the great ideas; the great books. Developing these habits are “the young know the importance of a good Many thanks to Dr. Platt and to beginning. The path of an arrow, its beginnings” that we all want for our the Intercollegiate Studies Institute for precise trajectory, velocity, and force children, for then they are disposed to sponsoring this event. To find out can be determined by examining its see the beauty of the Creator. St. more about the ISI, go to www.isi.org. beginning movement, so too, human Bonaventure writes "In beautiful life seems to have a trajectory that can things St. Francis saw Beauty itself, The Lyceum Chorale Sings Advent almost be wholly predicted by what and through His vestiges imprinted on Lessons & Carols Program at the creation he followed his Beloved happens in the beginning. Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus Henderson (‘05) by Elizabeth Photo everywhere, making all On December 10 at 7:30 in the things a ladder by which evening, The Lyceum Chorale and he could climb up and The Lyceum Children’s Schola embrace Him who is Cantorum combined to sing an utterly desirable.” evening celebration of Lessons and One would hope that Carols with a congregation of 150- after 12 years of schooling, 200 people at the historic Shrine every student would be Church of St. Stanislaus. well on his way to having Focusing on Gregorian chant acquired the habits of and polyphony appropriate to the goodness, truth, and season of Advent, the nearly 50 beauty. We even ask him choristers could not have celebrated to start a somewhat more this time of “joyful expectation” in a independent life in college more beautiful church. supposing that he will then The choirs sang 16 selections, pursue goodness, truth, and including the timeless favorites; Paul Erickson (‘08) memorizes his Greek forms ~ φιλώ, φιλεϊς, φιλεϊ... beauty on his own. One Of the Father’s Love Begotten, Verbum would hope that a student Caro Factum Est, Creator Alme At The Lyceum, our students are entering college would have the Siderum, Puer Natus in Bethelehem, Ye making beginnings. We want to internal motivation, the habits, or at Clouds of Heaven, and Gaudete! provide an atmosphere in which least the beginnings of these habits, to Father Chris Weber opened and students can “grow in grace and pursue the things that lead to his closed the celebration with prayers wisdom.” The beginnings our students highest end. and a blessing. Representing Friends have made within their own families “Finis origine pendet.” At The Lyceum, of the school, parents and the Lyceum are continued and strengthened at we propose to make good beginnings board of trustees were respectively School. The life of faith begun in the with our students in the formation of Frank Fiorilli, Mr. O’Neill, Dennis home is continued at school as the life the intellectual, moral and aesthetic Rowinski who alternately read the of “Faith seeking understanding.” virtues . In this way, we pray that our “lessons” between Advent carols. students will all someday find Him Classical Catholic education seeks The Lyceum chorale immerses to dispose each person to be a fitting Who is the beginning and end of all its members in the rich cultural vessel for Divine Grace. Following the Goodness, Truth, and Beauty. heritage of the Church through music, maxim that “grace builds on nature,” The Purpose of Liberal Education and the repertoire changes to suit each The Lyceum mission assumes that by liturgical season. Along with sacred acquiring the intellectual habits of We ask our students why they music sung in parts, the choir, in truth, the mind of the student is more want to “get an education.” These keeping with Vatican II directives on apt for Divine Truth. By acquiring days the expected answer is of course liturgical music, places a special habits of goodness, students are more “so that I can get a good job and emphasis on learning Gregorian chant. disposed to living a life of the make a great deal of money.” If they “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant Theological Virtues. By acquiring do say that, then we ask them “if I as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: virtues that allow us to see and were to give you a $1,000,000 right now, would you quit school?” therefore, other things being equal, it should respond to beauty, students are be given pride of place in liturgical services. disposed to the appreciation of Him This usually gets a student to Sacrosanctum Concilium VI: 116)”. who is Beauty itself. think about the proper purpose of 2 education - something which must by Mark Langley Photo necessarily have to do with something more important than money.

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