Why St. Athanasius?

Many people have asked us, "why is your home learning adventure called St. Athanasius Academy?"

Eight years ago, when we were looking at moving to Austria so dh could get a Masters in Theological Studies (which he's now using to teach at the new John Paul the Great Catholic High School), we began looking at home-educating the older two, Brikhead and Kotch. They were in Catholic parochial school, but not knowing what we'd find in Austria, we looked to home school them.

As we read book after book on Catholic homeschooling and Christian world-view homeschooling and secular books on homeschooling, we became more and more enamored of the idea of steeping the children's day in Catholic teaching while also giving them all the subjects of traditional school. We read more and more about education and began to get involved with online home-education communities.

At the same time, dh was applying to the Masters program in a small village in Austria. He needed to write a divisio textus on a sermon by St. Athanasius of Alexandria. He and I became enamored of this 4th century bishop who fought against security, fame and fortune for the Catholic faith -- being exiled at least three times for his defense of the Catholic faith against the Arian heresy . He did what was right. We decided then and there to place dh's application, our move to Austria and our homeschool, under the patronage of one of the greatest defenders of the Catholic faith.

Eight years later, as we start out seventh year of "living, loving and learning in the home" we again place our school under St. Athanasius' patronage -- asking him to intercede on our behalf, helping us to be good defenders of the Faith, and (most importantly) helping me to raise the now younger crew steeped in the Faith.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Pray for US!