Sacred Heart Academy is a parish apostolate of Sacred Heart of Jesus…
Mindful that “Pastors of souls have the duty of making all possible arrangements so that all the faithful may avail themselves of a catholic education.” (CIC 794 §2). Sacred Heart Academy is an apostolate of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in the Diocese of Grand Rapids dedicated to a classical and truly Catholic education of children. Of the growing number of classical schools in America, only a handful are Catholic and most of these “independent.” Very few parish schools schools are dedicated to the classical pedagogy which was the mainstay of Catholic education for a 1000 years. Re-founded in 2013 by our former Pastor Rev. Robert Sirico, when the school was on the brink of closing, Sacred Heart Academy has found new life in a commitment to “restore all things in Christ”. This papal motto of Pope St. Pius X motto, back in 1904 when the cornerstone of the original school was laid sums up our mission. We strive to recover the “Beauty ever ancient, ever new” through an integrated ciricula that forms the whole person inspiring the hearts of Catholic students to know, love and serve God.
…dedicated to assisting families…
This integration requires cooperation with the family. Catholic parents, who the Church teaches, have “the duty and the right to …promote the catholic education of their children.” (CIC 793) Parents are the first educators of their children. Sacred Heart Academy was founded with this natural law in mind to assist and support families and to form the minds, hearts, and souls of their children into the heroes and saints they were made to be.
As such we expect our classrooms to be extensions of the home, animated by the same spirit of love that recognizes the child’s individual dignity and needs. As partners in the formation of your children, we appreciate the responsibility parents have entrusted us with to assist in your sacred task, and remain steadfastly committed to safety, virtue, and excellence in everything we do
…in forming Catholics…
We are here to help young people know and love the Truth. Who the Church teaches is a person: Jesus Christ. Each day at noon we remember that “The word became flesh” when the Angelus bells ring, recalling that Truth has been made infinitely accessible to mankind. Everything we do keeps this goal in mind.
Sacred Heart’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence flows from the sacramental life of the Church. Every day starts with the prayer of the Church at Holy Mass. We don’t just ask our students to go to Mass, we teach them to make the Mass the source and summit of each day. The Holy Mass integrates time and space, history and science, math and music, and even gym class by reminding us of what’s important, the end of all we do; relationship with–and worship (cult) of–the Truth, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
…and cultivating culture.
Culture is the lived reality of a community. Through daily personal engagement with children and their families, we are promoting, preserving, and building upon the civilization the Church has given us over the past two millennia. By our mutual sacrifice and commitment, we bring the kingdom of God to our own small corner of the Lord’s vineyard.
We strive to impart an education for a life well-lived, centered on truth, goodness, and beauty. Such a formation prepares students for their individual vocation and for the universal call to sanctity. Growing in grace and understanding, our students will evangelize our world through their words and deeds.
A Note from our Pastor
Dear Friends,
When Fr. Robert Sirico set out to re-found this school in 2013, he knew two things to be true. First, our life flows from the holy Eucharist. And second, the driving force of any truly human enterprise is love. So when it came time to rethink how to educate our children, we knew success consisted in returning to the fundamentals. Every day would begin with the Mass (because the formation of the mind and heart is from and for divine community), and we would strive to make the school an extension of the home (because it is in family that we learn to root all we are and do in love).
At Sacred Heart, we take seriously the responsibility of partnering with parents in their sacred duty to educate and form their children. What the world needs is Christ, and it is through His saints that Christ now comes to the world. Simply put, we must all strive to be saints of God. At Sacred Heart, nothing could be more important than helping your children become what they were made to be-that is saints who love Jesus deeply, intimately, and unreservedly.
It is my honor to follow the path Fr. Sirico blazed for the Academy together with so many remarkable faculty, staff, and parishioners new and old. God has truly blessed Sacred Heart Parish abundantly and I am truly humbled to be pastor of such a community. I hope we never forget or take for granted “the pearl of great price” we have found in this field.
As Pastor I welcome you on behalf of the parish and academy to learn more about the good things God is doing in our community. More importantly, we would love to learn how we might be of service to you as you form the minds and hearts of your children.
In Christ,
Rev. Ronnie P. Floyd, Pastor
About Our Crest
“Heart Speaks Unto Heart” reads the motto displayed on our crest. This phrase from the writings of St. John Henry Newman expresses the school’s primary purpose: connecting the hearts of students, families, parishioners, and community members to one another by connecting them to Christ’s Sacred Heart.
The Cross is modeled after the Cross of the Polish Order of St. Stanislaus, signifying our parish’s Polish heritage and the school’s identity as a parish apostolate.
The Fleur-de-Lis signifies the motherhood of Mary and the mission of the school in assisting families.
Besides the obvious reference, the Sacred Heart also signifies the academy’s mission to form Catholics by conforming them to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Quill signifies the academy’s mission to cultivate culture, in and beyond Grand Rapids’ west side, through a commitment to scholarship and evangelization.
The Crown signifies the school’s trust in the protection of the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven.