Second Chicagoland Chesterton Academy location secured in Downer's Grove

Independent Catholic high school opens in Downers Grove with no-frills, classical approach

Imagine a new high school opening without laptops, iPads or tablets. There's no gym, football team or cheerleaders. Students wear uniforms, attend daily Mass and study Latin and Gregorian chant.

The new Chesterton Academy of the Holy Family in Downers Grove also promises to offer rigorous academics steeped in the classic traditions of Plato, Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas.

Students already have lined up for the Aug. 24 opening in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church, said Sean Tierney, a Western Springs cardiologist and one of the school's founders.

"We have 30 applications now in different phases of the enrollment process" for freshmen through seniors, Tierney said. "We're prepared to start with a little as 10 students and hoping 20 is probably the average we're looking to get."

Students will order books rather than digital devices that become obsolete in a couple of years, he said. In four years, graduates will have built a library of classic authors including Chaucer, Homer, Dostoevsky, Twain and Shakespeare.

continue at Chicago Tribune

Chesterton Society magazine back issues now available on Kindle and iPad

Yes!

Purchase back issues of Gilbert for your iPad or Kindle!
Click on an image to view table of contents and purchase your digital download (PDF format).
** Click here for directions to download PDFs onto your iPad or Kindle **

continue at Chesterton.org

This is an excellent mag, I do get the paper copy currently.  Let's see, I get four total, Catholic Answers Magazine(not as good as it's predecessor This Rock, but still pretty good), Chronicles(very good, plus I learn big words, LOL), Wisconsin Historical Society as well as Gilbert. 

Photos of Dale Ahlquist and friends in Waunakee

American Chesterton Society President Dale Ahlquist addresses the crowd of more than 120 people on July 14.

You might remember that earlier this month, St. Ambrose Academy hosted American Chesterton Society President Dale Ahlquist and other guests at St. John the Baptist in Waunakee.

More than 120 attendees came out for Ahlquist's speech, which drew rave reviews. Not bad for a Sunday in summer! I'm told that the organizers at St. Ambrose optimistically placed out 75 chairs and had to quickly add more as attendees came in.

EWTN's Theater of the Word actor Kevin O'Brien (not the Men of Christ founder) also presented at the event. Ahlquist and O'Brien were joined by Gilbert Magazine editor Sean Dailey and faculty from Chesterton Academy in the Twin Cities for a meet-and-greet before the presentation.

Habemus photos!



EWTN's Theater of the Word actor Kevin O'Brien

A full house!



St. John the Baptist in Waunakee Pastor James Gunn and Dale Ahlquist



Chesterton Academy art teacher Timothy Jones, Gilbert Magazine editor Sean Dailey, Kevin O'Brien, Chesterton Academy teacher Julian Ahlquist, and Dale Ahlquist

Tolerance...

American Chesterton Society

Wisconsin, the Chesterton state

Here is a link to the list of all the local societies (and the contact person for each) that are affiliated with the American Chesterton Society.

http://www.chesterton.org/wordpress/local-societies/

As you can see, your fair state of Wisconsin currently holds the title for most Chesterton Societies in a single state!

Do you know how many are in Minnesota - the location of the American Chesterton Society?  One.

Milwaukee Chesterton Society | Meets at 7:00 p.m. first Wednesday of every month except August | Elm Grove Village Municipal Building, 13600 Juneau Blvd., Elm Grove WI | For more information, contact Rick and Mary Brittnacher at milchesterton@sbcglobal.net or call 414-421-3286

The La Crosse Chesterton Society | Meets at 7:00 PM the second Thursday of each month | Waterfront Restaurant, La Crosse WI | For more information, contact Rita at euchadora06@hotmail.com or call 608-386-5962

The Green Bay Chesterton Society | Meets from 10AM – 11AM on Saturday mornings at SS. Peter & Paul’s School Building, 710 N. Baird Street, Green Bay WI | For more information, contact Michael F. Lee at 920-360-8663. Group meets in the “Apple Room” on 1st Floor; use door from parking lot; “Mystic Monk Coffee” by the Carmelite Monks of Wyoming is served at all meetings

River Falls, WI Area Chesterton Society | Meets at 7:00PM first Wednesday of each Month | West Wind Supper Club, River Falls, WI | For more information, contact Pete Beurskens at pbeurskens@southeastmn.edu or call 715-273-4534

I also heard that Black River Falls(different from River Falls) is starting a chapter as well, and also that Madison may be resurrecting their local society.  

La Crosse Chesterton Society to host Dale Ahlquist, regional Chesterton conference

LA CROSSE CHESTERTON SOCIETY
PRESENTS THE FIRST MIDWEST AREA
WIT, WISDOM, AND SPIRITS SOCIAL

WHEN: Saturday, October 8, 2011
WHERE: Nells City Grill, 1111 S. 3rd Street (enter on 4th street), La Crosse, WI

TIME:
3:00 p.m. Registration, spirits, snacks

4:00 p.m. Dale Alquist speaks: A BOUT OF SANITY!
Discussion, questions, perhaps answers?

6:00 p.m. Fine dining and dinner!
spirits, wit and wisdom continue until?.......

Your word commitment by: September 8th, euchadora06@hotmail.com
( need for number count at restaurant)
Your money commitment by: September 22, 2011.
Cost: $20. Check made out to: Rita Deniger
Mail to: 2831 N. Richard Dr. La Crosse, WI 54601

Highly recommended morning option:
12:15 a.m. Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
1:30 p.m. Guided tour of the Shrine
www.guadalupeshrine.org

Regional Chesterton picnic in La Crosse October 8th

GK

I found out that local Chesterton Societies as far away as Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Green Bay will be meeting Saturday October 8th in centrally located La Crosse for a Chesterton picnic.  I don't yet have the details but Dale Ahlquist will be speaking at the event.  This will be nice since the annual Cheston Society Conference now moves each year whereas before they were held in St. Paul, MN each year.  I would LOVE to go this year too as Christopher Check is giving a talk on GKC's epic poem Lepanto, but it's out of range for the 0,1&3 year olds.  The details have not been hashed out yet, but I will post when ready.  Email me if you would like to get in touch with the folks here in La Crosse to bring your society as well.