Institute for Catholic Liberal Education

"It may seem odd to write about Christmas on June 24, which is the farthest day of the calendar year from the eve of Christ’s birth. And yet, the two dates have something in common as they represent the approximate dates of the two solstices.

In the case of Christmas, we have the maximum amount of darkness, whereas in June we experience the maximum amount of light."

📖 Read more from Mr. Jake Tawney, Director of Curriculum and Academic Resources on this, the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, here: https://catholicliberaleducation.org/2026/06/24/christ-and-the-cosmos-on-solstices-and-equinoxes/

🖼️ :Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. Pontormo, ca. 1526.

"I learned more in this experience than I did in undergrad/grad school."

"I received more excellent tools in the first twenty-four hours of this week than in all of my fifteen as an educator combined... I was really close to changing professions about halfway through last year. [Now] I have never been more on fire for my vocation."

"I have been an educator for 30+ years. This was the best professional development of my career. I feel equipped to lead each of my students to high levels of learning and to a greater understanding and love of our Lord."

From June 15–19, 31 teachers and school leaders attended The Spirit & Craft of Teaching in the Catholic Liberal Arts Tradition workshop at the Augustine Institute in St. Louis, MO. The above are quotations from some of the participants regarding their experience.

Led by ICLE staff Jon Ciani, Monica Clarke, Katie Gillett, and educator Amanda Hicks from Our Lady of Lourdes (Denver, CO), teachers enjoyed a week of leisure and community at the Augustine Institute. From shared song, dance, prayer, and meals to discussions of beautiful artwork, literature, mathematical patterns, and stories from history, we were thoroughly immersed in an encounter with reality and with one another.

Teachers deepened their understanding of the Church's perennial wisdom on the human person and education, explored the arts of language and number, and shared their expertise through grade-level discussions and sample lessons.

By entering into an experience of liberating education, teachers were renewed in their vocations and equipped to build up the culture of their classrooms and schools.

Sr. Cecilia Ann Rezac shared how the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education's Diocesan Leaders Academy (DLA) integrates faith into every subject, fostering a truly Catholic education in a reflection linked below. The 10-month cohort experience focuses on renewing Catholic schools through rich pedagogy and a shared mission to form the whole person. Read the full reflection on the ICLE website.

Applications are still open for the 2026-2027 cohort—learn more and apply today!

https://catholicliberaleducation.org/2026/06/05/renewing-schools-making-disciples-my-time-in-the-diocesan-leader-academy/

Catholic Diocese of Lincoln

Are you a current educator ready to step into school leadership? There is still time to secure a seat in the Aspiring School Leaders Program, July 2026 – December 2026 cohort!

This six-month, online training program is specifically designed to prepare current school employees to transition into leadership roles within Catholic schools.

Led by veteran school leader Mr. Danny Flynn (ICLE’s VP of Diocesan and School Relations), this cohort meets twice monthly outside of school hours (around 7:30 p.m. ET) and includes one-on-one advising.

You will dive deep into these 6 core leadership pillars:
🌟 Mission Statements: Crafting and preserving a clear, Christ-centered vision.
🌟 Parent Education & Faculty Formation: Building strong partnerships with families and spiritually grounding your staff.
🌟 Curriculum Integration: Aligning academic content with the rich tradition of the liberal arts.
🌟 Prayer & Culture: Cultivating a joyful, faith-filled school environment.
🌟 Enrollment Management & Marketing: Driving sustainable growth and effectively telling your school's unique story.
🌟 Hiring & Managing Staff: Attracting, mentoring, and leading a high-performing team of educators.

📝 How to Apply:
We use a competitive application process based on your experience and desire to grow. Admission is rolling until all spots are filled, and you will hear back within two weeks of applying.
📝 Take the next step in your educational vocation. Apply today!

“The task of the educator is to bring the soul from the shadows of ignorance into the light of truth.” — St. Catherine of Siena 🕯️✨

This profound call to action is the inspiration behind our theme, “Stepping into the Light,” for the 14th Annual ICLE National Conference (July 14-17 in Columbus, OH).

We are humbled to be welcoming a record-breaking flock of over 540 Catholic educators from 150+ apostolates across 4 countries—all united to step into formation in the fullness of the Church’s intellectual tradition.

Our conference schedule balances deep pedagogical formation with rich spiritual nourishment, featuring daily Mass, Holy Confession, Visio Divina led by Benedictus Art, and an optional Brown Scapular investiture and enrollment on Thursday, July 16, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

🕊️ Our 2026 Attendees:
3 Bishops & 12 Diocesan Superintendents leading the charge
44 Priests (including 38 Pastors at Parish Schools)
17 Religious Sisters bringing their vital witness
105 Heads of School / Principals & 163 Academic Faculty members
Representation spanning 68 Dioceses worldwide, from the U.S. to Colombia, Australia, and New Zealand!

🎻 We will conclude our week in joyful fellowship with a festive banquet and a live performance by the Dominican friars of The Hillbilly Thomists.

🛜 While our physical seats are full, we invite you to register for livestream access and/or join the waitlist: https://catholicliberaleducation.org/events/national-conference/

👉 Explore the full Schedule of Events here: https://whova.com/embedded/event/uTaUA60m-eN0rX3T79RlVk-qI3x%40rC2ES0bxbYYrSQU%3D/?utc_source=ems

👩‍🎓 👨‍🎓 Check out our Speaker Line-up here: u@pV7qYbHIWlDmE8skzwrHY3V7LWR2ldcPij7X556aQ=/?view_all=false" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://whova.com/embedded/speakers/u@pV7qYbHIWlDmE8skzwrHY3V7LWR2ldcPij7X556aQ=/?view_all=false

How might storytelling shape the souls of our students?

We were grateful to have ICLE Faculty and Catholic Educator Formation and Credential program (CEFC) Cohort Director, Elizabeth Black, represent the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette's recent conference, "Inspire, Educate, Transform: The Mission of Catholic Liberal Education."

Elizabeth presented, "The Moral Imagination: the Power of Narrative." She explored how deep engagement with great stories helps students cultivate virtue, discern truth, and see the world through a lens of hope and beauty.

Thank you to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette for hosting this inspiring gathering of educators dedicated to reclaiming the Church's rich educational tradition.

"We were made for so much more..."

Last Friday, June 12 — on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus — the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education's (ICLE) own Vice President of Diocesan and School Relations, Danny Flynn, joined Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell on EWTN's Son Rise Morning Show to discuss the mission of Catholic liberal education: to free teachers and students for the joyful pursuit of faith, wisdom, and virtue.

📱What does recent data regarding cellphones in classrooms have to do with this mission and the formation of the whole person?

You can listen to the discussion starting at the 23-minute mark here: https://ondemand.ewtn.com/Home/Play/en/~NZ20260612

🌟Calling all Diocesan Leaders in Catholic Education!

Looking for professional renewal and a strong network of peers in Catholic education?

Check out this inspiring reflection by Steve Cunningham on his time in the Diocesan Leaders Academy (DLA). As the second cohort comes to a conclusion, Steve took the time to highlight the deep intellectual formation, spiritual renewal, and lasting professional relationships built through the program.

🌟 The DLA is now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 cohort. Don't miss this opportunity to help shape the future of Catholic schools.

🌟 Read more and apply here: https://catholicliberaleducation.org/2026/06/10/58634/

Faculty members at Aquinas Academy in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin kicked off their summer with a joyful exploration of the Quadrivium, considering how these disciplines help students to travel the path from wonder to wisdom. ICLE team members Katie Gillett and Jake Tawney enjoyed their time with the earnest and gracious educators!

When Count Carlo Muccioli finished his grand oil painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for St. Peter’s Basilica, it underwent a startling transformation before it ever reached the altar. The artwork was commissioned to celebrate the devotion surrounding St. Margaret Mary Alacoque who was canonized in 1920. The historic Vatican Mosaic Studio cut the original canvas into 45 separate pieces.

These fragments were distributed to artisans across the Vatican workshop. Each artisan spent five years of meticulous labor translating their specific section of the canvas into a permanent masterpiece.

Using only a double-edged hammer and a steel chisel, the artisans hand-cut millions of tiny tiles. For the shadows and flesh tones, they melted glass over fires, stretching it into microscopic threads. Each tile was placed into a slow-drying stucco formula.

When the work was fully assembled and cemented into the basilica wall, the 45 pieces came together to form the beautiful image of Christ revealing His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary.

In today’s world that is often presents us with shortcuts, this multi-year labor feels countercultural. Shortcuts promise to save us time, but what do they cost us?

When we bypass the slow, patient process of crafting something meaningful, we sometimes skip the formative fire that refines our character. By taking the time to use time-tested tools and enduring traditions, we resist the frantic rush of efficiency for its own sake. In that deliberate space, we end up cultivating our minds and hearts in the exact way that God intended and for which we are uniquely created. With its center on Christ, this is the beauty of the Catholic liberal arts pedagogy.

The Sacred Heart itself teaches us that the stuff of flesh, of blood, and at times uncomfortable thorns and tedious suffering is the most worthwhile when such is required for us to love like Christ. The Incarnation means that our physical reality, including the long hours of work and the quiet sacrifices of teaching, is often exactly where God’s grace takes root.

Real love is rarely efficient, and it cannot be automated by a digital shortcut. It requires the physical, painstaking offering of ourselves, our time, our skills — our talents.

As we near the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, may we appreciate and reflect upon when we have taught from a heart of flesh instead of stone. Let us look to the Sacred Heart as our guide.

May we seek to love like the heart presented to Margaret Mary Alacoque in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

May your summer give you respite and a chance to step back in prayerful gratitude of the moments with your students that coalesced into the radiant, fleshy heart, reflective of the love of the Logos.

🖼️:Altar of the Sacred Heart. Carlo Muccioli, ca. 1923. St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. (Mosaic based on the original painting by Carlo Muccioli, executed by the Vatican Mosaic Studio.)