Discover Chesterton
Our Model of Education
Inspired by Saint Pope John Paul II, we take as our motto Cultura Vitae, the culture of life. We make it our mission to prepare our students to triumph over the materialism and despair that pervade our culture and to accept our Lord's offer to have life and have it abundantly. Our classical curriculum combines a broad liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the cultivation of Christian virtues and an appreciation of beauty.
The Three Pillars
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We teach the classics of Western thought from physics to philosophy, and the interrelationship of the great ideas; teaching students not merely what to think but how to think.
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We help students grow in the four cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice, which we believe are the foundation of leadership.
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Our students come to understand and embrace the truth of why they exist: to know God, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and be happy with Him forever in the next.
Our Patrons
G.K. Chesterton
The Chesterton Schools Network is named for the great English writer and Catholic convert, G.K. Chesterton (1874- 1936). Chesterton is our school’s patron because he exemplified the Catholic faith through a life filled with joy, wonder, and gratitude.
Chesterton was considered one of the world’s most outstanding men of letters in the early 20th century. An accomplished essayist, novelist, and poet, he wrote a hundred books on all different subjects. In 1922, he shocked the literary establishment by converting to Catholicism. He was later eulogized by Pope Pius XI as “a gifted defender of the faith,” and there is presently a popular movement to have him canonized. He not only represents the fullness of faith and reason, but also Catholic joy and common sense.
St. Margaret Clitherow
Called the "Pearl of York," St. Margaret Clitherow was a beloved wife, mother, and Catholic school teacher. Saint Margaret was one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970. Martyred under the persecution of Catholics overseen by the government of the apostate Queen Elizabeth I of England, St. Margaret gave her young life for our Lord and for his Roman Catholic Church and mass. After she converted to the Catholic Church, she bravely hid priests in her home so that as many people as possible could receive the sacraments. For this she was ultimately arrested and pressed to death on March 25, 1586. At her death she was 30 years old, and tradition tells us that she was almost certainly pregnant when she died. Saint Margaret's daughter became a contemplative nun, and her two sons were ordained missionary priests for the conversion of England. At the place of her execution, Saint Margaret made one of the most beautiful and powerful Catholic confessions of faith ever recorded.
The Chesterton Schools Network
Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow is part of the Chesterton Schools Network based in Minneapolis. An apostolate of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, the Chesterton Schools Network aims to inspire and encourage parent-led Catholic schools across the nation. The Network offers consulting services, templates for evaluating interest and operating a school, and the Chesterton Academy curriculum framework.