CV NEWS FEED // A classical Catholic school will host a gala called Courage Under Fire in Nashville, Tennessee, rallying members of the pro-life movement to “be courageous” in a culture in need of truth, beauty, and goodness.
Regina Caeli Academy (RCA) is hosting the Courage Under Fire gala on May 24 at the prestigious Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. The event will raise funds for tuition assistance.
The formal-attire gala will feature several speakers, including former Planned Parenthood director-turned-pro-life advocate Abby Johnson, Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh, Catholic Kansas City Chiefs football player Harrison Butker, and “the surfer priest” Fr. John Calloway, among others.
Gala attendees will have the opportunity to meet the speakers, enjoy a three-course dinner and refreshments, and hear a live concert by Catholic praise and worship musician Seph Schlueter.
RCA Media Coordinator Byrnn Turner told CatholicVote that “Courage Under Fire is, first and foremost, a rally for our pro-life community.”
“The speakers, supporters, special guests, and attendees share the belief that the post-Roe pro-life movement is dependent upon raising courageous, faithful Catholics who are not afraid to defend those who cannot defend themselves,” Turner continued.
“With this shared vision, we believe the most effective way to ensure this battle continues is through investing in programs that are proven to raise courageous voices for life,” she added.
Turner explained that RCA “provides families with a learning environment, curriculum, and support structure which is inherently, unabashedly, pro-life.”
RCA has locations across the United States, including in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, TX, as well as Atlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD, and Nashville, TN, among 14 other locations. The Courage Under Fire gala will move to various other states in subsequent years.
The curriculum RCA uses is “carefully designed,” Turner said, and
has been optimized for this learning environment with the goal of providing an education that will cultivate a mind pursuant of truth. It is a rigorous, accredited classical curriculum supporting families with students from PreK through 12th grade and students graduate with accredited transcripts.
The tuition at RCA is “family-centered,” Turner said:
Our families are often large and single-income, and we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. While we have generous tuition discounts and free tuition for the fifth child onward, we rely on the generous support of our community to assist our families in covering the tuition expenses which fund our centers.
“Courage Under Fire is a way for all supporters of this type of education to demonstrate their support,” Turner added.
The Courage Under Fire website states about the inaugural gala:
Our high-profile featured guests, including Matt Walsh and Abby Johnson, will speak on how to have courage and stand up for the truth, no matter what adversity may be faced. Stand among the most influential leaders in the conservative movement for a night of connection and inspiration.
Turner told CatholicVote that RCA “firmly [believes] that pro-life means supporting the inherent right to life from beginning to end, and we are intentional about ‘walking the walk’ within our own organization as well as without.”
RCA is a hybrid school. The academy “is accredited by the National Association of Private and Independent Catholic Schools (NAPCIS),” Turner explained:
Students learn at their local campus twice a week, in grade-specific classrooms, taught by teachers (who we refer to as tutors) who are trained in the Socratic method to lead intentional discussion as the students grow through stages of grammar, logic and rhetoric.
They continue their learning at home for the remainder of the week, under the guidance of their parents, who remain the primary educators (CCC 2223).
The reason for the hybrid structure, Turner pointed out, is “to support the parents in the education of their children. That is why we do not refer to our in-classroom tutors as teachers, as they provide a supportive role rather than the primary role.”
She added that the “Catholic faith is embedded into both culture and curriculum at RCA,” and that all tutors are required to take an “oath of fidelity” to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.
Differing from many à-la-carte-style homeschool programs, RCA’s curriculum is “determined by grade level,” with “subject lesson plans … designed to complement each other.”
“For example,” Turner continued, “in the younger grades students learn about history, Saints, and geography in combination… This aids in investment and retention, but is also a fun way to learn!”
RCA’s mission as a school “is to ‘Train the Mind to Form the Soul’,” Turner said. “Regina Caeli encourages our students to strive for excellence in academics as well as in virtuous living, self-discipline, and accountability through a classical education taught in light of the Catholic tradition.”
As a lively pro-life rally, Courage Under Fire also aims to inspire attendees and to “Ignite the Heart of Our Culture” with heroic virtue.
Readers can learn more and purchase tickets for the Courage Under Fire gala by clicking here.
The post ‘Courage Under Fire’: A Pro-Life Gala Fundraising for a Classical Catholic School appeared first on CatholicVote org.