Meet Our Founding Faculty!
We have had an incredible past month here at Chesterton Academy of St. Finbar (CASF) as we move ever closer to our inaugural year opening on August 11th!
Of course all of this is taking place at the same time that we saw the death of Pope Francis, and the election of our newest pontiff, Pope Leo XIV (Wow, the first American Pope...I wonder what Chesterton Academy house he will be pulling for? Hint, he is an Augustinian). With change comes opportunity for renewal and growth and we pray that our newest pope will be a beacon for those both in the Church as well as those seeking for more in this life.
So, while we celebrate and offer our prayers for our new Holy Father, we are also extremely pleased to announce that we have hired all of our teachers for the 2025/26 academic year!! What an INCREDIBLE collection of talented, Christ-centered, and mission-driven individuals we have added to our team. As I told the board recently, I look forward to auditing one or two of our courses this coming year as the depth, knowledge and experience of our teachers is second to none and our students are going to receive not only an outstanding education from them, but also learn from the real world experiences they will bring to our classrooms...we couldn't be more pleased with this result and it just adds to our excitement for the upcoming academic year. I would HIGHLY encourage you to click the link to the faculty page on our website (Faculty | Meet Our Educators — Chesterton Academy of St. Finbar) to learn more about them, as there is not enough room on this email to do that justice.
As such, please join me in welcoming the inaugural teachers for CASF's 2025/26 Academic Year:
Dr. Michele McCoy - MA, JD - Head of School along with Philosophy & Advanced Latin
Ms. Rachel Willoughby - MA - Theology, Latin & Mathematics
Mr. Toni Licari - MA - Science & Literature
Mr. Zane Jernigan - MA - History
Dr. Valentino Piran - MM, DSM - Music & Choir
Mrs. Emily French Kenny - Art & Art History
Dr. Laura Camacho, MBA, PhD - Debate
This past month has also seen us make great strides in working with you and other supporters to bridge the fundraising gap for our 2025/26 school year, however we still need your help! We have built a strong fundraising foundation, however want to cover all of our building improvements to the Cathedral Parish Hall and full-year operational expenses, and are still in need of raising $118,000 across the coming months to meet our full academic year budget. This amount completes our 2025/26 school year operational needs based on what we have already raised in current tuition, fees and fundraising/pledges to date.
Would you please consider making a financial gift to CASF? While we would love for you to join our Founding 100 Program, any amount in support of our mission would be greatly appreciated! You can make a donation online at Support CASF or reach out to me directly if you would like to discuss our plans or arrange a different payment method. As a 501C3, all donations are tax deductible.
It is through the generosity of people like you, who have allowed us to hire the caliber and character of our teachers and staff, and who will see this vision come to life in the years ahead. If you would like more information regarding the school please feel free to reach out. As always, we are grateful for your continued prayers, as they are deeply appreciated.
St. Finbar, pray for us!
Michael MacKinnon, Chairman of the Board of Directors