Sacred Heart Academy Case Study
In January of 1905, Sacred Heart of Jesus School opened its doors in Grand Rapids, MI. By 1920, the school would boast 650 enrolled students, enrolling an additional 200 over the next five years. The early 1900s welcomed Catholic education and its hallmarks — as evidenced by enrollment. This initial success would lead Sacred Heart to expand its campus to meet the needs of its community. However, following the social turmoil of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the enrollment trend took a turn for the worse, and unfortunately, Sacred Heart’s later years did not match its early success.
At its height, Sacred Heart of Jesus could fit 800 students on the campus; yet, in 2012, Sacred Heart had no more than 68 students—nearly a 90% decrease in enrollment. While considering the financial viability of the school, then-Bishop of Grand Rapids, Walter Hurley, installed a new pastor to oversee either its closure or continuation. This critical juncture proved greatly fortuitous for the ailing institution.
Formation
Formation of the School
When Fr. Robert Sirico arrived on the scene in 2012, Sacred Heart of Jesus School hosted a mere 68 students, a teaching staff that included two public school teachers, a federal lunch program, and infrequent Mass times. After being installed as pastor, Fr. Sirico made the decision to refound the school as a Catholic, classical academy: Sacred Heart Academy. Inviting participation from members of the community who had the knowledge and experience to contribute to such a project, the Academy began to introduce new elements (curriculum and uniform changes) in its 2013-14 academic year, and entered its 2014-15 academic year as a fully refounded academy.
As of the present day, Sacred Heart Academy now boasts 397 students—an 85% increase in enrollment within a decade—with a sizable waitlist, an authentically Catholic classical curriculum, and daily mass, no public school teachers, a large staff of faithful, practicing Catholics, and accepts no money from the government.
Education
Cultural Transformation
Yet, this phoenix from the ashes revival of the school owes its thanks to more than just the cultural transformation. As an additional prong, and necessary means for parish revival, Fr. Sirico also sought to restore the Sacred Tradition through implementation of reverent liturgical practices. Having made all changes in a pastorally prudent manner, all masses at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish are now celebrated ad orientem, meaning that the priest and the congregation both face east; the parish also reinstalled the altar rail to more concretely divide the sanctuary from the nave and to provide parishioners with both a more reverent and efficient means of receiving Holy Communion. Nor did the music remain neglected. Under the leadership of knowledgeable and skilled music directors, the parish has benefited from a return to Gregorian chant and traditional Catholic hymns that do much to elevate the disposition of the congregation. The parish has been reintroduced to the wealth of traditional hymns both in English and in Latin. These seemingly innocuous moves toward reverence have increased the sense of the sacred and community in the parish community as a whole.
As a direct result of the cultural transformation and the return to reverence in the liturgy, Sacred Heart’s parish has increased in size, its involvement, and it’s giving. And news has spread quickly of the success. To date, Sacred Heart has fielded inquiries from communities across the country expressing a desire to undergo a similar transformation. Sacred Heart has hosted visits and shared expertise in assisting other parishes enjoy the same success that it has been blessed with. In response to this great yearning and to effectuate this transformation at a greater level, the St. John Henry Newman Institute formed as a means to leverage the experience of successful vendors (like Sacred Heart Academy) that possess expertise in Catholic classical education and reverent liturgy and to connect parish communities with these services.
Statistics
- In 2020, the Academy was named to the Cardinal Newman Society Catholic School Honor Roll.
- In 2021, Hillsdale College recognized Sacred Heart Academy with its Salvatori Prize for Excellence in teaching.
- Sacred Heart Academy has also been recognized in the Classic Learning Test’s (CLT) Top 25 National High School Rankings for three consecutive years (2019-2021), one of only seven schools to be named to the list in all three years of its existence.
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