Born Out of a CRISIS
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ARE FAILING FOR A REASON.
They have lost touch with our rich tradition. Sacred Heart Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan was one of many casualties. Once home to more than 800 students, the number had dwindled to under 70 by 2012. Rather than close its doors for good, Fr. Robert Sirico refounded the school as a Catholic K-12 academy–with a central focus on liturgy and classical pedagogy.
The transformation was remarkable. Today, the Academy serves nearly 400 students and has been recognized in the Classic Learning Test's Top 25 National High School Rankings multiple years in a row.
The renewal of Sacred Heart Academy soon became a blueprint for others. In 2021, Fr. Sirico founded the St. John Henry Newman Institute to help schools around the world return to their Catholic roots. By marrying faith and reason, schools now have the tools and network they need to build thriving communities–places where students are inspired to know, love, and serve God.
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Every year, Sacred Heart Academy students pay homage to St. John Henry Newman’s treasured saying, “Heart speaks to heart,” (Cor ad cor loquitur)
—OUR MISSION
TO GROW FLOURISHING CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE RENEWAL OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
—OUR IDENTITY
THE SAINT BEHIND OUR NAME.
Saint John Henry Newman was made a cardinal in 1879 and canonized as a saint in 2019. He was a theologian, educational leader, and apologist whose conversion from Anglicanism in 1845 ignited public controversy.
As a convert, Newman had a special appreciation for liturgical tradition. A traveler and poet, Newman’s writings became highly influential, both for their doctrinal depth and understanding of beauty. The St. John Henry Newman Institute honors this Doctor of the Church and patron of Catholic education by reveling in the beauty of mystery, while embracing doctrinal educational models.
—OUR PEOPLE
MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
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RENEWAL
