Massachusetts
Massachusetts Catholic school expands with classic-inspired building
CNA Staff, Dec 28, 2024 / 06:00 am
A group of home schooling moms in Massachusetts banded together more than a decade ago with a vision: a classical Catholic school for their children centered on Christ.
St. Benedict Classical Academy, which began in 2013 with 25 students, has since grown to more than 300 and until recently was operating out of a humble schoolhouse in Natick, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston.
But on Dec. 2, St. Benedict Classical Academy (SBCA) opened its new campus — a $20 million classical-inspired structure that the headmaster, Jay Boren, said is designed to “lift the hearts and minds of all who enter it to the contemplation of God.”
“Architecture is the first teacher of the student, so it was very important to our community that the new schoolhouse ‘teach’ the student the importance of what they do each day,” Boren told CNA.
The headmaster sees classical architecture as “the best-suited design to articulate the truths of God.”
The building was designed by architect Nic Charbonneau, director of the Sacred Architecture Studio, a group that for the last quarter-century has aimed to promote a return to the sacred in architecture by learning from the richness of ecclesiastical history.
“As our architect, Nic Charbonneau says, ‘Classicism is a form of human art which is most deeply in touch with divinity and uncreated truths, through the lens of the human mind, as it seeks understanding of creation,’” Boren said.
“Beauty and truth are inseparable — they are two sides of the same face,” Boren explained. “As the students seek to know the truth in their studies it is only fitting that they do it in a building whose beauty turns their minds to God.”
Growing through community
It’s no small effort to build a school that lifts the hearts of students and teachers to the contemplation of God.
But St. Benedict’s passionate community of families, alumni parents, and supporters around the world all came together to fund the undertaking.
“Both current community members as well as friends of SBCA spanning the globe have stepped up financially in truly humbling, awe-inspiring ways,” Boren said, noting that nearly 100% of parents have given to St. Benedict’s annual fund.
Families don’t just give their treasure to ensure their children attend St. Benedict’s — they also put in time, support, and gas money.
Families commute from more than 40 towns to attend St. Benedict’s, sometimes coming across state lines.
When asked what contributed to the school’s growth over the years, Boren cited the enthusiasm of parents as well as the success of students and graduates.
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“It is very clear that the parents of MetroWest Boston are looking for a school focused on faith, intellect, and character and given how consistently SBCA has delivered on all those fronts for 12 years, we only see the interest continuing to rise,” he said.
But it’s not only the mission — it’s also the people.
“From the moment it was conceived of, SBCA has been a school made up of people who see this place and the work it takes to bring it to fruition as the Lord’s work,” Boren said. “This means that there is little our community will not do to ensure its success — and with great joy to boot!”
Boren credits the hard work of parents early on in the school’s founding — a close involvement that continues today.
“In the early days, parents did herculean work to ensure SBCA’s success — authoring our very mission statement, recruiting board members and faculty and even filling in staffing gaps,” he continued. “They went so far as to support student supervision during lunch and recess to ensure faculty got the breaks and planning time they needed in the first three years we were open.”
Boren said that this “SBCA tradition” of strong support for faculty still continues today.
“No detail is too small,” he said, noting that on the first Friday of every month, families “bring in a parade of treats and snacks, our cherished ‘first Friday treats,’ just to give the whole team a little boost.”
But that’s not the only SBCA tradition. Families also jump in to support teachers and staff when their families grow.
“Another beloved tradition is that each time a faculty member has a new baby, they are showered with meals for weeks,” Boren said.
Teachers and staff also go above and beyond.
“On their end of things, faculty reciprocate freely, going above and beyond to attend to their own students as well as frequently volunteering to coach, lead enrichment activities after school or just offering a helping hand to [a] student or parent that needs some extra encouragement,” Boren said.
Building saints for heaven
At St. Benedict’s, the goal is to make saints and citizens.
When asked how Catholic identity is central to St. Benedict’s, Boren responded: “In short, we are here to build scholars for our republic and saints for heaven.”
“Our most important, core goal, is to help each student advance on their journey to heaven while they are with us,” he continued. “All else flows from our joy in this work, all else is inspired by our total commitment to reaching this high bar, each day.”
SBCA keeps Christ at the center through a variety of practical ways, from weekly Mass to monthly adoration and confession, as well as daily theology classes. For younger students, SBCA offers Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — a Montessori-inspired theology program — for its early learning, pre-kindergarten program.
“Our primary identity as an institution is our Catholicism,” Boren explained. “It is with immense joy that we embrace and do not take for granted the freedom our educators and school leaders have to place Christ at the center and the teachings of his holy Church at the forefront of all teaching and learning at SBCA.”
This involves “a rhythm of prayer, work, play in the daily life of the school,” the headmaster said.
St. Benedict’s brings together academic rigor with its “primary identity” as a Catholic institution. As a classical K–8, it follows the grammar and logic phases of a classical education.
“If we always begin with prayer, then invite full focus on calm, orderly work, and afterwards provide open-ended time for true play — not facilitated activities but true playtime outdoors, in nature, supervised but not micromanaged — we find that our broad array of students are able to reach for the high bar we set,” Boren said.
St. Benedict’s also prioritizes creating “a culture of vocations” through inviting religious and priests to visit and speak with students, Boren explained.
But every day, mission-oriented teachers “provide a living witness” of prayer and faith to students at St. Benedict’s.
“Children notice the attitude and behaviors of the adults around them, and we have a team who are all aligned in striving ardently to be as close to God as possible,” Boren said.
Teachers and staff “constantly weave the teachings of Our Lord and his Church into our approach to forming our students’ characters and intellects,” Boren noted.
“In every academic subject, especially art and music, we are free to explore Christ’s role and influence on any given age, and incorporate the truth about God’s role in inspiring so many great thinkers, makers, and doers in every age,” Boren continued.
“This stocks our students’ memories and imaginations with living, breathing examples of the great adventure it is to seek and follow Christ!” Boren said.
Even as the curriculum, teachers, and staff are centered on Christ, the building itself is designed to influence students’ imaginations and raise them to Christ.
“We wanted a beautiful classical school that would articulate to the world through its beauty the important work going on in the classrooms,” Boren said.
“It stands as a testament to all who pass that we can still build beautiful things and the human search for the good, true, and beautiful never ends.”
Kate Quiñones is a staff writer for Catholic News Agency and a fellow of the College Fix. She has been published by the Wall Street Journal, the Denver Catholic Register, and CatholicVote, and she graduated from Hillsdale College. She lives in Colorado with her husband.
Several Cape Cod and South Coast communities in Massachusetts are still digging out three days after a historic blizzard buried neighborhoods in several feet of snow, complicating emergency response efforts and prompting additional state support.
Cities and towns including Brockton, Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River received outside assistance Thursday as crews continued to plow streets and clear critical infrastructure. While road conditions have improved in many areas, officials said buried fire hydrants remain a serious concern.
NBC10 Boston obtained Taunton police body camera footage that captured first responders scrambling to locate a hydrant during a house fire on Plain Street.
“Looking for a hydrant now,” one first responder can be heard saying. “They’re all buried.”
At one point, an officer asked a bystanders for help.
A home was burned to the ground after an explosion that left two people injured.
Officials said the home exploded after a gas leak Wednesday, leaving a family of three displaced.
The mother and daughter were treated for serious burns.
William Shivers, who helped firefighters dig out a hydrant, described the urgency.
“We took the shovels, and we were just banging into the snow, looking for a fire hydrant,” he said.
After locating a hydrant using a map on his phone, Shivers and firefighters were able to clear it, but he said the delay could have been worse.
Two people are in the hospital and neighbors are worried about safety after an explosion and fire reduced a house to rubble.
“Imagine how many more how many more minutes that would have been wasted, you know, shoveling, just going through the snow,” said Shivers.
The case underscores the broader challenges facing first responders across the region following Monday’s storm.
Firefighters in Watertown also experienced delays accessing hydrants during a fire on Tuesday.
Snow and ice presented challenges as firefighters battled flames Tuesday.
Gov. Maura Healey toured parts of the South Coast on Thursday and said the region was hit especially hard.
“This whole region, I think, was ground zero,” she said.
Healey said the state will continue deploying resources to affected communities.
“We won’t take our foot off the gas at all,” she said.
The governor activated the Massachusetts National Guard. Troops assisted with snow removal in Plymouth, conducted wellness checks in Duxbury and provided medical and logistical support in Fall River.
Matt Medeiros of Fall River was praised by the governor and other officials for developing an app that allows residents to report unplowed streets.
“It’s just hoping to get those resources in and everyone just staying out of the way of trucks and equipment,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mansfield implemented a parking ban at 8 p.m. Thursday to allow plows to clear roads more efficiently.
Matthew Lawlor of WalkUp Roslindale, a nonprofit advocating for clean and safe streets, emphasized that residents also play a role in public safety.
“The fire hydrant piece of it’s essential,” he noted.
Lawlor urged neighbors to clear hydrants near their homes before an emergency strikes, while also calling on elected officials to provide some incentives.
“To the extent that people can be encouraged to dig those hydrants out as soon as they can, so that it’s not waiting until something happens,” he said.
State officials said the blizzard slowed plowing operations, contributing to the lag in sending additional help to some communities. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said it hopes to deploy its 200 pieces of equipment to impacted areas within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Massachusetts
Healey announces deal for free online AI training from Google for Mass. residents – The Boston Globe
Massachusetts residents will be able to take Google’s online training courses about artificial intelligence and other tech topics for free under a deal that the state announced on Thursday.
The courses, which cover topics ranging from how to use cutting-edge AI tools for work to applications in cybersecurity and e-commerce, normally cost $49 per month. Residents who complete the courses can earn professional certifications from the tech giant.
Governor Maura Healey, who unveiled the free offering at an event at Google’s office in Kendall Square, is going all-in on AI as she mounts her reelection campaign. At a time when polls show deep mistrust of AI and some Democrats such as Senator Bernie Sanders are calling for restricting AI, Healey has embraced the technology.
“We’re working to put the benefits of this technology to use for everybody,” Healey said. “We want our innovators and companies and talent to know that this is the place to be if you want to be on board with using AI to more quickly cure diseases and find treatments and solve problems.”
Healey previously set aside $100 million to spur AI business development in Massachusetts and earlier this month announced the state would contract with OpenAI to provide a version of ChatGPT for 40,000 state workers.
The government efforts got a big assist in January, when a group of local tech companies led by Whoop formed a private-sector coalition to promote AI startups. AI usage has exploded across many industries and stock market investors have driven up the price of some AI-related companies while selling off stocks of software companies that could be displaced by AI apps.
Google launched its online tech training courses almost 10 years ago and said it has issued professional certifications to more than one million people. Almost three-quarters of people who were certified said the courses helped them at work by leading to a promotion, new job, or raise, within six months, Google said.
The company’s new AI certification online course, announced earlier this month, covers topics such as learning how to write a prompt for an AI chatbot and how to use the apps to write software, a growing practice known as “vibe coding,” as it does not require deep knowledge of programming.
Lisa Gevelber, founder of the tech giant’s Grow with Google online training program, said the company has worked previously with other states such as Pennsylvania and Oklahoma to offer free tech training courses, but Massachusetts will be the first to offer the new AI course to residents for free.
The online training programs for residents will be available through the Massachusetts AI Hub, an initiative funded by Healey’s earlier $100 million AI effort.
Despite Healey’s recent efforts and the state’s long history as a leader in the tech industry, most of the development of AI and the birth of leading AI companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity has happened elsewhere. While local universities are producing plenty of AI research, only a handful of major startups, such as music generator Suno and model developer Liquid AI, are based in Massachusetts.
In her remarks on Thursday, Healey addressed some of the underlying concerns about the technology. “People are nervous about AI and the uses of AI and the potentially negative uses of AI, and what could happen,” she said. “The more of us that know AI, that understand AI, that work with AI, the safer I believe we’re going to be, and the more appropriate guardrails will be put in place, because more people will understand. And that’s why we’re promoting AI literacy and learning in our schools, and it’s why we’re making this available through Google.”
Aaron Pressman can be reached at aaron.pressman@globe.com. Follow him @ampressman.
Massachusetts
Seven high school sports takeaways from the first full day of hockey and basketball tournaments – The Boston Globe
Find all of Wednesday’s playoff action here:
Not seeing your team’s highlights in Takeaways? Here are all the ways to submit scores and stats to Globe Schools via phone, email, and social media.
▪ With a 16-point night in a 51-41 Division 3 preliminary-round win over Auburn, Hudson senior Kristina Bruce became the school’s all-time scoring leader, surpassing Jake Loewen’s total of 1,278, set in 2013. Bruce finished the game with 1,283.
▪ Bishop Feehan girls’ hockey junior Georgia Murray is now the program’s all-time points leader with 115 after netting two goals and an assist in a 3-0 Division 1 first-round win over Hopktinton/Dover-Sherborn. In the same game, senior Aviva Olitsky surpassed 1,500 career saves.
▪ Holliston/Ashland senior Oli Lareau notched an assist in a 2-1 Division 3 preliminary-round win over Nashoba Tech/Greater Lowell to reach 100 career points. It marked the Panthers’ first playoff win in 11 years.
▪ Pope Francis senior captain Matt Regan reached 100 career points with a hat trick in a 5-1 Division 1 first-round win over Belmont.
▪ Milton senior Sabrina Stone logged a goal and an assist to get to 100 career points in an 8-1 first-round win over Ashland/Medway.
Just two days into the basketball and hockey tournaments, no fewer than seven higher-seeded teams have fallen, not counting matchups that are withing one seed of each other.
The highest seed to falter thus far is No. 10 Methuen boys’ hockey, which was sent home by No. 23 Groton-Dunstable, 5-4, as Crusaders goalie Cam Columbus made 50 saves and Mac Kahwati notched the power-play winner with 3:30 remaining.
Also stumbling out of the game was No. 12 Westfield boys’ hockey, which fell, 4-1, to No. 21 Danvers and Cooper Dunham, who factored in all four goals, scoring three of them. The highest seed eliminated on the girls’ side is No. 13 Arlington Catholic, which suffered a 2-1 defeat to No. 20 Acton-Boxborough in the first round.
The rest: No. 42 Hudson boys’ basketball, 57-56, over No. 23 Chelsea; No. 36 Norwood boys’ basketball, 60-55, over No. 29 Agawam, and No. 34 Lowell Catholic boys’ basketball, 65-53, over No. 31 Saugus.
With less than a second on the clock, Shrewsbury’s Paige O’Donnell delivered the equalizer and Margaret Moody came through in overtime for a 3-2 Division 1 girls’ hockey win over Belmont.
Some honorable mentions: Cole MacKinnon’s overtime winner delivers Lynnfield boys’ hockey a 2-1 win over Blackstone Valley; Easthampton boys’ hockey wins 2-1 over Dedham after both teams were assessed penalties in overtime, leading to three-on-three play; Nico Santella’s double-overtime goal allowed No. 8 St. John’s (Shrewsbury) to survive an upset bid from No. 25 Acton-Boxborough, 2-1; Pauly Scaltrito netted the overtime winner for Bridgewater-Raynham in a 4-3 triumph over North Andover.
Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop — The senior racked up 30 points and snagged six rebounds in an 81-51 preliminary-round win over Smith Vo-Tech.
Jason Drake, Medway — The senior captain connected for four goals to propel Medway to a 7-5 first-round triumph over McCann Tech.
Jackson Dunton, Blackstone-Millville — The junior erupted for 33 points to push the Chargers past Mystic Valley, 78-70, in a preliminary-round game.
Kara Gambale, Billerica/Chelmsford — The junior notched an assist on all five of the Lindians’ goals in a 5-1 victory vs. Brookline.
Adrianna Girard, Blackstone-Millville — Bound for the the Marine Corps, the senior flirted with a quadruple-double with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 10 steals, and 8 blocks in a 49-21 preliminary-round win over Lynn Tech.
Grant Neal, Lynnfield — The junior dominated the paint with 21 points and 15 rebounds in a 57-47 preliminary-round victory over Ludlow.
Matt Pedroli, Hopkinton — The sophomore factored into all five goals during a 5-4 first-round win over Gloucester, producing a hat trick and two assists.
Shawn Tierney and Timmy Murphy, Billerica — The seniors both produced 5 points, with Tierney scoring three times and dishing two assists, and Murphy doing the opposite in an 8-1 first-round destruction of Amesbury/Whittier.
David Stein announced he is stepping down after two seasons as boys’ basketball coach at Whittier Tech. Whittier went 7-33 over his two seasons.
“Excited for what is next for me,” he wrote on social media.
6. Basketball leaderboard
(includes Tuesday’s games)
Liam MacPhee, Stoneham, 37
Jackson Dunton, Blackstone-Millville, 33
Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop, 30
Niles Scott, Methuen, 28
Julia Walsh, Dedham, 28
Ashley Cohen, Bedford, 24
Shauna O’Brien, Pingree, 23
Delvis Rodriguez, Lowell Catholic, 23
Meredith Gibbs, Dover-Sherborn, 22
Andrew Karaban, Hudson, 22
Jimmy Mortarelli, Natick, 22
Grant Neal, Lynnfield, 21
Mike Dever, Norwood, 20
Allyson Johnson, Blue Hills, 20
Sofia Pichay, Ursuline, 20
Grant Neal, Lynnfield, 15
Ben Clarkin, Lincoln-Sudbury, 13
Tony Dean, Stoneham, 12
Evie Roman, Pingree, 12
Niles Scott, Methuen, 12
Sarah Michel, Blue Hills, 11
Lizzy Bettencourt, Peabody, 10
Sophia Coburn, Peabody, 10
Prudence Kouhiko, Lawrence, 10
Jonathan Perez, Lawrence, 6
Collin Christiansen, Lowell, 5
Alex Echevarria, St. Mark’s, 5
Sara Graves, Pingree, 5
Sarah Michel, Blue Hills, 4
Adrianna Girard, Blackstone-Millville, 10
McKenna Devanney, Central Catholic, 7
Alinsa Ryan, Peabody, 5
Ben Clarkin, Lincoln-Sudbury, 4
CJ Farrell, St. Mark’s, 3
Allyson Johnson, Blue Hills, 3
Shauna O’Brien, Pingree, 3
Adrianna Girard, Blackstone-Millville, 8
Prudence Kouhiko, Lawrence, 3
(includes Tuesday’s games)
Jonah Rainisch, Berkshire, 5
Jason Drake, Medway, 4
Mia Amato, Billerica/Chelmsford, 3
Cooper Dunham, Danvers, 3
Jack Funk, Thayer, 3
Cam McKenna, Hingham, 3
Matt Pedroli, Hopkinton, 3
Matt Regan, Pope Francis, 3
Shawn Tierney, Billerica, 3
Charlotte Woodford, HPNA, 3
Lindsay Butt, Milton, 2
Jared Capella, Groton-Dunstable, 2
Nate Carter, Nashoba, 2
Stephen Constantine, Arlington Catholic, 2
Payton Curran, Reading, 2
Ella Duffy, Methuen/Tewksbury, 2
Payton Fitzgerald, Billerica/Chelmsford, 2
Jake Guerriero, Archbishop Williams, 2
Mia Kmiec, HPNA, 2
Dylan Krasco, Stoneham, 2
Bryce Leonard, Stoneham, 2
Paul McCullough, Scituate, 2
Timmy Murphy, Billerica, 2
Georgia Murray, Bishop Feehan, 2
Derek Perault, Wilmington, 2
Cam Petrillo, Arlington, 2
Charlie Puglisi, Winchendon, 2
Cam Rouillard, Nashoba, 2
Nico Santella, St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 2
Pauly Scaltrito, Bridgewater-Raynham, 2
Brody Sharpe, Milton Academy, 2
Cameron Smith, Billerica, 2
Becca Sobol, Shawsheen/Bedford/Lowell, 2
Aiden St. Pierre, St. Mary’s, 2
Avery Tapp, Woburn, 2
Brandon Ward, St. John’s Prep, 2
Chase Warsofsky, Cushing, 2
Kara Gambale, Billerica/Chelmsford, 5
Jake Cataldo, Billerica, 3
Cosmo Ciccarello, Stoneham, 3
Bryce Leonard, Stoneham, 3
Timmy Murphy, Billerica, 3
Payton Fitzgerald, Billerica/Chelmsford, 2
Chris Giacchetto, Stoneham, 2
Dante Guarino, Stoneham, 2
Jake Guerriero, Archbishop Williams, 2
Evan Jones, Belmont Hill, 2
Mia Kmiec, HPNA, 2
Colby Medeiros, Danvers, 2
Emrick O’Brien, Wilmington, 2
Matt Pedroli, Hopkinton, 2
Andrew Pugliese, Stoneham, 2
Lily Rodgers, Reading, 2
Sammy Ryan, Methuen/Tewksbury, 2
Shawn Tierney, Billerica, 2
Juliana Iozza, Westwood, 52
Cam Columbus, Groton-Dunstable, 50
Gavin Durand, Blue Hills, 39
Carson Brownridge, Arlington, 38
Michael Marenghi, Lynnfield, 29
Sam Griswold, Concord-Carlisle, 26
Liam Gagne, Billerica, 23
Rylee Middleton, Reading, 22
Hayden Tyrell, King Philip, 20
Conor Foley, Wellesley, 18
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
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