Illinois diocese considers opening classical high school named for Fulton Sheen

After six years of inquiries from local families, the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, is considering opening a Catholic high school rooted in classical education and named for Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

The diocese is gauging interest among local families in the proposed Fulton Sheen Academy, which could open in fall 2027 at the former Cathedral School building in Springfield, according to a diocesan press release published Nov. 11 by NPR Illinois.

Mark Newcomb, director of the diocese’s Department for Catholic Education, outlined the academy’s aims.

“Classical education would be focused on the cultivation of virtue in students, and the pursuit of wisdom in their studies,” he said. “Our chief aim at Fulton Sheen Academy would be to form students who love truth, seek beauty, and live a life of goodness.”

That education would extend beyond the classroom, according to the release.

“The Catholic formation of such an academy would be integral for every subject and endeavor, Mass would be celebrated regularly, students would engage in the Corporal Works of Mercy, and feast and fast days would frame the social and institutional life of the school,” Newcomb said.

In the classroom, the academy would connect literature, math, art, and science through what the release described as “the lens of historical periods,” rather than organizing studies primarily by separate subjects.

In a Local Edition interview outlined in the release, he described the academy as a small school that would add a classical option alongside Catholic schools and homeschooling in Springfield.

The proposal remains exploratory as the diocese assesses family interest and commitment, according to the release, which also outlined plans for a national search for a headmaster to help select teachers. 

Archbishop Sheen, an Illinois native ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Peoria in 1919, was declared Blessed Sept. 24 in St. Louis, becoming the first American-born bishop to receive the title, as Zeale News previously reported.

In the release, Newcomb said, “The aim will be for a family of faith atmosphere, where we would build a culture of faith, learning, and laughter in the light of Jesus Christ and His teachings.”