Philosophy

In its most recent council, the Church clearly stated that parents are the first and foremost
educators of their children, and that "their role as educators is so decisive that scarcely anything can
compensate for their failure in it" (Declaration on Christian Education - Vatican II). Furthermore,
this same thinking was eloquently expressed by the late Pope John Paul II when he stated that "the
right and duty of parents to give education is essential...it is original and primary with regard to the
educational role of others...it is irreplaceable and inalienable and therefore incapable of being
entirely delegated to others or usurped by others" (Familiaris Consortio). In acknowledging these
fundamental truths about education, Padre Pio Academy seeks to assist parents in the formation
and education of their children by providing an atmosphere that compliments the same Christian
spiritual, intellectual, moral, and physical formation that the students receive at home. Thus the
school enables the parents to more completely fulfill those tasks of education that they are not able
to with their own solitary efforts.

However, a true education must not seek simply to impart knowledge of the various disciplines -
most importantly, it should give students the tools whereby they can live life fully and acquire
knowledge by their own efforts - that is, to be a life-long learner. These tools will include the ability
to reason from premise to conclusion, to distinguish, to articulate well, and to persuade. These
educational techniques, which have been used for centuries in both European and American
schools and led directly to the influential men and women who have fashioned Western
civilization, can only continue to produce graduates who will be capable of excellence in the many
facets of life, fully armed to meet the modern challenges of our secular culture.

Yet, it is hard to dispute that the success of such an educational endeavor largely depends on the
responsibility of the family as well as the school, through mutual reinforcement, to set and maintain
high standards of moral conduct for all students. These moral habits, founded in the Gospel
principles, are the foundation stone for building a life of virtue which will be erected with the
educational materials that a student has received from his school. Through the balanced integration
of our Roman Catholic faith and direct experiences of learning, life, and service, we can begin the
formation of Padre Pio Academy students as future Christian role models and leaders in our
secular and church communities.