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Welcome to Our Lady Seat of Wisdom

OLSWA is a unique approach to the study of the liberal arts at the post-secondary level. In wholehearted solidarity with the Church's call for a renewal in culture we prepare students to grip confidently in mind and heart the future our Saviour Jesus Christ has readied for them.

Alumnus Spotlight: Jonathan

seankoechl.pngJonathan Koechl
Three-Year Program Graduate
Belwood, Ontario

"The Academy has provided me with an inestimable education, giving me the intellectual tools needed to both find and live out the truth."

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OLSWA Overview

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Now in its tenth year, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy offers one-, two-, and three-year post-secondary programs in the classical liberal arts, within the light of the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Our credits have been accepted at a growing number of universities and colleges, including Franciscan University of Steubenville, Christendom College, Holy Cross College, Redeemer University College, Dominican University College, and Tyndale University College.  Our alumni have been able to graduate with degrees from these schools in one to three years, depending upon their major of choice and the length of their studies at OLSWA.

Our programs feature courses in Philosophy, Theology, Literature, History, Languages, Mathematics, Music, Fine Arts, and Natural and Social Science. These studies help to deepen the student’s appreciation of the richness of his or her Catholic faith, and offer the intellectual tools needed to be an effective apostle in the third millennium.

We strive to keep our costs low:  For the 2010-2011 academic year, tuition is $5,950 per year plus a $110 student activities fee, while room and board for students in residence is $5,000 per year.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, there were approximately 75 students enrolled for full-time studies at OLSWA.

Mailing Address:                                                            
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy
P.O. Box 249
18 Karol Wojtyla Square
Barry's Bay ON K0J 1B0
Canada

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Student Life Overview

What follows is an overview of some of the key features of OLSWA’s Student Life program.  For more information on student life, please visit our Student Life page.  A complete guide to the policies and procedures pertaining to student life is available in the Student Handbook.

Residences

Students at the Academy live in small men’s and women’s households. The households are designed to foster genuine Christian friendship and growth, and the furthering of a sacramental prayer life. Residence life is more than merely living in a “dorm.”
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The Beauty of Barry's Bay

OLSWA is located in the picturesque village of Barry's Bay, Ontario, Canada. Just south of famous Algonquin Park the Academy is nestled in the natural wonderland of the Madawaska Valley and the cultural bouquet of Catholic Kashub Polish, Irish, French and Native cultures. st_hedwig_02.jpg

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A short drive from Algonquin Provincial Park, students are well placed to enjoy many outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, fishing, swimming, skating and skiing. Both Ottawa and Toronto are accessible within a few hours.  

Links:
Algonquin Park (official site | canoe routes)
Village of Barry's Bay (site1 | site2 | site3)
Home of Zura and the Avro Arrow (park | history)

The Madawaska Valley is a spiritual getaway for many people throughout the year.  Only kilometers away in Combermere you will find opportunity for spiritual direction and retreats with Madonna House Catholic Apostolate and the Companions of the Cross.  The region is also home to dozens of active Catholic families and a thriving Catholic homeschool network.

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History

A post-secondary Catholic liberal arts school here in Canada has been an aspiration and an ideal in the minds of many in the Madawaska valley. The dream seemed impossible, but, as we all know, that word does not apply to God. After all, what do you need to teach the truth? A few good books, a few good men and women willing to teach and be taught, and perhaps a building (at least, when the weather gets cold or wet!).

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Mission Statement

The purpose of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy is to form students intellectually and spiritually by providing a post-secondary education in the liberal arts in the light of the teaching of the Catholic Church and so renew modern culture in Christ.

The Academy is to provide this education by developing an accredited four-year liberal arts program, while offering a one-year foundational program, a two-year core curriculum program, and three-year programs in the core disciplines of the liberal arts.

 
Vision and Values

VISION

Under the mantle of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, we will provide a vibrant Catholic liberal arts education that integrates faith and reason in all of its disciplines, embraces Divine Revelation, and is rooted in the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Our students will be nourished in a thriving Catholic culture that, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, will lead them to answer God’s call to transform the world through their witness to the saving power of the Truth Who sets us free, Jesus Christ. 

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Latest Events

Classes Begin
September 07, 2010 (All Day)
First Academy Mass with Bishop Mulhall
September 07, 2010 (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
Outdoor Picnic
September 08, 2010 (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)

Calendar

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Student Life

(c) 2000-2010 OLSWA. 18 Karol Wojtyla Sq., Box 249, Barry's Bay, ON, K0J 1B0. 1-877-369-6520. Developed by Hyper Do Inc