On Thursday, November 27th, approximately three hundred friends, supporters and members of the Academy gathered together in the John Paul Yakabuski Arena to celebrate American Thanksgiving. The tradition of holding an Academy celebration on this date was started by the Ferrant family five years ago.  The festivities honour all of our southern students, staff and friends, but most importantly, the event is a way for the Academy and the local community to come together for a time of thanksgiving and fellowship.  This year Dr. David Warner opened the evening by addressing the crowd, and a letter from the Barry’s Bay Mayor, John Hildebrandt, was read. The mayor regretted being unable to attend and spoke warmly of the relationship between the Academy and the community.

Our beloved American students

Afterwards, the American students sang "America the Beautiful" and a resounding round of the American National Anthem. Finally, everyone settled in to enjoy a delicious home-cooked feast of Turkey and pie. After the dinner, students Jenna Henry and Kathleen Molto led the crowd in traditional, folk ceilidh-dancing which lasted until late in the evening.

The Academy would like to thank all the volunteers who made the event a great success. Great thanks to Kathleen Molto, Jenna Henry and Mike Hayden for helping with the music and dancing, to Maja Polic, Maria Reilander and Maria Henry for coordinating , to the Platt family, to Lois Losole for organizing the food preparation, to Wendy Zakrzewski and Anne Bonnah, and especially to the Ferrant family—the event’s generous founders and benefactors. Thank you also to everyone who threw in a generous hand for dishes and hall clean-up afterwards.

See below for more photos.

Dr. Christine Schintgen, OLSWA's Chairman of Literature, gave a talk on Gerard Manley Hopkins at Ottawa's Theology on Tap on November 18. 

This talk elaborated on how Gerard Manley Hopkins, a Roman Catholic poet and priest, conveys beauty, truth, and goodness through his stunningly lovely poetry. It also explained, through an appreciation of his poetry, what enabled Hopkins to exclaim, at the end of his life, “I am so happy.” As a complement to the conceptual truths of philosophy and theology, great literature--such as the poems of Hopkins--embodies truth in works that are beautiful, giving new freshness and vitality to the perennial teachings arrived at by reason and faith.

Click here to view her talk, entitled "Gerard Manley Hopkins and the Secret of Happiness."

On October 19th the Academy made its annual pilgrimage from Barry’s Bay to the shrine of St. Mary’s Church in Wilno.

Enjoying the glowing autumn colors, the walkers sang hymns and prayed the rosary during the three-hour walk along a former railway track that winds between the two villages.

After a final steep climb, the pilgrims were able to enjoy a sweeping view of the surrounding farms and lakes before concluding with prayer before an image of the Divine Mercy inside the church.

Afterwards, the hungry walkers feasted at the Zakrzewski home on steaming Polish stew, mashed potatoes, fresh bread, and homemade pie. Finally, in the evening, they gathered around a bonfire, where people savoured spiced cider and enjoyed  one another's company. The sense of being united in purpose and prayer, the glorious sunlight, the merry company,and the delicious food combined to produce an event that was truly blessed with many joys and graces.  Many thanks to the Zakrzewski family for their generous hospitality!

On Sunday, September 21st, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy hosted an open house for the local community.  Students, faculty, and staff greeted the visitors who were invited to tour OLSWA’s two main buildings:  St. Joseph Hall, the former convent that has been OLSWA’s main building since the year 2000, and St. Mary Hall, a former elementary school building which stands next-door and which was acquired by OLSWA this past summer with support from the Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation.  The main reception, library, computer lab, music room, and a few classrooms are located in St. Mary’s, while St. Joseph Hall continues to house faculty offices, classrooms, and now a new study room as well as additional lounge space.  The basement now features a student lounge and St. Clare’s Cafe.

On this sunny and cheery day, visitors were entertained by some of the Academy’s talented students.  Jazz piano and old-time fiddling entertained over 200 new and old friends who came from around the community and as far as two hours away. 

Entertainers Elizabeth O'Brien and Elliott and Ben-David Warner

Guests were also treated to hotdogs and ice cream, baked goods, and there were even games and face-painting for the children.

Thank you to all who stopped by!  It was great to see you!

On Monday, August 25th, Bishop Michael Mulhall officially opened the Academy’s ninth academic year.   The mass was followed by a special celebration dinner and address by Academy president Dr. David Warner.

During the mass Bishop Mulhall directed his homily to the staff and students as he spoke about the sense of hope which a new school year brings. He referred to the sight of fresh faces and the embarking upon new studies as part of a continuing rhythm of life. He spoke about the “exhilaration of the first days” when we have a “goal before us appealing to something noble within us.” Especially within the context of faith, he said, the studies teach students what is important in life. Referring to the holy temple of the Old Testament, he said, “It’s not the gold that’s important. It’s the sacredness of the place that makes the gold important.” In this way, he indicated that the studies are important because of their eternal significance as they help people live a more fully human life. In this way, a liberal arts education becomes a tool to realize what’s important and what’s not important in life. He stated, “It’s a gift that never goes away.”

Directly after the homily, sixteen faculty and adjunct faculty members of the Academy teaching staff knelt before the bishop at the front of St. Hedwig’s Church. They made a Profession of Faith and swore an Oath of Fidelity, pledging to faithfully uphold and promote the teachings of the Catholic Church through their example and work as professors.

Faculty making Oath of Fidelity

POSITION OPENING

Position: Director of Development & Communications

Institution: Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy

Location: Barry’s Bay, Ontario, Canada

Reports to: President

Supervises: Development Office employees and volunteers

Liaises with: All Academy departments, especially the President’s Cabinet, Admissions, and the Board’s Finance and Development Committees, as well as subcontractors and consultants.

New students enjoying a pizza lunch on the lawn in front of the new St. Mary Hall.

On June 30th, the former Health Unit building in Barry’s Bay became the property of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy.  Many residents of Barry’s Bay will remember this new building, located right behind the Academy’s main facility, as their elementary school, St. Mary’s.  It has now “been promoted” to serve the needs of students in higher, post-secondary education. On July 1st, with faculty, staff, and parishioners present, Fr. Chris Shalla of St. Hedwig Church held a special ceremony to bless the new premises.

The building’s area measures approximately 5,000 square feet and will house much-needed lecture space, the computer lab, library, and some administrative offices.  Also, it will be the centre for the music program, headed by Maestro Uwe Lieflander of Ottawa’s Sacred Music Society.  It will be linked to the main building by a gravel pathway. 

In addition, the Academy’s main building, the former St. Joseph’s Convent, is undergoing renovations – a new reading-room is under construction, and a more spacious student lounge is planned.  Recently, the grounds were re-worked to address a flooding problem.

Also, in sight of the school, on Stafford Street, a new student residence is under construction. At nearly 3,000 square feet of space, the house will be comfortable and pleasant, in view of the bay, with open green space right across the street.

As the Academy expands, the school administration wishes to thank the Township of Madawaska Valley, the merchants, and the people of Barry’s Bay for their on-going encouragement, support, and services.

Donations to help support our expansion project can be made through our website, by clicking on “Contribute” in the main menu; or by cheque to: Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, 18 Karol Wojtyla Square, P.O. Box 249, Barry’s Bay, ON K0J 1B0.  All donations are tax-deductible.  For more information, contact: 756-3082.

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