REGINA: Why Chesterton? What did you find in him - rather than some other Catholic thinker - that inspired you?
DA: On the practical level, I was already running the American Chesterton Society, which had a national profile. We were immediately able to draw on a broad base of support and give the new venture some publicity. On the philosophical level, Chesterton is the model thinker, the kind of thinker we want our students to be: inter-disciplinary, articulate, creative, joyful, evangelistic, and faithfully Catholic.
REGINA: What are the Chesterton principles that underpin the school ethos and its mission?
DA: Chesterton aligns perfectly with the classical pillars of truth, beauty, and goodness. He was prophetically pro-life, and he epitomizes what it means to be "in the world but not of the world.” He was a secular writer who stood up for the Catholic faith in all aspects of his thinking.
REGINA Tell us about the early years of the school. Were there any particular challenges you encountered?
DA: One of the best ways to make enemies is to start a new school. You will find enemies you didn’t even know you had!
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