What sets us apart?

The Gilbertine Academy is uniquely situated in several ways. The daily presence and authority of clergy certainly sets us apart, as does our Latin course (we have the only accredited Latin as a second language course in the Province), but what we cherish most is that we literally go to school with Jesus. He is truly present in the Tabernacle set upon the altar — our school days begin and end in His glorious presence. Our teachers and all staff encourage our young people to embrace a sacramental world-view where we are drawn, hearts and minds, into a greater and greater union with the Triune God. Through our academic studies, we learn about the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, but we actually commune in body and soul with Goodness, Truth and Beauty itself in the Blessed Sacrament. All our studies hinge on the study of the revelation of Jesus Christ, particularly through the Incarnation and His Real Presence in the Eucharist.
Modern education, whether public or private (or even Catholic), is so often not only thoroughly secularised, but it denies children the treasure of knowledge and Wisdom from the Western tradition as fashioned by the Roman Catholic Church for millennia. This dichotomy in education often leaves children shaped and formed with a secular way of acting and thinking, which is highly fragmented, compartmentalised, and lacks a coherent philosophical foundation. Thus, for so many young people, the Faith becomes dislodged from the centre of their lives — seen as an ‘extra’ at best — and they are thus made vulnerable to the secular ideologies and whims of the day which are at terrible odds with Catholic morality, understanding, and ultimately at odds with the very foundations of our Western culture. 
Because of this, the majority of young people today walk away from the Church as they become adults. We believe the way forward for a renewal of Catholic Education is to ground our children, from the very start, in ultimate Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. Our programme assists parents in this challenge by providing a nurturing environment for the formation of their children’s mind, body, and soul in the perennial tradition of the Catholic Faith and Catholic philosophy.
Our programme extolls the theological order of the domestic church — the first society — and complements the vocational mission of parents “as those first responsible for the education of their children” (CCC 2229). Our programme does not seek to replace the parental role in education; we seek to bolster and support parents in their efforts as educators of their children. We strive to maintain an atmosphere in which our students learn the joy of intellectual inquiry as an end-in-itself, but also to develop the habits and virtues needed for serious study and personal growth.
And finally, what makes us unique, is our effort towards the practical integration of the home, school, and Church. Restoring the domestic church and the Catholic academic tradition means an investment in authentic community based in the parish. The goal is for students to discover the influence and beauty of Catholicism in every aspect of culture and in their own lives, growing in holiness, and drawing ever closer to the Triune God.
We believe all of this and more, makes us a wholly unique and rare educational opportunity for your child(ren) in the province of Alberta and in Canada.