St. Raphael School offers classical education courses in the Orthodox tradition.
St. Raphael of Brooklyn, Our Patron Saint
Several themes emerge as the story of St. Raphael’s life unfolds. The first is the mysterious way in which God led him from his native homeland to the shores of the American continent. The second is his submissive attitude to the providence of God. And the third is his love for the people of God. Though during his lifetime he was neither a wonder-worker nor a clairvoyant elder, St. Raphael embraced a life of total abandonment of self for the service of God and his fellow man: a life of true spiritual asceticism.
From his youth, Saint Raphael’s greatest joy was to serve the Church. When he came to America, he found his people scattered abroad, and he called them to unity. He never neglected his flock, but traveled throughout America, Canada, and Mexico in search of them so that he might care for them. He kept them from straying into strange pastures, and he protected them from spiritual harm. During twenty years of faithful ministry, he nurtured them and helped them to grow. At the time of his death, the Syro-Arab Mission had thirty parishes with 25,000 faithful.
Saint Raphael came into contact with all sorts of people, and was a gentle father to them. He gained their love and respect by first loving them, and also through his charming personality and excellent character. He was always kind and merciful with others, but was strict with himself. He accomplished many good things during his earthly life, and now he joins the holy angels in offering ceaseless prayer and praise to God.
In 2015, the Antiochian Archdiocese celebrated the 100th Anniversary of his Falling Asleep.
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*Information used with permission from the Anticochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Mission
St. Raphael School came into existence to serve homeschooling Orthodox families. We offer classes for K–12 students based primarily on the classic Good and Great Books from Western and Eastern European culture. All classes take place in the collegial spirit of the Orthodox Church, in which education is seen as a friend to theosis, our journey of transformation into the life of Christ. While we are committed to preserving an environment of Orthodoxy for our students, we welcome inquiries and applications from non-Orthodox students. We will happily offer some further information and guidance on how to determine if the program is a good fit.
St. Raphael is an Orthodox school that is part of Scholé Academy, as a “school within a school.” This means that while St. Raphael School functions as a dedicated Orthodox academy, we also enjoy the benefits of being affiliated with a larger Christian classical online academy. Students from St. Raphael may also take courses at Scholé Academy, and sometimes our teachers at St. Raphael will offer courses with Scholé Academy. Both St. Raphael School and Scholé Academy are divisions of Classical Academic Press. St. Raphael School also benefits from the various staff resources and expertise at Classical Academic Press, in the areas of web development, promotion, order processing, and customer service.
Vision
In accordance with our mission, St. Raphael School, with God’s help, aims to…
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Create a complete curriculum uniquely suited for Orthodox families in the spirit of a classical, liberal arts education
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Connect Orthodox homeschooling families with teachers and tutors in an online classroom environment
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Provide ongoing and up-to-date resources, articles, and reviews from the perspective of the Orthodox faith
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Deliver a poetic and holistic education drawing extensively on the classics
- Utilize technological resources to offer a worthwhile education at a low cost
Pedagogy
We are unique not only by using classic books in these days of popular culture education, and of teaching students in a thoughtful manner, but we are also unique in this regard: the classroom is conceived as members of the body of Christ, made in the image of God, Baptized and Chrismated with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We never consider our students as mere names or numbers—or even as mere “students.” When we experience the truth, beauty, and goodness in our books and conversations, it is the whole person as icon of God whose heart is lifted up, the heart of man which is the intellectual and spiritual center of every person. It is in this mode of education that we begin to see into the mystery of things.
Following from this Orthodox Christian vision of the classroom and the enlightened view of the human person, classes from St. Raphael’s are taught in the “conversational mode” rather than mere lecture. The term “conversation” indicates a “turning together” around a subject of significance and the questions of wonder and inquiry that naturally follow.
Resources and Support
The St. Raphael School Handbook: Find a clear description of our policies and how St. Raphael School operates here.
FAQ: View answers to frequently asked questions here.
Academic Calendar: Find our term schedules and holidays here.
The St. Raphael School / Scholé Academy Support Line: We are ready to respond to your call or e-mail. You may e-mail us at scholesupport@classicalsubjects.com or call at 866-730-0711.