Student Life
Encountering Christ
Catholicism is central to our mission. For this reason, every school day includes Mass. We teach theology out of the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and papal documents. Other important ways we live the faith include annual pilgrimages and retreats, modest and wholesome extracurricular activities, and sacred art and crucifixes adorn the hall and the classrooms.
Faith in Our School
Daily Mass
Weekly opportunities for Adoration
Retreats, Confession, and Spiritual Formation
Faith incorporated into every subject
Chaplains or regular visits from priests and religious
Athletics
We are an IHSA school and compete in the Christian Conference of Illinois in both men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, volleyball, and cross country. We also offer men’s golf and rugby. Several of these sports are also offered as club and house teams.
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Men’s Soccer
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
Men’s Golf Team (tryouts required)
Women’s and Men’s Golf Club
Women’s Volleyball
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Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
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Men’s Rugby
Women’s Soccer
Men’s Volleyball
House System
Chesterton Academy’s House system is drawn from the 1,000 year-old tradition of Christian education exemplified in the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. The Houses provide real, tangible community within the larger school, giving students the opportunity to take ownership, fulfill the call to leadership, and to cultivate the ideal conditions for virtue. Each House has two Senior and two Junior prefects, two faculty advisors, and several parent liaisons.
Clubs & Activities
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Saints Brigade Service Club
Yearbook Club
Swing Dance Club
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Chamber Choir
Men’s Schola
Women’s Schola
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Cultura Vitae, Culture of Life
Retreats
Pilgrimages
Pilgrimages
Senior Pilgrimage to Italy
Our pilgrimage takes us to all the major churches in Rome, and on to Orvieto, and Assisi in just under two weeks. In Assisi, we visited the tombs of St. Francis, St. Clare and Blessed Carlo Acutis. In 2023, we will also enjoy a day-trip to Florence to see Michelangelo’s David, the Duomo, Baptistry and other incredible works of art. We will walk the paths of pilgrims, pray at the tombs of the martyrs, and enjoy being steeped in Italian culture. Accompanied by our tour director, Joe Long and his team at ProRome, this pilgrimage helps our students grow in faith and deepen their friendships—all while learning about the history of our Church and the Eternal City and beyond.
National March for Life and March for Life Chicago
Every January since our founding we have joined the March for Life Chicago with families and friends of CATHF. Many of our students also travel to the March for Life in Washington, D.C with local parishes and youth groups in the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet.