THE CARITAS HOUSES
WHY THESE NAMES?
The early 1900’s marked a time of widespread abandonment of the old ways of education, a rejection of classical methodologies, areas of study, and of the knowledge and wisdom which had been handed down to use for centuries. C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Roger Lancelyn Green were all friends and fierce defenders of the Christian faith and of classical liberal arts education. Each of them, in their own way, wrote defenses of the kind of education which Caritas Christian Classical Academy seeks to preserve and deliver to its students year after year. Whether it was through apologetic and theological works, educational treatises, or works of Christian imagination which honored the great tradition of literature and wisdom preserved in the Great Books, these four friends left a legacy worth honoring. It is for these reasons we have chosen to name the Caritas houses after such as these. May we boldly follow their example in making Jesus Christ famous in all the world.
C. S. Lewis House (The Lions)
Courage (Fortitude) is the emphasized cardinal virtue for Lewis. The Latin Motto for the house is “Audentes fortuna adiuvat” which means “Fortune favors the bold.” Named after the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, and many other fantastic works, this house seeks to boldly pursue Christ in all things just like Lewis did.
House Verse: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
J. R. R. Tolkien House (The Kings)
Wisdom (Prudence) is the emphasized cardinal virtue for Tolkien. The Latin motto for the house is “Sapientia melior auro” which means “Wisdom is better than gold.” Named after the Author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and other great works of literature and scholarship, this house seeks to walk in the same kind of Wisdom illustrated in his works.
House Verse: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)
D. L. Sayers House (The Sleuths)
Temperance, the mastery of desire and impulse, is the cardinal virtue of Sayers House. The Latin motto for the house is “Non ducor, duco” which means “I am not led, I lead.” Named after Dorothy L. Sayers, who is best known for her mystery novels starring a British aristocrat sleuth named Lord Peter, and also for her essay The Lost Tools of Learning, this house seek to master the powers of self-control which leads to the mastery of many other things.
House Verse: “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32)
R. L. Green House (The Knights)
Justice is the cardinal virtue of Green House. The other cardinal virtues are first and foremost directed inwardly but this virtue is directed outward toward others. The Latin motto for the house is “Fiat justitia ruat caelum” which means “Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.” Roger Lancely Green wrote stories about King Arthur and His Knights, Robin Hood, and many tales of ancient myths (Greeks, Egyptians, and the Norse peoples). This house seek to always uphold what is right no matter how hard it may be to do so.
House Verse: “When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” (Proverbs 21:15)
Purpose of the House System
The Caritas House System exists to foster excellence in our students through academic and athletic competition, service to fellow students and our community, and by providing servant leadership opportunities. Upper classmen, who earn the right to serve in such ways, will have the opportunity to hold offices, plan events, class trips, and provide mentorship and tutoring for younger students.