Thy Kingdom Come!

April 3rd, 2012

Dear Parents,

I want to share with you news linked to questions some of you have raised in these last couple of months, regarding the future of Immaculate Conception Academy, due to our current enrollment and projections for the coming year.  Understandably, these numbers result in an unstable financial situation for Immaculate Conception Academy.

As you have experienced, Immaculate Conception has a wonderful 20-year tradition of serving high school girls who are open and desire to discern a possible vocation to a life of consecration in Regnum Christi. As with any effective education program, we constantly look for ways to improve. One important issue has also been the concern that ICA students are sheltered more than necessary from the “real world.”  In the past few years, steps have been taken to address this concern.  In addition to their normal participation in apostolic activities and events such as European pilgrimages and World Youth Day, the girls have been involved in various academic, parish, diocesan and ecclesial activities, including the Yale Physics Olympics, State Science Fair, State Oratory contest, Prolife conferences and debates, participation in hearings in the State house, etc. 

In an effort to address and meet the evolving needs of our students, our financial challenges, and provide a solid educational environment and spiritual discernment program for your daughters, we studied various options. 

After many considerations, the ICA program will be relocated from Wakefield, Rhode Island, to Oxford, Michigan to the Queen of the Family retreat and boarding facility following the 2011-12 school year. For their academic formation, ICA students will be attending Everest Collegiate High School in Clarkston, Michigan and participating in extracurricular activities, including sports and the arts.  Everest is a Legion of Christ school with a superb academic reputation. The Everest curriculum coincides with the curriculum we have followed here in Wakefield.

United

	Everest Collegiate Girls' High School

by the desire to help each student grow in their friendship with Christ, the girls who choose to attend the Immaculate Conception program will live together at the Oxford facility, guided and accompanied by specially selected consecrated women dedicated directly to their formation.  The students will have a vibrant spiritual life of daily prayer, the sacraments, and periodic personal guidance as well as solid leadership training in the apostolic field. 

While addressing practical and current economic realities, we believe that the relocation from Wakefield to Michigan will allow us to continue to provide our consistent and character-maturing program of formation and discernment. We believe that we have found a balance of a protected environment to meet the requirements of proper discernment, prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit, combined with an experience of a normal community.  We believe this environment will provide a balance for students to mature socially and in human virtue, while offering solid spiritual formation.

As well, a new director, Margarita Martinez has been named to lead the program in Michigan. She has been consecrated for more than 16 years and has extensive experience as a director in our schools. She herself, many years ago, attended one of our high schools for discernment.  I will be moving on to new a new assignment for the next school term, but will of course work with Margarita during the transition. I am deeply grateful to Our Lord for the years I have spent here at Immaculate Conception Academy with all of the girls, parents, consecrated members and very dedicated staff for more than a decade and I wish Margarita all the best in this beautiful new mission she has received!

The school calendar for ICA 2012 spring/summer will be as already scheduled; however, those students continuing on with the Immaculate Conception program will return to Michigan on July 10th after their summer break. The summer program will take place at the Oxford location beginning on July 13th.  

Please feel free to contact me to answer any specific questions.

May God bless you!

Sincerely in Christ,

Caroline Wilders

Director