WE ARE ALL ABOUT THE MISSION

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January 20, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

“We are all about the mission.” Recently, Fr. Leon Olszamowski, s.m., co-founder of Notre Dame Prep and current corporate president, penned a reflection for the faculty and staff about the mission of NDP, St. John Newman, Fr. Jean-Claude Colin and the Shared Heart of Catholic education. We think it entirely appropriate to share with the greater school community. Enjoy!

A reflection from Fr. Leon Olszamowski, s.m., co-founder of Notre Dame Prep and current corporate president, to the faculty and staff of Notre Dame Prep.

St. John Newman, Fr. Jean-Claude Colin and the Shared Heart of Catholic Education

By Fr. Leon Olszamowski, s.m.

There is a striking harmony between the educational writings of St. John Henry Cardinal Newman (recently proclaimed a Doctor of the Church) and Fr. Jean‑Claude Colin, s.m., founder of the Marist Fathers. Though they lived in different countries, spoke different languages and faced different challenges, both men saw education as a sacred work of forming the whole person. Newman spoke of enlarging the mind and shaping the conscience; Colin spoke of forming Christian people, upright citizens and academic scholars. Their visions converge in a single conviction: education is a work of God, carried out through the gentle, steady influence of dedicated educators.

As faculty and staff at Notre Dame Preparatory School, we stand at the intersection of these two great traditions. Our daily work embodies our shared belief that students are not merely taught — they are formed.

1. Forming Christian People

Newman insisted that theology belongs at the center of education because it completes our understanding of reality. Fr. Colin, in his Marist vision, believed that students should encounter Christ through the spirit of Mary — gentle, humble and welcoming.

For us, this means:

     • creating classrooms where faith and reason speak to one another

     • modeling prayerfulness, compassion and integrity

     • helping students recognize God’s presence in their studies, relationships and choices

Every lesson, every conversation, every moment of presence contributes to forming young people who know they are loved by God.

2. Forming Upright Citizens

Newman famously wrote that “people influence people.” He believed that character is shaped not only by ideas but by the example of those who teach. Fr. Colin shared this conviction: Marist educators form young people who are honest, responsible and committed to the common good.

For us, this means:

     • cultivating a culture of respect, kindness and accountability

     • guiding students toward wise judgment and moral clarity

     • helping them see their gifts as meant for service

Our presence — steady, patient and authentic — is one of the most powerful forces in their formation.

3. Forming Academic Scholars

Newman taught that knowledge is valuable for its own sake. He believed that a true education develops a “philosophical habit of mind” — the ability to think clearly, connect ideas and seek truth. Fr. Colin likewise insisted that Marist schools pursue academic excellence with humility and purpose.

For us, this means:

     • challenging students to think deeply and creatively

     • encouraging curiosity, disciplined study and intellectual honesty

     • helping them see that all truth ultimately leads back to God

In every subject — from religion to calculus, from literature to robotics — we help students become scholars who engage the world with clarity and integrity.

4. Our Shared Vocation

Newman and Colin both believed that education is a ministry. It is not simply a profession or a task; it is a calling to shape the minds and hearts of young people. At Notre Dame Prep, this calling is lived out through the Marist spirit of:

     • simplicity

     • family spirit

     • presence

     • love of Mary

     • and a quiet, joyful commitment to mission

Our work — in classrooms, offices, hallways, fields and greenhouse — participates in God’s ongoing creation of the human person.

Closing Reflection

Newman believed that education prepares students not only for success, but for holiness.

Fr. Colin believed that Mary, the mother of Jeus, guides the work of forming young hearts.

Together, they offer us a vision of education that is both intellectually rigorous and deeply human.

As we begin 2026, may their shared wisdom remind us that every moment with our students is an opportunity to form Christian people, upright citizens and academic scholars — young men and women who will bring light to the world.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.