Cardinal Burke Blesses New School Building at St. Louis de Montfort Academy
NEWS RELEASE
Herndon, PA — April 25, 2026 — Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke blessed a newly completed building at St. Louis de Montfort Academy during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held in conjunction with the Academy’s 30th-anniversary gala.
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The celebration brought together hundreds of students, faculty, alumni, and families for a day that included the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, remarks from honored guests, refreshments, and a candle-lit rosary procession to the Lourdes grotto on campus.
The 10,000-square-foot building features a new chapel, refectory, and dormitory space. Its completion enables the Academy to welcome additional students for the 2026–2027 academic year and advances the mission of forming young men who love God, honor the Blessed Mother, and strive to live the noble virtues of Catholic chivalry.
At the event, Cardinal Burke said:
“It is with profound joy that I stand before you today for the inauguration of these expanded premises of the Academy. Allow me first to praise you sincerely and wholeheartedly for the years of academy apostolate you have been carrying out here. The very fact that new buildings are required to respond to the growing number of families seeking admission to the Academy for their children is itself a testimony to your fidelity to the Academy’s mission.”
“Stone and mortar now testify what grace over many years has been steadfastly accomplishing in souls here. Yours is a most necessary apostolate and one of the most beautiful forms of collaboration between the laity and hierarchy of the Church.”
“I can personally attest to the fruits of your educational endeavors," stated Cardinal Burke. "Millions of Americans have seen, through the videos of TFP Student Action, how the young men formed here, go onto university campuses to confront the prevailing ideology. They do so not with anger, not with disorder, but with clarity, charity, and courage. They calmly dismantle anti-Christian fallacies. They endure ridicule, threats and even physical intimidation with dignity. And in every instance, they emerge victorious — not because they shout the loudest, but because they stand with the truth."
His Eminence entrusted the future of the Academy to the Blessed Mother: “May she watch over every classroom, every corridor, every heart formed here. May she bless your apostolate abundantly for the good of America, for the good of Holy Church, and for the coming of that Reign of Mary foretold by St. Louis de Montfort and announced at Fatima.”
“Let us move forward with confidence,” Cardinal Burke exhorted. “The times are challenging, but grace is powerful to help us meet every challenge. If you remain faithful to Christ through Mary, if your hearts one with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, rest ever more firmly, ever more fully in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the St. Louis de Montfort Academy will continue to be a beacon of light in an age beset with darkness.”
Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza, Head of the Imperial House of Brazil, was invited to cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the new school building. Instead of using scissors, he chose to employ a ceremonial sword —blessed by Cardinal Burke— for the task, saying:
“This is not merely the expansion of a school. It is the expansion of a movement to form young men into modern-day crusaders — crusaders who are eager to defend Holy Mother Church at all costs.”
The Prince continued:
“One of the great tragedies of the modern world is that Catholics have lost the idea that we are called to be militant. This concept is so central to our Faith that the Church has dedicated an entire sacrament to confirm us as soldiers of Christ. At this Academy, the notion of spiritual combat is at the forefront of daily life. The sacraments, the rosary and religion classes are complemented by fencing, debate practices, and pro-life campaigns. All of these things give the Academy students the training they need to become upright, generous, and brave soldiers of Christ.”
His Highness explained: “The Church Militant are the souls like us, who are still fighting to conquer Heaven and who want to make the earth an ante-chamber of Heaven. We ask for this each day when we pray the Our Father: ‘Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.’”
The Prince concluded, saying, “I am grateful that Our Lady has watched over and guided this remarkable Academy for the last 30 years. I will pray that she continues to do so not just for another thirty years, but for thirty times thirty!”
During the joyful ceremony, the headmaster of the St. Louis de Montfort Academy, Ted J. Huereña, added:
“From humble beginnings with just a handful of students, the Academy has grown with God’s grace into what you see today. This new building stands as a testament to that growth and to the many who made it possible. As we celebrate this milestone, we remain committed to our founding purpose: to form boys into Catholic men who love and serve Jesus and Mary.”
The Academy is an independent boarding school for boys grades 7 through 12 located in Herndon, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1995, it is staffed by full-time volunteers of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP). The school trains young men how to shine the light of Christ in a dark culture, a challenge they embrace with enthusiasm. In short, it forges boys into Catholic heroes.
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