In South Surrey, B.C., St. John Paul II Academy is opening the doors for its inaugural academic year, marking the climax of a 12-year mission toward fostering a space for Catholic education and community. 

Initially envisioned as a way to combat Catholic education overcrowding, St. John Paul II Academy will begin classes as a fully functional independent Catholic secondary school and student facility on Sept. 2. There, staff will begin to shift their focus to providing modern educational methods with technology integration, all while proudly supporting individual faith development that nurtures students under the school’s namesake. 

Silveria Roselli, a foundation board member and director of advancement, said the initiative has seen tremendous support from the Archdiocese of Vancouver, which understood the importance of a strong, Catholic education hub from the school’s inception. Former Archbishop J. Michael Miller was the first to commission the school. 

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“The Archdiocese of Vancouver provided not only the land, but also a lot of support in collaborating with them. In doing so, we can realize our dream this September. They recognized that we needed to have a youth school because the present school that's there, Holy Cross, is wonderful, but it continues to burst at the seams in terms of enrollment; they simply can't take any more students,” Roselli said.  

Knowing that, consequently, many students would end up going through the public school system, Troy Van Vliet was put in charge of establishing a dedicated group of visionaries to bring the vision of the academy to life by Fr. Stanley Galvon from Good Shepherd Parish.

Fast forward to today, and Van Vliet’s vision is being put into practice. St. John Paul II Academy’s 13 teachers and seven education assistants will serve approximately 150 students in Grades 8 to 12 over its first academic intake, with  the academy aiming to accommodate more than 500 when it finishes expanding the campus in the next few years. Roselli hinted that once completed, the high school will be able to accommodate roughly 900 students, many of whom would have no alternative for local Catholic education.

Curriculum-wise, students will be afforded the standard offerings such as English, science, math and career education, while a focus on faith-in-action, such as a prominent campus ministry, school Mass and young changemakers projects, rounds out the school’s Catholic focus. 

By integrating Catholic values that emphasize service and leadership, community outreach is slated to become a core component, with students participating in soup kitchen service, engaging with seniors through letter-writing and personal visits, preparing meals for the homeless and honouring forgotten soldiers’ graves on Remembrance Day, among other acts of John Paul II-inspired service. 

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“ Our mission is more than just saying that this is what we do, it's about how we use our hands, feet and minds to make a difference in the world. It’s about action with love, and that is woven and embedded in everything that we do, even in our standard curriculum,” Roselli said. 

Another standout for Roselli and staff during the inaugural year is the school’s new state-of-the-art campus, which features a chapel at its heart to symbolize its identity as well as a prominent Cross etched in glass, visible to all around the school.

Dr. Joseph King, a chair of the academy society, donated a chapel to the school, with Murray Neilson providing a unique European Cross over the altar. In the cafeteria, a sculpture of the Last Supper can be seen, and at the very front of the school is a statue of St. John Paul II. 

“Everywhere we look, we remember who we are, and Christ is in the middle of it all.  There are some schools that, while private, you can't tell that they're Catholic, and so we wanted to make sure that we captured that,” Roselli said. “There is no denying that we’re Catholic, that we're there to be evangelized and to be servant leaders like our namesake, St. John Paul II; he is everything that we wish to represent.” 

Vancouver Archbishop  Richard Smith is set to bless the chapel and school campus as part of its opening celebrations in September. 

Roselli is elated that the culmination of 12 years of planning is finalized as South Surrey’s latest offering to Catholic education. 

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“It is a feeling of pure joy that is overwhelming, and through the grace of God, we're just so fortunate. Especially with what’s happening around the world in terms of the philosophy that's being accepted out there, we really need to have this school open for salvation and for the love of God,” she said. 

“On behalf of the foundation board, we are incredibly excited and grateful in Christ to see this commence.”