A Voice Trained for Heaven.
A Mind Formed for Truth.
St. Cecilia will be a Catholic middle school in Denver where every student sings in the choir. Each day joins serious classroom learning with music, prayer, and the beauty of the Church's liturgy.
For boys and girls in grades 6–8, in the historic St. Ignatius parish school across from City Park.
Right now: We are forming our founding Board of Trustees.
The Church: An independent Catholic school, in conversation with Dr. Scott Elmer and the Archdiocese of Denver's Office of Catholic Schools.
The building: The 1920 St. Ignatius parish school at 2350 N. Gaylord Street, across from City Park.
The students: Boys and girls in grades 6–8.
Grades 6–8
Boys and girls, ages 11–14
Every day
Choir rehearsal and sung liturgy
Need-blind
Admission never depends on ability to pay
Fall 2029
Target opening date
A school where singing for God is part of the school day
For more than a thousand years, cathedrals have trained young singers to lead the music at Mass. A choir school continues that tradition. Students take a full academic program, and they also rehearse every day and sing at real liturgies.
The benefits reach well beyond music. Choristers learn to focus, to work as a team, to read quickly, and to stand before a full church with confidence. They also come to know the Church's prayer from the inside.
Schools we are learning from
- Westminster Cathedral Choir School (London): the gold standard for Gregorian chant and Renaissance choral music.
- St. Paul's Choir School (Cambridge, Massachusetts): a modern American day school built around a parish choir.
- The Madeleine Choir School (Salt Lake City): boys' and girls' choirs that share the music at the cathedral equally.
A real school, ready for students
The St. Ignatius parish school was built in 1920 for exactly this: children learning. Its twelve sunlit classrooms, wide tiled hallways, and fenced playground sit beside St. Ignatius Church and across the street from City Park, the Denver Zoo, and the Museum of Nature & Science.
Take the Campus TourThree Things Every Student Receives
We will prepare young men and women for high school and for life by forming the whole person: mind, voice, and soul.
Strong Academics
A demanding, traditional curriculum that follows the Archdiocese of Denver's standards and prepares students to do well in any high school.
A Daily Choir
Every student rehearses daily and sings Gregorian chant and great sacred music at Mass in St. Ignatius Church. That work builds the focus and discipline that carry over into every class.
Catholic Faith
Each day begins and ends in prayer. Students come to know Christ through the Mass, the sacraments, and serving others.
Welcome to St. Cecilia
Dear Families and Friends,
Welcome to St. Cecilia School of Music. Our mission is simple: to help young people meet Christ every day through sacred music and a strong, traditional education.
We want to form the whole person. Our days will be built around the Mass, prayer, and singing the Church's own music, so that students grow closer to God while they grow in knowledge and skill. We hope they leave us ready to serve the Church and the world.
St. Cecilia will make its home in the historic school building on Gaylord Street. It will be an independent school with its own lay board. The Congregation of Saint John will provide its spiritual support, and we are seeking the Archbishop of Denver's recognition as a Catholic school.
We are at the very beginning. I invite you to follow our progress, to pray for this work, and, if you feel called, to help us build it.
Fr. Francis Therese Krautter, CSJ
Pastor, St. Ignatius Parish · Founder, St. Cecilia School of Music
Independent, and faithfully Catholic
A Lay Board
St. Cecilia will be its own nonprofit. A board of lay Catholics will own and run the school and be responsible for its finances, so the parish never carries the school's costs or risks.
The Archbishop's Oversight
We are asking the Archbishop of Denver to recognize St. Cecilia as a Catholic school. If he does, he will oversee what we teach about the faith, as he does for every Catholic school in the archdiocese.
Accreditation
We plan to seek accreditation from NAPCIS (the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools) and a listing in the Cardinal Newman Society's Newman Guide. Our religion and history classes will follow the Archdiocese of Denver's standards.
Five steps over three years
We are building carefully, so that when St. Cecilia opens it has the teachers, the funding, and the stability to last.
- Step 1We are here
Plan & Form the Board
Write the bylaws, recruit a founding Board of Trustees, and ask the Archbishop of Denver to recognize St. Cecilia as a Catholic school.
- Step 2
Incorporate & Secure the Building
Incorporate as a nonprofit, inspect the St. Ignatius school building, and sign a lease with the parish once it is approved.
- Step 3
Raise Founding Gifts
Gather early pledges from founding donors and start the scholarship fund that will keep tuition within reach.
- Step 4
Announce & Hold Auditions
Launch publicly, welcome families to information evenings, and hold the first student auditions.
- Step 5
Hire Teachers & Open
Hire our teachers and choir directors, finalize tuition assistance, and welcome our first students in grades 6–8.
Explore St. Cecilia
Curriculum & Choir
What students will learn in each grade: Algebra I by eighth grade, great books, lab science, and daily choir.
Admissions & Tuition
How admission will work, what the audition looks for, and how we will keep tuition affordable for every family.
Support St. Cecilia
How your gift builds scholarships, supports great music teachers, and helps preserve the St. Ignatius campus.
Be the first to hear when auditions and information evenings are announced.
Join our mailing list for occasional updates as St. Cecilia takes shape.