MADISON — St. Ambrose Academy in Madison announces with great joy that Dr. John Joy has accepted the appointment of dean of faculty, one of the most influential and important posts at the school, beginning this summer.
Preparing students
In addition to his service to the Diocese of Madison in various roles since 2016, Dr. Joy is currently teaching the Cycle I religion course at St. Ambrose Academy — The Church in the Pagan World.
This course begins with a study of Traditional Formal Logic, a subject that not many young people these days are exposed to.
Dr. Joy, who himself received a classical education, is deeply committed to the Academy’s pedagogy of forming students in the Trivuum with its Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric stages.
“I am incredibly grateful for the classical education that I was blessed to receive as a student of the liberal arts and of theology,” said Dr. Joy.
“In many ways, those experiences have shaped who I am as a person and deepened my faith as a Catholic. The mission of St. Ambrose Academy to provide a classical Catholic education in the context of a close-knit community of families, students, and teachers is a cause that is close to my heart. It has been less than a year since my two oldest children joined St. Ambrose, but already we feel like we have found a home. I could not be more excited to devote the next stage of my life and work to furthering the St. Ambrose mission.”
Dr. Joy currently serves as senior theologian to the bishop and is also the diocesan director of Evangelization and Catechesis.
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison is himself passionately committed to the evangelization of the diocese.
Dr. Joy sees the education of youth as an important element of that great work.
“As dean of faculty, my priority will be to make sure we stay true to our identity with our eyes clearly fixed on the prize, which is preparing our students not just to get good jobs or get into good colleges, but much more to become good people. And ultimately that means preparing our students to become men and women whose minds are fortified by faith and whose hearts are aflame with the love of Jesus Christ and zeal for his holy Church.”
About Dr. Joy
Dr. Joy has a doctorate in sacred theology from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland; a licentiate in sacred theology; a master’s of sacred theology from the International Theological Institute, Austria; and a bachelor of philosophy, with a minor in classical languages and early Christian literature from Ave Maria College in Michigan.
He will continue his work in editing the complete works in English and Latin of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine as the managing
editor of the Aquinas Institute for the Study of Sacred Doctrine.
Dr. Joy succeeds Dr. Constance Nielsen as dean of faculty.
Dr. Nielsen, a deeply-loved teacher who has served the Academy for many years in a variety of capacities, will continue to teach at the Academy, which is very good news for the students.
Having worked with Dr. Joy on other projects, Dr. Nielsen declared, “The school will be in very good hands!” As our dean of faculty, Dr. Joy will oversee curriculum and hiring, training, and oversight of the Academy’s faculty, which includes teachers with doctorates or advanced degrees.
Bishop Hying expressed his gratitude for Dr. Joy’s service to the diocese over the years, especially his generous and visionary leadership of the Go Make Disciples initiative. “He has demonstrated a deep belief in and knowledge of the Faith, and he will bring all these gifts to the classroom as he forms young hearts and minds at St. Ambrose,” Bishop Hying noted. “As Dr. Joy makes the transition from the diocese to the Academy, he is simply moving the same mission to a new location.”
Dr. Joy and his wife Lisa have eight children, two of whom attend St. Ambrose Academy.
He is particularly anticipating leading the Academy’s academic mission through its transition to a new home.
“It is an exciting time for St. Ambrose as we are growing rapidly and looking forward to our beautiful new permanent location,” he said. “As St. John Chrysostom once said, ‘What greater work is there than training the mind and forming the habits of the young?’”
Established in 2003, St. Ambrose Academy is an independent Catholic school offering grades six to 12.
The school is currently located at 3 Point Pl. on the west side of Madison, but will be moving to Fitchburg on completion of construction of its new school building.