Chelsea News

The following is adapted from remarks by incoming headmaster Dr. Diarmuid Wheeler, delivered at Chelsea Academy's 2025 Commencement Exercises on May 29, 2025.

Good afternoon, faculty, staff, families, friends, and most especially, the graduating Class of 2025. It’s with deep humility, gratitude, and real excitement that I stand before you this afternoon, my very first as the new headmaster of Chelsea Academy. To be welcomed into a community like this, one shaped by deep faith, intellectual rigor, and joyful fellowship, is both a true honor and a sacred responsibility. Today, we celebrate not just your achievements, dear graduates, but the path that led you here and the one that lies ahead. You’re not just crossing a stage, you're stepping over a threshold, into a world that desperately needs what Chelsea Academy has given you. And what exactly is that?

Let’s begin here: Chelsea Academy is not like other schools. Our mission isn’t just to form minds, it’s to transform souls. The Catholic liberal arts tradition—our tradition—doesn’t aim to produce test scores or flashy résumés. It aims for something much more ambitious. It seeks to raise men and women who will set the world ablaze with Truth. You’ve heard it before; education should help students “succeed.” But here at Chelsea, we understand something deeper: success isn’t a number. It’s not a title or a paycheck. It’s the courage to live with virtue. It’s the tenacity to speak Truth when the world prefers silence. It’s the willingness to love selflessly in a culture obsessed with self. You, Class of 2025, you are Chelsea warriors. And I use that word very deliberately.

Because you’re not fragile. You’re not passive spectators in the culture. You are battle-tested sons and daughters of the Church, formed to think clearly, act justly, and lead with courage. The world is starving for leaders like you, people of conviction, humility, and spiritual grit. This formation, this transformation, has been rooted in what we call our Four Pillars: Academics, Friendship, Adventure, and Faith.

Academically, you’ve sought Truth across every discipline. But unlike the world, which often prizes intellect for its own sake, you’ve learned to study with humility. You’ve explored the intricacies of creation not to boast, but to glorify our Creator. You’ve practiced writing and speaking with clarity and grace, not to dominate others and win arguments, but to lead others gently toward the Good. That’s the mark of a Chelsea education: brilliance with humility, eloquence with conviction, and curiosity that’s reverent.

As mentioned by our salutatorian, Keira Thomas, Friendship here isn’t transactional. You’ve discovered what it means to truly will the good of the other. You’ve formed bonds not built on popularity or convenience, but on shared joy, shared hardship, and the pursuit of virtue. Long after the ink on your diplomas has dried, these friendships will remain—please God—anchors when the seas get rough in the big bad world, cherish them forever.

Adventure has taught you courage. Whether it’s hiking our beautiful mountain trails or grappling with Great Books, you’ve learned to step outside your comfort zones of modern life. You’ve embraced the unknown with a joyful heart and held fast to your principles, even when it cost you something, and will perhaps even cost you everything. That’s what sets a Chelsea graduate apart from the crowd: You don’t run from discomfort, you lean in and you face it head-on, trusting God has called you to something greater.

And finally, Faith, the pillar on which all the others rest. You haven’t just studied the faith, you’ve actually lived it. In prayer, in the sacraments, in service, in quiet moments of struggle and grace, you’ve encountered the living God. You’re witnesses now. Your mission isn’t to blend in. It’s to shine. To be saints in the streets, apostles in your workplaces, beacons of light and Truth in a culture that is so greatly confused.

Now, as I look to the future of Chelsea Academy, I do so with bold hope and a deep sense of purpose. Our vision remains clear: a fully integrated Catholic curriculum, one that shapes the intellect, stirs the imagination, and forms the whole person. We will continue to cherish our teachers, men and women who live the faith joyfully, who teach with love, and who grow in humility alongside their students. Our curriculum remains both rooted and renewed. At Chelsea, History is not just a list of random dates, it’s a living study of virtue, struggle, and human purpose. English is where the soul finds its voice, through the words of Chesterton, Tolkien, and Austen. In Theology, students don’t just learn about God, they actually come to know Him. Our students are trained in the language of logic and reason. Math reveals the order and harmony of beauty and creation. In Science, they explain the world with wonder and ask deep questions, seeking truth through observation and humility. Faith and reason walk hand in hand; they don’t run contrary to each other. In Languages, students go beyond grammar to connect with other cultures, gaining not just precision but empathy. Music teaches harmony and discipline. And of course, in sports, our students grow in perseverance, grace, and teamwork. In all things, Chelsea forms the whole person: mind, body, and spirit.

Of course, none of this happens without our wonderful parents here at Chelsea Academy. You are not spectators, you never have been. You are servant leaders. Your endless sacrifices of time, treasure, and talent, form the integral invisible backbone of our wonderful gem of a school and community. Whether it’s chaperoning a trip, serving a hot lunch, or encouraging a very tired teacher after a long day, you’ve shown us again and again that Chelsea is not just a school, it is genuinely and authentically a family.

Speaking of which, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to Brian Peppiatt, whose faithful leadership as interim headmaster has been nothing short of remarkable. His dedication, wisdom, and quiet strength have left a permanent mark on this community. I’m also deeply grateful to his exceptional administrative team, whose tireless work behind the scenes continues to uplift and strengthen the mission of Chelsea Academy forward each day.

As we look to the future, we also pause to honor those who have brought us to this moment. Today, we give thanks for the faithful service of Christopher Vander Woude, Ellen Garcia, Cathy Waters, Annie Heisler, Henry Wingate, Al Regnery, Monica LaFramboise, and Mary Jamieson. Your contributions are stitched into the soul of this school, and we are forever grateful for your joyful witness and selfless contribution down through the years. Please join me in thanking them with a well-earned round of applause.

I will leave you with this. To the graduating Class of 2025, including my dearest rugby boys as you transition to college rugby, this world is going to try and tame you. It will tempt you to trade conviction for comfort, and courage for approval—but don’t fall for it. You were made for more. Let your mind be sharp, and your heart be open. Let your faith be unshakable, and your love be sacrificial at all times. Whether you find yourselves in lecture halls or mission fields, corporate offices or kitchen tables, carry that Chelsea flame with you everywhere you go. Be that virtuous warrior, the servant leader, the joyful disciple the world so desperately needs you to be.

As St. Catherine of Siena said, “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” Congratulations, graduates. May God bless you, and may He continue to bless this extraordinary school. Forming Saints, Scholars, and Servant Leaders, this is Chelsea Academy.

Thank you very much.