How Do Students Get Along With Their Teachers?

Our teachers strive towards an ideal of friendship with their students that flows from the Academy’s Salesian spirit. We seek a rapport that is marked by good will, respect, and affinity. Following in the footsteps of St. John Bosco, Academy teachers speak to students in the language of the heart, and students in turn are moved to look upon their teachers as friends and benefactors who seek their good.

When correction is necessary, students avoid feelings of resentment since such actions are accompanied by friendly admonishments which appeal to reason and the reaches of the heart. As St. John Bosco said: “A master who is only seen in the master’s chair is just a master and nothing more. But if he goes into recreation with the boys, he becomes their brother.” By joining them in their moments of work and play, sharing their labor and laughter, teachers form bonds of friendship with their students that endure for years.

Who Are Your Faculty?

Karen Beebe, Admissions Director
Karen Beebe grew up in Cooperstown, New York and holds a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Mrs. Beebe serves as the Admissions Director and Registrar. kbeebe@gregorythegreatacademy.org

Peter Bennett, Dormfather
Peter Bennett is from Wisconsin and serves on the dorm staff. After graduating from the Academy in 2020, Mr. Bennett attended the University of Dallas where he completed a degree in Business. He enjoys traveling, family time, and being a dormfather for the boys at his alma mater.

John Burger, Farm Foreman
John Burger holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Christendom College and an M.A. in English from the University of Dallas. Mr. Burger teaches Heaven and Earth Science, Scripture I, and Scripture II, and serves as the Academy’s Farm Foreman. jburger@gregorythegreatacademy.com

Luke Culley, Headmaster
Luke Culley received his bachelor’s degree from Thomas Aquinas College and master’s degree in Literature from the University of Dallas. He serves as Headmaster, Humanities II and Church History teacher, and is the director of the St. Julian’s Juggling Troupe and the Senior Pilgrimage. lculley@gregorythegreatacademy.org

John DuPont, Dormfather
John DuPont is from Knoxville, Tennessee, and holds a B.A. in History from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In addition to his role as a dormfather, he also helps coach rugby and is a teacher’s aide for American History. He also enjoys outdoor activities, studying cinema, culinary arts, and learning the banjo.

Sean Fitzpatrick, Assistant Headmaster
Sean Fitzpatrick is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College. He serves as the Assistant Headmaster and teaches Literature I and II, Drama, and guides the Captain Table leadership sessions. He and his wife, Sophie, live in Scranton and have seven children. sfitzpatrick@gregorythegreatacademy.org

Michael Foster, Dormfather
Originally from Oklahoma, Michael Foster first heard about the Academy while he was an undergraduate student at the International Theological Institute in Austria. During that time, he studied the works of John Senior and became intrigued by the academy’s poetic approach to education, wanting very much to be immersed in that same spirit. Mr. Foster has previously taught at St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic school in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as at the Lyceum in Cleveland, Ohio. Michael is an Eastern Catholic of the Ruthenian-Byzantine tradition, as well as a lover of liturgy, poetry, education, and song. He serves the Academy as a Latin teacher and dormfather.

Jim Hanisch, Teacher
Mr. Hanisch has been involved with St. Gregory’s since its founding in 1993 and is a beloved teacher and mentor. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas where he studied under John Senior’s Integrated Humanities Program. Besides his work as a staff writer for The Fatima Center, Mr. Hanisch teaches Latin and serves as the campus groundskeeper.

Anthony Hierro, Teacher
Anthony Hierro is a graduate of the University of Dallas, where he majored in business and accounting. After a stint in the I.T. field, Mr. Hierro worked at the St. Anthony Shelter for Renewal in the Bronx. He enjoys coaching sports, having played rugby in his Dallas days, and also reading, with a special regard for Tolkien, Waugh, and Hemingway. Mr. Hierro teaches Algebra I-II, Physics, Trivium, Pre-Calculus, and serves as soccer and rugby coach.

Columban Honan, Dormfather
Columban Honan is from Buffalo, NY and is a graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he studied philosophy. Mr. Honan was engaged in several extracurricular ministries and held leadership positions. He ran SENT ministries for a year, spearheaded a mission trip to the Bronx, led Franciscan’s Ethos National chapter, and was also involved with Humanility to help promote digital minimalism and community building. Mr. Honan loves reading, playing guitar and singing, and writing. He serves the Academy as a dormfather, teaching folk music to the juniors and coaching.

Nathan Lefler, Professor
Nathan Lefler is a Professor of Theology in the department of Theology/Religious Studies at the University of Scranton, where he teaches courses on Grace, Friendship, Hagiography, and Worship. He has published articles on the Psalms, St. Augustine, St. Benedict, St. Thomas Aquinas, Balthasar, Shakespeare, J. R. R. Tolkien, Flannery O’Connor and Catholic liturgy. He leads the Academy’s Senior Theology seminar and lives in Scranton with his wife, Annie, and three children.

Michael Miller, Director of Operations
After twenty years pursuing his love of carpentry and woodworking and becoming a general contractor, Michael joined the Academy to serve as Director of Operations to apply his skills as a master craftsman to beautify and care for the building and property. Michael is teaching Euclidean Geometry as well as a woodworking guild for the boys. He and his wife, Kaylie, live in Elmhurst, PA with their eight children. mmiller@gregorythegreatacademy.org

Kaylie Miller, Parent Liaison
Kaylie Miller is a graduate of Christendom College, homeschooling mother, and serves as the Parent Liaison for the Academy. kmiller@gregorythegreatacademy.com

Matthew Nickel, Professor
Matthew Nickel received his Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Louisiana and has taught college English for two decades. His teaching and scholarship have focused on Hemingway, modernism, poetry, and the intersections of literature and Catholicism. He also founded Divine Mercy Farm, a mission farm to feed the poor and religious communities in northeast PA. He teaches Ancient History, Humanities I, Composition, and assists with the farm guild.

Paul Prezzia, Business Manager
Paul Prezzia holds a B.A. in History from the University of Pittsburgh, and an M.A. in History from the University of Notre Dame. He joined the development team of Gregory the Great Academy in 2012 and serves as school Business Manager, teaches Latin, and leads the strength training program.

Daniel Schiller, Assistant Dean
Daniel Schiller is a native of New Baltimore, NY. He graduated from Ave Maria University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in history. He teaches American History, supervises Senior college preparations, and is the Assistant Dean. Mr. Schiller lives in Waymart, PA with his wife, Clare, and four children. dschiller@gregorythegreatacademy.org

James Sidloski, Dormfather
James Sidloski is a graduate of Wyoming Catholic College and a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He enjoys music, sports, and outdoor activities such as hiking, whitewater kayaking, and skiing. Mr. Sidloski is also a man of pilgrimage, making one every year to the Marian apparition site of Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine near Cudworth, SK. He joins the team at Gregory the Great Academy to help coach, teach folk music to the sophomores, and be a dormfather.

Christopher Smith, Development Director
Christopher Smith serves as the Director of Development. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Christendom College in 2007, and an M.A. in National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics in Washington DC in 2011. He lives outside of Front Royal, VA with his wife, Kathleen, and their three children. csmith@gregorythegreatacademy.com

Garret van Beek, Athletic Director
Garret van Beek received his degree in Sociology from the University of Ottawa. Garret is the Athletic Director, and the Head Coach of the soccer and rugby programs. He teaches Natural History I and II, and with his wife, Claire, is father to eight children. gvanbeek@gregorythegreatacademy.org

Rev. Carlos Viego, Chaplain
Rev. Carlos Viego is a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark. After graduating from Seton Hall University, he entered Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland and was ordained to the priesthood in 1998. Fr. Viego holds a licentiate in Philosophy from The Catholic University of America and a doctorate in Philosophy from Holy Cross Pontifical University in Rome. He served as a parish priest in the Archdiocese of Newark where he ministered to Hispanic groups such as the Legion of Mary, and most recently as chaplain for Thomas Aquinas College in Massachusetts. Fr. Viego enjoys tennis and billiards, the outdoors, Gregorian chant, and classical music. Serving as the Academy’s chaplain, Father also teaches Latin and Liturgy.

Matthew Williams, Residential Dean
Music Director Matthew Williams holds a degree in music from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where his primary instrument was the piano. Having been involved in church music from an early age, Matthew has participated in and conducted many choirs, is an organist for several parishes and gives private piano lessons. In addition to directing the Schola and teaching Sacred Music, Matthew serves as Residential Dean at Gregory the Great Academy. mwilliams@gregorythegreatacademy.org