Mission
Portsmouth Abbey School helps young men and women grow in knowledge and grace. As a Benedictine boarding and day school committed to excellence, we embrace the Catholic faith while nurturing reverence for God and the human person, love of learning, and commitment to community life.
Vision
Catholic means universal, and we welcome students from all backgrounds, as Jesus was welcoming to all people. We affirm that each person is made in the image and likeness of God, and is endowed with inherent human dignity and infinite worth. We believe God is at the center of the human search for meaning, and the perennial questions asked by our students—who am I? what is goodness? how am I to live?— find their answers in God. We assist our students in their search for God as the foundation of their lives. We seek student growth in grace: the regenerative power of Christ that lifts hearts and transforms lives.
“Love of learning and the desire for God” are joined in the Benedictine tradition. Love of learning is grounded in wonder, undertaken in humility, and fueled by the hunger for truth. Our students are called to a close reading of classic texts and critical engagement with the written word. Our research-driven science program enables students to be keen observers of the world around them. We foster engagement in fine arts and athletics as key dimensions of human excellence. Education in the Catholic intellectual tradition forms us in the things that matter: truth, goodness, and beauty.
Our shared life of study, prayer, and recreation sustains a community characterized by friendship and joy. Called to live in mutual service to each other, we seek the growth of our members as individuals, while advancing the common good. We nurture the talents of each of our students for energetic leadership and service in our own community and throughout the world.
From Our Head of School
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Welcome to Portsmouth Abbey School! For nearly a century, Portsmouth Abbey School has combined a classical education in the Catholic intellectual tradition with Benedictine values, innovative electives, competitive athletics, and creative opportunities in the performing and visual arts. As the proud father of two Portsmouth graduates, JP ’18 and Matthew ’20, my wife Paula and I know firsthand the impact an Abbey education can have. |
Our mission of helping young men and women grow in knowledge and grace challenges us to be our best. For me, that means being the best Catholic boarding school in North America with a global reach that attracts the best and brightest from around the world. Our lay and monastic communities work in partnership to surround our students with wisdom, patience, understanding and love, creating a community characterized by friendship and joy.
Whether you are from the area, across the country, or around the globe, you will discover an independent, co-educational community that embraces your uniqueness and welcomes you as no other school can.
This commitment to community life extends beyond our classrooms to include Rhode Island's classic coast. Located alongside the breathtaking Narragansett Bay with the Atlantic Ocean just a few minutes away, it is hard not to be inspired by our area’s rich history, glorious landscapes and countless opportunities for adventure.
Those who join the Portsmouth Abbey community discover something greater than could be imagined, all in preparation for a life of purpose and meaning that centers on college readiness and the world beyond.
Explore what we offer online and visit our campus to experience what it means to be a Raven at Portsmouth Abbey School. You will not be disappointed.
I look forward to meeting you soon.
In Christ,
Matthew P. Walter
Head of School