Founded on Faith, Built for Excellence
Pope John Paul II Academy was founded in 2008 by a group of faithful Catholic families in Montrose, Colorado, who desired an education that was truly integrated — one where faith and learning were not separate pursuits, but a single, unified ascent toward Truth.
From its earliest days, the Academy has been a community of families, educators, and students united by a shared conviction: that the purpose of education is not merely to fill minds with information, but to form hearts and souls in virtue, wisdom, and love of God.
In October 2013, the Academy moved into its permanent home — a 16,000+ square-foot facility on twenty acres of land in the shadow of the San Juan Mountains. The campus includes ten classrooms, a library, and a full-sized gymnasium, providing a beautiful and purposeful environment for formation.
In 2014, Pope John Paul II Academy received full accreditation from NAPCIS — the National Association of Private, Catholic, and Independent Schools — affirming its commitment to academic excellence and authentic Catholic identity.
Today, the Academy continues to grow as a vibrant, joyful community — sending graduates into high school and beyond who are prepared not only academically, but spiritually and morally, to ascend to the summit of a life well-lived.
Totus Tuus
"Totally Yours"
Personal motto of St. Pope John Paul II
Totus Tuus — 'Totally Yours' — was the personal motto of St. Pope John Paul II, expressing his total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is drawn from the writings of St. Louis de Montfort, who taught that total consecration to Mary is the surest path to Jesus Christ.
By adopting this motto, Pope John Paul II Academy places itself entirely under the patronage and protection of Our Lady. We entrust our school, our students, our faculty, and our families to her maternal care, asking her to lead us always closer to her Son.
The motto reflects our conviction that authentic Catholic education is not merely an academic endeavor, but a spiritual one — ordered toward God and carried out under the guidance of the Mother of God.
As St. Pope John Paul II himself wrote: 'Totus Tuus ego sum et omnia mea Tua sunt' — 'I am all Thine and all that I have is Thine.' This spirit of total gift and surrender to God through Mary animates everything we do at Pope John Paul II Academy.
"Be not afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ."
— St. Pope John Paul II
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Introducing the Mountaineers
Dear Pope John Paul II Academy Community Members,
Together with our School Board, I am excited to announce that in the Fall of 2026, we will officially become the Pope John Paul II Academy Mountaineers!
This is not merely a mascot change, but rather an evolution that embodies the renewal of the mission, drive, and devotion that allowed Pope John Paul II Academy to open its doors in 2008. While we will remember the courageous spirit of our previous mascot, the Crusader, we believe that the Mountaineer identity embodies our vision for the future: a school community that constantly strives for excellence in all things and keeps its eyes fixed on the summit — to form excellent citizens and the future saints of Heaven.
A History of Our Climb
Since our founding during the 2008 financial crisis, our school has faced numerous hardships and obstacles on its journey towards excellence that would have forced many schools to close their doors. However, through God's grace, our school community showed unshakeable perseverance and found creative solutions to these obstacles.
Throughout its history, our school remained committed to the belief in class sizes capped at 15 students and our mission to provide a high-quality education rooted in the Catholic Tradition that any family can afford. Our history shows that we have embodied the identity of the Mountaineer long before we adopted the name.
Inspired by Our Namesake
Our namesake, Pope St. John Paul II, also experienced many hardships and obstacles throughout his life. As a youth he lost his mother and one of his siblings. He lived through World War II and the Soviet occupation of Poland. He even had to attend seminary and be ordained a priest in secret. Despite the intensity of these challenges, he bore them with heroic virtue. Throughout his life, he also enjoyed encountering God's presence and the beauty of God's creation in the mountains. He led students on hikes, offered Mass for them, and shared a meal together. He even came and hiked in the Colorado Rockies!
Our own 4th–8th Graders are able to experience this same connection to our namesake's life during their annual hike in Ouray. By embracing the Mountaineer identity, we invite all of our students to emulate St. John Paul II's life and see every hardship or obstacle as a path towards the summit!
Looking Towards the Summit
Our students come from many different backgrounds and each of them faces unique obstacles on their climb towards the summit. Through the guidance of our teachers, their parents, and God's grace, we strive to form Mountaineers who navigate their climb with heroic virtue and trust in God's will for them.
What's Next?
Our school is committed to rolling out this change in a way that respects our families' budgets while also celebrating our new identity. Ultimately, this renewed identity will serve as one of our guiding principles as we strive and plan for excellence in all areas into the future.
Thank you for your partnership in our mission. We look forward to continuing our climb toward the summit: excellence in all things, the cultivation of excellent citizens, and forming the future saints of Heaven!
In Christ,
William R. Nobers
Principal
Motto & Summit: One Ascent
Our motto and our theme are inseparable. To say Totus Tuus is to surrender the climb entirely to God — to ascend not by our own strength, but carried by grace, guided by Our Lady, toward the summit that is Christ himself. Every step upward at Pope John Paul II Academy is a step taken in her company.
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