The recent article “St. John’s Orthodox Academy Must Stand For the Sake of Our Children, Our Church, and Our Future” struck a chord far beyond its initial readership. Alumni, parents, and members of the community from across the decades have reached out in a show of overwhelming support, reaffirming the Academy’s vital role in shaping spiritually grounded, intellectually capable Orthodox Christians. The message is clear: the community does not accept the quiet dismantling of one of its most sacred institutions.

In the days following its publication, dozens of former and current students, as well as parents, responded, expressing disbelief that any segment of the Orthodox community in the Bay Area could justify the Academy’s closure. Many are stunned that, after more than thirty years of faithful service, a school founded under the blessing of Archbishop Anthony Medvedev and the protection of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco could be treated as expendable.

Several alumni who have since gone on to become educators, clergy, scientists, and public servants emphasized that St. John’s was the bedrock of their development. The Academy, they argue, formed their worldview, not just academically, but morally and spiritually. Its closure would represent not only a loss for current families but a rupture in the Orthodox tradition itself.

These testimonies reveal a powerful truth: the Academy was never simply a school. It was a spiritual refuge, a cultural anchor, and a training ground for Orthodox life in the modern world. The attempt to close it defies reason, especially in light of its financial viability, committed faculty, and clear community support.

The community is mobilizing. The debate over the Academy’s future is no longer confined to rumor or private discussion. For those shaped by its mission, the question is no longer whether St. John’s Academy should remain, but how to ensure it does, for the generations still to come.