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1. Vocation friendly university
2. “Catholic Safe”
3. Picking a good Catholic university
4. The mandatum and Notre Dame
5. School leaders blocking evangelization efforts
6. Liberal “Catholic” school’s gay agenda
7. HLI’s List of Really Catholic Colleges

1. Vocation friendly university
Q: What school would you recommend to a person who wanted to be a priest and stay true to Catholic doctrine (Sent by L.L.)
See Answer »

2. “Catholic Safe”
Q: What other Catholic universities besides Georgetown, DC, should we be aware of that are NOT Catholic safe? (Sent by T.C.)
See Answer »

3. Picking a good Catholic university
Q: I read with great interest your article on Fr Drinan and Attila the Hun in regards to Catholic universities in modern America. My sister sent it to me as she knows that my daughter, who is a senior in high school this year, is interested in attending a Catholic University. Lauren is looking into Boston College, Notre Dame, and Villanova. While I haven't heard anything negative about Villanova, Boston College and Notre Dame are an entirely different story. I've asked many friends and even clergy and many of them say that you can't go wrong with a Catholic university, which is obviously counter to the point of your article, while others say those schools are places where you have to "guard your faith." I want to support my daughter but also educate her on how to make a good sound decision when it comes to picking a Catholic school. I myself don't have a clue on where to look to find such things as those noted in your article and we all know that the school websites can be deceiving. Can you shed some light on these universities? Thank you for your help. (Sent by D.B.)

A: The three above questions can all be answered as one. It is my studied opinion that no one should invest $30,000+ (per year) without assuring that they will get a solid return on their investment. Good Christian stewardship demands that we be clear about the basic objective of sending a child to college and that we make sure that the school is the best one for our investment.

The goal of Catholic higher education is to give formation of mind and soul to a young person so that he or she may become a mature, faithful Catholic. It is through the formation of generations of young people that a university evangelizes culture. A child’s formation is a good reason to invest that much money, but it is astonishing how many people make that investment without ever questioning if the goal will be accomplished by the institution to which they are sending their child. Were I a young person or parent contemplating the Catholic college decision nowadays I would establish a few criteria from which to make a decision:

First, and most importantly, would be to assure that the teachers of the theology faculty are “licensed” by the mandatum of their bishop (see n. 7 below). If the university or college can’t even get theologians to agree to teach the Catholic Faith, forget sending your child there. You have just established that the leadership of the school is not willing to assure a return on your investment.

Second, once the mandatum question is in place, evaluate the Catholic “culture” of the school itself. You must take into account not just the mandatum of the theological faculty but the many possible ways in which orthodox Catholic may be undermined by the morals or heretical practices of others, students and faculty. (I have noted one egregious negative example in the list in question n. 7) If the leadership of the school tolerates dissenters in other areas or blatant contradictions to Catholic faith or practice, such a school should be avoided as a real danger to your child’s Catholic formation. Remember that faith formation is not just a question of book learning. It has everything to do with environment, i.e., culture.

Third, see firsthand how the students live their Catholic faith. Visit the college and meet the students. If many of them attend daily Mass, participate in a thriving campus ministry and have a significant pro-life group on campus, you can be assured that the school will have all the right elements of faith formation and preparation for the challenges of modern professional life after college.

With regard to the vocations question (number 1), I think that it is clear that an orthodox Catholic school that fits my three criteria will also be one that is both friendly to vocations and even “produces” them! (As a side note, despite being one of the ten smallest colleges in the country, Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA boasts about 60 priestly vocations in 35 years. Not bad!)

With regard to Villanova, Boston College and Notre Dame, all three of them fail on the very first point. I regret to say this because I am an alumnus of Notre Dame (Philosophy, ’84).

4. The mandatum and Notre Dame
Q: Thank you for the article on Catholic universities and especially naming Georgetown. Now, I wish you would name the other Catholic universities that do not sign on to the mandatum from Rome. It is shocking the bishops don't get busy and straighten these so-called schools of learning (Catholic). I called the University of Notre Dame recently and got thru to the President's office and his secretary had no idea what I was talking about—the mandatum. With grandchildren beginning to attend college, it would be very helpful and absolutely necessary to identify these colleges. (Sent by K.S. from KA)

A: As per question 3 above, I am not surprised to hear this. The new president, Fr. John Jenkins, was awarded HLI’s recent “Millstone Award” for his capitulation to the homo-liberal lobby when he allowed the despicable play, V-Monologues, to be allowed on campus. What a slap in the face of Our Lady whose image sits atop that Golden Dome.

With regard to the bishops “straightening out” these universities, it appears that they are almost powerless to do so in most cases since they do not own them. The universities and colleges are generally owned by religious orders and/or run by boards of lay trustees. Those who thus determine the Catholic identity of modern Catholic institutions (and healthcare facilities) are not the successors of the apostles. The actual power that a bishop has over a Catholic university is fairly minimal: to forbid it to identify itself as “Catholic” and to demand that the theological faculty have the mandatum from him.

I too wish that the bishops would just declare as heretical and unworthy of the name Catholic the vast majority of our nation’s 200+ Catholic colleges and universities. The fact that there are only a handful of these (see the list in question n. 7) that actually receive the mandatum is a scandal of the first order. There is hope, however! Last year Cardinal Egan of New York revoked the Catholic title from Marymount Manhattan College after they hosted Hillary Clinton as commencement speaker! The episcopal action was the culmination of a long process of disintegration of the college’s Catholic identity. Bishops have also declared three other colleges no longer Catholic: Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and Nazareth and Saint John Fisher Colleges in Rochester, New York.

5. School leaders blocking evangelization efforts
Q: My son is a principal of a Catholic school in Michigan. Every month he would write a letter to the parents of his students. He would always mention Christ or a scripture in his letters. He has now been told by his superior (a Catholic priest) that he should not mention Christ or the scriptures in his monthly letter. He was told that it intimidates the parents. He is totally frustrated with this and many, many other incidents that have been blocking (including the bishop) him in his attempt to evangelize. Short of leaving this school and possibly the church how should this be handled. I have told him to just keep trying to extend Christ's message to his students. How else would you handle this situation. (Sent by D.S.)

A: If the leaders are really doing this to your son, it is an unfortunate and shocking situation. This is clearly an example of a school that is violating its mandate to form children in the Catholic Faith. Given that there may be many other circumstances or reasons for such behavior that we are not aware of this is what I would recommend:

I would suggest that your son first request a written order from his superior to not mention Christ or the Scriptures in his monthly letter. The demand for documentation usually has quite a chilling effect on those who wish to bully other people into silence. Your son cannot be silent about Christ in a Catholic school! Secondly, if such behavior continues, have him write a formal complaint to the bishop about the contradiction to the mission and copy it to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington. Third, he must pray for the conversion of all who may be blocking the evangelization efforts and persevere in his efforts to bring Christ to the kids. Finally, make sure your son gets a group of nuns, preferably contemplative nuns, praying for him. He needs spiritual protection and may need legal protection to just keep his job in a “Catholic” school.

I will pray for him too, but what he must never do is to leave the Catholic Church on account of a bad priest or bishop. You said that might be an option for him, but make sure he deletes that as even a remote possibility. We must not leave Christ because of Judas. Encourage him to weather the storm with prayer and wise decisions and offer his sacrifices up for others. Even if he loses his job there, sometimes environments like that are just not worth staying in for the sake of one’s spiritual integrity.

6. Liberal “Catholic” school’s gay agenda
Q: We most recently experienced a very scary experience in our sons search for higher learning. He had wanted to consider all of his Catholic Universities first, as a youth active in parish and diocesan life it was no doubt to anyone that this may be his choice. One of our stops brought us to a very liberal Catholic College, promoting and living a gay agenda. We were both shocked and upset that such a lifestyle was not only encouraged, but brought so boldly before our eyes on a routine college visit. My son is not attending there in the fall and unfortunately has broadened his search and will be looking at other Christian institutions, hoping for a more comfortable environment. (Sent by P.C.)

A: I commend your diligence in searching for a Catholic college. I regret to say that I am not at all shocked to hear about gay activism on Catholic campuses any more. It is actually quite rampant in the vast majority of so-called Catholic institutions that pay homage to the liberal agenda of which the gay agenda is just one element.

What is more shocking is that, given their enormous investment in their child’s higher education, parents do not do the diligent search that you have done to actually find out what is happening on campus. You exemplify my second and third points above perfectly. I would also be willing to bet that the college in question is not on the mandatum list either!

7. HLI’s List of Really Catholic Colleges
The following is a list of Catholic Colleges and Universities whose theological faculties received the mandatum (mandate) from the local bishop to teach the Catholic Faith in union with the Church or whose theological faculties take an explicit oath of fidelity to the Magisterium where the local bishop does not offer the mandatum. Placing a school on this list does not imply HLI’s endorsement of all that goes on at the school or other elements of their curriculum which fall outside the mandatum; it is simply a recognition that a school’s theology faculty is in conformity with the Church’s law. This list was taken from http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0511fea1sb3.asp.

• Aquinas College (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Ave Maria College (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
• Ave Maria University (Naples, Florida)
• Benedictine College (Atchison, Kansas)
• Christendom College (Front Royal, Virginia)
• DeSales University (Center Valley, Pennsylvania)*
• Franciscan University of Steubenville (Steubenville, Ohio)
• Magdalen College (Warner, New Hampshire)
• Our Lady of Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi, Texas)
• Our Lady of Holy Cross College (New Orleans, Louisiana)
• St. Gregory’s University (Shawnee, Oklahoma)
• Thomas Aquinas College (Santa Paula, California)
• University of Dallas (Irving, Texas)
• University of St. Thomas (Houston, Texas)

*Although DeSales University (Center Valley, Pennsylvania) is one of those universities whose faculties receive the mandatum, this institution has been removed from the list of “really Catholic” schools since it is public knowledge that a member of the DeSales Philosophy faculty is an abortion escort at the local Planned Parenthood facility and refuses to cease her scandalous activity. The college president has been contacted about this and has refused to take action. In other words, DeSales is Catholic in name only.

For a list of “Homeschool Friendly” Catholic Colleges and Universities please see http://www.love2learn.net/hsinfo/college.htm.

Note: Should any person have knowledge of Catholic Colleges or Universities on the above list that have similar contradictions to Catholic Faith, morals or discipline or any other reason why a school should not be on this list, please contact HLI with documented information, and we will evaluate their fitness for our ongoing inclusion on the list.