Great Catholic Colleges Part I - WCC

In light of my post about the scandal at the University of San Francisco, I thought it would be good to present the flip side: great Catholic Colleges that celebrate their orthodoxy. This will be the first of several posts.

One of my favorite Catholic colleges is a new kid on the block -- Wyoming Catholic College. The school describes itself this way:

"Wyoming Catholic College is a four-year college committed to offering a liberal arts education that steeps its students in the awesome beauty of our created, natural world and imbues them with the best that has been thought and said in Western civilization, including the moral and intellectual heritage of the Catholic Church. The college strives to promote a love of learning, an understanding of natural order, and the quest for virtuous living so that its graduates will assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society.

"The curriculum and campus are devoted to the formation of the whole person, i.e., the spiritual, physical and intellectual dimensions. Studies include the classics of imaginative literature, history, mathematics, science, philosophy, fine arts, and theology. They employ the great and good books as well as the natural created world, effecting a rich combination of intellectual and experiential or poetic knowledge. Students’ imaginations are enriched and their capacity for wonder deepened. Moreover, students and faculty share in a campus life that reflects the ideals taught directly and indirectly in the classroom.

"In this Catholic tradition, emphasis lies not on the dissemination of information, but on the development and perfection of the intellect, the passions, and the will, enabling students to approach and embrace the good, the true, and the beautiful throughout their lives.

"In addressing the whole person, the college contributes to the students’ spiritual and moral formation. This is done via Catholic culture, context, and traditions. The faculty and college are faithful to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church and the deposit of faith handed down over the past two thousand years."

If I were college age how I'd love to sign up for a four-year adventure at WCC. The Cardinal Newman Society included them in their latest College Guide of twenty-one authentically Catholic schools in the United States. Sad, isn't it that with hundreds of so-called Catholic schools only a few really teach and defend the faith? All the more reason to give WCC a serious look if you have children, relatives, or friends approaching college age.