My email:
What a disappointment it was to read what is happening at Providence
College and the persecution of Professor Anthony Esolen. I graduated from
Trinity in D.C. in 1968 and particularly recall a wonderful event when the
Providence glee club came down and sang with our own group of which I was a
member. What fine Catholic gentlemen. It was my only first hand experience with
the school but one that left a lasting favorable impression. Up until now.
With regard to Professor Esolen, I have been reading his work for several
years and consider him one of the finest Catholic writers of today. How blessed
you are to have him on your faculty! Apparently you don’t feel the same way as
your letter throwing him under the bus reveals. What a shocking response from a
son of St. Dominic who is my own confirmation patron. Is that how he would treat
a courageous defender of Catholic faith and culture and a true Catholic
gentleman?
After reading the diversity policy on your website which envisions quotas
that pretend not to be quotas and academic freedom based on political
correctness, I would never send a child to Providence. I’ll be forwarding this
letter as well as Matthew
Archbold’s article and Rod
Dreher’s interview with Professor Esolen to all my children and friends
with college age students as a warning. Don’t waste your money on a school that
is more in line with the spirit of the world than the true and rich diversity of
the Catholic world.
When my own children were entering college we nixed Georgetown and my own
alma mater from the list of colleges we would pay for because of the devastating
loss of their Catholic identity. If we had children entering college today,
Providence would be added to the no-go list and we will certainly encourage our
children to follow suit.
I pray that many alumni will rise up to defend Professor Esolen and expose
the serious problem of academic suppression and political correctness on your
campus.
Sincerely in Christ,
Mary Ann Kreitzer
President, Catholic Media
Coalition
From: Olivia McFadden
Sent: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 1:00 PM
To: ammolak@providence.edu
Subject: Anthony Esolen
Sent: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 1:00 PM
To: ammolak@providence.edu
Subject: Anthony Esolen
Dear Ms. Manchester-Molak,
I am so sad to learn of the problems that are being created against Dr. Anthony Esolen at Providence College. Dr. Esolen is one of the finest Catholic scholars and writers in the world today. He always gives a logical presentation to whatever topic he covers. I read his frequent pieces in Magnificat each month and am impressed with his clear thinking and expression. I would think the faculty and students at Providence College would consider it an honor to have such a fine Catholic gentlemen on their staff. I had had a good impression of Providence College up until now, but I am changing that view, unless Dr. Esolen can be absolved of any wrong-doing at this time.
Yours truly,
Olivia McFadden
I am so sad to learn of the problems that are being created against Dr. Anthony Esolen at Providence College. Dr. Esolen is one of the finest Catholic scholars and writers in the world today. He always gives a logical presentation to whatever topic he covers. I read his frequent pieces in Magnificat each month and am impressed with his clear thinking and expression. I would think the faculty and students at Providence College would consider it an honor to have such a fine Catholic gentlemen on their staff. I had had a good impression of Providence College up until now, but I am changing that view, unless Dr. Esolen can be absolved of any wrong-doing at this time.
Yours truly,
Olivia McFadden
I think Catholics are going to have to leave the institutions.
ReplyDeleteI know the vast majority of "catholic" institutions have long since left Catholics!
ReplyDeleteYou ladies are both spot on. I think college is going to disappear as it presently exists. Who can afford it and who would pay that kind of money for the garbage that passes as "education?"
ReplyDeleteEveryone is willing to pay it, because they have bought the lie of the system that a person is only worth his degree and paycheck. Everyone wants their kids to have material wealth and comfort. My daughter is a homeschooled senior who knows she is called to marriage & a family and cannot see how beginning life enslaved to debt or prolonging both marriage & being open to life jives with Catholic teaching. She wants to ensure her kids are not in day care while she is paying down debt to "secure" her future. The rude, hurtful comments from Catholics within our community have been quite a cross. She sees that life is really quite simple, and we are the fools who choose to complicate it to make ourselves "feel" vastly more important than we are. This is a kid who reads Tolkien, Belloc, Von Hildebrand for leisure. Proud mommy! Please pray for my beautiful girl as she seeks God's will for her life. And also pray for the sanctity of the young man God will eventually bring to her.
ReplyDeleteThe book "The Desolate City" by Anne Roche Muggeridge (+RIP) tells the sad tale of what happened to Catholic higher "education", Mary Ann.
ReplyDeleteWorth its weight in gold.
Not fun reading, but if you want to know what happened this book tells the tale and has numerous footnotes to back it up.
https://www.amazon.com/Desolate-City-Revolution-Catholic-Church/dp/0060660465/ref=pd_ybh_a_7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PJ3K47Z9J6PT5FQ5FEXH
Judging from your posts over the years I would surmise you have already read it, Mary Ann. I just thought your readers would benefit from it. :^)
God bless,
Catechist Kev
I have read it, Kevin. Powerful book! And let me thank you for all your wise comments. Your knowledge about the faith is extensive and I always appreciate you sharing the faith backed up by the writings of the Church Fathers and documents of the Church.
ReplyDeleteStabat Mater --
ReplyDeleteI'm offering a prayer right now for your daughter and for her future spouse. She sounds like a sensible young woman and she certainly has a wise mother.
Very kind of you, Mary Ann. Thanks. :^)
ReplyDeleteTo Miss Stabat Mater: Ahem! We are homeschoolers, too. We have a 17 y.o. son (Junior year equivalent) who is a tall, handsome kid. (would not dare to say he takes after his dad, LOL)
(While he may not be nearly as well read as your daughter, he is very conscientious about his faith and doing good to/for others.)
I pray daily, for all of our children, for their vocations, salvation and persevering in the Faith... and I ask the Lord if He would have them be married that he would send them a holy Catholic spouse. ;^)
(Worked for our oldest! She married a good kid who joined the Church in August.)
Catechist Kev
Been fantasizing about arranged marriage since she was a tot! LOL
DeleteKeep in touch! ;-)
Dear Father Shanley,
ReplyDeleteI am a grandmother, but still very interested in what goes on in education, especially higher education, because this is where a lot of young people lose their faith.
Anthony Esolen is one of my favorite authors because he's truly Catholic and knows truth, when he sees or hears it.
It is very disappointing and disturbing to see how a students complaint about Professor Esolen, is being handled and how these students are coddled.
This is not a way to get students ready for the real world. When they get a job, when someone says something to them they don't particularly like, will they go tell the boss and seek to have that person fired? In marriage, if their spouse hurts their feelings, or challenges them, will they hang them out to dry until someone else comes along?
Truth should play a part in the handling of all complaints and that Truth is Jesus Christ. If you don't pursue truth in your rendering of justice, you are very far from the teachings of Jesus Christ, and it is misguided justice.
At a Catholic college, Jesus Christ should be first and foremost in every decision made. If true prayer is used before each decision, you should come to the truth.
Remember, there is only one truth and what has happened to Professor Esolen, doesn't have the markings of truth, justice or prayer.
How may I do this please? Is it simply copy and paste my letter as a comment?
ReplyDeleteThat would be great. Yes. Leave it here in the comment so people who read the post can read it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you to all of you fine Roman Catholics who have not given in. As a sympathetic Lutheran (uh-oh!- not requesting you give in on your doctrine either), I want to say, If Catholic schools do not hold onto Catholic teaching, then who will? One of our schools is on some list because we don't condone the secular agenda, either. Pax vobiscum.
ReplyDelete