Cardinal O'Connor Lauds College
(Spring 1999 Newsletter)
 Following
is an abridged version of Cardinal O'Connor's remarks at the
Thomas Aquinas College Easter Dinner Dance at the New York
Athletic Club on April 9, 1999.
In 1989 I had the privilege of visiting the
College, and I think many people were puzzled that I accepted
an invitation to go there when we have so many colleges and
universities here. I had read with great care a couple of
the senior dissertations there, and I was astonished at the
level of achievement of the students writing them. I thought,
"What is this school doing that I have been missing for
so long?" But I came away from my visit even more astonished
by what I saw, by what I listened to in discussions with students,
and in exchanges with faculty members that I met.
From what I understand the College has continued
to grow since then and seems to me to be making an extraordinary
contribution to the life of the Church in the United States.
I am not speaking simply of the multitudinous vocations to
the religious life and to the priesthood that come from there
ó that's a marvelous contribution in itself ó but of the intellectual
stimulation that ultimately leads the student to the truth,
with great sincerity, with great intensity. This cannot but
one day be indescribably beneficial to the Church.
St. Ignatius of Loyola had a principle with
which you are familiar, "Do what you are doing"
ó give yourself totally and entirely to this person, to this
task in which you are engaged. Why am I talking about this
in respect to your College? This has been my experience in
meeting with your graduates. It was my experience while I
was out there. It accounts, in my judgment, for the high level
of intellectual activity which is possible there and virtually
the norm. There is an intensity of application of the being
to the task at hand and the consequent absorption of everything
that is meaningful in that task at hand.
To me it is not quite so extraordinary that
a college would develop a Great Books curriculum. Columbia
University did it, the University of Chicago did it, St. John's
in Annapolis did it. But the dimension at your college is
unique because you probe the Great Books through the mind
of Thomas Aquinas himself, who perhaps more than any other
theologian has brought the mind of Jesus to the theological
venture.
Today, I met with the presidents of ten Catholic
colleges and universities. The purpose of our meeting was
to discuss the document Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which reflects
our Holy Father's personal vision for Catholic higher education
throughout the world. Implementing that document in their
institutions is an enormously difficult thing for them to
do in this day and age, and I don't underestimate the problems
that haunt them.
I introduce the topic only to say that I
thank God that there is a place like your College, where Ex
Corde Ecclesiae is a foregone conclusion ó that no one
has to ask, "How do we apply Ex Corde Ecclesiae
to our educational venture?" - because the educational
venture is already an explication and a reflection of Ex
Corde Ecclesiae. Already, your educational venture is
an expression of that which is most wondrous, most mystical,
most faith-filled, most reflective, not only of Ex Corde
Ecclesiae, but of the mind of Our Divine Lord Himself.
I thank you so much for what you are doing
at Thomas Aquinas College. I hope there will always be a Thomas
Aquinas College. Your contributions to the Church and the
world are marvelous to behold.
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