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What a privilege and joy it is to be here tonight celebrating the 35th anniversary of Thomas Aquinas College among so many good friends. Who would have guessed when the College opened its doors to 33 students in 1971 that just 35 years later it would have earned an international reputation within the Church for its leadership in Catholic education and would have established a reputation as one of the premier liberal arts colleges in the United States, even according to such secular oracles as The New York Times? Who would have guessed that its alumni would have become such leaven in their workplaces, in their communities, and in the Church, and that from the alumni would come so many strong Catholic marriages and families as well as so many vocations to the priesthood and religious life? Unbending Resolve In 1969, amidst a great deal of turmoil and disintegration in higher education, our founders proposed and planned a new college that would uphold what is best in our intellectual heritage, and would conduct liberal education under the guiding light of the Catholic faith. The founders were unbending in their resolve to pass on the great intellectual patrimony of our civilization and the wisdom of the Church’s greatest thinkers. The one thing that has characterized Thomas Aquinas College from the beginning has been its determination to remain faithful to Christ and the teaching Church and never to compromise its principles. Whatever the financial and material difficulties, whatever the pressures and obstacles of the day, the College has remained steadfast in its commitment to the true, the good, and the beautiful. This has always been a venture of faith seeking understanding, and despite our many human weaknesses, I think that God has rewarded our aspiration to remain faithful to Him in all things. Profound Gratitude Tonight I stand here profoundly grateful to God for His many blessings on Thomas Aquinas College—blessings well beyond anything for which we might have hoped and wholly disproportionate to our meager human efforts. I must also express my profound gratitude to all those who have
been God’s instruments in the blessings the College has received: Gratitude to our students, who have entrusted their minds to us through the years and have devoted themselves to the pursuit of the truth. Gratitude to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, whose Cardinal McIntyre graciously invited us into the archdiocese 35 years ago and whose Cardinal Manning and, now, Cardinal Mahony have so kindly encouraged our work. Gratitude to the Dan Murphy Foundation, which, in a special way, under the leadership of Sir Daniel Donohue, has supported and encouraged us in our mission of Catholic liberal education. And gratitude to the Fritz Burns Foundation, which has been a steady partner in our endeavor to foster moral and intellectual virtue. And let me tonight also express deep thanks to all our many benefactors, living and deceased, whose prayers and sacrificial gifts have been extraordinary and without whom this college simply would not exist. You, our generous benefactors, through your magnificent support, truly are instruments of God’s providence, helping to work great good in so many lives. Let me thank you for your partnership in this noble endeavor, which has had such positive effects in society and in the Church. A Bright Future Looking to the future, it is certainly our resolve to stay the course and extend the work that, through God’s grace, has been so well begun. The future, I think, looks bright. Yes, there are scholarships to be provided, an endowment to be enlarged, a campus to be finished, and at the heart of the campus and of special importance to us all, there is a chapel to be completed and consecrated. All this will require great sacrifices. However, the considerable accomplishments of the College in its short history inspire high hopes that such goals will be achieved, so long as we remain true to the intellectual and religious ideals which animate and give strength to the College. Thomas Aquinas College has never been concerned with the expedient or the transitory, but from its inception has been dedicated to what is intrinsically worthwhile and enduring. We have always thought that if our civilization is to survive, those studies which have nourished and sustained it through the centuries must thrive for generations to come. So no matter what are the intellectual vagaries of the day, at Thomas Aquinas College we are devoted in season and out of season to the twin pillars of faith and reason and to seeking and speaking the truth, happily making ourselves disciples of that Master who Himself is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We at Thomas Aquinas College shall remain faithful to our Catholic heritage and shall continue to treasure our intellectual tradition. So long as the love of truth burns in our souls, so long as we cherish and revere our faith and devote ourselves to Christ, the College will flourish. What Thomas Aquinas College has undertaken is an ennobling and enriching endeavor, one that has proven already to be of vital consequence to the Church and to society. We invite everyone here tonight to make our mission yours as well. We invite you to join with us in helping to form future generations of young people who care deeply about our Church, about our country, and about doing great things with their lives. Thank you all for coming tonight, and thank you for your support, your encouragement, and your prayers. God bless you! -- 35th Anniversary 2007 |
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