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About
Fidelity & ExcellenceThomas Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
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A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the College’s curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
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A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of Thomas Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
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Admission & Aid
Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
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Students & Parents
Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC — something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
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Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the College’s academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
Prayer, Study, And Community: Rev. John Peter Anderson, O.P. (’17)
With two parents who graduated from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California, Rev. John Peter Anderson, O.P. (’17) was raised with an appreciation for the life and teachings of the order. So, when a high school friend urged him to check out Thomas Aquinas College, he was intrigued. But, hoping to pursue a more conventional career path, he continued to look at other colleges.
Everything changed, though, when he started reading Aristotle — and enjoyed it. “I figured if I’m already enjoying this kind of reading, I might as well go to TAC and study the things I actually want to study,” he explains.
Early in his sophomore year, Fr. John Peter began to hear a calling to join a religious order and enter the priesthood. “It was becoming habitual for me to think about deeper things, the mysteries of our world and the Faith,” he says. “At that point, my life was devoted to prayer, study, and community, which itself was quasi-monastic. I knew I was being drawn to something more.”
His desire to follow God’s call only grew as he received spiritual direction with then-College chaplain Rev. Paul Raftery, O.P., who helped him confirm his desire to enter the Order of Preachers. When he graduated in 2017, he joined the Western Dominican Province of North America, seeking the life of serious study and devotion to Christ that he had found in part at Thomas Aquinas College.
“It was becoming habitual for me to think about deeper things, the mysteries of our world and the Faith.”
During his time in the order’s seminary, Fr. John Peter had the opportunity to study abroad at Blackfriars Hall in Oxford, England. “I found the culture and fraternity in the Dominican community there very similar to the Western Province in America,” he says. “I felt very much at home.”
On May 30, 2025, the Most Rev. Steven Maekawa, O.P., Bishop of Fairbanks, conferred the Sacrament of Holy Orders on Fr. John Peter at St. Dominic Church in San Francisco. As he navigates the duties that come with his new role, the new priest — now parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament Church in Seattle — is grateful for the formation he received at Thomas Aquinas College.
“TAC takes so much care, especially with the communal elements, to ensure that everyone is trying to engage in community with others in sharing a higher thing,” he says. “Having those points of mutual encouragement was very impactful for me, to the point where I now see that operative in myself when I meet with fellow friars and parishioners.”