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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.
Serving Those Who Serve: Rev. Paul Collins (’14)
“The Navy has the most need for chaplains out of any of the military branches,” says Rev. Paul Collins (’14), a newly ordained priest now preparing for military chaplaincy. This ministry seems like the natural next step in a journey that began at a young age, when he first hoped one day to become a missionary priest.
The son of Thomas Aquinas College tutor Dr. Sean Collins, he entered the Class of 2014, praying that God would show him how to fulfill his desire to become a missionary. “I told God in prayer, ‘I want to serve you in this way, but I don’t know how to do it, so please send me an opportunity to spend a year or so doing missionary work with a religious order while still discerning.’” His prayers were answered almost immediately his freshman year, when some missionary priests gave a presentation in the campus coffee shop.
“The Navy, especially the Marines, go through so much, and I want to bring the Word of God and His grace to them as they navigate extreme situations.”
Fr. Collins took another two years to discern a call to this mission and finally, during Christmas break his junior year, booked a flight to Peru. He spent the next year learning Spanish, living with the order, and caring for a group of young boys from broken homes. “I was like a father figure to them,” he says. “I was way out of my depth and prayed very hard that whole year to do right by them. It was an amazing, powerful experience.”
After his time in Peru, Fr. Collins expected to come back to California and resume his old life. However, as soon as he returned, he felt unfulfilled. “I had been doing something so important and meaningful, so to come back to ‘normal life’ didn’t compare at all,” he remembers. “At that point, I realized I had to become a priest, because I had tasted something I couldn’t walk away from.”
Hoping to study psychology, he enrolled at California State University, Northridge, completing his degree in 2017. He then entered St. John’s Seminary, co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of the Military Services and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Last May 31, the Most Rev. José H. Gomez ordained him a priest at L.A.’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. In his first assignment, Fr. Collins serves at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Whittier, California.
In three years, he will transition to a full-time, active-duty Navy chaplain, serving sailors, Marines, and the Coast Guard. “When people are having more serious moments in life, they have a greater awareness of their need for God and His salvation,” he says. “The Navy, especially the Marines, go through so much, and I want to bring the Word of God and His grace to them as they navigate extreme situations.”