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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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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.
College Celebrates 90 Graduates at California Commencement
Truth, wisdom, and peace — for the 90 members of the Thomas Aquinas College Class of 2026 who graduated at today’s California Commencement ceremonies, these are the ideals that will guide their future.
The College’s 52nd California Commencement began with the Baccalaureate Mass of the Holy Spirit in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, with Rev. Luke J. Mata, Ph.D., of the prelature of Opus Dei serving as the principal celebrant, joined at the altar by several visiting and alumni priests. In his homily, Fr. Mata reflected on truth — a TAC student’s primary pursuit — and reminded all present that “Truth is a Person, and His name is Jesus.”
“The entire structure of this college was designed to do something no curriculum alone can do: It was designed to teach you to love the truth,” he said. “And if truth is a Person — if truth is finally the Trinitarian God revealed in Jesus Christ — then to love the truth means to love Him, to develop a personal relationship not just with an idea but with each one of the three divine Persons.”
The Commencement ceremony started soon after the Mass. Led by the beadle, the Class of 2026, the College’s Board of Governors, and the faculty solemnly processed onto the academic quadrangle. There, President Paul J. O’Reilly gave the opening remarks, thanking guests, friends, and family for attending.
Class Speaker Gregory Haggard (’26) next stepped up to the podium, reflecting on wisdom and the effect that its pursuit has on one’s peers — namely, an outpouring of love and joy. “Our time here together has come to a close,” he concluded. “But our attainment of wisdom has only begun. And our love for God, and for our neighbors as ourselves, is not beginning now, but has also already begun, and will continue to grow with our attainment of wisdom.”
Dr. O’Reilly then introduced this year’s Commencement Speaker, the Hon. Brian F. Burch II, 13th United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador Burch followed on these considerations of truth and wisdom with a reflection on peace, offering examples of proximate, political peace and what St. Augustine calls “the perfectly ordered and harmonious enjoyment of God, and of one another in God,” as well as how they come together to achieve tranquilitas ordinis — the tranquility of order — which can prove elusive in a culture predicated on fleeting pleasures.
“In this environment, your formation here at Thomas Aquinas has equipped you uniquely to resist these illusions and to become both examples and advocates of genuine peace,” he said. “Graduates, the education you received here — rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition — has not been a luxury. It has been preparation for this very mission: to seek the tranquility of order in your souls, and to labor, with hope and perseverance, for a more just and peaceful world.”
After applauding the Ambassador’s words, the seniors took turns ascending the stage and, presented with academic hoods and diplomas, became alumni of Thomas Aquinas College — to the cheers and delight of their classmates, friends, and families. To conclude the ceremony, Dr. O’Reilly read the College’s “Charge to the Graduates,” imploring them to put their liberal education to the service of Christ and the common good.
“You are charged, beginning this day, with maintaining, defending, and protecting your Catholic heritage,” he began. “You must strive in your lives to live for God alone, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and to insist, in season and out of season, on the primacy of Peter and the Church he governs.”
In response, the members of the California Class of 2026 sang William Byrd’s Non Nobis Domine, giving all glory to God. “That was beautiful, thank you,” said Fr. Mata, taken aback by the four-part harmony as he prepared to deliver his benediction, then paused. “I am still a little moved by it. Hold on, give me a second!”
The graduates then processed to St. Joseph Commons, where they tossed their mortarboards into the sky in grateful celebration.
More photos from the Baccalaureate Mass ...
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... and the Commencement Ceremony!
