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cOMMENCEMENT 2014
Cardinal O’Brien Salutes College’s 40th Graduating Class
On May 17, Thomas Aquinas College celebrated its 40th Commencement, honoring the 82 members of the Class of 2014. Serving as Commencement Speaker was His Eminence Edwin Cardinal O’Brien, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. “Being formed by the unique education offered here at Thomas Aquinas College, you have been formed for a mission: and that mission is nothing less than the rescue of the civilizational project of the West,” the Cardinal told the graduates.
During the Commencement ceremony, the College presented Cardinal O’Brien with its highest honor, the Medallion of Saint Thomas Aquinas. “From his chaplaincy in the jungles of Vietnam, to his care of our nation’s 1.5 million Catholic military men and women, to his stewardship of the Church’s work in the Holy Land, Cardinal O’Brien has exhibited the qualities of a knight in service to his Lord, Jesus Christ,” said President Michael F. McLean.
Commencement Photos, News, Talks & More 
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SERVICE SCHOLARSHIPS
New York Post Touts College’s Financial Aid Program
In a recent editorial bemoaning the high level of indebtedness that plagues so many of today’s college graduates, the New York Post notes that “higher education doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive.” The newspaper cites a few select schools — Thomas Aquinas College among them — that are “addressing the rising student-debt issue with an innovative use of an old-fashioned concept: work.”
Specifically, the Post touts the College’s Service Scholarship program, under which students who receive financial aid contribute to the cost of their education by working a part-time, on-campus job. “Smart colleges know parents are asking tougher questions about what their kids are getting in exchange for the ever-escalating tuition dollar,” concludes the New York Post’s editorial. “And smart students can find schools where they will earn a quality degree without incurring the debt overwhelming so many of their peers.”
Full story
New York Post editorial:
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SUMMER LEARNING
Upcoming College Seminars and Events
Throughout the summer Thomas Aquinas College is hosting several seminars for its friends, benefactors, and alumni, at which attendees can explore important topics, while also gaining an insight into the intellectual life of the College. Please click on the links below for more details and pricing information:
The West Coast meeting of the Society for Aristotelian-Thomistic Studies will take place on campus from June 19-20. This year’s theme is “Philosophy as Handmaiden to Sacred Theology.”
Immediately following the SATS conference will be the sixth annual Conference on the Social Doctrine of the Church, sponsored by The Aquinas Review, and held on campus from June 20-22. Attendees will take part in a series of three seminars concerning the principles underlying the Church’s teachings on economics and social justice. The theme of this year’s gathering is “The Family and the State in Education.”
On July 11-13, and then one week later, on July 18-20, President Michael F. McLean will host two Great Books Summer Seminar Weekends on campus. Guests will participate in classroom discussions centered on the theme, “Reading the Scriptures: The Wisdom of Genesis.” These weekends occasion much good fellowship and lifelong friendships. In addition, the College’s chaplains offer daily Mass and confession in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel.
The College is sponsoring a seminar on Reason and Faith at the Napa Institute conference in Napa, California, on July 24. The seminar, which includes a complimentary breakfast, is open to and free for all registered Napa Institute attendees.
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GRADUATE REFLECTIONS
Seniors Look Back at their Time at the College and ahead to the Future
Two members of the Class of 2014, Patrick Cross and Laura Sherwood, spoke to the Thomas Aquinas College Board of Governors at its spring meeting in May. Both expressed gratitude for the gift of a Catholic liberal education, while also noting the future obligations that this gift entails. “With every blessing there is a duty, and we are reminded of the words of our Savior, that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected,’” said Mr. Cross. Added Miss Sherwood, “As members of the Thomas Aquinas College community, we have a duty to fight for the College, but this duty is also our unique gift from God. … Let us carry out our sacred duty and bring the light of Christ to the world.”
The complete texts of both talks are available on the College’s website:
Reflection by Patrick Cross (’14)
Reflection by Laura Sherwood (’14)
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Patrick Cross (’14)
Laura
Sherwood (’14) |
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FAITH IN aCTION
Highlights from the College’s Alumni Blog
The Faith in Action blog chronicles the good works of Thomas Aquinas College alumni in the Church and in the world. Recent highlights include:
Two alumni who are now Norbertine seminarians, Frater Jacob (’06) and Frater Simeon (’10), recently sang at Los Angeles’ Disney Concert Hall alongside Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs. … Dr. S. Adam Seagrave (’05), an assistant professor of political science at Northern Illinois University, has published a new book through the University of Chicago Press: The Foundations of Natural Morality: On the Compatibility of Natural Rights and the Natural Law. … David A. Shaneyfelt (’81) has a new article in the latest issue of Los Angeles Lawyer magazine, “Liability Insurance Considerations for Wage and Hour Class Actions.”
Read More: The Faith in Action blog |
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Norbertines at Disney Concert Hall
Dr. S. Adam Seagrave (’05)
David A.
Shaneyfelt (’81)
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