Friends old and new gathered in St. Cecilia Hall on Saturday evening for the College’s first annual Alumni Christmas Soiree.

“I though a Christmas celebration was something that people would enjoy, and that it would also inspire some nostalgia,” says Alumni Relations Coordinator Aaron Dunkel (’06 ). “Most employers don’t do Christmas parties these days, so we thought the alumni would appreciate having one of their own.”

Final examinations were held at Thomas Aquinas College this past week, and students supplemented their academic preparation with various forms of spiritual preparation — including seeking the intercession of the College’s beloved patron, St. Thomas Aquinas.

It’s finals week at Thomas Aquinas College, and the signs are everywhere. Students can be found scattered across the California campus, reading under arches, studying in small groups on the quadrangle, and strolling beside tutors as they take their oral Seminar examinations.

Finals end tomorrow, and then Christmas vacation begins!

Advent, 2018

Dear Friends of Thomas Aquinas College,

We are approaching the end of a year that has seen much turmoil, frustration, and anger, both in the Church and in the wider world. It is difficult not to be discouraged in such times. That is why it is all the more important to recall that every year ends with a beginning. In the last month of the calendar year, we begin the new liturgical year. We enter the season of Advent.

This fall has marked a strong start for the annual Women’s Dorm Talk Series, which Resident Assistant Jeannette Richard (’17) and Student Activities Director Kayla Grimm (’20) organize for the women of Thomas Aquinas College. The semester has featured four talks, all presented by members of the College community:

Please pray for Norm Goyette, Jr., the father of Thomas Aquinas College Dean John Goyette, who passed away December 7 after a brief illness. “Norm and his wife, Marian, have been loyal friends of the College and have been among our most generous benefactors over the past 40 years,” says President Michael F. McLean “They are also the parents and grandparents of a number of alumni and students.” 

Many of the dear friends who have given generously to Thomas Aquinas College and its students over the last year gathered in downtown Los Angeles on December 1 for the annual Christmas Dinner. There they enjoyed excellent food, fine music, and good company.

Tuesday afternoon, in the waning days of the fall semester before final examinations, 13 Thomas Aquinas College juniors gathered in the rotunda of St. Thomas Hall Wednesday to sing. The brief performance marked the latest chapter in a young but increasingly anticipated custom.