Many of the dear friends who have given generously to Thomas Aquinas College and its students over the years gathered in downtown Los Angeles on December 8 for the annual Christmas Appreciation Dinner. There they enjoyed excellent food, fine music, and good company, plus a tribute to the man whose leadership made the gathering — and the College itself — possible.

On December 7, the Thomas Aquinas College Choir hosted its annual Advent Concert:

Singing in St. Joseph Commons, the Choir performed Josquin Des Prez’s Missa Pange Lingua, George Philipp Telemann’s Concerto for Trumpet in D (adapted for solo violin and orchestra), Tomas Luis de Victoria’s O Magnum Mysterium, and various traditional Christmas carols.

Posted: December 9, 2013

“Truth will be the chief object of study as well as the governing principle of the whole institution.”

So reads the founding document of Thomas Aquinas College, A Proposal for the Fulfillment of Catholic Liberal Education, which declares truth to be central to the College’s mission. In the spirit of that document, and in the hope of sharing its promise ever more widely, the College has adopted a new slogan for its advertising and promotional materials: Truth Matters.

Progress is still under way — and work crews are hard at work — on the construction of the College’s next classroom building, St. Gladys Hall. “Grading and foundations are complete, as are most of the site utilities,” reports Vice President for Finance and Administration Peter L. DeLuca “The building and the arcade have been framed, and much of the ‘shear panel’ is in place. Rough plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are well begun.” Noting that the project is “about 40 percent complete,” Mr.

When Bill McInerney died of cancer on November 12, it was after 64 years of marriage to his beloved wife, Mary; six decades as an attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area; and 42 years as a member of the Thomas Aquinas College President’s Council. “Bill was a man of commitment,” reflects President Michael F. McLean. “He was a very good and very loyal friend.”

Thomas Aquinas College President Michael F. McLean and Dean Brian T. Kelly have signed a letter sent to each of the nation’s Catholic bishops urging dioceses to reject the use of the “Common Core” curriculum in their schools. The letter, authored by University of Notre Dame Professor of Law Gerard V.

Q: Would you please describe your relationship to Thomas Aquinas College?

A: My initial relationship began as a student. I attended from 1983 to 1987, and it was one of the greatest gifts of my life to be a student here. I have nine children now, and my oldest is a graduate of the College also; she is getting a master’s degree in theology at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. Hopefully, there will be more coming in the next years.

audio

“The Trojan Horse in the City on a Hill: The Declaration of Independence and the Erosion of the Natural Law Tradition”

Over the course of the last month, three religious communities — the Capuchin Franciscans, the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa, and the Nashville Dominicans — have visited Thomas Aquinas College to meet with students who are discerning vocations to the religious life. In the upcoming months the College looks forward to additional visits from the Sisters of Life and the vocations director of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.