Catholic college when you're not Catholic

[TwoEdgedSword]

One of our sons is expressing interest in a Catholic college, Aquinas in Michigan. We are not Catholic and I'd like input on how this might work out. The academic major and athletic program seem like they would work well for him.

 

He is a Christian btw,~Protestant. Seems like this college has roots with Dominican nuns order, fwiw.

[Liza Q]

My oldest went to a Catholic College - St. Francis in Brooklyn, NY - and it was a great experience. We are also Protestants and it was never an issue. Actually, many of the friends she made were Muslim. It is very welcoming place!

 

We especially liked the focus on service. Some of the Christian colleges we considered pushed the fact that they were training leaders, but St. Francis stressed the fact that they were training servants.

 

We also liked that the core curriculum required her to take three philosophy courses. All the religion courses fell under that category but there were many options and she did not have to take a Catholic Theology class.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I think it depends on the college.  There are non-Catholic students at many large universities--Notre Dame, Georgetown, Boston College. I don't think religion is much of an issue at those institutions.  Aquinas is much smaller, you probably need information specific to that school.

[Crimson Wife]

If the college is on the Cardinal Newman Society guide list, it is orthodox/traditional Catholic and I would not recommend it for non-Catholics or "cafeteria" Catholics. There is an Aquinas College on the list but I'm not sure it's the school you are considering. HTH!

[J-rap]

My protestant dd went to a very Catholic all-girls private university.  She loved it!  She was required to take a couple religion courses which had an emphasis on the Catholic faith, but not completely.  Maybe because it was all-girls, there was not the partying and other things that sometimes go on.  It was just really a nice atmosphere all around.  It also welcomed many Muslim girls.  I think they were comfortable there because it was a religious school for only girls.  I know they felt very accepted there.  

 

We were a little surprised that there were not any Protestant clubs or Bible studies, but there really weren't, even though there were definitely some Protestants there.  I'd say that it was a quite liberal Catholic approach, however.  That is, they were strong supporters of feminism and and also some new-age stuff, which was interesting.  

 

My dd always felt very welcome there, and had some great professors who really impacted her life.  The teachers were all very supportive and involved with the girls there.   

[TwoEdgedSword]

Crimson Wife thanks for the link. It does look like it's referring to another college with the same name.

[FaithManor]

Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. If that is the college you are referring to, it is known in my area of Michigan to be traditionally Catholic in terms of worship and theology classes but fairly progressive and open minded in debate, philosophy, etc. The overarching value seems to be to encourage and foster deep thought and discussion, not force a specific theological system on students. The protestant students, the few, that I have been acquainted with that attended there were regulars a protestant churches in the Grand Rapids areas throughout their years on campus and this was not a problem. They chose the school because the academics are deep and rigorous, and many were definitely looking for a solid Liberal Arts approach. They get some pretty great special speakers on campus, and I think that is a draw for some.

Edited April 6, 2016 by FaithManor

[TwoEdgedSword]

Thanks Faith Manor for that. It's very helpful.

[Bootsie]

We are Protestant.  DD went to a Catholic high school and chose a Catholic university which promotes itself as "enthusiastically Catholic."  I have a MA in Theology from a Catholic University.  I taught at a Catholic university for about 15 years and my husband teaches at a Catholic university now. 

 

Much depends on the particular school and what you are looking for.  Do your concerns center more around the theological bent in the academics or the social environment if the majority of the students are Catholic?

[3XBlessed]

Catholic colleges vary widely in terms of how Catholic the student body and culture of the college, from traditional conservative Catholic to almost secular type of college. You would need to visit and inquire at the particular college. My dd attends a very Catholic college (Thomas Aquinas College in CA), where the majority of students are Catholic, but the non-Catholic students are welcomed and accepted.