A Harvest of Priests

Five alumni of Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula were ordained to the priesthood this year, bringing the total number of alumni priests to 47. The college also boasts 20 graduates who are religious brothers and sisters, and an additional 35 in seminaries preparing for the priesthood.

These numbers are especially striking for a small, private college with only 2100 alumni and a maximum enrollment of 350 students.

California Catholic Daily interviewed Fr. Sebastian Walshe, a TAC graduate now belonging to the Norbertine St. Michael's Abbey in Silverado, California. Father Walshe has been a Norbertine priest for two years.

Does everybody at Thomas Aquinas College major in theology or religious studies?

Fr. Walshe: No, there are no majors, no areas of specialization. The college follows the Great Books curriculum and the Socratic method of teaching.

Do most of Thomas Aquinas students go straight from devout Catholic families to this enclave of Catholic piety?

Fr. Walshe: Some do, but that was certainly not the case with me. I was raised Lutheran and became a convert to the Catholic faith at age thirteen. [Entire Story]

This is great news! It's no wonder the Holy Father is looking to the Americas as the hope for the future.
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