Why Do We Need Catholic Universities?

Update 2020 | Vol 38
Feature
 

 

 

A number of years ago, an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education charged that denominational universities should be refused accreditation for “systematically undermining… skeptical and unfettered inquiry” and “the primacy of reason.” Asked for my take on this question, I instinctively responded “this isn’t true!” and began a deep, personal reflection on why Catholic universities such as St. Jerome’s are so important.

The standard Catholic philosophy of education has always understood intellectual development and human formation in tandem. Emphasizing the needs of the “whole person” in terms of their mind, heart and spirit, is as catholic (meaning “universal” and for everyone) as it is Catholic. It presumes an understanding of the importance of the metaphor of a journey that has often been used to explain human development and our search for truth.

Somewhere along the way, however, our appreciation for the journey has been lost. With regard to higher education, we have come increasingly to think of it as a short excursion focused first on what we want — perhaps a hefty income and a big job, before first understanding what we need. The reality is that learning — real, meaningful, life-changing learning, does not have a fast track. Classical, non-Christian sources confirm this. Read Homer. Journeys are important because they are epic, life-altering encounters with the world, both intellectual and physical. From them we emerge learned and wise, and better able to deal with challenges and hardship. 

Because Catholic universities such as St. Jerome’s are not exclusively for Catholics, I think they are truly Christian. Our commitment to smaller classes, accessible faculty, the importance of critical thinking and intellectual rigour, all emphasize the value of education for everyone. This is an important distinction in an era of rapid change where students are often preparing for careers that have yet to be created.

 

Our commitment to smaller classes, accessible faculty, the importance of critical thinking and intellectual rigour,
all emphasize the value of education for everyone. This is an important distinction in an era of rapid change
where students are often preparing for careers that have yet to be created.

 

We also understand that the journey to truth includes both faith and reason. Uniting the heart and the mind, faith and reason allow us to explore the questions facing humanity, from biological and business ethics, ecumenism, aging, death and dying, to the ecology, globalization, and issues of responsible citizenship and government. Confident in Christian truth without being proselytizing or triumphal, we see liberal arts education as underlying a deeper human need to grasp the world in all of its complexities. We encourage discussion and investigation of the difficult questions of life in an environment of hopefulness making no room for the paralyzing effects of existential angst and despair.

Catholic universities understand the student experience in terms of their obligation to human formation and the development of leaders. Combining education with an emphasis on service and justice, we are focused on developing people who are capable of both reflection and action. In an era focused on the importance of sustainability, the radical values of this brand of education should be readily grasped by all: love of neighbour vs. love of self; giving and contributing vs taking and accumulating; acceptance of diversity and inclusiveness versus exclusion and ostracism.

We are also communities of faith and worship that exist and function according to the Greek term Koinonia, the idealized state of Christian communion and sharing.

At St. Jerome’s University, our community is animated by the Spirit of Christ, and nurtured by liturgical celebrations and sacramental life. This includes the importance of lay pastoral ministry to helping our students recognize and respect the sacred, to discover and promote the dignity of others, and to understand the value of sacrifice, humility, hospitality, and gratitude underlying the ministries of our founders, the Congregation of the Resurrection and the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Understanding that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), our community is called to be both reactive and proactive through programs of community outreach and service learning. In addition to responding to the need for social justice and the problems of marginalization and alienation, we are also obligated to think critically about the world, and to contribute our voices and our thought leadership to those at the University of Waterloo as, together, we address the different problems facing humanity.

Finally, I think Catholic universities such as St. Jerome’s play an important role in helping our students understand that they have a vocation. At the heart of the Church’s sense of this word is that God calls individuals differently, and all according to their unique gifts. Vocation attaches calling and purpose to what we do. As a colleague of mine once observed, “To most of the world, a job is just a job. But a vocation is who you are.”

Why do we need Catholic universities? We need them because they serve humanity in so many ways that shape the world in which we live. We need them because they attend to the needs of the whole person, because they are for everyone, because they emphasize human formation and leadership development, social justice, outreach, service, and vocation, and so many other things. In my life I have always valued what I have understood to be “important work.” Catholic universities are at the service of humanity. What is more important than that?

 

Catholic universities understand the student experience
in terms of their obligation to human formation and the development of leaders.
Combining education with an emphasis on service and justice,
we are focused on developing people who are capable of both reflection and action.