Free Republic

Marking the culmination of a four-year legal effort that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. government on Friday agreed to a settlement that will permanently exempt Thomas Aquinas College from the so-called HHS Contraceptive Mandate of the Affordable Care Act. “This is an extraordinary outcome for Thomas Aquinas College and for the cause of religious freedom,” says Thomas Aquinas College President Michael F. McLean “It is a relief to know that the College can continue its 46-year mission of offering excellent Catholic liberal education without facing the threat of crippling financial penalties resulting from...

Thomas Aquinas College is not your typical modern university. Students read the classics, not textbooks. Girls must wear skirts or dresses to class. There’s a curfew of 11 on school nights. Yet the conservative Catholic college, nestled in the hills of Santa Paula, is attracting national attention for its small classes, generous financial aid and strong academics. U.S. News & World Report this month ranked it among the nation’s top 100 liberal arts colleges.... Above all, Thomas Aquinas is known for its Great Books program. Instead of using textbooks, students learn every subject — from literature to science — by...

SANTA PAULA -- His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet will preside over commencement ceremonies at Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday May 16, 2009. The Archbishop of Quebec, Canada, Cardinal Ouellet will serve as principal celebrant and homilist of the Baccalaureate Mass, and he will deliver the commencement address. By resolution of Thomas Aquinas College’s Board of Governors, Cardinal Ouellet will also be awarded the Saint Thomas Aquinas Medallion, the college’s highest honor, established by its Board of Governors in 1975. The resolution is given in recognition that “His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet has shown an exemplary loyalty and devotion to the...

Dr. Tom Dillon, President of Thomas Aquinas College, was killed in a car accident earlier today. The TAC community is absolutely devastated. Please pray for them, for Dr. Dillon's family, and most especially for Dr. Dillon himself. He was a truly extraordinary man. I treasured the times I had with him: on the basketball court, in the cafeteria, in the classroom, in the office... I only wish I had treasured them more. May he rest in peace.

Who Is Catholic?New conservative colleges say existing institutions lead students away from the true faith Chart: New Conservative Catholic Colleges Colloquy Live: Read the transcript of a live, online discussion with David O'Brien, a historian of American Catholicism at the College of the Holy Cross, about the staunchly conservative Roman Catholic colleges that have been recently established in the United States. Easy-to-print version E-mail this article Subscribe By BURTON BOLLAGNaples, Fla. Every evening at 9 o'clock a group of students and faculty members gathers between two four-story student residences -- one for men, the other for women -- and sets off on...