Yet another Catholic college will close
The University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana, will close on August 20, 2027, due to falling enrollment and financial problems. Nearly a century old, the University was co-founded in 1932 by the Sisters of Providence, the Ursuline Sisters, and the Diocese of Great Falls to teach the Catholic faith. It is now one of four Catholic colleges that intend to close or merge within the next couple years, following 24 others that closed or merged in the last decade.
The loss of Catholic formation for Catholic families is an enormous tragedy and the cause of so many troubles in the Church today. Huge sacrifices were made by religious communities, dioceses, donors, administrators, teachers, and other lay Catholics to build faithful institutions of learning across the United States.
“But times change,” says Mary Anne Sladich-Lantz, president of Providence Ministries. “The path forward for many small, private universities across the country is uncertain. Financial sustainability is no longer feasible.”
She’s not wrong about today’s challenges, but it’s unacceptable that Catholic education is declining at time when families need it more than ever. Newman Guide Recommended colleges — which are especially committed to the faithful formation that Catholic families want and need — are generally growing and setting the example for their wayward counterparts. Any Catholic college struggling today to survive should study the amazing turnaround of Franciscan University of Steubenville in the 1970s — and find the conviction to recommit to their authentic mission with the fervency that has made Franciscan one of the great success stories in higher education.
