For Mother of Ten, Catholic Education’s Impact ‘Immeasurable’
For one Catholic family living in California, faithful Catholic education has been a top priority and a great blessing.
“We have always wanted our children to seek truth. We have always wanted them to know ‘why’ the Catholic Church teaches what she does. We have encouraged questions, questions and more questions,” explains Elisa Del Curto, a wife and mother of ten children.
When considering colleges, the Del Curto family looks for environments that foster the “virtuous life and discernment of God’s will.”
“We realize that once our children leave our home, our job of parenting takes on a new dimension. We will always be there to guide them. However, they will now make decisions that will affect their lives, careers and their very souls,” she explains.
It is for that reason that the Del Curto family has turned to The Newman Guide, which recommends faithful Catholic colleges. “We have told our kids they can choose from the list of faithful colleges for undergraduate studies… We have never expected these faithful colleges on the list to be perfect, nothing can be. But what we have found in the Guide has been beyond helpful in aiding our children in their quest for truth.”
To find the right college for each student, Del Curto explains how her children looked in The Newman Guide for which of the colleges offered programs, majors and activities that they were interested in. Then, they studied the college’s website, called and emailed for more information, and considered various financial aid packages and scholarships.
So far, six of the Del Curto children have attended a variety of Newman Guide colleges: Ave Maria University, Benedictine College, Catholic Distance University, The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, University of Dallas and University of Mary. Del Curto prays that her younger children will also have the opportunity to attend Newman Guide colleges.
“We have found that many of the colleges in the Guide offer liberal arts cores in their programs no matter the major,” she says. “This makes perfect sense, because truly what good would it be if a person gains success in their career, but does not know how to live their life as a Christian?”
Several of the students have graduated with top honors from their respective colleges. When asked about what kind of impact the education has had on her children and their family, Del Curto says gratefully that it’s been “immeasurable.”
Attending faithful Catholic colleges has “continued them on the journey we began so long ago as parents,” says Del Curto. “They can articulate, they can debate, they can enlighten those around them and also have been blessed with the God given ability to lead others to Christ.”
“Their lives are much richer, relationships deeper and they seem more spiritual than we could have imagined,” she continues. “God truly has His hand on their lives. Having the option of a faithful Catholic college to attend, to grow, to learn, to mature has been an answer to much prayer.”