Marriages, Religious Vocations Fostered at Newman Guide Colleges

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While Catholic marriages and religious vocations are declining in the United States, Newman Guide Recommended colleges are bucking this trend. Catholic families should seek out these faithful colleges where students are prepared not only for career but also for vocation—including marriage, single life, the priesthood, and religious life. 

Forming husbands and wives 

Catholic marriage is in crisis. The number of Catholic marriages in the United States declined 77 percent from 426,309 in 1969 to 98,354 in 2021—even though the total number of Catholics grew during the same time period. In a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center, a majority of Catholics approved of cohabitation without marriage.  

Faithful Catholic education, however, is ordered toward God’s calling for every student. Newman Guide Recommended colleges teach the truth and beauty of family, and professors and staff witness to the sanctity of marriage. The campus life and student culture are conducive to good friendships and growth in virtue. Students are encouraged to discern their vocations, especially through frequent access to the sacraments, Eucharistic adoration, and prayer. 

All these factors contribute to the impressive rates of married alumni who met their spouses while attending Newman Guide institutions, including: 

  • 30 percent at Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, Wyo., 
  • 29 percent at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, Calif., and Northfield, Mass.,
  • 28 percent at Christendom College in Front Royal, Va.,  
  • 25 percent at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry’s Bay, Ontario,  
  • 25 percent at ITI Catholic University in Trumau, Austria,  
  • 19 percent at John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, Calif., 
  • 15 percent at University of Dallas in Irving, Tex., 
  • 14 percent at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Fla.,
  • 13 percent at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., 
  • 5 percent at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., and
  • 4 percent at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Tex.

“Attending a Newman Guide college with its promotion of the sacramental life, faithfulness to the Magisterium, and flowering of Catholic culture increases grace in one’s soul, but also increases one’s odds to find a holy spouse,” argues Patrick O’Hearn, author of Courtship of the Saints: How the Saints Met their Spouses.  

“Often, young people are so focused on pursuing their occupation rather than their vocation,” O’Hearn says. “Our occupation is always at the service of our vocation… Our first vocation is to be holy. How we live out that vocation (as a priest, consecrated religious, or married) is our second most important calling.” 

Religious vocations flourish  

In 1970, there were about 800 ordinations to the Catholic priesthood, and today there are only about half that amount. It’s an even bleaker story for religious sisters: a decline from 160,000 in 1970 to just over 35,000 today.  

The good news is that Newman Guide Recommended colleges are doing a wonderful job of preparing students for religious vocations. Many Catholic colleges don’t even track or publicize this data, but Newman Guide colleges view religious vocations as a great fruit of their efforts.  

The portion of alumni who have answered the call to religious vocations include: 

  • 7 percent at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.,
  • 5 percent at Christendom College in Front Royal, Va., 
  • 4.5 percent at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, Calif., and Northfield, Mass.,
  • 3.6 percent at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio,  
  • 3.5 percent at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry’s Bay, Ontario,  
  • 3 percent at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio,  
  • 2 percent at John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, Calif.,  
  • 2 percent at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., 
  • 1.8 percent at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Tex., and
  • 1.4 percent at Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, Wyo.

At the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., the university began keeping track of religious vocations in recent years. The University has 12 women and 20 men in religious formation since 2020.  

At ITI Catholic University in Trumau, Austria, where students include both single and married laypeople, seminarians, priests, and religious, approximately 20 percent of graduates pursue religious vocations. Other Newman Guide colleges such as Aquinas College in Nashville, Tenn., and Holy Apostles College in Cromwell, Conn., also help prepare religious sisters and priests, respectively, as well as laypeople.

To put this data in perspective, Christendom College was founded in 1977, and with a student body of around 500 has helped form more than 100 alumni priests. If every Catholic college in the country accounted for the same number of alumni priests—even without adjusting for their larger student bodies—that would result in more than 400 additional ordinations each year, nearly doubling the 458 ordinations in 2023. But that would require other Catholic colleges to reject the path of secularization and adopt Christendom’s devotion to truthful formation of its students. 

Father Gary Selin, S.T.D., a seminary professor and graduate of Thomas Aquinas College, says the college helped him “acquire the virtues necessary in becoming a disciple before learning to be a leader.”  

“At the college, I found myself within a strong community of students where friendships developed organically and deeply,” he explains. “We were united in our desire to deepen our understanding of the truth. I found that all the streamlets of truth led to a unified vision. The overall structure and dynamism of the curriculum led to contemplation of Divine Wisdom, the Triune God. Of course, God’s grace was present during the whole time.” 

Fr. Selin adds that he was “impressed with the way that the students gravitated toward the chapel for Holy Mass and personal prayer. The many hours that I spent in prayer in that chapel helped me see how Jesus Christ is the Truth, the source of the wisdom that we discovered through our studies and on our knees in prayer.”  

“The atmosphere of friendliness and joy on campus helped me see more clearly that God desires our happiness and beatitude,” says Fr. Selin. “These experiences, along with serving Mass, having holy priest chaplains on campus, and my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, helped me be more convinced that God had given to me a vocation to the ministerial priesthood.” 

May God bless Fr. Selin, and may God bless the work of faithful Catholic colleges in forming the next generation of Catholics for their careers and vocations. The graduates of these colleges are a bright light and source of hope for our Church and culture.  

Ep. 21: From Nuclear Engineering to Eucharistic Task Force Leader, Meet Bob Laird of The Cardinal Newman Society

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Meet Bob Laird, senior counselor to the president of The Cardinal Newman Society, as he shares his journey from West Point graduate to nuclear engineering, to family life work at the Arlington diocese, to spearheading our Task Force for Eucharistic Education, a program designed to revive Eucharistic understanding and devotion. What is the thread that draws this varied background together? Bob’s deep commitment to his Catholic faith. 

Ep. 20: The Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum – an upstart liberal arts college with a Latin Mass emphasis (Pt. 2)

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Imagine the many challenges you would face today in launching a faithful Catholic college that emphasizes the Traditional Latin Mass. Joining us for part two of our conversation is Ed Schaefer, president of the Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum in Hagerstown, Maryland. Schaefer shares how this upstart college is overcoming the many challenges and seeing enrollment growth.

Ep. 19: The Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum – an upstart liberal arts college with a Latin Mass emphasis (Pt. 1)

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Meet Ed Schaefer, president of the Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum in Hagerstown, Maryland, a liberal arts college with an integrated curriculum and an emphasis on the traditional Latin Mass. 

Ep. 18: The History & Vision of The Catholic University of America with President Peter Kilpatrick (Pt. 2)

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Join us for PART 2 of our interview with President Peter Kilpatrick of The Catholic University of America!

We discuss his conversion to the Catholic faith, the state of Catholic higher education and how the how the largest Newman Guide college is making an impact beyond their DC campus.

2024 Scholarship Winner: Newman Guide College ‘Final Piece’ in Catholic Formation

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This year’s winner of The Cardinal Newman Society’s $5,000 scholarship to a Newman Guide Recommended college sees faithful Catholic college education as a critical “final piece” in his lifelong Catholic formation.

“Our journey in Catholic formation mirrors the complexity of a puzzle coming together,” writes Dominic Kalpakgian of Classical Academy High School in Escondido, Calif., in his winning essay. “Each stage of our upbringing adds a vital piece to the mosaic of our faith.”

Attending a Newman Guide Recommended college means his formation will be “seamlessly integrated, forming a harmonious whole.”

Kalpakgian’s $5,000 scholarship will be applied toward his first year at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, which has agreed to another $15,000 in scholarships over the next three years if he meets the University’s requirements.

In his winning essay, which can be read in its entirety here, Kalpakgian writes that his Newman Guide education will play a critical role in the rest of his life. “Regardless of my eventual career path—whether in medicine, business, or criminal justice—my aspiration to deepen my Catholic faith while receiving an exceptional education and fostering enduring friendships fuels my desire to enroll in a Newman Guide school.”

The topic for this year’s contest was to reflect on the following question:

This year, The Cardinal Newman Society expanded The Newman Guide to recommend faithful Catholic K-12 schools and graduate programs, as well as colleges. Explain the importance of attending a Newman Guide college as the capstone to a lifelong Catholic formation. How does it build upon a student’s prior years, and what comes next?

The Cardinal Newman Society received many outstanding essays, and runner-up entries will be shared in the coming weeks.

The annual contest is open to high school seniors in the United States who participate in The Cardinal Newman Society’s Recruit Me program and use The Newman Guide in their college search. The innovative Recruit Me program invites students to sign up to “get recruited” by Newman Guide colleges and receive information about faithful Catholic education. Rising high school seniors who wish to enter next year’s essay contest can sign up for Recruit Me online here.

Kalpakgian’s $5,000 scholarship is made possible by the generosity of Joseph and Ann Guiffre, supporters of The Cardinal Newman Society and faithful Catholic education.

“We are grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Guiffre for enabling this scholarship,” said Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick Reilly. “They understand the unique value of a truly Catholic education, and they are thrilled to help a student experience all that a Newman Guide-recommended college can provide.”

Sixteen of the Newman Guide colleges have agreed to with additional $5,000 grants over three additional years, under certain conditions including full-time enrollment and academic progress.

From Pieces to Portrait: Crafting My Life’s Formation at a Newman Guide College

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Editor’s Note: The Cardinal Newman Society, a nonprofit organization based in Virginia that promotes and defends faithful Catholic education, recently announced that Dominic Kalpakgian from California is the winner of the Society’s 2024 Essay Scholarship Contest for Catholic college-bound students. Kalpakgian’s $5,000 scholarship will be applied toward his first year at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, which has agreed to another $15,000 in scholarships over the next three years if he meets the University’s requirements. Below is the full text of his winning essay. More information about the contest can be found here, and rising high school seniors who would like to compete in next year’s contest can sign up for our Recruit Me program here.  

As a child, my fascination with puzzles knew no bounds. Starting from humble 20-piece challenges, I eagerly progressed to conquering 50, 100, and even 1000-piece behemoths! Each puzzle posed a unique challenge, enticing me with the promise of revealing a breathtaking scene once assembled. Yet, the pinnacle of satisfaction came with placing that final piece, completing the intricate picture. Yet, in those moments, I understood a fundamental truth: a puzzle, like life itself, remains incomplete until every piece is seamlessly integrated, forming a harmonious whole.

In much the same vein, our journey in Catholic formation mirrors the complexity of a puzzle coming together. Each stage of our upbringing adds a vital piece to the mosaic of our faith: the foundational teachings of our parents, the structured catechesis of grade school, the camaraderie of youth groups during middle school, and the enriching experiences of high school conferences and Bible studies. Yet, akin to that elusive final piece, attending an authentically Catholic college often emerges as the crowning touch, the culmination of years of spiritual nurturing. It is here that the myriad fragments of our formation seamlessly merge, unveiling a life deeply rooted in Christ, where every piece finds its rightful place in the grand design.

As I stand on the precipice of adulthood, in a world increasingly defined by division and uncertainty, the pillars of education, faith, and community have never been more vital. Embarking on the journey of higher education, I am acutely aware of the prevalent cultural challenges, including the erosion of virtue, ideological influences, the absence of genuine community, and the fading significance of faith. Amidst my exploration, universities listed in the Newman Guide, such as Ave Maria, the University of Dallas, or Franciscan University, stand out as beacons aligned with Catholic values and best positioned to train students to push back against these worrying trends.

A dynamic Catholic college is pivotal to me. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that almost 40% of students at secular colleges experience a decline in religious affiliation. I yearn for a community that actively celebrates and reinforces my Catholic values, while providing opportunities for spiritual growth. In particular, I seek a college that prioritizes a robust presence of priests and religious, supportive faith-based student organizations, and courses exploring the intersection of faith and contemporary culture.

Amidst rising concerns about knowledge silos and career-focused curricula, I aspire for an educational experience that transcends mere technical skills. I seek a holistic formation that nourishes the mind, soul, and spirit. While some institutions prioritize trendy topics over timeless truths, offering classes on ‘deconstructing reality’, a Catholic education should cultivate not just intellectual prowess but also ethical reasoning, and a deep and abiding love of Jesus and his Church. The Newman Guide Schools are best suited to achieve this mission. The friendships forged in the crucible of a Newman Guide community are not merely casual acquaintances; they are the anchors that will steady me as I navigate the choppy waters of adulthood. Surrounded by peers who share Catholic values, I can step into the future with confidence, knowing that I am tethered to others and not alone.

I eagerly anticipate a college experience characterized by intellectual growth, spiritual enrichment, and a vibrant community. This will be the final piece in my puzzle to reveal a completed icon of my life’s formation. Regardless of my eventual career path—whether in medicine, business, or criminal justice—my aspiration to deepen my Catholic faith while receiving an exceptional education and fostering enduring friendships fuels my desire to enroll in a Newman Guide school.

Ep. 17: The History & Vision of The Catholic University of America with President Peter Kilpatrick (Pt. 1)

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What goes into running the largest university on The Newman Guide and an institution known as ‘the Bishop’s University?’ We sat down with President Peter Kilpatrick of The Catholic University of America to discuss its rich history, his vision for the University, and the roll-out of its new Lead with Light campaign.

A Win for Benedictine College

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Nothing could be more sensible: a Catholic college with a proud heritage in football invites Harrison Butker, a faithfully Catholic athlete—one of the best kickers in the NFL, whose team just won the Super Bowl—to speak at its commencement ceremony.

From any rational perspective, Benedictine College did everything right.

And what could be more appropriate, that the speaker at a Catholic college commencement ceremony would uphold Catholic morality and celebrate marriage and family above career?

From an authentically Catholic perspective, Harrison Butker did everything right.

Students of Benedictine College stood to applaud Butker’s speech—and more, they celebrated the distinctive Catholic education they had been privileged to receive at one of the very few colleges deserving Newman Guide Recommended status.

The students and their parents, in choosing education that forms young people in accord with both our Christian faith and the light of reason, did everything right.

That’s because a Newman Guide education is rooted in truth, never yielding to “political correctness” or “wokeness” that changes with every generation and at the whim of destructive political movements.

A Newman Guide college defends the freedom to seek and proclaim truth. It does not accept the radical liberty to deceive and malform students.

A Newman Guide institution chooses commencement speakers who model our Catholic faith, virtue, and wisdom—the sort of people students can emulate. In 2024, these included:

  • evangelist Fr. Mike Schmitz at Ave Maria University (Ave Maria, Fla.),
  • actor Jonathan Roumie at The Catholic University of America (Washington, D.C.),
  • theologian Tracey Rowland at Christendom College (Front Royal, Va.),
  • Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito at Franciscan University of Steubenville (Steubenville, Ohio),
  • evangelist Fr. Wade Menezes, C.P.M., at Holy Apostles College and Seminary (Cromwell, Conn.),
  • former Knights of Columbus leader Carl Anderson at The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (Merrimack, N.H.),
  • Catholic bioethicist Carter Snead and Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke at Thomas Aquinas College (Santa Paula, Calif., and Northfield, Mass.),
  • evangelist Fr. David Michael Moses at the University of St. Thomas (Houston, Tex.), and
  • Byzantine Catholic Bishop Robert Pipta at Wyoming Catholic College (Lander, Wyo.).

Any one of these speakers, in complete fidelity to Catholic teaching, might have said something during their commencement speech that Harrison Butker’s critics would not have liked. They probably did, but Butker was the high-profile target.

In fact, the public outcry, NFL statement, and media attacks are intended to topple something much larger than Butker or even Benedictine College. They are aimed at the Catholic Church. They project intolerance for Catholic beliefs and certain truths about the human person. Those who stand with Butker are threatened with all the fanaticism, injustice, and brutality of a totalitarian regime.

Many Catholics like those who rushed to befriend Butker’s critics are quick to compromise and eager to please those who hate them. The Cardinal Newman Society has always represented a different approach. We stand firmly with all that is true, good, and beautiful, and we proudly recommend those Newman Guide schools, colleges, and graduate programs that do the same.

The result? While it seems another private college closes every week in the U.S.—unable to compete with state-sponsored, career-oriented, woke universities on the same terms—most of the Newman Guide colleges are thriving.

Rather than apologize for their Catholic education, they embrace The Cardinal Newman Society’s standards for excellence and fidelity. They realize the importance of having firm policies in place, such as campus speaker policies that favor model Catholics like Butker and prevent those who would scandalize and deliberately mislead students into falsehood.

If there’s one lesson Catholics should learn from the Harrison Butker spectacle, it’s that the education we want is the education modeled by Benedictine College and the other Newman Guide Recommended institutions, as well as faithful Catholic homeschooling and hybrid options.

Why? Because they’re doing everything right.

High Percentage of Catholic Teachers is a Hallmark of Newman Guide Schools

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What distinguishes a Newman Guide school? One key element is the witness of Catholic teachers.

Pope Pius XI wrote, “Perfect schools are the result not so much of good methods as of good teachers.” He is one of the many Church leaders quoted in The Cardinal Newman Society’s resource, The Call to Teach: Magisterial Guidance for Catholic Teachers.

Pope Pius XI goes on to describe good teachers as those who are “well-grounded in the matter they have to teach; who possess the intellectual and moral qualifications required by their important office; who cherish a pure and holy love for the youths confided to them, because they love Jesus Christ and His Church…”

To be recommended in The Newman Guide, Catholic schools must provide the percentage of full-time teachers, part-time teachers, counselors and coaches who are Catholic. Faith-filled teachers are critical in Catholic education, as explained in a recent issue of Our Catholic Mission, a Cardinal Newman Society magazine.

Michael Swearingen, principal of Holy Angels Academy in Louisville, Ky. which is recommended in The Newman Guide, has seen the impact of hiring faithfully Catholic teachers who believe and live what they teach: “The biggest factor in a school like ours isn’t the textbooks, though we are careful about those. It’s the men and women we have in the classroom. We are so prayerful and so discerning about the men and women whom we invite to this vocation of teaching within their vocation.”

“Every adult in this building is a herald of the Gospel,” he says. “It does not matter what subject material you are teaching, or what grade level you are teaching.” His entire faculty takes the Oath of Fidelity to the magisterium of the Catholic Church. “We do everything in our school for the greater glory of God.”

“We want faithful, on-fire, vibrant Catholics who are loyal to holy Mother Church instructing our children,” Dr. Swearingen continues. He says the school partners with parents to prepare students for this life and for the eternal life to come.

Every teacher at Holy Angels Academy is Catholic. Many of the other outstanding Catholic schools recognized in The Newman Guide boast high percentages of full-time Catholic faculty:

  • Holy Angels Academy in Louisville, Ky.: 100 percent
  • Holy Child Catholic School in Tijeras, N.M.: 91 percent
  • Holy Rosary Academy in Anchorage, Alaska: 90 percent
  • Holy Spirit Academy in Monticello, Minn.: 100 percent
  • Lumen Christi Catholic School in Indianapolis, Ind.: 100 percent
  • The Lyceum in South Euclid, Ohio: 100 percent
  • Mary Star of the Sea High School in San Pedro, Calif.: 90 percent
  • Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee, N.H.: 92 percent
  • Rhodora J. Donahue Academy in Ave Maria, Fla.: 100 percent
  • Saint Agnes School in Saint Paul, Minn.: 97 percent
  • Seton School in Manassas, Va.: 100 percent
  • Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School in Keller, Tex.: 94 percent
  • John Paul II Preparatory School in St. Charles, Mo.: 100 percent
  • Monica Academy in Montrose, Calif.: 100 percent

Three Catholic alumni of another Newman Guide Recommended school, Donahue Academy in Ave Maria, Fla., are now serving as teachers and aides at the school. Dr. Marc Snyder, the Academy’s principal, thinks it’s a “beautiful thing to see how they want to give back” to the school that has provided them with so much, including a classical curriculum and access to daily Mass.

Catholic parents who are seeking a Catholic school should ask about the percentage of Catholic teachers. There are many factors to consider in finding a faithful Catholic school, but the witness of strong Catholic teachers should be a high priority.