Sunday, July 17, 2016

How They Drifted Away From Their Moorings

A very special message from The Cardinal Newman Society:

There’s a notable anniversary concerning Catholic education coming up next week, but it’s not one that deserves celebration.

Forty-nine years ago, leaders from a small number of Catholic universities were brought together by Notre Dame’s Fr. Theodore Hesburgh to declare the “independence” of Catholic universities from Church authority. The “Land O’ Lakes Statement” that emerged from the meeting has led to many of the problems in Catholic higher education today that The Cardinal Newman Society is working hard to correct, thanks to your prayers and support.

For some insight and context about Land O’ Lakes, we asked Father Peter Mitchell to pen an article for us this week (The Land O’ Lakes Statement: Watershed Moment in Catholic Higher Education). Fr. Mitchell is the author of The Coup at Catholic University: The 1968 Revolution in American Catholic Education, which was released last year.

Turning to a different set of challenges for Catholic education, Newman Society President Patrick Reilly wrote in the National Catholic Register this week about major problems that Catholic schools are facing (For Catholic Schools to Survive, Their Catholicity Must Thrive). Reilly noted several concrete solutions that Catholic educators can implement to protect and defend the Catholic identity of their schools and lead young people to Christ.

These are troubling times, but we were happy to hear about some positive developments on religious freedom legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives this week. See our news roundup for more details. Thank you for your continued support of faithful Catholic education. Please keep our staff and our mission in your prayers.

In Christ,
Adam Cassandra

Editor, The Cardinal Newman Society 

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