-
About
Fidelity & ExcellenceThomas Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
-
A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the College’s curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
-
A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of Thomas Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
-
Admission & Aid
Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
-
Students & Parents
Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC — something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
-
Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the College’s academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
New York Times Highlights Alumni Monks’ Brewing & Rebuilding Efforts in Norcia
For four years, the monks of the Benedictine community at Monastero San Benedetto — of whom three Thomas Aquinas College alumni are members — have brewed their own beer, Birra Nursia, as a means of supporting their community. Now, the New York Times reports, the brothers hope to start using their brew to help rebuild their central Italian region, which has been devastated by two earthquakes in the last four months.
“Their brew may now be the salvation — symbolically, at least — not only of the monks’ sanctuary, but also of Norcia itself,” writes the Times’ Elsa Butler. “The monks are planning to move the beer from the brewery to a safer location, where it can be bottled and specially labeled before it is sold to raise money for reconstruction.”
The story also quotes one of the College’s graduates, Br. Augustine (Philip’13) Wilmeth, O.S.B., who serves as the monastery’s brewmaster:
Brother Augustine Wilmeth, who was born in South Carolina and serves as the brewmaster, said Nursia was “the only monastic beer in the world that is made exclusively by the monks.”
Other monastic brewing operations, he explained, have grown into million-dollar enterprises with many workers. In Norcia, the monks do everything themselves, producing around 10,000 bottles each month.
The monks, in the tradition of St. Benedict, who believed they should live and support themselves by the work of their hands, intend to keep the brewery small. That way, Brother Wilmeth said, “it will stay in our control and really serve monastic life, not overwhelm and consume us.”
Birra Nursia is available for purchase internationally by way of the monks’ wesbsite, and sales will support the rebuilding of Monastero San Benedetto and greater Norcia.