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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
Bishop Barron to Preside at Convocation 2016
On August 22 some 102 freshmen from across the United States and abroad — the Class of 2020 — will mark the beginning of their four years of study at Thomas Aquinas College. Welcoming the students for the start of the academic year will be the Most Rev. Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, who will offer the Convocation Mass of the Holy Spirit and preside over the matriculation ceremony.
As the Episcopal Vicar of the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region, His Excellency is responsible for overseeing the portion of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that includes the College’s Santa Paula campus. He is also the founder of the Word on Fire media ministry and the host of its award-winning documentary series, Catholicism.
“We are honored and delighted that Bishop Barron will be here for Convocation,” says President Michael F. McLean. “Ever since his appointment last year, he has shown great care for the College, for which we are very grateful.” In February, His Excellency visited with the College’s students and offered Mass in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel. More recently, he was spotted outside the White House wearing a Thomas Aquinas College baseball cap.
A devoted disciple of St. Thomas Aquinas, Bishop Barron received a master’s degree in philosophy from the Catholic University of America in 1982. After his ordination to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1986, he served for three years as associate pastor at St. Paul of the Cross Parish in Park Ridge, Illinois. In 1992 he earned a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris. He then joined the theological faculty of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois, where he served as rector from 2012 until his appointment to the episcopate in 2015. His Excellency has additionally served as a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame (2002) and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (2007), as well as Scholar in Residence at the Pontifical North American College (2007 and 2010).
Best known for his work with Word on Fire, which he founded in 2000, Bishop Barron has published numerous books, essays, and articles on theology and the spiritual life. The Word On Fire website has reached over 3.8 million viewers, and the Bishop’s weekly YouTube videos have garnered more than 9 million views. In light of this pioneering work in evangelization through new media, His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, the late Archbishop of Chicago, described Bishop Barron as “one of the Church’s best messengers.”
When he visits campus on August 22, His Excellency will begin the day by offering the Mass of the Holy Spirit in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel. At the following Matriculation ceremony, he will formally welcome the new students and offer them words of encouragement. “We look forward to seeing Bishop Barron again and benefitting from his words of wisdom as we begin our 42nd academic year,” says Dr. McLean.