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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.
Watch the TAC Choir & Orchestra Perform Bach and Vivaldi for Christmas!
Santa Paula, California — To observe the sacred season of Advent, Thomas Aquinas College, California, recently hosted its first-ever Lessons and Carols. Students, faculty, alumni, and friends of the College gathered in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel for the program, meditating on the mystery of the Incarnation.
The Advent Lessons and Carols service is a long-held Christian tradition, dating back to the 19th century, which leads the faithful in reflection upon Christ’s Advent through readings from Sacred Scripture and accompanying hymns. This year’s service featured six readings from the Book of Genesis, the Prophet Isaiah, and the Gospel of Luke. These readings sketched the history of salvation, from the fall of man, to the promise of a redeemer, to the fulfillment of that promise in the little child born in Bethlehem.
After each reading, the Thomas Aquinas College Choir, directed by Daniel Grimm (’76), filled the Chapel with sacred hymns and chant. The text of each piece echoed the theme of the lesson that preceded it. “O magnum mysterium et admirable sacramentum ut animalia viderunt Dominum natum jacentem in praesepio,” the choir sang after the final lesson, a passage from Luke’s account of Christ’s birth. “O great and wonderous sacrament, that animals might see the new-born Lord lying in a manger.”
At the conclusion of the final carol, the College’s head chaplain, Rev. Robert Marczewski, offered a reflection on Advent, focusing on the virtue of waiting in expectation of the Feast of the Nativity. “No one wants to wait,” he told his hearers. “In the technological world, waiting is considered incompetent, impractical, inconvenient. It is even seen as a waste. Yet waiting is a crucial part of our lives, especially our spiritual lives. God makes us wait. God wants us to wait!”
“This video makes for wonderful Advent meditation,” says Chris Weinkopf’s, the College’s executive director of college relations. “Feel free to share it far and wide!”
MORE NEWS FROM THE COLLEGE
- Students Serve the Poor with 1,000+ Sandwiches
- College Honors Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati with Building & Painting
- Video: Floriani “Homecoming” Concert at TAC-New England!
- Paul Habsburg (’24) Represents Order of Malta at U.N.
- Cardinal Burke Installs Rev. Hildebrand Garceau, O.Praem. (’78) as Rector of Guadalupe Shrine
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Chris Weinkopf
Executive Director of College Relations
805-421-5926 | pr@thomasaquinas.edu
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About Thomas Aquinas College
With campuses in California and Massachusetts, Thomas Aquinas College has developed over the last half century a solid reputation for academic excellence in the United States and abroad. It is highly ranked by secular organizations, such as The Princeton Review and U. S. News, as well as Catholic guides, including the Cardinal Newman Society and the National Catholic Register. The college offers one, four-year, classical curriculum that spans the major arts and sciences. Instead of reading textbooks, students study the original works of the greatest thinkers in Western civilization — the Great Books — in all the major disciplines. Rather than listen to lectures, they work through these texts in small, rigorous classroom discussions. The academic life of the college is conducted under the light of the Catholic faith and flourishes within a close-knit community, supported by a vibrant spiritual life. Alumni consistently excel in the many world-class institutions at which they pursue graduate degrees in fields such as law, medicine, business, theology, and education.