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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.
Alumni Publish Hymnal for Catholic Schools
“Teaching children hymns in Catholic schools is a fantastic way to teach music, poetry, theology, and community all in one,” says Kathleen (Ellis ‘99) Goodrich, the music director at St. Sebastian Church in Santa Paula, California. It leads children “down a road of liturgical participation — just as parishioners or as liturgists, choir members, cantors, organists — to spark that love of sacred music that the Church needs to have in the faithful if the musical tradition of the Church is to be preserved.”
To aid Catholic schools in this effort, Mrs. Goodrich has co-edited Classic Hymns for Catholic Schools — a collection of 50 traditional hymns suitable for congregational harmonic singing — along with a fellow Thomas Aquinas College alumnus, Dr. Andrew Seeley (’87). The chosen hymns “are doctrinally rich, poetically powerful; the imagery is tremendous,” says Dr. Seeley, a member of the College’s teaching faculty at the California campus. “They are scriptural. They draw from the rich liturgical traditions of the Church.”
Yet the two alumni were careful to select hymns that even young, inexperienced singers in a school setting could learn to master — and love. “Singing music in harmony is one of the most unifying, socially affirming experiences available to human beings,” adds Mrs. Goodrich. “There’s almost no joy in the world equal to singing together.”
To accompany the hymnal, Dr. Seeley has also authored Golden Treasures: Notes & Comments on Classic Hymns for Catholic Schools, which provides background on each hymn, its composer, its lyrics, and their underlying theology. Both works are published by the Institute for Catholic Education, of which Dr. Seeley is a co-founder and the director of advanced formation.
In a recent review, The Catholic Response declared that “the first booklet should be in the hands of every Catholic school student in the country, the second in the hands of teachers,” while calling the works “a genuine answer to prayer and a sign that Catholic education is truly being renewed.”