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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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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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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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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.
Rev. Augustine Hilander, O.P. (’99) Releases New Holy Name Devotional
Twenty-five years after his graduation from Thomas Aquinas College, alumnus priest Rev. Augustine Hilander, O.P. (’99) has published his first book: a daily devotional to the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. The Holy Name Daily Devotional marks the next step in a long spiritual and personal journey, dating back to his student days.
“As I thought about the great good Thomas Aquinas College had given me and what I wanted to share from it, I knew the Dominicans would help me to share the greatness of the Faith and live in a beautiful way.”
Though not raised in a Catholic home, Fr. Augustine was originally attracted to Thomas Aquinas College due to its Great Books curriculum and discussion-based classes. In his sophomore year, he began to think about his purpose in life, and his friends and classmates invited him to Masses and religious activities. “Eventually, I talked to a priest and found that there was really nothing getting in the way of my becoming Catholic,” he says. “I thought that Catholicism was a rather nice way of life, especially the way I saw it lived by my classmates.”
Through God’s grace and his friends’ example, Fr. Augustine was baptized and entered the Church at the College. As an upperclassman, he began to discern the priesthood and religious life. “I was drawn to the Dominican Order because I knew they had a lot of the things I enjoyed at the College, such as a good fraternity and intellectual conversations,” he says. “As I thought about the great good Thomas Aquinas College had given me and what I wanted to share from it, I knew the Dominicans would help me to share the greatness of the Faith and live in a beautiful way.”
One year after his graduation in 1999, Fr. Augustine joined the Dominican Order and was ordained in 2008. Since then, he has served as prior superior of the Dominican community at Blessed Sacrament Priory in Seattle and chaplain of the Seattle Chapter of Legatus. In early February, he will move to St. Benedict’s Lodge in Mckenzie Bridge, Oregon, where he will be serving as chaplain between assignments.
Holy Name Devotional
“My devotion to the Holy Name began at Thomas Aquinas College,” Fr. Augustine recalls. “A Dominican priest gave a homily about the name of Jesus and spoke about why we bow our heads at the name of Jesus, Mary, and the saint of the day. After that Mass, I started bowing my head at His Name, and that was the beginning of my devotion.”
Years later, in 2015, Fr. Augustine became the Western Province promoter for the Dominicans’ Holy Name Society, a confraternity devoted to honoring Jesus’s name and bringing people together to pray in reparation for blasphemy. “The problem was, I didn’t know what it meant to be a promoter for this society,” he recalls. “Since there were very few Holy Name Societies on the West Coast, I had to turn to researching for myself.”
Fr. Augustine began by learning about the Society’s rich history, which dates back to the 1274 Council of Lyons. It became especially prominent in the U.S. around the 1900s, thanks to the work of the Very Rev. Charles McKenna, O.P. Soon after, he discovered a wealth of quotes from saints, including all the Doctors of the Church, who had a devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.
“One of the most prominent works on this topic is a homily by St. Bernard of Clairvaux in his 15th sermon,” he says. “In reading the homily, I found how the Holy Name is given to us for consolation and support. And the more accounts from saints I read, the more beauty and variety I found in this devotion.”
After almost 10 years of research and collecting quotes from over 210 holy men and women, Fr. Augustine published the Holy Name Daily Devotional last November.
The devotional is structured in 12 parts, one per month. Each part focuses on a certain aspect or power of the Holy Name of Jesus or Mary and contains a quote from a saint or blessed for every day. Fr. Augustine recommends reading and reflecting on the daily quote, then reciting the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, included in the back of the book.
“The spectrum of devotion is broad, and there is a lot to be received from it,” he says. “As we start to be devoted to Jesus’s name, we start to be devoted to Him.”
