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Fall Seminar Group Photo

 

Some 20 members of the Thomas Aquinas College President’s Council and other friends got a taste of life at the college they so generously support at October’s Fall Seminar on the New England campus. Participants engaged in the classroom discussions and enjoyed the same collegial atmosphere that shapes the life of the College’s students.

The College welcomed its guests to Northfield on Friday evening, beginning with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the D.L. Moody Homestead. The group then made its way to Billings Hall, where attendees participated in a seminar on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians — led by President Paul J. O’Reilly and Dr. John J. Goyette, vice president for advancement — before enjoying coffee, dessert, and continued conversation.

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The next morning, after breakfast, guests gathered again in Billings to discuss Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians. After a beautiful Mass in Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, the group enjoyed lunch, followed by a Rosary and holy hour in the Chapel, then made its way back to Billings for the third and final seminar, diving into St. Thomas Aquinas’s treatment of free will and merit.

“Our guests found that their understanding and appreciation of these texts increased dramatically when they were able to discuss and analyze them together,” said Dr. Goyette. “They gained a whole new appreciation of how this academic program teaches the skills of critical analysis and intelligent conversation — all in the pursuit of truth.”

The day finished with fellowship and a fine meal, alongside a panel discussion with current students, who took the opportunity not only to share their experiences with the attendees, but also to express their gratitude. “Our benefactors’ generosity allows us to flourish both in California and New England, and we can never thank them enough,” said Dr. O’Reilly. “But we hope, at least, to have given them a taste of the life they make possible.”