College Diary: What’s in a Name?

I was raised in a good Catholic home. My mother worked very hard to put both my sister and me through twelve years of Catholic education. She strongly believed in the value of a Catholic education, and I was, and continue to be, very grateful for the elementary and secondary schooling I received. Of course, upon my graduation from high school, attending a Catholic college seemed to be the natural next step. What better way to continue my Catholic education? What better finale to my upbringing, and what better preparation for entering the world not only as a good and responsible citizen but as a defender of the faith?

When an 18-year-old girl leaves home for the first time and goes away to college, she experiences anxieties for a myriad of reasons: will I make friends; what will I major in; how will I survive homesickness; what if my roommate snores? One would think that one of the many benefits of attending a Catholic college would be the sense of permanency and consistency it would provide to a nervous young adult. Despite all of the changes and transitions, a girl would still have her Church. A non-Catholic institution could not provide her with the stability of being educated under the guidance of her faith; a Catholic education was the wise choice. These were the thoughts I had before arriving at school.

The first signs that I was in trouble came early. I knew my “Catholic college” had a chaplain. I had seen his name in catalogues and bulletins, yet he was a mystery. Even after two years at the institution, I have only seen our chaplain at graduation and at our new president’s inauguration. The one weekly Mass provided was presided over by a rotation of priests, each one trying to be more “relevant” than the next. The majority of our bevy of priests went out of their way to be “inclusive” to all sexes, races, and species. In addition, the priest for the week usually arrived five minutes before Mass and slipped out the back door immediately after Mass, thereby making confession impossible.

Our priests were not the only problem with Mass. Every week, Mass was assisted by one to three female acolytes. One altar girl who assisted every week was even given the task of returning the remaining consecrated hosts to the tabernacle after communion. In addition to these acolytes, female eucharistic ministers abounded. Keep in mind that weekly Mass usually had no more than 50 in attendance. The priest was hardly in dire need of assistance at communion time, but what better way to be “inclusive”? It goes without saying that no Mass would be complete here without replacing the “men” and “mankinds” in the gospel with “persons” and “humankinds,” holding hands at the Our Father, and a sign of peace lasting a good five to seven minutes so the priest can go up and down the aisles and shake each person’s hand. The clincher came when we were asked by the presiding priest to remain standing during the consecration. After Mass, a member of the campus ministry explained that such a gesture symbolized “giving God a standing ovation.”

Towards the end of my first semester at school, I experienced an additional problem with my “Catholic college’s” liturgical ways—this time in Mass scheduling rather than conduct. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception fell on a weekday. Naturally, I assumed that, since I was attending a Catholic institution, a Mass would be provided at a time easily accessible to all those wishing to attend. After all, classes were canceled every Wednesday for an hour and a half in order for students and faculty to be able to participate in a new lecture series. Surely such an effort would be made for a Holy Day of Obligation at this “Catholic college.”

But on December 8, one Mass was provided. The Mass was scheduled in the middle of the day when the majority of students, including myself, were in class. Those who wished to attend Mass but had a conflict were forced to choose between missing Mass or an important class. For those of us who happened to have a test that day, the decision was a bit more difficult. Many of us had to resort to attending Mass at a church off campus; not an easy task for those of us without a car.

This story isn’t over yet. Not only was December 8 a feast day, but it was the anniversary of the death of John Lennon. Of course, no college could let such an occasion go by without fanfare. The campus ministry staff planned a candlelight vigil in honor of his death to be held the evening of December 8. The vigil was a great success. Many were able to attend because the organizers of the event were careful to schedule the vigil at a time when very few students had a night-class conflict. Thus, my “Catholic college” was not able to accommodate Catholics, but at least it was able to accommodate Beatles fans.

I wish I could say that after my two years as a student the situation with my college’s liturgical life has improved, but I cannot. This lackadaisical attitude towards practicing the faith is not restricted to the liturgy alone. Instances regarding the general curriculum and the instruction of certain courses have convinced me that my “Catholic college” is not very interested in being faithful to Catholic doctrine, spiritual life, or the Catholic Church itself.

During the spring semester of my first year of college, I enrolled in and attended the first class of a Christology course. The professor was the chairman of the religion department and an obnoxious and sarcastic man. In his introduction, he informed us that we would be reading the Last Temptation of Christ. He proceeded to tell us what an excellent book it was and to deride those who protested the film version; they were intellectually and culturally ignorant, he claimed. He concluded his lecture with a warning. He told us that he hoped that the Catholic students in the class were very mature and adult because he intended to challenge and undermine their faith throughout the entire semester. He wanted no quibbling or whining about the matter. I dropped his class that day, not for fear of losing my faith but for fear of strangling my professor. A Catholic college that would make this man chairman of the religion department can hardly be said to care about the Catholicity of its students.

Last year, in order to illustrate its spirit of inclusivity and higher consciousness, my college added an AIDS course to its curriculum. The professor was an activist for AIDS and homosexuality. A friend of mine, a fellow disappointed Catholic, enrolled in the class and came to me frequently with horror stories. She once recounted how the professor went around the room and asked each student to describe the mechanics of oral sex and mutual masturbation. His purpose was supposedly to educate the students about the homosexual lifestyle. It is my belief that his purpose was to shock the students, glorify homosexuality, and fly in the face of Catholic teaching. In an effort to demonstrate its sympathetic and enlightened attitude, my “Catholic college” had, once again, made a mockery of the teachings of our faith.

I attended a very small, not particularly well-known, Catholic college. My observations regarding Catholic higher education come only from the perspective of the institution I attend. I am not suggesting that the situation is the same at all Catholic colleges across the United States. I do not believe, however, that we are alone. Based on articles I have read, reports I have heard, and conversations I have had with fellow students, it is evident that many Catholic institutions of higher education are failing to give their students a Catholic education. Whether it be to appease non-Catholic students or to appear liberal and open-minded, a great many Catholic colleges are denying and deriding the Catholic faith.

Catholic institutions of higher education have a special responsibility. Not only should they provide students with a sound education; they should provide students a sound Catholic education. A Catholic college should not exist in name alone. It should exist in adherence to the teachings of the magisterium of the Catholic Church. The official teachings and the traditions of the Catholic Church should permeate every aspect of life at a Catholic college: liturgies, courses, clubs, and residence life. The Catholic faith should act as the core of the college around which all else should adhere.

Author

  • Elizabeth C. King

    At the time this article was published, Elizabeth C. King was a junior in political science attending college in the Los Angeles area.

tagged as:

Join the Conversation

in our Telegram Chat

Or find us on
Item added to cart.
0 items - $0.00

Orthodox. Faithful. Free.

Signup to receive new Crisis articles daily

Email subscribe stack
Share to...