The Bulletin

SPRING 2010
of Catholic Higher Education
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1

SPOTLIGHT: Health Insurance Mandates and

the Growing Threat to Catholic Identity
A recent federal rul-
ing against Belmont
Abbey College in North
ing, but if it is denied, the EEOC will recommend court
remedies for employees who wish to sue the college.

Carolina threatens gov- “As a Roman Catholic institution, Belmont Abbey Col-
ernment encroachment lege is not able to and will not offer nor subsidize medical
on the religious liberty services that contradict the clear teaching of the Catholic
of Catholic colleges and Church,” said Dr. William Thierfelder, president of Bel-
universities nationwide. mont Abbey College.

The federal Equal Em-
ployment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ruled
that the small Catholic college discriminates against fe-
male employees by refusing to cover prescription contra-
ceptives in its health insurance plan. An appeal is pend-
Contraceptive mandates have been a growing problem for
Catholic institutions. Most states have imposed contra-
ceptive mandates on employers, many like California re-
fusing to exempt independent Catholic institutions. Last
year Wisconsin legislators passed a law requiring even
diocesan agencies to compromise the faith.

State contraceptive mandates may also affect student in-

INSIDE

Executive Director’s Note.....................2 surance plans offered by Catholic colleges. Massachusetts

law, for instance, requires colleges to cover students’ con-
Of Note........................................................3 traceptives if prescription drugs are also covered.

Upcoming Events......................................4
Campus Life: Shaping Student
Culture, Households at Franciscan....5
Moral Theology on Campus:
An Interview with Dr. William May....7
The EEOC ruling against Belmont Abbey College now
brings the issue to the federal level. According to the
commission’s published guidance on “pregnancy discrimi-
nation,” the EEOC believes that contraceptive coverage is
mandated by the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act—a
law which does not, by strict interpretation, consider dis-
crimination against all women of childbearing potential.

Worse, neither the EEOC guidance nor the ruling

Invitation: Summer Institute
of Catholic Thought.................................9
Catholic Identity in Action..................10
Latest fromThe Center..........................12
against Belmont Abbey College give due consideration to
the First Amendment rights of Catholic employers. If it
comes to a court fight, the college is likely to rely on reli-
gious freedom arguments and has retained the nonprofit
Becket Fund for Religious Liberty for its defense.
Catholic college leaders are faced with the question: Is it
continued, p. 11
 Executive Director’s Note
T his is the time of year
when many university
presidents will announce their
resignation publicly. Usually
this is in the wake of a process
of discernment and discus-
sion with board members and
a few trusted colleagues that
has occurred for many months
prior to a carefully orches-
trated public announcement.
A presidential resignation also introduces a period of
major change for the individual and for the institution.
And while a resigning president has many options and
even a newly found sense of freedom, the changes for the
institution are more demanding and stressful.
A change in leadership offers challenges to a Catho-
lic university as well as some great opportunities. The
primary challenge of course is to find a new president.
The major opportunity offered is to take stock of the
Catholic identity and determine whether it needs to be
strengthened. This is a time when a board of trustees
and a sponsoring religious community can discuss how
they want to see the future of their institution develop.
It may be a narrow window of opportunity, although fre-
quently an interim president is appointed for one year so
The Bulletin of Catholic Higher Education is published
quarterly by The Center for the Advancement of
Catholic Higher Education, a division of The Cardinal
Newman Society in support of Ex corde Ecclesiae. The
Center’s mission is to advise and assist academic and
religious leaders in efforts to strengthen the Catholic
identity and academic quality of Catholic colleges and
universities in order to strengthen and renew Catholic
higher education.
Submissions for inclusion and comments to the
editor should be sent to:
Bulletin@CatholicHigherEd.org.
2
that a national search can be conducted without undue
haste. This is an excellent idea, because it also affords the
chance to engage the entire academic community, the
local bishop and the sponsoring religious community in
a serious discussion of Catholic identity and the guide-
lines and norms of Ex corde Ecclesiae.
Unfortunately, too often a college or university fails to
take full advantage of this opportunity and focuses too
quickly on finding suitable candidates for the presidency.
That is understandable, given the pressures and immense
tasks of a well conducted presidential search. Search
firms play an enormous role in identifying candidates,
but sometimes play too prominent a part in discerning
what characteristics the new president should have, fo-
cusing on leadership and management skills, fundraising
abilities and representing the institution to the general
public. The opportunity to strengthen the Catholic iden-
tity and faithfulness to the Magisterium, to truly discern
how the college or university can be fully Catholic is
thereby lost in the search process.
Although the president alone cannot solve all the prob-
lems of an institution or bear sole responsibility for its
Catholic identity, he or she must be a leader, especially
in the realm of Catholic identity. Today this takes presi-
dents who have courage, are willing to make tough deci-
sions with which some will disagree and have patience
and perseverance. Catholic colleges and universities un-
dergoing presidential transitions deserve our help, en-
couragement and our prayers that they gain a stronger
understanding of their Catholic identity.
David House, Ph.D.
Dr. David House is Executive Director of The Center
for the Advancement of Catholic Higher Education. He
may be reached at 703/895-1493 or dhouse@Cathol-
icHigherEd.org.
 Of Note
Call for Papers
The Society of Catholic Social Scientists has announced
a call for papers for the organization’s 2010 Annual Na-
tional Meeting-Conference. The event will be held in
October at Holy Cross College in South Bend, Ind. Pa-
pers are being sought in numerous broad subject areas.
Proposed paper topics and a written precis must be sent
no later than June 1, 2010, for consideration. More in-
formation is available on the Society’s website at Cath-
olicSocialScientists.org or by contacting Dr. Stephen
Krason at CatholicSocialScientists@gmail.com.
Thomas Aquinas College Inaugurates New President
On February 13, Thomas Aquinas College (TAC) inau-
gurated Dr. Michael F. McLean as its fourth president.
In the presence of His Emminence Roger Cardinal Ma-
honey, Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Chairman of the
Board of Governors of TAC charged Dr. McLean with
his new duties and invested him as president, bestowing
on him the president’s silver chain of office. Dr. McLean
made a profession of faith and took the Oath of Fidelity,
making public his intention that both he and the college
would remain loyal to the Holy Father and faithful to
the teachings of the Catholic Church. Dr. McLean was
appointed to the faculty of TAC in 1978 and has served
as a tutor, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Vice Pres-
ident for Development, and Dean of the College.
St. Gregory’s Launches Office Dedicated
to Enhancing Catholic Identity
St. Gregory’s University (SGU) announced in January
the formation of the Office of Faith, Integration, De-
velopment, and Evangelization (FIDE). The new office
will focus on collaboration with campus offices, with
particular emphasis on recruitment of new students
and connecting with Church offices and with various
external communities, with the goal of responding to
the U.S. bishops’ call to “look at the signs of the times
and respond to the needs of the Church by meeting the
needs of students in the world today and inspiring gen-
erations yet to come.” SGU’s vice president for mission
and identity said that as a Catholic university, SGU “has
a relationship to the Church that is essential to its insti-
tutional identity,” referencing Ex corde Ecclesiae. He said
that FIDE will seek to enhance that relationship and
“promote the witness of Christ, who is the Word made
flesh, as it permeates all aspects of the university.” Uni-
versity officials said that the new initiative “is in direct
response to the Holy See’s call for renewed fidelity to the
Roman Catholic character of its more than 400 colleges
and universities around the world.”
UST Launches Pope John Paul II Forum
for the Church in the Modern World
The University of St. Thomas (UST) in Houston, Tex.,
announced recently the launch of the Pope John Paul II
Forum for the Church in the Modern World. The mis-
sion of the Forum is to promote a broader and deeper
understanding of the thought of Pope John Paul II and
to facilitate its application to contemporary issues. The
activities and resources of the Forum will focus upon the
great work and vision of Pope John Paul II and make it
accessible to the UST community and the nation, accord-
ing to a university release. The Forum aims to provide
opportunities for students, faculty and the community
at large to avail themselves of John Paul II’s expansive
range of speeches and writings. The work of the Forum
includes public lectures, workshops for faculty develop-
ment, and conferences. Archbishop Charles Chaput of
Denver spoke at a recent Forum event on the topic of
“The Vocation of Christians in American Public Life.”
Providence College Re-Elects President
‘Passionate’ for Catholic Mission
Providence College (PC), in Rhode Island, announced
recently that Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., has been re-
elected as College president for a second, five-year term
set to begin this July. Rev. D. Dominic Izzo, O.P., prior
3
provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph and
chairman of the Providence College Corporation, said,
“[Father Shanley] is passionate about the Catholic and
Dominican mission and providing students with a qual-
ity liberal arts education. ” Fr. Shanley, who also teaches
philosophy at the College, has made strengthening the
College’s distinctive Catholic and Dominican character
a focus during his tenure as president. As his first presi-
dential action upon election in 2005, he established a
new cabinet-level division of Mission & Ministry. The
office guided a reorganization of the Campus Ministry
and founded the Center for Catholic and Dominican
Studies.
Bishop Olmsted Issues Pastoral Letter:
‘Serving Truth in the University’
On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12,
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of the Phoenix Diocese is-
sued a pastoral letter titled “Serving Truth in the Uni-
versity.” The letter outlines Bishop Olmsted’s vision
for the role of the Catholic Church in university life,
and specifically how the two Newman Centers in the
Upcoming Events
April 2010
4/24 Society of Catholic Social Scientists mini-Con-
ference: “Our Society, Sexuality, Psychology, and Ca-
tholicism: Defining the Problem and Seeking Solu-
tions,” Southern Catholic College, Dawsonville, Ga.
FMI: contact Sandra McKay at smckay02@aol.com or
visit CatholicSocialScientists.org.
June 2010
6/7 - 6/10 Summer Institute for Catholic Social
Thought, Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Society of
Catholic Social Scientists and CACHE. FMI: Cathol-
icHigherEd.org or contact Fr. Paul Sullins, (202) 319-
5445, sullins@CUA.edu.
4
diocese are key to Catholic evangelization efforts. The
letter identifies three elements essential to Catholic out-
reach at universities: to be a visible witness for Christ
and the teachings of the Church, to preach and spread
the Gospel, and to provide the sacraments and ongoing
faith formation. “Serving Truth” also mandates chastity
education and mentions the duty of the priest chaplain
to guard the “dignity and beauty of the liturgy.”
Christendom President Participates in Pontifical
Council Assembly on Rights of Childhood
Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, president of Christendom Col-
lege in Front Royal, VA, participated in the 18th Plenary
Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family as an
official consultor. The theme of the assembly, “Rights of
Childhood,” was chosen because of the concurrent 20th
anniversary of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the
Child. O’Donnell joined cardinals, bishops and other
scholars to discuss important issues facing the Church
such as the question of the adoption of children by ho-
mosexual couples.
6/14 - 6/19 Bishops’ Summer Meeting, St. Petersburg,
Fla. FMI: USCCB.org.
6/10-6/13 Portsmouth Institute Conference on “New-
man and the Intellectual Tradition,” Portsmouth Ab-
bey, Portsmouth, R.I. FMI: contact Cindy Waterman at
cwaterman@PortsmouthAbbey.org or visit Portsmou-
thInstitute.org.
September 2010
9/24 - 9/26 The 33rd Annual Convention of the Fel-
lowship of Catholic Scholars will take place in the
mother diocese of the United States, the Archdiocese of
Baltimore. The theme for this meeting is “Catholicism
in America.” FMI: CatholicScholars.org.
 CAMPUS LIFE: Shaping Student Culture on
Campus, the Franciscan Household Model
T ake a collegiate social fra-
ternity or sorority with
all its social activity, ritual, and
high ideals of camaraderie,
mutual support and account-
ability. Now place Jesus Christ
at the center as its guiding
principle, primary role mod-
el, and most intimate leader.
What do you have? A Fran-
by Fr. David Morrier, TOR
ciscan University “household.”
“Households are the most profound reason to go to
Franciscan University,” an alumnus commented recently.
He had been a member of the Conquer Through Love
Household. “I was damaged goods when I arrived at
Franciscan. Nine seniors reached out to a freshman and
conquered my heart, and showed me that Christ is the
real conqueror. They really turned me around.”
Conquer Through Love is only one of dozens of house-
holds that have shaped the student culture at Franciscan
University of Steubenville over the last 30-plus years.
Households are Spirit-empowered, Christ-led groups of
students who find they have a common desire to do the
will of the Father according to a particular charism.
Households burst onto the scene in 1975 as an initiative
of Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, who had been named
president in 1974. The University—then the College of
Steubenville—was suffering from the cultural upheaval
that rocked so much of society. The school was in dan-
ger of closing; Father Scanlan was hired because he be-
lieved it could be saved. He dove into the work, getting
to know students personally. He was deeply troubled
to find students who lived in a dorm room for a year
and never spoke with—or even found out the names
of—their next-door neighbors. A study came out that
reported that the loneliest people in the nation were col-
lege freshmen. In prayer he heard God challenge him to
change the culture. The institution had to draw closer to
Christ—administration, faculty and especially students.
Wide-ranging reforms at all levels were needed.
In December 1974 Father Scanlan called a special cam-
pus meeting to announce the creation of “a new way of
residence living.” He knew the great potential of small-
group living to be a dynamo of cultural change from
his experiences in collegiate fraternities. At St. Francis
Major Seminary he had successfully implemented small
groups for prayer and sharing among seminarians while
rector.
In households, students of the same sex would support
one another and help one another do the will of the
Father according to their particular charism. This ar-
rangement, he anticipated, would foster an atmosphere
of Christian charity on the campus, drawing people
into one another’s life in a spirit of caring concern. Fa-
ther Scanlan knew he had only a short time to bring
the school back from the brink, so after a trial period in
spring of 1975, membership in a household was made
mandatory in fall of 1975.
The backlash to Father Scanlan’s reforms was immediate.
Students demanded that the board of trustees fire him.
The board refused. Some students who couldn’t accept
households left, while others who desired to see this new
thing work came on board.
Five tough but blessed years later, the membership re-
quirement was lifted and household life continued on
its own. Today the University has 47 households among
which the nearly 2,000 undergraduates can seek out a
charism that draws them in.
And seek they do—generally, a third of undergraduate
students are in households at the beginning of the school
year, a number that grows to 60 percent by year’s end.
A new household forms when a group of three or more
students find they are motivated to grow in the love of
God according to a similar charism. The Fishers of Men,
for example, seek to answer Jesus’ call to evangelize with
pure trust like the Apostles. Little Flowers Household
5
women look to St. Therese of Lisieux (the “Little Flow-
er”) and her Little Way as an inspiration to love always.
The students compose a “covenant,” which states and ex-
pounds upon their charism. To aid the members in living
out the covenant, they draw up a list of commitments—
things such as common prayer, regular meetings, service
projects, group activities, and attending Mass together
regularly. The ladies of Madonna of the Streets, for ex-
ample, pray as a household outside an abortion mill once
a month.
The household chooses one of its members to be the
leader, called the coordinator, who receives training and
serves as the principal contact with the University. A
non-student adult—faculty, staff, alum, or other appro-
priate individual—serves as household advisor, provid-
ing stability and mentoring.
A group officially becomes a household when the Uni-
versity approves its covenant. The new household gets a
room in a residence hall wing as its own common room,
which they are free to paint and decorate as they de-
sire. The coordinator and as many members as possible
live in the rooms near their common room. A Mass at
the beginning of the school year and the “Household
Olympics” celebrate household life. Households form
intramural sports teams, evangelize on and off campus,
take part in campus committees and activities, and run
vending booths at campus events.
But households are not, and must not become, merely
social clubs—those that do usually dwindle and become
extinct. All household activities must be rooted in and
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6
lead to a deeper relationship with the Lord. In an annual
self-evaluation, members examine whether they are liv-
ing out their own covenant according to three goals: 1)
“Evangelized individuals,” or how committed members
of the household are to deepening their love of the Lord;
2) “Evangelized group evangelizing others,” or how well
the household, as a group, has followed Christ, empow-
ered by the Spirit, according to their covenant; and 3)
“Group evangelizing world,” or how well the household,
as a group, has been “salt and light” to transform the sur-
rounding culture by Jesus’ saving love.
These goals capture the motivation behind the house-
holds. Households exist to help students mature as
Christians in body, mind, and spirit. They exist to form
men and women who are able and eager to form rela-
tionships rooted in the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”
Households foster an atmosphere where no student is
left alone. Students learn to be their brother or sister’s
keeper, and take on the cares and worries, joys and suc-
cesses of their fellows.
At flourishing Franciscan University, the transforming
love of Christ turned a cultural crisis into a cultural con-
version. Now, neighbors know each other’s name, and
upperclassmen seek out troubled underclassmen with a
caring concern rooted in the love of Christ.
Father David Morrier, TOR, is the Coordinator of House-
hold Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville. For more
information on households, or a copy of the Household Co-
ordinator Handbook, please contact him at (740) 283-6335.
More information, including a short video, can also be found
in the campus life section of www.franciscan.edu.
in Catholic Higher Education
 Teaching Moral Theology on a Catholic
Campus: An Interview with Dr. William May
Editor’s Note: Dr. William E. May
is emeritus Michael J. McGivney
Professor of Moral Theology
at the John Paul II Institute for
Studies on Marriage and the
Family at The Catholic Univer-
sity of America. He became
Senior Research Fellow of the
Culture of Life Foundation in
2008. This interview was con-
ducted by Evangeline Jones,
who previously served as the deputy director of The Center.
Dr. May, most Catholic colleges require between one
and three courses in theology or religious studies,
sometimes granting such a wide choice of courses
that no Catholic theology is mandated. Should Catho-
lic moral theology be a required area of study? How
should it be approached?
A minimum of four three-hour courses in theology (not
religion) should be required, and the professors should
all be persons who accept gladly Magisterial teaching.
Since so many undergrads have had very poor cateche-
sis, the first course should be a presentation of Catho-
lic faith as a whole. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
could be used or at least the Compendium. Or perhaps
an excellent “Introduction to the Catholic Faith,” mak-
ing use of the CCC and Vatican II documents, could
be offered. This course should cover the Nicene Creed,
explaining clearly each of its articles, the Sacraments of
the Church, and the nature of Christian moral life as a
living out of our baptismal commitment to be faithful
members of the divine family.
There also should be a good course in biblical theology,
another on the documents of Vatican Council II, and
another on Catholic moral life offering in particular
Catholic teaching on marriage and sexual morality and
giving good reasons to show that this teaching is true.
There could, and I think should be, cooperation be-
tween the departments of theology and philosophy with
a course devoted perhaps to the relationship between
faith and reason and team-taught by a philosopher and a
theologian. They could also cooperate in teaching cours-
es on the moral life and bioethics.
What place does bioethics have in a Catholic college
curriculum?
It has a central place. It is in the area of bioethics that
the contemporary dualistic anthropology that severs the
“person” (i.e., the experiencing subject) from his or her
body which is regarded as a privileged instrument of the
person and part of the sub-personal world over which
the “person” has been given dominion is operative in
such issues as contraception, abortion, euthanasia, in vi-
tro fertilization, suicide and euthanasia, embryonic stem
cell research, etc.
Most of those in the bioethics industry distinguish be-
tween living human beings (e.g., human embryos, the
senile and “vegetative,” those severely mentally handi-
capped, etc.) and “persons.” They grant, for instance,
that human embryos are human beings, but they are not
“persons” with rights. Thus it’s okay to kill them. If they
were chimpanzee or panda embryos they would not dare
kill them to get their stem cells, because those species
are endangered, and if they tried to kill them the PETA
society would make it rough for them. On this see the
brilliant book castigating the bioethics establishment by
Leon Kass, Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity.
What is the significance and likely impact of Dignitas
Personae for teaching bioethics and moral theology?
Dignitas Personae is not, in my judgment, quite as sig-
nificant as its predecessor Donum Vitae. To a large extent
the new document does not articulate the basic anthro-
pological, theological, and ethical considerations central
to evaluating contemporary developments in bioethics
but rather reaffirms quite strongly and appropriately the
principles and values so magnificently set forth in Do-
num Vitae.
Among the principal values of this new document are
the following: its excellent treatment of some new forms
7
 of artificially generating human life such as intracyto-
plasmic sperm injection, its strong condemnation of
cloning and the terrible indignity on human life in-
flicted by the cryopreservation of human embryos. Of
special significance are the sections of Dignitas Personae
concerned with genetic therapy and its basic forms and
with the use of “human biological material” of illicit ori-
gin. Some sections of the document allow for different
interpretations; in my opinion the teaching in Donum
Vitae was in no way ambiguous, whereas this does seem
to be the case of a few places in Dignitas. Several serious
issues, such as gamete intrafallopian tube transfer and
the proper way to cope with ectopic pregnancy, hotly
debated by theologians loyal to the Magisterium, are not
considered. One hopes that these and similar issues will
be addressed in the near future.
What are the benefits and limitations of courses in
professional ethics (“legal ethics,” “business ethics,”
etc.)? How can Catholic moral teaching be incorpo-
rated in these areas that often rely upon codes of
professional conduct developed from a relativistic
perspective?
I think it’s possible to find courses in law and business
compatible with and indeed contributing to Catholic
moral thought. I think of the Ave Maria School of Law,
Notre Dame Law School with Gerard V. Bradley and
the great John Finnis, and there are other places. Opus
Dei has a great business school at the Universidad de
Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, and I think the Acton In-
stitute and some other organizations are working hard
in this area.
You have written that Vatican II called for a renewal of
theology as a whole, and of moral theology in particu-
lar, “in part because many had lost sight of the intimate
bonds uniting the truths of salvation to the moral life,
and the unity of the moral and spiritual life.” How was
this problem reflected within the discipline of theology?
Dissenting theologians who justified contraception us-
ing an argument that later became known as “propor-
tionalism” and whose anthropology reduced the human
body itself to part of the subhuman world over which
the “person” has dominion, severed the bond between
the truths of salvation and the moral life and the unity
of the spiritual and moral life. In fact, Pope John Paul
II called attention to the fact that some contemporary
8
theologians had indeed done this (see Veritatis Splendor,
no. 4, par. 3).
These theologians, among them Joseph Fuchs (who said
that the teaching of the Church on moral questions is
to be taken “cum grano salis”), Louis Janssens, Richard
McCormick, Bernard Haering and many others, were
very influential. Their students (e.g., Charles Curran)
soon were teaching in seminaries around the world so
that by the 1970s when I was teaching at The Catholic
University of America, the seminarians whom I taught
(only after they had received their course in fundamental
moral theology from Father Curran) all manifested the
“hermeneutic of suspicion,” i.e., they all seemed to think
that if the Church (the Magisterium) taught something
it was probably false! It was not until the mid-1980s or
so that this situation improved somewhat.
What do you foresee will be the future path for the
study of moral theology in Catholic colleges and uni-
versities over the next couple of decades?
Several recent graduates of good centers—e.g., the Pon-
tifical John Paul II Institute in the U.S. and other places,
the Pontificia Università Santa Croce in Rome [Opus
Dei], the Pontificia Ateneo Regina Apostolorum in
Rome [Legionaries of Christ], and other centers of this
kind—provide hope that the future will improve. More
recently we can include the Academia Alphonsiana in
Rome and the Catholic University of America under
the leadership of David O’Connell, C.M., plus a new
and terrific group of Jesuit theologians loyal to the Mag-
isterium (Kevin Flannery and Luis Ladaria at the Gre-
gorian in Rome, John McDermott and others at Sacred
Heart Seminary, and others), plus new congregations
such as the Institute of the Incarnate Word (founded
in Buenos Aires and with a house of formation in the
Archdiocese of Washington with some students at the
Pontifical John Paul II Institute), and the seminaries op-
erated throughout the world by the Neocatecumate.
Moreover, there are solid Catholic colleges and univer-
sities—most identified clearly in The Newman Guide to
Choosing a Catholic College on this matter with the addi-
tion of Providence College which now, under the presi-
dency of Brian Shanley O.P., is a great place to add to
places like Franciscan University of Steubenville, Uni-
versity of St. Thomas in Houston, etc.
How do you think the religious, moral and ethical cli-
mate on Catholic college campuses will look ten years
from now?
I hope that we will witness a true re-evangelization of
the now thoroughly secular west including Europe and
the U.S. I pray we will. But much work and perhaps suf-
fering persecution will first be necessary. In the coming
years we may, as a result of various forces, lose our free-
dom to act in accordance with our religious convictions
and as a result suffer financial disaster, perhaps impris-
onment, and perhaps martyrdom. But God is with us
and we should not fear.

You Are Invited to Participate in the

Summer Institute of Catholic Social Thought
JUNE 7-11 ON THE CAMPUS OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

The aim of the Summer Catholic Social Thought (CST) Institute—co-sponsored by the Society of Catholic Social
Scientists and The Center for the Advancement of Catholic Higher Education—is to provide Catholic faculty and
graduate students in the social sciences and related disciplines a basic grounding and application of Catholic social
thought in order to help them to incorporate the academic social sciences into a Catholic worldview. To this end,
the Summer CST Institute provides an intensive, stimulating and practical weeklong introduction to Catholic Social
Thought, emphasizing both theory and application to specific academic disciplines in the arts and human sciences.

The week (Monday through Friday) is organized around four 90-minute sessions a day. Each session is about
half lecture and half discussion. In a typical week:

Monday’s four sessions are devoted to thematic and historical overviews of CST, including the Compendium
of the Social Doctrine of the Church and Ex corde Ecclesiae. Tuesday deals with the history, development and
exemplars of Catholic social science.

The remainder of the week is devoted to applications to specific social science content areas, each taught
by an expert in the respective discipline. Disciplines typically covered are Psychology, Political Science, Law,
History, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, and Business.

The Institute venue is a short walk from the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the John Paul II
Cultural Center, and more than 50 Catholic religious houses, shrines, institutes, and apostolates. Numerous
apostolates and agencies related to Catholic social justice issues in Washington, D.C., are a short subway
trip away. Participants may also participate in daily Mass at the National Shrine or Lauds or Matins at one of
several nearby Franciscan or Dominican monasteries.

The Summer Institute is directed by the Rev. Dr. Paul Sullins, Professor of Sociology at The Catholic Univer-
sity of America, and editor of Catholic Social Thought: American Responses to the Compendium (Rowman
and Littlefield, 2008). The tuition fee for an individual participant in the weeklong Summer Institute is $600. An
institution may sponsor up to two individuals for $1,000. These fees are subsidized through generous dona-
tions to this project and do not represent the full cost of producing the week-long Summer Institute. A limited
number of scholarships are available for individual enrollees as needed.

For more information please contact Father Paul Sullins, St. Ignatius of Loyola Fellow in Catholic Identity at
The Center for the Advancement of Catholic Higher Education, for more information. 202/319-5445 or e-mail
psullins@cua.edu.

Download a brochure and application at CatholicSocialScientists.org

9
 Catholic Identity in Action
College and Bishop Work
Together: In the Classroom
In June, for the second year in a row, students in the
Graduate and Professional program at Saint Joseph’s
College in Standish, Maine will find that their professor
is a shepherd—actually, their shepherd.
His Excellency Richard Malone, bishop of Portland
Maine will teach a two-week intensive course on the
teachings of the Second Vatican Council and their im-
plications for the life and mission of the Church.
The course will examine some of the major themes of
the Council, consider theological developments leading
up to Vatican II, and explore how the Council’s teach-
ing has been received and is being implemented in the
United States.
In an introduction for students Bishop Malone writes:
“During our time together, we will explore some of the
central and abiding doctrines of the Council, guided pri-
marily by the documents of the Council, and enriched
by scholarly insights and our own reflections. We will
give special attention to the ongoing challenges facing
the Church in the implementation of the Council’s vi-
sion....”
Catholic Identity Fellowships
Send Students on Missions
In February, Providence College’s Office of Mission and
Ministry named five students as recipients of the Father
Philip A. Smith, O.P., Student Fellowships for Study
and Service Abroad.
The Father Smith fellowships encourage students to
deepen their understanding of the Catholic and Do-
minican intellectual tradition and the philosophy of
Christian service. The students are enabled to partici-
pate in summer study or service at both Catholic and
Dominican sites outside the United States. Planned
student mission trips for the summer vary from work at
10
a Cultural Center in Nicaragua, to work with Domini-
cans in Kenya, to research at Blackfriars Hall at Oxford
University focused on “the new atheism.”
Notre Dame Considers Pro-Life Recommendations
Following the University of Notre Dame’s commence-
ment honors to President Barack Obama last May, a fac-
ulty-staff task force was created to respond to concerns
about Notre Dame’s commitment to Catholic teaching
on the sanctity of human life. The task force issued pre-
liminary recommendations in January, including: adop-
tion of a university statement supporting Catholic pro-
life teaching and a pro-life policy on charitable gifts and
investments; ensuring that the university community is
aware of current policies to support pregnant students;
sending the university president or his delegate to each
annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., and in sim-
ilar forms of pro-life witness; supporting undergraduate
research opportunities with pro-life topics and support-
ing educative efforts on campus, such as conferences,
consultations, and courses; and encouraging student and
alumni pro-life activities.
Simply Catholic: Benedictine Marries
Pro-Life, Social Justice Issues
Presentations on a conservative approach to social justice
and the Catholic Worker movement took center stage
at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., during the
first week of March. The school’s annual Social Justice
Week, now in its 22nd year, was designed to give student
groups related to social issues a chance to gain a focus on
campus. Participating groups included the Benedictine
College Hunger Coalition and Ravens Respect Life.
The week started with a presentation sponsored by Bene-
dictine’s Ravens Respect Life club. Later in the week,
the college’s Hunger Coalition hosted a talk by Michael
Baxter, Assistant Professor of Theology at the University
of Notre Dame. Baxter is a noted expert on the Catholic
Worker Movement.
 Threats to Catholic Identity, continued...
morally licit to compromise on insurance coverage for
contraceptives?
Dr. Marie Hilliard of the National Catholic Bioethics
Center doesn’t think so. In a paper republished by The
Center, titled “Contraceptive Mandates and Immoral
Cooperation,” Hilliard argues that employer contribu-
tions for contraceptive coverage “indicate immediate
material cooperation with an intrinsic evil.” She also
warns of growing government intrusion if Catholic em-
ployers consent to contraceptive mandates, including
future mandates to cover assisted suicide and recognize
same-sex marriages—only recently a problem faced by
the Archdiocese of Washington.
The Center has also turned to an expert in Catholic
insurance plans to recommend how colleges and other
Catholic employers might work around state mandates.
In a Center paper titled “Crafting Employee Health
Plans for Catholic Institutions,” Dean Burri, owner and
CEO of Burri and Company, assures Catholic employ-
ers that they have options to help protect health plans.
The paper offers advice on self-funded, federally regu-
lated plans that avoid state mandates and comments on
tactics such as splitting off drug coverage from health
plans and pooling with other employers to reduce insur-
ance costs.
“For many institutions, employee health insurance is the
second largest expense after payroll,” Burri notes. “Yet
most will spend less time on their health plan than mun-
dane purchases such as computers or telephone plans.
Given the increasing dangers to Catholic institutions
because of federal and state regulation of employee ben-
efits, it is critical for Catholic institutions to take a fresh
look at their health insurance decisions.”
Ultimately, however, no plan is fully immune from
government intrusion—especially if the EEOC ruling
against Belmont Abbey College stands—unless Catho-
lic leaders defend their rights.
In a third Center paper, “Implications of Mandatory In-
surance Coverage of Contraceptives for Catholic Col-
leges and Universities,” the attorneys of The Becket Fund
for Religious Liberty explain that Catholic institutions
can challenge government mandates based on state con-
stitutional language, the First Amendment, federal and
state “Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” and various
anti-discrimination statutes.
But The Becket Fund also issues a clear warning: These
protections are subject to the requirement that claims be
sincere, or “bona fide.” Courts are competent to judge
whether a religious belief is “sincerely held,” and “in-
sincere religious beliefs enjoy neither constitutional nor
statutory protection.”
“In the context of Catholic colleges and universities, first
acting inconsistently with the school’s religious identity
and then later claiming a religious exemption (after a
lawsuit has been filed) is unlikely to succeed,” the at-
torneys caution.
Resources for Catholic Leaders
To access the following papers in the Studies in
Catholic Higher Education series, published by
The Center for the Advancement of Catholic Higher
Education, see CatholicHigherEd.org.
“Contraceptive Mandates and Immoral Coopera-
tion,” by Marie T. Hilliard, JCL, Ph.D., R.N., Nation-
al Catholic Bioethics Center
“Crafting Employee Health Plans for Catholic In-
stitutions,” by Dean Burri, CEO, Burri & Company
“Implications of Mandatory Insurance Coverage of
Contraceptives for Catholic Colleges and Universi-
ties,” by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
11
 Latest from The Center
Studies in Catholic Higher Education
Considering Catholic Honors and Platforms Enhancing a Catholic Intellectual Culture
by Patrick J. Reilly by Rev. Paul Sullins, Ph.D.
The selection of individuals and organizations for Catho- Rejecting secular and Protestant norms and ideals, Cath-
lic honors and platforms has been a matter of some con- olic universities today must assert a distinctive Catholic
troversy for many years. Bishops and Catholic entities intellectual culture featuring the unity of faith and rea-
have responded with concern and even formal policies to son, the acceptance of magisterial teaching and an active
help prevent confusion and scandal. Notre Dame’s 2009 critique of culture. Such a Catholic intellectual culture
commencement honors for President Obama generated will foster Catholic intellectuals and dispose students to
widespread interest in practical solutions to maintain the truth, and has the potential to preserve and restore
Catholic identity and respect for Catholic teaching at elements of reason and humanity that are being lost in
Catholic institutions. This paper is intended to assist Western civilization. Specific institutional strategies for
those who are developing diocesan or other policies on promoting a distinctive Catholic intellectual culture are
Catholic honors, by discussing key issues and the poli- discussed and institutional strategies for promoting a
cies and statements of bishops and the Vatican. Catholic intellectual culture are suggested.

Books, Periodicals and Essays

The Enduring Nature

The Enduring Nature of the Catholic University

of the Catholic University

Commemorating the Anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s
Address to Catholic Educators on April 17, 2008

How to
Keep Your
n is a division of
University
Catholic
udy Catholic colleges The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education is a division of
de Ecclesiae and in a The Cardinal Newman Society. The Center’s mission is to study Catholic colleges
e Catholic Church. and universities in accordance with the guidelines of Ex corde Ecclesiae and in a
manner faithful to the Holy Father and Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
A collection of essays on the renewal of Catholic higher education by
Most Rev. David Ricken, Rev. Msgr. Stuart Swetland, Very Rev. J. Augustine DiNoia,
org Center publications are available online at CatholicHigherEd.org.
Rev. Joseph Koterski, Very Rev. David O’Connell, and Dr. John Hittinger
with a foreword by The Hon. Kenneth Whitehead
Revised Third Edition
by Rev. Leonard A. Kennedy, C.S.B.
CatholicHigherEd.org

New Preface
by Rev. Msgr. Stuart Swetland

Log on to CatholicHigherEd.org for access to all Center publications