On the First Things blog, George Weigel recalls his first trip to Wyoming Catholic College as the institution approaches its inaugural commencement ceremony.
…a new venture in Catholic higher education that’s unfolding in Lander: Wyoming Catholic College, where students read Thomas Aquinas in the original Latin, take a mandatory freshman course in horsemanship, and go on a three-week, survival-skills trek through the Rockies before they crack a book….
Wyoming Catholic College will celebrate its first commencement on May 14—outdoors, of course—with one of its founding fathers, Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, in attendance. Bishop Ricken came to the diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming straight from the Roman Curia, which must have been something of a culture shock (or a relief). But he quickly caught the adventurous spirit of the place and decided that Wyoming, which has something short of 70,000 Catholics, needed a Catholic college. Starting such an enterprise these days is an act of faith. But Bishop Ricken, who is not short on faith (or hope, or charity), found partners with a similar pioneer attitude and a similar passion for classic Catholic liberal arts education (cowboy style)….
The program they offer students is, obviously, not for everyone, just as reading Aquinas in Latin on horseback (metaphorically if not literally) is not for everyone. But serious students who want to be stretched intellectually, who want to deepen their friendship with Jesus Christ, and who love the outdoors should give Wyoming Catholic College a serious look.
Read the rest of Weigel’s article here.
The Cardinal Newman Society promotes Wyoming Catholic College for its strong Catholic identity here.
Adam Wilson
CNS Staff
Matthew Archbold
Charlotte Hays
