What a Great Idea!

My grandson recently graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. I hope that BC takes a tip from U of Mary.

New Catholic Studies Program Unveiled
by Tim Drake Monday, February 01, 2010

According to Prairie Business, Bismarck, North Dakota’s University of Mary, plans to offer a Catholic Studies program beginning this fall. By doing so, it becomes one of fewer than 50 colleges and universities to offer such a program.
“This new initiative is a wonderful way to carry forward our founding Benedictine Sisters’ mission to serve the religious, academic and cultural needs of the people of our region,” stated Father James Shea, university president. “We see this new program as an innovative way both to enhance the university’s Catholic identity and to provide an avenue through which students of all faiths can deepen their knowledge of Catholicism’s rich and living heritage. We hope Catholic studies will offer our students space for reflection on the crucial issues of our time and a deeper maturity of faith.”
The program will allow students to develop a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith within the context of science, literature, the arts, history, and other liberal arts courses offered by the university.
A minor in the program would require two core courses and three electives, such as The Catholic Literary Tradition, Sacred Music of the Catholic Heritage, The History of the American Church, or Science and Christian Theology.
Over the past three decades, an increasing number of universities have sought to bolster their Catholic identity by adding such programs.