This blog is part of a series to help parents and students understand if a Catholic College or University might be a good fit.
According to The Catholic Sentinel, 45% of undergraduate students that attend Catholic Universities are not Catholic. Below lists some of the reasons that non-Catholics find a comfortable home at Catholic schools.
Comfortable with Prayer – Faithful students of other religions find Catholic schools a comfortable place to study because “they are on a campus where we understand people who pray multiple times a day; we might do it differently, but we aren’t put off by it.”
Belief and Purpose – Father James Gallagher, director of Campus Ministry at Universit of Portland said a Catholic environment can provide students from other faiths or no faith the opportunity to explore questions of belief and purpose.
Service-Oriented – Most Catholic schools have a legacy of service that springs from religious and laypeople, who are about putting their values into practice.”
Self Discovery – “The commitment to drawing forth a student’s potential is something Catholics and non-Catholic note in classrooms and university culture, finding it attractive even if they “can’t always articulate it,” Michael Lovette-Colyer, VP Campus Ministry University of San Diego.
Most Catholic schools embrace students from a non-Catholic background as they enrich the Catholic college or university. “They are a gift of fresh eyes,” said Michael Lovette-Colyer, assistant vice president for University Ministry at the University of San Diego “They invite dialogue and dialogue is where learning happens."