For Immediate Release
September 8, 2010
Contact: Charlie McKinney
Phone: (603) 880-8308, ext. 21
Email: cmckinney@ThomasMoreCollege.edu

MERRIMACK – Few students are afforded the opportunity to study in Oxford, England.  Fewer still are able to study in the private archive of the late Catholic apologist, poet, and novelist G.K. Chesterton.  But that is exactly what six upperclassmen from the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts did in the Summer of 2010.

Photos from the Program may be viewed here.

The College’s Center for Faith and Culture, based in Oxford, hosted the three week “Catholic Culture of the British Isles Programme.” The program enabled students to conduct graduate level work examining the history, literature, and spirituality of Catholic Britain from its flowering in the late middle ages through the period of destruction and persecution, and into its refulgence in the modern age.

The Center for Faith and Culture beginning works to recover and build upon the rich legacy of Catholic humanism associated with figures such as Cardinal John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton, Christopher Dawson, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Through publications and short courses, the Center aims to foster a “new springtime” of Christian faith in the 21st century and a “culture of life” spoken of by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

The Center currently produces the College’s journal, Second Spring: International Journal of Faith and Culture, and houses a research library dedicated to G.K. Chesterton which includes Chesterton’s books, writings, and other personal belongings.  Thomas More College is the current caretaker of the collection for the Chesterton Library Trust. Scholars researching Chesterton and his influence may visit the collection only by special arrangement, while it is being catalogued in order to make it more accessible to the academic community.

Students participating in this year’s “Catholic Culture of the British Isles Programme” included Joseph Rudolph, Marielle Gage, Jonathan Gottlieb, Katie Lloyd, Meryl Trapp, and Tyler Tracy—all of whom are planning to attend graduate school upon graduating from Thomas More College.

Prior to their trip to Oxford, students spent one week on Thomas More College’s New Hampshire campus receiving an introduction to the British Catholic Revival.  Students heard lectures of “The Formation of Catholic Culture in Britain,” “Britain in the High Middle Ages,” “The Tudor Revolution,” and “The Years of Persecution and Secrecy.”

“Having led many of the seminars, I must say that the students participating in this year’s Oxford Program were of the highest calibre,” said Thomas More College President William Fahey.  “They were eager to learn, and were committed to developing a greater understanding and appreciation of the history, literature, and spirituality of Catholic Britain.”

After one week in New Hampshire, students boarded an airplane for London and Oxford.  There, the director of the Center for Faith and Culture, Stratford Caldecott, collected the students and they set out for two weeks of study in the City of Dreaming Spires. 

“The coursework in Oxford focused on giving students a sense of the position of Catholics in England since the late Middle Ages,” said Caldecott.  “We also gave them a deeper understanding of the importance of the imagination.  Apart from our main topics, we also looked at other Christian writers from Chaucer and Shakespeare (taught by Lady Clare Asquith) to Hopkins, and there were excursions and guided tours to places like Stonor Park, where St. Edmund Campion ran his illicit printing press, and the Tower of London, where St. Thomas More was incarcerated and buried.”

Students were required to read 18 books as part of the program, and are currently completing a research paper that is due at the end of this month. 

“The Caldecotts were wonderful, as were all the guest lecturers we had,” said sophomore Marielle Gage.  “All of the teachers were so knowledgeable and passionate about what they were teaching and conveyed so much to us in the time we spent with them.”

In addition to their regular coursework and the other excursions, students visited many key sites in Oxford, including Tolkien’s grave, C.S. Lewis’s home, the Oxford Oratory, and Newman’s retreat center in Littlemore where he was received into the Catholic Church.

Students found that these visits brought immediacy and relevance to their readings and coursework.

“To study Newman in his own office at Littlemore was unbelievable,” said Thomas More College junior Meryl Trapp.  “The desk he wrote on is there, along with other possessions of his.  It made our coursework that day all the more immediate and tangible.”

Marielle Gage agreed.

“It would take a book to give justice to our trip, but I can say that it was definitely a highlight of my life so far. Just being there, where St. Edmund Campion was educated and where Cardinal Newman converted, where Lewis taught and Tolkien thought, was amazing.”

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts provides a four-year undergraduate education which develops young people intellectually, ethically, and spiritually in the Catholic tradition and in faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.   In recent years, the College has allowed the strength of its curriculum to radiate out into several new initiatives in addition to the Oxford Programme, such as its Vatican Studies Center and the Way of Beauty Program.  Through the lectures, books, workshops and other programs hosted by these centers, Thomas More College is consistently seeking new and better ways of communicating perennial truths amid the confusion of contemporary society.
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If you would like to schedule an interview with President William Fahey, the Director of the Center for Faith and Culture Stratford Caldecott, or students attending “The Catholic Culture of the British Isles Programme,” please contact Charlie McKinney at (603) 880-8308, ext. 21 or by email at cmckinney@ThomasMoreCollege.edu.

Chesterton’s The Ballad of the White Horse was read atop the White Horse of Uffington.

Few students are afforded the opportunity to study in Oxford, England.  Fewer still are able to study in the private archive of the late Catholic apologist, poet, and novelist G.K. Chesterton.  But that is exactly what six upperclassmen from the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts did in the Summer of 2010.

The College’s Center for Faith and Culture, based in Oxford, hosted the three week “Catholic Culture of the British Isles Programme.” The program enabled students to conduct graduate level work examining the history, literature, and spirituality of Catholic Britain from its flowering in the late middle ages through the period of destruction and persecution, and into its refulgence in the modern age.

Classes were also held in Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford

The mission of the College’s Center for Faith and Culture is to recover and build upon the rich legacy of Catholic humanism associated with figures such as Cardinal John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton, Christopher Dawson, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Through publications and short courses, the Center aims to foster a “new springtime” of Christian faith in the 21st century and a “culture of life” spoken of by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

The Center currently produces the College’s journal, Second Spring: International Journal of Faith and Culture, and houses a research library dedicated to G.K. Chesterton which includes Chesterton’s books, writings, and other personal belongings.  Thomas More College is the current caretaker of the collection for the Chesterton Library Trust.

Students visit Stonor Park, a 14th Century home that served as a sanctuary for Edmund Campion. Mass has been offered in the home’s chapel continuously since 1349.

Students participating in this year’s “Catholic Culture of the British Isles Programme” included Joseph Rudolph, Marielle Gage, Jonathan Gottlieb, Katie Lloyd, Meryl Trapp, and Tyler Tracy—all of whom are planning to attend graduate school upon graduating from Thomas More College.

Prior to their trip to Oxford, students spent one week on Thomas More College’s New Hampshire campus receiving an introduction to the British Catholic Revival.  Students heard lectures of “The Formation of Catholic Culture in Britain,” “Britain in the High Middle Ages,” “The Tudor Revolution,” and “The Years of Persecution and Secrecy.”

“Having led many of the seminars, I must say that the students participating in this year’s Oxford Program were of the highest calibre,” said Thomas More College President William Fahey.  “They were eager to learn, and were committed to developing a greater understanding and appreciation of the history, literature, and spirituality of Catholic Britain.”

After one week in New Hampshire, students boarded an airplane for London and Oxford.  There, the director of the Center for Faith and Culture, Stratford Caldecott, collected the students and they set out for two weeks of study in the City of Dreaming Spires. 

Students visit Cardinal Newman’s study in Littlemore where he was received into full communion with the Catholic Church.

“The coursework in Oxford focused on giving students a sense of the position of Catholics in England since the late Middle Ages,” said Caldecott.  “We also gave them a deeper understanding of the importance of the imagination.  Apart from our main topics, we also looked at other Christian writers from Chaucer and Shakespeare (taught by Lady Clare Asquith) to Hopkins, and there were excursions and guided tours to places like Stonor Park, where St. Edmund Campion ran his illicit printing press, and the Tower of London, where St. Thomas More was incarcerated and buried.”

Students were required to read 18 books as part of the program, and are currently completing a research paper that is due at the end of this month. 

“The Caldecotts were wonderful, as were all the guest lecturers we had,” said sophomore Marielle Gage.  “All of the teachers were so knowledgeable and passionate about what they were teaching and conveyed so much to us in the time we spent with them.”

Students had the unique opportunity to attend a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre.

In addition to their regular coursework and the other excursions, students visited many key sites in Oxford, including Tolkien’s grave, C.S. Lewis’s home, the Oxford Oratory, and Newman’s retreat center in Littlemore where he was received into the Catholic Church.

Students found that these visits brought immediacy and relevance to their readings and coursework.

“To study Newman in his own office at Littlemore was unbelievable,” said Thomas More College junior Meryl Trapp.  “The desk he wrote on is there, along with other possessions of his.  It made our coursework that day all the more immediate and tangible.”

Marielle Gage agreed.  “It would take a book to give justice to our trip, but I can say that it was definitely a highlight of my life so far. Just being there, where St. Edmund Campion was educated and where Cardinal Newman converted, where Lewis taught and Tolkien thought, was amazing.”

A new Catholic art show hosted by the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts’ artist-in-residence, David Clayton, debuted on CatholicTV this week.

Entitled “The Way of Beauty,” this 13-part series examines Catholic traditions in art and how the styles of these traditions relate directly to the liturgy, theology, and philosophy of the Church.   

Beginning September 6^th, “The Way of Beauty” will air at the following five times each week on CatholicTV cable outlets (all times Eastern): Tuesdays at 12:00 Midnight; Wednesdays at 12:00 Noon; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3:30 p.m.; and Sundays at 6:30 a.m.

A new full-length episode of Way of Beauty will also be added to CatholicTV’s website each week at http://www.CatholicTV.com/catholic-art. 

David Clayton launched the Way of Beauty Program at the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in 2008 to renew in artists, aspiring artists, and the general public an appreciation for the Catholic traditions in art and architecture.  The Way of Beauty Program includes a series of courses offered as part of the core curriculum at Thomas More College, as well as lectures, workshops, and seminars hosted throughout the country. 

The Way of Beauty Program has now added a television show to its already impressive array of educational outreach efforts.

“In this television series I explore the Catholic traditions in art, as well as the theological principles behind them,” said Clayton. “Viewers will be led to a greater understanding of the principles of harmony and proportion that are infused in the work of the old Masters.”

“Christian culture, like classical culture before it, was patterned after the cosmic order, whose unifying principles run through every discipline,” continued Clayton.  “Literature, art, music, architecture, philosophy—all of creation and, potentially, all human activity—are bound together by this common harmony and receive their fullest meaning in the rhythms and patterns of the Church’s liturgy.”

“The principles of beauty are applicable to all aspects of daily life, including business, the academy—indeed, in all areas of human engagement.” said Clayton. “This is the via pulchritudinis—the way of beauty—that Pope Benedict has spoken of as the most attractive path to God.”

Since coming to Thomas More College in early 2009, Clayton’s Way of Beauty Program has become widely popular.  In addition to his TV and teaching commitments, he writes about sacred art for the New Liturgical Movement web site and posts regularly on his own blog, www.TheWayofBeauty.org, where readership has skyrocketed since its release in April 2010. 

“I have very much enjoyed working with Catholic TV on the Way of Beauty television program – it has been quite a learning experience for me,” said Clayton. “I am hoping that the series will help to publicize further these important ideas and work toward the renewal of Catholic art and, by extension, the evangelization of culture.”

 Students from across the country descended upon the campus of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts last month to learn what it means to be a Catholic leader in today’s world.   The College declared its inaugural Catholic Leadership Institute a resounding success, attracting nearly thirty students for this intensive three week program where the social and political teachings of the Church were taught.

“It changed my life,” said Ross Bernier, speaking of the program.  “I came here not knowing anything about Catholic social teaching.  Through this program, we got to really understand how important it is to follow Catholic teachings.”

Catholic Leadership Institute students studied intensively the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other Church documents, and were led through the development of these teachings from Apostolic times, through the Middle Ages, and into its flowering in the modern age. 

Bernier added that this program will lead him to follow the Church’s teachings more closely.  He noted that he will go to Confession more often because he now knows that “you cannot receive communion with a mortal sin on your conscience.”

“This is precisely the sort of change we wanted to make in young people’s lives,” said Thomas More College President, William Fahey.  “There exists a catechesis problem in our country.  Most high school students are unfamiliar with the basic content of Catholic social teaching, and they fail to understand that it is an essential part of the Catholic faith.  This program was designed to help address this critical problem.”

Daily lectures from Thomas More College faculty gave participants a firm understanding of key ideas such as just war theory, common good, the human person, solidarity, authentic teachings on the family, and other Catholic insights on basic economic and political issues that will confront them throughout their lives.

Students also studied men like St. Augustine, who radically deepened our understanding of charity and community life; King Louis of France, who saw healing and caring for the sick as an extension of his royal office; Elizabeth of Hungary, who used her vast wealth to build hospitals and stood in the ranks caring for the sick; and Catherine Doherty, who escaped the terrors of the Russian Revolution and quietly established a personal apostolate helping rural poor that now has hundreds of workers and priests bringing the light of Christ and charitable relief throughout the world. 

A major component of the Catholic Leadership Institute led participants to follow the examples of these great Catholic leaders by applying Catholic social teachings to their daily lives.

“Each week included opportunities for participants to enact the corporal works of mercy,” said Dr. Fahey.  “’To serve, rather than be served’ has long encapsulated the essence of Christian leadership.  By volunteering at homeless shelters, food pantries, and other charities, students were encouraged to consider these acts as an essential part of Catholic living.”

 Students reported that these service projects seared into their daily lives what they had learned in the classroom.

 “In participating in the service projects I was able to see the importance of subsidiarity, solidarity, and faith in service work,” said participant Hannah Polsky.  “When subsidiarity is abandoned and talk of God banned, efforts seem to fall short of supporting human dignity.  On the other hand when these values are respected—human dignity is better upheld and work seemed better completed.”

Students volunteered at several organizations, including the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, Friends of the Unborn Crisis Pregnancy Center, a refugee center in Manchester, NH, and other charities. 

Throughout each week, living Catholic leaders joined the program, offering lectures to students about the crucial role the Catholic Faith has played in their leadership experience.  Guest speakers included U.S. Senate candidate Ovide Lamontagne; Portsmouth, NH businessman Jim Broom; Stephen Peroutka, founder of National Pro-Life Radio; and Fr. Paul McNellis, a soldier in the Special Forces who later became a Jesuit priest.

Students reported that they gained a far deeper understanding of what it means to be a leader each day in their home, at work, and in their community.

“Anyone, anywhere can be a leader, even if they are not publicly acclaimed as such,” said participant Bridget Rogers.  “For some reason, this had never occurred to me before.”

Participant Kelly Bohane from Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Still River, MA, agreed.  “Everyone thinks that they know what leadership is all about, but during these past three weeks I have realized that my initial impression of leadership was somewhat hazy.  Being a leader is more than shining armour and a sword.  It is also a silent and simple, yet powerful, way to bring others to follow the ultimate Leader, Jesus, by example.”

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was at the center of each day, and Thomas More College’s artist-in-residence, David Clayton, taught each student how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.  Each morning began with lauds, and the evenings included vespers and compline, as well as Rosary.

The Catholic Leadership Institute was made possible by a generous grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute.  With sufficient funding, the College plans to host the Catholic Leadership Institute again in 2011.      

Homily
August 6, 2010
Daniel 7: 9 – 10, 13 – 14
Peter 1: 16 – 19
Luke 9: 28 – 36

Tradition places the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, five miles east of Nazareth.  The event takes place about three weeks before the Passion and Death of Jesus.

Peter, James and John are invited to accompany Christ and to witness this extraordinary event.  Jesus appears completely transformed, “transfigured.”  He appears to the three apostles as He will appear following His Resurrection.

Christ chooses these three members of the Apostolic College so that they will be strengthened to endure the ordeal that awaits them.  In turn, they will be asked to strengthen the other followers of Jesus.

In the company of the Lord on the mountain are two important figures from the Old Testament: Moses and Elijah.  Why, we might ask, these particular two?  There were many other well-known and important people who could have appeared with Christ.

The answer is an important one.  Moses represents the Old Covenant, the Old Law; it is called frequently, the “Mosaic Law.”  Elijah represents all of the prophets who have come to proclaim the Messiah.  Both men represent what came before, what was incomplete, imperfect.

Their presence with Christ at His Transfiguration means that they publically and willingly acknowledge Jesus as the fulfillment of both the Old Law and the Prophets.  The Lord Jesus is acknowledged as the New Law, the Perfect Law, the fulfillment of all prophecies.

The response of the apostle Peter is significant and invites an explanation.  The chief of the apostolic college is so taken with the splendor and magnificence of what he sees that he wants to remain, which is indicated by his offer to set up three tents or booths.

But the vision does not remain; nor do they.  In the accounts found in Mark and Matthew, they leave the mountain with Christ and “return to daily life,” so to speak.

This descent from the mountain remains the apostles and us that the glory of the resurrection will only come after the cross and death of Jesus.

None of us can be considered a genuine and true disciple of the Messiah unless we, like him, carry our daily crosses, both moral and physical.

May this feast of the Transfiguration of Christ strengthen, encourage and inspire us to persevere quietly and with resolve, asking the intercession of Our Lady who accompanied Jesus on his Via Cruces and is also walking with us on our own personal way of the cross.

Amen.

For Immediate Release
August 5, 2010
Contact: Charlie McKinney
Phone: (603) 880-8308, ext. 21
Email: cmckinney@ThomasMoreCollege.edu

MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE—In 1979, Pope John Paul II began dedicating many of his Wednesday Audiences to the “theology of the body.”  In the following three decades, the theology of the body has become a growing field of popular and academic study. 

In its contribution to this developing discussion, the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts released this week the latest issue of its journal, Second Spring: an International Journal of Faith and Culture—dedicated to exploring the theology of the body from several perspectives.

“Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body injected new life into the arteries of Catholic thought,” said Stratford Caldecott, editor of Second Spring.  “It is of course not the case that the Church had not spoken on marriage and sexuality before that point, but the pressures of modern society and the advance of contraceptive technology made it increasingly urgent to address the issues around sexuality in a new language and with a new frankness.”

In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued the encyclical, Humanae Vitae, ruling against the use of contraceptives.  Much confusion surrounded the release of this encyclical, but John Paul II’s teachings set this ruling in a context of Catholic understanding that began to make it more easily intelligible.

“But even Pope John Paul II, great communicator that he was, sometimes needed to be explained to people, and over the next twenty years the struggle to convey his vision to a wide audience met with mixed success,” said Caldecott.  “There is even a tendency at times to over-popularize the teaching, in such a way that its full implications are evaded and its true depth does not become apparent.”

Caldecott argues that the theology of the body cannot be understood in isolation.

“It is as much a way of life as it is a theology,” added Caldecott.  “The Church’s teaching on sexuality goes to the heart of our nature as human persons and our supernatural calling: it is possible to see its full beauty and live it only in the presence of Christ.”

Caldecott concluded that “it would be easy to show how the prophecies of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical have come true in the decades since 1968, and demonstrate that a life in contradiction to these teachings becomes unsatisfying and destructive.  It is harder to show that the teachings result in happiness and sanctity when lived.  I hope this latest issue of Second Spring will offer readers a greater understanding of the Church’s teachings on marriage and sexuality, and the confidence and courage to live their lives in accordance with these teachings.”

Readers may subscribe to Second Spring by visiting Thomas More College’s web site at www.ThomasMoreCollege.edu/Publications.

Edited by Stratford Caldecott, Second Spring is substantive, thought-provoking, topical, and orthodox.  It is written for students, professional academics, and ordinary readers, who may be struggling to find beacons of truth in the current anti-religious atmosphere, across a wide range of subjects.

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts provides a four-year undergraduate education which develops young people intellectually, ethically, and spiritually in the Catholic tradition and in faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.   Thomas More College introduces its students to the central questions of Western civilization – and to the Church’s response.  It teaches skills in reasoning, speaking, and writing that will allow its graduates to become faithful leaders according to the individual vocations which God has given them.

###

If you would like a review copy of Second Spring, or would like to schedule an interview with Stratford Caldecott, the editor of Second Spring, please contact Charlie McKinney at (603) 880-8308 or by email at cmckinney@ThomasMoreCollege.edu.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II began dedicating many of his Wednesday Audiences to the “theology of the body.”  In the following three decades, the theology of the body has become a growing field of popular and academic study.

In its contribution to this developing discussion, the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts released this week the latest issue of its journal, Second Spring: an International Journal of Faith and Culture—dedicated to exploring the theology of the body from several perspectives.

“Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body injected new life into the arteries of Catholic thought,” said Stratford Caldecott, editor of Second Spring.  “It is of course not the case that the Church had not spoken on marriage and sexuality before that point, but the pressures of modern society and the advance of contraceptive technology made it increasingly urgent to address the issues around sexuality in a new language and with a new frankness.”

In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued the encyclical, Humanae Vitae, ruling against the use of contraceptives.  Much confusion surrounded the release of this encyclical, but John Paul II’s teachings set this ruling in a context of Catholic understanding that began to make it more easily intelligible.

“But even Pope John Paul II, great communicator that he was, sometimes needed to be explained to people, and over the next twenty years the struggle to convey his vision to a wide audience met with mixed success,” said Mr. Caldecott.  “There is even a tendency at times to over-popularize the teaching, in such a way that its full implications are evaded and its true depth does not become apparent.”

Mr. Caldecott argues that the theology of the body cannot be understood in isolation.

“It is as much a way of life as it is a theology,” added Mr. Caldecott.  “The Church’s teaching on sexuality goes to the heart of our nature as human persons and our supernatural calling: it is possible to see its full beauty and live it only in the presence of Christ.”

Mr. Caldecott concluded that “it would be easy to show how the prophecies of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical have come true in the decades since 1968, and demonstrate that a life in contradiction to these teachings becomes unsatisfying and destructive.  It is harder to show that the teachings result in happiness and sanctity when lived.  I hope this latest issue of Second Spring will offer readers a greater understanding of the Church’s teachings on marriage and sexuality, and the confidence and courage to live their lives in accordance with these teachings.”

Readers may subscribe to Second Spring by visiting Thomas More College’s web site at www.ThomasMoreCollege.edu/Publications.

Edited by Stratford Caldecott, Second Spring is issued twice each year and is substantive, thought-provoking, topical, and orthodox.  It is written for students, professional academics, and ordinary readers, who may be struggling to find beacons of truth in the current anti-religious atmosphere, across a wide range of subjects.

Homily
August 5, 2010
Matthew 16: 13 – 23

In light of what transpires in this well-known passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew in which Christ appoints Peter as the Chief of the Apostles and confers on him the primacy, it seems all the more contradictory and paradoxical that we witness, at the very same time, Peter attempting to dissuade Jesus from the Cross.  It was Peter also who denied Christ three times.  How are we to understand such a puzzle?

It may be explained in this way: Jesus sees and understands everyone and everything.  He can read hearts and souls.  And looking into the heart and soul of Simon Peter, the Son of God sees a man who, although weak, sinful and full of contradictions was, nonetheless, one who possessed a very strong faith which was unshakable.  Christ knew that the humanity of the fisherman from Galilee would lead him to be patient, understanding and forgiving of others, qualities necessary in the chief Shepherd of the Church. 

This brings to mind the words Jesus spoke often in the Gospel: “I have come, not to call the righteous, but to call the sinners.”

May you and I never despair of our personal sins.  May we go to Christ in the Sacrament of Confession and seek and receive His merciful forgiveness.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, have mercy on me a sinner.

Amen.

Homily
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saint Martha
John 11: 19 – 27

Today’s Gospel recounts Jesus’ return to His hometown of Nazareth, and as we learn from the narrative, His reception was not a cordial one.

Those present in the synagogue assume a critical attitude and an air of snobbery and arrogance.  They mock Christ and ridicule Him.  These harsh critics voice skepticism of both His family and His teachings.

What lesson can we draw from such an unsettling encounter?  What lessons are offered by the response of Jesus?

Throughout life, we will meet people whose attitude and behavior will, no doubt, try our patience and strain our charity.  They will question our integrity and call our sincerity into open doubt.

Their response to our efforts to live the Gospel will be filled with distain, contempt and ridicule.  Nonetheless, we must persevere and renew our trust in Christ and in the Holy Spirit.

He must also remember that Jesus foretold this treatment for all of those who would choose to follow Him and live in fidelity to Him.

The effectiveness of our personal good example is never wasted or lost.  In Matthew’s account of this incident, Jesus discontinues His work in Nazareth and continues on to other towns and places.

May we never allow rejection or ridicule to intimidate us.  Rather, may we continue on, entrusting ourselves to Divine Providence and the intercession of Our Lady, the Seat of Wisdom.

Amen.

For Immediate Release
July 26, 2010
Contact: Charlie McKinney
Phone: (603) 880-8308, ext. 21
Email: cmckinney@ThomasMoreCollege.edu

(Merrimack, New Hampshire)—The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts announced that it has established a series of medieval-style Catholic guilds that will enable its students to gain skills and experience from master craftsmen in areas such as woodworking, sacred art, music, and baking.

Thomas More College’s guilds will take its spirit from the associations of men and women who advanced their trades and responded to the needs of their local communities in the Medieval Age.

“Catholic guilds flourished during medieval Europe, but by the Nineteenth Century they had all but disappeared,” said Thomas More College president William Fahey.  “Guilds in its earliest form were developed out of man’s natural spirit of association.  The Catholic Church took medieval guilds under its tutelage and infused into them the vivifying spirit of Christian charity.”

Thomas More College’s guilds will operate with the same level of community and charity. 

“Not only will students learn skills they can use throughout their lives,” said Fahey, “they will have an opportunity to bake bread for the homeless, produce icons for local churches, create chairs, cribs, and other projects for the poor and needy in our community, and bring music to nursing homes and hospitals.”

Thomas More College also expects that its guilds will enhance religious life on campus.  This fall, for example, students in the woodworking guild will build a new altar for the College’s chapel, while students in the sacred art guild will produce religious art that will hang on the chapel walls.  Students in the music guild will be trained to chant and produce sacred music for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The newly established Catholic guilds at Thomas More College will also play a key role in the development of its students.

“It is important for students to balance the rigors of one of our country’s most challenging curricula with projects that are physical and hands-on,” said Fahey.  “In this way, Thomas More College’s guild system will further assist in the formation of the whole person while enhancing our already vibrant community life. We must never forget that even communities based on the intellectual and spiritual life must make visible signs of culture in this world.  The ideals of the mind and the richest of the spiritual world can be visibly drawn down into our daily lives.”

“In many ways, our guilds will show students how to live,” added Thomas More College director of admissions Mark Schwerdt.  “Students will now have confidence that they can fix their own furniture or make music with their family.  They will learn how the common man can create works of art as well as how to balance work, family, and leisure—all while enhancing their ability to be creative.” 

“Thomas More College is preparing its students for a life of self-sufficiency,” said Schwerdt.
Each guild will meet weekly and will be taught by a master craftsman who has spent his life perfecting the skills of his trade.  Students will be required to meet a series of benchmarks throughout the year so their performance can be measured.

Last fall, the College transformed the third floor of its Eighteenth Century barn into a woodworking classroom.  It now boasts a professional woodworking bench, complete with vises for holding the work of up to four students at once. 

Master carpenter Frank Jenkins will lead the St. Joseph woodworking guild, exploring with students the properties of the major kinds of wood used in fine woodworking, the use and care of hand tools, the preparation of rough lumber for finish work, joinery, project conception and design, and finishing.  The class will culminate in the completion of a small project of the student’s choice, such as a bookcase.
Thomas More College’s artist-in-residence David Clayton will teach the St. Luke sacred art guild.  Participants will learn the Catholic traditions in art as well as the theological principles behind them.  Students will also learn about the principles of harmony and proportion that are infused in the work of the old Masters.

“Anyone can be an artist,” said Clayton.  “All they have to do is practice, and the sacred art guild provides young men and women with the training and time they need to develop their artistic skills.  Students will learn the skills of observation and control in drawing.  They will also learn the entire iconographic painting process.”

Mark Schwerdt will lead the St. Gregory music guild, teaching students liturgical chant as well as folk music.  In addition to vocal lessons, students will be able to learn how to play the banjo, guitar, or piano.  The St. Gregory music guild will will enable students to play music and add to celebrations on campus.

“I hope that many of our students will advance in their development of these skills over time so they can teach—or apprentice—new incoming students each year,” said Fahey. “I would expect nothing less from our students, all of whom operate with an intense desire to learn and engage others with a spirit of charity and humility.”

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts provides a four-year undergraduate education which develops young people intellectually, ethically, and spiritually in the Catholic tradition and in faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.   Thomas More College introduces its students to the central questions of Western civilization – and to the Church’s response.  It teaches skills in reasoning, speaking, and writing that will allow its graduates to become faithful leaders according to the individual vocations which God has given them.

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If you would like to schedule an interview with President William Fahey or another member of our staff or faculty, please contact Charlie McKinney at (603) 880-8308 or by email at cmckinney@ThomasMoreCollege.edu.

Please visit Thomas More College’s Press Room here.