“The great heritage of our civilization has been imperiled, and this college exists to help restore the household of the Good.”

In a recent column, “Modesty and the Bashful Beggar,” I wrote that “when the college needs money, hanging back is no virtue. Hidden behind the need is the profound reality of what this education confers upon our students—the tradition that has formed the greatness of the Western world, the great questions, the faith enduring for 2000 years through many different cultures and regimes. The great heritage of our civilization has been imperiled, and this college exists to help restore the household of the Good.”

Wyoming Catholic College finds its center in the great, humane, joyful pursuit of the whole truth. The education we offer here in Lander is a profound immersion in the reality of nature and in the challenges of our greatest traditions. From the first moments of freshman year, our students have a hands-on experience of creation in the Mountain West, where they encounter both the hard limits that nature imposes and a grandeur witnessed by few in the contemporary world. In class after class, they take on the challenging tradition of Western thought, and they wrestle with the true questions raised instead of dismissing the very existence of great works as an attempt to “legitimize Western hegemony.”

This is an education that attracts joyful students—resilient and committed young people—and forms them into men and women who are essentially grounded in the truth of things. Our students engage with the world as it is, and they are prepared to transform it.

And who supports this uniquely noble, life-changing endeavor at Wyoming Catholic College? Like-minded private citizens, not the government. The College depends, with gratitude, on the yearly contributions of extraordinary, committed donors who help us make up what is lacking from our student tuition. We are small and lean and real. We have major challenges, but we deal with them forthrightly. We know that we are teaching the love of truth. We hope in God, and we trust that He will bring us the support we need.

As the president of an institution whose very existence depends on the generosity of others, I see #GivingTuesday as a wonderful opportunity to remind our friends and benefactors of this College’s great mission, and of the very real costs that must be met in order to achieve that mission. I ask you to join the faculty, staff, students, and families of Wyoming Catholic this #GivingTuesday. Please consider a gift in support of this vital educational adventure. Your generosity will help us sustain our essential work and serve as a testament to the importance of our efforts.

May God bless you.

Glenn C. Arbery, Ph.D.
President