Preparing future Church leaders, the Angelicum finds a 'trusted partner' with KCCF

The Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, more commonly known as the Angelicum, is a hidden gem at the heart of the Church. Tracing its roots to the 13th century and to St. Thomas Aquinas himself, the Angelicum is the pontifical university of the Dominican Order in Rome. Housed in a beautiful 16th-century cloister in Rome’s historic center and educating over 1,000 students per year from over 100 different countries, the Angelicum is responsible for the formation of future Church leaders of all stripes, including pastors and bishops, theologians and professors, canon lawyers, heads of congregations, and more.

As a pontifical university, the Angelicum is accredited by the Holy See, and entrusted by it with the mission of teaching the sacred sciences to advance the Church’s evangelizing mission. True to its Dominican identity, the Angelicum forms the backbone of its educational program on the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, bringing his theology into conversation with modern disciplines and global challenges. True to the spirit of St. Dominic, the Angelicum combines prayer and study to form its students as effective preachers of the Gospel.

What began as a small house of studies to educate Dominican novices in the 1260’s went through several transformations over the centuries until 1963, when Pope St. John XXIII granted the Angelicum pontifical university status. Over the centuries, the Angelicum has educated extraordinary alumni, including Pope Saint John Paul II, Fulton Sheen, and many other scholars, saints, and martyrs, such as Servant of God Father Ragheed Ganni, who gave his life for his faith in 2007 in his native Iraq.

Today, the Angelicum welcomes students from all over the world, including seminarians, priests, religious sisters, and a significant number of lay students. Although Dominican friars make up the majority of the teaching faculty, the Angelicum is an institution in service of the whole Church, with Dominicans making up about 10% of students, and the rest coming from hundreds of dioceses and religious orders. Since 2000, over 180 alumni have been appointed bishops, including 46 from the United States, and 20 have been appointed cardinals.

Under the leadership of the American Dominican priest and theologian, Fr. Thomas Joseph White, the Angelicum has undertaken a tremendous program of renewal in recent years. This has included renovations of the University’s historic campus, establishment of new scholarship funds for deserving students, recruitment of distinguished professors, and founding of campus institutes that bring the Angelicum’s evangelizing mission to new frontiers.

These new initiatives have been made possible through the Angelicum’s Renewal at the Heart of the Church campaign, which launched its public phase in 2024. Generous benefactors who invest with the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund have made extraordinary contributions towards the campaign’s success.

Eduardo Andino, the Angelicum’s Chief Advancement Officer, commented that “With the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, the Angelicum and our benefactors alike have a trusted partner that shares our values, supports our financial goals, and makes supporting our mission simple and straightforward.”

The University’s impact is widespread. As a pontifical university in Rome, the Angelicum receives some of the Church’s most promising students from dioceses all over the globe, granting them the pontifical degrees that prepare them for ministry. On the one hand, the Angelicum plays a decisive role in the future of the American Church, with nearly 20% of its student body coming from the United States. This includes, currently, the majority of American seminarians studying in Rome. On the other hand, with 40% of its student body coming from developing countries, the Angelicum plays an equally important role in forming future leaders for regions where the Church is new, small, poor, or persecuted.

In addition to preparing future Church leaders for ministry, the Angelicum is a leading hub of research and academic life, producing cutting-edge scholarship in its four faculties of theology, philosophy, canon law, and social sciences. Its academic reputation attracts leading scholars for conferences and teaching opportunities, and there is great demand from students seeking to undertake doctoral studies and other higher degrees with Angelicum faculty.

For those making pilgrimage to Rome, the Angelicum’s doors are always open and ready to welcome visitors. The Angelicum’s Church of Sts. Dominic and Sixtus is a beautiful example of Catholic Baroque architecture, featuring a high altar, side chapel, and Noli Me Tangere sculpture designed by Bernini. The central cloister of the Angelicum is the heart of the university. The Angelicum’s classrooms surround the central garden, such that when classes let out, the whole student body congregates in one place to chat with friends, drink a coffee, and enjoy the greenery and sun before their next class.

“For generous benefactors in the United States looking to make a difference for the Church, the Angelicum is an option that punches above its weight and covers many areas of interest,” Andino added. “The Angelicum represents an investment in higher education for the Church, evangelization, the formation of future American Church leadership, the advancement of the Church in developing countries, and the strengthening of the Dominican Order, which has had a great impact in the United States in recent decades, and which is attracting many young vocations. Supporting the Angelicum is a way of having an impact on the Church in the United States while also being involved in the Church as a global institution with a universal mission. Those who support the Angelicum through the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund take the long view, investing in an Angelicum education which will, over the course of generations, have a far-reaching impact both at home and abroad. We’re grateful to everyone at KCCF for creating a venue where benefactors can both make their money grow and, when they are ready, stand with us in supporting our shared mission.”

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