Why is it that scandals seem to happen each year in Lent?

It’s horrific. A “notorious abortionist” invited to Providence College to speak to students about politics, while two Georgetown University professorsare openly advocating for abortion and contraception in response to the Zika virus spreading across South America. And at least eight Catholic colleges are sponsoring performances of the immoral and lewd play “The Vagina Monologues.” (See reports below.)

Why is it that scandals seem to happen each year in Lent? Nevertheless, we’re keeping focus on the Lenten season, and on “National Marriage Week,” as the U.S. bishops have dedicated it.

We have inspiring reports on Lenten devotions and pro-marriage efforts at faithful Catholic colleges recommended in our Newman Guide, and on the defense of marriage and rejection of the “hook-up” culture among Notre Dame students — even while La Salle University’s students support “gender neutral” housing to allow men and women to live together. (See below.)

And don’t miss our exclusive interview with Congressman Lipinksi on America’s state-sanctioned prejudice against Catholic schools, and our statement on widely reported controversies at Mount St. Mary’s University (with a significant breakthrough today)!

Please join us this Lent in praying that more young people will come to know the Truth and defend it. May God bless you!

In Christ,

Adam Cassandra
Editor, Catholic Education Daily

Latest News from Catholic Education Daily:

• Statement on Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md. As recently as last year, The Cardinal Newman Society enthusiastically recommended Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md. (“the Mount”), in our Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College for its strong Catholic identity. We have repeatedly, and very recently, reported on outstanding teaching and practices at the Mount. Nevertheless, we are carefully observing the developments described in recent media reports, and we find these to be disappointing and even disturbing. Certain facts seem clear, while other troubling claims are unsubstantiated but repeated by several individuals. We invite Catholics to pray for a good outcome. 

• Immoral V-Monologue Performances Continue at Catholic Colleges For at least eight Catholic colleges and universities, the beginning of this year’s Lenten season coincides with annual performances of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” a lewd play that glorifies immorality and has been denounced by bishops for its disturbing and degrading depictions of human sexuality. 

• ‘Rhode Island’s Most Notorious Abortionist’ to Speak at Providence College Providence College, a Catholic Dominican institution in Rhode Island, scheduled a political panel discussion this week to feature a former Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island medical director who is “Rhode Island’s most notorious abortionist” according to a local pro-life leader. 

• Catholic Schools Richly Benefit From Faithful Witness of Priests and Religious on Staff Priests and religious who work in Catholic schools play an integral role in Catholic education by witnessing to students the fullness of lives dedicated to Christ, and several religious educators told The Cardinal Newman Society that although fewer schools today are able to hire priests and religious, their vocational witness is crucial to the future of the Church. 

• Athletic Directors: Catholic School Sports, Students Harmed by Policies Embracing Gender Ideology Catholic high school sports programs are not simply intended to allow students to achieve success on the field, they are an important part of the mission of Catholic schools to form students in the faith, according to athletic directors at faithful Catholic high schools, and compromising these programs by embracing gender ideology policies that are contrary to Church teaching will bring harm to both Catholic school sports and to students. 

• La Salle Univ. Students Approve of Gender-Neutral Housing in Online Ballot Over 79 percent of the students at La Salle University in Philadelphia who voted in a student government ballot initiative want the University to enact a gender-neutral housing policy for campus townhouses according to the referendum results published by the La Salle Students’ Government Association on Monday. 

• Faithful Catholic Colleges Find New Ways to Tackle Marriage Crisis Striving to help their students prepare for healthy and strong marriages, faithful Catholic colleges are making a concerted effort to find ways in which they can integrate Church teaching on marriage and family into the lives of their students, representatives from several Newman Guide-recommended colleges told The Cardinal Newman Society during National Marriage Week.

• Students at Faithful Catholic Colleges Encouraged to Participate in Lenten Devotions The liturgical season of Lent began this week on February 10, and recognizing the opportunity to help form students in the faith and grow closer to Jesus, colleges and universities recommended in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College have taken an active role in urging their students and communities to engage in the Lenten season by providing opportunities for spiritual reading, retreats, prayer and devotion. 

• Notre Dame Students Seek to Reclaim Marriage Debate in Face of Cultural Challenges University of Notre Dame students who attended and spoke at last week’s Edith Stein Project conference told The Cardinal Newman Society that they are equipping themselves to defend the Church’s teaching on marriage and human sexuality, an area particularly critical in a culture that has forgotten the true blessings of marriage in favor of a casual “hook-up” mentality.

• Rep. Lipinski: Get Rid of Anti-Catholic Blaine Amendments Catholic schools advocate and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) recently introduced a House resolution honoring the outstanding work of Catholic schools across the country, and told The Cardinal Newman Society that he supports getting rid of the discriminatory Blaine Amendments found in many state constitutions that keep families from using public funds to choose a Catholic education.

• Georgetown Professors Push Abortion and Contraception as Response to Zika Two Georgetown University law professors posted an article on a University website recently calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend birth control and abortion as means of responding to the Zika virus outbreak in South America in order to “truly respect the dignity and health of women of childbearing age.” 

Latest News from Around the Web:


The Theological Foundation of Catholic Education (Crisis Magazine)
Dating Has Died at College — This Campaign Hopes to Revive It (NC Register)
Christendom College and Arlington Diocese Support New Campus Ministry at Shenandoah Univ. (Arlington Catholic Herald)
College students spread abstinence message during True Love Week (Catholic News Service)
Gender-Neutral Bathrooms Have Arrived at Catholic Colleges (NC Register)
The Bishop Who Wants to Bring Great Books to the Midwest (Aleteia)
Hope Rises for Philly Catholic Schools as Enrollment Soars (NC Register)
Catholic Schools: A Complete Education (Catholic Stand)