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Fr. Dave Pivonka is the new president at Franciscan University of Steubenville, one of the recommended colleges in the annual Newman Guide.

July 12, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — The 2019-20 edition of The Newman Guide recommends 15 residential Catholic colleges and 11 U.S. non-residential, international and online institutions committed to uniting faith and reason and strive to be faithfully Catholic.

The Newman Guide, produced annually by The Cardinal Newman Society, rejects colleges where moral laxity is typical of campus life and recommends those that help prepare students for this life and the one to come.  

The Newman Guide colleges provide hope and light in our culture. Yet the reality is that every Catholic college today faces a strong pull from the culture to compromise Catholic identity and secularize.

Two colleges formerly recommended in The Newman Guide, DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, and Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, are not included this year.

The Newman Society takes seriously its role in recommending Catholic colleges to families and has done extensive work in dialoguing with the presidents, faculty, students, and families affiliated with these universities, in addition to monitoring their activities and policies. After careful review, the Newman Society decided not to recommend these two schools to Catholic families for the 2019-20 edition of The Newman Guide. The recommendation does not hinge on single issues but a comprehensive review of the institutions.

At NewmanGuide.org, there are in-depth profiles on each recommended college, including:

  • Nearly 100 updated questions from the Newman Society answered by each college;

  • Photos, videos, and social media links;

  • The ability to sort colleges by major and activities offered.

A hard copy edition of The Newman Guide is not currently available. But high school students can learn more about Newman Guide colleges by signing up for the Newman Society’s Recruit Me program, which allows students to be recruited by Newman Guide colleges, find tips on navigating the college search, and compete in the Newman Society’s $5,000 Essay Scholarship Contest.

The colleges recommended in The Newman Guide are selected entirely at the discretion of the Newman Society after careful review of each college’s activities and policies. The Newman Society recommends and promotes certain colleges as models of strong Catholic identity, primarily to assist Catholic families who are navigating the college search, but also to highlight exemplary models of strong Catholic identity.

All of the institutions recommended in the Guide are unique, each with its own special charism, approach to education, and campus culture. Not every Newman Guide college may be right for each student’s unique needs, but there are probably several that offer what a particular student needs and is looking for. The winning essay of this year’s Newman Society Essay Scholarship Contest makes a convincing case to choose a “college that boldly embraces its Catholic character.”

In many ways, it’s an exciting time for the future of faithful Catholic education. In recent weeks, there have been several new presidents named at Newman Guide colleges. These include Fr. David Pivonka, TOR, at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Thomas Hibbs at the University of Dallas, Dr. Ryan Williams at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College, and Timothy Collins, Ed.D., at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. The search for a new president is underway at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Fla. These leaders play a crucial role in ensuring faithful Catholic education.