Dear Friend,

The above photo is no sign of the times. Rather, it is a sign of contradiction, a reminder of the difference that Thomas Aquinas College’s graduates are making in the world.

The bride is a member of this year’s graduating class, Megan (Downs ’20). Scarcely a month ago, she completed her last final exam and — the very next day — wed fellow alumnus Patrick Nazeck (’19). The newlyweds then made their way to San Diego, where Mr. Nazeck, an officer in the United States Marine Corps, will be stationed at Camp Pendleton.

At a time when young people are increasingly postponing marriage and family life, the Nazecks have embraced their vocation with joy. They weren’t going to let a pandemic stand in their way.

And at Thomas Aquinas College, where our work is preparing young people like these for lives of holiness, we aren’t going to let a pandemic stand in our way, either. The College is fully committed to the resumption of in-person classes this fall.

If you care to support the College as it resists COVID-19’s siren song of surrender, please contribute to the College’s 2020 Week of Giving.

It won’t be easy. To keep our students, our employees, and our surrounding communities safe, our Medical Advisory Board has come up with a rigorous plan for re-opening our campuses: We will be testing students before they arrive and after. We are investing in increased cleaning services, individualized meal preparation, masks, sanitizing stations, even on-campus isolation facilities.

We will gladly absorb these costs and all others if that’s what it takes to bring our students back into the classroom, where, together, they can once more learn from the great works of Western civilization. But combined with soaring financial aid needs — wrought by COVID-19’s effects on the economy — the price will be staggering.

If you want to help, this is the ideal moment: We are in the middle of our Week of Giving, an opportunity to have your gift to TAC doubled — at no cost to you, thanks to a $350,000 matching gift from a loyal friend of the College, Dr. Melissa Buckley. Three days into the Week, friends have already contributed $143,697 to our Annual Fund.

Don’t let a pandemic stand in the way of your generosity! And whether your gift has already been made or whether it is still to come, thank you.

Sincerely,

Paul J. O'Reilly
Vice President for Advancement

PS — I thought you would enjoy this happy photo of the wedding party. Thanks be to God!