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Fidelity & Excellence91 Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
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A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the Colleges curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
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A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of 91 Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
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Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
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Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
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Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the Colleges academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel Spared in Easter Morning Fire
A small fire broke out in the servers sacristy of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel at 91 Aquinas College, New England, early on Easter morning. By Gods grace, however, Head Chaplain Rev. Greg Markey and the Northfield Fire Department were able to contain the blaze quickly, thus preventing serious damage.
Firefighters believe that the cause of the fire stems from the use of incense at Saturday nights Easter Vigil. Smoldering embers were given new life when Fr. Markey arriving at the Chapel to prepare for Sundays Easter morning Mass opened the sacristy door, allowing fresh oxygen to enter the room.
I opened the door, and an enormous wall of dense black smoke came billowing out, the chaplain recalls. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and rushed into the room and went after the fire. It was coming through the floorboards and coming through the walls.
After exhausting one fire extinguisher without taming the blaze, Fr. Markey called 911 and then, while waiting for the firefighters to arrive, he found another fire extinguisher and returned to the sacristy to do whatever he could. Between the time I called and the time that they were able to get water on it, it was probably about 20 minutes, he says. And it was a pretty frightening 20 minutes!
The Northfield Fire Department arrived and swiftly subdued the blaze. We are deeply grateful for the firefighters who risked their lives and sacrificed their Easter morning to save our chapel, says Fr. Markey. Compared to what it could have been, the damage is minimal, Deputy Fire Chief David Quinn Jr. the Greenfield Recorder, adding that Fr. Markeys intervention helped a great deal.
The Colleges students and faculty, meanwhile, lost little time in adapting Olivia Music Hall for the celebration of the liturgy, with Easter morning Mass delayed only a few hours. Chapel Assistant Hélène (Augros 92) Froula assembled a vestment for Fr. Markey in record time, and students fetched a print of the Chapels beloved icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help from the Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati Student Center. There was even a tabernacle on hand, recently culled from a nearby, shuttered convent.
Although the Chapel will require extensive cleaning and smoke mitigation, College officials are hopeful that it will be ready in time for Commencement on May 13. The building sustained little structural damage outside the sacristy, but heavy clouds of smoke caused cosmetic damage, and a heavy layer of ash now covers the sanctuary:
We have really amazing vestments here, with all kinds of gold threads, and theyre damaged; the new paint job, with the gold leafing and the stenciling that was done on the walls, will probably have to be cleaned and touched up, Fr. Markey reflects.
He is quick, however, to emphasize his gratitude for Gods providence in sparing the building from more extensive damage. Fr. Markey recalls the first responders incredulity at the Chapels survival: The police chief said to me, You could have lost the whole church very easily. Somebody was watching over you.
