Wyoming Catholic: A Most Unusual College

Wyoming Catholic College likes to conduct some of its classes in the great outdoors. In Wyoming.

And it seems to be exactly the sort of row-against-the-tide school I would have loved to have sent my kids to, if they were at that point in their lives.

The school is making a huge commitment to bringing Latin back to life, as students read and discuss classical and Christian authors entirely in Latin:

While Patrick Owens, a Latin instructor at Wyoming Catholic College, climbed to the summit of East Temple Peak last fall with a group of his students, not a word of English was spoken. The hike was sponsored as part of the college’s Latin-immersion program.

Standing near the summit, Owens recalled, “It suddenly hit me that we were surveying the grandeur of God and speaking Latin.” […] All Wyoming Catholic College students take at least two years of Latin, but advanced courses — conducted only in Latin — are also available. Students are invited to defend their senior thesis in Latin. Those in the more advanced classes are accustomed to writing papers on the works of such Catholic theologians as Thomas Aquinas or the patristic writers entirely in Latin.

That’s a terrific article and a fun read so check it out.

Also writing about Wyoming Catholic, at least peripherally, is Joseph Susanka, who interviews the faith-filled founders of Grassroots Films (who created the ground-breaking Fishers of Men and the award-winning The Human Experience) and touches on their recent production, Wisdom in God’s Country:

There a unique flavor to WCC. What about the college did you feel was the most important thing to convey to the viewer? And what creative decisions were made in your effort to tell that story in a “visual” way?

JOSEPH CAMPO: I was immediately impressed by the students: They were energetic, and enthusiastic to speak about their personal experiences at the college. They possess a keen sense of who they are and where they are going. A portion of the curriculum is done in the great outdoors, and our director, Chuck, captured the cinematic aerial views. Much of the piece was shot from a helicopter, covering majestic vistas, and the magnificent beauty of Wyoming.

Read the whole thing.

You can get a sense of both the school’s and Grassroots Films gifts, here: