Institutions living within our Catholic heritage
There are three distinctly Catholic University Colleges - Leeds Trinity University College, Newman University College and St Mary’s University College. As Catholic colleges we are institutions dedicated to the development of individuals as whole persons, aware of the world in which they live, and informed, active and able participants in the ongoing exchange of ideas that marks out human society. Our approach to education and training exemplifies the centuries-old Catholic tradition of celebrating human knowledge, which proceeds from an appreciation of the dignity of the human person and the need for vigorous, respectful and charitable dialogue in the pursuit of truth. Sustained attention is given to the individual abilities and needs of every student, in order that they may realise their potential and find joy in the engagement with their specific subject areas. Learning takes place within a vibrant and supportive academic community in which the values of cooperation, intellectual freedom and pastoral care are especially prized. Our students are provided with a sense of vocation, so that they may use their skills and knowledge to contribute to the betterment of society.
As institutions living within our Catholic heritage, we are:
- Dedicated to the understanding of each person as unique, capable of transformation and of growth in knowledge and awareness;
- Aware of the role each person is called to play in society, and committed to responsible, active engagement with the world, combating injustice and inequality with wisdom and compassion;
- Enabled in our mission by the Catholic vision of spiritual and intellectual truth being parts of a single reality, the interchange of which gives new depth to knowledge found in the arts and sciences, professions and activities, and every other arena of human thought and imagination;
- Committed to the ideas of intellectual rigour, honesty, and critical openness that have always characterised Catholic approaches to learning;
- Conscious of our privileged role of as institutions contributing to the mission of evangelisation of the Catholic Church in this country, manifested in an active life of worship, and in the promotion of strong ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue;
- Convinced that this rooting in a Catholic vision of the person and of human potential will enrich the experience of students and staff of many religions and traditions, or of none.
Serving the whole of society
As Catholic colleges we strive, through developing our unique identity and mission, to serve the whole of society and its peoples.
A Catholic University…is called on to become an ever more effective instrument of cultural progress for individuals as well as for society. Included among its research activities, therefore, will be a study of serious contemporary problems in areas such as the dignity of human life, the promotion of justice for all, the quality of personal and family life, the protection of nature, the search for peace and political stability, a more just sharing in the world's resources, and a new economic and political order that will better serve the human community at a national and international level. Apostolic Constitution of John Paul II on Catholic Universities (Ex Corde, para 26)
In this task, openness to engagement with religious truth is particularly upheld. Our identity is shaped by the regular worship that takes place in each institution’s chapel, and by a dynamic college chaplaincy. Particular emblematic importance is accorded to the study of theology and religious studies, and to developing deeper understandings of the diverse cultures of our contemporary world.
Our mission and work testifies to the Catholic Church’s ongoing commitment to the service of society in this country and internationally, offering its resources for the good of all. Our mission emerges from that of the Church, which, following the example of the risen Jesus Christ, discloses the depth of human dignity and the potential for transformation of the world.