John Garvey is a fundamentally bright and decent man. I’ve had a number of run-ins with him during my tenure as an undergraduate student at the Catholic University of America. About two years ago, shortly after I enrolled at Catholic, I stood among a group of students in line to attend an event for Catholic’s College Republicans Club. Swearing like a sailor while fraternizing with other students, I turned around after being alerted to a presence behind me. Expecting a harsh condemnation for my liberal deployment of the English language from a tall, elderly man with a commanding presence, I instead received a pat on the back, a handshake, and an exchange of warm pleasantries. John Garvey is welcoming, compassionate, and brilliant. But if he hasn’t already, he is on the precipice of making a career-defining mistake.
The Newman Guide to Catholic Colleges is the industry standard for Catholic families navigating higher education. Catholic University, the flagship university of the Vatican in North America, obviously ranks near the top of its list. For a long time, this made complete sense to me. Theology and Philosophy are required courses. Buildings are adorned with Catholic iconography. The campus boasts the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception, the largest Roman Catholic church in North America, where it hosts regular convocations.
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