Welcome to Fall 2018!

For a great many of you, today is your first day at UST. I am pleased to say that we are welcoming the largest class in the history of this great university.

When the Basilian Fathers founded University of St. Thomas, their mission was not meant to be only for the select few, but to serve many. “Crescamus In Christo” is our motto, which translates to “May we grow in Christ.” We are certainly living up to that motto today, not only through record enrollments, but through a curriculum firmly grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and pursuing the dialogue between faith and reason toward the revelation of truth.

Whether you are new or returning, Catholic or of another faith, you are part of a family that prepares students for life and career. A university where Goodness, Discipline, Knowledge and Community are valued and taught every day.

Whether you are faculty, staff, alumni or student, you are part of a bold tradition that has made a real difference in this city, and an important part of a fearless future filled with innovation and positive change.

This morning I read that ‘Hope’ is the virtue by which we desire and await from God eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit to merit it and to persevere. As I look at the smiling faces today here at UST, I am indeed filled with hope for our future.