Dear Editor, As Open Days in a variety of third-level colleges approach, prospective students and their parents would do well to familiarise themselves with the real ethos of these colleges and the values that are being promoted in them and not rely on college propaganda.
For instance, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, which was established as a Catholic college for the education of Catholic primary teachers is, in my view, no longer a Catholic college, despite claiming to be ‘in the Catholic tradition’, but rather a secular college of the secular Dublin City University. The core value of Saint Patrick’s College now is the promotion of ‘diversity’.
Readers of The Irish Catholic will be aware that ‘diversity’ is a euphemism for views, activities and life styles which are in blatant contradiction to Catholic teaching. Committed Catholics contemplating a career in (primary school) teaching or hoping to pursue a degree in college should become familiar with those colleges where fidelity to the maintenance of a Catholic ethos still obtains.
As far as I am concerned there is not one single Catholic university on the island of Ireland. The Christian ethos of the older universities has been decimated. Denominational colleges of secular universities are being destroyed. Secular homogeneity is the only option tolerated.
Yours etc.,
Dr Ciarán Ó Coigligh.
Department of Irish
St Patrick’s College,
Drumcondra,
Dublin 9.