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Parishes in the Albany Diocese will take up the national collection for the Catholic University of America (CUA) and other Catholic higher education needs the weekend of Sept. 25-26.

CUA, located adjacent to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., was founded by the U.S. bishops in 1887 with approval from the Vatican.

It is unique as the national university of the Catholic Church and the only higher education institution founded by the bishops, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard wrote in a pulpit letter to parishes.

CUA has "a special responsibility to educate future leaders for our Church and for our nation," the Bishop noted. "In this sense, CUA belongs to all of us in the Church, regardless of where we live."

Funds raised from the collection directly benefit students across the U.S. - nearly 3,000 last year alone - through scholarships.

"The financial sacrifices required of Catholic parents today to provide a truly Catholic college education are enormous," Bishop Hubbard wrote.

Almost 60 percent of CUA's nearly 7,000 students hail from mid-Atlantic states. The school offers undergraduate degrees in 73 disciplines, as well as Master's and doctoral programs. It is the only American university with ecclesiastical faculties granting canonical degrees in canon law, philosophy and theology.

Concluded Bishop Hubbard: "Grounded in the philosophy of the rich Catholic intellectual tradition, students who attend Catholic colleges and universities are well prepared for success in life and ready to make a difference in today's world."

(09/23/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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