WASHINGTON — Sarah Friedmann wanted to follow in her sister’s footsteps and attend the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
The Sterling Heights native grew up at St. Jane Frances de Chanel Parish in Sterling Heights and later Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson and St. Issac Jogues Parish in St. Clair Shores. She graduated from Bishop Foley High School in Madison Heights and wanted to study history at a Catholic college.
After completing her FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), she was surprised to find out she was going to get a little help to cover the school’s tuition — from the Archdiocese of Detroit Impact Scholarship.
“I was really excited when I found out,” Friedmann, class of 2025, told Detroit Catholic. “I grew up in the Archdiocese of Detroit and went to Catholic schools from K through 12. The Archdiocese of Detroit, through schooling and parish life, was impactful to me growing up. Knowing I wasn’t going to be present in Michigan anymore, but the Archdiocese of Detroit was still supporting my education was really meaningful.”
Three students from southeast Michigan received the Archdiocese of Detroit Impact Scholarship this academic year. The scholarship is a way for the local Church to support students attending CUA — a school with the unique status of being sponsored by the Catholic bishops of the United States and the only pontifical university in the United States, established in 1887 with the approval of Pope Leo XIII.
“What that means is that we received pontifical faculties in our schools of philosophy, theology and canon law,” said Mark Ciolli, interim vice president of enrollment management at the Catholic University of America. “These are faculty that have the ‘imprimatur’ of Rome. They teach with that authority and must have that authority to teach those subjects in the United States.”
Many Catholic universities in the United States were founded and governed by religious orders, such as the University of Detroit Mercy, which was founded by the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy, or Madonna University, founded and governed by the Felician Sisters.
Half of the elected members of the Catholic University of America’s board of trustees are clerics, including 18 bishops. The archbishop of Washington serves as the university’s chancellor, and all the cardinal archbishops in the United States serve on the board of trustees.
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit formerly served as chairman of the board of trustees.
Beyond CUA’s governance structure, the school maintains a close tie to universities around the country through grant and impact scholarships sponsored by dioceses so the school can pull from a nationwide student pool, Ciolli explained.
The Catholic University of America was founded as a graduate and research center with the approval of Pope Leo XIII and is now comprised of 12 different schools, with courses of study ranging from the School of Theology and Religious Studies and the School of Canon Law to the Columbus School of Law, School of Arts and Sciences.
“We’re one of those places where many dioceses send their best and brightest to get an education with graduate degrees so they can go back to their diocese to perform their duties better for the Church,” Ciolli said. “In addition to being accredited by the Middle States Association, our pontifical charter keeps us accountable for our mission of being a faithful Catholic university.”
The Catholic University of America’s commitment to its Catholic identity is a key reason why Friedmann chose CUA, first to major in history, but after taking an archeology class to satisfy her science requirement, became a dual history and archeology major.
“Faith is really integrated into everything at CUA, from the classroom to the residential halls,” Friedmann said. “You have so many chapels on campus, so many opportunities to go to Mass, adoration and confession. Even in classes unrelated to theology, we have the requirement to take theology or philosophy for graduation. Even in history and archelogy, we are talking about the value of faith and Catholic social teaching, talking about these subjects through the lens of the beauty of the faith.”
The Catholic University of America is recommended by the Cardinal Newman Society’s “The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College” and consistently does well in national rankings of universities.
Ciolli said the value of the Catholic University of America — and all of Catholic higher education — goes beyond the numbers, even when the numbers suggest those who obtain a four-year degree will on average have greater lifetime earnings.
“But being a Catholic university, we know there is another step,” Ciolli said. “We know our students are getting an education that is grounded in Catholic Gospel values; they understand the relationship they have with God and with each other.”
Ciolli said it’s crucial for institutions such as the Archdiocese of Detroit to support students by sponsoring Impact Scholarships to help form the future clerical and lay leaders of the Church.
“One of the signs that sets Catholic higher education apart is something the world and country desperately need,” Ciolli said. “We need ethically trained leaders. We need leaders who understand the Gospel values. We are a country that desperately needs leaders of character and courage, and that is exactly what we’re here for, to help them become leaven in the world.”
Students from Detroit like Friedmann say this support helps CUA serve its purpose of being a national Catholic university.
“I really believe in the foundation of faith; CUA inspires me and my classmates from across the country to be the foundation of faith in our local churches after we graduate,” Friedmann said. “As I mentioned in our classes, faith is strong and vibrant in our community. The faculty, staff and professors really helped me grow in my faith journey and helped me apply the lessons of how to be a Catholic, even in a non-Catholic setting, no matter where I go after graduation.”
Since the school’s founding in the 19th century, the Catholic University of America has helped students learn what it means to be a Catholic in today’s world and to carry those lessons out into the world, Friedmann said.
“What I’ve learned from this university and its Catholic mission is that college is more than just about finding a good job and being successful,” Friedmann said. “It is about growing as a person, growing in your faith, growing in your value system and learning who you are and your relationships to one another.”
