Wyoming Catholic College is the country’s most unique Catholic college. I’ve visited, and it’s true.
Located in Lander, Wyoming, it’s the only “campus” I’m aware of that doesn’t have a campus. Presently, the school utilizes Lander’s local Catholic Church for its chapel, the parish school for some of its classrooms, and temporary buildings as residence halls. The other classes take place in rented space in downtown Lander, approximately a mile away. Wyoming Catholic College’s greatest classroom, however, is the outdoors.
What makes the school truly distinctive are its immersive Latin program, the year-long horseback riding program, and the outdoor leadership program. Freshmen begin each academic year a month before classes begin with a three-week outdoor excursion. Accompanied by a priest, college employee, and someone from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), the freshmen learn outdoor, survival, and leadership skills. The students then begin the year with an unparalleled bonding experience and leadership skills that they can then bring into the classroom and into their future careers.
The college’s modified Great Books program is somewhat similar to the Thomas Aquinas College curriculum in Santa Paula, California.
Regarding the campus, the college has the land - Broken Anvil Ranch - for its future campus, but a great deal of fundraising and infrastructure needs to be completed before construction can begin there. The future site is located a number of miles outside of Lander.
Today, the college released its beautiful new promotional video, “Wisdom in God’s Country.” The 7-minute film was produced by the award-winning team at Grassroots Films. The video features majestic views and stirring music to make the case for Wyoming Catholic.
In addition, with the unfortunate news from the Cardinal Newman Society that many Catholic institutions of higher learning are failing to meet the minimum requirements of Ex Corde Ecclesiae, it’s great to find a school like Wyoming Catholic, that is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. Wyoming Catholic College is one of the institutions highlighted in the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.
If you have a bit of a pioneering spirit and are looking for a Catholic college, be sure to check it out. You won’t find another school like it.
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I have visited the “campus” of Wyoming Catholic College and applaud this great effort of continue the work of the Church among the young adults of Wyoming’s Catholic population. When I attended the ordination of a priest in Casper, WY, I had the occasion to speak with Bishop David Ricken, formerly of Cheyenne, when he was beginning this great endeavor, and he was very proud of this new project. I travel somewhat frequently in Wyoming and find that this is truly “God’s Country”!
Thanks for the article.
Wow, that looks like an awesome college experience…
I also had the wonderful opportunity to visit WCC two years ago. I was thoroughly impressed with every aspect of the school and fell in love with their entire concept of education, especially its Catholicity. The ranch that will become home to the future campus is beautiful. The faculty they’ve assembled is extraordinary; and there must be something special about a school that can attract such talented teachers to commit to an upstart college and live in the middle of “nowhere.” And where else are students not allowed to have cell phones, but are allowed to have guns? Awesome.
Pray for the future of Wyoming Catholic College, and contribute if you can. God willing, my daughter will be a WCC student in 7 years. If there is any chance of changing the madness of the modern world, education, Catholic education, REAL Catholic education, is the answer. May God continue to bless WCC!
—“The decisive factor in the world, for the future of the Church and our civilization, is education.” Right on.
Thomas Aquinas College (TAC) is located in Santa Paula, CA…...not Ojai
A large group of students from Wyoming Catholic College attended Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, Utah. Distributing Holy Communion to these wonderful students was nothing short of inspirational, and fills me with much hope for the future of the Church.
Deacon Lynn Johnson
I’m attending WCC next year (Fall 2012), God willing. Pray for all the future freshmen!
Love to go . . ..I wonder what they’d do with a mid-40’s married guy. :)
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