On April 16, Wednesday of Holy Week, President David Burcham announced he had hired
Dr. Robbin Crabtree to serve as the next Dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts.
As RenewLMU and news sources reported earlier, Dr. Crabtree has worked for both Planned Parenthood and for a pro-choice political action committee. We also asked for your support in urging Pres. Burcham to instead “hire for mission”.
Moreover, it is now confirmed by LMU itself that the new appointment to this position is a professed atheist. Henceforward Dean Crabtree will make hiring decisions for the mission critical departments of Theological Studies, Philosophy, Bioethics, and Catholic Studies, among others.
The facts about this candidate were fully known by Loyola Marymount’s senior officials before employing Dr. Crabtree. However, because of the tremendous concern expressed by many alumni and others who value genuine Catholic education, these officials now have felt compelled to defend their actions. Our Response to LMU’s Attempt to Justify the Dean Appointment demonstrates how unsound their justifications are.
RenewLMU now invites you to publicly express your opinion about LMU’s choice for the new dean and its implications for the future of a Catholic LMU. We will forward your comments to the University President, Board of Trustees, Board of Regents, and Archbishop Gomez.
Click here to go to on Comments page. Look for the ‘Leave a Comment’ or ‘Leave a Reply’ box at the bottom. Be sure to mention if you are a LMU alum. Please be respectful.
RenewLMU 
The decision of LMU to hire Dr. Crabtree despite her clear allegiance to perspectives and beliefs that are not consistent with a university of Catholic mission and identity is one more indication that LMU has lost her way. My alma mater has been changing bit by bit into an institution far different from the one I fondly recall. Fr. Caro and President Burcham’s defense is inadequate – it is impossible for a Catholic institution to truly be Catholic when its leaders are not only NOT Catholic but have views in opposition to Catholic beliefs. The notion that this is even a point of contention is ridiculous. There is no argument that can make an atheist, prochoice individual an appropriate choice for leading a faithful Catholic college of liberal arts.
Mary K Petersen ’79
Please hire according to tenets of our faith. Our future depends on it.
Very disappointing indeed. I will not be recommending Loyola as a University for any student who has a sound Catholic upbringing.
It’s very sad and we wonder why so many with a “Catholic” education are so ignorant of the faith…God help those in power to make the right decisions..
I have two grandchildren attending there presently. Their parents are alumni. These hiring appointments were not known to their parents,unfortunately.
Unless we see some positive action taking place soon,we shall never again recommend LMU to family or friends.
Fortunately ,there are a few CATHOLIC Universities left. We shall make it a point to publicize them to all eleventh Grade students at the High Schools.
Maybe when the freshman population meets all the ‘diversity ‘ requirements (and what governing body sets those?), and there’s less than 30 % percent Catholic,it can be renamed Westchester University.
I agree. Westchester University would be a more suitable name. (St. Ignatius of Loyola pray for us. Amen.)
Cristin Jarcy MacArthur
Class of 1988
(Classmate of Mary Carol)
This is an OUTRAGE! The flimsy rationale spouted by Burcham and backed by Caro in this hiring fiasco is an embarrassment to the University and a slap in the face to all of us who value Catholic education. I would never support, endorse, or contribute to LMU as a result.
Richard Andre, Univ. of Notre Dame, ’71
I find myself incredibly saddened to hear such news. The stark contrast between what Loyola – and the Catholic Church – stands for and someone who prescribes to atheism and supports abortion is clear. And for that someone to now be put in a leadership position, a position of authority that will form Loyola’s future through hiring and policy decisions is UNCONSCIONABLE. I pray for Dean Burcham and Loyola’s administration that this decision will be reversed and that a candidate that is aligned with Loyola’s Catholic mission will be sought and hired.
what has happened to Pope Francis’s comments to Notre Dame about “Catholic” education being critical?
An atheist dean at a Catholic University? Logic please?
Not everyone has the time to vet these so called “Catholic” universities so they send their children to schools like LMU under the deception that the school is, as it advertises, Catholic. And, I’m speaking from first hand experience. This deceit is unconscionable and indefensible to anyone except those with an anti-Catholic agenda. Really, think about it, an avowed atheist will now be making the hiring decisions for a liberal arts college at a university that holds itself out to be Catholic. Do you think a devout Catholic would be hired by “American Atheist” to manage and hire for its organization? Of course not. Because, they understand and execute to their mission. Its time LMU understood and took seriously theirs.
Loyola should look to Aquinas University to set the future identity of the University and use them as a role model. It seems to me that LMU has become is more interested in the material and secular success of the university attendees than to the moral and spiritual. It would be more valuable to hire a faithful (not a qualified) dean who would lead spiritual 1st (the whole man – St Ignatius) being the goal. Financial success is not a measure of real success in this world. I do not see how an atheist can promote in any way Catholic Values. There are plenty of Atheistic Universities out there and maybe that is where this person should be. Although, I would feel sorry for the students of these Universities being exposed to the lack of meaning in life proposed by atheists.
Bob McBride
This is a copy of the reply I sent to Father Caro’s email:
Dear Father Caro,
I was one of the recipients of the e-mail which you sent out yesterday with respect to the appointment of Dr. Robbin Crabtree as the dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts. I am pleased that you have taken this opportunity to address the controversy over her past involvement with Planned Parenthood. I agree that it is unfair to peremptorily disqualify a candidate based on something that happened twenty years ago, although it may be a reasonable cause for concern.
I do, however, think that the appointment of Dr. Crabtree can and should be criticized on more substantial grounds – which have nothing to do with her past affiliations and political inclinations, whatever they may happen to be. To put it bluntly, it is embarrassing that after a lengthy search process for a new dean of the college of liberal arts, LMU has given the job to someone who does not possess either an undergraduate or graduate degree in a traditional liberal arts discipline. Given what I know about the general education requirements of the UC system in the early 1980’s, it is an open question as to whether she has ever even taken a single college-level course in the humanities.
I am under no illusions that LMU can compete with more elite institutions for top academic and administrative talent, but simply by virtue of our privileged geography it can’t be that difficult to attract candidates who are more qualified for this position. If nothing else, LMU should have been able to find someone who is actively engaged in the teaching of liberal arts to be the dean of the college. Dr. Crabtree’s academic interests are not only outside of the mainstream of the liberal arts, but appear to be peripheral even to her own field of communications. It is hard to see how someone who has such a narrowly focused specialty can credibly supervise the teaching of history, English, philosophy, and the other disciplines.
I was not aware that Dr. Crabtree is not a Catholic, although I am not surprised to learn that is the case. I do not think that it is impossible for lay non-Catholics who hold positions of leadership at LMU to conduct the university’s affairs with due respect for our distinctive mission and values; but neither do I think that it is a cost-free proposition. Church doctrine and common sense tell us that this should definitely be the exception rather than the rule. At some point – and given that LMU already has (or has had) non-Catholics holding the positions of president, provost, liberal arts dean, and theology department chair, we are arguably well past that point – we must candidly admit that the university’s Catholic identity has become so incidental to its de facto mission that it can be entrusted to administrators who do not even share our faith.
The appointment of Dr. Crabtree is a symptom of what I consider to be a pervasive institutional identity crisis. LMU is the one indispensable university in Los Angeles precisely because it is the only one that is formally committed to the pursuit of knowledge in the light of transcendent truth. Our secular counterparts have embraced relativism and post-modernism to such an extent that objective truth is no longer welcome on campus or relevant to their work. I understand that LMU cannot simply be a Catholic ghetto, but surely that does not mean that we have to compromise our commitment to our foundational mission – which in practical terms means purposely exposing our students to the intellectual traditions of Western Civilization and Catholic moral doctrine.
I am particularly dismayed by the recent revision of the university’s core curriculum, which claims to provide a comprehensive liberal education but in my view has only watered down what was already a weak program. From what I can tell, it is possible to satisfy all of the requirements without taking a single course in Catholic (or even Judeo-Christian) theology, American history, Western Civilization, or English literature. In fact, it appears that it would take some effort to include all of these courses in one’s program, and probably impossible for a large number of students to do so. By contrast, students cannot avoid multiple core requirements which serve to heighten awareness of their ethnic and gender differences. I don’t believe that LMU was significantly less diverse when I was a student almost forty years ago; I do know that we were far less likely to take note of anyone’s skin color or sexual preferences, or to treat any of our fellow students differently because of how they looked or acted, than the students are today. I think it is a tragedy that the university, for what I presume to be noble motives, has fostered the arbitrary and harmful fragmentation of the student body into discrete groups with their own official advocates and even their own commencement ceremonies.
It does not have to be that way. My son abandoned family tradition and chose to attend Boston University instead of LMU. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that BU’s college of arts and sciences still offers an integrated classical core curriculum. There are no “cultural diversity” requirements or separate commencement ceremonies for various “communities”. BU does not even offer undergraduate majors in Women’s Studies or any of the various ethnic study disciplines. None of this has hurt BU’s academic reputation. In fact, its rapid rise in stature has been a direct result of the university’s commitment to high standards and teaching excellence, which were aggressively promoted by the late John Silber, BU’s president for more than twenty years. If a large secular university in the shadows of MIT and Harvard can thrive with a rigorous traditional core curriculum, there is no reason why LMU cannot do the same. Unfortunately, the appointment of Dr. Crabtree is a step In the opposite direction.
Quite frankly, I found the most convincing part of your letter to be where you made the case for Dr. Crabtree as an administrator who is committed to the “Jesuit Model” of higher education. I am sure that is true, but the Jesuit model needs to be judged by its fruits. Apart from Georgetown, Boston College, and Gonzaga, which are nationally prominent largely because of their athletic programs, it is hard to think of a single Jesuit university that has benefited from the secular influences they have embraced over the past several decades. In fact, I think it is undeniable that the “Jesuit brand” has taken a big hit. Fifty years ago, the best Catholic students in Los Angeles overwhelmingly chose Loyola (and Marymount) over schools like USC and UCLA; today, most wouldn’t even give us a second thought. Why should they? LMU no longer has anything distinctive to offer over its neighbors, even though we are the only Catholic university in the largest archdiocese in the nation, which also happens to be the epicenter of mass media and popular culture. As a Catholic university in this particular time and place, LMU should be an enormously important and influential institution. It pains me to see that Pepperdine has in many respects supplanted LMU as the preeminent Christian university in Southern California – and they have done so by unapologetically embracing Christian culture and morality in the classroom and in student life. (Pepperdine has just elevated its dean of arts and sciences to the position of provost; it will be interesting to see how the credentials of his replacement compare to those of Dr. Crabtree.)
All that being said, now that Dr. Crabtree has been appointed I wish her every success. I also understand that the extent to which a Catholic university can or should express its religious identity is an imprecise science, and that even in cases that seem quite straightforward – such as the removal of elective abortion coverage from the health plan – universally unsatisfactory compromises sometimes have to be made. (For the record, I think that was an unnecessary compromise and a missed opportunity). I am encouraged that LMU has created an Office of Mission and Ministry to discern where these lines ought to be drawn, and that you are making an effort to be responsive to alumni and friends of the university who have raised what I believe are legitimate concerns. Please be assured of my prayers as you deal with these issues in the future.
Very truly yours,
Jim Belna. ’79, L’84
I am very glad I went to Loyola back when it was a Catholic university, a fact that I didn’t appreciate at the time but one from which I benefited greatly. I hope it returns to the faith soon enough that I can encourage my grandchildren to attend, something I can’t do in good conscience today.
Herb Younger ’56
If LMU wants to call itself a Catholic institution, it should employ only faithful Catholic faculty and administrators, with no exceptions.
I am ashamed of LMU’s decision to hire Dr. Crabtree. Ignatius would be shocked at what is happening at LMU.
Robert H. Dahl
Class of 1955
I am the mother of three graduates of LMU: Mary Kathryn (Petersen) Dawson, your first responder, Bradford Petersen, and Norman Petersen; also the grandmother of two grandsons who will graduate this coming May. I, as a convert myself, am absolutely dismayed at this “turn of events”, and “shocked” doesn’t even begin to express how I feel about this absolutely unbelievable decision. You had no Catholic applicants???? Or were they too “traditional” for your tastes? I will be praying for YOUR souls as well as that of your new department head. LMU should now be on the list of those supposedly Catholic Universities that can no longer claim to be Catholic.
Mary Ann Petersen
Never went to LMU
Please make sure that those hired will keep to Catholic values. They are teaching our young people. We want our kids growing in the faith, not leaving the Church. I went to LMU briefly, but I want all Catholic colleges to be Catholic!
Praying for LMU. Sadly, I will no longer encourage my grandchildren to enroll. I did have a grand child enrolled previously and she shared that you were not as a whole embracing our Catholic Faith. You should not be calling yourself a Catholic College.
I have three family members who are LMU alums, and I’m sure they will be responding. What a let down to hear that a Catholic University has decided to go the way of so many others and abandon the Faith. I will be praying for Dr. Crabtree, as well as all others involved in her appointment.
This makes absolutely no sense and is deeply disappointing. Clearly it is time for President Burcham and his appointee to leave or to be removed. Obviously neither is capable of leading.
Identity as a Catholic University is compromised. Ex corde Ecclesiae should be followed.
This is very disappointing LMU, you are a Catholic University. I used to want my children to attend LMU and follow in my footsteps, but not with these kind of decisions.
It is not Catholic to hire an atheist at a Catholic University. Morality is the center of our faith. We believe in God. Two of our grandchildren are attending LMU. What happened to the beliefs of our faith when a Catholic University allows an atheist to lead. What will be Catholic in that environment. It is time to change the leadership to follow the values of our faith.
This is absurd . Loyola was founded by Catholics and it must NOT be allowed to stray from its origins An avowed atheist is NOT an appropriate choice for any teaching position in any school and especially NOT in a Catholic University. Please reconsider.
Robert E. Garon| Mar 7, 2015 at 9:30 am
It is time to pray. LMU is still a Catholic University but Satan and those who hate the Catholic Church have infiltrated the school. It is time to show greater faith in what God, his Angels and Saints and what God will do to defend the faith if we pray. Neither should we give up nor believe that God has given up on our efforts or those of our children. The time to act is now. God is greater than Satan and he listens to us if we truly believe. Be of good faith. Ask God to guide us and continue to pray. Believe in Jesus in this battle for the souls of the young. This is the Cross.
Yes, this incident very much concerned me. I also went to the graduation where Mr and Mrs Clinton were invited and he spoke. How could a Catholic University by association support such a Pro – Abortion persons (Late term abortions as well). I no longer make donations to the University as I do not consider it a “Catholic” university.
Congrats to LMU for joining an ever growing body of atheistic educational institutions of higher learning, which formerly was associated with the Roman Catholic Church. Oremus!
I am greatly saddened to hear about the appointment of Dr. Crabtree to the position of Dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts. A position over which, if I understand correctly, she will oversee the Department of Theology and the Bioethics committee among other responsibilities. I have reviewed the CV of Dr. Crabtree as well as the letter written by President. Burcham in explanation of the “logic” behind the decision to hire her. I have nowhere seen anywhere that she disavows or denounces her previous involvement with Planned Parenthood as well as supporting political candidates who are pro abortion. The sanctity of human life from conception isn’t one of those areas that is just “something we disagree about”. The absence of having to answer to God for our choices, decisions or policies would allow for any position in antithesis to basic Catholic faith to be justified. Further, her role will be to oversee the Department of Theology and affect future hires?
I have 8 years of Jesuit education having attended both Loyola High School as well as LMU. I have a passing understanding of critical thinking and seeing things from multiple perspectives but am dumbfounded how Dr. Crabtree will implement educational programs that will lead to “The Greater Glory of God” given her actions, activities and associations, not words, in the past. I have read President Burcham’s “Talking Points” and have found them lacking. I am greatly saddened indeed. I pray that the Regents of LMU take a deep breath and reflect upon the direction that my beloved Alma Mater is going.
My wife and I are and have been Presidential Associates of Loyola Marymount University for many years and donated to LMU, Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit School of Theology and Loyola High School since matriculating from LMU. I am saddened by what has been happening to my alma mater. I pray that LMU again find it’s way. Please.
I think we need to stop donations to the university. There are universities that can use our funding: Stubenville in Ohio, Ave Maria in Florida, and Thomas Aquinas in Southern Cal.
Donations need to decrease to LMU. When the institution becomes Catholic, then we can once again give.
Cristin
Class of 1988
As of last year, no monetary donation has/will be made to LMU until I am convinced the tide has truly turned. Dr. Burcham’s resignation was a start. Please continue prayers for LMU.
I am saddened to hear this especially since Dr. Crabtree came from Planned Parenthood. A Catholic school should be run by people who believe and support the Catholic faith. I originally wanted to attend this school but after this news I am going to look into a school that is truly Catholic.
Such an abominable decision is surely a dire sign of how far the moral decay of America has advanced. It is right in step with the secular society and its non-values. This woman might have stepped out of the Obama White House, from the description of her. And aside from the moral putridity of the people who hired her, someone posted above that it is doubtful that this she even holds the proper academic credentials to fill the post. But that seems to me less to the point than her being a professed atheist and disciple of Margaret Sanger. We are certainly entering an Age of Darkness. Brings to mind the Prophet Isaiah.
My son was accepted by this university as a freshman but when I heard about this news, I got so scared for him. We went for a campus tour last year and was very impressed at the school. Our son is graduating from a Catholic(Jesuit) high school and would want to send him to another Jesuit university for college but we changed our mind. So sad…
He’s attending another Jesuit university in the Bay Area. Thank God for that full scholarship offered to him. Even better than LMU’s merit grant.
“What good is if you gain the world…but lose your soul?” Your son is in danger.
I fear that LMU has lost its way and that it no longer much cares for its Catholic identity, the likes of which was waning even while I was there. To be Catholic as an institution need not mean that all persons in the institution are Catholic, but I would think that it would take seriously the faith of a person in this very high profile and public position. That it does not any longer take this matte seriously simply undergirds its blasé rejection of Catholicity, at least to being Catholic in any other sense than its feigned use of liberation theology and social justice (both of which are indeed Catholic when interpreted in line with a God) to nod toward its founding status. Unfortunately, LMU is becoming merely a place for those who don’t get into UCLA rather than place to grow, through, education, in faith, humility, and intellectual integrity. I feel for the good people who’ve been there for years and feel that their school is being stolen from under them.
What a shame. Los Angeles does not have an authentic Catholic university. Perhaps some day they will. I hope and pray Los Angeles will be more blessed.
St Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula has the Latin Mass every day. Students get accepted to Grad School at a 94% rate. 10% of their graduates go into the clergy of some type. That is where our kids, and our money, should go.
I am well aquainted with TAC, but it isn’t a university. Los Angeles is a huge place and should have a respectable Catholic university
LMU is a Catholic University. If a media-brandished “racist” with incredible talent and zeal were up for a Dean position, would he even be considered? If not, then why would someone with public beliefs directly anathema to the Catholic Church be considered? Is LMU scandalized or embarrassed by the teachings of the Catholic Church? Kind of like the way the people 2000 years ago were scandalized by Jesus Christ and his teachings? Does LMU have the malady of the prosperous, a type of lack of zeal and direction that Jesus Christ vigorously chastises in the Book of Revelation “… because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth”?
Let’s face it. America circa 2014 is a land where cowardice has crept its ugly head into our culture. We are afraid to speak the truth. Most crippling is the way we are afraid of being branded or vilified by the media-mouthpiece of pop-culture.It takes courage to stand up and proclaim the truth. I think that LMU lacks courage. Public belief and acceptance of the principles of abortion, atheism, contraception, and alternative lifestyles are tolerated in the characteristics of prospective LMU leaders. Bigotry and racism are not. All are unhealthy and evil. Why the double standard? Is it that LMU has succumbed to our culture, rather than LMU leading our culture?
Fritz Baumgartner,MD Class of ’79
Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery
UCLA School of Medicine
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
Los Alamitos, California
I am so saddened by the decision to hire Dr. Crabtree in a position of such important influence. I realize that our Church teaches that there is always Hope that such people will convert and repent. That is my desire for Dr. Crabtree.
However, perhaps it is necessary to look at the leadership within LMU that made this decision to hire. If this university is to claim to be Catholic and Jesuit in content, then it must defend our Catholic faith at all cost, especially in times of such persecution towards our beloved Church.
I know that I am just one small voice, but collectively, we speak loudly. My daughter decided to work towards her Masters in Theology and decided to go to Steubenville, of which I support wholeheartedly. I didn’t even ask her to look into the program at LMU because I am so disheartened by this appointment. I have two other college bound children and, as much as I love my alma mater, they too will not attend LMU unless perspectives change.
We must to continue in prayer at all time, on our knees, and in front of Our Lord in order to allow our God to have mercy on us, and make the changes needed to honor His Name. May God bless all LMU community, families, and friends.
LMU is a Catholic University and is obligated as such to teach, maintain and defend the traditional Catholic teachings. The leadership at LMU has violated the responsibility of doing so. To hire any person who is in direct opposition to the belief in God, Catholic doctrine and the protection of life from conception to natural death, and then expect that person to protect the same is either in agreement with this damaging philosophy or incredibly naive. My prayers are for all parties the involved, most especially for the students.
I am a College Counselor at Saint Patrick High School in Chicago and this decision is extremely disappointing. It is clear that LMU is in dire need of new leadership. We must continue to pray for LMU and their conversion back to the Faith.
The only way to impede the LMUs of the world is to stop funding the schools. Does it really make any sense to give money to ‘catholic’ institutions that don’t teach Catholic doctrines and ethics? Would the LMUs of the world have any problem with ‘academic freedom’ if a tenured professor made disparaging remarks or an action against the any of the Left’s sacred cows? Do you think leadership at Notre Dame, Fairfield, Georgetown, etc. are ever going to return to basic Catholic teaching in your children’s lifetime?
You must investigate and send your children and/or money to Catholic Universities; not the faux catholic universities, unfortunately, like LMU. If President Burcham’ and Fr Caro believe LMU are acting properly, let the Jesuits foot the bill.
Cynthia Kellerman | May 2, 2014 at 4:56 am
I am not a graduate of LMU. However, I did receive my undergraduate degree from another Jesuit University in 1984. It was interesting to hear President Burcham’s most recent commencement speech. He cited three principles that define what it means to be a member of LMU. He stated,”We are not a parish, seminary or convent, but we are a Catholic University. We will not be shackled by a call of orthodoxy.” Since I can only guess he is relating this to the issue of abortion, I wonder how he can justify loosening these so-called shackles against the Commandment, “Thou Shall Not Kill.” It is a slippery slope when intellectualism tries to rationalize God’s words. The University has chosen to satisfy embracing diversity at the expense of upholding the sanctity of life.
He went on to say later that students are prepared to graduate “intellectually minded and ethically accountable.” I think it is sad, unwise and irresponsible that those who hired Dr. Crabtree are the same role models young students refer to when being taught “ethical accountability”.
In today’s world that screams and demands diversity and tolerance, we have lost sight of what it means to defend Catholic doctrine. No dean, president or administrator will go this route because it will cause some uproar they don’t want to defend. Hello! This is a private school. A Catholic, private school.
I pray and look forward to the day when a Catholic University President remembers the fundamental reason of our Catholic faith is rooted in the Eucharist. Christ gave his life for us to live. To support the new Business Dean, who is pro-choice, denies Christ’s gift of the Eucharist to the innocent aborted children. It is a denial of Jesus’ gift.
During this Easter season, I pray for leaders at LMU to receive wisdom and the grace to change their decision.
On what evidence does Renew LMU draw in asserting Dean Crabtree self-describes as an atheist?
–RenewLMU had multiple sources of Dean Crabtree’s own recent statements. RenewLMU posted the information only after President Burcham announced the fact in a letter to members of the Board of Regents. Ed.
What a sad day when a catholic college doesn’t live up to it’s name. I am not a college graduate, but my catholic formation is the backbone of my life. My prayers are for all concerned.
This news is greatly disturbing and saddening. As one of three siblings who graduated from LMU, I am deeply disappointed in the direction and choices made by a university who claims to be ” catholic “. I recall back in the eighties, when I attended, there were ethics teachers who were not exactly aligned with church teachings.
It has been a slow and steady etching away at the catholic identity of the school. Today the only thing Catholic remaining is the name of St Loyola.
When my son applied to colleges, sadly, LMU was not a even a consideration. Today he is thriving at a truly Catholic college where he is being formed not only intellectually but spiritually, in the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church! It is our duty as parents to raise our children to make a difference in this world, but more importantly to help them attain heaven!
The school is no longer relevant to Catholics. It seems to me that the President has a mission to serve himself, or George Soros, or his funded “Catholic” groups on a mission to destroy our Church (think “Nuns on a bus”) not the institution he has been entrusted. What does that suggest about his character, his values or his interests and politics? And who is is the atheist serving? We shouldn’t be so naive that this is merely a drifting away from Church teaching. There is an all out subtle and not so subtle war on the Church and all Her institutions. How for example did we have a “Catholic” Kathleen Sebelius at one end of the spectrum leading Obamacare and the Little Sisters of the Poor at the other fighting for our faith in court against the government? Follow the money, the power and the influence. I suggest people pray and vote with their feet and check books. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula would be a good investment.
Agreed. The capture of Catholic Universities has been a stealthy accomplishment. When we as committed Catholics become aware of our great loss, the resultant experience is one of shock.
I’m speaking of the University of Notre Dame, Georgetown and the University of San Diego.
Yes, the first response after the sadness is dealt with, is to stop funding.
But, more importantly, prayer is essential.
Maybe a flood of letters to the President, Mr Burcham. Also, letters to Catholic High Schools in our immediate area, to inform their Seniors, that these Universities will not be furthering their relationship with Our Lord.
Mary Rose Garon
You should be ashamed to hire an atheist at a Catholic University. What will you answer to God when he asks you why you subjected ou vulnerable youth to his anti-God views.
This decision is hardly surprising. The Society of Jesus is in ruins and has been for
many years. The choice affirms their deliberate severance from the teachings of
Our Lord and embraces Mammon. I was fortunate to graduate and still remain
a practicing Catholic.
Peter Kern, LMU ’79
It may be beneficial to have discussions on campus (e.g. Sue Dunlap) on controversial subjects, but I can’t imagine any good reason to hire an athiest, Dr. Robbin Crabtree, to be Dean of Liberal Arts. Has everyone at LMU forgotten that the “M” is for Mary? Forgive me if I am too Catholic for you.
Nan Okum
LMU should lose the title of being a Catholic University—-it’s values are no longer Catholic and parents shouldn’t be fooled into thinking their children will graduate embracing the Catholic faith. It is a sad situation for a great institution to go secular like this—–This is not diversity——this is anti-Catholic
I’m a cradle Catholic and sincerely can not begin to understand, why Catholic University would even entertain such a candidate 🤦🏻♂️
Et tu, Brute?
Cancel this disgusting event with Planned Parenthood!
You are not a genuine Catholic university.
You have sold your soul for money.
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