CDU Blog

On November 5, 2016, CDU held our annual Gala in Arlington, Virginia celebrating an Academic convocation Mass for our graduates. The Founders Award, CDU's highest award, was presented to Mr. Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus and Archbishop William Lori, Supreme Chaplain of the Knights.

Archbishop Lori was the main celebrant of the Mass, concelebrated by CDU's host, Bishop Paul S. Loverde, Bishop of Arlington and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Papal Nuncio.

Blessed Sacrament Parish in Alexandria, Virginia was honored with the Bishop Thomas J. Welsh award. The evening was an intimate gathering of friends, alumni, graduates, diocesan partners, donors, faculty, staff, and board members who enjoyed a delightful dinner, cocktail reception, and silent auction.

Dr. Joseph Braddock who chairs the Board of Trustees' Futures Committee spoke about our commitment to launch a scholarship program for Mission Dioceses of which there are 90 and many of them without any Catholic higher education. Thanks to CDU's mission of using distance education, we are able to reach the peripheries of the Church and serve those without access to traditional Catholic higher education.

The Honorable Susan Malone, CDU board member, chaired the Gala and provided the beautiful silent auction with gifts ranging from retreats to beach vacations.

Mr. Carl Anderson, in his acceptance remarks noted that the Church needs a greater commitment to authentic Catholic education that forms the entire person at every academic level as critical to a strong Catholic identity. He commented, "CDU is visionary and very, very important for the future of our Catholic faith community. It is an educational project that understands the creative opportunities of our new technology but also understands that - even with this new technology - we need Catholic education that forms the entire person."

Please plan to join us November 4th, 2017 for this year's Gala.

CDU honors Supreme Knight Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus and Bishop Loverde, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees presents the Founder’s Award.

Graduates Dr. Angelo Giardino, Clarissa Hutchenson, Todd Coury, Dr. Araceli Carnazzo and Todd Mesler, Jr.

CDU president Marianne Mount enjoys the gala with her family.

Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Pierre engages CDU board member Barbara Murphy.

The Honorable Susan Malone presents the Bishop Welsh Parish Award to Father John Kelly, Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

“Showing mercy to those who have strayed can be life changing. Mercy overcomes every wall, every obstacle, and can instill new life and hope in others.”—Pope Francis

Catholic Distance University has served the incarcerated church since 1984 by offering paper-based courses that feed both the spirit and the intellect. CDU’s expertise in in-depth, on-demand distance education is a natural fit and has proven effective for prisoners.  A number of CDU’s incarcerated students have earned BA and MA degrees in Theology and Advanced Catechist Certificates. Many more have taken inspiring continuing education courses that have deepened their relationship with God and provided a new sense of purpose.

Many of CDU’s incarcerated students have used their education to evangelize fellow inmates, spreading the Word of God and knowledge of His great love to those imprisoned in an environment mired in hopelessness and despair.  Student Pierre O.  said, “CDU courses are a marvelous resource that provides me with the knowledge needed to serve the Lord to the best of my ability.”

Some inmates, like Paul J., simply wish to share what they have discovered with others. “I have enclosed $20 to help another prisoner access CDU courses,” he recently wrote.

CDU’s courses have helped inmates to become chaplains’ assistants who evangelize and minister to their fellow inmates when priests and chaplains are unavailable. In addition, many chaplains are not Catholic.

CDU offers a number of paper-based educational programs to incarcerated students. With opportunities ranging from continuing education to graduate-level study, there is an appropriate program or course for every inmate.

Do you know someone in need?  CDU offers four non-credit continuing education courses in paper format because most prisons do not allow internet access.  For only the cost of postage ($10), prisoners will find new joy and truth through The Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Ten Commandments Part I & II, Christian Prayer and The Profession of Faith.  For course information, contact Marguerite at btrainor@cdu.edu or click here to visit our website.

Due to the rapid growth of the incarcerated population, CDU will be expanding its prison ministry program to give support and hope to the underserved.  Please help us pray for incarcerated souls and contact ahager@cdu.edu if the Holy Spirit moves you to support this program.

“If I can be forgiven, then no one is beyond forgiveness.” ---Clayton F., former death row inmate and CDU graduate

The achievement of one of CDU’s deceased incarcerated students is chronicled in a book titled A Different Kind of Cell: The Story of a Murderer Who Became a Monk, available from Amazon.

Catholic Distance University (CDU) is pleased to announce three new apologetics seminars are being offered in 2017:

1. Making The Case For Christ
2. How Are We Saved?
3. Why Do We Need The Church?

These 3-week-long online seminars are accessible from anywhere in the world and are being taught by Professor Steven Hemler, president of the Catholic Apologetics Institute of North America (CAINA) and author of The Reality of God: The Layman's Guide to Scientific Evidence for the Creator. These new apologetics seminars will strengthen your faith and equip you to better explain and share with family and friends why Catholics believe what we do about Jesus, salvation, and the Church.

Given our increasingly secular society and the atheistic worldview often promoted today, the need to strengthen the faith of Catholics and equip the faithful to better explain and share the Faith has never been greater. This need is especially evident in the large number of young people who are leaving the Catholic Faith, especially during and after college.

As New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan declared, “We have failed to equip our young people and ourselves with the art of credibly, convincingly, and compellingly defending and presenting our beloved Faith. Apologetics prepares us to survive a rational criticism of our Faith that is all over the place today. We need it more than ever.”

All three apologetics seminars being offered in 2017 are available at a special package price of only $299 total. The tuition may even be as low as $30 per seminar if you live in a diocese that is a CDU subsidy partner.  Encourage your diocese or parish to become a partner and share joy through the truth. Enroll today!

Making the Case for Christ (February 6–27, 2017)

Week 1: Was Jesus a Real Historical Person?

Week 2: Is Jesus Truly God?

Week 3: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

How Are We Saved? (March 13–April 3, 2017)

Week 1: Do Near-Death Experiences Reveal the Reality of Heaven and an Afterlife?

Week 2: Why Were Christ’s Passion and Death Needed for Our Salvation?

Week 3: How Do We Accept God’s Gift of Salvation?

Why Do We Need The Church? (July 3–24, 2017)

Week 1: Why Does the Church Still Matter Today?

Week 2: Why Are the Sacraments Important?

Week 3: Why Go to Mass?

Dig deeper into the Sunday Readings – CDU has just the right size of course on each of the Gospels to stimulate an expanded appreciation for the life and teachings Jesus shares with us through His Sacred Word.  Why not invite a friend to study with you one of the on-demand, digital Gospel courses: that of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, or St. John! To get started, review the courses here:

The Gospel of St. Matthew 

The Gospel of St. Mark

The Gospel of St. Luke

The Gospel of St. John

Then register  at https://cdu.catalog.instructure.com/ and enjoy the course at your convenience.  Be ready for the transforming power of the Holy Spirit!

Review our vast collection of courses and be amazed. 

“The professor shared an amazing amount of information, videos, scientific facts and theological and philosophical evidence in the class 'Proof of God’s Existence'. I have been blessed by having taken this course.“ – Elaine, continuing education student

Did you know that if your diocese is a CDU partner, your non-credit continuing education classes are only $30? Please urge your diocese to become a CDU continuing education partner and share the joy of the truth with your whole diocese.