For the past 25 years, Catholic Studies has been home to the Guadalupe’s Scholars Program where faithful student leaders are invited to engage the Catholic intellectual tradition in the context of the growing Hispanic Church in America.
Beginning with just one student in 2000, there are now 49 Guadalupe’s Scholars in this program built upon four pillars: rigorous academics, strong community, faith formation, and servant leadership.
Guadalupe’s Scholars was born when Drs. Michael Naughton and Bill Cavanaugh were establishing a Catholic Worker House at a local Latino parish. As the project unfolded, parishioners shared that the most pressing need for the community was scholarships to make higher education possible for their children. Naughton and Cavanaugh channeled their efforts to create a scholarship fund for students at the University of St. Thomas.
Throughout the program’s tremendous growth, the purpose has remained the same: to ensure that each recipient engages in a transformative educational experience, one that develops in them the ability to recognize and pursue what is true, good, and beautiful.
Guadalupe’s Scholars receive personal accompaniment throughout their four years of university life; meet monthly to celebrate a bilingual Mass and share a meal; and serve the local Hispanic community by helping with youth ministry, leading a college immersion program for high school students, or participating in Bible studies on campus.
What began as a scholarship that paved the way to St. Thomas has become an integral part of the Catholic Studies movement. The goal is that, by 2030, 75 Guadalupe’s Scholars will participate in this transformative educational and spiritual formation experience while preparing for professional lives of service.
This story is featured in the fall 2025 issue of Lumen.
