Southern Catholic College (SCC) in Dawsonville, Georgia, announced today, July 16, it has reached an agreement with the Legion of Christ to make the college a Legion institution.

“Together, Southern Catholic and the Legion have the potential to do great work towards the renewal of Catholic higher education in the United States,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. The college is one of 20 U.S. institutions recommended in the Society’s Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.

“This is a great step for Southern Catholic and, we hope, for Catholic higher education in North America,” said Jeremiah Ashcroft, Southern Catholic’s President. “With the Legion’s experience and leadership, we’ll be able to attract students from across North America and develop programs with institutions around the world. This expanded reach and support greatly enhances our ability to achieve our mission to prepare moral and ethical leaders who will enlighten society and glorify God.”

Father Scott Reilly, L.C., Territorial Director for Legion, said, “We want to build on the great reputation SCC has established. There will be considerable sharing of best practices with our existing institutions. I expect that SCC will experience significant growth in the years ahead, as we can expand the availability of Catholic higher education to students from across North America.”

The Legion of Christ is a religious congregation of Pontifical right, founded in 1941. Its mission is to extend the Kingdom of Christ in society according to the requirements of Christian justice and charity. The congregation operates in 22 countries and has 800 priests and more than 2600 seminarians worldwide. The Legion operates 15 universities, 50 institutes of higher education and 176 schools.

Southern Catholic College, founded in 2000, is a liberal arts college dedicated to the Catholic intellectual and moral tradition. Of SCC, The Newman Guide says, “The formula here is simple and yet rather uncommon among many Catholic colleges today: Be faithful to the Church and its teachings, and immerse young men and women in the great Catholic intellectual tradition. This is a winning formula, and there is every reason to believe it will prosper in the years ahead.”