A student newspaper at a prominent Catholic university has published survey results showing a significant increase in students identifying as LGBT over the past three years. The findings have sparked intense debate among faculty, administrators, alumni, and donors about the university’s Catholic identity and its pastoral approach to students who experience same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria.
The survey, conducting by the newspaper’s investigative team and drawing responses from over two thousand undergraduates, found that the share of students identifying as LGBT has nearly doubled since 2022. Sociologists note that the findings are consistent with broader national trends among college-aged adults, though the rate of increase at Catholic institutions appears sharper than at secular peers.
Campus ministry leaders say they are committed to accompanying all students while remaining faithful to Church teaching, a balance they acknowledge is difficult to strike in the current cultural climate. The university’s president issued a statement emphasizing the institution’s commitment to both truth and compassion.
Our mission has always been to form the whole person. That mission does not change based on survey results.
Several faculty members have called for revised pastoral policies, while a group of alumni donors has written to the board of trustees urging the university to reaffirm its commitment to the Church’s teaching on human sexuality without qualification. The board has acknowledged receiving the letter and said it will be discussed at the next regular meeting.
The university has not indicated whether it will make any policy changes in response to the survey. A spokesperson said the administration is in ongoing dialogue with campus ministry, student affairs, and the local bishop’s office to ensure that the university’s pastoral approach is coherent and consistent with its Catholic mission.
