Financial Literacy Without the Fear of God: A Catholic Bootcamp Built on Sand
The National Catholic Register reports on Mark Harrington, a former investment banker and FOCUS missionary, who created a “Finance Bootcamp” for graduating seniors at the University of Colorado Boulder’s St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center. The three-hour workshop covers budgeting, debt strategy, 401(k)s, and tithing, aiming to alleviate Gen Z’s financial anxiety and empower them to give generously. Harrington, now developing a platform called Pilgrim Finance, argues that “financial formation is a precondition for vocational freedom.” While the initiative addresses a real-world need, its entire framework is built on the shifting sands of naturalistic humanism, conspicuously devoid of the supernatural principles that must govern every aspect of a Catholic’s life, especially the stewardship of material goods.

