Belfast’s “Catholic” College: 125 Years of Apostate Formation
The EWTN News portal (December 29, 2025) celebrates St. Mary’s University College’s 125th anniversary, praising its role as Northern Ireland’s “only Catholic higher education institution” that trains teachers for “every Catholic school” in the region. Principal Peter Finn boasts of an identity rooted in “faith and service” and “Gospel values,” while the article highlights alumni like Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney and New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth. Governing body chairman Alan McGuckian (presented as “Bishop of Down and Connor”) and the college’s partnership with Queen’s University Belfast are emphasized as marks of legitimacy.