Veteran philosophy professor at the University of Notre Dame converts to Catholicism

David Solomon, a long-time philosophy professor at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, entered fully into communion with the Catholic Church, according to a former student who wrote for the Catholic media. Word on Fire.

Solomon, who came to college in 1968, entered the Catholic Church earlier this year as Christopher Kaczor of Word on Firedescribed it as “the culmination of a lifetime of study (and) a comfort to his many friends,” as well as “a deepening bond with his wonderful wife, Lou,” who also converted to Catholicism at the same time.

In a conference Several years ago, Solomon expressed that when he started college he was “not only not Catholic,” but also “as innocent of any real understanding of Catholicism as you could be.”

“My view of everything related to Catholicism, as it was, arose from a combination of ignorance and prejudice in equal measure,” he maintained.

The philosophy professor retired in 2016 and holds the title of professor emeritus at the university. At the time of his retirement, Notre Dame law professor Rick Garnett wrote that it was “impossible to overstate the importance of (his) contributions not only to the training and education of thousands of Notre Dame students, but also to the Catholic character and mission of the university.”

Solomon was the founding director of what is now the De Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture of the university, which on its website states that it is “committed to sharing the richness of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition through teaching, research and public engagement at the highest level and in a variety of disciplines.”

Notre Dame history professor Father Bill Miscamble indicated after retirement of Solomon that, throughout his tenure at Notre Dame, “few (professors) have been as effective at both the undergraduate and graduate levels as David Solomon.”

“As an undergraduate professor at Notre Dame, David Solomon aimed to equip his students to confront the range of divisive moral issues that confront them,” Miscamble wrote.

“He helped students reflect seriously on the very nature and purpose of morality and prepared them to discern well how they should act in light of the profound challenges of our time,” he added.

Kaczor, who is a visiting scholar at the De Nicola Center and professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University, studied under Solomon as a graduate student. He wrote in Word on Fire last month that “Solomon’s great kindness to me and others was the best lesson he could give us about the meaning of ethics.”

“I often think of his example as I try to mentor young students and teachers. And now, Solomon has given us yet another lesson with his powerful example: take the next step that God gives us,” he concluded.

Translated and adapted by ACI Prensa. Originally published in CNA.