Since Catholics are the largest self-identified religious group at Princeton University, it is important to offer a strong, vibrant Catholic presence on campus. To this end, the Aquinas Institute helps students grow closer to God (through Mass, Confession, and OCIA), build community with other Catholics (through Bible study groups, seminars and lectures, and service activities), and influence the broader culture (through evangelization and public-facing academic projects).
Sebastian Hayden is a graduate of Princeton University, where he earned his A.B. in Philosophy in May 2024, as well as certificates in Hellenic Studies, Humanistic Studies, and Medieval Studies. His discovery of the Aquinas Institute at the end of his freshman year would be deeply formative in terms of his personal, spiritual, and professional trajectories.
Sebastian recalls, “A friend from my dorm invited me to attend Mass in the University Chapel, one of the first Masses celebrated in the Chapel as Princeton began to loosen its Covid restrictions. I had no idea that Mass was ordinarily celebrated six days out of the week on Princeton’s campus, and in a space as grand as the Chapel, no less. This was one of many factors that inspired me at the beginning of my sophomore year to register for RCIA classes at Aquinas to prepare for Confirmation the following spring.”
The liturgical living, intellectual formation, and social spaces offered by Aquinas became a model for Sebastian of the unity of life that is so important for Christians: “I regularly attended the Aquinas Sunday and daily Masses, went to seminars, lectures, and social events, and led a Bible study and was part of the ministry team. I came to appreciate that the spiritual, intellectual, and recreational did not have to be totally distinct areas of my life. This was a guiding light as I strove to integrate my Princeton education as a whole with the cultivation of my interior life.”
Sebastian sees Aquinas’s permanent home in the heart of Princeton as a powerful sign of its commitment to serving the University by offering a convenient location for students to find authentic community and opportunities for formation grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition: “Through the acquisition of the Nassau Street building, I understood Aquinas to be staking a bold claim on the view that Catholic life really does belong on Princeton’s campus.”
Sebastian’s involvement with Aquinas introduced him to the Witherspoon Institute – an independent center which seeks to renew culture by fostering the intellectual and moral formation of the human person – where he has continued to serve after graduation. As Witherspoon’s Academic Programs Assistant, Sebastian has coordinated seminars, convened a weekly philosophy reading group, and led cultural excursions to New York City for Princeton students. He also served as a Program Assistant for “Philosophy, Religion, and Existential Commitments in Society,” a program in Princeton’s philosophy department. This work will be invaluable as Sebastian prepares for doctoral study in the fall. His story bears witness to Aquinas’ mission to nourish students’ minds while also meeting their sacramental and pastoral needs, inviting all to become missionary disciples of Christ in the world that awaits them after Princeton.