Saint Mary's students voice concern over actions that may go against Catholic faith

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Alumnae expressed complaints in a letter addressed to Saint Mary's President Katie Conboy and the college's board of trustees.

Their reasoning for the letter is rooted in concerns that recent actions by the school go against Saint Mary's Catholic faith like the policy that was eventually rolled back permitting transgender women to enroll.

In the letter, the top five initiatives are:

Commitment to the Catholic faith, saying that all Saint Mary's College students be mandated to take at least one basic course on Catholicism.

They cite issues with accountability, and a lack of proactive communication, saying all significant policy changes need to be discussed prior to implementation.

Classes that oppose the church's teachings shall not be permitted, and speakers need to be vetted before coming on campus, specifically by a Catholic council.

Lastly, the Loretto Trust has been formed which is where people can donate to help restore Saint Mary's Catholic values instead of donating to the school.

Maci Gunell, a sophomore at Saint Mary's says this letter has been in the works for a while.

“This is a Catholic school, a Catholic women's institution, they should put woman first, they should put Catholicism first and everything down to the classes being offered and the lectures and the guest speakers they should bring, are all in complete contradiction to everything they should be standing for," said Gunell.

Saint Mary’s did release a statement saying “Saint Mary's has a 180-year legacy as a Catholic women's college, and we are moving forward into the future not only distinguished by, but embodying, this mission. We remain committed to teaching women who go on to live the tenets of the Catholic faith: love, charity, compassion, generosity and service in all that they do.”