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How to sympathize
We don’t have to go far to find suffering. In fact, with so much violence and division confronting us from every media-saturated angle, sometimes it can feel difficult to focus on anything else. We know by faith that vitriol and darkness will not have the last word – that Love alone endures. But it can still seem overwhelming to face the immediate reality of our fallen world. It’s made me look again at the Cross. And in a way, it’s made me wonder anew about sympathy.
By one definition, sympathy is a kind of kinship, a fellow-feeling that arises from likeness. In this sense we might talk about sympathetic minds, or people being in sympathy with each other when their views, feelings, or understandings align. We can invite it, certainly, in deepening our capacity to recognize what we share with others, but this kind of sympathy isn’t really something we can make ourselves experience. It’s a natural response to affinity. We resonate with those who share our attitudes and beliefs, deriving strength and support from the communities we build together.
In its more familiar sense, however, sympathy is also a kind of “suffering with.” And while this often springs up innately, as when we contemplate the pain of someone we love, this particular definition does suggest a kind of charity we can choose, even without a natural impulse to kinship.
With the Greek word “pathos,” feeling and suffering are bound up in the same root. But to accompany someone else in suffering, to “suffer with” does not necessitate that we feel what they are feeling. (For that, we have the related word “empathy.”) Nor does sympathy require that the sufferer be blameless. Without denying the reality of evil, we can still exercise sympathy by remembering that sin and darkness do the greatest harm to those who perpetuate them.
No matter who or where we are, we remain connected to each other by our life in Christ. Through Him, no offering or prayer is ever in vain, even if we cannot see its fruit. In a supernatural sense, choosing to suffer with another person – to accompany their suffering in prayer or sacrifice, even where concrete gestures are impossible – participates by the grace of God in the sufferings of Christ Himself, Who took on the weight of all human sin, guilt, and pain, and Who accompanies us throughout our lives in our every private sorrow.
The deepest aim of sympathy is to see in another human face the face of Christ and to love it: to place ourselves along the Way of the Cross as Veronica or the Blessed Mother did. This weekend, let’s each try to remember someone who’s suffering – maybe someone for whom we struggle to find a sense of kinship. And in doing so, let’s renew our hope in God, Who transformed a sign of infamy and death, the Cross of Christ, into the sign of our salvation.
Belmont Abbey College Named #2 in Undergraduate Teaching in Region by U.S. News & World Report
Belmont Abbey College Named #2 in Undergraduate Teaching in Region by U.S. News & World Report
Belmont, N.C. (September 23, 2025) – Belmont Abbey College earns national recognition for academic excellence, securing the No. 2 spot for Best Undergraduate Teaching among Regional Colleges in the South in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings—for the second year in a row. The college also rose ten places to No. 12 in the Regional Colleges–South category, placing the college in the top 10 percent, affirming its continued growth and impact in the region.
These achievements coincide with a period of remarkable growth at the College, as Belmont Abbey celebrates its largest total enrollment in history and welcomes its second-largest incoming class. This growth underscores Belmont Abbey’s reputation as one of the top-ranked independent colleges in North Carolina.
The Best Undergraduate Teaching ranking highlights institutions where faculty and administrators are especially committed to high-quality undergraduate education. This recognition is based on a peer assessment survey in which college presidents, provosts, and admissions deans nominate up to 15 schools within their category that they believe are making exceptional efforts in undergraduate teaching.
“Our faculty do more than teach—they guide and support our students, helping to form them into individuals who will be a blessing to themselves and to the world around them,” said Interim President Dr. Joseph Wysocki. “Much of our recent growth aligns with the expansion of our academic offerings—now more than 30 majors and 50 minors—designed to meet the evolving needs of our community and the region.”
Belmont Abbey College added to its accolades by claiming the No. 15 spot in Best Value Schools for Regional Colleges–South and also achieved a Peer Assessment Rank of No. 4, reflecting strong recognition from academic peers.
Belmont Abbey College is also recognized as an authentically Catholic institution by The Cardinal Newman Society, a distinction that highlights the college’s unwavering commitment to providing a faithful, Catholic education. Rooted in the Benedictine tradition, Belmont Abbey fosters intellectual and spiritual growth, forming students not only for academic success but also for lives of virtue and purpose.
The college also continues to see significant growth in its Premier Scholarships, with programs like the Honors College, the Hintemeyer Catholic Leadership Scholarship, the St. Thomas More Civic Integrity Scholarship, and the Fr. Oetgen Theatre and Dance Scholarship. These programs also emphasize the development of the whole person, ensuring students are not only equipped for a successful career but also for a joyful life.
These rankings reflect Belmont Abbey’s enduring commitment to academic quality, student support, and holistic formation. As a Catholic, Benedictine institution, the college strives to educate students in mind, body, and soul, preparing them not only for successful careers but for lives of meaning and purpose.
For more information about Belmont Abbey College and its programs, visit www.belmontabbeycollege.edu.
About Belmont Abbey College: Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic baccalaureate and liberal arts institution. Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. Guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others. Our beautiful and historic campus is conveniently located just 10 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., and is currently home to more than 1500 students. For more information, visit belmontabbeycollege.edu.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah Bolton
P: 704-461-7016 E: sarahbolton@bac.edu
Belmont Abbey College Magazine 2025
Read our latest edition of the Belmont Abbey College Magazine.
Inside Supreme Court Advocacy with John Bursch
Dr. Tom Varaicalli of the Honor’s College talks with ADF’s John Bursch about preparing for high-stakes cases, the cultural and legal battles around life and gender policy, and the Constitution’s protection of religious exercise. They also discuss public opinion, tech and AI concerns, and the daily prayer habits that sustain a lawyer’s work.
