Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. Villanova prepares students to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.


The strength of the Villanova experience comes in part from the University’s welcoming community. All members are bonded together by a shared responsibility to uphold the ideals of Saint Augustine and let the principles of truth, unity and love guide their lives. The Villanova community helps students grow intellectually, professionally and spiritually, and challenges them to reach their full potential.


The University’s rigorous academic experience, rooted in the liberal arts, forms an environment in which students and professors are partners in learning. The Villanova community is dedicated to providing a personalized experience that fosters every student’s intellectual and spiritual well-being. As part of their education, students are encouraged to enrich their own lives by working for those in need. Through academic and service programs, students use their knowledge, skills and compassion to better the world around them.


There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. These colleges are the setting for an experience that develops both the heart and the mind, and creates the atmosphere where students are called to ignite change.


Villanova University is located in a suburban community 12 miles west of Philadelphia, Pa.

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Second Place – Religion News Association Award for Commentary

Finalist – Religion News Association Award for Commentary

American Sociological Association : Member, 1999-Present

Sociology of Religion Section : Council Member, 2021-2024; Chair-elect, 2025-2026

Association for the Sociology of Religion : Member 2000-Present, Secretary 2019-2022	

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Black Catholic Theological Symposium

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 Journal of Catholic Social Thought : Editor, 2022-Present

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Black and Catholic: Racism, Identity, and Religion

Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD is special assistant to the Vice President and Director of Mission Engagement and Strategic Initiatives in the Office for Mission and Ministry, assistant professor of Sociology, and editor of the Journal of Catholic Social Thought at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. A sociologist of religion by training, Dr. Pratt received her PhD in Sociology from Fordham University in 2010.  Dr. Pratt’s first book, "Black and Catholic: Racism, Identity, and Religion" was published in September 2025 by University of Notre Dame Press.

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Special Assistant to the VP and Director of Mission Engagement and Strategic Initiatives/Assistant Professor of Sociology

Dr Tia Noelle Pratt’s new book, “Black and Catholic: Racism, Identity, and Religion”

The Venerable Mother Mary Lange is one of seven American Catholics of African descent on the path to canonization. She was the chief founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence —the first permanent congregation for women of color—established in 1829 in Baltimore. The order, in turn, founded St. Frances Academy, the oldest continuously operating school for Black Catholic children in the United States. Villanova was one of the first Catholic institutions of higher education to welcome Black women religious, most notably the Oblate Sisters of Providence, after World War I.

Now in its fifth year, the lecture—which is the signature event for Black Catholic History Month—will feature Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD, special assistant to the vice president and director of mission engagement and strategic initiatives for the Office for Mission and Ministry, and assistant professor of Sociology at Villanova University, as keynote speaker.

Mother Mary Lange Lecture in Black Catholic Studies

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