Minister sitting in a pew chatting with a group of students

Faith & Service

In This Section

What is your purpose? How do you balance personal ambition with service to others? When should you lead, and when should you follow? How do you strengthen your faith as you honor the beliefs of others? You won’t answer these types of questions at Carroll—they are questions for life—but exploring them will be a foundation of your Carroll journey. 

hero background

Carroll College is meant to be a beacon to the Church in the Northwest.

Saint John Paul II

Our motto: Non scholae sed vitae 

Translated from the Latin: “Not for school, but for life.”

More than a slogan, these are words we live by. They inform how we learn, teach, and live. Here’s how they will be part of your Carroll experience:

  • Not for school. You’ll understand that real worth isn’t measured by a grade, an award, or a degree. What matters is the truth you pursue, the virtue you exhibit, and the difference you make. 
  • For life. Just as your education didn’t begin at Carroll, neither will it end here. Our faculty will challenge you to learn more than facts and figures, skills and information. You’ll learn to ask questions—important, meaningful life questions—of yourself and others. You’ll experience the thrill of discovering new knowledge and the humility of knowing there will always be more to learn.

Yes, we will celebrate your academic achievements. We will take pride in your successes after Carroll. Because we’ll know that you will never stop questioning, striving, growing. That your Carroll adventure is not for school, but for life. 

Non scholae sed vitae.    

Our Diocesan Tradition

Student and reverend smiling with their heads touching

Since our founding by the Diocese of Helena, Carroll has focused on service to the parishes in the diocese and to the broader community of Helena and Montana. Our graduates—those who remain in the area and those who move elsewhere—continue their service, evidence of our motto in action: service not for school, but for life.

Night service at All Saints Chapel
Night service at All Saints Chapel