The Center for Catholic Thought, Ethics, and Culture (CCTEC) was founded at Sacred Heart University in 2002 to advance the understanding of Catholicism's rich cultural and intellectual heritage and its important role in contemporary society.

CCTEC operates in four main areas:

• oversees a Certificate in Catholic Studies for undergraduate students
• administers a scholarship program for students to learn and practice Catholic social thought
• supports faculty in developing courses in Catholic Studies
• sponsors lectures and events for the local community

CCTEC promotes the study and critical development of the Catholic intellectual tradition. The Catholic intellectual tradition comprises Catholic beliefs and concepts as these can be found not only in theology and religious life, but in multiple cultural expressions throughout the centuries. Typical characteristics and abiding interests of this tradition include…

• affirmation of a gracious God;
• a sacramental, incarnational worldview;
• a corresponding understanding of the human person;
• searching for continuity between faith and reason;
• ethical and political theory that promote the common good;
• promotion of a public Church, and an interest in its institutional structure;
• a vast collection of artists, writers, educators, philosophers, and scientists through the centuries who embody these characteristics in their work.