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Catholics in TPUSA
Executive summary
Turning Point USA (TPUSA) runs an explicit “TPUSA Faith” arm that organizes pastors’ summits, church outreach, and faith-focused events aimed at mobilizing conservative Christians; TPUSA describes this as uniting churches to “defend biblical values” and “eliminate wokeism” [1]. Reporting and TPUSA materials show the organization actively courts clergy across denominations—TPUSA Faith hosted pastors’ summits and thanks Catholic attendees—while at least one Catholic college rejected a campus TPUSA chapter citing conflicts over TPUSA’s rhetoric on LGBTQ+ issues [2] [3] [4].
1. TPUSA Faith: a program designed to mobilize churches
TPUSA markets “TPUSA Faith” as a program to “engage, equip, and empower” Christians and faith leaders, explicitly linking religious messaging to civic and cultural activism; its promotional site and membership pages state the goal is to connect faith with “freedom” and to remove “wokeism” from pulpits [1] [5]. TPUSA-run events and recurring “pastors’ summit” programming are presented as tools to train and network clergy for cultural engagement [2] [6].
2. Events and outreach — scale and activities
TPUSA maintains an events calendar that includes Faith-branded gatherings and national tours, and TPUSA Faith advertises national faith events and monthly series intended to “unite millions of Christians” in civic action [7] [8] [5]. The organization runs ticketed conferences with standard registration policies (e.g., nonrefundable hotel/processing fees and cancellation windows shown for Faith events) which underline a formal, organized effort rather than ad-hoc outreach [9].
3. Explicit appeals to Catholics — invitations and acknowledgements
TPUSA materials and reporting indicate TPUSA Faith reaches across denominational lines: TPUSA Faith leaders have publicly thanked Catholic attendees at pastors’ gatherings, and partner/church pages tout alignment with TPUSA Faith’s mission to restore “traditional American values,” signaling an active effort to recruit and acknowledge Catholic participation [3] [10]. TPUSA’s messaging frames participation as defending “biblical truth” and constitutional freedoms [1].
4. Points of friction with Catholic institutions and leaders
Not all Catholic institutions accept TPUSA’s outreach. Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame, Indiana) denied a student application to form a TPUSA chapter, explicitly citing TPUSA’s rhetoric on LGBTQ+ issues and TPUSA’s statement that “there are only two genders,” which the college said did not align with its values [4]. This instance shows institutional Catholic resistance based on perceived conflicts between TPUSA’s stances and the college’s standards.
5. Competing perspectives within Catholic contexts
Available sources show competing dynamics: TPUSA presents itself as offering pastoral resources and a national network of churches eager to push back against “wokeism” [1] [5], while at least some Catholic educational authorities reject formal TPUSA chapters because of TPUSA’s positions on LGBTQ+ matters [4]. Reporting on TPUSA’s Pastors Summit also shows TPUSA leaders thanking Catholic attendees, suggesting individual Catholic clergy may be receptive even as institutions push back [3] [2].
6. Hidden or implicit agendas to note
TPUSA frames TPUSA Faith as defending religious liberty and biblical doctrine while tying faith into political mobilization—language such as “defend our God-given rights” and “win America's culture war” appears in TPUSA messaging and event materials [1] [7]. That framing signals an explicitly political agenda packaged as pastoral support, which can attract clergy interested in cultural advocacy and repel institutions prioritizing different pastoral or academic values [1] [7].
7. What the current reporting does not show
Available sources do not detail the full extent of Catholic diocesan-level endorsements or rejections of TPUSA Faith beyond the Saint Mary’s example; they do not catalog how many individual Catholic parishes or priests formally affiliate with TPUSA Faith, nor provide a systematic survey of Catholic laity attitudes toward TPUSA (not found in current reporting). Sources also do not provide internal Catholic Church statements responding broadly to TPUSA Faith beyond local examples (not found in current reporting).
8. What to watch next
Look for diocesan statements, campus policies at Catholic colleges, and lists of partner churches to gauge institutional acceptance; watch TPUSA Faith event attendee lists and post-event recaps for named Catholic clergy participation and any formal endorsements [2] [11]. Also monitor further campus chapter applications and denials similar to Saint Mary’s for patterns showing whether resistance is isolated or widespread [4].
Coverage limitations: this analysis uses TPUSA’s own promotional sites and a small set of articles that report specific events and a campus denial; broader empirical data on Catholic engagement with TPUSA Faith is not present in the available sources [1] [4] [3].