This article uses the work of Anthony J. Gittins to reframe our understanding of Catholic higher education as mission. The broad adoption of this framework would require a common intellectual foundation, the possibility of which is dismissed by many. An accessible ontology is implied, however, in the existential analysis and theology of Karl Rahner. Indeed, Rahner's work can undergrid a robust conceptual framework that would serve Catholic colleges and universities well. This article describes the framework and examines certain implications that would follow for faculty, administrators, trustees, and the donor community. (Contains 1 figure and 127 footnotes.)