I have written this paper in response to a request for a bishop's perspective of Catholic higher education in the United States in the 21st century. My response contains four parts: (1) What is the nature and the purpose of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States at this point in our history? (2) What is a Catholic university in this country? (3) Who is responsible for our Catholic Universities? and (4) What challenges do Catholic universities in this country face in the twenty-first century?