Cassidy Rydell wrote a piece over at The Odyssey about which households Disney princesses would fit into if they went to Franciscan University of Steubenville. It was a great piece and my FUS friends and I were all tickled. But we’re so old that we didn’t know some of the households she referenced! So here’s my re-imagining of where Disney princesses would fit in if they went to FUS with the stipulations that the households still be in existence and also ones from my time there (pre-2009).
Belle
Rosa Mystica, mystical rose- the enchanted rose Beast kept hidden away, anyone? Not only is there this connection, but Rosa Mystica’s covenant says, “As we strive to live in the continuation of the Paschal Mystery with these two beloved women of faith [the Blessed Mother and St. Mary Magdalene], we seek to cultivate the gardens of our souls with the seeds of redemptive suffering, unfeigned hope, contemplative prayer, liberating self- knowledge, authentic femininity and jubilant thanksgiving for the triumph of the Resurrection.”
Her major, I think pretty obviously, would be English Literature.
Snow White
The Evil Queen wanted Snow White dead because she was more beautiful than her; it was a jealousy thing. In that way, I think Snow would have a particular devotion to the Theotokos, the fairest of them all. Plus, the Theotokos covenant says, “We are consecrated to Jesus through Mary so that Theotokos, the mother of God, God-Bearer will nourish us and make us God-Bearers in the sense that the light of the living God within us will shine brightly from our hearts and we will be a witness to all we come in contact with to the Greatness and Glory of God by our imitation of our beloved Mother.” Snow White is so fair that her beauty *must* be her face radiating Divine Love!
Like Cassidy in the original article, I think Snow would be a Nursing major because she liked taking care of all people (not just the dwarves!).
Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)
This line from the Daughters of Jerusalem covenant pretty much sums up the whole story of Sleeping Beauty: “We look to the Biblical Daughters of Jerusalem as examples of a threefold mission in living out our womanly vocation: to search for our Lover, to embrace Him, and to intercede for others. Like the Daughters of Jerusalem in the Old Testament who anticipate Christ the Messiah, we search for Christ our Lover. We especially imitate the Daughters of Jerusalem in Song of Songs who are constantly seeking their Beloved, by always looking to Christ for acceptance, guidance, and provision throughout our whole lives.” When she and Prince Phillip first meet and sing to each other, it’s a pretty good representation of Christ meeting and wooing us.
I think Aurora would be a Humanities and Catholic Culture major, as she would want to know as much as possible about the culture and how to interact with it as possible, to be a good ruler. Especially since she missed so much being brought up away from the castle and kingdom!
Ariel
Ariel made a lot of missteps on her path of living out the life she knew she was called to live, and so, I think she’d have an innate understanding of the sacrifice that comes with love and would want to devote herself to living this out more fully. In this way, she’d be a perfect fit for Sacrifice of Love. Their covenant says, “I, commit myself to be a member of Sacrifice Of Love. I want to strive to live a life of submission to the will of God and acceptance of all that He chooses to give me. Just as Christ loved me so greatly that He made the ultimate sacrifice of His own life, so I too want to sacrifice my needs and desires for Christ and others.”
Again like Cassidy, I think Ariel would be an Anthropology major since she is so fascinated by the human world.
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was very in touch with the spirit living in everything and living harmoniously with the world at large. Daughters of Zion have a particular focus on the Spirit of God and I think Pocahontas would be drawn to them. Their covenant reads, “As the Daughters of Zion, we know that Christ has anointed us with His Spirit. God will use us to bring His merciful love to all who do not see themselves in the light, freedom, and grace of God. He has sent us to help heal the broken. With this same Spirit and through the intercession of the first Daughter of Zion, Mary our Mother, we will proclaim Christ’s freedom to all who do not know Him and are bound to their sins.”
I think Pocahontas would be a Philosophy major because she’s very interested in questions like What is truth?, How can a person be both matter and spirit?, etc.
Jasmine
Jasmine literally disguised herself as a peasant to walk among her people unnoticed, not just to escape the palace but also to understand life from that perspective; she’d be a shoo in for Madonna of the Streets! Their covenant says, “…is a response to Pope John Paul II’s call to young people: “Do not be afraid to go out onto the streets and into public places, like the first apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns, and villages” (World Youth Day, Denver, 1993). We desire to be an active part of the New Evangelization through our prayer and service to bring about a Culture of Life and a Civilization of Love.”
Jasmine would major in Social Work so that she could be an active presence in the lives of those who need her.
Mulan
Mulan was literally a warrior and so Warriors of the Word household would be a perfect fit for her. She’s already trained in combat, so having the Bible as a double-edged sword would fit nicely into her repertoire.
Mulan would major in Political Science, as she would need this knowledge to effectively help lead China.
Cinderella
Cinderella’s step-mother and step-sisters forced her into a life of servitude, but she never became bitter or resentful towards them and neither did she just roll over and play dead; she loved them still and served them still, and then went to the castle and helped make her own dreams come true even when they tried to thwart her (several times!). Cinderella would join Acceptance with Joy household, whose covenant says, “To be accepting means to surrender to God our lives as our Mother Mary so perfectly did. It does not mean to resign oneself to some uncertain bleak fate, but to follow the example of Christ in accepting whatever challenges our Lord gives us in humility and trust.”
To sharpen the skills she learned while running an entire estate, Cinderella would major in Management.
Elsa
Elsa learned that true love thaws a frozen heart and would, therefore, look to St. Therese of Lisieux and her Little Way for further guidance in learning how to live this out everyday. Obviously, she would join Little Flowers household: “In order to develop this spirituality, I acknowledge both my inadequacies as well as my gifts, and I willingly make myself vulnerable to Christ through my sisters.”
Elsa would major in Sociology- since she was cut off from the world for so long, she would be interested to see how communities help form persons.
Anna
Carae Domini household’s covenant opens with Romans 12:10-15, which says, “Love one another with the affection of sisters. Anticipate each other in showing respect. Do not grow slack, but be fervent in spirit, He who you serve is the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in trial, persevere in prayer. Look on the needs of the saints as your own; be generous in offering hospitality. Bless your persecutors, bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” This is pretty much what Anna does on a daily basis and she’d enjoy finding other women who strive for this, too.
With Anna’s vivacious and quirky personality, she’d probably be drawn to the Communication Arts major.
Tiana
Tiana would probably be drawn to the Handmaids of the Lord, as their covenant says, “We want to fall so in love with Jesus that His love will overflow to all aspects of our lives and the lives of others. To do this we give our lives to our most Blessed Mother and try to emulate her pure and undying love for our Lord.” This would resonate with Tiana, who had to learn that family, love were the avenues to fulfilling her dreams, not just hard-work at the exclusion of others.
Tiana wanted to own her own restaurant, so obviously she would major in Business.
Tinker Bell
Aren’t fairies basically the angels of fairy tales anyway? But more seriously, Tinker Bell was a fighter and fought for her friends and what she knew was right (even if she did take a few missteps here and there and let jealousy rule her every now and again- I mean, she’s so small that she can only fit one emotion at a time!). Regina Angelorum’s covenant says, “We the women of Regina Angelorum, in adhering to God’s will, are called to combat the forces of evil through the intercession of Mary and the Holy Angels. We realize that the fight against Satan’s powers cannot be taken alone.” Does this not sound like a perfect fit for Tink??
Tinker Bell was a tinker fairy and so would major in Engineering. We need more girls in STEM!
Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
Curiouser and curiouser! Alice’s insatiable thirst for the world at large speaks to the voluminous wonder of a child and that makes her a perfect fit for the household Children of the Lord. Their covenant, in its entirety, states, “We, the children of the Lord, in a child-like spirit of simplicity, strive with the utmost joy for a perpetual consciousness of our complete dependence on God, our gracious Father. And with a humble hope, we desire nothing more than to be entirely submissive to His will. In pure faith and out of pure love we desire with innocent and generous hearts to live out our precious gift of life in accord with the Lord’s gentle and soothing words: ‘Children let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.'(1 Jn 3:18).”
Many things in Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories have basis in mathematics, so I think Alice would also major in Mathematical Science- might help her get a better grasp on Wonderland!
Rapunzel
When my friends and I saw that Cassidy had placed Rapunzel in Love of the Lamb household, we couldn’t have agreed more! (Lambs represent!!) I think she’d be a perfect fit for Lambs because she is so genuine and sincerely wants the best for everyone she encounters, just like it says in the Lambs covenant:
“Within the Love of the Lamb family, we will do our best to be sisters in Christ, through humility, genuineness and unconditional love. By trusting and being committed to each other, we will bear one another up, bringing joy and laughter into each other’s lives. While striving towards individual holiness, we will encourage and strengthen each other on the path to sainthood.”
Flynn Ryder certainly was brought to the light through Rapunzel’s witness!
Also like Cassidy, I think Rapunzel would flourish as a Drama major- just like some of her Lamb sisters of the past have 😉
Leia
This is another one that Cassidy was spot on about. When you think of fierce woman at FUS, you think Stella Mariae. When you think fierce princesses, Leia is the first to come to mind. The combination of classy and fiery is a no-brainer here. Stella Mariae’s covenant says,
“We fight as women warriors, moving in unison with one another. Our battle is one for the triumph of Christ’s love in our hearts and in the world.”
Another no-brainer is the fact that Leia would absolutely major in Political Science.
Merida
After what Merida learned about family and the importance of the ties that bind us, I think she would choose to join Fiat Sanctae Familiae household, whose covenant says,
“Since the family is a ‘church in miniature’ (Pope St. John Paul II), the mission of the members of the family must be to aid each other in their journey to heaven and to bring others with them.“
Merida would be a good Clinical Psychology major as working out problems between people is a skill she grew in already!
Wendy
Wendy, the “little mother” of all the lost boys, understanding that irreplaceable role of mother, would join Totus Tuus Maria household, as they imitate Mary:
“Because of her sinlessness, Mary knew most perfectly her place before the majesty of God. Yet it was through her humility that God was drawn to her and exalted her. It is this humility which is our most ardent desire to imitate.”
Humility was a virtue Wendy possessed greatly and yet she also knew exactly what her place was and how that was powerful in its own right. Wendy’s faith also never waivered, even when faced with walking the plank, just as Mary’s faith never wavered, even at the foot of the cross.
Wendy would certainly be a double Theology and Catechetics major, probably with the Youth Ministry concentration.
BONUS: Some of our favorite Disney men in households
I wrote this section before I realized that Cassidy did write her own version of the Disney men at FUS, but I knew even less of the men’s households! So, I chose a couple favorite Disney men and imagined them at FUS (with the same stipulation as the ladies).
Flynn Rider
This was a completely unanimous thought between my Franny friends and I. Flynn fits in perfectly with those dear, crazy, loveable Brothers of the Eternal Song.
“We take our name from the manner in which God saves all of us. As the music of a song makes beautiful the lyrics, so we, as souls, are made beautiful through the Song of the Holy Spirit. We see this song, our Lord, as the Center of our circle and our brotherhood. He has called each of us, being vastly different, into this Circle we call household, The Brothers of the Eternal Song.”
It was during a song that Flynn Rider first saw the light and began to fight for love and goodness, so it is no wonder that he would come to know Christ as the Eternal Song.
Flynn is smooth and only Rapunzel could ever resist that smolder, so he’d definitely do well as a Marketing major.
Prince Phillip
So Prince Phillip was an actual knight, so it would be no surprise that he would feel right at home in the household Knights of the Holy Queen. Their covenant says,
“As instruments of her Immaculate heart and soldiers under her command in the service of our great King, with St. Michael, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Joseph as our model Knights, we pray that we may become the heel of Mary. May our daily prayers and sacrifices be used by her to crush the head of the serpent out of one another’s lives, out of the University, and out of the world, so that through her, the perfect reign of Jesus Christ might come over all. ”
Remember in the movies when Flora the good fairy tells Prince Phillip that “the road to true love may be barred by still many more dangers, which you alone will have to face. So arm thyself with this enchanted Shield of Virtue, and this mighty Sword of Truth, for these weapons of righteousness will triumph over evil”? Sounds a lot like what the Knights of the Holy Queen strive to do!
Prince Phillip would almost certainly be a Theology major and maybe even pursue a double in Theology and Philosophy.
Kristoff
Kristoff would fit in well with the men of In His Image household, who
“Out of a love for Christ, we desire to grow in the love we have for each other. Therefore we seek to support, serve, and honor one another as brothers in Christ. We desire to conduct our relationships in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In a special way, the fruit of ‘joy’ has always played a major role in our household and we desire to continue this fine tradition. We desire to allow Christian joy to flow among us, for with joy we can accomplish any task. We realize true joy is our response to the real good in things around us and Christ is the reason for our joy.”
I mean, Kristoff hung out with rock trolls and a reindeer, beavers can’t be that different, right?
Kristoff would probably be a Biology/Pre-Veterinary major, you know, because of the reindeer.
Han Solo
I don’t care who shot first, everything Han Solo does is for glory and so he would certainly learn to channel that well by joining Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (“All for the greater glory of God”) household. Their covenant declares, “Taking and honoring Mary as the perfect model of devotion and submission, we beseech God to grant us the grace to conform to no will but His own and to say ‘yes’ as Mary did.” [Side note: I always wanted and IFC shirt but didn’t marry into the household. Can someone make this happen for me? I’m not a fangirl at all…]
Han would major in Engineering- gotta know the ins and outs to be able to keep flying that hunk of junk!
So there you have it, my assessment of many of Disney’s leading ladies and gentlemen reassigned into households that are still in existence but that I knew (sorry to all you newer, post-2009 ones! I’m sure you’re great!). Let me know if you disagree or if you don’t see your household or fave Princess/Prince down in the comments!
