Educational Affiliations, Institutes. and Opportunities
The School of Theology and Religious Studies, through the research and professional degree programs they offer, seeks to make significant contributions to the Church and to society. In light of the ever- present pastoral needs of the Church, the School provides a variety of programs to ensure the essential dialogue between those who do research and those who are most affected by it. In order to accomplish these goals more effectively, the School has entered into agreements with other institutes, schools and professional institutions.
Since the academic public of the school includes seminarians, lay men and women preparing for teaching, research, or other ministries in the Church and academic life, ordained priests, and men and women religious, it is important to maintain cooperative relationships with other academic and professional resources. In addition, increased interest in continuing education has changed the educational opportunities available to all those involved in pastoral ministry. The School of Theology and Religious Studies is committed to serving the Church by developing and consolidating a variety of educational programs.
Preparation for Ordination
Education for ordained ministry at The Catholic University of America derives from a 1927 mandate of the University's Board of Trustees to provide a seminary course for the education of candidates for the priesthood.
The education of seminarians has been a fitting part of the University's mission to be of service to the Church by preparing its future leaders. The Code of Canon Law (c. 250), the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education (nos. 61 and 76) and the Program of Priestly Formation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops call for four years of theological education in preparation for priestly ordination. The School's degree programs in theology and pastoral studies offer and strongly recommend an eight-semester program of theological studies for seminarians. The degree programs offered afford a variety of opportunities for students preparing for ordination to obtain recognized academic and professional degrees. The ecclesiastical degrees are acknowledged internationally as preparation for priestly ministry. The Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) degree can be obtained in three years. It can be followed by the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) and the Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) degrees. In addition to the academic courses required by the degree, opportunities are provided for students to participate in pastoral courses that integrate theology, pastoral ministry and supervised experiential learning. The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program is an advantageous way for students to prepare themselves for a variety of ministries in the Church. The program requirements ensure that students integrate academic work and pastoral experience in view of future ministry.
Seminarians may also opt to pursue the S.T.B. and M.Div. jointly. Students also have the opportunity to do specialized work in preparation for particular ministries, such as Hispanic ministry. The judgments about a candidate's qualifications and readiness for ordination belong to the candidate and to the seminary or house of studies in which he is enrolled with the final judgment made by his ecclesiastical superior.
While the School of Theology and Religious Studies does not assume responsibility for evaluating a student's suitability for ministry, it does provide an evaluation of the academic performance and the professional capabilities of the students enrolled in its programs. Acceptance into (or exclusion from), as well as completion of, any of the degree programs of the School does not imply a judgment on the qualifications of a student for ordination. Since the preparation for ordination to the priesthood requires not only theological studies but also human, spiritual, and pastoral formation (cf. Program of Priestly Formation), a candidate for ordination must also be enrolled in a seminary or house of studies. Theological College, the University seminary, provides the human and spiritual formation necessary for ordination for diocesan seminarians. Here students preparing for diocesan priesthood find the resources and competent help in integrating personally all aspects of their preparation for ordained ministry. Other seminaries and houses of formation in Washington, D.C., and the metropolitan area also use the Schools of Theology and Religious Studies for the philosophical and theological preparation of men for priestly ministry. The Associate Dean for Graduate Ministerial Studies acts as a liaison between the School and the seminarians.
Intellectual Formation of Seminarians in Theology
The School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America boasts a faculty of distinguished, often internationally renowned, scholars.
Many professors are the authors of texts used in colleges, seminaries and universities throughout the United States. Seminarians at Theological College and other Catholic houses of studies are registered in the school with access to the faculty in all the academic areas of study: biblical studies and languages; Church history and historical theology; liturgical studies and sacramental theology; moral theology/ethics; pastoral studies, religious education/catechetics, spirituality and supervised ministry; and dogmatic and systematic theology.
Seminarians may take courses that draw on the resources and talents of more than 40 scholars. Because the School is an ecclesiastical as well as a recognized civil faculty, it grants a wide variety of civil, ecclesiastical, and pastoral degrees. All seminarians are required to complete ordination requirements established by the Program on Priestly Formation promulgated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. These requirements include Scripture, systematic theology, moral theology, liturgy, history, and canon law. They also include direct service to the poor, supervised ministry, two years of parish placement, preaching and the celebration of liturgical rites. The School of Theology and Religious Studies cooperates with Theological College and other houses of studies to provide these additional pastoral programs. Seminarians ordinarily enroll in one of three degree programs under the guidance of the Associate Dean for Graduate Ministerial Studies and the student's academic advisors:
1. The Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.)-90 Credit Ordination Track is a first professional degree for seminarians for whom the pastoral focus of academic formation in all the academic areas of Catholic theology is especially significant.
2. The Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree (S.T.B.) a first ecclesiastical degree that provides seminarians with a basic theological orientation in Catholic theology.
3. The joint Bachelor of Sacred Theology and Master of Divinity degrees.
The School of Theology and Religious Studies also offers the Master of Arts (M.A.), Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L).; Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree. The licentiate and the doctorate in theology are advanced ecclesiastical degrees with concentrations in biblical theology, historical theology, liturgical studies, moral theology and systematic theology. The Doctor of Ministry is a professional doctorate that focuses upon pastoral ministry in evangelization, liturgical catechesis, spirituality, and seminary formation. Qualified seminarians who complete their first graduate degrees prior to ordination can often begin work on many of these advanced degrees Seminarians may also benefit from more than 250 elective course offerings available at The Catholic University of America and 10 other independent ecumenical schools of theology that make up the Washington Theological Consortium. During their matriculation at the university, seminarians are required to take at least one course in another ecclesial tradition through the offerings of the Consortium. Through a cooperative agreement with the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family, seminarians, as well as other graduate students in the School, can also elect coursework in this highly specialized academic area with permission of either the Associate Dean for Graduate Ministerial Studies or the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. In summary, seminarians have the opportunity to integrate the traditional intellectual riches of Catholic theology, its interaction with contemporary culture and other religious traditions, and a supervised pastoral commitment.
Together these elements should form not only competent, faithful priests, but genuine pastoral leaders in the Church.
Intellectual Formation of Seminarians in Pre-Theology
In accord with the vision and norms of the Program of Priestly Formation, Fifth Edition, for pre-theology studies, the School of Philosophy in association with the School of Theology and Religious Studies offers a comprehensive and flexible pre -theology program for candidates for priestly ministry. The School of Philosophy offers a coordinated series of philosophy courses for the intellectual formation of pre-theology students in all the areas of philosophy specified by the Program of Priestly Formation. The School of Theology and Religious Studies offers the full range of theology courses specified for this program, and the University also has rich offerings in ancient and modern languages, Catholic art and culture, literature, public speaking, and other fields.
Certificate Program in Pre-Theology Studies
The School of Philosophy offers a two-year program in pre-theology studies leading to the Certificate in Pre-Theology Studies. Candidates for the certificate are matriculated in the School of Philosophy and follow a course of studies determined by the vision and norms of the Program of Priestly Formation, Fifth Edition, for pre-theology studies as specified below. Qualified candidates of the certificate program may be combined with studies for the degree of Master of Arts or Licentiate in Philosophy. Interested students should consult the Announcements from the School of Philosophy for further details.
Theological College
University Seminary
Theological College is the Seminary of the Catholic University of America. The School of Theology and Religious Studies of The Catholic University of America offers diocesan-sponsored seminarians enrolled at Theological College and CUA the theological instruction essential for priestly ministry as prescribed by the approved degree programs. Theological College provides spiritual, human and pastoral formation as prescribed by the Program of Priestly Formation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The School of Theology and Religious Studies also collaborates with Theological College in offering certain courses and programs of pastoral formation required by the seminarians' academic degree programs and the PPF of the USCCB.
Seminary Faculty
Theological College is administered by the Sulpician Fathers, a group of diocesan priests whose apostolate for 300 years has been the preparation of men for the priesthood. The Rector is assisted in this by formation faculty members whose primary responsibilities include: personal guidance and human formation, spiritual direction and formation, liturgy and liturgical formation, prayer, and the evaluation of seminarians' progress. Every seminarian has a priest spiritual director in the internal forum. Faculty members also serve as external forum advisers in human, spiritual, and pastoral formation to the students, meeting regularly with each to help them internalize the multidimensional aspects of their formation into personal and religious growth and ministerial readiness.
Theological College has developed a local mission statement and programs to implement these norms.
Seminarians
Diocesan seminarians are sent to Theological College by bishops throughout the United States. As the seminary, overseen by the society of St. Sulpice, celebrates its centennial this year, it opens its doors to 90 seminarians from 26 U.S. dioceses. Those in theological studies pursue one of the three main degree options for seminarians with a growing number taking advantage of the fifth year S.T.L. program offered through the School of Theology and Religious Studies and Theological College. 17 seminarians are awardees of the McShain Scholarship and three are recipients of the Knights of Columbus' Father Michael J. McGivney Scholarship.
Community Life
The seminary faculty and seminarians forma community united in faith under the headship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Together they engage in the work of priestly formation in its four dimensions as outlined in the Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. Theological College's Student Handbook highlights these four dimensions, outlining more specifically the manner in which they are to be implemented at a university -based seminary.
Seminarians are given clearly stated expectations for each dimension of priestly formation. Rector's and conferences and small group discussions provide the opportunity for seminarians to reflect on questions of priestly spirituality in a format that involves peer interaction. Theological College supports a student government structure that allows seminarians to be involved in implementing the goals of the seminary.
Spiritual Formation Program
A primary concern of Theological College is the personal and spiritual growth and formation of the seminarians involving three dynamics: The first derives from the Sulpician heritage as expressed by Father Olier, the Sulpician's founder, in his maxim, "To live supremely for God in Christ Jesus." The second dynamic is based on reflection on the way in which holy and effective priests live and minister today, and the need for a personal spirituality that will sustain the seminarian after ordination. The third derives from the unique context in which Theological College is situated, that is, a university setting that gathers students from many different dioceses, each with its own specific ministerial needs.
Seminarians come together daily to celebrate the Eucharist and Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of Hours, and every seminarian works with an individual spiritual director to deepen his response to God's love, especially by developing a solid prayer life. Community celebrations of Reconciliation are held on a regular basis, and seminarians have access to many other resources for private celebration of this sacrament as well. In addition to an annual retreat, other prayer experiences are scheduled throughout the year.
Formation Advising/Evaluation Program
To assist bishops who send their students to Theological College, the faculty engages in a process of advisement and evaluation in a spirit of service to the student and the diocese. Every seminarian has a priest adviser from the seminary faculty who is concerned with his progress toward personal maturity, his readiness to embrace the commitments of priestly life, his grasp of theology, and his completion of ordination requirements, and acquisition of the pastoral skills needed for priestly ministry. An annual evaluation, which is sent to each seminarian's bishop, evaluates his progress according to the essential dimensions of priestly formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral.
Theological and Pastoral Programs
Seminarians are enrolled in the School of Theology and Religious Studies for the theological and certain pastoral dimensions of their preparation. Each pursues one of three first graduate degrees: M.A. in theology, Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.), or Master of Divinity (M.Div.), or the joint S.T.B./M.Div. degrees. Each degree has its own respective focus and integrating features. All seminarians must also complete ordination requirements that include Scripture, systematics, moral theology, liturgy, history, spirituality, pastoral theology, and canon law, as well as engage in programs of direct service to the poor, supervised ministry to the sick, two years of parish placement, preaching, and liturgical celebration. The resources of Theological College and Catholic University's program are enhanced through membership in the Washington Theological Consortium. Seminarians are able to cross-register in certain courses offered by the member institutions of the Consortium.
Pre-Theology
Theological College offers a complete two-year pre-theology program according to the directives of the PPF (no. 185). Pre-theology encompasses human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation as well. Adaptations are made to meet the specific needs of individuals and their dioceses. The pre-theology program utilizes the resources of the School of Philosophy and the School of Theology and Religious Studies to meet all the requirements of the PPF.
Ecumenical and Interreligious Affiliations
The School of Theology and Religious Studies seeks to bring critical inquiry, reflection, and praxis to the Roman Catholic faith tradition. In cooperation with other schools of the University, the School attempts to realize an ideal that the Second Vatican Council proposed for institutions of higher learning, namely, "that the Christian mind may achieve, as it were, a public, persistent and universal presence in the whole enterprise of advancing higher culture" (Declaration on Christian Education, 10). Moreover, the School is committed to investigate and advance ecumenical and interreligious questions and relationships (Sapientia Christiana, 69). Its faculty moves beyond academic study to engage other Christian churches and the religions of the world in dialogue. As a minimum condition for these concerns, the school rejects "every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social condition, language or religion as contrary to God's intent" (Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, 29). In 1998, the then School of Religious Studies founded the Institute for Interreligious Study and Dialogue in the area of interfaith dialogue.
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family
The Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family is a graduate theological school founded by the Holy Father in 1982 to help develop more fully the Church's understanding of the person, marriage and family in the light of divine revelation.
The Washington, D.C. Session of the Institute began its work in fall 1988. The Institute is a community of scholars, global in its environment and vision and multidisciplinary in its academic scope. Its programs of study foster the theological competency necessary for teaching and research and for the exercise of a variety of Christian ministries, including counseling and pastoral work in the specialized areas of marriage and the family, and for religious leadership positions, especially in Family Life Bureaus. The Institute offers three degree programs: a specialized Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.), a Licentiate in Sacred Theology of marriage and family (S.T.L.), and a Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) in marriage and family. In 2002, The Catholic University of America and the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family entered into a cooperative agreement through which students enrolled in degree programs in either institution could take two courses during a given academic year with the permission of their respective deans. Please consult the catalogue of the institute available through the office of the Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies or the Dean of the John Paul II Institute.
E-mail: information@johnpaulii.edu.
Washington Theological Consortium
The Catholic University of America was one of the founding member institutions of the Washington Theological Consortium in 1967. Since its incorporation in 1971, the Consortium has worked actively to coordinate programs of theological education among and for its founding member institutions, which include, among others, the Dominican House of Studies, Howard University Divinity School, Virginia Theological Seminary, Wesley Theological Seminary, and United Lutheran Seminary. The Consortium fosters ecumenical and academic cooperation through joint faculty committees, team-taught courses in specialized areas, publication of a guide to the extensive library resources in the member institutions, cross-listing of course offerings, and the like. Through the Consortium, CUA students may register for courses at member institutions through the CUA Office of Enrollment Services, and such courses will automatically be added to the student's transcript with no extra procedures necessary. Students should consult the Associate Deans for Seminary and Ministerial Studies and Graduate Studies concerning registration for courses in other institutions of the consortium. Please consult with the appropriate dean to locate eligible courses and obtain permissions.