Overview

"We urge that theological education and formation be extended to more lay persons.… The Church needs a well-educated, inquiring, and vocal laity if the new evangelization is to achieve its full potential."

The role of the laity in the Catholic Church has evolved remarkably since the Second Vatican Council. Lay women and men share with the clergy a common baptismal calling to holiness, simplicity of lifestyle, generosity and service to others, and spreading the good news of the Gospel. In pursuing this calling, more and more of the laity are drawn to theological education, both to serve the Church as lay ministers, and to mature personally in their journey of discipleship.

Service in the Church can take a variety of forms: from full-time to part-time, from volunteer to professional, from collaborative to independent. This ministry requires academic knowledge of the Church's teaching and tradition, a well-formed spirituality, a life of prayer and liturgy, and maturity and personal confidence.

Additionally, other individuals are seeking a means of better understanding their faith for personal reasons, whether to enhance their careers, to improve their personal living of the Gospel, or for personal, intellectual and spiritual satisfaction.

At Saint Meinrad School of Theology, we recognize that unique personal and professional goals require master's degree programs with flexibility. The Master of Arts (Catholic Thought and Life) and Master of Theological Studies have been designed to allow individuals to focus on their interests through electives while maintaining a firm foundation in the core courses of theological study. For those interested in pastoral experience, ministerial internships and practicums can be arranged in addition to regular coursework.

Founded and administered by the monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, the School offers a rich Benedictine heritage with a focus on the Benedictine value of balance between holiness and learning. Students are encouraged to develop relationships with God, through prayer with the student and monastic communities, in individual prayer and reflection on the Scriptures, and through the School's spiritual formation program.

Whether as part-time students taking weekend or online courses, or full-time students taking weekly classes alongside seminarians, lay women and men come to Saint Meinrad following their baptismal calling and gain a firm and solid foundation of spirituality and learning.