Why Saint Meinrad

Spiritual Life

Because of the inseparability of the pursuit of learning and the pursuit of holiness, Saint Meinrad School of Theology offers a variety of opportunities for lay students to foster their spiritual formation. Students are encouraged to participate in the following formation offerings to the degree that they are able.

Eucharist
The Eucharist forms the backbone of the communal prayer at Saint Meinrad, reflecting the ebb and flow of the liturgical seasons and gathering the faithful for the prayer of the Church and the celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ.

During the fall and spring semesters, Eucharist is celebrated daily in St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel with students and faculty from the School of Theology. Lay students are invited to participate as musicians, cantors and gift-bearers. Throughout a  calendar year, weekend students have opportunity to celebrate Eucharist in the Archabbey Church with the monastic community and to plan their own Masses in St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel.

Prayer
Saint Meinrad School of Theology encourages students to be intentional about setting aside regular times for individual and communal prayer. At Saint Meinrad, Morning Prayer, Noon Prayer and Vespers are celebrated in the Archabbey Church. In the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel, students celebrate daily Morning Prayer and Thursday communal Vespers. Groups of students also meet formally and informally for other communal prayer. At the Indianapolis site, weekend students celebrate Morning Prayer in common. All students are encouraged to adopt rhythms and methods of personal prayer suitable to their temperament and lifestyle.

Reconciliation
The sacrament of Reconciliation is available regularly during the fall and spring semesters in St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel and upon request from any priest faculty member. Twice during the year, there is a communal celebration of the sacrament. Consult the School calendar or contact the Director of Spiritual Formation for a
specific schedule.

Eucharistic Adoration
During the fall and spring semesters, the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held most Tuesday evenings in St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel.

Days of Prayer
Twice a year, in September and on Ash Wednesday, the community of the School
of Theology devotes an entire day to prayer. Lay students are invited to help
plan, implement and participate in these special days. Contact the Director of Spiritual Formation.

Retreats
Saint Meinrad students are encouraged to make retreats on a regular basis, and Saint Meinrad offers regular retreats with themes related to lay ministry. Conference fees for retreats at Saint Meinrad (ELM and oblate retreats excepted) are included in tuition costs, although students are responsible for housing and meals.

Spiritual Direction
Lay students are encouraged to select and meet regularly with a spiritual director. Spiritual direction, particularly for those who are studying theology, is an important aspect of discerning the presence of the Holy Spirit in experiences in the classroom, in community life, in worship and prayer, as well as in the personal and communal experiences of daily living, both mundane and extraordinary. Although Saint Meinrad cannot guarantee a director for all students, the Director of Lay Degree Programs can provide a list of available spiritual directors.

Lay Student Web Site
Saint Meinrad maintains a Web site to build community among lay students and recent alumni. The site is accessible through the ANGEL online course management system. It features a student directory, course information, news articles, job  postings, campus events, and a variety of message boards for prayer concerns and student interaction.

Alumni Mentoring
Saint Meinrad provides a list of lay alumni willing to mentor current students, particularly in the area of spirituality. If the student desires, Saint Meinrad can also provide reflection exercises to guide the mentoring process.

Spiritual Formation Program

As a School of Theology in the Benedictine tradition, Saint Meinrad is committed to the balance between ora et labora (prayer and work). As an integrated part of the “work” of a pastorally focused theological education, Saint Meinrad’s spiritual formation program helps lay students grow spiritually, both to nurture their own faith life and to ground them for their service in ministry. The program has a core set of goals for learning and spiritual growth to help lay students:

     • grow in knowledge of the Church’s spiritual tradition,
        particularly the Benedictine charisms;
     • deepen their baptismal call to holiness, justice, and their ability
        to discern and articulate their own vocation;
     • practice the process of theological reflection, working
        individually and in groups to put personal experience into
       dialogue with Church tradition;
     • understand the varieties of spiritual practices, and discern and
        articulate a personal spirituality that fits their unique gifts and
        temperament;
     • develop and strengthen a commitment to personal prayer and
        public worship.

Students who complete the spiritual formation program earn three pass-fail elective credits toward the MTS or MA degree. The program can be completed in a minimum of two years and must be completed within four calendar years from the time of enrollment. Credits are awarded after all required components are completed. A new class, or cohort group, begins every fall.

The written portions of all required formation components will be collected in a spirituality portfolio for each student. Assignments should be submitted, preferably in electronic format, to the Director of Lay Degree Programs, who maintains all portfolios in confidentiality. The student, the Director of Lay Degree Programs and the Academic Dean have access to the portfolios.

Required Components
• Submit a spiritual autobiography and statement of goals to the spirituality portfolio. Although similar to the degree application essay, this autobiography should focus less on professional or academic concerns and more on the movement of your interior life.
In no more than five double-spaced, typewritten pages, students should address the following questions:
- Briefly describe your religious journey. Have you discerned particular phases or stages in your ongoing relationship with God?
- Describe experiences and/or relationships that have had significant effect on your spiritual journey.
- How do you feel God is calling you to grow spiritually? What are
your personal goals for your involvement in Saint Meinrad’s formation program?

• Participate in four weekend workshops.
All students must begin the program in the fall semester with the initial workshop covering theological reflection. Written assignments and reflections for all workshops must be submitted to the workshop facilitator by the deadlines she  or he specifies. A copy of those assignments will be placed in the student’s spirituality portfolio.

Tuition for the workshops is included in the program tuition fee, but students will be responsible for room and board charges, workshop books and materials.

• Participate in four theological reflection group meetings, and lead one meeting. 
Theological reflection group meetings are interconnected with weekend classes held at Saint Meinrad, and are open to all students. The format of the meeting is group theological reflection on a personal experience of a student, through the lenses of tradition, culture and experience.

To receive credit for this component, the students submit a 2-3 page paper in which they describe the theological themes that emerged, implications for personal discipleship and pastoral implications. Also, each student must lead at least one reflection meeting, submitting a paper similar to the above, but also including a copy of the experience offered for the group’s reflection.

• Complete the experiential/retreat component.
Completion of the experiential component consists of making two one- to
two-day retreats or days of recollection. All Saint Meinrad retreats may fulfill this requirement, including a retreat focused specifically on lay ministry. The conference fee for most Saint Meinrad retreats is covered by course tuition, but students will be responsible for room and board charges. Retreats at other institutions may also fulfill the experiential requirement with the approval of the Director of Lay Degree Programs. The student is responsible for all associated expenses. To receive credit, a student must submit to the spirituality portfolio a two- to three-page written reflection about each retreat.

Regular spiritual direction, mentoring or participation in a small faith-sharing group (other than the Saint Meinrad cohort group) may substitute for one retreat. “Regular” is defined as meeting at least six times in a calendar year. To receive experiential credit, students must submit to the spirituality portfolio at least six short written summaries of these meetings.

• Complete the final project and exit interview.
During the semester in which a student plans to complete the requirements of the formation program and receive three elective credits, he or she consults with the Director of Lay Degree Programs to discuss the final project. 

The project is a five-page statement about the student’s spirituality, including how the student has grown throughout the program, as well as future goals for growth and development. 
The Director will provide guidelines for completing the project. Before the end of the semester, students meet with the Director of Lay Degree Programs for an exit interview to discuss the final project and their involvement in the formation program. 

Optional Components
• Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Companioning
If a student already has a spiritual director or spiritual companion, he or she can receive experiential credit for these regular meetings; see the Experiential Component bullet point under Required Components.

If a student would like to establish a spiritual direction or companioning relationship, the student may contact the Director of Lay Degree Programs. Saint Meinrad monks and priests may be available for spiritual direction, or the Director can provide resources for finding a spiritual director or companion in a student’s home diocese.

• Mentoring
Similar to spiritual direction, mentoring is when a student meets regularly with a mentor to discuss professional, academic and/or personal issues. A list of available mentors may be obtained from the Director of Lay Degree Programs. Many of these mentors are recent alumni, students nearing graduation or professional ministers. Saint Meinrad also provides a series of optional mentoring guides, which center on ministry competencies and theological reflection. To earn experiential credits substituting for one retreat, a student must submit to the spirituality portfolio a short reflection from at least six mentoring sessions, or complete the mentoring guides.

• Faith-Sharing and Bible Study Groups
If a student is already involved or becomes involved in a small group independent of the formation peer group, these regular meetings can also substitute for one of the two required retreats in the experiential component. To earn experiential credit, the student must submit to the spirituality portfolio paragraph-long summaries/reflections on at least six small-group meetings.

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Testing
For any student participating in the Spirituality and Temperament weekend workshop, Saint Meinrad makes available the Myers-Briggs personality profile. The profile is administered by the counseling staff at Saint Meinrad, and there is no extra charge.

Payment Policy and Financial Aid
Payment Policy
Tuition is based on the tuition rate at the time of enrollment and may be paid over a two-year or four-year period. Students are responsible for arranging a payment schedule with the Business Office. In the event the program is completed earlier than expected, academic credit will be awarded when the balance due on tuition is paid.

Financial Aid
All Saint Meinrad Grants/Lay Ministry Grants will be applied toward the tuition cost for the Spiritual Formation Program. Students must complete the necessary forms to be eligible for these grants.