Program Objectives
The Institute in Pastoral Ministries serves pastoral practitioners, ecclesiastical administrators, and educationally-motivated Catholic adults. Our programs in pastoral ministries strive:
- to equip participants with a deep understanding of Roman Catholic doctrines, corresponding Christian theologies, and pastoral practices that clarify the Gospel for our culture and promote the care of persons in our Church;
- to demonstrate academic practices of inquiry, discovery, and reflection for professional employees in the Roman Catholic Church and church-related organizations; and,
- to inspire attitudes and skills that are compatible with Roman Catholic ministerial service, especially facilitating personal transformation in Christ, building faith-community, and developing a pastoral presence grounded in awareness of one’s gifts and limitations as a minister.
We coordinate with the guidance of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops:
Ministry in the Church continues the ministry of Jesus through the ages and throughout the world. Continually, the Spirit calls forth new ministries and new ministers to serve evolving needs, as the history of the Church shows. In our time lay ecclesial ministers have emerged, men and women working in collaboration with bishops, priests, deacons, and other laity, each responding to the charisms bestowed by the Spirit. Because of their secular character, in a particular way they “are the Church in the heart of the world and bring the world into the heart of the Church” as they serve the needs of the community today. Lay people working in and for the Church require support and encouragement in the special task of evangelizing an increasingly incredulous world. (Co-Workers in the Vineyard [2005], 26)
Learner Outcomes
Graduates of our three-year programs in pastoral ministry are expected to:
- Understand essential Catholic doctrines, illuminating theological explorations, and their pastoral applications;
- Understand and demonstrate the Second Vatican Council's teachings on the universal call to holiness, including the concept of baptismal vocation, as related to their role as leaders of the faith community;
- Understand and demonstrate the Church's mission in relation to one's vocation to lay ecclesial ministry or diaconal ministry; and,
- Understand and be adept at pastoral practices both typical and emergent in the Roman Catholic tradition.
Click for Admission Requirements and Online Application for Master of Arts/Professional Certificate in Pastoral Ministries
Curriculum
The curriculum in Pastoral Ministries for the Master of Arts and Professional Certificate offers six theology courses, three pastoral skills courses (including two electives), and three integrated pastoral research (IPR) courses, for a total of 12 courses. During each of the three summer residencies, learners typically enroll in two theology courses and one pastoral skills course. Required only for the Master of Arts, the integrated pastoral research courses are registered in the three successive years and are self-managed, with completion between summer residencies. The mentorship of a professor and the associate program director are assets to insure each student's success.
Sequence for the Master of Arts (30 credits) and the Professional Certificate (30 CEUs) in Pastoral Ministries
Summer I (10 credits or 10 CEUs)
PM 505 Human Relations in Ministry
PM 540 Foundations in Theology, or
PM 500-502 Introduction to Pastoral Theology
(transfer credit for diocesan-school students; click here for specifics)
PM 570 Liturgy, or
PM 500-502 Introduction to Pastoral Theology
(transfer credit for diocesan-school students; click here for specifics)
PM 610 Integrated Pastoral Research I*
Thus, one’s entry to pastoral studies in IPM is an academic spiritual exercise in three parts. The law of praying (lex orandi) is evident in Liturgy. The law of believing (lex credendi) is evident in Foundations. The law of living (lex vivendi) is evident in Human Relations in Ministry.
Summer II (10 credits or 10 CEUs)
PM 510 Leadership in the Faith Community, or
PM 520 Church at Prayer, or
PM 525 Christian Spiritualities, or
PM 531 Canon Law for Pastoral Ministers, or
PM 533 Social Action for Pastoral Ministers, or
PM 534-539 Special Topics in Pastoral Ministry, or
PM 580 Sacraments
PM 550 Ecclesiology
PM 560 Scripture
PM 620 Integrated Pastoral Research II*
Summer III (10 credits or 10 CEUs)
PM 520 Church at Prayer, or
PM 510 Leadership in the Faith Community, or
PM 525 Christian Spiritualities, or
PM 531 Canon Law for Pastoral Ministers, or
PM 533 Social Action for Pastoral Ministers, or
PM 534-539 Special Topics in Pastoral Ministry, or
PM 580 Sacraments
PM 532 Christ Yesterday and Today
PM 590 The Church and Moral Issues
PM 630 Integrated Pastoral Research III*
Course Descriptions |
