Grace DevelopmentEllens Director Webinar questions? Contact us at 320-363-3560 or theologyday@csbsju.edu
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Theology 2022-23Day
BLOOMING FAITH WITH BENEDICTINE ROOTS
pleased you will be able to join us for the upcoming Theology Day webinar. Please find enclosed a few documents introducing you to Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary and describing how you can become involved with our mission. There is a link below if you wish to support the school and our Theology Day program. Please consider supporting us today!
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320-363-3560 or theologyday@csbsju.edu
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Start time indicates when presentations begins; check-in begins about 30 minutes before.
Nov. 3 -6:30 a.m. -St. Joseph the Worker, Maple Grove
Registration is required: www.collegevilleMN.com/theologyday or call 320-363-3560 There is no cost for attending Theology Day.
Hope: The Architechture of Peace - Kari-Shane Davis Zimmerman, Ph.D.
Oct. 7 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University (Synchronous)
Nov. 11 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University
Sept. 23 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University (Synchronous)
Exlporing the Art and Theology of Icons - Jane Kelley Rodeheffer, Ph.D.
Jan. 26 -6:30 p.m. -St. Frances Cabrini, Minneapolis
Shroud of Turin: What Can We Determine From Scientific Analysis? - Fr. Cyprian Weaver, OSB
Sept. 15 -6:30 p.m. -St. Joseph the Worker, Maple Grove
Dec. 2 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University (Synchronous)
The Synod at the Halfway Point: Where are We Now? - Kristin Colberg, Ph.D.
May 12 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University
Sept. 9 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University (Synchronous)
Mar. 3 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University (Synchronous)
Apr. 14 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University
Jan. 20 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University (Synchronous)
Growing Rural Hope Where Anger Flourishes - Ben Durheim Ph.D. - and student collaborator, Lydia Mattern
Mar. 31 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University
Theology Day (NE, FL, AZ) locations.
Watch our website for current dates and locations, including out-of-state
Sept. 29 -6:30 p.m. -Church of Saint Mary, Alexandria
Blooming Faith with Benedictine Roots
Oct. 27 -6:30 p.m. -St. Mary’s Basilica, Minneapolis
Thriving Where You’re Planted: Benedictine Stability in a Rootless TimeMichael Rubbelke, Ph.D.
Oct. 14 -9:00 a.m. -Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University
THE ROAD TO EMMAUS
TRANS FORM ING LIVES CHANGING THE WORLD
Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary (SOT/Sem), located in Emmaus Hall, forms students and faculty into a faith community, energized to serve Christ and dedicated to influence both Church and society in Christ’s name. By studying in a place where liturgy and prayer are essential to their daily lives, students walk in a tradition that has significantly contributed to the life not only of the Catholic Church, but also to the life of nearly every Christian denomination in North America and beyond. And that journey continues.
Such a community needs a building which reflects Saint John’s sense of place and which inspires collaborative ministry. The renovation of Emmaus Hall will more closely mirror our vision of the Church as the Pilgrim People of God, a faith community of disciples pursuing Wisdom and encountering Christ while bringing him to others.
The Benedictine character of Saint John’s keeps this community centered on Christ, while its accompanying imagination opens eyes, minds, and hearts to find new ways to widen the reach of Christ’s ministry. Together, faculty, students, and staff draw from the contemplative, Benedictine environment to form Christian disciples for a life in academia and ministry.
Classrooms and Study Carrels
We read in the Gospel of Luke (24:1335) that Cleopas and his wife head toward Emmaus after the violent events in Jerusalem. As they travel, Christ joins them along the road, and when they have supper, he reveals himself in the Eucharist. That encounter inspires the couple to run back to Jerusalem to proclaim the good news to those still dwelling in discouragement and fear. Similarly, professors and students, with the objective of spreading the Gospel, take on the role of those two disciples, journeying with Christ on the road of theological inquiry.
The great joy of teaching and learning at Emmaus is having one’s eyes opened to recognize Christ’s presence among the gathered People of God, in Sacred Scripture, and within the theological tradition. Employing state of the art technology, the new classrooms and study carrels provide the classroom space for those on campus and online participation for those at a distance.
Gathering Spaces
Community forms when people gather for worship, fellowship, and inquiry, as seen in the two disciples meeting Christ on the road to Emmaus. In a like vein, the School of Theology and Seminary draws from the vibrant, monastic presence which inspires students, faculty, and staff of every age and from various backgrounds to foster creative thought and conversation; it is a dynamic unique to Saint John’s. Together we seek the ways the Holy Spirit is leading the faithful to deal with the world before us. For this holy venture, the School of Theology and Seminary requires spaces that excite the imagination and increase the encounter between theologians, budding scholars, and aspiring workers in the vineyard.
In addition to its academic and pastoral work, Saint John’s spreads the Gospel through its fine theological programming as seen in its Theology Days, conferences, talks, and seminars. As the scope of our outreach increases, there will be a greater demand for medium and large spaces to accommodate visitors seeking ongoing education, faith formation, workshops, parish retreats and the like.
Emmaus Hall Chapel
The journey of the two disciples in Luke’s Gospel begins in discouragement and ends in joy. The story itself describes the Christian life. It is fitting, therefore, that the remaking of the Emmaus Hall Chapel should be at the center of the renovation project, for in this building future students and faculty—as a faith community—will meet Christ in the “breaking of the bread” (Luke 24:35)
Built 70 years ago for seminarians, the Emmaus Hall Chapel has many remarkable elements, which can now facilitate focused attention on the role of beauty in the search for Christ. Open, bright, and inviting, this newly designed worship space encapsulates the Benedictine tradition, which draws much from what is old and takes some from what is new in order to forge a vison and path into the future. Whether studying for ordained or non-ordained ministry, both women and men will form a community in pursuit of Wisdom, a community which in its vocational call to bring Christ to the world is sustained by the liturgy.
- Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, ‘93 Associate Professor
“Emmaus chapel is the living center of our community - the Second Vatican Council said the liturgy is the “source and summit” of the church’s life. A beautifully renovated chapel will reinvigorate our worship life and be a strong statement of our deepest Catholic, Benedictine, and ecumenical values.”
Questions? Contact Grace at gellens@csbsju.edu or 320-363-2551
Spaces can cultivate collaborative community and influence a student’s formation whether gathering for scholarship, fellowship, or worship.
CollegevilleMN.com 2850 Abbey Plaza Collegeville, MN 56321 www.csbsju.edu/sot
TRANSFORMING LIVES CHANGING THE WORLD
Emmaus Hall PhaseRenovationI
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING WORLD-CLASS FACULTY
From its founding over 165 years ago, education on behalf of the Church has been a primary ministry of Saint John’s. Its dedication to scholarship at that moment has today placed Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary (SOT/Sem) at the forefront of the renewal both leading to and stemming from Vatican II. Primary among its scholars were Benedictines Virgil Michel and Godfrey Diekmann, who set the standard for the practical application of theological scholarship across all church denominations in the latter half of the twentieth century. They renewed Church Tradition with a vibrancy that has always been part of Saint John’s vision, and we are dedicated to continuing their legacy.
A peritus or expert at the Second Vatican Council, Father Godfrey Diekmann was a member of the pontifical commission tasked with writing the Church’s liturgical constitution, Sacrosanctum Concilium. His expertise and expansive vision marked the research he produced and molded the students and seminarians he instructed. He once said, “Christianity, by the power of the Spirit within her, has both the power, and the obligation, of repeated rejuvenation”. Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary intends to continue petitioning the Spirit’s power so that we can help the Church fulfill her obligation to bring about such rejuvenation. Professorships are essential to carrying out this great task.
“With the world-class scholars at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, the monks continue to fulfill their mission. To ensure a strong faculty, Saint John’s stands with all great universities in its reliance on endowed professorships. These professorships at the School of Theology and Seminary will guarantee that the sacred gift of our theological tradition passes onto succeeding
- Jaroslav Pelikan
Transforming Lives | Changing the World Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary
Jesus Through the Centuries, Jaroslav Pelikan, Sterling Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University explains that for over 1,500 years the mission of Benedictine monasticism is “not to value anything more highly than the love of Christ.” He concludes that Saint John’s has carried out this mission as “the principal agent for the renewal and the reform of the liturgy, of liturgical art, and of sacred music, with consequences that are evident, since the Second Vatican Council, in every Roman Catholic parish in the world” (p. 121).
Ingenerations.”hisbook,
Saint John’s is “the principal agent for the renewal and the reform of liturgy, of liturgical art, and of sacred music, with consequences that are evident, since the Second Vatican Council, in every Roman Catholic parish in the world.”
Secure highly skilled faculty who regularly publish scholarship that advances theological knowledge and spiritual understanding. Such faculty give public presentations at conferences and events. They mentor students with attention to holistic growth and compassionate service toward the needy. This endowed professorship will fund for a faculty member on an annual basis in perpetuity. It is a powerful means for recruiting and sustaining a world class faculty.
Faculty engage students and members of the greater community in theological education annually.
Faculty Research Fund
Fully Endowed Professorship Fund
Endowed Faculty Research Fund
Establish a named research fund with a minimum gift of $100,000 paid over five years or through a planned gift.
professorships, the great universities of the world have established their superior standing by ensuring that the interest, energy, and dynamism, which have produced distinguished records of teaching, research, and publication of previous generations of scholars carries over to the next. For Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary to maintain a superb faculty, it needs the ability to honor and retain its most esteemed professors while recruiting into its ranks others with exceptional records of achievement. We seek to secure for the remainder of the twenty-first century and beyond both our mission and vision of service to the Church, a service marked by excellence in scholarship and ministry. The Virgil Michel Ecumenical Chair has upheld this record for over forty years. We now look to establish one or more professorships to support the Collegeville Core* and further our commitment to excellence.
$50,000
$1,500,000
1,000+ Learners
Partial Endowed Professorship Fund
A Graduate School of Theology and Seminary initiative for financial aid CHANGING THE WORLDTRANS FORM ING LIVES
$30,000
Giving Opportunities
$100,000
*The Collegeville Core describes the distinct learning dynamic our Master Degree programs grounded in the study of Scripture, Doctrine, Liturgy, History of Christian History, Monastic Studies, Spirituality. The process of integrating mind and heart requires listening carefully to the voices of those teachers and witnesses who have shaped the mission and vision of the Church through the centuries. The education of the whole person forms and emboldens students to become leaders in their Christian community.
Empower faculty to share their research through classroom instruction, Theology Days, books, and professional development.
Seed an Endowed Professorship Fund
Research opportunities and professorships are ways colleges and universities recruit and retain key faculty, improve teaching, and raise the stature and visibility of the institution in the academic marketplace. Please help us provide the expertise and vision generated by the Spirit’s power so the Church may foster the rejuvenation mandated by the Second Vatican Council. Help inspire lives through your financial support of education in the Catholic Benedictine tradition of Saint John’s.
Inspire others to join in support of professors and attract world renowned teachers to educate our students.
$750,000
Name an endowed fund that will sustain covering a professor’s salary or sabbatical for one semester.
ThroughProfessorshipsendowed
• “I now have a better understanding of the overall [immigration] reform needed and am encouraged [the ideas presented] remain true to the gospel teachings.”
• “Thank you for presenting new facts and new ideas that I was not aware of.”
• What Mass Means: How Sacrifice and Real Presence Are Life-Changing
A Lifetime of Learning
The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
• Love and Tenderness in Action: The Vision of Pope Francis
• Being Church in a Secular Age
• “You are very knowledgeable and have simulated my desire to learn more.”
Transforming Lives | Changing the World
Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary
To love Wisdom and Truth is to strive for communion with God. This daily pursuit is made clearer and brighter by the dialogue attained through Theology Days as we carry out our mission to provide soul-nurturing experiences integrated with Benedictine values inspiring a contemplative environment for personal growth. These events are just a taste of how our alumni aid communities in pursuing truth and wisdom to live their daily lives and are made free through our annual fund.
• The Journey of Loss and Grief
• Immigration: Moving from Political Rhetoric to the Moral Discourse of Pope Francis.
The Graduate School of Theology and Seminary cultivates in its graduates a yearning for the wisdom of the Christian tradition that they may assist others to encounter Christ in meaningful ways. Theology Days offer the experience of this work outside the classroom. Professors share their research and experiences with members of the larger community in a safe environment where everyone is welcome to come learn, discuss, and discern the truth of their own theological views on long debated and hot topics.
• Global Warming: A Prophetic View of Collective Responsibility
James 3:17
I Support Theology Day because ...
Recent Theology Day Topics:
The need for Annual Fund
Theology For A Day
CHANGINGaidTHE WORLDTRANS FORM ING LIVES
For more information about how you can help support the annual fund at the Graduate School of Theology and Seminary and find out when the next Theology Day is near you, please go to www.collegevilleMN.com or contact:
Pursuing Truth and Wisdom Together
We believe communities benefit from our professor’s research, our diverse student body and ecumenical dialogue with each other.
Giving Opportunities
Theology Day Elsewhere Spread the gospel by covering travel and advertising expenses for a year.
$300,000
Provide great theological engagement for a community for a single presentation.
Any Amount
Average annual attendance of Theology Days
Theology Days are the result of faculty research. Research opportunities and professorships are ways colleges and universities recruit and retain key faculty, improve teaching, and raise the stature and visibility of the institution in the academic marketplace. Help inspire them through your financial support of Catholic Benedictine teaching.
Establish an endowed fund that ensures these presentations continue as a legacy for your family, friends, and community.
Annual Giving Gifts to the Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary Annual Fund are used for financial aid, scholarships, programing and the important work of general operations in order to offer the excellent education and formation our students and communities need.
Theology Day
$5,000
A Graduate School of Theology and Seminary initiative for financial
$2,500
Number of Theology Days a year 1500
RIGOROUS. REVERED. RESPECTED. Graduate students at Saint John’s University Graduate School of Theology and Seminary study under some of the academia’s foremost theologians, earning advanced degrees that are highly regarded worldwide. Indeed, scholars from across the globe visit Collegeville to conduct research in the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library and study in Alcuin Library, home to the second largest collection of theological books in the United States. Within the Benedictine understanding, we become who we are in relationship with others. Here we encounter authenticity, unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness. Students and community members come to learn together in this rich and inspired context and go on to become better professors, priests, lay minsters, chaplains, deacons, spiritual directors, mentors, parents, and servants of Christ’s mission in many other ways.
Theology Day Endowed
20-25
Much like our graduates, living God’s call to be a good steward and expanding God’s kingdom while caring for your family, you may not have immediate finances to help others you wish to help. Fear not, there is a way through planned giving.
“I, [name], of [city, state ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”
Plan a legacy with a lasting impact today at no cost to you during your lifetime.
It’s simple!
All that we are, all that we have, comes from God . . .
Contemporary Christians are yearning for encounters with Christ and are not satisfied with mere ideas about God or information about God’s Law. Across the globe there is a great need for church leaders who can articulate a dynamic vision of the faith grounded in the ancestral tradition. The Graduate School of Theology and Seminary cultivates in its graduates a yearning for the pursuit of truth the wisdom of the Christian tradition that they may assist others to encounter Christ in meaningful ways.
Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary
• Stewardship - It is for anyone concerned with the wise use of his or her personal resources.
Benefits of Planned Giving
The Impact of Planned Giving
Share this sample bequest language for Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary with your estate planning attorney:
• Tax Relief - If your estate is subject to estate tax, your gift is entitled to an estate tax charitable deduction for the gift’s full value.
Transforming Lives | Changing the World
• Flexibility - You can change your mind at any time.
• Versatility - You can structure the gift to leave a specific item or amount of money, make a gift contingent on certain events, or leave a percentage of your estate as a gift.
Avoid capital gains taxes on appreciated stockStock gift
return to God. will one day
Reduce estate taxes on assets passing to heirsTrustLead
impact though financial and estate planning today.
Planned gifts are a great way to support something you love after a lifetime of caring for your loved ones.
Avoid the twofold taxation on retirement plan assetsRetirement assetsplan
Make a large gift at little or no cost to yourself by naming SOT/Sem as beneficiary Life insurance
Gifts you make after your lifetime
Leave a legacy to educate theologically grounded and pastorally discerning leaders skilled at drawing forth the gifts of faith communities. Continue building and strengthening the church beyond your glorious departure from this earth for you loved ones and friends Haveremaining.aneternal
The ability to make a significant gift in the future Will provision
Gifts you might make now
Gifts you make in partnership with us
Get a tax break and list SOT/ Sem as beneficiary for laterAdvised Donorfund
A Graduate School of Theology and Seminary initiative for financial CHANGINGaidTHE WORLDTRANS FORM ING LIVES
The need for Planned Giving
Fixed livinglovedincomesupplementforyouandoneswhileAnnuityGift
The longevity of institutions and achievement of long-term goals rely greatly on the success of attaining planned gifts.
. . . and
Another source of income while investing in God’s workTrust remainder
To read more of Jessie Bazan's story, visit “Becausewww.collegvilleMN.comofthediverse student body, we are able to experience the global church right in our classroom. . . It’s a gift to be able to take what I am learning in my classes and take these valuable teachings around. . . with energy and passion. This wouldn’t be possible without help from generous donors.”
Across the globe there is a great need for church leaders who can articulate a dynamic vision of the faith grounded in the ancestral tradition. Our Graduate School of Theology and Seminary cultivates in its students, faculty, and staff a yearning for the wisdom of the Christian tradition and pursuit of truth. Listening carefully to sacred texts, asking searching questions of what our ancestors in the faith understood about God, participating in the tried and true worship practices of the past two millennia, praying the psalms and reading the spiritual classics—these practices help us remain in conversation with God and position our students to be heralds of the Gospel and servant-leaders of Christian communities. Contemporary Christians are yearning for encounters with Christ and are not satisfied with mere ideas about God or information about God’s Law.
“Our students are preparing to be leaders in communities of faith, to help people live lives of faithful discipleship in the modern world. At the heart of that work is good theology. I strive to help students learn from wise women and men, past and present, who have sought to make Christian faith meaningful in their lives and their worlds so our graduates might do the same today.”
- William J. Cahoy, Dean Emeritus Professor of Theology
Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary educates and forms students for life as professionals, ministers and Christian disciples by integrating world class academics, Benedictine practices and a spiritual community in a contemplative environment.
Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary
Transforming Lives | Changing the World
Christian Communities Need Theologically Sound Leaders
Jessie came to us from Marquette University, Wisconsin. Jessie's leadership in the liturgy offered to students through her work in Campus Ministry is quite profound. Most recently, she explains the use of a liturgy to help those dealing with grief on a college campus. Insight to her work can be read in the article, “A space to heal" written by Jessie for the U.S. Catholic magazine (July 2016).
Jessie Bazan ‘17
Establish an endowed fund that will cover full tuition of one student each year.
$300,000
We believe our alumni do great things upon receipt of an education at our school. Graduates touch lives as a professor, a chaplain, a Senior National Associate for Roman Catholic Engagement, as the Director of Bread for the World, as a doctor, and even a producer, director, and host of Salt and Light Catholic Media. Take Gabriel Joseph Ssenkindo ‘99 (above) for example. Gabriel has taken on many different roles for Christ the King Priory in TororoUganda. He credits the SOT/Sem for educating and forming him to minister and serve anywhere and in any situation he encounters, includng COVID-19.
Full Tuition Endowed Scholarship Fund
Annual Giving
Annual Cost of Attendance Per Student (2 year M.A. vs. 3 year M.Div)
Average Full-Time Student Scholarship Award 98 Lay and Ecclesial Student Population
Finances should not cripple those in ministry from doing the wonderful work God has called them to do. Ministering families likely have one parent working full-time simply to provide medical insurance. When the bill comes for earning a master’s degree, where will financial support come from? Remove the simple obstacle and wondrous things can happen.
WORLDTRANS FORM ING LIVES
$30,000 - $75,000
100%
Donors may established a named endowed scholarship fund with a minimum gift of $50,000 which can be paid over five years or through an estate gift.
Concern over financial aid is the number one reason top candidate students truly seeking God’s will do not attend Saint John’s or do not attend full-time. Knowing they are entering fields where salaries do not allow for financial freedom let alone support a family, students seek schools that will support them in all aspects of following God’s will. Help call forth their gifts through your financial support of a Catholic Benedictine education.
$50,000
Endowed Scholarship Fund
A Graduate School of Theology and Seminary initiative for financial CHANGINGaidTHE
Giving Opportunities
Gifts to the Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary Annual Fund are used for financial aid, scholarships, programing and the important work of general operations in order to offer the excellent education and formation our students and communities need.
For more information about how you can help support scholarships at the Graduate School of Theology and Seminary and read more of Gabriel’s story and others, please go to www.collegevilleMN.com:
Full-Time Lay Students Receiving Aid
Any Amount
The need for Scholarships
$11,200
Walter Reger Annual gifts of $1,000 - $1,499
Grace Ellens, Development Director - 320-363-2551 - gellens@csbsju.edu - Box 5866, Collegeville, MN
P.O.
56321
Don Talafous Annual gifts of $25,000 and more
Members of Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary Fellow Society express their commitment by providing annual leadership gifts of $1,000 or more to the school through a 5-year pledge. These gifts are a significant investment in the education and spiritual formation of students and the church they serve. We invite you to make a real difference by becoming a member of the Community of Hope Fellows Society.
Community ofFellowsHopeSociety
Godfrey Diekmann Annual gifts of $1,500 - $2,499
Martin Schirber
Annual gifts of $2,500 - $4,999
Virgil Michel Annual gifts of $5,000 - $9,999
Donald LeMay Annual gifts of $10,000 - $24,999
the spiritual gifts of the faithful is the outcome when pursuing our Catholic mission to educate and form students for life, ministry, and service. At Saint John’s University Graduate School of Theology and Seminary (SOT/Sem) students are immersed in a Catholic Benedictine communal environment committed to ecclesial and liturgical renewal through integrated world class academics, Benedictine practices, and a spiritual community in a contemplative environment. Christ inaugurated the church as a vehicle of hope, the voice of good news. Through centuries of change and against those in every age who would dismiss our hope as naïve, the church bears witness to the reality of hope in the presence of God. Historically the church has relied on priests and religious to bear this mission of hope, to articulate our faith, lead our liturgies, teach our children, minister to the poor and hurting. Today the church is experiencing major shifts in the shape and practice of this leadership.Heralded by new voices of leadership, a new era is dawning in the church. The Spirit is at work among us calling the baptized to new forms of responsible, adult participation in the life and work of the church. Fittingly, we first experienced this in the liturgy. The baptized are called to participate in this holiest work of the church, not to observe it from the gallery. Now comes the call to participate in the ministry and leadership of the church. In response to this call, leaders are arising from among the laity to carry forward our mission of hope. While the absence of adequate numbers of ordained pastors and religious may have opened the door to this new era, we believe it is the work of the Spirit and a sign of the spiritual maturation of the church that many are stepping forward to walk through that door to leadership.Likewise, we need your leadership. The Spirit calls some brothers and sisters in Christ to be ministers, others are called to be their support and encouragement. Saint John’s University Graduate School of Theology and Seminary provides the discernment, education, and formation students needthat they may obey the Spirit’s call as a light in this world. To do so, a Catholic Benedictine education requires financial support. Support we receive from our Community of Hope Fellows Society. Be a leader and become a member of the SOT/Sem Fellows Society in calling forth the gifts of the faithful.
Calling forth
The theme chosen by the pope for the next synod is: “For a synodal church: communion, participation and mission.”
Local theology professor named to Vatican commission assisting Synod of Bishops
Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary associate professor Kristin Colberg has been named to the theological commission charged with assisting the leaders of the Synod of Bishops’ general secretariat in reviewing documents, drafting resources and developing best practices.
By Junno Arocho Esteves | Catholic News Service
“It is a huge honor to be asked to participate in this important work,” Colberg said.
Colberg, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, Master of Divinity from Yale University Divinity School and a doctorate from the University of Notre Dame, has been teaching at St. John’s in Collegeville since 2012.
“Synodality means to ‘journey together.’ This is an exciting chance for the Church to journey together to listen to the Holy Spirit and to each other, and think about how the Church can be more fully herself as we move into the future,” she said.
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, told Vatican News in May that, although originally scheduled for 2022, the synod will take place in October 2023 to allow for broader consultation at the diocesan, national and regional levels.
In revisions to the synod process announced in May, Pope Francis has asked that it begin with consultations with laypeople on the diocesan level before the discussion and discernment moved to a national level and then the 2023 synod assembly itself.
Colberg teaches classes in systematic theology, ecclesiology, theological anthropology and theological method which examine fundamental issues in theology. She also has worked extensively with the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, striving toward Christian unity through ecumenical dialogues, which she believes ultimately led to her appointment to the synod commission.
July 20, 2021 Catholic News Service Around the Diocese, Feature
According to the synod website, the theological commission and the methodology commission will include religious and lay experts from around the world.
“It’s exciting to work with people from all the world over who care about the Church,” she said. “Pope Francis is really trying to create a listening Church. This synod, first and foremost, is about listening and trying to discern where the Spirit is leading us at this moment in time. I’m excited to be part of something so important, so diverse and so catholic in the sense of the Universal Church.”
The commission will “review texts and documents and possibly make suggestions; present theological proposals for the development of synodality; produce and share materials for theological study; and collaborate closely with other Thecommissions.”methodology commission, which is comprised of nine members, will be led by Xaviere Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of synod of bishops, and is charged with developing best practices and proposing processes at the local, national, and international level.
of members of the synod’s communications and spirituality commissions are expected to be published later.
Those processes include proposals for the drafting of the handbook, or vademecum, for bishops, gathering and analyzing summaries, the drafting of the “instrumentum laboris,” or working document, and the final document, the synod’s website
In an editorial published in the Spanish Catholic magazine Revista Ecclesia in May, Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín, undersecretary of Synod of Bishops, said four commissions will be created “to help the general secretariat: communications, methodology, spirituality and theology. They will all have an international character and integrating different cultures.”
In addition to Colberg, members of the commissions from the United States and Canada include: Congregation of Jesus Sister Gill Goulding, professor of systematic theology at Regis College in Toronto, Canada; Canadian Father Gilles Routhier, professor of theology at Laval University in Quebec, Canada; and Jesuit Father David McCallum, Executive Director for Discerning Leadership Program at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York. Colberg said her efforts with the synod commission are already underway.
“The work is started and it is a very diverse international group of theologians,” she said. “I anticipate there will be times when we come together to listen and other times where we are sent off to do our own work in smaller groups to reflect on the ways our expertise allows each of us to contribute. It is a wonderful surprise blessing. I take it as a joy and a Kristiresponsibility.”Andersonof
“Peoplestated.
The theological commission, led by Bishop Marín, is comprised of 25 experts in theology, philosophy and canon law from around the world, including the United States, Italy, Spain, Burkina Faso, Syria, Tanzania and Mexico.
should see the synod as something exciting,” Colberg said. “Synodality can sound institutional but it’s really about journeying together and listening to each other. All the dioceses can work together for the world by listening to each Theother.”list
The Central Minnesota Catholic contributed to this article.
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