DIGITAL PACKET
Graduate Degree, Certificate, & Formation Programs www.stbernards.edu | (585) 271-3657
INSIDE YOU'LL FIND:
MISSION
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PRE-THEOLOGY FORMATION
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PERMANENT DIACONATE FORMATION
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GRADUATE DEGREES
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CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
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ST. BERNARD'S MAGAZINE
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BLOG & STUDENT TESTIMONIAL
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Should you have any questions regarding our programs, please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions.
M R .
M A T T H E W
B R O W N
M A T T H E W . B R O W N @ S T B E R N A R D S . E D U ( 5 8 5 )
2 7 6 - 3 6 5 7 ,
O P T .
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Mission & Vision Our
institution
has
a
rich
history
spanning
over 125 years
of
providing theological education and formation. We strive to reunite theology,
sanctity,
and
prayer
in
and
through
our
courses
by
contemplating what is true, beautiful, and good, thereby appealing to both the mind and heart in coming to know and to love Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Himself. Our physical campus is located in upstate New York and has a legacy that includes people and places such
as
Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen
and
the
nearby
Cistercian Abbey of the Genesee.
Our mission is to nurture the entirety of the human person through attention to the pastoral, intellectual, spiritual, and human pillars of formation with the hope that we may, in a definite and dedicated way, assist our students to understand the things of our Faith and to incarnate them in their day-to-day service to God's people and the world as a whole.
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Pre-Theology Formation
As part of our ongoing contribution to the St.
ministerial
needs
Bernard’s
of
our
developed
Church, a
Pre-
Theology Program to address a need that
many
country
dioceses
face:
to
throughout
prepare
young
the men
who, although possessing a bachelor’s degree,
have
not
received
the
necessary
spiritual,
human,
pastoral,
but
especially the philosophical training required for entrance into the seminary.
The
Pre-Theology
program
uses
the
Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy curriculum, courses
to
outlined
in
combined meet the
with
the
additional
requirements
Program
of
Priestly
Formation. By the time a candidate is ready for seminary, he will have received St. Bernard's Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy degree.
A student’s intellectual formation can be
completed
semesters),
or
in at
two a
years
more
(six
leisurely
pace chosen by the student’s Director of Vocations, and can be taken from anywhere in the country.
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Permanent Diaconate Formation As part of our ongoing contribution to the ministerial needs of our Church, St. Bernard’s offers formation for the Permanent Diaconate in partnership with the Dioceses of Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, and Allentown. This formation program is designed to be part of a concerted effort on the part of a diocese to form a man spiritually, pastorally, humanly, and intellectually so that he might discern and be formed for the sake of successful ministry as a permanent deacon.
Typically,
five
years
are
devoted
to
preparation
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies degree
is
for used
this as
sacrament. the
basis
of
The the
intellectual formation for a dicoese’s permanent diaconate program and each diocese customizes this degree program with specified electives and program completion
timelines
to
meet
their
formational
needs.
St.
Bernard’s
is
prepared to be a collaborator alongside the broader team of formators within each diocese to ensure that excellent intellectual formation is provided, which is
also
bolstered
by
the
other
three
dimensions
of
formation.
St.
Bernard’s
offers a robust academic advising program and is able to provide diocesean formation teams with intellectual reporting tools such as advising assessments, reporting, and regular evaluation meetings - all at the individual direction and request of each diocese.
This program is developed in accordance with the National Directory for the Formation, publication
Ministry,
and
authored
Life
and
of
Permanent
published
by
Deacons
the
United
in
the
United
States
States,
Conference
a of
Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
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Graduate Programs St. Bernard’s academic offerings assist students of all ages in coming to know and to love the Lord and his Church through theological, philosophical, and pastoral engagement. Men and women, cleric and lay, ecclesial ministers and those seeking personal formation and edification enroll in our programs, seeking the good, the true, and the beautiful alongside one another. More on our graduate programs can be found on our website here.
We have four degree programs:
1.
MASTER OF ARTS IN THEOLOGICAL STUDIES .
Our MATS seeks to
provide students with a thorough understanding of theology that simultaneously increases knowledge of the faith and incites the humble adoration of the mysteries of divine revelation. 2.
MASTER OF ARTS IN PASTORAL STUDIES .
This degree seeks to
provide students with a dynamic combination of theological and ministerial formation, which prepares them to offer an engaging, wellformed witness to the world. 3.
MASTER OF DIVINITY.
Our MDIV seeks to provide students with an
extensive and dynamic combination of theological and ministerial formation, thereby providing a firm foundation for professional ministry. 4.
MASTER OF ARTS IN CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHY .
This degree seeks to
engage students in a systematic study of philosophy as realized within the Catholic intellectual tradition at a graduate level. Students will become historically informed, independent thinkers who can engage in the discipline of philosophy as practiced within Catholic intellectual circles and outside of these within contemporary culture for the sake of the goods for which the Diaconate, priesthood, or other ministries within the Roman Catholic Church exist. 6
Certificate Programs Our Certificates seek to enrich those wanting to learn more – who desire to be formed and informed so as to offer a well-formed witness to the world. Below you’ll find a summary of our programs. Note that a bachelor’s degree is not required for our certificates. More on our certificates can be found on our website here.
We have five programs that are each comprised of 5 courses (15 credit hours):
1.
CERTIFICATE IN CATHOLICISM AND FINE ARTS (CCFA) .
This
certificate program seeks to explore various art forms and their relation to and revelation of the faith. 2.
CERTIFICATE IN CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHY (CCP) .
Our CCP seeks to
provide a basic introduction to the practice of philosophy as realized within the Catholic intellectual tradition. 3.
CERTIFICATE IN CATHOLIC BIOETHICS (CCB) .
This certificate program
will provide an introduction to the realm of bioethics from the Catholic perspective. 4.
CERTIFICATE IN CATECHETICAL LEADERSHIP (CCL) .
At the heart of
St. Bernard’s exists the desire to form those discerning ministry – being Christ’s hands and feet to those around them. This certificate program provides a basic introduction to the tenets of the faith and ways to discern calls to ministry. 5.
CERTIFICATE IN CATHOLIC BIBLICAL STUDIES (CCBS) .
This certificate
provides a thorough grounding in the study of Sacred Scripture with a focus on its historical context combined with the fullness of the canon, an explicit philosophy of interpretation, and a hermeneutic of faith in the context of the Church.
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St. Bernard's Magazine Each
semester,
St.
Bernard's
publishes
its
Magazine
as
an
opportunity
to
update its community of alumni, students, donors, faculty, and others with our news,
events,
student
and
alumni
spotlights,
and
faculty
writings.
We
were
thrilled to give our publication a refreshed look and invite you to view it by clicking the image below! If you'd like to receive a copy of our magazine in the mail, you can fill out this form here.
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St. Bernard's Blog & Student Testimonial St.
Bernard's
blog
is
an
opportunity
for
students,
alumni,
and
professors
to
engage current events and topics of faith and culture. We invite you to peruse our blogs, found on our website and by clicking the image below:
Student Testimonial Jonathan Molik Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Studies, Buffalo Campus As someone who has been involved in ministry in the Diocese of Buffalo for
several
provide
him
years, the
Jonathan
best
was
opportunity
searching to
grow
in
for his
a
school
ability
to
that
could
serve
and
further his career goals. He was drawn to the Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Studies program because not only will it further his knowledge of theology, but it will teach him how to bring a pastoral approach to modern
problems
of
the
world.
He
hopes
to
devote
his
entire
life
to
fostering a culture built on a foundation of love and faith.
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For more than 125 years, St. Bernard's has steadily pursued a course of dedication and service to Christ and His Church. In 1981 St. Bernard's became one of the first accredited Roman Catholic theological schools in the eastern US to offer graduate education to lay people. In 1989, St. Bernard's opened its doors in the Diocese of Albany, and in 2011 held its first class in the Diocese of Syracuse. In 2019, St. Bernard's began its first ever online distance learning program allowing anyone anywhere to access our graduate theology and philosophy degrees.
Our mission is to nurture the entirety of the human person through attention to the pastoral, intellectual, spiritual, and human pillars of formation with the hope that we may, in a definite and dedicated way, assist our students to understand the things of our Faith and to incarnate them in their day-today service to God's people and the world as a whole.
120 French Road
(585) 271-3657
Rochester, NY 14618
www.stbernards.edu