ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
The academic curriculum of St. Patrick's Seminary & University teaches Roman Catholic theology from an integrated perspective. The primary goal of the curriculum is to help students integrate all aspects of their formation with a view to readiness for pastoral ministry in the Church. Thus, all of the theological courses incorporate the following themes:- the Church as the people of God;
- the Church as a community of Word and Sacrament, with special emphasis on the Eucharist;
- the role of the priest as minister of Word and Sacrament;
- the prophetic call to social justice and its implications for contemporary living;
- Ecumenism and the promotion of understanding of and respect for other faiths;
- the importance of family life and the dignity of the human person as a basis for society;
- the implications of living in a multicultural Church and world.
PRE-THEOLOGY PROGRAM
As a prerequisite for theological studies and for admission to the theologate, the Program of Priestly Formation (2006) of the U.S. Bishops requires 30 credits in philosophy (#186) and 12 credits in religious studies (#187). St. Patrick's Seminary & University offers these pre-theology courses, as well as a range of other preparatory experiences to seminarians in a two-year pre-theology program.
The Courses of Studies for Pre-Theology presents the full two-year Pre-Theology Program. Seminarians who have completed a college seminary program or who have done pre-theology elsewhere are generally admitted directly to First Theology.
St. Patrick's Seminary & University's Pre-Theology Program includes seminars, addressing topics concerning spirituality and the integration of philosophy, theology and the humanities. The principal goal of these series of seminars is to give the Pre-Theologian a solid and well-integrated foundation for his move into First Theology studies.
Course of Studies for Pre-Theology
First Year Pre-Theology
| MT-105 | Prayer and Christian Tradition | 1 |
| PH-101 | History of Philosophy I | 6 |
| TH-102 | Catholic Doctrine I | 3 |
| PH-103 | Logic | 3 |
| MT-104 | Introduction to Spirituality | 3 |
| PH-102 | History of Philosophy II | 6 |
| TH-103 | Catholic Doctrine II | 3 |
| PH-207 | Metaphysics & Philosophy of Nature | 3 |
| Elective | 2 |
Second Year Pre-Theology
| TH-105 | Introduction to the Study of Theology | 3 |
| PH-105 | Ethics | 3 |
| PH-106 | Epistemology | 3 |
| Integrating Seminar* | 3 | |
| Language** | 3 | |
| TH-107 | Introduction to Sacred Scripture | 3 |
| PH-108 | Natural Theology | 3 |
| Integrating Seminar* | 3 | |
| Language** | 3 |
| PH-111 | Selected Philosophers | LT-101/102 | Latin |
| PH-113 | Philosophical Novel | SS-9350 | Biblical Greek |
| PT-203 | Faith and Reason | SS-9348 | Biblical Hebrew |
| PT-204 | Catholic Fiction | SPN-1-5 | Pastoral Spanish |
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS (UNDERGRADUATE)
PRE-THEOLOGY PROGRAMMT-104: Introduction to Spirituality
This semester experience will focus on developing the basic components of a priestly life and spirituality, such as apostolic service, prayer and an increased knowledge of the Catholic spiritual tradition
PH-101: History of Philosophy I
This six-unit course will trace the development of philosophy from the Classical era (Plato, Aristotle) to the end of the medieval period. Special attention will be given to the thought of St. Augustine and the perennial philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
PH-102: History of Philosophy II
This six-unit course continues to study the development of philosophy from Descartes to the contemporary philosophies of the 20th century (e.g., existentialism). Emphasis will be placed on classical modern philosophies and on the Church's relationship to the discipline of philosophy.
PH-103: Logic
Logic studies the rules of valid reasoning. In this course the student examines Aristotelian logic, which served as the foundation of medieval and Thomistic theology. The fallacies, the syllogism and the valid form of argumentation will be studied. Modern symbolic logic is compared to Aristotelian logic to show the student the development of logic in the modern era.
PH-104: Metaphysics
This class discusses the classical metaphysical questions surrounding being, ontology, and the ultimate nature of existence. Focus is placed on the metaphysics of St. Thomas Aquinas, its influence on Catholic dogma, and the challenges, which are raised by the Kantian critique.
PH-105: Ethics
This course examines the ethical teachings of various philosophers throughout history. Questions to be discussed include: What is good? What makes a good life? How does one make ethical judgments? Special attention is given to the role of the virtues in the philosophy of St. Thomas.
PH-106: Epistemology
This course reviews the key questions surrounding human knowing, such as, what is knowledge? How does knowledge arise, and what modes of knowledge are valid? It examines the various answers given in the history of philosophical thought.
PH-107: Natural Theology
Natural theology determines what can be known of God and the world by the light of natural reason. This course asks such questions as: What can we know about God and the Spiritual by reason unaided by divine revelation? Questions to be asked are: What are the arguments for the existence of God? Can we be certain that spiritual agents, such as angels, exist? Does the human being have a soul? Did the world have a beginning in time? St. Thomas Aquinas's philosophy is studied closely in this course.
PH-108: Philosophical Anthropology
This course discusses various answers to the philosophical question, Who is the human person and what is his/her relationship to God? Emphasis will focus on the traditional Christian understanding of this question and the challenges raised by post-Enlightenment philosophy.
PH-207: Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Nature
Metaphysics is the study of being as such. What is the fundamental nature of reality? How does matter differ from mind? Why is there something rather than nothing? The philosophy of nature follows metaphysics by asking, What is the nature of natural phenomena and the creation? This course examines the Aristotelian and Thomistic tradition on the notion of being and natural substance.
PH- 111: Selected Philosopher
In this course an individual philosopher is studied in detail. Each year a particular philosopher will be chosen for his influence on Catholic thought, theology and life. Such thinkers as St. Augustine, William of Ockham, Immanuel Kant, William James, Jacques Maritan, Martin Heidegger, and Ãtienne Gilson will be studied.
PH -112: Philosophical Integration
This course is taken at the end of the Pre-Theology Program for the purpose of integrating the many philosophy courses taken by the student. Thomistic themes are brought together to give the philosophy student a systematic philosophical vision. Also, the historical continuity of the perennial philosophy is examined to highlight the Catholic philosophical tradition
PH-113: Philosophical Novel
In this course the student will read a select number of novels, which focus on philosophical or cultural issues such as human freedom, atheism, God, evil, crime and religion.
PT-203: Faith and Reason
Taught in a seminar format this course examines the relationship between faith and reason. How does faith influence reasoning? How does reason inform our faith? Is there an inherent conflict between these two faculties of the soul or do they work together? Major Christian philosophers are examined to see how they answered these questions. St. Thomas' approach to the relation of faith and reason is used as a model.
PT-204: Catholic Fiction
In this course several classic Catholic novels are read. The conversations, theology and spirituality of the authors are examined to help the students interpret the fictional texts. Such themes as the priesthood, spirituality, temptation, and the modern Church are covered. The students are encouraged to discover the implicit theology in the various Catholic novels studied.
SS-107: Introduction to Sacred Scripture
This course is designed to give students the basic tools for understanding the study of Sacred Scripture. Topics to be covered include: the senses of scripture, the development of the canon, the historical critical method, magisterial teaching since Pope Leo XIII on the study of God's word, and the basic structure of the Old and the New Testaments.
TH-102: Catholic Doctrine I
This class is the first of a two-part course introducing students to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This class will cover Parts I, The Profession of Faith, and Part IILife in Christ, which familiarizes students with the basic principles of Catholic faith and morals.
TH-103: Catholic Doctrine II
This course covers Parts II, The Celebration of the Christian Mystery, and Part IV, Christian Prayer, of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This course will deal with the public and private expression of the Catholic faith in the sacraments and in the life of prayer.
TH-105: Introduction to the Study of Theology
This course is designed to give students the basic tools for understanding the study of Sacred Theology. Topics to be covered include: basic theological vocabulary, the nature of revelation, the relation of Scripture and Tradition, the relation of faith and reason, and the role of the Church's magisterium.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM (ELP )
MASTER OF DIVINITY PROGRAM (M.DIV.)
The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is the ordinary professional degree for those preparing for ordained Roman Catholic Priesthood. It is also open to people qualified with appropriate background. It is earned by the successful completion of the regular Seminary academic and pastoral curriculum requiring 118 units of credit (110 required units plus eight elective units) as outlined below in the "Course of Studies for M.Div." (For students who are not pursuing ordination to the Roman Catholic Priesthood, the total number of units is 106.)
The functional goals and objectives of the M.Div. degree at St. Patrick's Seminary & University are:
- To move the student to a conscious appropriation of the Christian biblical tradition and the Christian faith, and the ability to articulate that faith for himself and others;
- To provide the skills which promote the student's ability to interrelate theology and pastoral practice;
- To provide the appropriate spiritual and ethical formation which will enable the student to be an effective moral leader in the Church and in the world;
- To provide the skills which allow the student to minister effectively in the pluralistic, multicultural environment reflected in the Church in the dioceses served by the Seminary;
- To provide all the pastoral skills necessary to minister in a Roman Catholic parish through liturgical leadership, preaching, teaching, counseling, and organizing.
Program Requirements
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree, have completed thirty semester units of philosophy and twelve semester units of religious studies, and must have taken one of the following tests: GRE or MAT. In addition, those for whom English is not their native language, the TOEFL/TWE must be taken. To successfully complete the program, students are expected to maintain an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0.
The first two years of the program are designed to provide students with the basic skills and academic foundation which they will utilize in the pastoral year, i.e., in the areas of scripture, systematics, moral theology, Hispanic studies, field education, introductory homiletics, and basic pastoral skills.
The Pastoral Year is a ten-month full-time parish experience of pastoral ministry in the student's own diocese. This program is a six-unit program carefully monitored by a trained on-site supervisor (usually the pastor) in conjunction with the Director of the Pastoral Year at the Seminary. Normally, the Pastoral Year takes place after Second Theology. Those who enter the program later will do their Pastoral Year after two full years of theological study. Those who do not take advantage of the Pastoral year must take six extra credits in Field Education.
After the Pastoral Year, students, return to the Seminary for the completion of their final year(s) of theological training. These final year(s) seek to deepen the student's theological development through advanced courses in scripture, systematics, and moral theology. Furthermore, they help students better integrate their pastoral experience with academics. Practical and theological courses in supervised ministry, homiletics, liturgical and sacramental celebration, and canon law provide immediate preparation for priestly ministry.
The areas described above outline general goals of the M.Div. Program. The academic courses which contribute to the desired development cover the following specific areas and number of units:
| Sacred Scripture | 15 |
| Moral Theology | 18 |
| Systematic Theology | 26 |
| Liturgy | 9 |
| Church History | 8 |
| Pastoral Studies * | 34 |
| Electives | 8 |
* Includes six units for Pastoral Year and two units for Field Education
Course of Studies for M.Div. and Ordination Requirements
First Year Theology
| SH-5105 | Patristic/Medieval Church History | 3 |
| SL-5108 | Foundations of Christian Liturgy | 3 |
| SS-5101 | The Pentateuch and Historical Books | 3 |
| SD-5101 | Fundamental Theology and Theological Method | 3 |
| MT-5103 | Prayer in Christian Tradition | 1 |
| PS-5111 | Catechetics | 1 |
| SH-5106 | Church in Reformation and Modern Times | 3 |
| MT-5102 | Fundamental Moral Theology | 3 |
| SS-5102 | Synoptic Gospels | 3 |
| SD-6238 | Christian Anthropology and Life of Grace | 3 |
| PS-5112 | Homiletics I: Proclamation | 1 |
| PS-5103 | Ministry in a Multicultural Society | 2 |
Second Year Theology
| SD-6231 | Christology/Soteriology | 3 |
| SS-6241 | Pauline Corpus | 3 |
| MT-6253 | Spiritual Theology | 2 |
| PS-6271 | Pastoral Counseling [or Homiletics II] | 3 |
| PS-6184 | Ministerial Environment | 2 |
| SD-6232 | Theology of Sacraments | 3 |
| SD-6234 | Theology of the Church | 3 |
| MT-6251 | Meaning of Human Sexuality | 3 |
| PS-6101 | Homiletics II [or Pastoral Counseling] | 3 |
| PS-6280 | Field Education I | 1 |
Pastoral Year
| PS-7282 | Pastoral Year I/Field Education Requirement | 3 |
| PS-7282 | Pastoral Year II/Field Education Requirement | 3 |
Third Year Theology
| SD-7235 | Theology of Eucharist | 3 |
| MT-7352 | Catholic Social Ethics | 3 |
| SD-7236 | Ordained Priesthood and Lay Ecclesial Ministry | 3 | PS-6281 | Field Education II | 1 |
| PS-7285 | Parish Administration and Finance | 2 |
| SD-7233 | The Trinity | 3 |
| SS-7242 | Gospel of John | 3 |
| PS-7273 | Introduction to Canon Law | 3 |
| SS-7341/42 | Prophets (or SS-7342: OT Wisdom Literature) | 3 |
Fourth Year Theology
| MT-8254 | Medical Ethics | 3 |
| SH-8236 | American Catholicism | 2 |
| PS-8275 | Theol & Canon Law of Marriage | 3 | SL-8237 | The Liturgical Year | 3 |
| SD-9442 | Apologetics in American Culture | 2 |
Number of Units Listed: 98
Students are required to take four elective courses – one of which is in Spiritual Theology, and earn eight units toward the degree.
Total Units Required - 106
Students in the M.A. program who need to take elective courses will need to do extra work and obtain 3 units for each of these elective courses. (12 units)
Ordination Requirements -12 Units
| PS-7274 | Homiletics III: Preaching: Special Occasions and Issues | 3 |
| PS-8276 | Homiletics IV: Presiding: Special Occasions and Issues | 3 |
| MT-8255 | Theology of Reconciliation and Anointing | 3 | SL-8237 | Liturgical Celebration | 3 |
Total Number of Units Listed: 118
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