Ordained Ministry
The Master of Divinity program at the University of Notre Dame invites students who are preparing for service to the Roman Catholic Church as lay ecclesial ministers, as well as students who are preparing to serve the Church as ordained priests. In keeping with the spirit of collaborative leadership which is the model for ministry in the contemporary Church, many experiences in the three-year program will be shared in common among the two groups of students on their respective vocational paths. However, the dimension of spiritual formation, which is one of the three keystones of the program, takes somewhat different forms for the two groups.
For those pursing the ordained priesthood in the Congregation of Holy Cross, their religious order shapes and supervises their spiritual formation. If you are interested in exploring this path of ministerial service, consider the following material.
Congregation of Holy Cross
Moreau Seminary, located on the Notre Dame campus, under the direction of the Congregation of Holy Cross, serves as the religious formation house for the Congregations seminarians pursuing their theological studies at Notre Dame. The Congregation of Holy Cross offers a one-year candidate program at Moreau Seminary for college graduates who qualify and who have a strong interest and desire in taking a step toward investigating a vocation to priesthood or brotherhood in Holy Cross.
For further information, contact:
Director of Vocations:
PO Box 541
Moreau Seminary
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 631-6385
Email: Vocation.1@nd.edu
Moreau Email: Morsem@nd.edu
Check out the Vocation Website at vocation.nd.edu
A separate program of spiritual formation is available to all other students in the M.Div. program. This program focuses on the special ways that lay ministers nurture and sustain their Christian life. Students are enabled to recognize and do those things which make for authentic Christian ministry.
As one preparing for ordained ministry in the Church, I strongly believe that my training for that ministry has been greatly enriched and enhanced by studying side-by-side with people preparing for lay ecclesial ministry. The opportunity to study together is simply invaluable preparation for working together in the future. I know that I personally have learned so much from the insights and wisdom of my lay colleagues in the program, and I hope they have learned from me, too.
Without a doubt, one of the best parts of the M.Div. program at Notre Dame is the opportunity to take class from some of the best theological minds in the world today. There is just such a treasure of wisdom in the faculty that really invites one to grow in knowledge and understanding of the faith and its mysteries.
As much as I have learned from my classes, I must say that I have probably learned just as much from my amazing classmates. From day one, I was amazed at the great diversity and wealth of experiences that my classmates brought to the program, whether it be in education or in ministry. And since day one, I have been reaping the gifts of being surrounded by such a great group of God’s children.
-- DREW GAWRYCH, C.S.C.
