Grant through Lilly Endowment's Pathways for Tomorrow initiative to help fund clergy, lay formation, shared seminary resources
DETROIT — The Lilly Endowment announced it will distribute 45 large-scale grants to theological schools across the U.S. and Canada, including directing about $60 million to several Catholic institutions.
The grants, which range from $2.5 million to $10 million, are a part of the Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, helping theological schools to “enhance their educational and financial capacities” and train pastors “to effectively lead congregations from a wide variety of contexts,” according to a press release from the organization.
The grants will benefit a range of ecumenical traditions, including Catholic institutions, as well as mainline Protestant, evangelical, and Orthodox ones.
Catholic institutions receiving grants include The Catholic University of America, which received over $7 million; Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon, which received $10 million; Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Wickliffe, Ohio, which received nearly $8.9 million; the University of Notre Dame, which received over $5 million; and Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, which received $10 million. Loyola University of Chicago received $10 million and Santa Clara University was awarded $10 million.
The $8.9 million grant to Saint Mary Seminary, in particular, will help equip clergy and lay leaders for ministry by strengthening current and future programs in partnership with parishes and neighboring seminaries, including Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa.
The grant will benefit the formation of ministers throughout the region and provide for the development of shared seminary resources among the three seminaries.
"As a collaborating partner on this grant, Sacred Heart Major Seminary looks forward to our shared work to form ministers in the Heart of Jesus Christ," Sacred Heart Major Seminary said in a statement.
In addition, Sacred Heart Major Seminary recently received a $1 million Lily Grant to develop credentialing programs for ministers.
Saint Mary Seminary, which is in the Diocese of Cleveland, said its grant will "renew and expand its spiritual and intellectual programs for clergy, lay women and men, and youth and young adults, especially from underrepresented communities."
The grant will also support the formation a three-year pastoral formation curriculum offered at various parishes throughout the diocese as well as "summer intellectual and pastoral experiences for college-age and high school-age students."
The programs will operate under the title Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd Institute.
“The Catholic Church faces an urgent and immediate need for equipping ministerial leaders, especially in minority communities underrepresented by ordained clergy," Fr. Andrew Turner, president-rector of Saint Mary Seminary, said in a news release.
The grant will include $4.5 million for direct programming over five years, and $4.4 million for ongoing endowment support.
Saint John’s said in a statement its grant would be used as a part of a mission called “Stabilitas: Renewing Rural Ministry.” It will collaborate with nine partner dioceses across the country as a part of the mission, including the Diocese of Saint Cloud, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, the Diocese of Duluth, the Diocese of Rapid City, the Diocese of Sioux Falls, the Archdiocese of Dubuque, the Diocese of Davenport, the Diocese of Cheyenne, and the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.
The Catholic University of America said it would use its $7.2 million grant to develop a program to help “strengthen practical leadership skills of current and new priests, seminarians, and other pastoral leaders.” The program also will provide ongoing formation for bishops, according to a release from the university. The Catholic Project will serve as a partner in the program, called New Wineskins.
“This initiative allows us to address some of the most pressing issues in leadership for seminarians, men’s religious communities, bishops, and pastoral leaders. This is an opportunity to build on the School of Theology’s 130-year foundation of preparing leaders for service to the Church,” said Susan Timoney, the principal investigator for New Wineskins.
The Lilly Endowment's Pathways for Tomorrow initiative has been in place since 2021 and has provided more than $700 million in grants to 163 theological schools.
“Theological schools play a vital role in preparing and supporting pastoral leaders for Christian congregations,” said Christopher L. Coble, the Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “We believe that one of the most promising paths for theological schools to carry forward their important missions and enhance their impact is to work collaboratively with other schools, as well as congregations and other church-related organizations.”
“By doing so they can strengthen their collective capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for effective congregational service now and in the future,” he added.
“Collectively, these schools will work collaboratively with nearly 400 other theological schools, colleges and universities, congregations, church agencies, denominations and other religious organizations to educate and support more effectively both aspiring and current pastoral leaders of churches,” the Lilly Endowment said.
Detroit Catholic contributed to this report.
