Church guide

‪REGISTER TODAY! ‬ ‪The 2019 Summer Conference Week “Mapping Campus Ministry: Culture, Person, and Strategy” is a great opportunity for those working and or interested in college campus ministry. ‬ ‪For more information and how to register visit: https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/schools/stm/academics/summer-at-stm/conference-week‬

“I moved to Boston to start at the STM after living in Rome, Italy for 2 years. I started to quickly despise the word “transition,” as it felt like an excuse for my inability to feel at home in Boston. I moved into a home with five women, none of which were home very often in the first month, and I was missing the food, sights, and friends that I was so enamored with while in Italy. After some time, my roommates became a little more open and home a little more often, and I began to find a beautiful community. Through the late nights of paper writing at our dinner table, squealing because of yet another mouse sighting, or sitting on the couch watching TV, we created a beautiful and strong community unlike any I had been a part of before. I was able to extend this female friendship outside of House of Mouse and find other supportive women in my classes and jobs who allowed me to speak my own voice without fear of judgement. I had never been able to do that before meeting these incredible women. I found role models and mentors in female professors that encouraged me to continue speaking up because my voice was worthy of being heard. As my two years here have gone by, I have realized how important strong female friendships have become to me. I will remember Boston as being the city I lived in when the #MeToo movement became so well-known, and I had women I was able to talk about this monumental moment with and could understand and share how it affected me. The STM is where I wrestled with having my voice be heard in the classroom and fighting those feelings of unworthiness. I will never forget the encouragement, love, and worthiness I felt from my female friends and role models at the STM. I will carry them with me after I leave BC and empower other women to feel as loved and worthy as these women have made me feel.” — Elly Hahn M.A. '19

FEATURED SUMMER COURSE: The “Theology of the People” in the Teaching of Pope Francis. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ PROFESSOR: Rafael Luciani ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ WHEN: June 24 - July 11. Monday - Thursday, 5:45 - 9:00 P.M. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ COST: Audit rate- $1,725. Minister in the vicinity- $300 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Swipe for more detail and register today by going to the @bcstm website➡️Academics➡️Summer at STM @rafluciani @ Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

"The kitchen in my house is very small – especially since it is shared by seven people. My roommates and I have all had to learn the "kitchen dance" – akin to a constant game of musical chairs (though with only two chairs). When one person moves, everyone else also needs to move to make room. Yet, it is quite often that many (or all) of us are gathered in the kitchen, whether to eat, cook, or just chat – sometimes for hours. Conversations range from talking about our days, to making fun of one another, to continuing discussions had in class – and usually at least once someone will say "why don't we move to the dining room?" And we never do. A staple of these conversations – even many of the tough ones – is laughter. The ability to sit (and/or stand depending on the rhythm of the dance) with one another in times both good and bad – and to feel immense joy disproportionate to the space we're in – is a reality I never want to go without and which unfailingly reveals the presence of God. Community – the felt-sense of a God who exists in-relation – has been a staple of my time at the STM, and has shaped the way I think about vocation. Outside of the kitchen dance, I have found it through the delegation I traveled to El Salvador with last year; the communities in El Salvador who shared their stories and homes with us; a class this past semester in which laughter and rigor went hand in hand; friends, staff, and faculty who made coming to work a source of joy; and the list goes on. Through communities that allow us to be and develop as our full selves, we help one another better understand our unique vocation – which by nature is not limited to our work – and the ways it manifests in ever-evolving ways to serve our universal call to love God, self, and neighbor. Responding to a God in-relation beckons us to nurture and sustain radical relationality, near and far, as central to our life’s vocation." ~Anthony Russo, MA'19 #HumansofSTM #HumansofBCSTM

Congratulations to the class of 2019! In the words of Dean Tom Stegman, “Go share the good news!” #bc2019 #bcstm #classof2019 @ Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

Jackie Regan, Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Career Services at @bcstm, speaks of our students' passions and the next generation of church leaders who desire space where they could share their ministerial gifts with freedom and creativity. Read more in the recently published NCR article: https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/grace-margins/young-progressive-catholics-really-do-care-about-church

Today was the School of Theology and Ministry’s Sending Forth Litrugy. May we continue to pray in thanksgiving for the year and bless and send forth graduating members of the Class of 2019. #classof2019 #bcstm #community #theology #ministry @ Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

“Strange as it may seem, I discovered theology and ministry as a vocation in the seventh grade. The discovery took place within the context of a Young Christian Students (YCS) group facilitated by three Franciscan sisters who were my teachers. It was in this context that I was introduced to the See-Judge-Act method of learning how (and why!) to read the Word (the Gospel) in the world. As part of a select group of twelve and thirteen year old students, my theological imagination and ministerial aspirations were engaged by a growing awareness of the ethical demands of discipleship and my own moral agency as a follower of Jesus. The years of 1963-1965 were turbulent times in the Chicago area, specifically with regard to issues of race and racism. My mentors were undaunted in their conviction that bringing together junior high school students from a variety of racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds was a faith-based imperative. Because of their commitment to interracial justice, I was fortunate to be part of Saturday encounters with peers from around the city who, like me, were being formed to live out of and into a faith that does justice. In the process of shared reflection on biblical passages, I became aware of the social realities of injustice and the role of Christian communities in bringing about social change. Looking back, I realize how blessed I was to find myself in the company of adults - religious, clergy and lay, who were intent on creating the conditions for a new generation to “hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). From Saint Pascal Grade School to the STM – and all stops along the way, my YCS relationships and experiences brought me to where I find myself today, “stone of hope” still in hand. They were occasions of grace that set my heart on fire and ignited my passion for participating in God’s mission. Moral of the Story: Never underestimate the theological imagination and ministerial aspirations of a twelve-year old.” -Sr. Meg Guider, OSF, Associate Professor of Missiology #HumansofSTM #humansofbcstm

On this Easter Sunday, may we remember that "...just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, we too might walk in newness of life." ~ Romans 6:4

In a recent news article, STM Professor Hosffman Ospino talks about an important ritual that holds a special place in the hearts of many Catholics. The practice profoundly grounded in the Catholic imagination: to accompany Mary, the mother of Jesus, the day after the death of her son. Ospino shares that "I once asked a group of Hispanic Catholics in a parish where I was during the days of Holy Week why they cried. Their answer was poignant: “We cry in solidarity with a mother grieving her dead son. We cry with others like her. Their suffering is ours.” To read the full article, you can copy the url below: http://thecentralminnesotacatholic.org/solidarity-with-a-mother-grieving-her-dead-son/?fbclid=IwAR3X_YnMUOk68oxy8a9-Qxm8NogJAJLh8ToKSrmP0IA0MGHJ1m7EEEbBqGw

"When I was introducing myself to my 1 Corinthians class at the beginning of the semester, I told them I was studying toward hospital chaplaincy. I said it to test it out, to see how those words felt coming out of my mouth, and because I believed it for the few seconds it took me to say it. I wasn't lying, but it wasn't the whole truth. I've said this in other classes, too, because people like to understand you with regard to the things you do, and not because of who you are. So in class, after the priests, Jesuit scholastics, and future Ph.D.'s identified themselves as such, it was my turn to try and put a finger on my own vocation. Truth be told, vocation is a word that haunts me when I let it. I struggle to say 'campus minister,' 'retreat director,' and 'hospital chaplain' when I don't know if I will actually ever be those things. For me, vocation is constantly growing to mean new things and is more often confusing than it is convicting. When I am sitting with my spiritual director, I tell myself that discernment is worthwhile even when I am confused; I hope that while my vocation is growing, I will always be grasped by a full life of service. When I am in class, I am an empty-suit hospital chaplain. For all the times in between, I'm just trying to lean into the friendships, classes, and people who call and challenge me to learn more about myself. After these years with God, both far and near, I am sometimes surprised that I still do not know the vocation that God has written on my heart. I am starting to believe that we are not meant to do or be just one thing for God." -Katey Santili, MDiv ‘20 #HumansofSTM #HumansofBCSTM

“My three years of teaching high school were often difficult, especially at the beginning. There were a lot of times that I left the building after 10 hour days feeling absolutely exhausted and questioning why I was teaching. But just when I thought nothing was getting through to my students, that nothing good was happening, there would be these simple moments that reminded me that something good was happening, whether I recognized it or not: a heartfelt thank you note from a student “just because,” a laughter-filled conversation in the hallway after school, or a profound moment of prayer with my class in the chapel. Last year, I jokingly told some students that we couldn’t listen to Christmas music after Thanksgiving break because it was the season of Advent, not Christmas, to which they groaned and rolled their eyes before telling me that they’d find a way to “break my grinchy heart.” A few days later, I showed up to school early to do some grading, and I noticed that the door to my classroom was already open. Not thinking anything of it, I walked in to find three of my students stringing lights around my white board, hanging ornaments and garland on literally everything, and beautifully decorating the whole classroom. There was even a stocking on my desk filled with chocolate and school supplies. Needless to say, they got to listen to Christmas music for the rest of the semester, and my heart grew three sizes that day. I cherish those moments, because they remind me, more than anything, that my job as a minister wasn’t just to love my students, but also to allow myself to be loved by them, too. Just as much as I was hoping to show them how deeply they are loved by God, they were learning how to show me the same thing. At the beginning, I tended to think of my vocation as a minister as this one-way transaction, but I’ve found it to be much more mutual and mysterious - and that even emotional, angsty, loving teens can sometimes be exactly the reminder of love that we need.” - Paul Kuczynski, MTS ’20 #HumansofSTM #humansofbcstm

Elyse Raby, MTS ‘15, wrote an article published in the U.S Catholic Magazine that explores a new report on the clergy sex abuse crisis and the importance of forming ministers. Read more: https://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201903/address-clergy-sex-abuse-address-formation-ministry-31682

“I was a remarkably ordinary kid—no budding musician, painter, writer, or athlete. My only discernible talent was my unfocused curiosity. My attention moved quickly from one thing to another. My parents used to say that my hobbies were like cornhusk flames—as intense as they were short-lived. This unsettled curiosity continued into my youth and early adulthood. Raised a Catholic in El Salvador, I left the church for ideological reasons in my teenage years, and began a period of personal exploration into my early twenties. I was hungry for something transcendent and convinced that if God existed, God should be more than ideas or church doctrines. I was sure that we should be able to experience God directly, and today! For a time I focused on Eastern religions and described myself as an “agnostic with hope.” It was through engaging in Sufi practices that God became clearly present to me and eventually led me back to the church of my childhood. After a period with the Catholic charismatic renewal, I entered religious life. The nine years I spent in the Society of Jesus is where I finally would fully explore the gift of my vocation. These years grounded my vocation in Christ, drew me to the poor, and confirmed my love for the study of God. They placed my in a classroom where I discovered my love for teaching. I was very sad to leave the Jesuits, who had given me so much. Through their help and much discernment, I knew that God was offering me the possibility to express my vocation in a different form. I wanted a hand closer to mine, a partner to share my discipleship with. I was also yearning for the gift of family life—to learn more about God and service through fatherhood. We all have a first vocation: God’s call for us. This universal vocation unfolds in very particular ways depending on God’s plan, the demands of our immediate world, and our deepest desires. It is hard to imagine that there is one single path pre-destined for us. Rather, our lives are gifted with multiple possibilities that we discern and help enact every day in collaboration with others and in communion with God.” - Prof. Neto Valiente, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology #HumansofSTM #humansofbcstm

“An unexpected reminder of my vocation came about half way through my year as a volunteer in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It was unexpected as it came through a profound experience of boredom. During my vacation from teaching classes, I had a lot of free time. I would primarily spend this time visiting neighbors. Because we lived in a neighborhood experiencing some of Ecuador’s highest rates of extreme poverty, we would often sit in boredom. I was deeply pained with the discomfort of having nothing to do. The many facets of extreme poverty limited our opportunities. We would often sit in silence once our capacity to converse, watch television or play cards reached its mas. I was frustrated with the matrix of structural injustices that so obviously limited my highly capable, skilled, and deserving neighbors from engaging in the same world of opportunities that I grew up in. All I could do was be with them and they, with me. This profound boredom was one of the most unsettling feelings. I struggled as I knew I had the choice to flee it at a moment’s notice. In choosing to remain in that discomfort, I was constantly reminded of my vocational call to be with. It was in these moments of accompanying others through an uncomfortable boredom that I felt the wholeness of being accompanied. I was not valued by the opportunities or experiences that I brought with me, I was valued for the individual I was. In my time as a dual-degree student at Boston College, boredom is certainly not something I regularly experience, and often I find myself doing what I can to avoid it. However, I have a nostalgic longing for this experience as it was a profound reminder of my core vocation: to simply be with. Although my thoughts about what the future may hold often fluctuate by the hour, I know accompanying others in a variety of contexts will remain central in my future. It is through accompanying and being accompanied that I most clearly come to know God.” - Frances Casey, MA/MSW ‘20 #HumansofSTM #HumansofBCSTM

This afternoon the STM El Salvador Delegation shared powerful stories and reflections from their Immersion trip. Thank you to those who shared and those who came to listen. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “We know that every effort to improve society, above all when society is so full of injustice and sin, is an effort that God blesses; that God wants; that God demands of us.” -Óscar Romero

“I discovered ministry as my vocation through many years of intentional engagement with myself and the world around me. My family raised me in the truth of the faith, but the reality of God only came into focus through a long process of becoming more aware of myself and what it means to be a child of God. In one of his homily’s Saint Ambrose says, “Morals first and mysteries second.” His thought is that it is only in learning to live in accord with God’s design that we can ever make sense of the mystery of God. The idea was certainly true for me, but it took me a long time of opposition to be able to acknowledge its truth. I also spent several years in the Air Force where I was challenged in many ways by the people and mission. It taught me that leadership is an art of sacrifice and serving people. Being in aircraft maintenance, I also learned the seriousness I had to give to my work since pilots were trusting us with their lives as they taxied to the runway. It was in applying myself in life and in the stillness of prayer that I discerned studying theology as the next step in my vocation. My adventures have always left me with a desire to know more about God, but I never thought that would take the form of studying theology. As I thought about ministry and the fact that people would be trusting me with their spiritual lives, I realized the seriousness I needed to give to both my relationship with God and knowing what has been revealed through Revelation. Theology became the place for me to learn the faith substantially so that I can communicate it to others. In aircraft maintenance, I really enjoyed understanding how all the parts worked together and were significant for the proper function of the entire aircraft. It has been interesting seeing the same at work in theology. Every Church teaching and their many distinctions have been guarded because they are part of the whole of what God has revealed. It is one thing I have learned from the Church Fathers recently, every single bolt is important to the whole of theology.” - Ryan Morris, MDiv ‘20 #HumansofSTM

Mosaics: beauty arising out of diverse shapes, colors, and sizes and reflections of our own human experiences of being broken and whole, being an individual and part of a community, being filled with longing and contentment. The 2019 STM Dialogues, open to all members of the public, will feature works of prose, poetry, and visual art based on this theme on Friday, March 22 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 23 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the TML. Come and see the beauty to be found in our community. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

Grace Agolia, MTS '19, has led the RCIA program at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help through her STM externship placement, where students serve in various ministry settings throughout the city of Boston

Ellen Romer Niemiec, STM alum and Assistant Director of Admissions, wrote a touching piece about her daughter Eleanor that was published by America Magazine! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Navigating worship with our daughter has required a real assessment of what our commitment to our faith and the church really means." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Read More: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/03/11/what-my-young-daughter-gets-out-mass-even-when-shes-crying

Pilgrimage: The Telling Takes Us Home is this year's presentation of the STM Dialogues. The dialogues offer a space for our students to reflect theologically on their personal stories and share them with our community. They will be shared this evening at 7 p.m. in the TML auditorium

Theology and ministry can work together to alleviate poverty and inequality in Latin America and around the world, said Jesuit Superior General Arturo Sosa, S.J., in a video welcome to international theologians participating in the Ibero-American Conference of Theology