23 Nov Walking in Service (from Regis Friends Quarterly 4.2)

Life in Community, Aidan Hart with contributions from Donald Jackson, Copyright 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Regis College has been awarded $1.4 million ($997,593 U.S.) in grant money by the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Pathways for Tomorrow initiative.

The funds will support the college’s Walking in  Service project, which aims to facilitate pastoral education and congregational leadership development within Indigenous communities across Canada. Developed in consultation with Roman Catholic Indigenous faith communities in Ontario and Quebec and grounded in the healing journey that emerged after Pope Francis’s 2022 Penitential Pilgrimage, Walking in Service addresses the need for contextualized, trauma-informed theological education that respects Indigenous self-determination, incorporates land-based and culturally relevant pedagogies, and prepares leaders such as catechists, lectors, and acolytes. The curriculum encourages interreligious dialogue and culturally sensitive leadership training. Community-recognized elders and adjunct faculty will be hired to teach and mentor students pursuing pastoral formation. Regis St. Michael’s faculty will have opportunities for professional development to enhance their courses through dialogue with Catholic and traditional elders.

The grant to Regis College arrives at the same time as the Indianapolis-based foundation also grants $1.4 million ($991,000 U.S.) to the University of St. Michael’s College to help establish a Canadian Centre for Catholic Pastoral Leadership—a program that will use the expertise of Regis St. Mike’s faculty to expand continuing education offerings in Catholic theological studies across the country.

The $2.8 million allocated to the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology is a significant portion of grants provided to Canadian projects. The Pathways to Tomorrow initiative has awarded $9.8 million to Toronto School of Theology colleges, and totalling over $25 million across three phases to Canadian applicants.

Learn more: regiscollege.ca/walkinginservice/