“[Y]ou play a crucial role in carrying out the Church’s mission in the world by engaging with important issues regarding justice, peace, protection of life, nurturing the young at heart, and upholding the dignity of all people.
“You are ambassadors of Christ in everyday life. And by embodying your values and sharing the Gospel in meaningful ways, you contribute to spreading hope and compassion.”
–Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, to alumni at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology’s Cor Unum master’s program for laity
On February 4 there was an alumni gathering at a seminary, but most of the alumni were laity, not priests. They were graduates of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology’s “Cor Unum (One Heart) Master of Arts pathway.” Joining many of their instructors and program staff, they came together for SHSST’s first Cor Unum Appreciation Dinner. The event was held in the SHSST dining room following evening prayer.
Cor Unum is a master’s degree program in theology designed for lay people, many of whom serve or plan to serve in Church ministry. Organized into two-year cohorts of approximately a dozen students, classes are held on Monday evenings and one Saturday per month. There are also options for summer experiences, such as a trip to the Holy Land.
Based in the Dehonian charism, the Cor Unum program includes courses in Scripture, Church history, doctrinal theology, moral theology, sacraments, Catholic social teaching, faith and culture, pastoral ministry, restorative leadership, and pastoral counseling. There is also integrated field work (putting classwork into action) and a final paper that must be defended in the presence of faculty and fellow members of the cohort.
The roots of the program date back to 2015 when the SHSST Board of Directors suggested that the school incorporate the word “seminary” into its name. For years, it had been known simply as “Sacred Heart School of Theology.” Board members suggested that the primary purpose of the institution – preparing men from around the world for the priesthood – needed to be emphasized.
“Fine,” said members of the US Provincial Council (SHSST is an apostolate of Priests of the Sacred Heart, or “Dehonians”). But there was a condition:
“The Board needed to develop specific plans to ensure that the school’s long-time commitment to the formation of the laity was not lost,” said Dr. Patrick Russell, recapping the history of Cor Unum in a presentation at the Appreciation Dinner. In 2015, Dr. Russell was the Vice President for Intellectual Formation and Academic Dean (he is pictured at the top of the page with a Cor Unum alumna). “The board commissioned me to develop a plan that would respond to this request from the Provincial Council.”
He formed a committee, came up with a plan, brought it before the Board of Directors…
And then went back to the drawing board.
The Board said that the commission’s first proposals were “too timid, too limited, too uninspired,” said Dr. Russell, recalling the meeting. “We were told to go away and come up with something more transformational.”
“Cor Unum,” is one of the mottos of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. Meaning “One Heart,” the phrase became the cornerstone of the “transformational response” requested by the Board and the Provincial Council.
The two primary goals of the Cor Unum program, as stated on the SHSST website, are: 1) To develop within the student a profound encounter with Jesus Christ through the study of Scripture and tradition leading to a greater passion for the renewal of the Church and world, and 2) to engage in the conversion of culture by hearing and responding to God’s call to evangelize and heal a fractured world through the Gospel’s message of reconciliation, justice, and mercy.
The Priests of the Sacred Heart contributed $75,000 of seed money to start the program; an accrediting agency offered another $45,000. In 2017, the first cohort got underway.
“We have to publicly recognize this program”
Monica Misey, an alumna of the Cor Unum program and now Director of Dehonian Associates for the US Province, and Rachel Allison, SHSST Alumni Board Committee Chair, organized the Cor Unum alumni evening. However, they credit Br. Duane Lemke, SCJ, a member of the Provincial Council, for the idea.
“We have to publicly recognize this program and the people who have been a part of it,” he said after a routine meeting at the Provincialate. During the alumni dinner, he talked about why it is important to him.
“In the classroom, at table, in meetings, and just milling about I have been continually impressed with the lived passion, engaging inquiry, personal investment, focused dedication and engaging discussion among the lay ministers of Cor Unum,” said Br. Duane.
“I get excited being with you. You all seek understanding of the Church and the world, and bring theology into contact with the lived experience of marriage and family, a vibrant single life, work in administration, business, education, civil society, social work –– the list could go on and on…
“You are rooted in baptism and confirmation. You are nourished by the Eucharist. And you are impelled to the cracks, crevices and fractures of the world, to take the love of Christ to people and places that need it most.”
Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, provincial superior, added that “you play a crucial role in carrying out the Church’s mission in the world by engaging with important issues regarding justice, peace, protection of life, nurturing the young at heart, and upholding the dignity of all people.
“You are ambassadors of Christ in everyday life. And by embodying your values and sharing the Gospel in meaningful ways, you contribute to spreading hope and compassion.”
Fr. Vien thanked those who have been a part of the Cor Unum program for their efforts in carrying on the dreams of the congregation’s founder, Ven. Fr. Leo John Dehon.
“Thank you so much for your commitment and for being a beacon of light in our world.”
CLICK HERE for information on the Cor Unum program on the SHSST website.
CLICK HERE to view photos from the evening.
