Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Beyond Career to Calling:
As a Catholic university, the University of St. Thomas is founded on a belief in God and a commitment to a life of worship leading to active participation in the mission of Christ and the Church to the world. In its mission to unite faith and career preparation, St. Thomas seeks to educate the whole person, intellect as well as spirit.
In 2001, St. Thomas was one of a number of colleges and universities across the nation who received a grant from the Lilly Endowment to stimulate a theological exploration of the idea of vocation on campus. The objective of the grant is not only to encourage students to explore personal vocation to the Catholic priesthood and religious life but also to prompt them to think about their education and career plans in light of their faith.
Beyond Career to Calling, as the grant was named at St. Thomas, has three themes:
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From 2002 through 2006, Beyond Career to Calling funded nearly 40 programs and projects that served to promote these themes. As a decentralized program, the projects of Beyond Career to Calling were developed and implemented by faculty and staff members from across the University and representing many different departments and programs. As a result of the success of these endeavors, St. Thomas was awarded a continuation grant from the Lilly Endowment designed to sustain several existing programs as well as support a number of new initiatives for several years beyond the initial grant period. Administered by the Center for Catholic Studies, Beyond Career to Calling supports the Ireland Fund for New Initiatives, a grant opportunity for all faculty and staff, and the Aquinas Fellowship Program, a scholarship fund for undergraduate juniors and seniors
Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Beyond Career to Calling is a project at UST funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment as part of a nation-wide effort to stimulate a theological exploration of the idea of vocation on college campuses. The objective is not only to encourage students to explore personal vocations to ministry and religious life, but also to prompt them to think of their education and career plans in terms of vocation.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family -- J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli -- through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. The Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location.
In keeping with the wishes of the three founders, Lilly Endowment exists to support the causes of religion, education and community development. The Endowment affords special emphasis to projects that benefit young people and promote leadership education and financial self-sufficiency in the nonprofit, charitable sector.
For more resources please look visit Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation.
