Mission of the School of Divinity

The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity (SPSSOD) has a twofold mission: as a seminary, to prepare men for ordination to the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church; and, as a graduate school of theology, to prepare women and men, lay and ordained, for service and leadership in the Church and society.

In fulfilling this mission, the School of Divinity offers graduate programs in theology that follow the teachings of the Decree of the Second Vatican Council on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam actuositatem, the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II on the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World, Christifideles laici, and the Reflections of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium. The degree programs of the School of Divinity enable men and women to engage fully their baptismal call to a deepened faith, broadened knowledge, and full and active role of servant-leadership in the Church.

The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity is committed to the highest standards of theological education and ministry formation in the Roman Catholic tradition. To this end, the school:

• supports the leadership development of both clergy and laity;
  
• engages students in theological study in the spirit of the renewal begun by the Second Vatican Council;
  
• seeks to form effective, dedicated, and faith-filled scholars and ministers for service in the Church;
  
• provides an environment conducive to learning and community;
  
• fosters participation in worship, fellowship, and volunteerism;
  
• integrates theological study and ministerial practice in its ministry preparation programs
  
• maintains a spirit of inclusiveness in all its activities;
  
• affirms each student's call to service and develops the unique gifts they offer; and
  
• reflects the needs of an evolving Church and world.