St. Hildegard's Theological Seminary
Mission, Values, and Vision
Mission
St. Hildegard Theological Seminary is an academic institution rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, which prepares students spiritually, pastorally, and intellectually for ministry, both ordained and lay. Founded on Biblical truth and the traditions of the Church, we believe the call to ministry is inclusive of all members of the Body of Christ.
Core Values
Study, Pray, Serve
Our mission is rooted in our three core values: study, pray, serve. We believe that all of Christian Ministry and Catholic spirituality can be expressed in these 3 holy actions.
Study. Learning becomes an act of worship when the soul seeks to know the God who loves her. Education must be sought, not as a means of glorifying the ego, but as a process of deepening our awe for our Great God. In order to live our faith, we must know our faith and it is in the knowledge of our faith that we learn how to live it. Students must know the person of Christ, as all teaching is rooted in the revelation of God in Jesus. We must learn the record of that revelation: the Scriptures. As St. Jerome writes, "Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ." Finally, we must learn the history of the development of our beautiful faith through the experience of many millions of lifetimes.
Pray. St. Paul tells us to "pray without ceasing." It is only in prayer that we development a vital spiritual skill: discernment. We pray to learn the Will of God as separate from our own wills. When we submit all of our actions to the presence of God inside of and around us, our very lives become one continuous prayer of AMEN, which means, "Let it be done (as God has willed it)". If theology is "faith seeking understanding", then prayer is "faith submitting to its Source."
Serve. Jesus says to his disciples, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" and "I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you." Service is love in action; love in its verb form. Love involves sacrifice--whether it is the sacrifice of time for another, funds for another, or even our very lives for another. The smallest, most seemingly insignificant sacrifice (like a smile or kind word) is a prayer, an act of teaching and preaching, the Widow's Mite given in great love.
All three of these values inform each other and work in unison within the church and within the hearts of individual believers. We attempt to instill, incorporate, and support these acts in all that St. Hildegard does.
Study. Learning becomes an act of worship when the soul seeks to know the God who loves her. Education must be sought, not as a means of glorifying the ego, but as a process of deepening our awe for our Great God. In order to live our faith, we must know our faith and it is in the knowledge of our faith that we learn how to live it. Students must know the person of Christ, as all teaching is rooted in the revelation of God in Jesus. We must learn the record of that revelation: the Scriptures. As St. Jerome writes, "Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ." Finally, we must learn the history of the development of our beautiful faith through the experience of many millions of lifetimes.
Pray. St. Paul tells us to "pray without ceasing." It is only in prayer that we development a vital spiritual skill: discernment. We pray to learn the Will of God as separate from our own wills. When we submit all of our actions to the presence of God inside of and around us, our very lives become one continuous prayer of AMEN, which means, "Let it be done (as God has willed it)". If theology is "faith seeking understanding", then prayer is "faith submitting to its Source."
Serve. Jesus says to his disciples, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" and "I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you." Service is love in action; love in its verb form. Love involves sacrifice--whether it is the sacrifice of time for another, funds for another, or even our very lives for another. The smallest, most seemingly insignificant sacrifice (like a smile or kind word) is a prayer, an act of teaching and preaching, the Widow's Mite given in great love.
All three of these values inform each other and work in unison within the church and within the hearts of individual believers. We attempt to instill, incorporate, and support these acts in all that St. Hildegard does.
Vision
Our vision is to build up the Body of Christ through the preparation of all ministers in Our Lord's Royal Priesthood. We challenge all disciples to deepen their experience of their faith and to ground their evangelization of others. We prepare those seeking Holy Orders that they may become live-long "practicing" Christians in their communities. We importune those with the spiritual gift of teaching to engage others in the act of learning, which only enriches the Body of Christ. In the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, "Love takes up where knowledge leaves off." Knowledge must become service if it is to truly of God.
Goals and Objectives
St. Hildegard's Theological Seminary is an educational institution under the administration of the American Apostolic Old Catholic Church. The AAOCC is an Independent Catholic Church which grow out of the Old Catholic Movement. We are theologically and liturgically conservative, yet fully inclusive: we offer all 7 sacraments to ALL people, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or station in life.
All sacred calls from God to ministry, whether ordained or lay ministry, must lead the called into a solid educational formation that leads to transformational shepherding. We are all called to be informed disciples of Our Lord. A vocation is a life-changing experience for a disciple -- but it is the beginning of our journey, not the end.
St. Hildegard's fills two necessary roles in the educational process:
First, we offer Masters-level classes for clergy to obtain the education and formation they need to serve with distinction within the parishes, ministries, and chaplaincies of their own jurisdictions.
Second, all of our courses, retreats, and programs are open to lay people who either wish to obtain their own degree or who are interested in the subject matter of a specific course.
All of our professors hold accredited Doctoral and Masters Degrees and have extensive experience teaching. Student tuition only covers the cost of creating self-study courses, our pursuit of ATS accreditation, and provides a modest pay for our professors. Our administrators are not salaried. This keeps our tuition extremely affordable for clergy serving small, poor communities.
We understand the life circumstances of our students, so we provide flexibility for second-career students with jobs, families, and ministries. Our courses are pre-recorded so that students can take their courses when they have time while the instructor provides weekly study sessions to allow for questions, expanded discussion, and help with assignments.
All sacred calls from God to ministry, whether ordained or lay ministry, must lead the called into a solid educational formation that leads to transformational shepherding. We are all called to be informed disciples of Our Lord. A vocation is a life-changing experience for a disciple -- but it is the beginning of our journey, not the end.
St. Hildegard's fills two necessary roles in the educational process:
First, we offer Masters-level classes for clergy to obtain the education and formation they need to serve with distinction within the parishes, ministries, and chaplaincies of their own jurisdictions.
Second, all of our courses, retreats, and programs are open to lay people who either wish to obtain their own degree or who are interested in the subject matter of a specific course.
All of our professors hold accredited Doctoral and Masters Degrees and have extensive experience teaching. Student tuition only covers the cost of creating self-study courses, our pursuit of ATS accreditation, and provides a modest pay for our professors. Our administrators are not salaried. This keeps our tuition extremely affordable for clergy serving small, poor communities.
We understand the life circumstances of our students, so we provide flexibility for second-career students with jobs, families, and ministries. Our courses are pre-recorded so that students can take their courses when they have time while the instructor provides weekly study sessions to allow for questions, expanded discussion, and help with assignments.