Graduate School of Theology

Vatican Certification Core

Introduction to Theology (w/ philosophy emphasis)

Old Testament

New Testament

Church History

The Creed

The Sacraments

Morality

Prayer & Spirituality

MBC Specialization

MBC 1 History of Black Catholics in the US and Black Saints

MBC 2 Pastoral & Cultural Leadership in Black Communities

MBC Practicum

The MBC program is also available in-part through Distance Learning.

Full Scholarships Available!

Martin de Porres Foundation

The Ministry to Black Catholics Program at GST is made possible in large part through the Martin de Porres Foundation. Due to the generosity of the Foundation, MBC students in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, who are nominated and supported by their pastor/DRE, have significant tuition scholarship opportunities. Students who have an undergraduate degree may also enroll in the Master of Arts (MA) in Sacred Theology program at GST with

scholarship opportunities available from the Foundation.

To find out more information about this Catholic philanthropic foundation, see their WEBSITE. There is an expectation of those funded that successful completion of the diploma/certificate program will lead to active participation and involvement in parish ministry and into leadership positions in ministry at their parish or in the archdiocese. However, this pastoral service is not a requirement of the certificate program but rather an expectation of the Foundation and/or sponsoring pastors.

For more information and an application, contact the GST Office at 610-785-6287 or email GST@scs.edu.

The Graduate School of Theology (GST) & Program of Catholic Studies at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, in cooperation with the Office for Black Catholics at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, offers a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry to Black Catholics (MBC) as part of its Undergraduate Vatican-endorsed Theology Diploma program. The MBC program is especially designed for those engaged in or preparing for involvement in various forms of pastoral service to parish communities of largely African-American Catholic membership. The program is also open to all interested persons, regardless of religious or ethnic background.

The goals of the joint Undergraduate Vatican Theology Diploma & MBC Certificate program are:

• To foster a greater knowledge and a deeper appreciation of the Catholic Church, its theological traditions and its pastoral mission.

• To enrich the faith life and theological understanding of those who offer pastoral service to parish communities.

• To develop a familiarity with and an appreciation for the rich history and cultural contributions of Black Catholics in the United States.

• To provide practical and supervised training in various pastoral skills needed for ministry to communities of largely Black membership, particularly

in an urban setting.

• To foster the development of pastoral leadership among Black Catholics for the enrichment of the Church.

MBC Program Requirements:

The MBC program consists of a 24 credit Vatican-endorsed Diploma program of theology with a 9 credit specialization certificate in Ministry to Black

Catholics (total of 33 credits). Students must complete both the Vatican Theology courses and the MBC courses to receive the diploma/certificate,

but are not required to take courses in any particular order (except the practicum as specified).

Regarding the Practicum course:

Each candidate will select a specific area of focus from among the following: 1) evangelization, 2) religious education, 3) family life ministry, 4) youth

ministry, and 5) liturgy and spirituality. In order to qualify for enrollment in the practicum course, a candidate must have completed all other course requirements for the certificate.

General Program Guidelines:

A maximum of 12 undergraduate credits in equivalent courses from other accredited programs in Theology may be accepted towards the diploma/certificate; courses taken more than ten years before the request is made, or in which a grade of at least C has not been attained, will not be accepted in transfer. Requests to transfer credits or to substitute an equivalent course for a required course must be directed to the Academic Dean of GST. The diploma/certificate program is normally completed within a four-year period of time. Credits accumulated from courses taken more than ten years past need the approval of the Academic Dean in order to be accepted.

Those who have completed the Certificate in Pastoral Ministry to African-American Catholics may also qualify to continue their theological studies toward another certificate in the Undergraduate theology program.

Applicants for the Certificate in Pastoral Ministry to Black Catholics must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Those seeking admission to the diploma/certificate program should follow undergraduate admissions procedures.

The primary intent of the MBC Program is to provide an academic setting to form and develop students for leadership for the African-

American parishes of the Archdiocese.

View our 8.5X11 flyer by clicking on the image to the left.

Download the flyer and print it using the PDF file below.

Please return all completed application and scholarship forms to:

Office of Black Catholics

222 North 17th Street, 8th floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103-1299

Fax # (215) 378-3561