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Gordo,

The costs of attending MASI are the same as those for attending Saint Paul University, since the Institute is part of the University's Pontifical Faculty of Theology. (You can see the tuition fees here: http://www.ustpaul.ca/Admission/TuitionFees_e.asp .)

I too have heard that bursaries (a.k.a. need-based scholarships) exist for Eastern Catholics, but I think they are mostly directed towards Ukrainian Catholics (and perhaps even only Ukrainian Catholic seminarians). The Institute is trying to see whether the restrictions on these bursaries can be lifted so that they can be give to other Eastern Christian students as well. (I hope this changes soon, but as you know, progress on this kind of thing can take a very long time.) CNEWA also offers a few scholarships, but these are offered only to students from Ukraine, if I understand correctly.


Peace,
Alex NvV

Dear Miller,

In almost all of the classes offered through the Sheptytsky Institute, the majority of students are Eastern Christians. Usually, there is a significant number of non-Eastern students only in the two introductory courses ("Foundations of Eastern Christian Theology" and "General Introduction to the Eastern Churches").

I respectfully disagree. Not only does the Institute provide a valuable service to Eastern Christianity by educating Eastern Christians, but it benefits both Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity by exposing Western Christians to the Christian East. I would be very sad if people who are not Eastern Christians were excluded from any of the classes the Sheptytsky Institute offers. Moreover, having students from both East and West in the Eastern Christian classes provides the classes with added depth and richness -- the presence of both sides enables a fuller comparison and contrast of the "two lungs" of Christianity, and Western Christians often ask questions that do not even occur to the Eastern Christian students (and vice versa).

I certainly agree that Eastern Catholic seminarians ought to learn the theology that goes with their own particular tradition, and they ought to be steeped in the spiritual formation that flows out of that tradition, but I think having Western Christians in the same academic courses is mutually beneficial to both groups.


Peace,
Alex NvV

It was announced at the Metropolia's clergy days that Archbishop Cyrille will besending future Melkite seminarians to SS. Cyril and Methodius.

Fr. Deacon Lance

That is a very interesting (and potentially very good) development for all involved, so long as some pan-Byzantine cross-fertilization in the curriculum is permitted. Does that mean that Churches who send their seminarians there will have some input into the structure and content of the program?

God bless,

Gordo

Alex,

Is a "session"mentioned on the tuition/fee chart a class or a quarter/semester structure?

God bless,

Gordo

There are three sessions in the school year: Autumn (Sep-Dec), Winter (Jan-Apr), and Spring/Summer (May-Aug). The main school year is from Sep-Apr, so most people just do two sessions every year, while a few people also take classes during the Spring/Summer session. So, I, as an international full-time student, end up paying about $8,100 (two sessions) per year.

Full-time (for undergraduates, at least) is taking 4 or 5 courses per session; part-time would be taking 1, 2, or 3 courses per session. Each class is worth 3 credits, so full-time is taking 12 or 15 credits per session, while part-time is taking 3, 6, or 9 credits per session (again, for undergrads; I don't know the rules as well for grad students).

(On that chart, I don't know why they call them "half-courses"; I think they just mean "courses".)

Does that help to clarify things a bit?


Peace,
Alex NvV

Gordo,

There is presently a Melkite priest, Father George Gallaro, on the faculty of Ss Cyril & Methodius

Many years,

Neil

Very much so - thank you!

Gordo

That is a good start.

Gordo

The Sheptytsky Institute is just a part of St. Paul University and is not a seminary for the education of priests. I still think candidates for the priesthood need to live and study and most important worship in a seminary which is important for their spiritual formation.
I think the solidarity of seminarians studying and living and worshipping together with eachother is important. Most seminaries today require a BA for admittance, so potentenial seminarians have the opportunity to go to a university and study with students of other faiths at that time in their life before they enter a seminary.
Halia

I find that hard to believe. The funds for many bursaries are the result of specific wishes of the donors or are legacies from wills with specific instructions. If Ukrainian-Canadian donors found out that their donations were not being used according to their designated instructions, there would be an outcry and also a backlash in the community with a drop in donations.

Secondly I am sure St. Paul's University Scholarships and Bursaries office would not want to be taken to court for going against the wishes of the donors.

I am sure St. Paul's like all Canadian universities has other scholarships and bursaries for worthy students. There are also Canada Student Loans.

Dear Halia,

You are entirely correct; I am sure that neither the Sheptytsky Institute nor Saint Paul University has any intention of going against the wishes of their donors. To do so would certainly be unethical, and I assume it would also be illegal.

When I wrote, "The Institute is trying to see whether the restrictions on these bursaries can be lifted so that they can be given to other Eastern Christian students as well", I assume this means that the Institute hopes to contact donors to see if they would be willing to expand the pool of potential bursary recipients. I do not know the details about the process, but I am absolutely certain that the Institute desires to respect the many Ukrainian-Canadians who have been such good friends of the Institute.

Speaking for myself only -- as a non-Ukrainian Eastern Catholic and as an international student in Canada -- I feel that it would definitely be nice if more bursaries were available for people like me. (Many Canadian bursaries are not available to me because I am not Canadian, and some of the Sheptytsky bursaries are not available to me because I am not Ukrainian.) I have no desire to diminish the Ukrainian presence in the Institute, but I think it would be great if we could improve our ability to draw people from all traditions who are interested in learning about the Christian East.

I hope this has allayed some of your fears about what I wrote.

In addition, please keep in mind that I am not an official representative of the Sheptytsky Institute (or of Saint Paul University); when I wrote "The Institute is trying to see...", this is what I have heard from others. I do not know the official position or policy of the Institute on this matter, and I apologize if I -- in my hope that some of the restrictions on the bursaries will be lifted -- have inadvertently given out misleading information. Please accept my apology.


Yours in Christ,
Alex Neroth van Vogelpoel

Dear Halia,

When I wrote, "I respectfully disagree", I was disagreeing, not with the idea that "the aim is to have a seminary with spiritual formation", but only with the idea that "the aim is to have ... classes with students who are all Eastern". I apologize for not being clearer in what I wrote.

You are quite right in writing that the Sheptytsky Institute is not a seminary, nor does the Institute intend to be one. The Institute is a facility that teaches theology on an academic level. As I have mentioned before, all Candian Ukrainian Catholic seminarians attend Holy Spirit Seminary for their spiritual and liturgical formation, and they all attend the B.Th. (Eastern Christian Studies) program through the Sheptytsky Institute for their academic studies. The Sheptytsky Institute provides the academic portion of the Seminary's whole program.

I absolutely agree that it is important for candidates to the priesthood to live, study, and worship together, and this is exactly what seminarians at Holy Spirit Seminary do.

(For the record, Holy Spirit Seminary does not require its seminarians to have a full BA for admission, nor does Saint Paul University require a BA for admission to the B.Th. (Eastern Christian Studies) program.)


Peace,
Alex NvV

C^BA ICYCY XPUCTY!

So there are also general courses in business administration and public psychological behavior available for rounded pastoral leadership skills?

Halia,

You are right about seminaries in general. Just a few points about Ottawa:

1) In practice, seminarians do not require a BA or anything other than a high school diploma to enter, but I think that is always at the discretion of the candidate's bishop.

2) The Sheptytsky Insitute does have regular worship services, in fact, almost as regular as Holy Spirit Seminary.
The seminary always has a service in the morning (either Divine Liturgy, or, on some days during Lent, Matins) with 9th hour on some days.
The institute serves Liturgy at noon every Wednesday and any Polyelei rank feast day, plus Vespers on evenings at the beginning of the week and Matins on some mornings before classes begin. In any case, both places are/should be focused on and united by their liturgical prayer life.
The only difference is that one is exclusively aimed at the people living within its walls, while the other is open to whoever might walk in.

It is also important to understand that the mission and vocation of each type of institution is different: a seminary is supposed to teach future priests (like law school for lawyers or med school for doctors), while a university is where ideas are debated, people are confronted with other opinions, and, ideally, you come out understanding what you believe even better.

I believe Fr. Thomas Hopko has something similar about Christian life in general. He'll be here at the Sheptytsky Institute during the first week of July, so come and hear his lecture.