a bold new venture
Those Independent Catholic clergy who have been fortunate enough to attend graduate theological schools (seminary) have done so at both great expense and to the detriment of time, family, and work. Obtaining higher education in America, even at the bachelorette level, creates an overwhelming financial burden to those pursue a college or university degree. The issue of graduation debt is of such economic concern that debates regarding debt relief and the regulation of college tuition have become major talking points in national elections.
The situation is even more dire when one is considering graduate school. A two-year Masters program in theology can cost students up to $60,000, depending on the school. A Master of Divinity degree (which is required for ordination by the mainline protestant and Roman Catholic Churches), which replaced the Doctor of Divinity degree many years ago, is a three-year, 90-credit program that can cost up to $100,000, again dependent upon the school. An inexpensive degree from a less expensive seminary is typically between $275 and $400 per credit hour. That adds up to between $750 and $1200 per course. A 30-credit Masters Degree would then cost $12,000. That is still far beyond the reach of many adults, who would also have to sacrifice work and family to create the time necessary for study.
For mainline Protestant ministers and Roman Catholic priests, the cost of seminary does come with the same economic stress that it does for Independent Catholic Priests. Roman Catholic priests typically pay only 10% of their total tuition back to the church at the end of their degree. The remainder of the cost is covered by the church. Protestant denominations that require a Master of Divinity degree often have some financial assistance, either from the national denominational leadership or from individual congregations themselves. When such scholarships are not available, protestant ministers can still count on a paying ministry upon ordination because congregations both pay their salary and rent/housing expenses and even offer free continuing education, travel expenses, and transportation costs.
This is not the case for Independent Catholic priests. Most jurisdictions do not have parishes large enough to pay a pastor a wage. Some jurisdictions even prohibit priests from being paid by congregations and require that they have outside employment. Because of this, the average independent catholic priest counts on, at best, an informal education by their jurisdiction. Even worse, there is no official equivalence of requirements between jurisdictions. Some communions do not offer any education to their clergy while others offer better education, but at an uneven pace and with tremendous expense, both financial and in terms of time.
This problem has been a perennial one among American Independent Catholics. Some headway has been made in the form of agreements with accredited seminaries so that an Independent Catholic curriculum is provided within a seminary context. However, the issues of cost, time, and debt remain.
There is no easy nor fast-won solution for the problem. An ultimate solution will require a great deal of work and commitment between groups to establish a truly inter-communal seminary that can properly train priests for a fraction of the cost of traditional education. Such a consensus will only be the result of time and hard work. However, as with all endeavors, someone must step forward with a plan and begin to experiment with solutions and options.
The AAOCC is attempting to do just that. We are embarking on a journey that, with time and patience, will ultimately lead to accredited degrees for Independent Priests at a 10th of the cost of traditional seminary education. St. Hildegard's is that path to an inexpensive, accredited Masters programs for Independent Catholic priests and lay people. By founding this seminary, we are taking the first step in an ultimate solution to this problem.
All professors at St. Hildegard's meet the accreditation standards for professors: all teachers have a Masters Degree +18 credits, a Doctorate, or a Master of Divinity degree. All courses meet the hourly credit requirements in length and teaching time. Before a school can seek regional accreditation, it must graduate a class through each degree program it wants to accredit. Once a school has obtained accreditation, all degrees conferred by that school are retroactively accredited. That means that the first group of students who graduate from a Master's program will have accredited degrees even if they completed their degrees 5 years prior to the school accreditation.
There are several avenues toward accreditation and we are exploring them. However, this endeavor is a process and we will begin first by offering courses to all who are interested in taking them. All of our professors are paid, which is why we can offer you a real, grounded education that you won't get elsewhere, as well as a variety of classes and disciplines.
We are continuing to work on course offerings, content management systems, partnerships, limited accreditation, etc. Why not join us on our journey!
The situation is even more dire when one is considering graduate school. A two-year Masters program in theology can cost students up to $60,000, depending on the school. A Master of Divinity degree (which is required for ordination by the mainline protestant and Roman Catholic Churches), which replaced the Doctor of Divinity degree many years ago, is a three-year, 90-credit program that can cost up to $100,000, again dependent upon the school. An inexpensive degree from a less expensive seminary is typically between $275 and $400 per credit hour. That adds up to between $750 and $1200 per course. A 30-credit Masters Degree would then cost $12,000. That is still far beyond the reach of many adults, who would also have to sacrifice work and family to create the time necessary for study.
For mainline Protestant ministers and Roman Catholic priests, the cost of seminary does come with the same economic stress that it does for Independent Catholic Priests. Roman Catholic priests typically pay only 10% of their total tuition back to the church at the end of their degree. The remainder of the cost is covered by the church. Protestant denominations that require a Master of Divinity degree often have some financial assistance, either from the national denominational leadership or from individual congregations themselves. When such scholarships are not available, protestant ministers can still count on a paying ministry upon ordination because congregations both pay their salary and rent/housing expenses and even offer free continuing education, travel expenses, and transportation costs.
This is not the case for Independent Catholic priests. Most jurisdictions do not have parishes large enough to pay a pastor a wage. Some jurisdictions even prohibit priests from being paid by congregations and require that they have outside employment. Because of this, the average independent catholic priest counts on, at best, an informal education by their jurisdiction. Even worse, there is no official equivalence of requirements between jurisdictions. Some communions do not offer any education to their clergy while others offer better education, but at an uneven pace and with tremendous expense, both financial and in terms of time.
This problem has been a perennial one among American Independent Catholics. Some headway has been made in the form of agreements with accredited seminaries so that an Independent Catholic curriculum is provided within a seminary context. However, the issues of cost, time, and debt remain.
There is no easy nor fast-won solution for the problem. An ultimate solution will require a great deal of work and commitment between groups to establish a truly inter-communal seminary that can properly train priests for a fraction of the cost of traditional education. Such a consensus will only be the result of time and hard work. However, as with all endeavors, someone must step forward with a plan and begin to experiment with solutions and options.
The AAOCC is attempting to do just that. We are embarking on a journey that, with time and patience, will ultimately lead to accredited degrees for Independent Priests at a 10th of the cost of traditional seminary education. St. Hildegard's is that path to an inexpensive, accredited Masters programs for Independent Catholic priests and lay people. By founding this seminary, we are taking the first step in an ultimate solution to this problem.
All professors at St. Hildegard's meet the accreditation standards for professors: all teachers have a Masters Degree +18 credits, a Doctorate, or a Master of Divinity degree. All courses meet the hourly credit requirements in length and teaching time. Before a school can seek regional accreditation, it must graduate a class through each degree program it wants to accredit. Once a school has obtained accreditation, all degrees conferred by that school are retroactively accredited. That means that the first group of students who graduate from a Master's program will have accredited degrees even if they completed their degrees 5 years prior to the school accreditation.
There are several avenues toward accreditation and we are exploring them. However, this endeavor is a process and we will begin first by offering courses to all who are interested in taking them. All of our professors are paid, which is why we can offer you a real, grounded education that you won't get elsewhere, as well as a variety of classes and disciplines.
We are continuing to work on course offerings, content management systems, partnerships, limited accreditation, etc. Why not join us on our journey!
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