Eight students from the Diocese of Nashville in the Graduate Theology Program at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana, including seven recently ordained permanent deacons, were awarded master’s degrees on Saturday, May 13
The graduates accepted their diplomas from the Rt. Rev. Kurt Stasiak, OSB, archabbot of St. Meinrad Archabbey and chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees.
The Graduate Theology Program offers master’s degrees and graduate certificates in theology to lay persons and permanent deacons. These studies provide a solid foundation in the Catholic tradition for those preparing for Church ministry or seeking personal growth.
Those from the diocese who were awarded a master of arts degree in theology were: Deacon Joseph Augustine Sr., Deacon David Gilles, Deacon Christopher Hoover, Deacon Shawn Phillips, Deacon Christopher Simpson, Deacon Craig Thomas, Deacon Michael Wiedemer, and Susan Frazier, a parishioner at St. Patrick Church in Nashville.
The mission of St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology is the initial and ongoing formation of priests, permanent deacons, and laity to minister together effectively in the service and evangelization of the Roman Catholic Church and the world. Located in southern Indiana, St. Meinrad fulfills this mission in the Benedictine tradition by instilling a lifelong love of learning, a strong grounding in the tradition, a love of liturgy, and a sense of hospitality that welcomes Christ in each person.
