AquinasW ay the
Publishers:
Fr. Mark Wedig, OP President
Fr. Michael Mascari, OP Vice President/Academic Dean
Fr. Patrick Baikauskas, OP
Director of Legacy and Major Giving
Brian Matz, PhD
Associate Dean for Academic and Administrative Assessment
Donna Thro
Executive Director, Business Affairs
Editor-In-Chief: Grant Hartley
Designer: Gayle Bordlemay
Editorial Board: Erin Hammond
Director of Development
Bridget Kostello
Coordinator of Marketing and Communications
Samantha Messier Coordinator, Enrollment Management
Photographers: Sid Hastings Barlow Productions
Aquinas Institute is grateful to the following for their assistance in research:
Sr. Beverly Bobola, OP Fr. Albert Glade, OP
Jennifer Head
Sr. Maira Herrera, MLIS, CA
Sr. Lois Hoh, OP
Sr. Anne Kelly, OP Kevin O’Gorman Fr. Ed Ruane, OP Rena Schergen Sr. Lisa Schnell, OP Sr. Carla Mae Streeter, OP Sr. Julia Theobald, OP Sr. Cassie Vazquez, OP
To submit story ideas or to be considered to write reflections, book reviews or essays for future issues of The Aquinas Way, please email: kostello@ai.edu.
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To submit alumni news and updates, please share at: ai.edu/alumni/update-your-info. Please email alumni photos to kostello@ai.edu.
The editorial staff of The Aquinas Way has made a sincere effort to ensure information contained here is accurate and correct. If your name has been misspelled or listed incorrectly, please contact Bridget Kostello at kostello@ai.edu. Thank you.
from the chair of the board of trustees
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Supporters,
As a one-hundred-year-old ministry of the world-wide Order of Preachers, Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, serves the Church and the Gospel in two interconnected ways. As a Center of Institutional Studies for the Dominican Order, Aquinas Institute prepares Dominican friars for lives of preaching and teaching as priests and brothers. As a Graduate School of Theology, Aquinas also provides academic training and formative experiences for members of other religious communities, and for lay women and men who will serve the Church and other faith communities in a multitude of ministries and professional roles. All of this is accomplished through an outstanding faculty of faith-filled and academically accomplished professors and instructors, and through the interrelated experiences of the faculty, friars, ordained ministers, and lay students in prayer and study.
I am Chair of the Board of Trustees for Aquinas Institute and am also one of its graduates, with a Master of Arts in Systematic Theology (1988). Many of my fellow board members are also graduates of Aquinas, holding degrees, diplomas or certificates from many of its graduate programs and courses of study. We all share a special love for and commitment to Aquinas Institute. I cannot imagine what my own faith and my ministry in Catholic health care ethics would have been without the experience offered by the Order of Preachers and Aquinas Institute. I am awestruck by the vast number of other friends and colleagues who also count their educational and formative experiences at Aquinas Institute as essential for their faith development, vocation and ministries. As you can see from the stories and examples in this special Centennial publication, so many graduates of Aquinas have or have had successful careers in Catholic health care ministry and in executive leadership; in finance, business and communications; in chaplaincy, spiritual direction and parish ministry; and in parochial, college and graduate theological education. We form a vast network and community of preachers, teachers, ministers and leaders.
Thank you so much for celebrating with us our Centennial, and most importantly, for your prayers and support, which strengthen us in serving this mission and ministry of the Dominican Order.
In St. Dominic, Dan O’Brien, PhD Chair, Board of Trustees
from the president
Dear Friends,
As we commemorate this centennial year in Aquinas Institute’s history, I would like to first and foremost express my gratitude for the vast company of friends who celebrate with us this momentous occasion in the life of our Dominican institution. I call to mind our unique 100 years of service to the Church and the Order of Preachers, distinguishing some of the exceptional contributions of our faculty and graduates. In your reading of this commemorative magazine, you will especially treasure the extraordinary narrative of our history woven together by the exceptional impact of our community on the Catholic Church in the United States.
Let me highlight for you the unique history of our school that has served the Church, the Order of Preachers, and theological education itself. Our story commences with the exceptional intellectual beginnings that are rooted in what might be called our “River Forest phase.” This can be understood as the initial scholarly foundation on which the school rests, especially after the founding of the Province of St. Albert the Great in 1939. A partnership of friars dedicated to the thought of our great patron, Thomas Aquinas, sought to engage that thought with contemporary society, especially the biological and physical sciences. In what came to be known as the “River Forest School of Thomism” was the underpinnings of our intellectual heritage: a theology of engagement with the modern world. By the 1950’s and early 1960’s that unique intellectual engagement would flourish in the philosophical school that remained in River Forest, Illinois, and in theological studies carried out in Dubuque, Iowa. Fathers Raymond Jude Nogar, Gus Wallace, James Weisheipl, Benedict Ashley, and other Dominican friars collaborated together establishing Aquinas’ initial intellectual cornerstone.
It was in Dubuque beginning in the mid-1960’s and throughout the next two decades that followed that Aquinas Institute built on its beginnings and responded to the changing face of the Church ushered in by the Second Vatican Council. What might be referred to as the “Dubuque phase” was characterized by new modes of collaboration. First of all, many Dominican friars, who constituted the next generation of faculty, had been sent to great theological centers in France, Germany, Belgium and the United States to study with many of the theologians who influenced Vatican II. These Dominicans especially brought to light new theological methods and scholarship that resonated with the Council. Secondly, by 1968 Aquinas Institute in Dubuque would have classrooms populated by a new demographic composed of Dominican friars, lay students, religious sisters, and Protestant seminary students all studying together in the same learning environment. These classrooms reflected a changing Church that especially valued the voices of laity and ecumenical concerns.
Finally, in what can be regarded as the most contemporary of Aquinas’ history, focusing on the last 40-plus years in St. Louis, another chapter in the mission of our school unfolded. This vision for Aquinas Institute, crafted through its agreement with Saint Louis University, enabled the Dominicans to reap the benefits of an association with a major Catholic research university, sharing its resources, especially the large and comprehensive library and other campus facilities. Moreover, this period of our history, under the leadership of Fr. Charlie Bouchard, OP, was characterized by exponential growth and by a new set of colleagues, Dominican sisters and other women religious who joined the faculty beginning in the mid-1980’s and who contributed significantly to the study of theology at Aquinas. Also, by the early 1990’s, the Dominican friars of the Province of St. Martin de Porres (Southern Dominicans) worked in partnership with the Central Province to create a joint formation program in St. Louis. Furthermore, new signature programs in the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, graduate-level formation in Health Care Ministry, and a unique Master’s degree in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd expanded the Dominican and ecclesial mission. The acquisition and renovation of the property at Spring and Forest Park avenues and the establishment of St. Dominic Priory on Lafayette Avenue both helped to solidify Aquinas Institute as a significant Catholic player in the local church and a theological leader in the Midwest.
Since 2019, Aquinas has worked to reinvigorate its Dominican mission, “right-size” its program offerings, and strengthen its finance and advancement strategies as articulated in its 2022-2027 strategic plan. The school has benefited greatly from $4 million in Lilly Endowment grants that have funded new efforts in continuing education. And the creation of an endowment for the Aquinas Scholarship Program has enabled our school to attract highly talented lay students to study full-time without incurring financial burden. These recent efforts have all situated Aquinas Institute to launch a Centennial Campaign of $10 million to ensure its mission for years to come.
This great history and evolving Dominican mission have been our gift to the Church. This special Centennial edition of The Aquinas Way magazine brings to light a wonderful illustration of our trajectory. In appreciating our contribution to the Church, the Dominican Order, and to theological education, I hope you would please consider giving a gift to the Aquinas Centennial campaign which will enable the school to flourish into its second centenary.
Sincerely in St. Dominic,
Fr. Mark Wedig, OP President, Aquinas Institute of Theology
A Brief History of aquinas
Aquinas Institute of Theology was founded in 1925 as the Dominican House of Studies in River Forest, Illinois.
Aquinas Institute of Theology
was founded to be a Dominican House of Studies providing philosophical studies for the Province of St. Joseph (the Eastern Province) on September 13th, 1925 in River Forest, Illinois (a near-suburb of Chicago). When the Province of St. Albert the Great (the Central Province) was established in Chicago in 1939, this House of Studies became its theology and philosophy school, as well as a novitiate and provincial office. From 1951 to 1956, the House of Studies expanded to two campuses with the construction of St. Rose of Lima House of Studies (or St. Rose Priory) in Dubuque, Iowa. As a part of this expansion, Dubuque became the House of Theology, while River Forest became the House of Philosophy. In 1961, the two Houses were reorganized as the Aquinas Institute of Theology and Philosophy.
above: Chapel at the Dominican House of Studies, River Forest, Illinois
The first Central Province ordination Class in 1941
Founding Campus
Dominican House of Studies, River Forest, Illinois
1925–1971
On September 13th, 1925, a Dominican House of Studies for the Province of St. Joseph was founded in River Forest, Illinois, which became the theology and philosophy school, novitiate, and provincial office for the Province of St. Albert the Great when it was established in 1939. It was sold to Dominican University in 2002, and continued to house Dominican friars from the Province of St. Albert the Great until its closure in 2012.
Over the next decade especially in the years immediately following the second Vatican Council Aquinas evolved from a House of Studies for Dominican brothers to a theological institute equipping lay and religious students for ministry in the modern world. A leader in ecumenism, Aquinas collaborated with Lutheran Wartburg Theological Seminary and Presbyterian University of Dubuque Seminary beginning in 1963 to form one of the the first ecumenical consortium in the United States between a Roman Catholic school of theology and Protestant seminaries: The Association of Theological Schools of Iowa. In 1964, Aquinas received initial accreditation by the North Central Association and enrolled its first lay students and religious sisters. The following year, The University of Dubuque, Wartburg Theological Seminary, the School of Religion of the University of Iowa, and Aquinas Institute formed the Association of Theological Faculties of Iowa. Aquinas became one of the first five Roman Catholic Schools to receive accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in 1968. In 1971, the River Forest campus closed and merged with the Dubuque campus.
Aerial view of River Forest House of Studies
Second Campus
St. Rose of Lima Priory, Dubuque, Iowa 1955–1981
From 1951 to 1956, due to increasing vocations, the House of Studies expanded to two campuses with the construction of St. Rose of Lima House of Studies (St. Rose Priory) in Dubuque, Iowa. Dubuque became the House of Theology, and River Forest became the House of Philosophy. In 1961, the campuses were reorganized as the Aquinas Institute of Theology and Philosophy in Dubuque, and in 1971, River Forest closed and merged with Dubuque.
The 1980s and 1990s saw Aquinas Institute develop some of its most distinctive features. In 1979 the same year the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres (the Southern Province) was formed the Aquinas Institute Board of Trustees decided to enter into an Agreement for Cooperative Theological Education with Saint Louis University (SLU) and relocate in 1981 to a site on campus in St. Louis, Missouri, which enabled both schools to benefit from shared resources. Aquinas established the annual Aquinas Lecture in 1984 to engage the St. Louis area with its intellectual mission, inviting scholars and experts to explore Thomistic thought or bring important cultural, political, intellectual, or artistic
Dominican Brothers and Sisters in St. Louis in the 1980s
Third Campus
O’Neil Hall, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri 1981–2005
After establishing a Cooperative Theological Education agreement with Saint Louis University (SLU), Aquinas relocated to O’Neil Hall on the SLU campus in 1981. This agreement enabled both schools to benefit from shared resources.
currents into contact with theology and ministry in the spirit of St. Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas inaugurated the first Catholic doctoral program in preaching in 1993 in response to the US bishops’ April 1982 pastoral letter Fulfilled in Your Hearing, which called for the establishment of such a program; it remains the only such program in the United States. Also on the cutting edge of distance learning, Aquinas assumed responsibility for satellite master’s degree programs in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in the early 1990s. In 1995, Aquinas established the annual Great Preacher Award to honor exemplary individuals who embody Holy Preaching a comprehensive and dynamic response to God’s presence in our lives and in the world.
Liturgical Celebration on the Saint Louis University campus
O’Neil Hall classroom in the 1990s
Oklahoma distance learning administrators in 1995
This development continued into the early 2000s. Aquinas was awarded a $1.49 million Lilly Endowment Grant to Improve Congregational Ministry to fund the Ministry in the Mountains project in 1998, which in the years following invited lay undergraduates into the Dominican mission and to consider pursuing further theological education and formation. Aquinas reformatted its Doctor of Ministry in Preaching to be a hybrid program in 2000, and founded a Master of Arts in Health Care Mission hybrid program in 2001; these programs furthered its reach by combining online learning with periodic intensive on-site seminars. An innovator in the field of Catholic health
Students outside O’Neil Hall in 2001
Annual Aquinas Lecture held at SLU in the 1990s
above & right: 1998 Ministry in the Mountains project
care ethics, Aquinas began collaboration with Ascension Health Care in a multi-year leadership education program with several other Catholic Health Care systems in 2004. The same year, Aquinas was awarded a $1.7 million Lilly Endowment New Models of Ministry Grant to fund the Apollos Project, which sought to identify and train lay ministers in the St. Louis area. Aquinas purchased its current 23 South Spring Avenue property a former factory for the Standard Adding Machine Company— in the heart of the growing Midtown area in 2005, and the following year held its first classes in the building.
Fourth & Current Campus
23 South Spring Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 2005 – present
In 2005, Aquinas purchased and began renovation on the 23 South Spring Avenue property, and held its first clases there the the following year. On February 10, 2021, The Western Province of the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) and Aquinas formally entered into a Ministerial Cooperation and Facilities Sharing Agreement, and the Vincentians moved into the lower level of the building.
Spring Avenue rennovations
The community gathers for a fun photo opportunity in the new building
In 2009, Dominican Friars of the Provinces of St. Albert the Great and St. Martin de Porres collaborated in purchasing and renovating the former Loretto Academy building at 3407 Lafayette Avenue to house a collaborative formation program in what became St. Dominic Priory. The AshleyO’Rourke Center for Health Care Ministry was founded to provide a Catholic theological education for current and future leaders in Catholic health care in 2011. Through a $500,000 Lilly Endowment grant to fund the Delaplane Initiative for Preaching Excellence and $250,000 for Pursuing Financial Freedom for New Church Ministers Project in 2013, Aquinas was equipped with a modern preaching studio, encouraged various writing projects, and hosted a symposium on The Pastoral Charge for Lay Catholic Eucharistic Preaching in 2024. In 2019, Aquinas inaugurated the Aquinas Scholars program to provide fully-funded scholarships for full-time residential students in the Core Masters level programs. Initial fund-raising of $1 million enabled Aquinas to attract its first cohort of five Scholars for Fall 2020, and this program has continued to involve outstanding lay men and women in the Dominican mission. In 2021, The Western
Full-Tuition Scholarships
for graduate studies in theology and ministry in the Dominican tradition.
Province of the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) and Aquinas formally entered into a Ministerial Cooperation and Facilities Sharing Agreement to strengthen their organizations, and moved into the lower level of the building. Over the past three years, Aquinas has benefited greatly from several grants offered by the Lilly Foundation to support continued growth and expansion: a $1 million Phase
Two Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant to fund the Aquinas Path for Tomorrow Project, a $1.25 million Phase Two Compelling Preaching Initiative grant to fund the New Frontiers in Preaching to Underserved Catholics program, and most recently, a $1.25 million Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative grant to fund the Aquinas Children’s Worship Partnership program. In 2023, Aquinas was awarded a $4 million permanently restricted gift for the Aquinas Institute Scholarship
Fund from the St. Jude Legacy Fund of the Province of St. Albert the Great, which enabled yet more lay men and women to study alongside Dominican brothers and take part in the Dominican mission.
In May 2025, after 100 years of equipping men and women “to preach, to teach, to minister, and to lead,” Aquinas kicked off its Centennial Celebration and Campaign.
Dr. Alice Prince preaches at the 2025 New Frontiers in Preaching graduation
New Frontiers faculty gather to plan curriculum
aquinas milestones
1925
September 13: Aquinas founded in River Forest, Illinois as the Dominican House of Studies, providing philosophical studies for the Province of St. Joseph (New York).
1939
December 22: Province of St. Albert the Great established. The House of Studies at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory in River Forest becomes the theology and philosophy school for newly formed province of St. Albert the Great in Chicago.
1943
November 23: Pontifical faculty of philosophy established at River Forest.
1951-1956
The House of Studies expands to two campuses with the construction of St. Rose Priory in Dubuque, Iowa.
1961
The two Houses are reorganized as the Aquinas Institute of Theology and Philosophy.
1963-1979
Aquinas collaborates with Lutheran Wartburg Theological Seminary and Presbyterian University of Dubuque Seminary to form one of the first ecumenical consortiums in the United States.
1964
Aquinas accredited by North Central Association and enrolls its first lay students.
1966
Academic program at Mt. St. Bernard’s Seminary is discontinued and it becomes a residential seminary, with students taking courses at Aquinas.
1967
Women begin to enroll at Aquinas.
1968
Aquinas receives ATS (Association of Theological Schools) accreditation.
1971
September: River Forest House of Philosophy closes and merges with Dubuque campus.
1972
Aquinas Institute grants its first PhD in theology to a woman.
1974
Aquinas Institute establishes a Board of Trustees.
1979
Aquinas Institute Board of Trustees decides to relocate the school from Dubuque and enter into an Agreement for Cooperative Theological Education with Saint Louis University, in effect replacing the university’s Divinity School, which closed in 1974.
The Catholic Transcript
St. Louis Review
aquinas milestones
1981
Aquinas relocates to O’Neil Hall on the campus of St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri.
1981-1982
The Congregation of the Resurrection (the Resurrectionists), the Conventual Franciscans of the Province of St. Bonaventure, the Capuchin Franciscans of the Province of Mid-America and the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette of the Midwest Province of Mary the Queen begin sending theological students to Aquinas.
1984
Fall: A study house for four congregations of Dominican sisters, is established for pursing graduate degrees in theology at Aquinas.
1988
Summer: Aquinas hosts the first Aquinas Summer Preaching Institute.
Fall: The Collaborative Dominican Novitiate (CDN) established in St. Louis by 15 Dominican Sister Congregations, and remains in St. Louis until it is moved to Chicago in 2019. These sisters begin studies at Aquinas.
1992
In the Company of Preachers, a book exploring the ministry of preaching through various theological disciplines written by Aquinas faculty, is published.
1993
Aquinas inaugurates first Catholic doctoral program (Doctor of Ministry) in preaching.
Dominicans from the Provinces of St. Albert the Great and St. Martin de Porres collaborate to institute a joint formation program in St. Louis.
1995-1998
Aquinas establishes satellite Master’s degree programs for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma and the Diocese of Colorado Springs.
1995
Aquinas’s Certificate in Spiritual Direction program is launched.
St. Louis Review
St. Louis Review
St. Louis Review
1998
Aquinas awarded the Lilly Endowment Grant to Improve Congregational Ministry of $1.49 million to fund the Ministry in the Mountains project.
2000
Aquinas reformats its Doctor of Ministry in Preaching to be a hybrid program.
Aquinas awards the first Millennium Scholarships to foster the education and formation of a younger generation of lay ecclesial ministers.
2001
Master of Arts in Health Care Mission program in a hybrid format founded.
2004
Vocare Center founded. Aquinas begins collaboration with Ascension Health Care in a multi-year leadership education program and with several other Catholic Health Care systems.
Aquinas awarded $1.7 million Lilly Endowment New Models of Ministry Grant to fund Apollos Project and a $2 million gift from the Incarnate Word Foundation.
2005
Aquinas purchases the S. Spring Ave property and inaugurates a capital campaign to renovate the former Standard Adding Machine factory. The Micheletto family makes a significant gift to the campaign.
2006
Aquinas holds first classes in its newly-rennovated building at 23 South Spring Avenue.
Fall: Aquinas launches a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies — Catechesis of the Good Shepherd degree program.
2009
Aquinas Institute receives a $500,000 gift from the Kenosha Dominican Sisters as part of the capital campaign of the Province of St. Albert the Great.
2011
Ashley-O’Rourke Center for Health Care Ministry founded, drawing its name from Fr. Benedict Ashley, OP, (L) and Fr. Kevin O’Rourke, OP (R), Dominican priests who had long careers in bioethics and Catholic health care.
December: Dominican Friars of the Provinces of St. Albert the Great and St. Martin de Porres move into their new home of St. Dominic Priory on Lafayette Avenue.
2012
Aquinas receives $350,000 grant to fund The Montesinos Project from the Henry Luce Foundation.
2013 - 2018
Aquinas Institute awarded Lilly Endowment Grants of $750,000 to fund the Delaplane Initiative for Preaching Excellence. Also, Aquinas receives a $250,000 for Pursuing Financial Freedom for New Church ministers project.
aquinas milestones
2019-2020
Aquinas inaugurates the Aquinas Scholars program. Initial fund-raising of $1 million enables Aquinas to attract its first cohort of five Scholars for Fall 2020.
2021
February 10: The Western Province of the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) and Aquinas formally enter a Ministerial Cooperation and Facilities Sharing Agreement to strengthen their organizations.
September: Aquinas receives gift of $1.2 million from its sponsoring Province of St. Albert the Great to pay off all its debt.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
2022
July: Aquinas begins its In Medio Ecclesiae 2022-2027 Five-Year Strategic Plan.
Aquinas awarded Lilly Endowment Phase
Two Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant of $1 million to fund the Aquinas Path for Tomorrow Project, which features the creation of the Center for Community Engagement and Evangelization.
2022 - 2023
Aquinas awarded Lilly Endowment Phase
Two Compelling Preaching Initiative grant of $1.25 million to fund and sustain the New Frontiers in Preaching to Underserved Catholics program.
2023
March: Aquinas receives $4 million permanently restricted gift for the Aquinas Institute Scholarship Fund from the St. Jude Legacy Fund of the Province of St. Albert the Great.
2024
Aquinas receives three legacy gifts amounting to $800,00 from friends of Aquinas.
March: Aquinas hosts a symposium on The Pastoral Charge for Lay Catholic Eucharistic Preaching, the proceedings of which are gathered and later published as Lay Eucharistic Preaching in a Synodal Catholic Church (2025).
2025
March: Aquinas awarded the Lilly Endowment Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative grant of $1.25 million to fund the Aquinas Children’s Worship Partnership program.
May: Aquinas kicks off its Centennial Celebration and Campaign to raise $10M in restricted and unrestricted funds.
In Medio Ecclesiae: Preaching in Word and Deed
Core Degree Programs
Rooted in the Dominican tradition of study, and guided by the work of our patron St. Thomas Aquinas who pursued the Truth of Christ wherever it could be found, Aquinas Institute offers several core degree programs that provide a foundation of theological education and formation to prepare students for ministry or further study: the Master of Arts in Theology (MA), Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS), and the Master of Divinity (MDiv). a
Master of Arts in Theology
The Master of Arts in Theology (MA) program introduces students to a wide range of theological disciplines, including systematic, historical, sacramental, and moral theology, as well as biblical studies. It provides students with a solid, academic foundation in theology and prepares them for further academic study or academic pursuits. Over the course of the degree, students develop advanced skills in the areas of theological research and writing and learn to both analyze texts and arguments as well as to synthesize materials. Graduates have chosen to utilize their theological education in a wide variety of fields following graduation by pursuing further theological education, teaching theology, serving in parishes or dioceses in various capacities, leading non-profit organizations, and professional careers in health care, law, and business.
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies
The Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) program offers students a solid academic, theological, and pastoral foundation and provides them with the knowledge and competencies for a successful future ministry in teaching, chaplaincy, or pastoral care. It is designed to prepare students for service to the Church in a variety of Christian ministries, providing them with the opportunity to integrate their theological education with pastoral and ministerial study and practice and assist them in developing the skills required for theological reflection. Graduates have gone on to serve as high school and college campus ministers, catechists, directors of religious education or adult faith formation, parish pastoral associates, liturgy directors, chaplains in hospitals or hospices, and in many other ministries.
Master of Divinity
The Master of Divinity (MDiv) provides a comprehensive theological education in the Roman Catholic tradition that prepares students to meet an evolving ministerial environment and needs of our modern and global Church. The curriculum includes coursework in Biblical studies, historical, systematic, moral, and pastoral theology as well as preaching and liturgical leadership, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and Supervised Practice of Ministry (SPM), as well as human and spiritual formation. The basic academic credential required for priestly ordination in the Catholic Church, the MDiv degree prepares students to excel in a variety of other ministerial positions, such as high school and college campus minister, a parish life coordinator, a director of religious education, a hospital chaplain, and a theology teacher.
Signature Degree Programs
Beyond offering a more general pastoral and theological foundation for ministry or further academic work, Aquinas has also excelled in equipping its students to engage in lay ministry through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, in the field of health care ethics and mission, and in faithful, dynamic preaching. These strengths are perhaps best expressed in the signature degree programs: the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies – Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, as well as the certificate and degree programs housed under the Ashley O’Rourke Center (AOR) Center for Health Ministry Leadership.
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies –Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
The Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies – Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (MAPS–CGS) is a unique degree program developed by Aquinas Institute that offers students the opportunity to understand the influential underpinnings of Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi’s work and further expand their capacity to serve and foster children’s relationship with God. It is the only degree of its kind in the world. It is designed to help catechists with a special ministry to children and young people deepen their knowledge and understanding of Scripture and liturgy, and heighten their professional development as ministers in the Church. Graduates have gone on to serve as directors of religious education, pastoral associates, full-time educators, as well as CGS association staff, board members, and formation leaders. a
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
The only doctoral program in preaching in the United States, the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching (DMin) at Aquinas Institute offers preachers advanced ministerial formation in homiletics rooted in the charism of the Order of Preachers, equipping them to be master preachers. The program is committed to attaining the highest standards of homiletic and retreat preaching, homiletical instruction, evangelization, and catechesis. It is a robust program that combines an in-person and online format, allowing those in full-time or part-time ministry to succeed academically while obtaining excellent and effective preaching skills. Our graduates are leaders and change agents who have gone on to serve in parishes and congregations, campuses and retreat centers, and local dioceses and religious communities.
Health Care Mission Academic Programs
Housed under the Ashley-O’Rourke Center for Health Ministry Leadership, the Graduate Certificate in Health Care Mission, the Master of Arts in Practical Theology with a Specialization in Health Care Mission (MAPT), and the Dual Master of Arts in Theology and PhD in Health Care Ethics (MA-PhD) provide an education and formation for a wide range of professionals and volunteers that strengthens the commitment to Catholic health care and results in deeper engagement in mission. Grounded in the Dominican intellectual tradition of study and the moral teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas, and aligned with the Catholic Health Association’s competencies for mission leaders, these programs are designed to provide a solid theological foundation for those committed to Catholic mission and identity in a format accessible to all leaders in active health care ministry.
For more information about certificate and degree programs offered at Aquinas Institute, visit: ai.edu/academics/degree-programs
Notable Alumni for
Years
For 100 years, Aquinas Institute of Theology has equipped students to preach the gospel in word and deed through a rigorous and theological education and formation. On the occasion of Aquinas’s centennial, a call was made for nominations to recognize the contributions that Aquinas alumni have made in theology, ministry, health care, and much more. Nominations were received from students, faculty, alumni, and other members of the community, pointing to an impressive record of accomplishments. Aquinas is thankful to be able to boast hundreds of graduates who have gone on to fulfill the Holy Preaching in powerful and diverse ways; these 100 notable alumni represent only a small portion of those preachers.
1 Fr. John L. Curran, OP g ’30
Completed Philosophical Studies
Fr. John L. Curran served as a US Army chaplain during World War II and was captured in the Philippines during the fall of Bataan. A survivor of the Bataan Death March and a prisoner of war until 1945, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Bronze Star for heroism.
2 Bishop Michael Dempsey, OP g ’39, ‘43
Completed Philosophical and Theological Studies
Bishop Michael Dempsey was one of the first Dominicans sent to Nigeria in 1951 and served as the second Bishop of Sokoto during a time of civil war. He opened the first secondary school in Gusau and helped lay the foundation for the growth of the Catholic Church in northern Nigeria.
3 Bishop Edward Thaddeus Lawton, OP g ’40, ‘44
Completed Philosophical and Theological Studies
Bishop Edward Lawton was one of the first three Dominicans sent on foreign mission to Nigeria in 1951 and became the first bishop of Sokoto. As the first bishop from the Province of St. Albert the Great, he helped establish a lasting Catholic presence in northern Nigeria and took part in the final sessions of the Second Vatican Council.
4 Fr. Raymond Nogar, OP, ThD g ’45, ‘48, ‘50
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Master of Theology, Doctor of Theology
Fr. Raymond Nogar was a philosopher, scientist, and preacher best known for The Wisdom of Evolution (1963) and The Lord of the Absurd (1972). A respected member of the Albertus Magnus Lyceum, he lectured widely on the relationship between science and theology.
5 Fr. James Weisheipl, OP, STM g ’46, ’50, ’78
Licentiate in Philosophy, Master of Sacred Theology
Fr. James Weisheipl was a distinguished historian of medieval science and Thomistic thought. He taught at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto, founded the American section of the Leonine Commission, and authored the definitive biography Friar Thomas D’Aquino (1974).
6 Fr. Reginald Masterson, OP, PhD g ’47, ’48, ’52
Licentiate in Sacred Theology, Licentiate in Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy
Fr. Reginald Masterson, was a theologian, teacher, and author who served as Dean of Theology at the Catholic University of America and as Director of Renewal and Pastoral Planning in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Best known for his decades of service at St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans, he influenced generations of students through his teaching and ministry
7 Fr. Benedict Ashley, OP, STM g ’49, ’98
Lectorate in Sacred Theology, Doctor of Philosophy
A former president of Aquinas Institute and a leading Catholic ethicist, Fr. Benedict Ashley co-authored the seminal Health Care Ethics: A Catholic Theological Analysis and helped secure Aquinas Institute’s ATS accreditation. Influenced by the vision of the Church put forth at Vatican II, he was admired for his intellectual daring and brilliance traits that shaped generations of students, scholars, and Church leaders.
Notable Alumni
8 Fr. Christopher Kiesling, OP, STM g ’49, ’55
Licentiate in Philosophy, Lectorate in Sacred Theology
Fr. Christopher Kiesling, OP, was a prolific writer, professor, and liturgist who shaped generations of students at Aquinas Institute. He edited Spirituality Today, served on ecumenical commissions, and authored The Spirit and Practice of the Liturgy (1965). With wisdom and humility, he helped integrate Thomistic thought and pastoral practice in post-conciliar Catholic theology.
9 Fr. Damian Fandal, OP, PhD g ’51, ’55
Licentiate in Philosophy, Master of Arts in Theology, Lectorate in Sacred Theology
Fr. Damian Fandal served as Provincial, university dean, and president at Aquinas Institute and the University of Dallas. A lifelong educator, gifted preacher, and insightful theologian, he co-authored Catholic theology textbooks and led the Dominican effort to form the Province of St. Martin de Porres.
10 Fr. Albert Moraczewski, OP, STM g ’51, ’55
Licentiate in Philosophy, Lectorate in Sacred Theology, Master of Arts in Theology
Fr. Albert Moraczewski was a pioneering Catholic bioethicist and the founding president of what is now the National Catholic Bioethics Center. A prolific author and respected teacher, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Catholic Health Association in 2004.
11 Fr. Kevin O’Rourke, OP, STM g ’52, ’54
Lectorate in Philosophy, Licentiate in Sacred Theology
Fr. Kevin O’Rourke was a pioneer in Catholic health care ethics and a beloved teacher and author. A former president of Aquinas Institute and longtime director of the Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University, he co-authored the landmark Health Care Ethics: A Catholic Theological Analysis (1978). His scholarship earned him the Catholic Health Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
12 Fr. Dennis Zusy, OP, PhD g ’52, ’54
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Licentiate in Philosophy, Lectorate in Sacred Theology
Fr. Dennis Zusy was a scholar, scientist, and educator whose ministry united biology, philosophy, and theology. He held teaching posts at Aquinas Institute, Northwestern, Rosary College, and more, and served the Dominican Order as Socius, Vicar Provincial, Regent of Studies, and Assistant Promoter of Studies.
13 Fr. Ralph Powell, OP, PhD g ’54
Lectorate in Theology
Fr. Ralph Powell was a distinguished philosopher and professor who taught at Aquinas Institute and the Angelicum in Rome.
A prolific author and lifelong Thomist, he studied under Dietrich von Hildebrand and Jacques Maritain, held faculty positions in Canada, the US, and Europe, and wrote a synthesis of his philosophical thought, Freely Chosen Reality (1982).
14 Fr. Francis “Frank” Currier Quinn, OP, PhD g ’55
Bachelor of Arts in Theology
Fr. Frank Quinn was a nationally recognized liturgist, musician, theologian, and member of the ICEL Music Committee and respected advisor to bishops and liturgical commissions. A Professor of Liturgical Theology at Aquinas Institute for decades, he also wrote and edited numerous works on liturgical prayer and sacred music.
15 Fr. Thomas O’Meara, OP, STM ’59, ’62
Licentiate in Philosophy, Lectorate in Sacred Theology
Fr. Thomas O’Meara is an internationally recognized systematic theologian and Professor Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. A former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, he is the author of more than a dozen theological works and a contributor to the Blackfriars edition of the Summa Theologiae
16 Fr. Charles “Chuck” Dahm, OP, PhD ’61, ’63
Licentiate in Philosophy, Master of Arts in Theology, Lectorate in Sacred Theology
Fr. Chuck Dahm is a priest and activist who directs the Domestic Violence Outreach program for the Archdiocese of Chicago. A longtime minister in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, he has also served in Bolivia and co-founded advocacy groups such as the Chicago Workers Collaborative and Parenting for Nonviolence.
17 Fr. Albert Glenn Judy, OP, PhD ’62
Doctor of Philosophy
Fr. Albert Judy, OP, was a respected scholar of St. Thomas Aquinas and member of the Leonine Commission, the Vatican project overseeing the critical edition of Aquinas’s works. A pastoral minister and theologian, he made significant contributions to the study of Albert the Great and Vincent Ferrer.
18 Fr. Benedict Viviano, OP, STM g ’62, ’63, ’66
Bachelor of Arts in Sacred Theology, Licentiate in Philosophy, Master of Arts in Theology, Lectorate in Sacred Theology
Fr. Benedict Viviano was a renowned New Testament scholar and professor who taught at Aquinas Institute, the École Biblique in Jerusalem, and the University of Fribourg. He authored numerous influential works, including the Matthew commentary in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, and was co-editor of major scholarly publications. [
PAGE 33
a leader in and Ecumenism Collaboration
Q
Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP speaking at a liturgical Celebration at Aquinas
The changing face of Aquinas Institute in the mid-1960’s was aligned with two groundbreaking documents of the Second Vatican Council. Both the promulgation of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium on November 1, 1964 and the Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio on November 21, 1964 coincided with the admission of the first lay students into graduate programs in theology at Aquinas and the formation of the first ecumenical theological consortium in the United States founded between a Roman Catholic school of theology and Protestant seminaries. These “firsts” reflected how the Dominicans were deeply attentive to ecclesial and ecumenical deliberations of the Roman Catholic Church articulated at Vatican II. Moreover, the Dominican friars welcoming laity and Protestant seminarians into the work of their theological school mirrored their enthusiasm for the great theological achievements of the twentieth century Catholic ressourcement movement.
This institutional shift at Aquinas embodied the theological hopes, dreams, and trajectories of the Dominican friars of the Province of St. Albert the Great in postWorld War II society, all rather unique to the Catholic Church in the Midwestern United States. These trends even can be traced to an optimism of the River Forest School of Thomism that ardently sought to engage the Church’s tradition with the contemporary world. A new breed of Dominican intellectuals emerged figures like Benedict M. Ashley, OP, Raymond J. Nogar, OP, J. Athanasius Weisheipl, OP, and William Augustine Wallace, OP who
River Forest House of Studies
The Second Vatican Council, Saint Peter’s Basilica of Rome
laid the groundwork for the mission and vision of a theological school that embraced the changing landscape of the Church in the modern world. These pioneers helped to build a foundation for an institution that would find its new expression in Dubuque, Iowa in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.
By 1968, Aquinas Institute would have classrooms populated by a new demographic of Dominican friars, lay students, religious sisters, and Protestant seminary students all studying together in the same learning environment. These classrooms reflected a changing Church. From this time forward, Aquinas would be uniquely characterized by its commitment to preparing its students to meet the opportunities and challenges of a Church served through collaboration. That character and mission-driven value remains a hallmark of Aquinas today. Our classrooms are a model for ecclesial partnerships and alliances where future ministers learn to work together and depend on deep associations of mutual trust and sharing of gifts in their pursuit to fulfill the Holy Preaching.
Notable Alumni
19 Fr. David Wright, OP, PhD ’64, ’66, ’69
Bachelor of Arts, Licentiate in Philosophy, Master of Arts in Theology
Fr. David Wright is a longtime leader, liturgist, and historian in the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great. He served as Prior, Novice Master, and Vicar General, and was a founder of Project OPUS, chronicling the history of Dominicans in the US.
20 Fr. Ed Ruane, OP, DMin ’65, ’69
Bachelor of Philosophy, Master of Arts in Theology, Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Fr. Ed Ruane is a former Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Albert the Great and Vicar to the Master of the Dominican Order in Rome. An educator, preacher, and spiritual director, he has served in seminary formation, parish leadership, and academic roles at Aquinas Institute and beyond.
21 Fr. Don Goergen, OP, STM ’68, ’72
Master of Arts in Theology, Doctor of Philosophy
Fr. Don Goergen, OP, is a theologian, author, and preacher known for his work in Christology and spirituality. A former Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great and President of the Dominican Leadership Conference, he is beloved as a retreat leader and teacher.
22 Fr. Richard Woods, OP, STM g ’70
Master of Arts in Theology
Fr. Richard Woods was a prolific theologian and author whose teaching spanned institutions such as Dominican University, Oxford, and Loyola University Chicago. With more than 13 books and 100 articles to his name, his work explored medieval spirituality, mysticism, and the imagination.
23 Sr. Agnes Mueller, ASC g ’71
Master of Theology
Sr. Agnes Mueller, ASC, was one of Aquinas Institute’s first female graduates and a missionary in Liberia, where she was martyred in 1992. She served as a nurse, educator, and advocate for women’s literacy and independence, and was named one of Pope John Paul II’s “Martyrs of Charity.”
24 Sr. Ann Michele Shay, BVM, PhD g ’72 *
Doctor of Theology
Sr. Mary Ann Michele Shay taught theology for 24 years at Clarke University and is now Professor Emerita. She earned degrees in education and theology from Marquette University and completed her doctoral studies at Aquinas Institute.
* Photo used with permission of Mount Carmel Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Dubuque, Iowa. g Deceased
Notable Alumni
25 Sr. Diane Kennedy, OP, PhD g ’73
Master of Arts in Theology
Sr. Diane Kennedy, OP, was a nationally respected leader in Catholic theological education, having served as Vice President and Academic Dean at Aquinas Institute, President of the Association of Theological Schools, and founder of the St. Catherine of Siena Center. Her legacy includes decades of leadership rooted in Dominican tradition, justice, and the formation of future Church leaders.
26 Fr. James V. Marchionda, OP ’73
Master of Theology
Fr. James Marchionda is a preacher, composer, and former itinerant missioner who has published over 100 pieces of sacred music. A Fra Angelico Award recipient, he has long blended preaching with musical composition. For more than 20 years, he traveled the country preaching parish missions with Dominican Sisters, modeling collaborative preaching that bridges gender and vocation.
27 Sr. Patricia “Pat” Walter, OP, PhD ’73
Master of Arts in Theology
Sr. Pat Walter is a theologian, educator, and former Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters. She has taught at institutions including Aquinas Institute, Siena Heights University, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, and continues to serve in leadership and formation for her congregation.
28 Fr. Harry Byrne, OP, DMin g ’78
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Fr. Harry Byrne was Professor Emeritus and founder of the Spiritual Direction Certificate Program at Aquinas Institute. Known for his calm presence and pastoral wisdom, he shaped the formation of generations of spiritual directors and ministers for more than two decades.
29 Sr. Antona Ebo, FSM g ’78
Master of Arts in Theology
Sr. Antona Ebo was a pioneering Black Catholic leader and Civil Rights icon. One of the first African-American women to join the Franciscan Sisters of Mary and the first African-American woman to head a hospital (St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, Wisconsin), she marched in Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and co-founded the National Black Sisters’ Conference.
30 Fr. Charles “Charlie” Bouchard, OP, STD ’80
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Fr. Charlie Bouchard is a national voice in Catholic health care ethics and sponsorship. A former president of Aquinas Institute and provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great, he also served as Vice President of Theological Education for Ascension Health and Senior Director of Theology and Sponsorship for the Catholic Health Association.
31 Sr. Carmelita Murphy, OP, DMin ’81
Doctor of Ministry
Sr. Carmelita Murphy is a leader in formation, healthcare ministry, and future planning for religious communities. She served as Co-Director of the Parable Conference, Prioress of her congregation, and later founded LEAD, Inc., a consulting practice for nonprofits and religious institutes.
32 Fr. Michael Mascari, OP, JD, PhD ’86, ’87
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Fr. Michael Mascari, has served as Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great and as Socius for Intellectual Life for the global Dominican Order. Currently Vice President and Academic Dean of Aquinas Institute, he has also chaired the board of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and held a professorial chair at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines.
33 Fr. David Songy, OFM Cap, STD, PsyD ’86, ’87 Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Fr. David Songy is a clinical psychologist and priest who served as President of Saint Luke Institute and now leads ongoing formation for the Capuchin Province of St. Conrad. A former director of counseling at the North American College in Rome, he speaks internationally on priestly spirituality, celibacy, and integrating psychology with theology. [ CONTINUED ON PAGE
Student Sisters at Siena House
The Crucial Role of Women Religious at Aquinas Institute
Beginning in that rich ecumenical environment of Dubuque, Iowa in the mid-1960s, women religious and in particular those from congregations of Dominican Sisters in the United States have played a crucial role in ensuring that Aquinas Institute fulfills its mission, from contributions as members of the student body to leadership as administrators and professors. a
Sr. Joan Delaplane, OP
Women and lay people first began to attend Aquinas Institute in 1967 in Dubuque, Iowa the first wave to pursue a theological education after Vatican II. In 1978, an Intercommunity Novitiate (ICN) was established in St. Louis for several religious congregations throughout the United States, so when Aquinas relocated to St. Louis in 1981, novices from diverse religious communities began to take classes there. When a study house was established in 1984 in St. Louis to house six Dominican Sisters from four congregations, it was only natural for them to receive theological education and formation from Aquinas as well. Four years later, when the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate (CDN) was
established in St. Louis by 15 congregations of Dominican sisters, novices turned once again to Aquinas. These congregations represented by members mentioned among the notable alumni have irrevocably shaped the character of the institution through their generosity in offering time, talents, and financial support.
Religious women have served in key positions on faculty and staff at Aquinas, and their names are familiar to generations of graduates. Sisters were among the most beloved and long-serving professors, teaching homiletics (Sr. Joan Delaplane, OP), moral theology and health care ethics (Sr. Jean deBlois, CSJ), systematic theology (Sr. Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP and Sr. Pat Walter, OP) New Testament studies (Sr. Mary Margaret Pazdan, OP), and liturgical theology (Sr. Catherine Vincie, RSHM). Sisters also played a crucial role in administration as academic deans (Sr. Diane Kennedy, OP, and
First Community of the Collaborative Dominican Noviate
Sr. Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP
Sr. Catherine Vincie, RSHM
Sr. Carla Mae Streeter, OP and Sr. Diane Kennedy, OP
Sr. Mary Kay Oosdyke, OP), registrar (Sr. Sheila Brennan, OP), and business manager (Sr. Ladonna Kassmeyer, FSPA). Sr. Carla Mae Streeter, OP, former long-time professor of systematics and spirituality, has asserted that the presence of religious women has been key in providing a well-rounded education for students, who could sense the camaraderie between men and women on faculty and staff and realize that “this is the future of the Church.”
Following in the footsteps of St. Dominic, whose establishment of a home for religious women was a significant early step in the establishment of the Order of Preachers, Aquinas Institute is grateful for the many decades of religious women who have helped fulfill its mission.
Religious Sisters in class.
Sr. Sara Fairbanks, OP
Sr. Mary Margaret Pazdan, OP (Right)
Dominican Sisters outside St. Francis Xavier College Church
Notable Alumni
34 Fr. Manuel Williams, CR ’87
Master of Divinity
Fr. Manuel Williams is Director of Resurrection Catholic Missions in Montgomery, Alabama. A preacher, pastor, and teacher, he serves on the faculty of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana and is a current Doctor of Ministry student at Aquinas.
35 Daniel L. O’Brien, PhD ’88
Master of Arts in Theology
Dr. Daniel O’Brien served more than 27 years as Senior Vice President of Ethics, Discernment, and Church Relations at Ascension Health. A respected leader in Catholic health care, he continues to serve on Ascension’s Sponsorship Board and as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Aquinas Institute.
36 Sr. Sara Fairbanks, OP, PhD ‘90
Master of Arts in Theology
37 Sr. Mary Jean Traeger, OP ’91, ’96
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Sr. Mary Jean Traeger served in leadership for the Springfield Dominicans for over 15 years, including as Prioress General. A teacher, principal, pastoral leader, and renewal center director, her ministry spans education, parish leadership, and anti-racism work, including training with Crossroads Antiracism.
38 Very Rev. Fr. Louis Morrone, OP ’92
Master of Divinity
Fr. Louis Morrone is the current Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great, and former Novice Master, Prior, campus minister, and vocations director. He also chairs the Board of Directors for the International Dominican Foundation.
39 Fr. Tom Condon, OP, DMin ’96
Sr. Sara Fairbanks is a theologian, preacher, and educator who served as Associate Professor at Aquinas Institute and Barry University. A passionate preacher and regional prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, she is a frequent lecturer and contributor to works on homiletics and systematic theology.
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Fr. Tom Condon has served as Prior Provincial, Socius, and Student Master for the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres, and an adjunct professor of ministerial pastoral theology at Aquinas. An insightful preacher, teacher, and pastoral leader, he draws on decades of experience in parish life, formation, and retreat ministry.
40 Steven Vincent DeLeers, DMin ’96
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Dr. Steven DeLeers was the first graduate of Aquinas’s Doctor of Ministry in Preaching program. A homiletics consultant and author of Written Text Becomes Living Word, he is a popular speaker and writer whose work has appeared in The Bible Today, New Theology Review, and other key theological journals.
41 Connie Curtis ’97
Master of Arts in Theology
Connie Curtis is co-founder of Denver Justice and Peace, an ecumenical organization rooted in Catholic social teaching. A former Director of Religious Education in the Archdiocese of Denver and council member for the 10:30 Catholic Community, she is a voice for justice, peace, and inclusive community in the Church.
42 Sr. Elyse Marie Ramirez, OP ’97
Master of Arts in Theology
Sr. Elyse Marie Ramirez has served in religious vocations ministry for more than 25 years, including as Director of Formation for the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate and in the Archdiocese of Chicago. She has developed innovative formation efforts and outreach initiatives such as “Nun Runs” and young adult vocation programming.
43 Sr. Mary Ann Wiesemann-Mills, OP, DMin ’97
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Sr. Mary Ann Wiesemann-Mills is a past President of the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics and former Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. A respected homiletics professor at St. Mary Seminary and Aquinas Institute, she has long championed collaborative ministry and the role of women preachers.
44 Darren ’98 and Cindy Eultgen ’02
Master of Divinity (Darren)
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, Spiritual Direction Certificate (Cindy)
Appointed Parish Life Coordinators in multiple dioceses, Darren and Cindy Eultgen have dedicated their lives to rural parish ministry and diocesan leadership. Darren currently serves as Chancellor for the Diocese of Great Falls–Billings, Montana, while Cindy has ministered as a retreat leader and advisor to the US bishops.
45 Michael Garrido ’98
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies
Michael Garrido is Vice President of Mission at Emory Health System in Atlanta, bringing decades of parish and health care ministry to this leadership role. Formerly a parish administrator in Guam and St. Louis, he now leads chaplaincy, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and community outreach for a major health system.
Notable Alumni
46 Celeste Mueller, DMin ’98
Master of Arts in Theology
Dr. Celeste Mueller is former Vice President of Ministry Formation for Ascension and founder of the Vocare Center at Aquinas Institute. An Associate with the Adrian Dominican Sisters and current Chair of the Board of the Pallotine Retreat Center, she led national initiatives in spiritual formation and created Mandorla LLC to promote healing leadership.
47 Ann Garrido, DMin ’99, ’03
Master of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Dr. Ann Garrido is a professor, author, and nationally known speaker on conflict, mission, and leadership. With ten books to her name including Redeeming Administration (2013) and Redeeming Conflict (2016) she teaches homiletics and pastoral theology at Aquinas Institute and has spoken at more than 300 diocesan and organizational gatherings.
48 Carol Williams, MD g ’00, ’02, ’03
Certificate in Pastoral Care, Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, Certificate in Spiritual Direction, Honorary Doctorate
Dr. Carol Williams was a beloved physician and spiritual director. A trustee and honorary doctorate recipient at Aquinas, she was the first woman to serve as president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society.
49 Fr. Don Wester, DMin ’01
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Fr. Don Wester has served as pastor of All Saints Parish in St. Peters, Missouri for over two decades, and is a current Lecturer in Homiletics at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. He helped shape the USCCB’s Preaching the Mystery of Faith (2013) and continues to mentor deacons and priests across the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
50 Tom Cummins ’02
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies
Tom Cummins serves as a volunteer chaplain at two maximum-security prisons in Missouri, ministering to men in solitary confinement and leading religious services for the general population. Through one-on-one visits and prayerful accompaniment, he brings pastoral care, communion, and hope to those often forgotten.
51 Fr. Jeffery Ott, OP ’02
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Fr. Jeffery Ott is pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, a historically Black Catholic parish in Atlanta, and the first African American priest to lead it in over a century. He serves on the boards of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus and the Association of US Catholic Priests, and his ministry is marked by community engagement, preaching, and justice.
52 Randall Rosenberg, PhD ’02
Master of Arts in Theology
Dr. Randall Rosenberg is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Saint Louis University and a leading scholar in theological anthropology, grace, and modernity. Formerly the CSJ Endowed Chair in Catholic Thought at Fontbonne University, he is a prolific author whose work bridges rigorous scholarship and the formation of students and future theologians.
53 Erin Bakanas, MD ‘04
Master of Arts in Health Care Mission
Dr. Erin Bakanas is a professor of Palliative Medicine at Washington University, and board-certified in Internal Medicine.
54 Clarence Heller ’04, ’05
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies,
Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Clarence Heller is a poet, painter, and spiritual director known for his work with Moments of Grace and Prayer, an organization offering spiritual retreats in everyday life. His book Everyday Sacred blends visual art and reflection, offering inspiration for daily prayer and helping people embrace the sacredness of ordinary life.
55 Fred Rottnek, MD ’04
Master of Arts in Health Care Mission
Dr. Fred Rottnek is Professor and Director of Community Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Medical Director at ARCA. He co-founded the SLU Center for Substance Use Disorders and Pain Management and helped develop its Addiction Medicine Fellowship.
56 Very Rev. Roberto Merced, OP ’05
Master of Divinity
Fr. Roberto Merced currently serves as the Prior Provincial for the Province of St. Martin de Porres. He has also served in parish life in various parishes in Louisiana and Texas.
57 Karen Seaborn, DMin ’04, ’09, ’21
Certificate in Spiritual Direction, Master of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Dr. Karen Seaborn serves on the preaching team at King’s House Retreat Center at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows and teaches as an adjunct professor at Aquinas Institute. A retreat leader, spiritual director, and Catholic educator (as well as a former emergency nurse!), she shares ministry with her husband, Scott, through marriage retreats and adult formation.
Notable Alumni
58 Jared Bryson, DMin ’05
Master of Divinity
Dr. Jared Bryson is President and CEO of Catholic Charities of St. Louis, guiding its mission to bring hope and healing to those in need. A seasoned executive and Catholic Life and Leadership Coach with over 15 years of experience in health care and social services, Jared integrates spirituality, strategy, and service, making him a respected voice in Catholic leadership and mission formation.
59 David Wenzel ’05
Master of Arts in Theology
David Wenzel is a former Board Chair of Aquinas Institute and a longtime business executive with leadership roles at Edward Jones, Purina, and Price Waterhouse. With a background in finance and a passion for Catholic education, he led a transformative period in Aquinas’s history, helping the school regain stability and mission focus.
60 Bolivar “Bo” Fraga ’06
Dual Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies and Master of Social Work (SLU)
Bo Fraga is a civic leader, Air Force veteran, and Manager of Civic Engagement at BakerRipley in Houston. A longtime advocate for affordable housing, he is active in neighborhood renewal, education, and social outreach, he also teaches social work at the University of Houston.
61
Orvin Kimbrough ’06
Master of Arts in Theology
Orvin Kimbrough is CEO of Midwest BankCentre and former President and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis. A respected financial and nonprofit leader, he is the author of a memoir, Twice Over a Man (2024).
62 Fr. José David Padilla, OP, STD ’06
Master of Divinity
Fr. Jose David Padilla is Associate Professor of Theology and Director of the MA in Theology program at Barry University in Miami. A scholar of the New Testament, he has served in parish and campus ministries in New Orleans and Miami, including as Director of the Catholic Center at Tulane University.
63 Fr. Toby Collins, CR ’07
Master of Divinity
Fr. Toby Collins serves as pastor of St. Mary Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows Parish in Kitchener, Ontario, where he launched Tiny Home Takeout, an outreach providing food and shelter to those in need. A former Vocation Director and past Vice Chair of the National Religious Vocation Conference, he received a King Charles III Coronation Medal for his leadership and service to the community.
64 Danielle Harrison, JD ’07
Master of Arts in Theology
Danielle Harrison is a national speaker, retreat leader, and consultant on faith, equity, and reconciliation. President of Mission Faith Equity Consulting and a doctoral student at Aquinas, she also serves as Manager of the St. Charles Lwanga Center in St. Louis, and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences on racism, inclusion, and the authentic call of the Gospel.
65 Michael Miller, Jr., D.HCML ’07
Master of Arts in Theology
Dr. Michael Miller is System Vice President of Mission and Ethics for SSM Health and teaches health care mission at Aquinas Institute. A certified health care ethicist and published theologian, he received the 2023 Linacre Award from the Catholic Medical Association for his work on AI ethics.
66 Sr. Theresa “Terry” Rickard, OP, DMin ’07
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Sr. Terry Rickard is the former CEO of RENEW International, and a frequent keynote speaker at conferences such as the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. Her ministry has spanned parish missions in the South Bronx, vocation and formation leadership, and digital innovation in evangelization and small-group faith formation across the US and beyond.
67 Orin Johnson ’08
Master of Arts in Theology
Orin Johnson is Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in St. Louis, a composer, conductor, and educator whose work bridges liturgy and creativity. His compositions are widely used in Catholic worship, and he is the author of Incarnate in Word and Song (2023).
68 Sr. Kathryn Press, ASCJ ’08
Master of Divinity
Sr. Kathryn Press is a missionary and pastoral minister serving in Ireland, a published writer for Global Sisters Report, and an active member of Giving Voice, a peer led organization providing support to younger women religious. A CGS catechist and teacher of all grade levels, she also works in youth and young adult ministry and vocations for the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore.
69 Kevin Stephens OP, SSD ’08
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
A former Professor of Biblical Studies at Aquinas Institute, Fr. Kevin Stephens currently serves as Administrator of the École Biblique et Archéologique française de Jérusalem.
[ CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 ]
A New Generation of DOMINICAN FRIARS
Since 1925, Aquinas Institute of Theology has provided theological education and formation for Dominican friars in the Province of St. Albert the Great (the Central Province), and for many years the Province of St. Martin de Porres (the Southern Province) as well. Through this education and formation, these men have become equipped and prepared to fulfill the Dominican mission, and after graduation have been sent to pursue a wide array of ministries throughout the United States and the world, including parish life, campus ministry, and provincial leadership. Some have even returned to Aquinas Institute to help form the future of the worldwide Dominican Order as professors. a
left: Peter Lewitzke, OP, and Jordan DeGuire, OP, at their Solemn Profession of Vows above: Three friars at their presbyteral ordination
In a religious order that values study as a fundamental aspect of its charism, Aquinas Institute plays a crucial role in shaping friars into intelligent preachers of the Word of God, wherever their ministry takes them.
Fr. Francis Orozco (‘15), current Master of Novices for the Province of St. Martin de Porres, reflects on how Aquinas has shaped him as a minister: “What I remember most about Aquinas Institute is the integration of study in all aspects of life. Because I was a student brother being formed as a Dominican and also studying for the priesthood, the pastoral and academic classes meshed well together, giving a well rounded perspective centered on Jesus Christ and the Dominican charism of preaching.
Taking classes alongside faithful lay students and sisters also added to the depth of discussions and learning.”
Over the past decade, a new generation of Dominican friars formed and educated at Aquinas Institute have stepped up to the plate. Parishes and campus ministries throughout the Central and Southern United States have benefited from their pastoral leadership, including Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Houston, Texas (Fr. Joseph Paul Albin, ‘20), Raider Catholic, the Catholic Student Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas (Fr. Greg Dunn, ‘23), the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic
Fr. Peter Fr. Raphael
Br. Joseph Fr. Brent Fr. Jordan
Fr. Kevin Stephens, OP teaching a Biblical Studies course at Aquinas
Center at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana (Fr. Peter Lewitzke, ‘23), and Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Fr. Jordan DeGuire, ‘23). Their administrative and pedagogical skills have also been recognized and utilized by their respective provinces, as Regent of Studies (Fr. Vincent Dávila, ‘17), Promoter of Vocations (Fr. Samuel Hakeem, ‘17), and Socius (Br. Joseph Trout, ‘15) for the Province of St. Albert the Great, as Director of Vocations (Fr. Carl Joseph Paustian, ‘18) for the Province of St. Martin de Porres, and as Master of Students for Dominican friars (Fr. Raphael Christianson, ‘17) and Director of the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program (Fr. Brent Bowen, ‘19) at Aquinas Institute.
clockwise from left: The Class of 2017 pose for a photo; Fr. Jordan greeting students at a campus ministry event;
Br. Joseph Trout speaks to Come and See participants; and
Frs. Brent Bowen and Brian Zuelke at prayer
For more information on the ministries of Central and Southern friars, visit the websites for the Province of St. Albert the Great (opcentral.org) and St. Martin de Porres (opsouth.org)
Fr. Samuel Fr. Vincent
Fr. Joseph Paul
Fr. Greg Fr. Carl Joseph
Notable Alumni
70 Troy Woytek ’09
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies,
Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Troy Woytek is Director of Ministry at the Catholic Student Center at Washington University in St. Louis. A seasoned leader in campus ministry, he serves on the Executive Board of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association and is known for his collaborative spirit and deep care for students.
71 Cheryl Archibald ’10
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies
Cheryl Archibald was the first lay woman appointed by the Archbishop of St. Louis to serve as a pastoral life coordinator. An Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJA) and trusted leader in the Church and wider community, she has led several parishes, including St. Matthew the Apostle, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Pius V and also serves on the Catholic Charities Board and the Archbishop’s Cabinet.
72 David Brinker ’10
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies
David Brinker is Director of the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA) at Saint Louis University, where he fosters interfaith understanding through art. A musician, arranger, and longtime advocate for the arts, David serves as Chair of the Visual Arts Committee for Arts & Faith St. Louis, and his leadership has helped shape a space where contemporary art and sacred meaning meet.
73 Mary Heinrich ’10
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies –Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Mary Heinrich is the Membership Coordinator for the US Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. A catechist, editor, and board volunteer at Aquinas Institute, she is a devoted advocate for children’s spirituality.
74 Karen Maxwell ’10
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies –Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Karen Maxwell was among the first graduates of Aquinas Institute’s MAPS-CGS program and served as Director of Formation for the US Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She has played a central role in the national and international development of CGS, supporting formation leaders through courses, resources, and leadership in the international council.
75 Mary Mirrione ’10
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies –Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Mary Mirrione serves as National Director of the US Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. A leader since 2003, she has worked closely with the Missionaries of Charity and the Franciscan Friars to expand CGS in underserved communities around the world, including India, Bangladesh, and Honduras.
76 Shane Fitzgerald ’11
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Shane Fitzgerald is the CEO of UofL Jewish Hospital and former VP of Mission Integration for several health systems. A recognized leader in Catholic health care, he brings theological insight and strategic leadership to hospital systems across Kentucky.
77 Fr. Jeffrey Nicolas, DMin ’11
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Fr. Jeff Nicolas is pastor of St. Bernadette Church in Kentucky and a former Navy and Air Guard chaplain. A leader in preaching, formation, and pastoral care, he has ministered throughout the Archdiocese of Louisville and is known for connecting with people of all ages and abilities.
78 Deborah Simmen ’11
Master of Arts in Health Care Mission
Deborah Simmen currently serves as the System Vice President of Ministry Formation at SCL Health in Denver, Colorado. A long-time leader of in health care mission at CHRISTUS health, she is passionate about employee mental and spiritual health.
79 Karla Bellinger, DMin ’12
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Dr. Karla Bellinger is Executive Director of the Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas and a national leader in the field of Catholic preaching. She is the former president of the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics and author of Connecting Pulpit and Pew.
80 Virginia Herbers ’12
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Virginia Herbers is Director of Mission Formation at Saint Louis University and a noted writer, speaker, and retreat leader. A former educator in the US and Taiwan, and she is the author of Gifts from Friends We’ve Yet to Meet (2021).
81 Fr. Augustine “Auggie” DeArmond, OP, JCL ’13
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Fr. Auggie DeArmond served for nine years as the pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and currently serves as the pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Notable Alumni
82 Anita Vincent, ThD ’13
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies –Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Dr. Anita Vincent is Executive Director of the Center for Children and Theology in Washington, DC. A scientist turned theologian and educator, she has served in parish and school settings and led CGS formation courses for over a decade.
83 Deborah Wilhelm, DMin ’13
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Dr. Deborah Wilhelm is a preaching professor and author who teaches at Loyola University New Orleans and Aquinas Institute, where she co-directs the Delaplane Preaching Initiative. Co-author of Preaching Matters, she is known for her practical, pastoral approach to preaching and formation.
84 Rev. Dietra Wise Baker, DMin ’14
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker serves as Director of the Walker Leadership Institute at Eden Seminary and trains nationally in faith-based community organizing with the Gamaliel Network. A preacher, professor, and organizer, her ministry reflects a bold commitment to faith and justice in action, focusing on anti-racism, youth justice, and incarceration reform.
85 Steve Givens ’14
Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Steve Givens is a spiritual director, writer, composer, and retreat leader with decades of leadership in higher education. Formerly Chief of Staff to the Chancellor at Washington University, he now leads the Bridges Foundation and serves on the Board of Trustees for Aquinas Institute.
86 Mary L. Hill ’14
Master of Arts in Health Care Mission
Mary Hill is a former Vice President of Ethics and Director of Mission for Avera Health, a respected ethicist, and talented iconographer. A former trustee and adjunct professor at Aquinas Institute, and with a background as a psychiatric nurse, attorney, and health care executive, she has served Catholic health care with distinction.
87 Francis Cardinal Leo ’14
Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Cardinal Francis Leo was appointed Archbishop of Montreal in 2023 and elevated to the College of Cardinals the following year. A Vatican diplomat, educator, and theologian, he has served in Hong Kong, Australia, and at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and is a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Dominic.
88 Fr. Francis Orozco, OP ’15
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
A former chaplain to Raider Catholic, the Catholic Student Center at Texas Tech University, Fr. Francis Orozco currently serves as the Master of Novices for the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres.
89 Fr. James Dominic Rooney, OP, PhD ’15
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Fr. James Dominic Rooney is an Assistant Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong whose work focuses on metaphysics, Medieval philosophy, Chinese philosophy, and philosophy of religion.
90 Sharon Schuhmann, DMin ’16
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Sharon Schuhmann serves as Pastoral Associate for Intentional Discipleship at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Prospect, Kentucky. A preacher, educator, and advocate for life and evangelization, she has served in leadership roles within the Archdiocese of Louisville and teaches in the diaconate formation programs at St. Meinrad and beyond.
91 Fr. Vincent Dávila, OP, PhD ’17
Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Divinity
Fr. Vincent Dávila currently serves as both as the Regent of Studies for the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great and an Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Aquinas Institute of Theology.
92 Sr. Megan McElroy, OP, DMin ‘17
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Sr. Megan McElroy currently serves as the Prioress of the Grand Rapids Congregation of Dominicans. She previously served as a member of the provincial council and a co-director for the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate (CDN).
93 Elizabeth “Liz” Foshage ‘17
Master of Arts in Health Care Mission
Liz Foshage served as Executive Vice President and CFO of Ascension Health in a decades long career. A seasoned executive and key architect of the Ascension Foundation, she now serves on its board, guiding systemic, values-based health initiatives nationwide.
94 Fr. Vincent Nyman, DMin ’17
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Fr. Vince Nyman is a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, published author, visual artist, and community pastor. With experience in parish and missionary ministry including in Bolivia he regularly ministers and gardens in the Baden neighborhood.
Notable Alumni
95 Anne Marie Vega ’17
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies –Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Anne Marie Vega is Principal of Good Shepherd Montessori School in Cincinnati and an Associate with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. A former parish director of religious education and educator, she brings formation, faith, and resilience into her leadership.
96 Deana Ford Weller ’17
Master of Arts in Health Care Mission
Deanna Ford Weller is a board-certified chaplain who has ministered for more than 25 years in hospice and hospital settings in Oklahoma City. As staff chaplain for SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, she offers compassionate spiritual care to patients, families, and health care workers.
97 Sr. Ngoc Nguyen, LHC ’19
Master of Arts in Theology
Sr. Ngoc Nguyen is a doctoral student and theology instructor at Marquette University. A published scholar and catechist, she has committed her ministry to education, leadership development, and the advancement of Vietnamese sisters in Church life both in the US and abroad.
98 Most Rev. Gregg M. Caggianelli, DMin ’20
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Bishop Gregg Caggianelli was appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services in 2025, the first U.S. bishop ordained following the election of Pope Leo XIV. A former Air Force colonel and professor of homiletics, he also served as Vice Rector and Dean of Human Formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary.
99 Fr. Raymond Cook, OMI, DMin ’20
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Fr. Raymond Cook is Provincial of the U.S. Province of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and President of the US-Canada Region. A dynamic preacher and administrator, he has served in campus and retreat ministry, as a seminary board member, and as a leader in national Catholic organizations.
100 Dcn. Patrick Toole, DMin ’24
Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
Deacon Patrick Toole is Chancellor and Secretary of the Curia for the Diocese of Bridgeport and a parish deacon at St. Catherine of Siena in Connecticut. A former Global VP and CIO for IBM, he now brings strategic leadership to Catholic institutions—for example, by serving on the advisory board for Fairfield University’s Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality and Aquinas Institute.
AQUINAS SCHOLARS
Making a Difference
The Aquinas Scholars program was established by Aquinas in 2019 in order to deepen its investment in training lay people “ to preach, to teach, to minister, and to lead. ”
The program provides full scholarships to outstanding lay students in the core degree programs, along with a housing stipend, book award, and work-study opportunities. As students spend two or three years in full-time coursework and residence in St. Louis, they become grounded in the Dominican mission as they study alongside Dominican student brothers in formation—a unique learning environment that is beneficial to all.
Manny Diaz (MDiv ‘24) expresses the gratitude of many Aquinas Scholars when he writes that “I knew I could pursue an education without having the added stress of finances or debts clouding my ability to learn and engage in my studies.”
Since 2019, the program has seen four classes of Aquinas Scholars graduate and move into diverse academic, administrative, and ministerial roles. To offer just a snapshot of the many ways these scholars have sought “to preach, to teach, to minister, to lead,” graduates from Aquinas currently serve on theological faculty at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, Texas (Madison Williams, MAPS ‘24), in campus ministry at Duke University Catholic Center, Durham, North Carolina (Monica Cronin, MA ‘24), as a hospital chaplaincy in Tampa, Florida (Manny Diaz), and are pursuing further academic work in the PhD in Health Care Ethics program at Saint Louis University (Peter Swindemann, MA ‘22).
Evan Bednarz, MA
William Dapron, MA
Andrew Morales, MA
Grant Hartley, MDiv
Mary Schulenberg, MAPS
Katya Vail, MA
Olivia Walter, MAPS
Elizabeth Rheaume, MAPS
Emmanuel Diaz, MDiv
Peter Swindeman, MA
Kelvin Villegas, MA
Joshua Ostertag, MA
Monica Cronin, MA
Emma Grace Johnson, MDiv Madison Williams, MAPS
Years of Leadership 5
Because in its first few decades, Aquinas Institute of Theology was a Dominican House of Studies, theology and philosophy school, novitiate, and provincial office, the first leaders of the institution were lectors primarius (principal lectors of the priory) and regents (primary administrators). Through their leadership, the House of Studies expanded to St. Rose of Lima House of Studies (St. Rose Priory) in Dubuque, Iowa and the two Houses were eventually reorganized as the Aquinas Institute of Theology and Philosophy.
v Fr. James H. Foster, OP (Lector Primarius 1925-1926)
v Fr. Richard Vernon Walker, OP (Lector Primarius 1927-1932)
v Fr. John L. Callahan, OP (Lector Primarius 1932-1933)
v Fr. W.H. Kane, OP (Lector Primarius 1933-1940, Pro-Regent 1940-1948)
v Fr. Edward Sebastian Carlson, OP (Regent 1948-1962)
Benedict Ashley, OP (1963 – 1969)
Presidents of Aquinas Institute of Theology
Challenged by the vision of the Church in the modern world expressed by the Second Vatican Council, Fr. Benedict Ashley oversaw the formation of the Association of Theological Schools of Iowa, initial accreditation of Aquinas Institute by the North Central Association and ATS, and formation of the Association of Theological Faculties of Iowa. A pioneering thinker in Catholic bioethics, he helped to establish Aquinas as a leading voice in Catholic health care.
Kevin O’Rourke, OP (1969 – 1972)
Continuing the emphasis of his predecessor on Catholic health care, Fr. Kevin O’Rourke oversaw the closing of the River Forest campus, merger wit the Dubuque campus, and the graduation of some of the first women enrolled at Aquinas Institute.
First four Priors of River Forest in the 1930’s
Cletus Wessels, OP (1972 – 1978)
Wholeheartedly embracing the vision of the Second Vatican Council, Fr. Cletus Wessels helped to expand the areas of ministry and formation at Aquinas during his tenure as president by championing the role of women and lay people in the Church.
Thomas McGonigle, OP (1978 – 1981)
Richard Peddicord, OP (2008 – 2012)
During his tenure as president of Aquinas, Fr. Richard Peddicord oversaw the founding of the AshleyO’Rourke Center for Health Care Ministry. While president, the Dominican Friars of the Provinces of St. Albert the Great and St. Martin de Porres collaborated in purchasing and renovating 3407 Lafayette Avenue to house St. Dominic Priory.
While Fr. Thomas McGonigle served as president of Aquinas Institute, the Board of Trustees agreed to relocate the school from Dubuque, Iowa and entered into an Agreement for Cooperative Theological Education with Saint Louis University (SLU) in St. Louis, Missouri, which allowed both institutions to benefit from shared resources.
Jack Taylor (1981 – 1989)
Jack Taylor became president when Aquinas Institute moved from Dubuque, Iowa to St. Louis, Missouri. In his tenure he oversaw the establishment of the annual Aquinas Lecture, and helped to lay the foundations for future growth and expansion.
Charles Bouchard, OP (1989 – 2007)
Over the more than fifteen years Fr. Charlie Bouchard served as president, Aquinas grew dramatically: it established the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching and Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies – Catechesis of the Good Shepherd degree programs, established the annual Great Preacher Award, and began collaboration with Ascension Health Care in a multi-year leadership education program with several other Catholic health care systems.
David Caron, OP (2012 – 2014)
The first president of Aquinas from the Province of St. Martin de Porres, Fr. David Caron secured a $500,000 Lilly Endowment grant to fund the Delaplane Initiative for Preaching Excellence and $250,000 for Pursuing Financial Freedom for New Church ministers project.
Rev. Seán Charles Martin (2014 – 2019)
The first non-Dominican to serve as president of Aquinas Institute of Theology, Fr. Seán Charles Martin oversaw a fundraising campaign in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the Order of Preachers in 2016, which secured the funds needed for further expansion.
Mark Wedig, OP (2019 – Present)
In his time as president, Fr. Mark Wedig has overseen the inauguration of the Aquinas Scholars program, the Ministerial Cooperation and Facilities Sharing Agreement with the Western Province of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), and several significant grants that have enabled the school to greatly expand its impact.
Centennial Prayer
Good and gracious God, we give thanks for one hundred years together as the Aquinas Community.
Throughout the century of forming your people to preach, teach, minister, and lead, we recognize the many skills and talents that grow in us through the movements of the Holy Spirit, the dedication of our faculty and staff, and the generosity of our benefactors.
Please bless the work of our community and all who support us:
Inspire us as we listen to your Word.
Counsel us as we discern your Will.
Strengthen us as we strive to serve your people.
Teach us to be courageous and loving prophets, saints, and shepherds of our time.
Rejoice with us as we learn your Truth.
Remain in us, as we seek to remain in you.
May the studies, work, and ministries of all past, present, and future members of our Aquinas community continue to help bring your kingdom to fruition.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen by beth rheaume (maps ‘23)
from the provincial of the central province
Dear Friends,
As we commemorate this Centennial year in Aquinas Institute’s history, I would like to first and foremost express my gratitude for the vast company of friends who celebrate with us this momentous occasion in the life of our Dominican institution. I call to mind our unique 100 years of service to the Church and the Order of Preachers, distinguishing some of the exceptional contributions of our faculty and graduates. In your reading of this commemorative magazine, you will especially treasure the extraordinary narrative of our history woven together by the exceptional impact of our community on the Catholic Church in the United States.
Let me highlight for you the unique history of our school that has served the Church, the Order of Preachers, and theological education itself. Our story commences with the exceptional intellectual beginnings that are rooted in what might be called our “River Forest phase.” This can be understood as the initial scholarly foundation on which the school rests, especially after the founding of the Province of St. Albert the Great in 1939. A partnership of friars dedicated to the thought of our great patron, Thomas Aquinas, sought to engage that thought with contemporary society, especially the biological and physical sciences. In what came to be known as the “River Forest School of Thomism” was the underpinnings of our intellectual heritage: a theology of engagement with the modern world. By the 1950’s and early 1960’s that unique intellectual engagement would flourish in the philosophical school that remained in River Forest, Illinois, and in theological studies carried out in Dubuque, Iowa. Fathers Raymond Jude Nogar, Gus Wallace, James Weisheipl, Benedict Ashley, and other Dominican friars collaborated together establishing Aquinas’ initial intellectual cornerstone.
Sincerely in St. Dominic,
Very Rev. Louis S. Morrone, OP Provincial, Province of St. Albert the Great
Centennial Song
creator wise, beyond all words
by: fr. james-peter trares, o.p., m.a., m.div. ‘17 and orin johnson, m.a. ‘08
© James Peter Trares, OP and Orin Johnson, 2025
from the provincial of the southern province from the provincial of the southern province
Dear Friends,
This year Aquinas Institute of Theology will celebrate its 100-year anniversary a formidable achievement.
The mission of Aquinas Institute for the last 100 years continues to be clear: educating scholars and molding ministers to serve the Church and preach the Gospel, to study theology, and be a part of something greater. It is a place where intellectual growth harmonizes with spiritual enrichment grounded in the theology of the Angelic Doctor St. Thomas Aquinas.
Our Aquinas Institute offers a plethora of programs designed to enrich the life and spiritual growth of the students. Certainly, these programs are designed to “support the theological formation of those already involved in ministry and the diverse needs of our Church.” Aquinas Institute is a powerhouse of learning, preparing lay students, vowed religious, priests, and students from other Christian denominations into ministers in and out of the Church. Our own Dominican students receive a solid education that will eventually lead to ordination or service in many other capacities in the Church.
The uniqueness and strength of Aquinas Institute is that our Dominican charism permeates the formation of men and women into the future leaders of the Church and beyond. We are formed into fiery preachers of the Word the good news of Jesus Christ—we are shaped into effective preachers, communicators of the Gospel not only in word but most importantly in deed.
I am a proud alumnus of Aquinas Institute class of 2005. The solid formation that I received at Aquinas Institute has allowed me to succeed in my ministerial life and has kept me rooted as a Dominican friar. I carry with me the many wonderful lessons that fed my intellect during the years at Aquinas Institute they have served me well. My Dominican brothers know of my deep love for AI and in all honesty, I would not be the man/friar that I am today without having been formed by the faculty, friars, and professors at AI. All my successes in ministry and life as a Dominican friar were carefully molded through many semesters and years at AI. I will forever be grateful for the great gift of receiving a solid education at AI that has allowed me to serve the people of God with dedication and passion.
May the Good Lord grant success to our Aquinas Institute of Theology for another 100 years and beyond.
Sincerely in St. Dominic,
Fr. Roberto Merced, OP Prior Provincial, Province of St. Martin de Porres
W ords of P raise
INTRODUCTION TO: In the Company of Preachers (1993)
“The contemporary cry for quality preaching in the Catholic tradition is the seed from which this book on preaching grew. It is one response to a critical pastoral need. The faculty of Aquinas Institute of Theology, steeped in and dedicated to teaching and preaching the word in a multitude of ways and from a variety of disciplines, joined their efforts to collaborate on this work…The role of the preacher is to answer the cry for a life-giving word heard throughout the land. This book is a response to this cry, a response to those who preach and who also cry for a word that will give them a solid theology of preaching.”
— REGINA SIEGRIED, A.S.C.
INTRODUCTION TO: In Medio Ecclesiae: Essays in Honor of Benedict M. Ashley, O.P. (2007)
“It is said of St. Dominic that he always stood in medio Ecclesiae completely and fully centered in the Church. Dominic’s spirituality was utterly ecclesial; his vision was to found an Order whose mission would be to proclaim the Gospel through word and deed. Dominic knew that this can only be done in the Church and through the Church. Dominic was a quintessential Churchman. Throughout his Dominican life, Fr. Ashley, too, has endeavored to stand in medio Ecclesiae. As a friar preacher, he has offered his scholarship for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ; He has offered his preaching and teaching toward the goal of making Jesus Christ better known and better loved. It gives all of us great joy to honor our brother Benedict with this collection of essays.”
— RICHARD A. PEDDICORD, OP
EXCERPT FROM: Let’s Talk about Truth: A Guide for Preachers, Teachers, and Other Catholic Leaders in a World of Doubt and Discord (2020)
“Among my most treasured interlocutors have been members of the Order of Preachers, more widely known as the Dominican Order. The Dominicans were founded with a charism for truth–a special tenacity in pursuing truth-related questions when others would have called it a day. They offered me a doorway into the theology of truth, or to use Anselm of Canterbury’s classic definition, faith seeking an understanding of truth… The Dominicans are adamant that truth is meant to be understood as a whole way of life, and by the witness of their lives have given me some idea of how that works…The Dominicans were also founded with a charism for preaching a special tenacity for keeping a conversation going even when the issues at stake are hard to articulate and nuance is of the essence. It has been an honor over the course of the past two decades to become ever more enfolded into their preaching mission and to be invited to think together with them about how we might articulate and nuance truthing better… Dominicans have taught me that we need not be discouraged by our failures and abandon talking about truth, but rather learn by our messes and continue to sort what works from what doesn’t.” — ANN GARRIDO
Words from Students & Alumni
“One of the most valuable aspects about Aquinas Institute is that it forms ministry minded theologians and theologically minded ministers.” — EMILY
O“Aquinas Institute instilled a hunger deep in my soul to further serve God and God’s people. My time at Aquinas has given me all the skills needed and necessary to work in ministry and more importantly, when the Holy Spirit invited me to the next level, I confidently responded because I knew I was equipped and well-prepared for the work. I can’t thank you enough.”
— CHERYL
O“With the assistance of my professors and classmates [at Aquinas], I found people who could help me do theological reflections and process difficult cases in my pastoral work. Now, in my time as a chaplain, I have the tools needed to engage in that theological reflection and be available to those in need.” — MANNY
O“The academic and spiritual growth that I have gained has changed my life. Not only have I found a supportive community within the faculty and classmates here, but their desire to impart knowledge, spiritual guidance, and sheer passion for God is contagious. I feel more confident in my decision than ever, and I’m eager to use my knowledge, formation, and skills to their fullest potential in my future career.” — SHEA
O“Many of the classes I took at [Aquinas Institute] helped show me how to transmit some deep and rich intellectual truths of our Catholic faith to ears that need to hear it. More than anything, I’d say my classes helped me develop my pastoral touch.”
— BRIAN
The Next Years @@
this is aquinas institute of theology where 800 years of Dominican tradition meet the needs of ministry in the modern world. For a century, Aquinas Institute has been faithful to its Dominican mission: educating scholars and molding ministers to serve the Church and preach the gospel in word and deed. At Aquinas, we are dedicated to forming Dominican friars and lay ministers who will serve the Church and the world with rigorous academic research and compassionate pastoral care.
Today, Aquinas continues to be a vital force in the Church, meeting the needs of a changing world. Our graduates are on the frontlines preaching, teaching, serving in healthcare systems, and leading faith communities, all while upholding the timeless truths of our Catholic faith. We are shaping preachers, teachers, and church leaders for today and tomorrow.
But we cannot do it alone.
To meet the needs of the Church today and enable more women and men to serve Christ and His people, we need your support. By partnering with Aquinas Institute, you can help ensure that our ministers, catechists, administrators, and campus ministers receive the best possible education and formation. Your donations make it possible for students to answer God’s call, and for our mission to continue into the future. By supporting Aquinas, you are directly empowering the next generation of faith-filled leaders to serve our families, the Church, and the world.
Please consider making a financial contribution to Aquinas Institute of Theology, to ensure that we will be able to equip students “to preach, to teach, to minister, to lead” for another hundred years.
DONATE AT ai.edu/give
