Supervised Ministry
Supervised ministry grants you field experience in which you explore the richness of ministerial work in various contexts, deepen your pastoral and practical skills, and reflect on how your life experiences relate to your theological study.
With faculty guidance, students select placements based on their interests. Expert supervisors accompany you in your work, and on-campus meetings provide you with a forum to synthesize your experiences alongside other students. Our supervised ministry faculty co-directors will meet with you the year before your placement to help you discern your goals, and our entire supervised ministry team is available to support you.
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The STM Approach
The Supervised Ministry program guides students in choosing ministry placements that reflect their personal and professional interests. Faculty directors and placement supervisors work with individual students to help them form, develop, cultivate, and deepen their pastoral skills.
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Campus Ministry in Santiago, Chile
The Chilean practicum offers a campus ministry experience at the Pontificia Universidad Católica [PUC] of Chile. The Pastoral y Cultura Cristiana (Ministry and Christian Culture) at the PUC’s main San Joaquín campus, oversees more than 54 campus ministry outreach initiatives each year. The campus ministry department (UC) extends far beyond student body activities, including a pastoral presence in all corners of the university to form a culture of discipleship for evangelization integrated with teaching, research and service.
The PUC’s Ministry and Christian Culture center provides ample opportunities for an STM student to cultivate ministerial leadership abilities, develop cultural competencies, and experience the universal Church in its particular Chilean expressions. PUC is located in the Macul area of Santiago. Conversational Spanish is a requirement for this practicum.
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Ministry of Presence at the Border, Tijuana, Mexico
Casa del Migrante is a hospitality center for migrants, deportees and asylum seekers from Mexico, Central America and a growing number of other areas around the globe. Located on the Mexican Border in Tijuana, Casa provides support services that include legal assistance, social workers, psychologist, medical care, spiritual accompaniment and vocational training. Homemade meals are prepared by local volunteers that serve in house residents and those living in Tijuana needing an extra hand who are former residents of the Casa.
Students will be supervised by Fr. Pat Murphy, C.S., Director of Casa for the past 7 years and Scalabrinian priest. The intern and volunteer community pray, eat and work together, all partaking in the life of the Casa community. This is mainly a ministry of accompaniment and presence. Language skills would be very helpful, but not a requirement. Students will be able to join language class each week. (Pictured above: Carlos and Melissa, Program Administrators at Casa del Migrante)
“To embrace, protect, promote and integrate, these four verbs express the vision in Casa del Migrante and our commitment to provide a more humane response to this humanitarian crisis we are experiencing” - Yunen Tenorio, M.A. Refugee Protection Coordinator
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Teaching In Kigali, Rwanda
The School of Theology and Ministry’s supervised ministry site in Kigali, Rwanda was the first international practicum offered to students in 2013. In Kigali, the students serve at Ecole Notre Dame des Agnes (ENDA), a co-educational school for children in pre-K through 6th grade. ENDA was founded by the Benebikira Sisters in Kigali, and the principal of the school, Sister Anna Murekatete Beata, is an STM alumna. She has been in religious life for thirty years and earned a “Pillars of Peace” prize from UNESCO for her humanitarian work in Rwanda. Sister Anna Beata serves as the practicum supervisor for the students, whose primary responsibilities involve providing ESL lesson for the teachers at the school and religious education for the children.
Experiencing faith communities in other countries expands our students’ understanding of the global church and the diverse expressions within our faith. This intersection of faith and culture is an important feature of education here at the School of Theology and Ministry.
