Academics

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.

Meet Our Team

Theresa A. O'Keefe

Director, Contextual Education
M.A. Program

Joseph Weiss, S.J.

Director, Field Placement
M.Div. and Th.M. Programs

Marcia Ryan

Associate Director, Supervised Ministry/Global & Community Engagement

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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.

“Our students come from such diverse settings and from all different ecclesial communities. What we're very good at doing is helping students analyze context and think theologically about what's going on in settings, so that they can return to their communities and create programming and ministerial responses that are most appropriate.”

Theresa A. O'Keefe, Associate Professor of the Practice, Youth and Young Adult Faith

Clinical Pastoral Education

Each year, a number of students fulfill their supervised ministry requirement through Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), an interfaith professional education for ministry. It brings theological students and ministers of all faiths into intense involvement with persons in need under the supervision of CPE supervisors who have undergone demanding professional training beyond hospital chaplaincy. Feedback from peers and supervisors along with daily theological reflection catalyze deeper understandings of ministry, while new skills are developed in interpersonal skills informing the student's ministerial identity. Email Marcia Ryan to learn more.

In recent years, STM students have completed placements with the following organizations, among many others:

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Boston College High School

Boston University

Emmanuel College

Franciscan Hospital for Children

Our Lady Help of Christians Parish

Massachusetts Correctional Institutions

Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Boston

Archbishop Williams, Braintree

Ursuline Academy, Dedham

Newton Country Day School

KV Kids, Dorchester

Center for Ignatian Spirituality

St. Cecilia Parish, Boston

Stonehill College

St. Mary of the Angels, Roxbury

Ecole Primaire Notre-Dame des Anges, Kigali, Rwanda

City Mission, Dorchester

Cathedral High School, Boston

La Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) in Santiago, Chile

International Placements

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. Conversational Spanish is a requirement for this practicum.
Ministry of Presence in 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. 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.
Teaching in Kigali, Rwanda

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.

Related Links

Resources

Supervised Ministry