TORONTO (July 4, 2017) The University of St. Michael’s College is delighted to announce the arrival to campus of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies. The Institute specializes in the theology, spirituality, history, and ecclesial polity of the Eastern Churches, both Orthodox and Catholic. It is the only institution in North America working under the auspices of an Eastern Catholic Church that supervises PhD work in Eastern Christian Studies.
Speaking on the arrival of the Sheptytsky Institute to campus, St. Michael’s President David Mulroney said: “We are deeply honoured that this distinguished institute is now part of our university. Its arrival means that we can fully address the broad spectrum of Catholic theology, east as well as west. Best of all, we are welcoming scholars whose theology begins in joyful prayer.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greco-
Catholic Church, also expressed excitement over the move, saying “It is incredibly significant that the Sheptytsky Institute will now be located at the University of St. Michael’s College, which has a long and distinguished history, and is federated with the University of Toronto, one of the world’s great research universities.” He added: “I recently accepted the role of Patron of the Sheptytsky Institute because its reach goes far beyond its location in Canada.”
Originally founded in 1986 in Chicago, the Sheptytsky Institute was most recently located in Ottawa before being fully incorporated into St. Michael’s on July 1. The University and the Institute signed a formal agreement in September of 2016 that brought the Institute to campus, and it is now an autonomous unit within the University’s Faculty of Theology. Located in Windle House, the Institute will offer courses within the Toronto School of Theology beginning in September. Courses will cover all four families of Eastern Churches: Eastern Orthodox, Pre-Chalcedonian, Assyrian, and Eastern Catholic. The Institute will also bring with it a vibrant liturgical life, offering daily liturgies open to the public in a Byzantine Chapel that is planned for construction in Elmsley Hall.
The University of St. Michael’s College, federated with the University of Toronto, is a Catholic institution of higher learning founded by the Congregation of St. Basil, whose motto, “Teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge,” sets the tone for campus life. Committed to the pursuit of knowledge, meaning and truth, USMC is a dynamic centre where Catholic intellectual thought thrives in a context of academic freedom and rigorous debate.
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