An innovative new course from Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology will see students travel to Rome this summer to focus on a theological and historical overview of the issues that divide Christians, as well as the bonds that unite them.
Catholic Perspectives on the Ecumenical and Interreligious Movements, taught by Dr. Michael Attridge, will be held at Centro Pro Unione, an institution located in central Rome run by the Friars of the Atonement, an order with a charism devoted to actively promoting Christian unity and the founders of what is now known as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
During the course, which runs Mondays to Fridays from June 26 to July 14, students will engage with experts from the Angelicum (the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas) and other Roman universities, as well as from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Inter-Religious Dialogue. Participants will stay at Casa Tra Noi, a hotel close to the Vatican that earmarks its profits for charity, including supporting single mothers, those with dependence issues, and the terminally ill. Costs are generously supported by the Driscoll fund, donor money earmarked for the study of ecumenism.
The course includes lectures, seminars, workshops, and excursions. Along with outings to Santa Maria Maggiore and other sites with a key place in Roman Catholic/Christian life, students will also visit the city’s Jewish ghetto and a mosque, as well as meet with a variety of communities, including a visit to Sant’Egidio, a lay community working with the homeless, migrants, refugees, and people with developmental delays.
One of the highlights of the trip will be attending the Mass of Sts. Peter and Paul, also known as the Pallium Mass, on June 29th. Tradition sees pallia, a vestment article worn only by archbishops and the Pope, conferred on new archbishops on this day, so St. Michael’s students will witness Archbishop Francis Leo, Toronto’s new archbishop and the new Chancellor of the University of St. Michael’s College, receive his pallium, and then have a chance to chat with him.
“As Regis-St. Michael’s works to expand its experiential learning opportunities, this is an exciting chance for our students to learn about the ecumenical and interfaith work of the Catholic Church from those working in and associated with the Vatican’s dicasteries,” says Attridge. “I can’t think of a better venue either: the historic Centro Pro Unione – located in the heart of Rome on one of its most famous squares, the Piazza Navona. The Centro played a key role at the time of Vatican II in hosting weekly gatherings of theologians and ecumenical observers who helped shape the final documents of the Council. In every respect, these three weeks should be an unforgettable experience for our students.”
Along with participation in class and weekly roundtable sessions on the key learning of the week, participants will submit written work and contribute to a blog on the course, Rome 2023, with each student responsible for five posts.
The Catholic Perspectives course is the latest in a long line of experiential courses, classes that involve travel to relevant sites or include hands-on learning. Consider, for example, Prayer and Meditation Through Pencil, Pastel and Ink Sketching, offered at Regis College, which explores the theory and practice of various types of prayer through drawing, or St. Michael’s A Journey Through History – The Jesuit Missions in Early Modern Canada, which is taught at the heart of the former Wendat (Huron) nation (present-day Martyrs’ Shrine.) Another experiential course offered during the summer is Interfaith in the City, which sees students visit various houses of worship to learn more about interfaith dialogue. This course is particularly popular with teachers who are responsible for World Religions course.
While experiential learning courses take place throughout the academic year and are open to all students, the summer courses are particularly helpful to Master of Religious Education students, for whom the condensed scheduling and the inspiration for future lesson planning offer great opportunities and support, says RSM Dean Jaroslav Skira.“Supporting our students is always top of mind for us,” Skira says. “We know people lead busy lives but value a theological education, both personally and professionally. One of our goals, therefore, is to help make our courses accessible to more people while ensuring we are addressing topics that are of interest to our students and serve their personal and professional goals, all while engaging in memorable, inspiring ways.”
To learn more about course offerings – including experiential courses – at Regis St. Michael’s, or to talk about enrolling in one of our programs, please contact erica.figueiredo@utoronto.ca or visit https://theology.stmikes.utoronto.ca/.