College receives $50,000 grant to support new initiative
LATROBE, PA – The Council of Independent Colleges, through its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), recently awarded a $50,000 Grant for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith to Saint Vincent College to help support the creation of an undergraduate pastoral ministry program.
The College, in partnership with the Saint Vincent Center for Catholic Thought and Culture (CCTC), Campus Ministry and local dioceses, established a Pastoral Ministry Certificate for students interested in exploring calls to work in the Church.
Current and incoming students can now declare the 27-credit program. The interdisciplinary curriculum combines theological learning with practical ministerial formation, equipping students with firsthand experience, knowledge and skills needed to minister effectively in a variety of ecclesial settings.
A cornerstone of the certificate is the Ministerial Practicum, a semester- or year-long internship experience at a parish within the Diocese of Greensburg under the guidance of a ministerial mentor.
“Mother Teresa once defined vocation as your greatest joy meeting the world’s greatest need,” said Dr. Lucas Briola, C’13, Endowed Chair in Catholic Thought and Culture and CCTC director. “There is a tremendous need in the Church today for people with hearts and minds ready to serve; our hope is that this program can find and continue to support Saint Vincent students with the joy to do it.”
The certificate is open to students of any major, and its flexibility allows them to tailor their coursework to their respective interests, strengths and vocational ambitions in a way that is both spiritually meaningful and professionally enriching.
In addition to the program, starting in the 2027-28 academic year, students who at a minimum declare a Pastoral Ministry Certificate and theology minor/major as well as maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher are eligible to apply for the Saint Gregory Pastoral Ministry Program.
Featuring specialized coursework, hands-on ministerial experiences and annual $2,000 scholarship opportunities, the Saint Gregory Pastoral Ministry Program inspires and prepares students to serve the Church while discerning their distinctive gifts and vocations. The scholarships are awarded in addition to Saint Vincent’s merit-based and need-based financial aid. Saint Gregory Fellows remain eligible to receive the scholarship for up to four years.
“As there is a decline in pastoral ministers throughout the country, it is important for programs such as the Saint Gregory Pastoral Ministry Program to exist in order to form the next generation of leaders for the Church,” said Vincent Reilly, director of faith, family and discipleship for the Diocese of Greensburg. “Particularly unique about this program as Dr. Briola and the committee have developed it is the way in which the students are able to interact with parish and diocesan leaders so that when they graduate from college, they also have the practical experience to find a full-time job in ministry and be successful from the start. This program is essential to invite young people to become involved in ministry and assume positions of leadership in the Church.”
Through collaboration between the College Theology Department and the CCTC, Saint Vincent was initially awarded an $18,000 professional development grant from NetVUE in 2025 to begin exploring ways to build an undergraduate program in pastoral ministry at the College.
Briola, an associate professor and chair of the Theology Department housed in College’s School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, led efforts to obtain the grant.
The funding supported two fall 2025 initiatives. Saint Vincent first assembled a team of faculty from disciplines such as theology, communication and psychology and staff from Campus Ministry and others to meet and study several texts on pastoral ministry.
Saint Vincent then hosted Angela Gaughan, director of lay ministry for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and Reilly, as plenary speakers for two Saturday morning workshops.
The workshops featured discussions concerning vocational character of lay pastoral ministry in the Church, prompted input for an undergraduate program in pastoral ministry and helped build partnerships with local dioceses.
