Grace Davis, M.A./M.S.W. '23
I have found that my relationships with faculty members at the CSTM to be one of the most meaningful aspects of my experience as a student at the CSTM. It has been a privilege and a gift to learn from so many wonderful professors – it is evident that the faculty members at the CSTM not only care about their student’s learning and academic goals but also about each of them as individuals. I am so grateful for the support and accompaniment I have received from various faculty members throughout my studies at the CSTM.
I found that with their guidance and support, I was invited to explore my unique ministerial identity, ask challenging questions, and find confidence in my voice as a theologian.
One of the first classes I took at the CSTM was Theological Foundations with Dr. Colleen Griffith. I looked forward to attending Colleen’s class each week and appreciated the ways in which she creatively introduced and explored theological concepts and ideas. Colleen created a welcoming and honest classroom environment, providing space and language to explore the questions and experiences that I was bringing with me to my theological studies. I am so grateful for Colleen’s mentorship and support throughout my time at the CSTM – she brings attention to her student’s gifts and empowers them to share these gifts with the world. Colleen’s commitment to her vocations as an educator, theologian, and a woman of faith continues to offer me hope and inspiration on the journey!
Anna Ryan-Bender, M.Div. '21
The size of the CSTM community facilitates intentional relationship-building between students and faculty. There were many meaningful ways that my professors took time to get to know me, my hopes for theological study, and my ministerial goals. They made my study infinitely more impactful by encouraging me to pay attention to the questions that drew me to study theology, and to bring them with me to the classroom.
After hearing about my past experiences in college campus ministry and my own vocational desires, Professor Richard Lennan gave me latitude in his Ecclesial Ministry class to do a final research project on a framework for ministry with first-generation college students. This assignment drew on my previous ministerial experiences and has had direct implications for my ministry after graduating. Projects-turned-resources like this were a hallmark of my time at CSTM, and are a direct result of the genuine interest and care CSTM faculty show their students.
Amirah Orozco, M.T.S. '21
The CSTM is a place where faculty-student relationships are marked by a distinctive attention to not only the content of the academic work, but the formation of young scholars. Faculty understand their vocation not only as academics, but as theological educators. As a student in the MTS program, I was able to write a thesis under the guidance of Dr. Hosffman Ospino.
Dr. Ospino is at the top of his field in many ways and has been the primary investigator for the most important research on Hispanic/Latinx Catholics in the United States in the last few years. After several conversations on my own interests, Dr. Ospino gifted me a book titled Las Hermanas: Chicana/Latina Religious-Political Activism in the US Catholic Church. I did not know it at that moment, but that book would determine what I would study for the next several years. After finishing my Master’s thesis, I was able to win a fellowship with Commonweal Magazine where I published a featured length piece on Las Hermanas. Then, under the continued guidance of Prof. Ospino, I came to the University of Notre Dame to pursue a Ph.D. to work primarily with Dr. Tim Matovina, who wrote the first history of the group. My dissertation will focus on the women’s theological contributions. I was also able to splinter off topics from the thesis to present at the American Academy of Religion and publish in Perspectivas, a significant journal in my field.
This all started with conversations with Dr. Ospino. He took interest in my intellectual interests and invested in me as a young scholar. He continues to be one of my biggest mentors and advocates in the field as well as a critical conversation partner. His mentorship has allowed me to explore my own vocation as a theologian as it pertains to the impact on the Church and public square.
Narciso Barnardo, M.A. Theology and Ministry '23 (hybrid model)
One of my favorite memories at the CSTM is a conversation I had with Callid Keefe-Perry when I spent my only Summer on the CSTM Campus in 2022. Although I had taken my contextual education class via a virtual platform, Callid invited me to meet with him to chat about life, ministry, and the experience I have had as a classroom teacher.
This conversation brought me a great sense of hope as we talked about the Holy Spirit's active work in the ministries we've been called to! His thoughtfulness and kindness continues to stick with me as a hallmark characteristic of the faculty at the CSTM. I am grateful to have had a faculty that values the importance of relational ministry, regardless of whether you were on campus or a hybrid student.I have found that my relationships with faculty members at the CSTM to be one of the most meaningful aspects of my experience as a student at the CSTM. It has been a privilege and a gift to learn from so many wonderful professors – it is evident that the faculty members at the CSTM not only care about their student’s learning and academic goals but also about each of them as individuals. I am so grateful for the support and accompaniment I have received from various faculty members throughout my studies at the CSTM.