Theology

Theology is an academic discipline that exposes students to the serious study of Catholicism. It gives students the opportunity to improve critical thinking skills and to examine the development of our understanding of God. Since these are academic courses, students are assessed on their understanding of the material and not on personal beliefs. Our school offers many opportunities through campus ministry to help students grow in their faith.

All Saint Mary’s students take one full theology course per year. Since we are a Catholic school, the study of our faith is paramount. In fact, throughout the Middle Ages, theology was considered the mother of all sciences, not just because of the influence of the Church but because faith helped other disciplines explain the world! For non-Catholic students, theology class is an opportunity to be exposed to a different way of thinking. The theology curriculum integrates technology, fine art, music, architecture, history, literature, foreign language, and science all while helping students develop critical thinking skills and perform higher order analysis. Graduates regularly remark on the ways their theology experience has helped them in college courses. Theology courses are Christ-centered, as are all the things we do in our Saint Mary’s community. But it has practical benefits too!

The theology curriculum is unique to Saint Mary’s. It is based on the frameworks developed by the U.S. Bishops for Catholic Schools. It was specially designed and is regularly re-designed based on the needs of the current student body. It is no exaggeration to say that students get far more theology at Saint Mary’s than most other Catholic schools!

When teaching theology, we are also trying to help students see the value of the information as it relates to their relationship with God and others. The fact that so many of our students have become Catholic or returned to the Church, or have dedicated themselves to extraordinary service, speaks to the effectiveness of our current program. The support of parents, administration, clergy, and teachers has been instrumental in the spiritual growth of our students as noted in our school’s mission statement.

If you have any questions about the theology program at Saint Mary’s, please contact Mr. Lepage at rlepage@stmsaints.org.