Thursday, September 27, 2007

Licentiate in Christian Studies – Theological Education in Macau

The Seminary of San José in Macau is a short distance from our house, at the center of the city. This old seminary has been without seminarians for many decades. Now it lives again: September 24, Monday, marked a very significant day for the seminary since it started the Saint Joseph Center for Christian Studies and the School of Christian Studies. It is the first time in 35 years that formal classes are now taught in philosophy and theology as part of programs of study, including the program in preparation for priestly ordination.

Father Dennis Rochford MSC, Dean, School of Christian Studies has this to say:

“There was a real need for a theology course with an English language medium to meet the needs of students, not only from China, but from the surrounding region, mainly for religious communities but also for diocesan priests, seminary candidates and lay people. This course is unique in that it is approved by the government of Macau and, therefore, by China and, through the Catholic University of Portugal, by the Holy See, through the Congregation for Catholic Education. It is thus an approved full course of studies in theology with civil and ecclesiastical approval that is invited and welcomed by the Catholic University of Portugal, the IIUM and the Macau and Beijing authorities.”

Fr. Peter Chao, a PhD in Pastoral Theology, is one of the professors at the Center.

For more information click on IIUM - Christian Studies website

We shall meet again in October -- Till then!

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