While Dr. Gresham expects students to
engage well with the new digital format,
which utilizes user-friendly educational
technology, he and other faculty remain
intentional about offering exceptional per-
sonal instruction that harmoniously devel-
ops and integrates all aspects of the human
person. To ensure that remains the case,
professors are committed to teaching and
accompanying students throughout the
entire online learning process, including
being present and engaging with students
online, facilitating meaningful discussion
among classmates, utilizing online tools,
and providing well-crafted, timely feedback
on student work.
Students participate in the program
through a learning management system
called Canvas. The customizable system
allows professors and instructors to tailor
the platform to suit their course needs, in-
cluding video lectures, PowerPoint presen-
tations, links to further resources, and dis-
cussion boards. Students can interact with
their professor and learn from one another
through various collaborative tools.
elor’s degree applications, as prerequisite
work for a master’s degree, as discernment
for the diaconate, or as partial fulfillment
of the requirements for archdiocesan pro-
fessional certification for lay ministers.
Importantly, Dr. Gresham said, it pro-
vides a theologically sound approach for
those who wish to grow in a better under-
standing of their Catholic faith.
“Students will come to know the Lord
better and grow in intimacy with him,” Dr.
Gresham said. “As they deepen their knowl-
edge of the faith, they are more equipped to
teach and share it with others.”
New Method for the New
Evangelization
While the majority of those taking ad-
vantage of Sacred Heart’s distance-learning
program are lay ministry students, clergy
and religious also benefit from the flexible
schedule and online teaching.
After a 25-year hiatus from higher edu-
cation, Brother Peter Pio Picciolini of the
Missionary Servants of Divine Mercy re-
cently enrolled in the CCT program at the
recommendation of his religious superior,
who suggested he find a “holy, credible
Catholic university that maintains a con-
sistent and solid Catholic expression.”
Along with Sacred Heart’s reputation
as an evangelization and mission-oriented
seminary, the ability to take classes online
toward certification was a key motivational
factor that drew Brother Picciolini to Sa-
cred Heart’s online program.
“Classes began in September, and I just
love it,” Brother Picciolini said. “The staff
is amazing. Dr. Gresham is my professor.
He is extremely knowledgeable, and very
patient considering my lack of university
experience.”
The curriculum, Brother Picciolini add-
ed, “is very Catholic and challenging, but
the support from my fellow classmates and
teachers is spectacular.”
Dr. Gerlach, who is teaching the first
Introduction to Liturgy and Sacraments
course, has been impressed with both the
quality of the online experience and the
students in the distance learning program.
Though the coursework is online, he and
Dr. Gresham are working to establish com-
munity among the students and professors
both on and offline, guided by the princi-
ple that all interpersonal exchanges should
foster mutual self-giving.
While most interactions take place
through the Canvas system, students are
routinely invited to come to Sacred Heart
for activities throughout the academic year
and to meet with professors and fellow stu-
dents at the seminary—an opportunity of
which many take advantage.
“The students like to come to the semi-
nary; they feel like they are coming on a re-
treat,” Dr. Gerlach said. “We extend these
invitations to keep them connected to the
seminary community.”
Sowing Seeds for Future Growth
Studying at Sacred Heart is more than academics! You become part of
a supportive, faith-filled community of faculty, seminarians, commuter
students, and staff who share the same passion for Christ. While the all-online CCT program is
new to Sacred Heart, the seminary is not
a stranger to the digital classroom concept.
In total, eighty-three students are cur-
rently enrolled in online learning at Sacred
Heart, which includes priests studying in
the seminary’s graduate evangelization
program the Licentiate in Sacred Theol-
ogy (STL) in the New Evangelization, has
offered an online component for several
years, in addition to intensive on-site class-
es at Sacred Heart during the summer.
While the seminary plans to grow and ex-
pand its online Certificate in Catholic The-
ology program, Sacred Heart’s leadership
is conscious of the need to balance conve-
nience and ease-of-access for students with
the resources available to maintain a high-
quality, world-class formation experience.
But as plans are in the works to develop
courses in formats that better serve students
both inside and outside the traditional
classroom setting, Sacred Heart’s primary
goal remains the same, as Unleash the Gospel
says, to “embark upon the new evangeliza-
tion, to employ new methods and a new
fervor in unleashing the Gospel.”
If you are interested in learning more, contact our admission office at
(313) 883-8696 or visit shms.edu/study. Michigan native, Lisa Martinez, now lives with
her husband in Austin, Texas, where she runs both
her small business and a Catholic nonprofit.
A Strategic Start
Piloting the online Certificate in Cath-
olic Theology lays the foundation for a
more significant launch of the program in
the 2019-20 academic year, according to
seminary leaders. Starting with a smaller
program enables Sacred Heart to evaluate
the concept’s strengths and weaknesses, al-
lowing for refinements based on feedback
from students and professors.
The online CCT program is foundation-
al for seminary students in more ways than
one, Dr. Gresham said. Not only do stu-
dents receive basic theological instruction
and formation, but the 13-credit-hour pro-
gram also can be used as a stepping stone to
other degree programs after its six courses
are completed. The certificate program can
be applied toward either associate or bach-
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