dents in high school and college to grow in
faith and spread their faith to peers. At the
high school level, Dr. Keating interacts with
young people who already are motivated by
their faith to reach out to others. With college students, he serves as a mentor and
works with students at Michigan State University as well as speaking at young adult
retreats across the state and region.
“The main evangelists are the students
themselves,” he says. “I enjoy working
with young people a great deal. I don’t
find it hard to connect with them personally. They appreciate and want a relationship with older adults.”
Although working with young people
strong in faith might seem an easy task,
there is still a need to provide a compelling alternative to society’s spiritually shallow lifestyle. “The challenge is to
help young people take hold of a more
serious view of becoming adults, where
they are not just living an adolescent and
entertainment-oriented life.”
Just as Dr. Keating is committed to
supporting young people in their faith,
his faith has grown through his relationships with his Servants of the Word
brothers. They have encouraged his spiritual journey through his education and
career in academia.
For Dr. Keating, this meant continuing
his study of Catholic theology, which began at Sacred Heart, where he earned his
master’s degree in New Testament theology
in 1994. Inspired by his teachers and mentors at the seminary, Dr. Keating continued
his studies at Oxford University, where he
earned a Master of Studies in Christian
Doctrine in the Patristic Era and his Doctorate in Theology (Christian Doctrine).
He returned to Sacred Heart in 2000,
beginning as an assistant professor of theology and receiving full professor status
in 2015. His courses include teaching
on the Church Fathers, ecumenism, and
mission and evangelization. Each class is
inspired by a different aspect of Dr. Keating’s spiritual life.
“I’m privileged to teach a variety of
courses at the seminary. I continue to
have the chance to speak about and write
about these topics as well as teach them,”
Dr. Keating says with joy. “I’m constantly
‘digging wells’ from the Christian tradition through my reading and study, being
refreshed and tutored along the way.”
For Dr. Keating, each day is spent in
the presence of Christ, wanting only to
know the Lord and his love, and to love
him and make him loved.
“The idea is to pursue this goal with all
my energy,” he says.
Mary Kay McPartlin is a freelance writer from
Maumee, Ohio ([email protected]).
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