By Gail Deibler Finke

The Athenaeum of Ohio, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s seminary and graduate school, is offering half-price tuition to all lay students for the spring semester.

Funds from the One Hope, One Faith, One Love campaign are providing half-price tuition scholarships for the current academic year so that more people in the area can study at the institution. Father Benedict O’Cinnsealaigh, the school’s rector, says it’s a great time to try out a class or begin a degree program.

“The Athenaeum scholarship offers an outstanding opportunity to be educated and formed in the teaching of the church with faithfulness and conviction,” he said. “It’s an opportunity that should not be missed.”

Classes offered this spring include Ecclesiology, Sacramental Theology, Religious Freedom in the American Context, and Sacred Scripture Seen through Sacred Art. Classes at t both the Master’s and Certificate level are offered during the day, on weekends, and in the evenings.

The Athenaeum of Ohio Special Studies Division offers programs in Theology, Lay Pastoral Ministry, Biblical Studies, and Catholic Studies. Laypeople can take or audit classes for personal enrichment as well as for degree programs; the Lay Pastoral Ministry program is required for permanent deacons.

“The Athenaeum is a unique place of learning because it has one vision, one reason for existing, one hope, one vision, one message, and that is to be formed and educated in the teachings of Jesus and His Church,” said Father O’Cinnsealaigh. “All the others sciences are important but they are not the focus of our mission – to come to know Jesus – that’s our mission.

“All of our faculty and staff are committed to this and so is our seminarian and our students. Imagine being in a place, surrounded by people, who have this one goal — to know Jesus and proclaim His message to the world. Now that’s a community worth being part of.”

Registration is due in mid December and classes begin in January. For more information see www.growinwisdom.org; contact Father David Endres, dean, at 513- 233-6172, or [email protected]; or contact Susan McGurgan, director of the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program, at 513-231-1200.