The Institute in Pastoral Ministries responds to the educational needs of persons engaged in Christian pastoral ministries, especially in the Roman Catholic church. It fulfills the mandates of the Second Vatican Council for well-educated pastoral leadership, people who have the theological knowledge to minister with competence and confidence as well as the pastoral skills to provide compassionate Catholic leadership. The Institute offers affordable, nontraditional academic programs that meet the needs of active ministers.
Participants reside in over twenty states and Canadian provinces.
The Institute offers a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministries and a Certificate in Pastoral Ministries that are completed ordinarily in three summers. Each summer requires a two-week residency on the Winona Campus that is preceded by preparatory reading and writing, and is followed by the completion of additional research requirements. One highlight of the program is the Integrated Pastoral Research project that integrates theology and Catholic teaching with the pastoral situation and imagination of each student. An experienced pioneer in pastoral education, the Institute is a learning community of faith. Creative and accessible professors lead by example and clarify by theory.