In the early 20th century, with the rise of Catholic higher education in America, many religious orders sought to advance the higher education of their members. The Sisters of Mercy were one of these religious orders who desired to see their sisters receive college degrees. Rather than send her sisters to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., the Mother Provincial of the Sisters of Mercy, Mother Mary Matthew Doyle, arranged through Bishop William A. Hickey to have one of the Dominicans at Providence College offer college courses to the sisters at St. Xavier's during the summer. As a result, in 1926, nine Sisters of Mercy, along with two sisters of the Dominican Order, received their degrees from Providence College, the first sisters to do so. Mother Mary Matthew Doyle was also one of the first degree recipients of this unique initiative.
In the ensuing years, hundreds of nuns from dozens of religious orders attended Providence College for these classes. These classes, however, were loosely organized, but in the summer of 1948, the Dominican Fathers at Providence College formalized the program by opening the School of Sacred Theology for Sisters. This program was initiated by the Very Rev. Robert J. Slavin, then President of Providence College, and the Rev. George Q. Friel, O.P. was its first Director. The teaching staff was composed of distinguished theologians and biblical scholars of the Province of St. Joseph.
The purpose of the school, as stated in one of the early brochures, was to deepen the sister’s knowledge of the revealed truth and to enable them to instill into their students a better knowledge of things divine and human. The core curriculum centered on the Bible and the Summa Theogiae of St. Thomas. These courses were supplemented by coursework in Church History and Cannon Law. In the first summer, 110 sisters from thirty-one different motherhouses enrolled in the program.
In the ensuing years, hundreds of nuns from dozens of religious orders attended Providence College for these classes. These classes, however, were loosely organized, but in the summer of 1948, the Dominican Fathers at Providence College formalized the program by opening the School of Sacred Theology for Sisters. This program was initiated by the Very Rev. Robert J. Slavin, then President of Providence College, and the Rev. George Q. Friel, O.P. was its first Director. The teaching staff was composed of distinguished theologians and biblical scholars of the Province of St. Joseph.
The purpose of the school, as stated in one of the early brochures, was to deepen the sister’s knowledge of the revealed truth and to enable them to instill into their students a better knowledge of things divine and human. The core curriculum centered on the Bible and the Summa Theogiae of St. Thomas. These courses were supplemented by coursework in Church History and Cannon Law. In the first summer, 110 sisters from thirty-one different motherhouses enrolled in the program.
TITLE | TYPE | DATE CREATED | COLLECTION(S) | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|---|---|---|
Class photograph, 1955 | Image | August 1955 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the participants for the 1955 Summer School of Sacred Theology session. |
Class Photograph, 1955 Certificate Graduates | Image | August 1955 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the sisters who received certificates for the Summer School of Sacred Theology p… |
Class Photograph, 1955 Masters Graduating Class | Image | August 1955 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the 1955 Summer School of Sacred Theology graduating class. |
Class Photograph, 1956 Masters Graduating Class | Image | August 1956 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the 1956 Summer School of Sacred Theology graduating class. |
Class Photograph, 1957 | Image | August 1957 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the participants for the 1957 Summer School of Sacred Theology session. |
Class Photograph, 1957 Masters Graduating Class | Image | August 1957 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the graduates of the Master's program for the Summer School of Sacred Theol… |
Class Photograph, 1958 | Image | August 1958 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the participants for the 1958 Summer School of Sacred Theology session. |
Class Photograph, 1959 | Image | August 1959 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the participants for the 1959 Summer School of Sacred Theology session. |
Class Photograph, 1959 Certificate Graduates | Image | August 1959 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the sisters who received certificates for the Summer School of Sacred Theology p… |
Class Photograph, 1959 Masters Graduates | Image | August 1959 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the graduates of the Master's program for the Summer School of Sacred Theol… |
Class Photograph, 1961 | Image | August 1961 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the participants for the 1961 Summer School of Sacred Theology session. |
Class Photograph, 1962 | Image | August 1962 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the participants for the 1962 Summer School of Sacred Theology session. |
Class Photograph, 1965 | Image | August 1965 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | Group photograph of the participants for the 1965 Summer School of Sacred Theology session. |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |
Commencement, 1954 | Image | 1954 | Providence College Summer School of Sacred Theology | The commencement ceremonies for the 1954 Summer School of Sacred Theology session |