Announcing the Expanded St. Paul Scholarship Program

“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). With the memorable image of the clay pot – or “earthen vessel” – St.  Paul conveys the high truth of the primacy of grace in a way that fits our understanding. The meaning of this image is plain: clay pots get chipped and their glaze dulls over many years of use. Like us, jars of clay show that they aren’t perfect or sufficient but instead that their role is to carry something more worthy than themselves – in our case, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is because we servants of the Gospel are fallible that we need to grow in knowledge and wisdom by study – that we may become ever-more worthy vessels of Christ’s truth. And, to be sure, many of us need material assistance to make those studies possible. That’s why the Augustine Institute has expanded its St. Paul Scholarship Program for men and women working for the Church by increasing its level of support to 25% of the cost of tuition.

The Augustine Institute Graduate School has over three-dozen online students whose studies are supported by the St. Paul Scholarship. One of them, Jacques Daniel, the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Rapid City, can speak for them all:

The professors that I have encountered at the Augustine Institute have been a great encouragement to allow the rigorous study of theology to draw me deeper into intimacy with God. It has been providential that the classes I have taken have helped me to focus our diocese’s communication efforts on evangelization. Although I wish I could be on campus, I have been grateful to have been able to study from a distance and put my newfound knowledge into action right away.

Starting with those entering this Summer term of 2022, the St. Paul Scholarship will be extended to students who are their family’s primary breadwinner (or single and self-supporting) and who work for the Church – either in a parish, a school, a diocese, or a recognized Catholic apostolate.

Students and alumni of the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology serve the Church in myriad ways: as priests, permanent deacons, and religious brothers and sisters; as directors of diocesan offices from New Jersey to Oklahoma and from Florida to South Dakota; in a diverse array of apostolates, from Ablaze Ministries and FOCUS to Exodus 90 and Christ in the City; and in hundreds of parishes and schools throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.

For more information or to apply, contact admissions@augustineinstitute.org.

The St. Paul Scholarship Program is made possible by our generous donors, including the many members of our Mission Circle.