Student Policy

CI: Pillars Program Curriculum and Pedagogy

The curriculum for the Pillars Program at the Catechetical Institute is based on the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and is covered in four 11-week modules over a two-year period. With the main textbook being the Catechism of the Catholic Church*, the pedagogy of the program centers on guiding the students toward the goal of the Beatific Vision; therefore, the content of the classes is best described as a systematic and organic presentation of the Catholic faith.  

*The blue Catechism of the Catholic Church 2nd edition is the latest edition which was revised in 2018. You'll want to have the blue Catechism of the Catholic Church 2nd edition with the revised paragraphs for class. 

 To purchase the updated Catechism of the Catholic Church and/or a Bible, visit St. George Christian Books

Homework Requirement 

Each student will be required to read assigned sections in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and complete the questions in the student workbook weekly as preparation for a small-group discussion and lecture. At the end of each module (11 weeks) a two-page reflection paper will be submitted.  

 

Saturday Formative Sessions 

There will be two formative sessions per module. Each session will be held on a Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the same location as the Monday/Tuesday classes. The morning will be divided into two parts. The first part will begin with Mass followed by a time for refreshments. The second part of the formative session will begin with a reflection given by faculty followed by a period designed to appropriate the content of the reflection. 

 

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes, both Monday (or Tuesday) evenings and Saturday Formative Sessions. Should a student miss a class, he/she will be excused through turning in a copy of that week’s homework to his/her small group leader. The video of each lesson will be posted on the website for 2 weeks following the lesson. As the material is owned by the Catechetical Institute, you will need to log in for access to the audio, and are not to share the password with others. Your log in info will be given to you the first night of class. If a student should miss a Saturday Formative session, he/she will be responsible to watch the video of the class and write a one-page reflection paper on the topic of that session, which must be turned into the Catechetical Institute at the date assigned by the Class Coordinator. If unable to attend any class, the student should inform the Class Coordinator. 

* A Certificate of Completion will not be given to any student who has not turned in outstanding homework at the end of each module, or has missed more than three classes a module without making arrangements with the Class Coordinator or Director. 

 

Locations 

CI: Pillars Program

Classes for St. Maximillian Kolbe (2024-2026) will be held at St. Pius X in White Bear Lake

     Satellite Sites for the Class of St. Maximilian

  •  St. Michael in St. Michael
  •  St. Anne’s in Hamel
  •  St. Michael in Motley
  •  St. Joseph in Bertha

Classes for St. Thérèse of Lisieux (2023-2025) will be held at St. Patrick's, Edina

     Satellite Sites for the Class of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

  • St. John Nuemann, Eagan
  • St. Mary, Stillwater 
  • St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake
  • St. Maxilmilian, Delano
  • St. Michael, Pine Island
  • Sts. Peter & Paul, Braham - St. Cloud Diocese

 

Punctuality

Prompt arrival at Monday/Tuesday evening classes at 7:00 p.m. and all Saturday Formative Sessions at 8:00 a.m. is expected, as instructors will be starting on time. Students are expected to arrive at class and to be seated prior to the established starting time for the class. It is also expected that students will move to and from the small group discussion groups quickly to ensure the instructor is not interrupted during his/her lecture. 

 

Communications

A system of communication between the students and the Catechetical Institute is in place and easy to access online by going to www.cistudent.com. This website will allow the Catechetical Institute to keep the students updated on class schedules and cancellations as well as allow the instructors to communicate with the students on a weekly basis, when needed.  

*** Give the name and location of your class in all communications: email, phone messages, letters, tuition checks, etc.  

 

Cancellations

In the event of a weather-related cancellation, students will be notified by e-mail. Details will be posted on www.stthomas.edu/spssod/ and www.cistudent.com.  

The Catechetical Institute will follow protocol for the University of St. Thomas with respect to canceling classes. If the university reports weather-related cancellations, this would include the Catechetical Institute regardless of class location. You may also call 651-962-SNOW (7669) for updates on closings. The Catechetical Institute will provide a means of making up the session.  

 

Books

Each student is required to purchase the assigned texts for the program at the Catechetical Institute. The following are required for all four modules: Catechism of the Catholic Church and a Bible, preferably the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition or the New American Bible. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church will be the major textbook for this class, it is imperative that students have the (blue) Second Edition. Each instructor has submitted a list of books that he/she has determined would complement the study lessons. This Recommended Reading List, while not required reading, will enhance the learning experience of the student and serve as core books in the building of a personal library. All books, both text and recommended reading, will be available for purchase on site through the Catechetical Institute, with proceeds going to support the Institute and foster a scholarship program.  

  

 Certificate of Completion

After the two-year catechetical course, students who complete the course requirements will be given a certificate of completion by Archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The certificate shows that the student has not only completed the course work but has, in writing, reflected on how the content of the faith can be incorporated into his/her life and activities in the Church.  

 

Tuition and Tuition Deadlines 

 

  • Tuition at the Catechetical Institute for the fall 2024 and spring 2025 for the Calss of St. Thérèse of Lisieux* is $315.00 per module. (Tuition adjusted for satellite sites as noted on application. Satellite site tuition is $225 per module.)

 

  • Tuition at the Catechetical Institute for the fall 2024 and spring 2025 for the Calss of St. Maximilian Kolbe** is $315.00 per module. (Tuition adjusted for satellite sites as noted on application. Satellite site tuition is $225 per module) and will be paid online.

 *Note - Tuition for the Class of St. Maximilain Kolbe is online.

 **Note - Tuition for the Class of St. Thérèse of Lisieux will remain via check. (See instructions below.) If you'd like to pay online, a link will be provided.

 

Fall 2024 Tuition Deadline is September 9, 2025

Spring 2025 Tuition Deadline is January 31, 2025 

**Tuition must be paid prior to receiving class materials** 

Tuition payments are made online. Students taking the course at St. Patrick's in Edina and St. Pius X in WHite Bear Lake should click the boc that says "Host Site." Students at one of the satellite sites to which the course is live streamed, should click the box that says "satellite site."

Click — > Online Tuition Payment 

 

Catechetical Institute Staff

Kelly Wahlquist, Director 

Teresa Gockowski, Administrative Assistant 

Brenda Schroll, Satellite Site Coordinator (Class of St. Joseph and Class of St. Michael the Archangel)

Cathie Durham, Class Coordinator (Class of St. Michael the Archangel, Coon Rapids)

 

 

 

Faculty of the Institute

“Teachers are called to be witnesses and educators of authentic Christian life, which evidences attained integration between faith and life, and between professional competence and Christian wisdom. All teachers are to be inspired by academic ideals and by the principles of an authentically human life.”

~Ex Corde Ecclesiae 22.

The faculty of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute is committed to teaching in accordance with the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and in the spirit of the document that governs the apostolate of Catholic higher education, Ex Corde Ecclesiae. In light of this commitment, the instructors of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute make the Profession of Faith and take the Oath of Fidelity.
 

The Catechetical Institute faculty takes an Oath of Fidelity and makes a Profession of Faith at the onset of each academic year. 

 

Oath of Fidelity

I, _______________________________________ in assuming the office of __________________________ promise that both in my word and in my conduct I shall always preserve communion with the Catholic Church.

 I shall carry out with greatest care and fidelity the duties incumbent on me toward both the universal Church and the particular Church in which, according to the provisions of the law, I have been called to exercise my service.

 In fulfilling the charge entrusted to me in the name of the Church,  I shall hold fast to the deposit of faith in its entirety, I shall faithfully hand it on and explain it, and I shall avoid any teachings opposed to that faith.

 I shall follow and foster the common discipline of the whole Church and I shall observe all ecclesiastical laws, especially those which are contained in the Code of Canon Law.

 In Christian obedience I shall unite myself with what is declared by the bishops as authentic doctors and teachers of the faith or established by them as those responsible for the governance of the Church; I shall also faithfully assist the diocesan bishops, in order that the apostolic activity exercised in the name and by mandate of the Church may be carried out in the communion of the same Church.

 So help me God, and God's holy Gospels, on which I place my hand.

 

Profession of Faith

I, ______________________________________, with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

 I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.  I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Lightfrom Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.  Through him all things were made.  For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried.  On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.  With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.  He has spoken through the Prophets.  I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.  I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church -- whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal magisterium ‑‑ as divinely revealed and calling for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.

Culture of Care

Our students, faculty and staff are building a culture of care across our community to keep campus healthy and safe. As such, we will follow the protocols that have been created to safeguard our community’s health and safety. See the UST COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for more details. 

At our UST campus, we will follow the UST guidelines:

  1. Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from others (per current guidelines)
  2. Masks or face coverings will be required indoors in common areas where others are present.
  3. Technology for remote work and virtual events will be used more frequently than is typical with on-campus operations.
  4. Stay home if you feel sick or have flu-like symptoms.
  5. Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
  6. Be respectful, kind, and understanding of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

At our satellite sites, we will follow the direction of the host site—many of which are at parishes or schools. We work closely with the pastors and leadership teams of each parish, who in turn take their directions from the Archbishop, who is in contact with the State of Minnesota Department of Health. Recognizing things can change daily, we will communicate the protocols for each location to the students via email, the website, and through announcements.