In 1825, what was then the Center for Institutional Studies was founded by the Order of Preachers to form friars in the Dominican “Ratio Studiorum” (plan of studies). One hundred years later, what is now Aquinas Institute of Theology has stayed true to its mission and sent forth some incredible alumni along the way.
Carrying out the legacy of the Dominicans in the Midwest
President of Aquinas Institute of Theology and Professor of Liturgical Theology Fr. Mark Wedig, OP, PhD, shares the unique positioning of Aquinas Institute, located in St. Louis, saying that it “provides a unique experience of Dominican education that grows out of the legacy of the Dominicans in the middle part of the United States. It also serves as the Center for Institutional Studies for two US Dominican provinces involved in a unique collaboration. We have offered a distinguished place in the education of Catholic health care leaders. Our doctorate in preaching is the only Catholic one of its kind.”
Living out its primary purpose as a theological school, the Aquinas Institute has formed many friars. Fr. Wedig explains that while the mission has stayed the same, in the mid-1960s the Institute started to admit lay people and other religious. The Institute also worked with two Protestant seminaries to found one of the first ecumenical consortiums. From moving locations to receiving accreditation, the Aquinas Institute has a rich history, notably graduating 2,000 alumni in the last century.
Notable alumni
In a century, many men and women have benefitted from studies in the faith at the Aquinas Institute. The fruits their education has borne have been wide and varied. Here are just 10 alumni Fr. Wedig shares that embody the spirit of Aquinas Institute:
- Fr. James Weishepl, OP ’46, 50 – A distinguished historian of medieval science and Thomistic thought, he authored a definitive biography of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1974.
- Fr. Benedict Ashley, OP ’49 – A leading Catholic ethicist and Catholic intellectual who made a major impact on theology.
- Fr. Thomas O’Meara, OP ’59, 62 – An internationally recognized systematic and historical theologian and professor emeritus at the University of Notre Dame.
- Sr. Agnes Mueller, ASC ’71 – a missionary in Liberia where she was martyred in 1992, known as a “martyr of Charity.”
- Sr. Patricia Walter, OP ’73 – theologian, educator and former Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
- Fr. David Songy, OFM Cap ’86, 87 – clinical psychologist and former president of the Saint Luke’s Institute.
- Celeste Mueller, ’98 – Catholic Health Care leader.
- Jared Bryson, ’05 – President and CEO of Catholic Charities of St. Louis
- Fr. José David Padilla, OP ’06 – Associate Professor of New Testament.
- Fr. Kevin Stephens, OP ’08 – professor and administrator of L’école Biblique et Archéologique de Jérusalem.
A future firmly rooted in centuries of tradition
These 10 are just a handful of alumni who are part of the rich legacy of Aquinas Institute. Aquinas Institute has been profiling 100 alumni for 100 years on its Facebook page, including health care professionals, social justice advocates, campus ministers, and more.
Today, Aquinas Institute is known for its small class sizes (5:1) and equipping men and women, clergy and lay people, “to preach, to teach, to minister, and to lead.”
This article is brought to you with the Aquinas Institute.
