Faith
Experience
VING
Mary Kay McPartlin
which was composed of the “who’s who” of
our clergy today: Bishop Nienstedt, Archbishop Vigneron, Bishop Reese, Bishop
Boyea, Bishop Quinn, and Bishop Blair.
What a privilege to work with them and get
to know them.”
The committee designed the three major
degrees that serve Sacred Heart’s students
today: the Master of Arts in Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology, and the Master of
Arts in Pastoral Studies.
Since she began her tenure in 1988, Dr.
Cooney Hathaway’s desire for students is
for them to develop a strong relationship
with God.
“I have been privileged through such
courses as the History of Christian Spirituality to introduce students to our rich spiritual tradition as they study the great friends
of God—Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross,
Ignatius of Loyola— and how their teaching
on prayer and the spiritual life nourishes
our own spiritual journey. My gift is to help
people integrate our faith tradition with
the concrete situations of their lives and to
model that faith to others.
“If our theology and spirituality don’t
accomplish that goal, what is the point of
what we do here?”
Dr. Cooney Hathaway believes that all
theology should ultimately be pastoral,
“And by pastoral, I don’t mean ‘theology
lite,’ but how our theology and spirituality
help people find meaning and purpose in
their lives.” She had the opportunity to put
this goal into practice by authoring a book,
Weaving Faith and Experience, A Woman’s
Perspective, which describes the spiritual
journeys of women through the seasons of
life. It was recognized with a 2010 Catholic
Book Award.
Since 2005, she has written a column on
lay spirituality for Mosaic. “The feedback
from our readers has been most gratifying,”
she says.
Dr. Cooney Hathaway and Sacred Heart
believed educating the laity was necessary
for Catholic faith to grow in the archdiocese. “Funding for such an initiative was
needed. Monsignor Vigneron created a
committee composed of Mrs. Patricia Rennie, Sr. Mary Lou Putrow, OP, and myself to
apply for a Lilly Grant, and we were awarded one for $1.5 million,” says Dr. Cooney
Hathaway. “We knew that the laity needed
a formation program just as seminarians
did, and the grant gave us the opportunity
to provide scholarships for lay women and
men to pursue the MAPS degree [Master of
Arts in Pastoral Studies]. We designed one
of the leading formation programs for lay
students in the country.”
As a theological student and professor
after Vatican II, Dr. Cooney Hathaway appreciates how the academic opportunities
for women have increased.
“Vatican II reminded the laity that
through our Baptism we are called to holiness and ministry; that is, we each have
a responsibility as people of faith to bring
God’s kingdom of love, compassion, and
justice into the world,” Dr. Cooney Hathaway says. “Pope Francis recently spoke of
the necessity of having women, especially
married women, on seminary faculties. I
bring that perspective to the faculty and
students. My marriage and family life have
deeply influenced my teaching. I try to
model a balanced life.”
Her work as a female theologian in the
1980s was groundbreaking in many ways.
She was very aware of the responsibility
that came with her career at the seminary.
“I was one of the women who was paving
the way for other lay men and women,” says
Dr. Cooney Hathaway. “I never felt what I
did was only about me.”
The national reputation Sacred Heart
has for thoughtful and thorough theological study is a point of pride for Dr. Cooney
Hathaway. She says it has been exciting to
see the development and the growth of the
seminary.
“Where we are today is just tremendous.
It shows God has blessed our work. I am
honored to be part of the story.”
Mary Kay McPartlin is a freelance writer from
Maumee, Ohio.
shms.edu
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