Hesburgh Sabbatical Program - About Us
Located in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, along the shores of Lake Michigan, the Hesburgh Sabbatical is one of the premier programs offered at Catholic Theological Union (CTU), the largest graduate school for theology and ministry in the United States, and is the ideal setting for your sabbatical experience. Chicago with its lively cultural life combined with CTU and its global faith community is the right environment to participate in a sabbatical program. You cannot help but return to your ministry renewed and reinvigorated.
With over 2,000 alumni, the Hesburgh Sabbatical provides holistic renewal for clergy, religious and lay ministers. The curriculum takes a holistic approach in exploring challenging and relevant topics for ministry. It is a well integrated program which benefits from CTU’s world renowned faculty, distinguished visiting faculty, and the international community of CTU. The program includes course work, reflection groups and liturgies. The Hesburgh Sabbatical experience focuses on seven key areas for contemporary ministry: liturgy and preaching, scripture, spirituality, moral theology and social concerns, systematics, psychology and human development, physical fitness and nutrition and other ministerial issues.
The Hesburgh Center is one of the impressive national and international centers located at CTU serving the concerns of the global church. Through these centers, Hesburgh Sabbatical participants have access to cutting edge research and experts. Catholic Theological Union is renowned for its superb academic training and pastoral formation as well as its continuing education offerings for clergy and lay people. Through educational and formational opportunities, CTU strives to educate effective leaders for the church- people of different races, genders, and callings, whose mission is to witness Christ's good news of justice, love, and peace to people of all nations.
Chicago attracts visitors from every corner of the world and is home to many fine universities, libraries, museums, art galleries, theaters, concert halls, and restaurants, as well as several professional sports teams. World-renowned architecture and cultural institutions are part of Chicago's great legacy, and the city offers 500 parks, 52,000 acres of forest preserves, and 27 continuous miles of parks and beaches along Lake Michigan, all of which are enjoyed by visitors and residents year-round.
The Hyde Park neighborhood, with five theology schools, an assortment of superb bookstores, five prestigious museums, and a tranquil lakefront setting, offers the ideal setting for a sabbatical that is both a respite and a time of exploration. Anchored by the University of Chicago, the four sister theology schools in Hyde Park are within walking distance of one another, and hold lectures, workshops, seminars, and cultural activities that are open to Hesburgh Sabbatical participants.