WE SEEK TO UNITE FAITH IN GOD WITH REASON
Amid the transience and changeability of life, we seek the unchanging Truth. Inspired by the thought of St Thomas Aquinas, we wish to bring the aspirations of the modern world into harmony with the radical demands of the Gospel. Our aim is to pass on the heritage of the Christian theological tradition to our students, form them in fidelity to the Truth, help them find their place in the Church and prepare them to proclaim the Gospel in the world. The St Thomas Aquinas Institute of Religious Studies in Kyiv began as the St Thomas Aquinas College of Catholic Theology, founded in 1992 by the Order of Preachers, the Dominican friars. In February 2000 the College became affiliated with the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, the Angelicum, in Rome. On 5 May 2000, by decree of the Congregation for Catholic Education (De Educatione Catholica), it received the name “Institute of Religious Studies” and the right to award a university master’s degree in religious studies.
The Institute’s faculty includes Ukrainian scholars and lecturers from leading Catholic educational institutions in Poland, Italy, the United States, Switzerland and other countries. The Institute is a Catholic educational institution for laypeople and consecrated persons. It is also open to Christians of other denominations and to anyone interested in philosophical and theological questions who wishes to deepen their knowledge of the Christian roots of European culture. The St Thomas Institute is also a setting for interconfessional dialogue. Most of our students are Roman Catholic or Greek Catholic, but Orthodox Christians, Protestants and people engaged in a spiritual search also study here. Lectures, classes and seminars are intended not only for students seeking a master’s degree, but also for students and lecturers from other institutions and for everyone interested in philosophy, theology and culture. Interested persons may also attend courses as non-degree students.
The programme includes philosophy, theology, the humanities—including history and the social sciences—classical languages such as Hebrew, Ancient Greek and Latin, and modern Western European languages including English, Italian and Polish. The course of study lasts five years. Graduates sit a master’s examination and receive a master’s degree in religious studies awarded by the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, the Angelicum, in Rome. The Institute’s academic year runs from September to June.
Classes take place Monday to Friday from 6:15 p.m. to 9:05 p.m. Language classes are held daily from 4:30 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. The Institute has no student residence. Students may take part in Holy Mass every evening; on weekdays it begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Institute’s Chapel of St Hyacinth.
The Dominican friars provide spiritual care for the students. In addition to student chaplaincy, the Institute offers the “Coffee with the Director” discussion series, a Bible club, a film club and a choir—the Dominican Schola of Liturgical Chant.
The Institute does not offer correspondence courses. However, the “Tree of Life” Educational and Catechetical Centre operates at the Institute for Catholics who wish to deepen their religious knowledge and receive a diploma as a catechist or family counsellor. The Centre offers part-time study requiring attendance for two days each month. It also maintains the “Tree of Life” Centre blog.
Official website of the Institute: http://tomainstytut.org
Email: aquinato@gmail.com
