Kentucky Dominicans
St. Catharine College is new home to education law institute

Sr. Mary Angela Shaughnessy, director of the Education Law Institute, Bro. Robert Bimonte, executive director of the National Catholic Education Association and St. Catharine College President William D. Huston discuss the Education Law Institute.

ST. CATHARINE, KY -- February 26, 2007- William D. Huston, president of St. Catharine College, and Sr. Mary Angela Shaughnessy, SCN, recently announced that the Education Law Institute, formerly an independent entity incorporated in the state of Kentucky, will now be sponsored and housed at St. Catharine College. The college was founded and continues to be sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of St. Catharine Kentucky.

 “Since 1822, our year of founding, the Dominicans of Kentucky have valued, fostered and carried out an education ministry. This Institute is a valued new way of promoting truth and offering opportunity. Especially because we are at the beginning of a four year program for teacher education, this is an important acquisition for our college,” said Sr. Rosemary Rule, governing board liaison to the college.

The institute was established in 2002 to provide education concerning civil law to persons in Catholic education and church ministry throughout the United States. Workshops and seminars are offered on various topics pertaining to civil law and Catholic education, private education and church ministry. An annual national symposium brings together Catholic and other educators from across the country for three days of presentations, discussions and networking. This year’s symposium will be held at the Brown Hotel in Louisville.

Sr. Mary Angela, a former Catholic school principal, is an attorney and Catholic educator who has served at all levels of Catholic education. The author of over 30 books and hundreds of articles, she is a national expert on Catholic and private education, church ministry and civil law. She has served, and continues to serve, as professor in numerous colleges and universities across the country. A national speaker, she serves as an expert witness in litigation.

 “As a former member of the Board of Trustees at St. Catharine, I know well the quality of their programs and leadership there,” said Sr. Mary Angela. “I am most impressed with the commitment to the Catholic Church and to quality education. I look forward to working with St. Catharine in the sponsorship of the Institute and in the offering of its services.”

St. Catharine is fortunate to have received the opportunity to host the institute, as the University of Notre Dame was also in negotiations for the chance to do so.
           
“I was in conversation with Notre Dame, who really wanted it there,” said Sr. Mary Angela “But I told President Huston if St. Catharine wanted it, that is where I would like it to be centered.”

“As we continue to grow as a baccalaureate degree granting institution, this is an example of the outreach initiatives that will give us national recognition,” said Huston. “The Education Law Institute, along with Sr. Mary Angela Shaughnessy, is recognized nationally as the authority to provide civil law education to educators and various church ministries. We look forward to our future relationship.”

story by Tom Bystrek
Special to the Springfield Sun
Reprinted with permission