History and Mission

In 1982, Bishop Roger Mahony of the Diocese of Stockton asked for the creation of a plan to establish a school for ministry, which was developed by one of the diocesan priests in consultation with a lay minister. Sister Lorraine Pagerdarm, O.P., Chancellor for the Diocese, began implementation of the plan in the fall of 1985. When Bishop Mahony was transferred to Los Angeles, the School of Ministry was put on hold.

In the spring of 1991, Bishop Donald W. Montrose contracted with Sister Diane Smith, C.S.J. to continue the plan for the School of Ministry. A board was formed of faculty members whom Bishop Montrose recommended or approved. Following a parish questionnaire assessing the needs of the diocese and the input from the pastors, the board developed a curriculum. The School of Ministry resumed in April 1992. In February 1993, Sister Diane was appointed full-time Director of the School of Ministry. She left the School of Ministry on June 30, 2004. In August, 2004, Wanda Scheuermann became the director of the School of Ministry.

Because the Hispanic people in the Diocese of Stockton were seen to have a great need for holistic formation, Father Richard Valls, together with the Hispanic Pastoral Office team, started the Spanish School of Ministry in February 1992. Mr. Pedro Castex assumed responsibility for the Spanish-speaking track in 1993 as a volunteer. In April of 1996, Jorge Echeverria became the part time coordinator of the Spanish-language track until June 2003. Between June 2003 and February 2005, the Spanish-language track underwent a needs assessment process and restructuring. From February 2005 until December 2006, Feliciano Tapia served as the first full time associate director for the Spanish language track. In March 2007, Father Juan Serna was appointed the new associate director.

In 1992, the School of Ministry began the process for accreditation of its Basic and Advanced Theology for Ministry programs by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation. A site team from the commission visited in May of 1993 to consult with the diocese on the accreditation process. After a self-study demonstrated how the School of Ministry met the standards and requirements, a second site team came to meet with administration, faculty and students, in November of 1998. The School of Ministry was officially notified that its ministry formation program was accredited in November 1999. On May 14, 2002 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation conducted another accreditation visit. The School of Ministry was officially notified that accreditation of the Advanced and Basic Programs was renewed until 2009.

Last Update March 6, 2008