Dr. Christa Klein to Receive Pope John Paul II Seminary Leadership Award

Arlington, Va. – Dr. Christa Klein, president of the Association of Boards in Theological Education (commonly known as In Trust), will receive the 2012 Pope John Paul II Seminary Leadership Award on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at the NCEA President’s Dinner, just before the annual convention of the National Catholic Educational Association. The NCEA Seminary Department is presenting the award.

The Seminary Leadership Award is given for outstanding service on behalf of priestly formation in the United States and Canada. In announcing the honor, Msgr. Jeremiah McCarthy, executive director of the NCEA Seminary Department, said, “Dr. Christa Klein is being recognized for outstanding efforts to assist theological schools in North America in strengthening structures of governance, most especially through the mentoring and education of boards of directors and trustees. The award recognizes her thoughtful care and attentiveness to the unique patterns of governance required for the administration of programs designed to form priests according to Roman Catholic ecclesial requirements.”

Under Dr. Klein’s guidance, In Trust, located in Wilmington, Delaware, has become the premier organization serving the community of theological schools. In Trust works with ecumenical sensitivity, attending to the distinctive missions and purposes of Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox member schools.

Msgr. McCarthy added, “Over many years, Dr. Klein personally engaged in active outreach to the priestly formation community and sought creative partnerships with the NCEA Seminary Department and the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to tailor the services of In Trust to meet the distinctive needs of Catholic seminary leaders. I am grateful for her outreach and dedication to the seminary community.”

The award, named to honor the legacy of Pope John Paul II, provides an opportunity to celebrate the holistic vision of priestly training that Pope John Paul II championed in his acclaimed encyclical, Pastores Dabo Vobis.

Dr. Karen Ristau, president of the NCEA, is hosting the event in Boston and will make the presentation of the award along with Msgr. McCarthy.

The NCEA, founded in 1904, is a professional membership organization that provides leadership, direction and service to fulfill the evangelizing, catechizing and teaching mission of the church. NCEA members include elementary schools, high schools, parish religious education programs and seminaries.

-end-

Editor’s Note:

In Trust is a 24 year-old organization serving the needs of boards and governance in theological schools and institutions with programs in preparation for ministry in the United States and Canada. In Trust is located in the Community Service Building, 100 W. 10th Street, Wilmington, DE. Dr. Klein can be reached at 302-654-7770. http://www.intrust.org/home.cfm

Recipients of the Pope John Paul II Seminary Leadership Award

The award is presented annually by the Seminary Department of the National Catholic Educational Association in recognition of distinguished service to the Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States and Canada.

The Seminary Department established this award to honor the memory and the legacy of Pope John Paul II. In choosing to present this award to a North American church leader, the department seeks to affirm the qualities of creativity, leadership and service of individuals who contribute to the development of effective priestly formation programs in the U.S. and Canada.

When established in 1984, the award was given in the name of Bishop Loras Lane, the former bishop of Rockford who chaired the United States Bishops' Committee on Priestly Formation and who was named to the Roman Curia Congregation for Catholic Education. The John Paul II designation continues this established tradition and we proudly list the past honorees below.