The Catholic Institute Of Aotearoa New Zealand
Professor Anne Touhy
The Catholic Institute (TCI) provides tertiary-level, nationally-registered qualifications and adult education for teachers, chaplains, people working in pastoral ministry and for Catholics desiring to know more about their faith. TCI is distinctive in the range of qualifications on offer and its nationwide delivery – through face-to-face classes and distance education – in its commitment to meet Catholic pastoral and educational needs. TCI graduates are in schools, parishes, diocesan offices, in general employment and working with young people and vulnerable communities.
With a small, but highly-qualified team of lecturers and tutors, TCI delivers nationally-accredited certificate and diploma programmes in Pastoral Ministry, Religious Education, Theology and Leadership in a
ll six New Zealand Catholic dioceses. We also offer specialised qualifications to those who are called to work in youth ministry, with the sick, the elderly and prisoners.
Some students enrol in qualifications with TCI not because they wish to exercise ministry roles within the Church, but to understand their faith better, and so contribute to the transformation of society by bringing Christian values into the social, political and economic sectors.
As Pope Francis states, ‘Lay people are, put simply, the vast majority of the people of God … There has been a growing awareness of the identity and mission of the laity in the Church. We can count on many lay persons, although still not nearly enough, who have a deeply-rooted sense of community and great fidelity to the tasks of charity, catechesis and the celebration of the faith. … Even if many are now involved in the lay ministries, this involvement is not reflected in a greater penetration of Christian values in the social, political and economic sectors. It often remains tied to tasks within the Church, without a real commitment to applying the Gospel to the transformation of society. The formation of the laity and the evangelisation of professional and intellectual life represent a significant pastoral challenge (Evangelii Gaudium).
So, through knowledge, voice and conscience TCI seeks to demonstrate a commitment to human dignity, mutual respect, and the pursuit of truth and service to Church and society. TCI makes every effort to be relevant to contemporary concerns; provide an institutional witness to the person of Christ and his message; and foster effective partnerships that strengthen research, teaching and community engagement.
Visit www.tci.ac.nz for more information.
Professor Anne Tuohy is Director TCI.