The St Patrick’s Pontifical University Centre for Mission and Ministries, located within the Faculty of Theology, exists to advance the participation of the Irish Church in the Missio Dei for the 21st Century.

It fosters the life and mission of the church by attending to its pastoral practice, liturgical celebration, and reflective heart.

The work of the Centre has a three-fold focus • practical theology • integrated formation, and • interdisciplinary research.

Its activities are rooted in ongoing scholarship and a creative responsiveness to the ‘signs of the times’ in an evolving landscape. It seeks to be a valuable resource to parishes, pastoral areas, dioceses, religious communities and institutes, and faith-based agencies and organisations.

Rooted in the Catholic tradition and open to the work of the Spirit of God in the world, the Centre recognises and seeks to support and develop a wide diversity of callings and giftedness among the people of God. It is committed in the first instance to go out to the margins and engage comprehensively with contemporary culture.

It seeks to model communities of learning, research and liturgy and to empower partner organisations. The Centre is committed to peacebuilding, right relationships and dialogue with the other in the church and beyond.

The programmes delivered and associated with the centre foster these attitudes and values and are characterised by attention to service, theological reflection, human lived experience and the complex realities of the contemporary church in the world.

What we offer

St Patrick's Pontifical University offers a range of internationally recognised part-time, full-time and blended learning programmes taught by leading theologians and philosophers from our beautiful, historic campus in Ireland's only university town. Diploma and Higher Diploma and Masters programmes offering specialised education and formation in the fields of Theological Studies, Pastoral Ministry, Healthcare Chaplaincy, Youth Ministry, Liturgy, and Liturgical Music.

Who are these programmes for?

Programmes within our Centre for Mission and Ministries appeal to a wide range of adults, from different ethnic, religious, vocational, and academic backgrounds. Teachers seeking to specialise in Theology; Priests and Religious pursuing ongoing formation and professional development; persons in caring professions - like Nursing, Social Work, and Youth Work – discerning a transition to faith-based ministry and chaplaincy; singers and musicians who wish to deepen their musical competency for the liturgical environment; those engaged in community- and youth-based ministries or administration who wish to upskill and gain a qualification to strengthen their professional practice. These programmes aim to support and develop a wide diversity of callings and giftedness. Our graduates gain proficiency in attending to the complexity of human experience, the challenges within our contemporary world, and the art of effective communication. They continue to make a valuable contribution to the communities and organisations within which they work, for instance in hospital, educational, and prison chaplaincy, journalism and broadcasting, and faith-based agencies and communities. If you are looking to reorient your profession, enrich your faith life, or develop your ministerial competency; if you are searching for a meaningful occupation that will enable you to serve others and make a difference in your local community; if you desire to integrate your faith with your life and work; or if you feel ready for the challenge of personal, spiritual, academic, and professional growth, you should consider a programme from our Centre for Mission and Ministries. Click here for Centre for Mission & Ministries Programmes.

The Centre for Mission and Ministries, seeks to support and develop a wide diversity of callings and giftedness among the people of God. We are forming youth ministers, healthcare chaplains, permanent deacons, liturgists, musicians, and pastoral ministers from Ireland and abroad. We are doing this in collaboration with an ever-expanding community of partners-in-ministry who provide supervised placement sites for our pastoral students. A concentrated focus on the practical element alongside an emphasis on theological reflection is a real strength of our pastoral programmes.

Programmes in:

• Pastoral Theology
• Healthcare Chaplaincy
• Theological Studies
• Pastoral Liturgy
• Christian Communications & Media Practice
• Liturgical Music
• Youth Ministry & Spirituality
• Diaconate Studies

Forming people in careers as:

• Youth Ministers
• Healthcare Chaplains
• Permanent Deacons
• Liturgists
• Musicians
• Pastoral Ministers