Students at the Kino Catechetical Institute can now earn course credit at University of Mary in Tempe, thanks to a new agreement between the two Catholic institutions.
Kino Institute
The Kino Institute offers courses in English and Spanish for adult enrichment and certification. Classes run as a series or a one-day overview course.
Info: (602) 354-2300 or www.kinoinstitute.orgUniversity of Mary-Tempe
Registation for 11 spring 2014 classes is underway. Classes meet at the All Saints Newman Center in Tempe and are for ASU and non-traditional students.Info: (480) 290-7048 or
The agreement, signed this fall, marked a formal partnership explored almost immediately after U-Mary opened its campus at Arizona State University last year.
“The nice thing was that neither Kino nor [the University of] Mary needed to reinvent the wheel. The content of the Kino modules was already structured in such a way that we were able to group most of them together to fit three existing University of Mary courses,” said Dr. Leroy Huizenga, chair of the theology department at U-Mary.
He called Kino “a solid, rigorous program.” Graduates of Kino’s two-year “Prepare the Way” certificate program will receive university credit for introductory Bible, theology and Christian ethics courses through U-Mary. That means Kino graduates would already have completed one-third of the coursework required for a college degree in theological studies.
“Our agreement with U-Mary- in Tempe is a strong first step in creating a suite of Catholic higher and continuing education services that will meet the needs and educational goals of all the faithful in the diocese,” said Steve Greene, director of English Programs through the Kino Catechetical Institute.
It allows students to seek additional faith formation opportunities, professional development or a degree. Greene said many graduates from the last three Kino classes expressed an interest in further education — either for personal enrichment or to make them more effective in their apostolates.
Kino has 89 students in two separate cohorts. They embark on a course of study that helps them articulate and defend their faith.
Huizenga said Kino graduates transferring to U-Mary would find lively class discussions. He visited a U-Mary classroom at ASU and found the students engaged with the material and each other, as well as faculty.
It’s not enough for today’s Catholics to know only what they believe, they must also know why, Greene said. Knowing the “why” prepares Catholics to present the Gospel, he said.
“The more you learn about your faith, the better you understand it. The better you understand your faith, the more you love it. And the more you love your faith, the more able and willing you will be to share it with others,” Greene said. “If the New Evangelization is to reach our culture in any meaningful way, we must be well-prepared to share the truth in love.”
