Partnership to Support the New Evangelization of the Catholic Church
Beginning in fall 2016, Saint John Institute students in Denver, who wish to apply business acumen to the needs of the Church and other areas of service, will be able to earn their online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Entrepreneurship from Walsh University. Students will earn their online MBA while living in a community of their peers in the rich spiritual environment of the Community of Saint John in Denver, Colorado.
Saint John Institute’s Founder and President Father Nathan Cromly, CSJ, was instrumental in facilitating the partnership between the two Catholic institutions and is currently earning his own Master of Arts in Theology degree at Walsh’s North Canton campus.
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Father Nathan is a Catholic priest of the Congregation of St. John. Having a wide experience in the New Evangelization, Father Nathan has worked from preaching to gymnasiums full of teens and leading children in adoration, to offering retreats for married couples and teaching Philosophy and Theology. Besides founding the Saint John Institute, Father is also the founder of Eagle Eye Ministries (www.eagleeyeministries.org), the annual Saint John Summer Conference, and has authored his first book promoting the DeMontfort consecration to Mary.
"While there are many online MBA options available for students today, we chose to partner with Walsh University so that our students will have the opportunity to earn an accredited MBA from a top-quality Catholic university that remains true to its mission and Catholic identity," said Father Cromly. "A typical candidate for our program is someone who wants to live a life of service in a way that enables them to also earn a decent living by using the skills they will learn to serve others and spread the Gospel. Saint John graduates are destined to be lay leaders in the Catholic Church, wherever they live."
Students at the Saint John Institute (SJI) campus in Denver will complete their MBA program online through Walsh’s DeVille School of Business. Additional theology and philosophy preparation will be provided in-person by the Brothers of the Community of Saint John.
Registration is now open for the inaugural class of 12 students beginning in fall 2016. To register, visit www.saintjohninstitute.org
"In order to fulfill the call of the New Evangelization, we must prepare the next generation of lay leaders to be savvy and devout in their abilities. The Saint John Institute sets the gold standard for ministry formation, education and preparation for our future leaders," said Father Cromly. "The Saint John Institute will prepare students to work in an engaging way in the Church’s efforts at evangelization by applying business skills to their ministry."
Walsh’s MBA degree can be completed in 36 semester hours of coursework for a student who demonstrates all required competencies upon entry. There will be opportunities for SJI students to visit the Walsh campus in Ohio during the program and for professors from Walsh to visit the students in Denver.
The origins of the Saint John Institute date back to 2003 when Eagle Eye Ministries, an apostolate of the Community of Saint John, held its first retreat. Originally planned as a one-time event, the retreat was so inspiring that they began to be requested in other cities within the United States.
By 2006, Eagle Eye Institute, a one-year formation program, was started in Princeville, Illinois. Eagle Eye Institute ran from 2006-2012 and resulted in 47 graduates, with 21 of them trying religious life or seminary. Additionally, four people met their spouse though the program. The spark had been created through years of successful programs to begin shaping the Saint John Institute.
From 2012-2015, Eagle Eye Ministries continued to progressively build to a point of being strong enough to support itself and launch the Saint John Institute. In 2015, the Saint John Institute was formed as a nonprofit organization and formally partnered with Walsh University to provide an accredited MBA in entrepreneurship to support the New Evangelization.
Additional information on the Saint John Institute is available at www.saintjohninstitute.org.
About the Community of Saint John
Present in 22 countries on five continents and numbering nearly 1,000 Brothers and Sisters, the family of Saint John desires to be for Jesus in today's Church what John was for Jesus in the Gospels. By placing the spirit of the Beloved Disciple in the context of the New Evangelization, the Congregation of Saint John reaches out to young people by providing the milieu for their authentic personal growth and formation in our Catholic Faith. The members of the Community of Saint John seek to fully live the evangelical counsels of poverty, virginity, and obedience in a spirit rooted in the Gospel of St. John.
About Father Nathan Cromly, CSJ
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Father Nathan Cromly has been a Brother with the Community of St. John for 12 years. Working in fields as varied as youth ministry and book publishing, Father Nathan serves as Prior of the brothers of Saint John in Laredo, Texas. While he was in formation, Father studied in France for five years, and traveled extensively in Europe and North America, preaching and teaching. He is the founder and director of Eagle Eye Ministries. He works extensively to promote Marian consecration through video, the web, and written publications. Father has hosted radio series through RadioMaria, has been a guest on EWTN’s Life on the Rock, Focus TV, and is a member of the Apostolate for Family Consecration’s teaching faculty. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Theology from Walsh University.