St. Mark’s College Receives $50,000 USD Lilly Endowment Grant

Jun 18, 2021

St. Mark’s College has been awarded a $50,000 USD ($62,000 CAD) grant through Phase 1 of Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative.

The Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative seeks to help theological schools in Canada and the United States strengthen and sustain their capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders (both clergy and lay pastoral leaders) for the future. The Endowment has allocated $87.5 million for the initiative.

This grant provides an opportunity for the College to engage in conversation and action with the different interest groups throughout British Columbia on how to work together in forming pastoral leaders.

St. Mark’s College will utilize the grant over 2021-2022 to assess the College’s programs and plan how to develop them to better form future pastoral leaders. The College will be hiring someone part-time to help implement the work of the grant.

Founded in 1956, St. Mark’s College has a rich legacy of engaging students in the integration of faith and reason so they can think rigorously, act justly and serve faithfully across a number of professions and ministries. As a Catholic College affiliated with the University of British Columbia, St. Mark’s College offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as theological formation for those studying for the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

“At St. Mark’s College, we are focused on forming graduates who are prepared to take on the intellectual, professional, and social challenges of our times,” commented Dr. Lynda Robitaille, Dean of Theology at St. Mark’s College. “This grant will help us accomplish this mission and ensure our students are equipped to serve their communities as lay and ordained leaders throughout Vancouver, British Columbia, and beyond.”