Fall 2011 Matriculation

The Very Rev. Douglas Travis, dean and president of Seminary of the Southwest, welcomed 34 new students Thursday evening, Sept. 8, during the annual Fall Matriculation at Christ Chapel on the seminary campus in Austin, TX.

Fall enrollment includes 15 new MDiv students, and brings the total enrollment for all programs to 140, a seven percent increase over total enrollment for 2010-11.

In welcoming the new students, Academic Dean Cynthia Briggs Kittredge noted, “the mission of Seminary of the Southwest is to help men and women discern God’s call and to prepare, in heart and mind, for ministry in the church and in the world,” and asked for the students’ pledge to their discernment and formation.

Dean Travis presented each with a book on the Rule of St. Benedict, the rule of life students strive to follow while living within the Southwest community.

Service is a core value at the seminary, following such examples as that of the Rev. Charles J. Cook, retired professor of pastoral theology. In honoring Cook for his 25 years of contribution, collaboration and commitment to the seminary, the Charles J. Cook Award in Servant Leadership was established in 2009.

This year’s recipient is Jennifer Long, who has been the Director of Casa Marianella since 1998. Casa Marianella’s emergency shelter for adult immigrants offers housing and food, English classes, and case management, assisting around 900 people annually.

In presenting the award, Dean Travis told Long, “. . . It is not just in your work that you live as a servant leader, but in every aspect of your life.  You have literally stood shoulder to shoulder with the dispossessed in Austin to ensure that they are treated fairly and not harassed simply because they are immigrants. . . .  One of your friends has said that every aspect of your life reflects a commitment to your vocation of reflecting Christ’s love.”

Seminary of the Southwest classes for 2011-12 began Tuesday, Sept. 6. The seminary will welcome prospective students at a Visitors Weekend in November. For additional information on the seminary, please visit the website at www.ssw.edu.