St. Joseph's College is a
CatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, undergraduate,
liberal artsThe term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
college that also serves as a
residenceA dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
and place of
worshipWorship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
for the Catholic community on campus. It is affiliated with the
University of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
and the
Archdiocese of EdmontonThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in the Province of Alberta. Its suffragan dioceses are Calgary and Saint Paul. Historically, the archdiocese was preceded by the Diocese of St Albert which was erected in 1871. In 1912 the present archdiocese was erected...
, and is currently operated by the Basilian Fathers.
The
missionA mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
of the college is "to discover, integrate, and disseminate truth, as revealed by
GodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, discerned by reason, experienced in community". This is why throughout the academic year it offers regular services to the students on campus such as the Last Chance
mass"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings. St. Joseph's Campus Ministry offers a variety of services and events such as the September Canoe Trip and the January Antioch Retreat. In addition, there is a weekday Mass as well as adoration and
confessionThis article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
on Tuesdays. Confession can also be by appointment). Chaplains are almost always available for pastoral care and spiritual direction.
The college offers classes on a variety of topics, all with an emphasis on deepening the understanding of the
Catholic faithCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. Courses are offered in
Christian Theology- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
,
PhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and
Religious EducationReligious Education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education provided by a church or religious organization, for instruction in doctrine and faith, or for education in various aspects of religion, but without explicitly religious or moral aims, e.g. in a...
. They are credit courses for all degree programs requiring an
ArtsaRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
elective. In addition, students in the B.A. program can opt to have Christian Theology as a Minor.
There is also a Catholic men's residence with living accommodations for over sixty. The residence is well-known for it's camaraderie, it's hearty, delicious meals, it's participation and dominance in intramural sports (24 straight championships), and it's prime, central location on the University of Alberta campus. Famous alumni of the residence include former
Prime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
,
Joe ClarkCharles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
.
Since 2006, there has also been a women's residence affiliated with the College. However, Kateri House, named after the First Nations Catholic figure
Kateri the BlessedKateri Tekakwitha or Catherine Tekakwitha was a Mohawk-Algonquian woman from New York and an early convert to Catholicism, who has been beatified in the Roman Catholic Church.-Her life:...
, is not located in the College proper but rather in one stairwell of nearby HUB mall; Kateri House currently consists of 14 women.
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