• About the Institute

St. John Institute of Catholic Thought (ICT) is an academic institution engaged in the study of Catholicism in its relation to the intellectual and cultural heritage of the western world. The ICT was formally established in 2001 but its roots go back to 1919, when St. John’s Catholic Newman Center’s predecessor, the Spaulding Guild, was granted authority to teach courses in Catholic theology that were accepted by the University of Illinois. Since then, St. John’s Catholic Newman Center has been involved in bringing the Catholic intellectual tradition into the public university. The Institute of Catholic Thought is the academic apostolate which carries out this mission.

The ICT accomplishes its goals through teaching, lectures, research, publishing, and student mentoring. The Institute provides graduate degree programs in Catholic theology in its school of theology. Fellows and Associates of the Institute offer undergraduate courses within the University of Illinois and Parkland College. The Institute also provides systematic catechetical formation for SJCNC students in a program called Collegium Evangelii. This program is also available online for dioceses and individuals.

The Institute invites a distinguished speaker each semester to speak on a topic of relevance to the ICT’s mission with the intention of engaging in dialogue between the Catholic intellectual tradition and modern forms of thought found on a public university campus. In addition, the Institute pursues goals of scholarly research, publishing, and interaction which aim at enhancing the Church's mission in the world. Like the Church at large, the Institute centers its scholarly work on the liturgy and especially the Eucharist.