The Magdala Apostolate is an outreach project of the Institute of Catholic Culture and is dedicated to providing sound doctrinal formation—both initial and ongoing—for women religious and novices, in accord with the Church’s call for a new evangelization. Each term, they offer free, online, semester-long courses in the faith to any religious sister or community who applies. 

Here is a testimonial from the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa who believe that this program provides their Sisters with orthodox, faithful and profound spiritual and academic formation that would be hard to obtain elsewhere.

“…Unity through charity, and pursuit of truth through learning”

As the Constitutions of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa are based upon the ancient Rule of St. Augustine, we are devoted to living according the above motto. In this “pursuit of truth through learning”, the Magdala Apostolate of the Institute of Catholic Culture has come to our unparalleled assistance.  In the decade since our founding we have been blessed with many beautiful vocations to our congregation, and as such our Mother House, Mater Dei Convent, is home to Sisters in every level of formation and profession. Mater Dei serves as Novitiate, House of Studies and Apostolic House all in one. Through courses offered through the Magdala Apostolate, formation is available for all our Sisters and their varying needs. As an individual and in community, our Sisters have benefited from the Magdala Apostolate from postulancy unto perpetual profession and beyond.

In the Postulate and Novitiate, the Philosophy, Scripture and Catechesis available through the Magdala Apostolate have constituted a foundational aspect of our formation program. The immense support that the Magdala Apostolate education provides for the Sisters’ ministries becomes all the more evident after profession when the Sisters, often teaching in some capacity, have a classroom of eager eyes, looking to them for the truth of History, Philosophy, Art, and—most importantly—the Faith.  Having been intellectually fortified for the task by the Magdala Apostolate, our Sisters are better equipped to meet this need.  Many Sisters have found the courses so helpful in this regard, that they will seek the opportunity to continue their education with the Magdala Apostolate through classes and recordings long after the profession of vows. Not only does the Magdala Apostolate provide edification for our Sisters intellectually but also spiritually. The many courses and special lectures on the liturgical year, lives of the saints, and spirituality have been utilized by the Sisters, as individuals and as a community, to expand our minds and hearts with the love and knowledge of God.

In sum, the Magdala Apostolate has enabled us to provide our Sisters with orthodox, faithful and profound spiritual and academic formation at a level that would be nigh impossible to receive without it. The ability to learn from our convent home, to enroll in courses that best suit our personal and community needs, and to know better and better through these courses the Lord who is the Lord of all truth so that we may, faithful to our charism, better impart “…the beauty goodness and truth of the Catholic Faith…”. With much gratitude to the generous benefactors of the Magdala Apostolate, and to all that labor with this wonderful branch of the Institute of Catholic Culture, we wholeheartedly pray that this apostolate grow, with Our Lord’s help, forming the minds and hearts of Religious so that we may in turn form the souls of those to whom we minister.

Registration for the Spring 2023 semester will close on Monday, January 9, 2023. The following is a list of courses:  

HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE II
—Mother Maria Regina van den Berg

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES
—Mark Wunsch, Ph.D. 

NICAEAN AND POST-NICAEAN FATHERS
—John Pepino, Ph.D. 

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
—Ximena DeBroeck, Ph.D. 

SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY
—Rev. David Anderson 

BIBLICAL APOLOGETICS
—Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D. 

 In addition to their classes specifically for religious sisters, the Institute of Catholic Culture also offers courses online available for all in people seeking to learn more about the Faith, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Here is one for the Spring semester: 

CATHOLIC POLITICAL
THOUGHT 101
—Chad Pecknold, Ph.D. 

 Religious sisters may register here: magdalaapostolate.org