WOODSTOCK THEOLOGICAL CENTER CLOSES: A Legacy of Forty Years of Tradition and Service
(Washington, D.C. February 15, 2013) The Jesuit Provincials of Maryland, New York, and New England, along with the other members of the Board of Trustees of the Woodstock Theological Center (WTC), have decided, as of June 30, 2013, to discontinue WTC’s activities as an independent ministry of the East Coast provinces of the Society of Jesus.
The enormous transformations experienced by the Society of Jesus in the last forty years have influenced the allocation of human and material resources, including those dedicated to the mission of theological reflection. More recently, the Jesuits of the U.S. provinces have engaged in a strategic review of how best to meet the challenges and mission priorities of the 21st century.
Gasper F. LoBiondo, S.J., Director of the Woodstock Theological Center since 2002, observed that, “while Woodstock’s formal, independent ministry will come to an end, its rich legacy will continue to serve in the context of the research, publications, and theological forums that have advanced the church’s understanding of the role of faith in public life. All who have been associated with Woodstock Theological Center over its forty years of service can be proud of what they have accomplished, and should be encouraged by the knowledge that the work they have done will not come to an end because the value of such work will be embraced by other institutions in new forms.”
While the programming of the Center itself will come to an end as of June 30, 2013, it is hoped that some of the research initiatives might be relocated at Georgetown University and other Jesuit institutions to carry forward Woodstock’s legacy.
