Loyola's ministry program stayed on course despite hurricane

Published: 2005-12-30

FORT WORTH, Texas (CNS) -- When Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast, its devastation emptied schools, closed universities and displaced thousands of students. But one education program stayed right on course. The New Orleans-based Loyola Institute for Ministry Extension Program, which allows Catholic lay people to pursue professional training and earn advanced educational degrees, never stopped. Thanks to dedicated administrators, the Internet and creative networking, the 13 students currently enrolled in the program from the Diocese of Fort Worth will graduate on schedule in the spring. "We were able to keep the program running without skipping a beat," said Cecilia Bennett, associate director of the Institute for Ministry at Loyola University. "We posted course materials on our Web page and instructors used blogs to share with each other. There was a lot of networking. The whole community came together," she told the North Texas Catholic, diocesan newspaper of Fort Worth.

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